Raising the Army of Helaman: Mini Mission Paradise Ward Youth Conference 2016

PARADISE WARD

TAYLORSVILLE UTAH STAKE

YOUTH CONFERENCE

MINI-MISSION

April 15th and 16th was one for the books. With at least four of the young men leaving for full-time missions for the LDS church in the next twelve months, our Bishopric and YW/YM leaders felt a mini-mission was an appropriate Youth Conference for 2016.

In order to effectively pull this off, and give the youth a true missionary experience, details were crucial. Weeks before Youth Conference, the youth all received "official" mission calls (which included all the rules) and when and were to report.

Speaking of rules: ALL OFFICIAL LDS MISSION RULES APPLIED. This meant, no electronic devices. No extra reading material. Missionary dress, missionary haircut standards, no hugging members of the opposite sex (except your mama!!!) bed by 10:30pm (after doing your required personal study and companionship daily planning etc...) and awake by 6:30am followed by personal study and companionships study. Any and all official LDS Missionary rules were to be followed.

Gracious members of our ward offered up their homes to "host" the various missionary companionships overnight while they were on their mini-mission.

Youth Conference began at 5:00 p.m. with the youth reporting to the "MTC", a.k.a Paradise Ward meeting house, with their parents to check in and were all given official Missionary badges. For the purpose of the mission, the Young Women's missionaries badges did say "Sister" but the Young Men's badges said "Brother" because non of them were actual "Elders" (held the Melchizedek priesthood and ordained to the office of an Elder) at the time of Youth Conference.

The Missionaries Checking in at the MTC

Elder Devon Scovill welcomes the new missionaries and their families to the MTC and directs them where to drop off their stuff and to a room to wait with their parents

Elder John Nelson (who will be submitting his mission papers
in the next few weeks) hugging his sweet mama

Elder Saul Ramos (who will be serving the people of New York New York South-Spanish Speaking beginning June 28, 2016) with his beautiful mama, Ana.

Brother Ammon Wall with his father, Bruce

Mordaci Wall not wanting his picture taken (with his mom, Michelle)

Hunter & Tyler Timothy

Elder Patrick Nielson (leaves on his mission for Yakima, WA June 15th)

Anthony Nielson

Dylan Apelu checking into the MTC

Aryana Apelu Checking in

Bishop Skinner with some "MTC Workers"

Elder Darnel Apelu checking into the MTC
He leaves for his Mission on July 13th to Papua New Guinea, Lae

Elder John Nelson Checking in with him mom
He leaves for Cambodia on September 5th

Brittany Checking into the MTC with her mom

Ammon and Mordaci Wall with their parents

Isaak Lorton Checking into the MTC with his mom

Isaak Lorton with his family

The Apelu family (my adorable family)

Orientation in the Chapel
We had the actual Mission President from the Salt Lake City West Mission speak to us

Fabulous Kitchen Crew for the MTC making dinner

Cheyenne and Cheylynn Cleveland

The Paradise Ward Missionaries

Click Read More to see the rest of the pictures and hear more

Aryana, Cheylynn and Brittany are companions

Cheyenne and Abby are companions

The Next Morning the "Missionaries" came back to the church (after sleeping at their host families house) and had a fabulous breakfast with the real full-time missionaries in our area.

The Full-Time Missionaries in our Taylorsville Area

After breakfast, the Paradise Ward Missionaries went out with the real Full-time Missionaries for the afternoon. They took a sack lunch with them.

After spending the morning and early afternoon with the missionaries, the Paradise Ward Missionaries came back to the church for P-day activities.

The evening ended with a nice dinner and a Testimony meeting. It was fabulous. The spirit was so strong. The kids all enjoyed their weekend on a mini-mission and it helped solidify to many that they wanted to serve the LORD on a full time mission.