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 Week 31

Recovering Back in the Office

16 March 2025


Dear Family and Friends,

Our big events are done and we are back at the office doing our normal responsibilities: answering national communication questions, communication budgeting, JustServe, articles, managing the Area social media Facebook page, working with the humanitarian missionaries, encouraging national Easter inter-faith dinners, and MEETINGS. Those were our activities this week.

This is the communication and public affairs teams gathered to hear Elder Natress who sits on the executive communication and public affairs committee for the church.   He gave a wonderful overview of where the church is headed and how our department is playing an important role in spreading the gospel.



Elder Soares is in the Pacific for 2 weeks. He was with the Area Presidency all day Friday on our floor and then will travel the rest of the time. I was amazed at the preparation for an apostle visit. That was the responsibility of the area ex secretary and wife, the Hillier's. Very specific food which was very healthy. Sister Hillier said President Nelson has them eating healthy.:) Elder Soares came around the office to meet all of the missionaries during his lunch break. He seemed to be very gently, kind, personable, and very smiley and happy. I like him! 
To prepare for his coming, I read his last 2 conference talks: Covenant Confidence and Aligning Our Will with His., 2 of my favorite talk ever!!



Some of you might recognize the Hucksteps from Eagle Idaho.   They were in town on a vacation and we had the chance to spend a half of day with them.  What a treat.   So fun to keep those connections alive.



We walked with the Savior today.  Thats right, the individual that plays the part of Jesus in many of the church productions is from Auckland and we were at the same war building. He walked passed so quickly, I couldn't get a picture. His hair is still long and he had a pony tail.   Fun to see Jesus at church.😊


This is how you stay connected to BYU basketball.  It is really hard to watch the games live because they generally happen when we are in the office working, but even the highlights are great! Maybe Kelly needs to be out the country in March more often.




More great people. This is Elder and Sister Leach from Las Vegas, NV.  He is an attorney and here working for Area Legal and she is the Area Mental Health Advisor.  Notice the BYU shirt he has on. He is even a bigger fan than Kelly. Fun people. Linda is from Mesa and grew up in my home ward, Mesa 1st ward.  


This is our ward YSA group.  They did our Sacrament meeting today.  They sang, testified, talked, and gave prayers.  (They do that here, like a primary program. They have YSA and Youth programs 2x a year. Notice the matching ties and girls all in white.) The theme was Joy in the Gospel.  It was inspiring.  (There are YSA wards but the bishops and parents have a hard time letting go of them so they don't encourage them to go. So many fall away from the church.)  They are a great ward family and really enjoy being with each other.   Just so you get a flavor of our ward.   It is a Tongan ward but they do church in English.  But it is very multi-cultural.  Today I heard a prayer in church in Spanish, listened to two brethren in the hall speaking Tongan, over-heard a sister speaking Maori, and listened to a Kiwi accent for Sunday School.  So great.

We love you and miss you.

Elder and Sister Shaw




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