Zone Conferences 2-2017

Gathering for Zone Conference is always a highlight of each transfer and this one was no different.  The Missionaries always come having prepared well with the assignments the President gives them and thus are ready to receive revelation to bless their areas.   We spent a lot of time on exact obedience as the bedrock foundation necessary to live the law of sacrifice, what we now strive to do more diligently in the CFM!  Sister Clark trained on Finding (PMG Chapter 9) and President Clark trained on Teaching (PMG Chapter 10).  Both Sister and President Clark taught about the need to be "Complete Missionaries".  We'll build upon this at the next Zone Conference.  See all you great Missionaries in six weeks!  Can't wait!

Tuesday Zone Conference
Hanford, Visalia & Porterville Zones

Back Row, Left to Right: Elders Carnahan, Lopez, Mendez, Rust, Wright, White, Van Vleet, Facer, Paukovic, Gibson, Stojka, Blume, Aguilar, Perez, Pettit, Keeley, Muir, Perkins

Third Row, Left to Right: Elders James, Gollner, Jensen, Wilmoth, Allen, Burke, Millburn, Witt, Richardson, Nelson, Ennis, Merrill, Arebalo, Mountford, Mederos, Kennick, Quinn

Second Row, Left to Right: Elders Mussin, Matienzo, Baconawa, Kloepfer, Derbidge, Rearte, Davis, Talbot, Maas, Fernandez, Lopez, Stakebake, Sister & Elder Hammond, 

Sister and Elder Levie

Front Row, Left to Right: Sisters Dixon, Miller, Padilla, Wadham, Vogel, White, President & Sister Clark, Sisters Jones, Sprouse, Jeffrey, Troseth, Sister & Elder Gressel

Departing Missionary Testimonies

Elder Lamoreau, Elder Van Vleet,  Elder Rearte

 Wednesday Zone Conference

Fresno East, Fresno North, Fresno

Back Row, Left to Right: Elders Carnahan, Sparks, McGraw, Morales, Flores, Ikimau, Tapia, Bagley, Fischer, Smith, Wilson, Parks, Stegelmeier, Toombs, Vawdrey, Schaff, Lillywhite,
Belmont, Perkins
Third Row, Left to Right: Elders Davis, Rushton, Del Carmen, Mederos, Ellestad, Watts, Sullivan, Cummings, Tongish, Smith, Nesom, King, Lopez
Second Row, Left to Right: Sisters Kelly, Gough, Maxwell, Elders Johnson, Rose, Yskes, Garner, Biggs, Bingham, Poulsen, Sisters Tompkins, Dowdle, Gang
Front Row, Left to Right: Sisters Plummer, Larsen, Sheffield, Baldwin, Murray, Sister & Elder Beutler, President & Sister Clark Sisters Rendon, Winter, Malpica, Whitney, Frazier

Departing Missionary Testimonies

Elder Johnson & Sister and Elder Beutler

Thursday Zone Conference:

Merced & Fresno West Zones

Back Row, L to R: Elder Perkins, Strommen, Nelson, Morrison, Thornton, Watson, Ekpo, Corless, LaMay, Carnahan

Third Row, L to R: Elders Jones, Anderson, Edwards, Wright, Flores,  Gray, Rogers,  Taylor, Estrada, Almeida 

Second Row, L to R: Elder & Sister Williams, Elders Kauai, Nielsen, Lopez, Ford, Austin, Bishop, Herman, Woodmansee, Larson, Atkinson, Sister & Elder van Uitert, Sister & Elder Richards  

Front Row, L to R: Sisters Jefferies, Kokol, Willmore, Balls, Pachner, Anderson, President & Sister Clark, Sisters Peterson, Jordan, Jeppesen, Tatakamotonga

President's Weekly - Exact Obedience: A Foundation Built to Last!

Exact Obedience:  A Foundation Built to Last!

Dear Elders and Sisters:

It was such a great pleasure to be with you in Zone Conference this last week and I again express my gratitude for your great preparation allowing you to receive revelation and Press Forward in greater faith, diligence, obedience, and sacrifice. I am grateful to all who taught and instructed as well as the great input and questions from so many of you. We are all in this together and I am glad we are all together in this! I see you as "Big Jars" (meant in the nicest and 'Complete Missionary' complimentary way)! Work to add as many "Complete Missionary" components (rocks) as you can. You'll need to Sacrifice in order to do this in a meaningful way and time period.

I've been around and involved in a little bit of construction throughout my days. One thing I have observed from experiences I have in construction is that you can't do anything until you have the footings and foundation in and if you don't do this right, according to plan, and with great quality, the rest of the project will struggle. Another observation is that until this is done, you really can only have the footings and foundation contractor on site. Once done however, you can start to have multiple contractors on site and start to make some real progress. But you can't shortcut, leap frog, or minimize the footings and foundation of a building. They are paramount to a great building and yet, often go unnoticed since about as soon as they are complete, they are backfilled and it is the building that everyone notices, not the foundation. But make no mistake, without a great footing and foundation, no building will ever stand the test of time. As Christ admonished, we must build the construct of our service to Him by "[digging] deep, and [laying] the foundation on a rock" - Him. And our footings and foundation to a Christ Centered life is Exact Obedience!

Exact Obedience is also the footings and foundation to a successful, productive mission. It must be done right and must be done first or you really can't progress to a higher level, such as sacrifice. If you spend too much of your time building this foundation, you'll note the neighbors' projects are soaring and looking very nice while you are still "stuck in the mud" of foundation building. It is only upon the bedrock foundation of Exact Obedience that a Missionary and a Mission can move forward to Sacrifice.

When each of your arrived in this mission you had a short interview with me. One of the main things I asked you is if you would be exactly obedient. All of you said "Yes"! I then admonished you to follow the Savior's beckon call to "lose yourself for [His] sake" with His promise that "you will find yourself." To this I then added and do again here; "you will really like who you find." And further, in the words of Elder D Todd Christofferson, "The more we serve our fellow men in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more substantive as we serve others, indeed, it is easier to find ourselves because there's so much more of us to find."

I believe this mission is on fire in the way Missionaries live their Missionary Purpose. I believe you have put in the bedrock foundation of Exact Obedience and are uniquely suited to build upon this with your Sacrifice. This comes at a perfect time when the Brethren are asking you to be Agents unto Yourselves and better manage your time to be more productive, more effective, and more faithful in living your Purpose. I am so well pleased with each of you and the CFM as a whole. Remember, the foundation never goes away. It may not be as noticeable but it must be there, fully in place and built to last. And now you get to enjoy the fruits of those labors and Press Forward to build a magnificent mansion based on Sacrifice of self - truly losing yourself for His sake. As you do, I promise you will like who you find!

With much love, respect, and esteem for your Obedience and Sacrifice,
President Clark

President's Weekly - A Short Note

A Short Note

Dear Elders and Sisters:

It has been a wonderful two weeks as we have been with you in role plays, interviews, and training. We can tell you are more "anxiously engaged" in role playing (something we "Do") in order to become better teachers (something we "Accomplish"). Well done!

We are looking forward to being with you again this week in Zone Conference. We will give you our counsel and guidance there.

We love you and continually pray for you!
President Clark