A year in updates!

(Perryville, PA)

Dear family and friends:

The old folks are often heard to say, time goes by too quickly. I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since we updated our blog. Yikes! Where does the time go? Wait, the old folks say that too? I guess I’m one of them now. I certainly feel it in my bones. :)

There is too much to cover in one sitting but I’ll try to give you a synopsis of events. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 175 missionaries have completed their missions and have gone home since we’ve been here, while an equal number of missionaries have replaced the outgoing missionaries assigned to the Virginia, Richmond mission.

Earth wind and Fire:
This past year has been remarkable in many ways. We experienced many natural disasters beginning with a large number of tornadoes during the month of April. Virginia and North Carolina were hard hit and many lives were impacted.

August brought a rare earthquake to Virginia. The epicenter was in Mineral Springs, Virginia, not too far from here. The west coast had fun poking us over the size of the small (5.6) quake but the damage was real and the surprise was how quickly the phone systems failed with a heavy overload on the system. Sara and I were in a zone conference with about 45 missionaries when it hit. I was in the middle of a passionate sermon when it hit. One wise cracking elder stated, “President Perry, I have never been so moved with your words as I have been today”.

Hurricane Irene came in on the heals of the earthquake. We had more time to prepare but it wasn’t free of trials and tribulation. We evacuated 85 missionaries from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the tidewater areas of Virginia and brought them into the greater Richmond area for their safety. The damage was primarily a loss of power and downed trees everywhere. Some missionaries were without power for two weeks. We spent two weeks in clean up mode which brought plenty of service projects our way. The church provided generators to small clinics and some elderly people who are dependant on electricity to power oxygen tanks etc. Additionally, food, water and chain saws were provided to assist in the clean up.

Ok, you may ask, “what about fire? You mentioned fire”. In Suffolk, Virginia (borders North Carolina) 6,300 acres of the (not making this up) Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, has been burning for months. Many had hoped hurricane Irene would finally put it out, but alas, it’s still burning and the smoke and haze has been problematic for many with respiratory issues.

The good news for the mission is we are now a welled oiled machine when it comes to emergency preparedness! The funny part of this is that several missionaries upon their arrival in the mission field, shared feelings of disappointment when reading their assignment to Virginia and expressed a desire for a high adventure mission. They will have many tales to tell their grandchildren and I’m confident the stories will get better with time…

Mission life brings daily miracles that are often accompanied by the associated challenges. We are privileged to work with 200 young men, women and senior missionaries that have consecrated their time to the service of the Savior and their fellow man. This kind of sacrifice brings great spiritual and emotional growth into the lives of the young missionaries whose contemporaries are generally focused inward at this age; this contrast is significant. Sacrifice increases a missionary’s capacity to love their fellow man. The principle is you learn to love whom you serve.

We have enjoyed many visa waiters in addition to our compliment of missionaries. These are assigned temporarily to our mission while they wait for their visas to come through. Most of them are assigned to serve in Brazil.

I have now had many assistants come and go, including Elders Fraga, Doxey, Fairclough, and Rickson (who is serving out his last 6 weeks helping a lucky missionary). Elders Cook and Wheelock are currently serving in this capacity and doing an excellent job.

On a personal note Sara and I spent a few days with our children (except for Joseph who is serving an LDS mission in Norway) and grandchildren touring Washington DC this past summer. It was very fun.

Sara and I attended a mission president’s seminar in Palmyra, New York a couple of weeks ago. What a treat to be in the cradle of the restoration for instruction and reflection. The drive up was beautiful. We drove up through Maryland and Pennsylvania into upstate NY. We took some time and visited historic Gettysburg along the way.

Our children are faring well. Richard is working at Target and plans to attend VCU in the winter. He continues to take martial arts classes and plans on staying here after we leave. Eliza is still singing with her school choir and travels a bit. She has her drivers permit and is driving. Emma is still making and decorating cakes and has been listening to Christmas music since the middle of October. Both girls are taking piano lessons and continue as well, with their martial arts classes. Joseph loves his mission and the people of Norway and sends lots of pictures of beautiful fjords and rolling green hills. Christena, Tyler and their four children are busy with work, school, and church. Tyler did hit a milestone this past month when he turned “40”. Esther is getting ready to begin her internship working towards her master’s degree in clinical psychology and is burning the candle at both ends with work, school and teaching an institute of religion class. Courtney is working hard to finish up her Visual Arts major and teaching certificate. She is determined to teach in inner city schools and has her eye on Washington D.C.

Virginia is calm and beautiful again with the cool air of fall and the brilliant change of colors that is occurring from the Shenandoah mountain ranges to the beaches in Nags Head. One must make a point of visiting Virginia in the spring or fall, it’s truly breathtaking.

