Sister Rasmussen’s Message

We were blessed as a mission last month to have Elder and Sister Dube visit us for several days. Elder Dube has been a general authority of the church since 2013, He is the first Zimbabwean and the second black African to be a general authority.

Elder Dube was born in Chirumanzu, Zimbabwe and raised in a small village. He was first introduced to the LDS Church when his employer, Leaster Heath, the branch president he worked for as a servant, gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. Two years later he first attended an LDS Church meeting in the Kwekwe Branch in

February 1984, where he initially felt uncomfortable, feeling as if he was "in a servant relationship with most of the members of the branch". That quickly changed as he and branch members were able to share feelings about the Book of Mormon. He was baptized in August 1984.

Elder Dube served as a missionary from 1986 to 1988. He initially served in the church's South Africa Johannesburg Mission, which at the time included Zimbabwe, and then in the newly created Zimbabwe Harare Mission when the mission was split in 1987. Among those he taught as a missionary was the family of Naume Keresia Salazini, although she was later baptized by her brother who had previously joined the LDS Church. After his mission, he renewed his acquaintance with Naume and they were married in 1989 in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. They were later sealed in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple in 1992.They are the parents of three daughters and one son.

Elder Dube has served in the Church as a branch president, district president and counselor in a mission presidency. In 1999, Dube became president of the first stake organized in Zimbabwe. From 2009 until 2012, he served as president of the Zimbabwe Harare Mission. He was made an area seventy in 2012 and served for a year prior to becoming a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on 6 April 2013. (Wikipedia—Edward Dube)

Elder Dube has done some very hard things in his life. He is a great example to us. Elder Dube taught us that God knows us and he called us to be His missionaries in this mission. He lifted our vision of ourselves as he taught us you can change your life to what you can become as a missionary.

He asked us the question, “Elders and sisters, will you see your potential?” When you find your potential you find your success. The brethren, even they are along in years, are very hard working every day and work through everything. L. Tom Perry worked hard to the very end of his life because he knew what he could become. He challenged us to know that for ourselves – to know what we can become as we work hard to the end of our mission. We were taught well how we can become “disciple of Christ missionaries” and not “me missionaries”.

I hope we have all set some new personal goals to be more Christ like disciples and work long and hard as we learned from Elder and Sister Dube’s example last month. We were all very blessed to have been instructed by Elder Dube!

(North part of the mission – Federal Way Zone, Kent Zone, and Renton Zone)

(South part of the mission – Auburn Zone, Enumclaw Zone, Graham Zone, Puyallup Zone, Puyallup South Zone)

"Night of Music" held Saturday May 13th

The Star Lake Ward, the Dolloff Lake Ward, and the Rainier Korean branch had a night of music Saturday, May 13th. These missionaries and Allison Avilak sang "I am a Child of God". (L to R: Elder Huston, Elder Lloyd, Elder Jackson, Elder Kim, Sister Zavala and Sister McClellan.)

We want to send a huge WELCOME to our new Mission Nurse Sister Ford-Trudo!

She is amazing and very qualified to assist the missionaries with their health needs.

We are thrilled to have her serve with us in the Washington Federal Way Mission!

A letter to Sis. Trudo from her grandchild - perfect!

May 15th Departing Missionaries

Pres. & Sis. Rasmussen, Sis. Zavala, Sis. Hammond, Sis. Huhem, Pres. Campbell
Elder Thurgood, Elder Sirrine, Elder Pratt, Elder Covington, Elder Sanders

May 16th Arriving Missionaries

A warm welcome to our newest missionaries!

Sister Golden, Sister Watts, Sister Rasmussen, President Rasmussen, Elder Jensen and Elder Reichow

Just a reminder TO missionaries that when you pack your bag in the morning and put in your scriptures, Preach My Gospel, planner, phone and water bottle …. Don’t forget to pack your smile!

Sister Zavala shows us how

One reason it is important to smile at everyone is because of the “Eye Contact contract”. When two people make eye contact and one smiles, the other one is obligated under the “eye contact contract” to return a smile. It works almost every time. Give it a try!

Missionary Leadership Council

MISSIONARY DEVOTIONAL
MAY 21, 2017

One of the highlights of each month is our Missionary Devotional which is perfectly packed with music, conversion stories and testimonies. We are thankful to all who make it happen!

Testimonies and conversion stories were shared by the following individuals -

Arelle Hall, Federal Way Ward

Randy Klotz, Federal Way Ward

Ben Clark

Sister Rigdon, Washington Federal Way Mission

A FEW OF OUR BAPTISMS

Elder Oliva, Elder Hancock, Elder Colton White, Brother Don Zahner, Elder Drabicki, Elder Sirrine, Elder Kidwell.

Brother Don Zahner was found in December of last year a couple of weeks before Christmas. Missionaries tracted into him in his home and left him with a Restoration pamphlet, which he agreed to read. He said that he had found in his life that his way didn't work, so he was willing to try God's way. When the missionaries visited him a week later, he had read through the pamphlet but decided that the Mormon religion wasn't for him. Despite the rejection, the missionaries kept pushing forward, and by the time they left, they had given him a Book of Mormon and he said that "this book will not go unread". From there on, Brother Zahner shot like lightning towards baptism. The power and knowledge that he received from his studies of the Book of Mormon gave him the faith and desire to be baptized and have relief from his burdens of guilt. He made huge changes in his life in a very short time and he was baptized in the end of March. You couldn't believe the spiritual knowledge that he's gained in such a short time. We've learned from this experience that the Book of Mormon has great power in conversion, and the truths taught therein provide great light and understanding. -- Elder Drabicki

from left to right, Brother Madden, Sister Efnor, Amy Watak Horiuchi, Derek Horiuchi, Sister Everett, Sister Wilkinson. Front: Derekson Horiuchi - baptized May 28, 2017.

They had been taking the lessons in the Marshall Islands for years but never took the step of marriage or baptism. They were found, we believe, by knocking doors after they had moved to Washington. They progressed and then decided to be married and baptized! -- Sister Wilkinson

Pictured from left to right back: Brother John McCarthy, Sister Prisilla Gregg, Sister Wilkinson, Sister Everett, Sister Farrah Gregg, her daughter Amelia, Michael Gregg. Front row: Trenton, and Landon Smith.

June 11, 2017 Landon was baptized! He was part of a less-active part member family! Pictured from left to right back: Brother John McCarthy, Sister Prisilla Gregg, Sister Wilkinson, Sister Everett, Sister Farrah Gregg, her daughter Amelia, Michael Gregg. Front row: Trenton, and Landon Smith.

-- Sister Wilkinson