Sister's Conference

On Friday November 16th all but 5 sisters in the Russia Moscow Mission met at the Central Building for the day. Siste'rs Conference takes place once a year. This was my first time attending. It was wonderful.
It offered a chance for the sisters in the mission to spend the day together, to be spiritually fed, to have fun visiting with each other, renew old friendships and establish new ones. Oh, how I wish I had mycamera. I would have gotten some great pictures of the hugs and love that I witnessed between these wonderful women, younger and senior alike.
The missionaries get a chance to live with many different missionaries in the course of their 18 month mission. Transfers take place every 6 weeks. President Sorenson mixes and matches the companionships and gives the missionaries a chance to work with different missionaries in different areas.
There is definitely sacrifice to come. Some of our missionaries were on an overnight train for 10 hours to attend. It was nice for our 4 new missionary sisters to have a chance to get acquainted with most of the mission family sisters.
Sister Sorenson encouraged the sisters to be professional and yet feminine and went over the rules with the young one. For instance, no flirting. We are on mission to serve and spread the gospel. Flirting doesn't fit into this at all. She referred to us as the Lord's angels bringing the gospel to others. Making the covenants we have made is an experession of a willing heart. Keeping the covenants is an expression of a faithful heart. We are modern day Mary and Martha's, eager to choose the good part.
It was interesting to learn that it was in 1898 that the first single sister missionary served in Great Britian.
Elder Turner, one of our fine elders who will soon be on his way back to Georgia where he lives, spoke on contacting. As mentioned before, missionaries here do not go door to door. Contacting takes place on the metro, on the street, on the bus, at English group.
There was a little glitch with lunch when Subway delivered 55 12" subs when we had ordered 55 6" subs. Our dear office elders had accidentally ordered double what we needed. It took some scurrying to come up with the money to pay for it. And the extra sandwiches were enjoyed or taken back on the trains.
In the afternoon, Sister Sonda, who takes care of the mental health of our missionaries and throughout much of Russia, spoke to us on the importance of not only loving our neighbor, but loving ourselves. Shr brought up that it is importnt to balance a desire to do all we cn to help others with the wisdom to be prudent in meeting our own needs to retain our power to serve.
It was a long day. I left the apartment on 6 am to go with Sister Sorenson and help her set up, and we returned at 6 pm. WONDERFUL DAY.