We feel very blessed and privileged to be involved in a work that brings hope to others in an increasingly cynical world. We are blessed to have the opportunity to shepherd so many impressive missionaries. I continue to marvel at the genius of imperfect people helping other imperfect people come closer to Christ, knowing both will be edified in the process. Discipleship may begin with a single event but requires an understanding that the process is a life long journey.

We send our love to each of you and are thankful for your love and prayers.

President Perry

(Palmyra Temple)

(Gettysburg, PA)

Chistmas Zone Conference Dec 2010

Here are some pictures from Virginia.

First is an adorable couple of owl cupcakes made by Emma.

Next we have dinner at the mission home with President and a couple of the Elders.


Trip to Monticello during Esther's visit. Here's Eliza and Emma.

In the spirit of Halloween, Esther and Joseph stayed up late to prank the family. Visions of gruesome proportions were found in the spice cupboard and the kitchen fridge.

It's amazing what a cheap batch of googly eyes, ketchup and red food coloring can do to condiments.




More adorable cupcakes from Emma!


Sister Missionaries enjoying dinner at the mission home.

Sister Perry and the other sister missionaries.

President Perry and some missionaries.

Learning to hula apparently.

Sisters!

Elders!

And more scrumptious cupcakes by Emma! Way to go girl!

I Was Looking at My Hands the Other Day

I was looking at my hands the other day. They looked vaguely unfamiliar. I couldn’t put my finger (a little pun for you) on it for a while. Then suddenly it occurred to me. They’re clean. No purple under my fingernails from canning a hundred quarts of grape juice. No cuticles stained brown from working in the garden or canning peaches. No paint residue. No wounds from saws and sanders. The nails have grown out, my calluses are gone – my hands look normal. How weird.

Life is a little weird here too. We have been dealing with problems that are hard to nail down. Some of our missionaries suffer from mental health issues. It is interesting that a mission can bring those things to the surface. In a strange way I think it may be one of the blessings of serving a mission.

Away from home and separated from a lot of the habits that relieve stress – sometimes in healthy ways (i.e. playing the piano or guitar, going to a movie with friends, baking cookies, watching reruns of the Waltons on youtube, going to the gym, playing games with your family or friends, etc.) and sometimes in not so healthy ways (i.e. hours of tv, headphones, computer games, mind-numbing music, surfing the web, etc) missionaries have to dig down deep and find answers and coping mechanisms within themselves. Some missionaries find that stress and anxiety build up and become a problem to manage.

Missions are hard – and wonderful. They are the refiner’s fire and, if we have the right attitude, a party all at once. Most of our missionaries figure out how to climb up on the positive attitude wagon and their whole mission is like two years at a very intensive session of EFY; lots of camaraderie, lots of high-fives, and lots of interaction with the Spirit - with some down-days and opposition thrown in just to make it interesting. But not everyone is the same and some struggle finding their happy place on their mission. I can see that this will be one of our challenges – to help those that struggle and to keep from struggling ourselves.

Love to all of you,
Sara Perry

Christmas 2010 in Richmond, Virginia

This is a weird time of year for missionaries. It is both very hard and exquisitely sweet all at the same time. Everyone's homesick but most continue to be brave, committed and hardworking -- making things happen. Lots of baptisms scheduled for Saturday and it's supposed to snow like crazy here -- and this is a town that stops dead still for snow. Everyone panics. Courtney and Mom and Carol are coming that day. I hope we get them all here safe and sound!

Christena and Julia were here at the beginning of the month. It was such a sweet thing to have them here. The only bad part is that they had to go home – it reminded me of that part in “Mary Poppins” when she gets Uncle Albert to float down from the ceiling by depressing him with the news that it was time to go home. We were just the same – all of the fizz went out of us for a few days. But eventually we rallied and shook off the gloom – because Christmas is coming!!

We have our tree up and the house decorated. I find myself torn between taking care of missionaries and trying to maintain a somewhat normal life for Eliza and Emma. I am going to try and make 1200 German Sour Cream Twists in the next four days. Six for each missionary....they may have to settle for two or three.

Joseph is leaving for the Mission Training Center right after Christmas - he will fly into Salt Lake City on the 27th. One of our old AP's (he was just released a couple of months ago and lives in Draper), is picking him up from the airport - then Courtney is flying in that night. Joseph will have that Monday and Tuesday and then he will go into the MTC on Wed. Several of the missionaries from here, including one of our other assistants, are flying home on the 28th (Tues) and they all want to get together and take him to the MTC on Wed. Several of them will not even be released yet - they will still have on their nametags! Joseph has gotten pretty close to these Elders - he has gone on many exchanges with them because they serve in a singles ward near our house and they have to have a third person alone when they teach young women.

