2017 Mission Tour!!!!!!!

Wednesday, March 1, 2017, we were blessed to have Elder Patrick Kearon, 1st Quorum of the Seventy, and Europe Area President, come to Sweden to do a Mission Tour with us.  Once a year, every mission is blessed with a Mission Tour, and we were so excited to be able to have President Kearon visit us.  Below are the members of the Malmö Zone with Elder and Sister Kearon in the middle, seated.

Members of the Göteborg Zone with Elder and Sister Kearon.
 

Our Mission Tour started in the Västra Frölunda Church with a very special music number on the harp by Sister Christensen.  Elder and Sister Kearon were overjoyed with this special number.

President and Sister Kearon with Sister Christensen.

President and Sister Beckstrand started the training with teaching the missionaries six important truths that will help everyone come to know their Savior better.  Establishing a close relationship with Christ should be the ultimata goal of every missionary and member of the church, as well as all of God's children.

"The power to become like Christ is available by gaining a living, dynamic faith in Him.  To know the Lord, then, is to know that we can become like Him."

President Beckstrand then introduced President Kearon to the missionaries.

 President Kearon addresses the missionaries and then invites his wife, Sister Kearon, to talk to the missionaries.

 Sister Kearon taught the missionaries the parabel of the divers and the importance of continuing to do the things that will bring us closer to Christ each day.

President Kearon then taught our missionaries the importance of continuing to do the things that missionaries have been asked to do.  Finding new people to teach is key and we must remember that "we are the message" and that we must be able to tell our own story as to why we believe the things which we believe.  Here President Kearon is roll playing with Sister Cappuccio and Sister Gill.

President Kearon asked this very telling question...."How do you start your day?"  Be the message each and every day.
 

Sister Christensen with the harp.

After our morning training, a wonderful lunch was served to the missionaries.  Elder and Sister Watson, along with Elder and Sister Mitchell, had the tables looking sharp with a special message based around President Kearon's recent conference addresses.

 Let the eating begin............

After lunch, we started the final session of our Mission tour off with a music number by Sister Gill, Sister Cappuccio, Elder Holt, and Elder Jamsa, with Elder Cluff at the piano.  President Kearon provided some additional training and closed with his testimony.  A wonderful day with President Kearon and Sister Kearon.

Thursday, March 2, 2017, we continued with our Mission Tour as we traveled to Stockholm and met with our four remaining zones at the Handen Church.  Sister Kearon was not able to join with us this day as she needed to fly back home to Frankfurt Germany to her family.

Members of the Norrland Zone with President Kearon.

Members of the Stockholm Zone with President Kearon.

Members of the Stockholm South Zone with President Kearon.

Members of the Södertälje Zone with President Kearon.
 

The remaining members of the Södertälje Zone with President Kearon.  The Eskilstuna train was delayed and so they along with the Zone leaders missed the morning zone picture.  But we did not want to leave them out.

 Our assistants, Elder Jensen and Elder Pärkkä conducted both days of the Mission Tour.

Elder Baquedano, Elder Blackburn, Elder Barnes, and Elder Duke provided a special number at the start of the training.

President and Sister Beckstrand provided their special training to the missionaries on "Coming to know Jesus Christ."  Again, they taught on the six truths that can help us know our Savior much better and develop that very close relationship with Him.

President Kearon again taught our missionaries on the importance of "Be the Message" and telling our own story as to why we believe the things that we believe.  Don't be fake, be genuine, and be happy!!!

 President Kearon roll playing with Sister Hatch and Sister Hall.  This was a great attempt, however, Sister Hatch and Sister Hall are just too happy and truly are the "message!"

After the morning training, lunch was ready for all to enjoy.  Elder and Sister Clouse and Elder and Sister Anderson, had every table looking like Spring and it was so enjoyable.

 

Elder and Sister Anderson with Sister and Elder Clouse.  Two great couples who do so much for our missionaries.

 Let the FEAST begin.........

After a great lunch, we began our afternoon session of the Tour with a special musical number by Elder Bringhurst on the piano and Sister Hall on the violin.  Elder Bringhurst composed this piece of music which he called, "A Restoration Medley!"  It was truly magnificent.



President Kearon provided more training in the afternoon for our missionaries and concluded with his testimony.  What a blessing for our missionaries to have been able to learn from one of God's special servants and witnesses.  Thank you President and Sister Kearon for a wonderful memory here in the Sweden Stockholm Mission!