Miracles:
Two months when we were setting up our missionary training schedule - we felt like we should go east instead of our planned south route for training. We set up training for missionaries in Andalusia, Enterprise and Geneva, Alabama. We felt good about going there, even though we knew with their zone conference being on Wednesday, we would not be able to spend one day and not train the rest of the missionaries in that area. When we got to Geneva on Tuesday at 1:00 pm, there was a member (Sister Kriser) that heard we were coming and came to talk to us. She had been awakened during the night on Monday and felt like she was to call Sister Hanson (senior couple in Enterprise) and talk to her about Family History. (She had a non-member who had been asking her if she knew anybody that could come and do a Family History presentation.) Sister Kriser called Sister Hanson and told her the story about her inspiration to call her. Sister Hanson said, she had just learned Monday evening, that we were going to be at the Geneva building that (Tues) afternoon and she needed to be there.
When Sister Kriser told us her story and what she needed - we said we would be happy to do help. It turn out that this "man" who was asking, is a principle of a middle school that wanted the school to host a Family History event and invite the community, starting with the parents of all the kids in the middle school. Well, last Saturday (April 30) was the day. We had trained missionaries to help attendees with one-on-one help after a FH presentation. We had two sessions - it was a Great Success!
Here are some pictures taken at the event of the presentation and the one-on-one help:
What a great day and a blessing to be part of it!
Here is an email we received from Sister Kriser after the event. She was writing this to her Stake Presidency hoping they would so something similar and give the members the opportunity to invite their friends. She was very kind and appreciative - and she did a LOT OF WORK to make the event successful!
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Email from Sister Kriser:
Presidents Salmon, Aycock, and Davis,
I wondered if you might be aware of Elder and Sister Price, who were requested and brought to the Tallahassee Mission by President Smith to be Family History missionaries here? I happened to become aware of them when trying to find someone to help us with a specific event. A non-member in our area offered to host a family history event at the Slocomb Middle School. This was Zeb Brown's second request, and I had been praying to know who would be well-prepared and capable to lead out with such an event.
The name of a stake member came into my mind one night along with the thought that I should call her the next morning and ask her about family history. When I called Elder and Sister Hansen (from Enterprise) the next morning, she let me know she does have Family History experience, but even more importantly she told me she was aware that there would be a missionary couple (she didn't know their names) at our Geneva Branch building at 1 p.m. that day to meet with and train our sister missionaries in Family History. I drove to our building and met Elder and Sister Price and knew my prayers had been answered.
Elder and Sister Price have been wonderful to work with as we planned together, and last Saturday held a successful, double-sessioned event at the Slocomb Middle School.
I can't say enough good about Elder and Sister Price and their abilities to really carry this event. Their presentation, people skills, and overall approach was professional, fun, and highly effective. We had a support team of 14 missionaries, whom the Prices had previously trained to work with branch and community members during the break-out sessions portion.
Besides several branch members who attended, we had about 15 non-members who came to the sessions (one in the morning and one afternoon), and information was exchanged with our sisters for follow-up one-on-one sessions.
The Prices are going throughout the mission training all of the missionaries to be prepared in helping with Family History and also helping to host events like this one. These events have seemed to especially be effective when they are held in public locations (libraries, senior centers, schools, etc.).
I couldn't help but recognize the opportunity we have with the Prices right now-- especially if they are able to partner with Ward or Branch High Priest Group Leaders and Missionary leaders. I know when Drew served as High Priest Group leader (responsible for Family History work), this information and resource would have been very helpful to him.
Here are a few pictures from the event--the one where everyone is eating lunch in the hallway was our support team. I only have pictures taken in the library--a computer lab was also used during the break-out sessions.
--Sister Kriser