Our work here continues to move forward rapidly. Our testimonies grow as we see miracles, our hearts break when our missionaries have troubles. It's a very up and down world out here. James continues to go at an outrageous pace! He is so good at picking these missionaries up and dusting them off when they get discouraged -- then he sends them back out and amazingly they go right back to work -- they are so committed to the Lord.

We have two mission conferences on the 21st and the 23rd -- they will be our Christmas celebration with all the missionaries. The families in the wards in our mission have all taken part in getting little things together and making stockings for the missionaries - - all 178 or so of them. It was kind of crazy getting it all organized and we still don't know how it will work out -- we will be getting together with the senior missionaries next Monday to put them together-- yikes! We have been getting so many bags of this little gift and that little treat that they have collected -- everyone loves to take care of these Elders and Sisters. We are so grateful for that!

Small World Events: We went to the DC Temple with Joseph last Saturday and met some folks whose daughter is married to Harvey Glick’s son Brandon. Then we met a young man serving in the clothing distribution center who is the son of Leon Wilde who grew up in Second Ward in Seattle. He and I went to school together. We have since been in touch by E-mail – what a nice “coincidence”.

We hope that everyone is having a sweet Christmas this year. We always try to spend time reading about and thinking about our Savior Jesus Christ during this time. His mission and Atonement are the crowning events of all the ages. His gifts of repentance and resurrection reconcile us with our Heavenly Father and give meaning to our existence here. We love Him. We seek to serve Him. We are humbled by His love for all of Heavenly Father’s children. He is the “good news” that our missionaries offer to the world.

Love, Sara and James Perry

PS – Just a little note to tell you how crazy the snow makes everyone here – it’s supposed to snow tomorrow – so they cancelled school!!?? Already -- and it’s not even midnight! And it’s not even snowing!?? The girls are doing a dance in the kitchen.

Autumn in Virginia

Virginia in the fall is hard to compete with in its beauty. If you have been to Virginia you know it’s known for its trees. Trees are all you see from the plane coming into Richmond. Trees are all you see when you drive from Charlottesville to Virginia Beach. It’s all green until the fall. Then it becomes an endless sea of various shades of yellow, red, and green. It overwhelms you with its beauty. The crisp air and the smells of chimney smoke invite nostalgic feelings. I love this time of the year.

I think we are getting accustom to the pace now and feel more comfortable with our responsibilities. Training is a constant at the individual and group levels. Interviews, transfers (missionaries coming into the mission and going home) and phone calls, change the dynamic of the mission almost daily. The old saying that the only thing constant is change holds true in a mission. Once you understand and embrace it, you will be fine. The challenge is to embrace change without losing your sense of purpose. I spend most of my time helping others focus on their purpose in the midst of growth and change. A new favorite quote with a twist on an old standard summarizes my thought process. It reads:

God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me. ~Author Unknown

Since our last update we had a visit from Elder and sister Paul Sybrowsky (Sep 13-15). They came to tour the mission. They were very kind, gracious, and most helpful in their observations and suggestions on how we can improve the mission. They participated in Emma’s twelfth birthday party celebration (Sep 14).

Other visitors included, Kathy Birdwell (Sep 20), Mickey Nielsen (first few days of Oct), two of my sisters, Maggie Cady (plus her girls, Naomi and Birdie) and Barbara Stevens (Oct 9-15). We also enjoyed a visit from our daughter, Esther (Oct 31- Nov 2). She had a two day layover on her way to Russia. Additionally, Shane Littlefield and Tim Bothell from the missionary department came this past week, to help Sara and me with training our mission leaders (Nov 9-12).

Sara is doing well and is using her creative talents to help others in meaningful ways. She has taught many how to spin wool on her spinning wheel. It is particularly helpful in relieving stress. Spinning therapy, I think she is on to something here. If only we could speak with our great grandmothers…

Richard has joined us for a little while. He is taking time off to see his family. He came back from his mission in Brazil just in time for us to move so some R&R is in order.

Joseph is preparing for his mission to Norway by working, buying clothes and working out at the gym.

Eliza just had her first high school choir concert. She loves her choral group and French classes. She is also going to early morning seminary (5:30 a.m.!)

Emma is going to school half days and is doing an online school in the afternoon. She is starting to make the adjustment.

Christena and Julia will be here in early December for a visit and Courtney will be here at Christmas.

We are looking forward to Esther’s pictures and narrative of her recent trip to Moscow, Russia.

