4th of July

Just got this letter from the president.. pretty cool!

"I thought some of you would find this interesting. They also announced that about 86,000 missionaries are currently serving and that they expect the numbers to peak this fall at about 88,000, then gradually decline to around 77,000, which is still a noticeable increase from before the age change.

President Bonham

From the Church's mormonnewsroom website:

NEWS STORY — 2 JULY 2014
Church Expands Use of Digital Devices
for Missionary Work
 
VIDEO: Elder David F. Evans discusses recent updates in the Church's missionary efforts
 
SALT LAKE CITY —  More missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be using digital devices as they preach the gospel in North America, Japan and western Europe. The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are expanding the use of mobile devices following a successful pilot program that has been in place since last fall involving 6,500 missionaries in 30 missions in the United States and Japan. Missionaries are equipped with specially configured iPad minis for studying and teaching the gospel.

Church leaders will also implement online proselyting in the United States, Canada, Japan and western Europe following a test in those areas for more than a year. Sister missionaries in some of the Church’s visitors’ centers are also using digital devices and online proselytizing as part of their daily activities.Thousands of missionaries in 35 missions used either a mobile device or existing computers in Church buildings, public libraries or other approved locations to use social media such as Facebook. An emphasis will still be placed on their assigned areas.

By early 2015, the Church expects that more than 32,000 missionaries in more than 162 missions will be using mobile devices. The expansion will begin later this year. The missionaries will be asked to buy their pre-configured iPad minis, which they can keep after their missions, much like they purchase and use their own bicycles. Those who can’t afford the $400 devices will be offered assistance."

So, today we actually had to come a couple towns over to come to the Marysville library and use the computers here.  It's pretty cool though, the library is huge, so there are about 20 missionaries here, all on the computers.  So that's neat!

Sister Carina Wawro

PICTURES:

It's legal to set off fireworks in Washington, so we watched all of our neighbors set them off from our rooftop, then had a living room 'sleepover' that night.  So fun!

We were out tracting, and I asked the lady at this house if I could take a picture of her mailbox (hometown Denton!) and she's like "Haha, yeah!  I need to watch this happen!  LOL!"