More Events and Other Things

Monday morning started off with our Mission Devotional with Elder and Sister Tad R. Callister. They gave a wonderful devotional on how to study the scriptures. It was very inspiring.

I spent most of my day trying to add texting to my phone app for our resources. I made some headway, but I still have a ways to go.

Tuesday started a bit unusual. Instead of attending our Zone Devotional on Zoom, I had a Zoom call with one of our Interpreters in Nigeria! She needed help with creating and submitting her invoice. To complicate it a bit further, she is currently inactive because her contract expired a few weeks ago. So, first thing in the morning, I had to request she be activated. I also had to get in touch with her area supervisor so he could deliver and approve her job so we could invoice it. This was from last October General Conference. Then we had to tackle the technology issues in Nigeria. She tried to get on our call but her screen froze. Then it looked like it was going to come back, but if froze again. She eventually quit trying. In the meantime I am trying to email her to see what she wanted to do but she was not responding. I then notified Xenia, our Section leader, to see if I could be given permission to create and submit the invoice for her since she didn't understand the instructions that were sent before and clearly there were technology issues. Xenia said if I could get her permission via an email than I could do it for her. 

The Plaza on Temple Square nearly done.

So, first I emailed my IT guy to please keep her active until I could get her invoice created. By then I got notification her job was approved and ready to invoice. Finally, towards the end of the day I received the email permission from her so I could create and submit her invoice. By 4:00 PM I was done and she was deactivated again. One of my main goals was to FIX the invoicing system before our mission comes to an end. Due to unreliable email issues with our servers, they won't switch over to the better invoice process because it won't work 100% of the time. I personally think we will get higher percentages then we currently are getting with the manual submissions, but it isn't my call. The "good news" is they have approved a new PLUNET replacement system that should start being implemented by the end of the year that will be a VAST improvement for invoicing. It has other issues, but those issues only involve those people who will be using the system, not the Interpreters so that is OK. The new system has some pros and cons, but I think the cons will have a viable work around to make it a much better system overall. It doesn't look like I will be around to actually do anything with it.

Just snow on the mountains today.

After I went to the Wellness Center we had our first General Conference preparation meeting. We will meet weekly until conference from now on. It was nice to go over our to do list and see that we have actually already started on several things on the list.

I worked some more on my phone app before out team meeting later that day. We actually ended our meeting on time for the first time in a very long time. That left me time to start working on a new spreadsheet to help Elder Linford set up and update the PLUNET order for General Conference. For that last couple of conferences, I have been using SQL to give him a report every day or so to enter people into PLUNET. I don't think SQL will be an option after I leave, so I am trying to devise something that will be simple enough for anyone to use it and it will be easier than trying to go through Event Center for over 97 languages everyday. It took me a couple of days to get it right, but I think it will be fairly helpful for him.

Continued construction near the Tabernacle

Wednesday was pretty low key. I spent some time tweaking the General Conference spreadsheet so that Elder Linford should be able to do it all by himself as often as he wants to check things. I had him work on a project for me, while I was working on the spreadsheet for him. Some of the areas moved languages around for their leaders. We have to put a language supervisor into PLUNET for each language. I have created a template that has all the ITA's (language supervisors) already in for every language that we do. We can then create new PLUNET orders based on the All Language Template and it will automatically populate the ITAs for each language. I had Elder Linford go through each of the languages and compare them with the new Area Leadership Spreadsheet we have so I can update the template for him. I will get the template updated this weekend. Wednesday evening the Linford's supported the last minute make-up session for the 2023 Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction (videos for RootsTech23) that we did last week. Apparently they had Spanish and French as well as a few Tieline languages that needed to do retakes.

Another view of the Plaza

Thursday started with our Zone Devotional followed by a trip to the Wellness Center again. I made it there everyday this week. It is paying off. I feel stronger and have more energy. I spent most of the day doing things for everyone else. The Linfords came in until lunch time, then they headed to Wyoming for the long weekend. Their youngest granddaughter was getting baptized on February 18th, and her brother was receiving the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday. I'm so glad they were able to go. We all worried about the weather and the roads. We had another storm pop up on Tuesday, but it was not too bad. They arrived safe and sound. I did manage to get everything done on my list except to add emails to my phone app. Maybe next week I can do that.

Thursday evening we supported the Elder Gilbert Institute Initiative for the Seminaries and Institute department of the Church. It was pretty good. It was a panel discussion about several different topics in how to work with the students to help them get as much as they can out of Institute. They have so many different questions and concerns that these young adults had even 10 years ago. There is so much misinformation that can be found on the Internet. It is hard to know what is true. Institute teaches them how to find truth and where to turn to with their questions. We have so many very strong youth and young adults. They stand up for that is right and are wonderful examples of believers of Jesus Christ. The event went very well and we got out of there nearly 45 minutes earlier than expected.

More construction on the Visitor
Center side of Temple Square 

Friday was a short day for us. I had originally scheduled a Temple appointment for Thursday night as that is when we usually go. But our Elder Gilbert event was also a last minute addition to our schedule. You may remember I ended my blog last week with no events scheduled, hahaha. So, as soon as we got the Elder Gilbert event I rescheduled our appointment. Because of the new film, it was hard to get an appointment. About the only ones available were early afternoon on Friday so I grabbed a 3:00 appointment. Anyway, we left right after lunch. We don't usually eat until after 1:00. Our Temple session was beautiful again. I love the Temple.

Saturday we stayed home. We both just kind of did our own thing throughout the day. We watched Book of Mormon videos and another episode of The Chosen in the evening. We have a holiday on Monday so I'm looking forward to that. I think maybe we will go to the movies. I hear A Man Called Otto is supposed to be real good.

Elder Nichols teaching Sunday School

Sunday was a bit busier than usual. I had my Emotional Resilience class in the morning. It is a Self Reliance class put on by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is open to anyone who would like to take it. There are several other classes available. I highly recommend it. Our Sacrament meeting was very good. We had three sisters who are leaving in a month. They each gave an excellent talk about belonging. 

After Church, we headed over to the COB for an event called NASW Area Devotional - Stories of Faith. It was a tribute to the to the African Americans in the South West area. They started with a lively concert, including "This Little Light Of Mine". So fun. The rest of the fireside were testimonies and poems from the African Americans in the area. The concluding speaker was Elder Piper. It was broadcast to several states in the south.

One of the speakers in tonight's Event.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love Always,

Mom and Dad,

Grandma and Grandpa

Steve and Leslee

Elder and Sister Wilcox

Our beautiful Sunset