I have carved out some time to take in some Virginia historical sights recently, so I’m in non-fiction heaven. I spent a day with my sisters and Emma at Thomas Jefferson’s, Monticello. He was a remarkable and complex, human being. He has to be listed among some of the most gifted people that have walked the earth. Monticello is a must see while in Virginia.

Two recent “small world” experiences from the field:

1. Sara and I participated in a mission president seminar in Kirtland, OH at the end of October. It was very enjoyable and we had time to take in the Kirtland historical sights including the temple. We stopped in historic Bedford, PA on the way home. We attended church in a small branch of Latter-Day Saints. A returned missionary was speaking in church and he stated he had served his mission in Lynnwood and Everett, WA. He attended my Brother Joe’s ward for six months. Elder Vaughn says hello.

Additionally, one missionary currently serving in that little branch was coached in Lacrosse by Sara’s brother-in-law Randy who lives in Alpine, UT...

2. We had four missionaries arrive here this past week on their way to Brazil. They are temporarily assigned to the VRM because of Visa issues. Two of the missionaries are assigned to the same mission where Richard served so he will be able to help them with the language etc…

We are grateful for our many blessings. We are grateful to serve with so many talented missionaries. We are grateful for a mission that provides many opportunities to pursue discipleship.

A Thanksgiving thought:

“Mortal mathematics… is forever mistaking who and what counts. Even so, we should be more quick to express genuine appreciation to others. The arithmetic of appreciation is far less practiced and known than the multiplication tables” (Neal A. Maxwell).

With love and appreciation for your love and support,

James & Sara Perry

Warp Speed

The days since our last update were filled with hot humid days, a tornado warning on August 10th (during an amazing thunder storm) and ended with Hurricane Earl. Regarding the later, our mission boundaries include the "outer banks" of North Carolina, so we had to evacuate 4 sets of missionaries in early September. Thankfully it turned out to be only precautionary, however, it was a wake up call to become more familiar with evacuation plans.

We are now comfortably on the mission train traveling at 130 mph on our way to warp speed. We have seen many miracles in the mission. I'm impressed how quickly missionaries mature; this is a significant miracle. You can almost measure it on a daily basis. I'm impressed with the mental, physical and spiritual growth that comes from giving meaningful service to others. For our missionaries, this includes inviting all to "come unto Christ" and be perfected in Him and providing service to others, including those individuals that find themselves on the periphery of society.

Missionary work provides opportunities to learn one of life's great lessons, earlier in the lifespan, which is, we learn to love those whom we serve. This process of serving others helps to diminish our selfish desires and yearnings and transforms us into more caring beings, concerned with and sympathetic to, the well being of our fellow travelers. If we have a mission motto it comes from Jude vs 22 (New Testament) "and of some have compassion making a difference."

We have had another transfer this past week. One of my assistants, Elder Fraga, went home. I will sorely miss him! Eleven missionaries went home and 12 came in. Our mission compliment still hovers around the 200 level. The missionaries are mostly between the ages of 19-25 but we have six senior couples and two women. This group is assigned to military bases, assisting me in the office or education. We also have a nurse who helps me as a missionary medical officer.

My two counselors are men of understanding and good judgement. One, Frank Ramsey, is an ER doctor and a former stake president. You can imagine what a blessing this is on the front lines. He also speaks Spanish which is another benefit. My other counselor, Frank Bria, has served with 7 other mission presidents. He has not struggled too much to adjust to my style, which I'm sure, is different than the others he has served. He seems to take it all in stride and has remarkable enthusiasm for the work.

Our youngest daughters, Eliza and Emma have been very helpful with the work. Emma has been baking for every mission conference and visitor and has learned the skill of cake decorating. Eliza is busy with early morning seminary, dances and school (not necessarily in that order). The schools in Virginia are very good academically (good news). However, the girls are adjusting to very large student bodies and Emma is intrigued with having a police presence (challenge) in her middle school. She found out the reason after a fight broke out in her classroom on the first day of school. Some adjustment is still required and may take more time than we thought...:)

As for the rest of our children, I'm grateful for cell phones, e-mail, and Skype. We are able to stay in touch despite the distance. We love them and are grateful they are becoming self assured and self reliant young women and men. FYI, Joseph received a call to serve a mission in Oslo Norway and will report to the missionary training center on December 28, 2010.

We have had many out of town visitors to our home since we have arrived, including, Grant and Phyllis Orr, Phil McMullin, Katrina and Ethan Blevins, Millard and Linda Hincy and Elder Jay Jensen, who toured Courtney's mission in Indiana and Richard's mission in Brazil.

We feel very blessed in this endeavor and pray daily for guidance with the responsibility given to us. We love and miss you all and are grateful for your love, prayers and words of encouragement.

James