Mission Conference with M. Russell Ballard

Today was really a very special day. We started by taking our MTC Choir over to the stake center to practice our special musical number for our Mission Conference. They sang "I Need Thee Every Hour". I was quite nervous because it needed to be perfect since an apostle was going to be there. Jon came over with me, and coached them until they sounded like angels. I am glad we had the opportunity to sing today. I also really love this picture of Elder Ballard and Elder Kearon!

This is also a great picture of Sister Kearon as well! She's a special lady!

After our practice we went to the pageant dress rehearsal because we have a whole new group of missionaries that will be singing in the finale tonight. On Tuesday night we took our Greeks and Germans and London missionaries for the opening night. It is a special feeling to be singing as a full time missionary. Every one of my missionaries is enjoying it! Even the ones that didn't think they wanted to do this!

After lunch, it was time to get in our seats and wait for Elder Ballard's arrival. Also in attendance were Elder Kearon, Elder Hallstrom, Elder Brent Neilson and Elder Johnson and their wives. Elder Ballard shook hands with all 300 missionaries before they started the meeting. The missionaries were thrilled! President McReynolds conducted the meeting. I think it was a great boost and spiritual experience for these missionaries to be taught and trained by these wonderful men! Elder Ballard has a cute sense of humor and shared some funny stories with the missionaries! As he was leaving he shared a story about a little boy who had been at a stake conference where he was speaking and he was so excited to tell his granddad that he had heard an Apostle speak today. But when the little boy was talking to his grandfather on the phone he said, "I saw an old fossil speak today at church!" Sweet memories. 

After our meeting, all of the Brethren and their wives came over to our apartment to rest for about a half of an hour before they needed to go and speak to the cast of the pageant. That was pretty cool to sit around the living room and visit. What a privilege to have an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ in our little apartment. After they visited with the cast they came back and had dinner in our apartment. It ended up being my privilege to sit right next to Elder Ballard. He is such a sweet man. Just like my dad. I must admit I wish the service of the dinner had gone more smoothly, and that I would have just helped him more to get his food, like I would have my own father, but it was a treat none the less to be with him. I asked him if his wife was ill and he shared with me that she is suffering with Alzheimer's. It broke my heart that he is kind of all alone now, even though his wife is still alive. He shared how many children and grandchildren and great grandchildren he had. I commented that that was A LOT of posterity. He told me he can't brag around Russell Nelson, but if Russell isn't around then they all try to compare with each other who has the biggest families.

I can't even pretend to understand the ways the Savior magnifies His chosen, but the fact that they flew into Manchester on Wednesday, had a full day Wednesday and then all day in Chorley with us until the pageant ended at 10pm Thursday, and then they were flying home Friday morning...I don't know how they do it. At his age, with the jet lag, and his mind was as sharp as could be. He remembered names and facts about everything we were talking about! It is amazing to watch!

We were very humbled to have this experience. It is a day and night we will always remember! This evening we got to go and sing at the pageant that they were all attending. Very very special indeed!