British Isles/Arica Area:
Leaders trained in workshops
SOLIHULL, ENGLAND - The presidency of the British Isles/Africa Area recently completed a series of training workshops for stake and mission presidents in the United Kingdom. Those in attendance received information on various aspects of accomplishing the mission of the Church. Typical of comments received were those of Pres. Gordon Smith, president of the Chester England Stake, who expressed appreciation for "the excellent meeting with the area presidency."
Europe Area:
Display brings referrals
STRASBOURG, FRANCE - At the beginning of the new year, members and missionaries are busy following up on referrals and fellowshipping investigators. The boost in missionary work came after a Nativity scene was presented by members on the lawn of the Strasbourg meetinghouse in the Nancy France Stake. Each day members took turns portraying Mary, Joseph and the shepherds; sheep, a donkey and an ox helped complete the scene. Over a six-day period, about 1,500 people visited the grounds to view the scene, and some 1,000 of those went into the meetinghouse to see an exhibit about the Savior, and talk with members and missionaries.
Philippines/Micronesia Area:
Work opens on island
MASBATE, PHILIPPINES - Missionary work has recently been started on this island in the central Philippines, part of the Philippines Cebu East Mission. About 35 members already attend meetings at the new Masbate Branch. When missionaries visited the island to explore the possibility of organizing a branch, they were recognized by two members. A new area of Sanroque on the nearby island of Leyte was also opened recently, and has grown to 60 who attend regularly. New meetinghouses have been dedicated in Maasin in southern Leyte, and in Catbalogan on nearby Calbayog island, said Pres. C. Elliott Richards of the Philippines Cebu East Mission.
Pacific Area:
Family of the year named
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - John and Robyn Barrett and daughters Megan, 15, Sara, 13, and Emma, 5, have been selected as the 1987 Adelaide Family of the Year. The non-LDS family was selected by a panel of 11 judges, three of whom are LDS. The Adelaide Family of the Year contest is an outgrowth of the Church's Family Week.
Brazil Area:
Youths reactivated
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - Twenty-nine Aaronic Priesthood holders were reactivated in the Sao Paulo Brazil West Stake during the year, said stake Pres. Harry E. Klein. Cristiano E. Barbosa, one of the reactivated youths, began doing missionary work among his friends and two were baptized. "We have had our spirits strengthened by these experiences," said Bishop Romeu Antonio Piros of the Bosque da Saude Ward where 10 youths were reactivated. Another five youths were reactivated in the Cidade Vargas Ward, said Bishop Yatir Moreira Cesar.
South America South Area:
Members find, fellowship
VINA DEL MAR, CHILE - An address given at the 1985 Mission Presidents Seminar by President Ezra Taft Benson (then of the Council of the Twelve) on accelerating missionary work has helped the Chile Vina del Mar Mission. Pres. Arch O. Egbert said the address, (printed in the July 1985 Ensign, pp. 6-11) helped the mission receive finding and fellowshipping assistance from members. "We have an army of missionaries," he said.
Ward missionaries find investigators, give them an introductory lesson on the Church, and invite the full-time missionaries to teach them. Each week, the mission receives about 350 referrals from members and 500 referrals from investigators. This has resulted in 600 to 700 investigators attending Church meetings. Missionaries teach 2,300 lessons weekly. "We are retaining more converts because there is excitement among members to follow through on their converts," said Pres. Egbert.
North America Northeast Area:
Lincoln Square celebrates
NEW YORK, N.Y. - The New York Stake and New York Mission joined in sponsoring a musical "Celebration of Christmas" to a standing-room audience at the stake center at Lincoln Square. Star performers of the New York City and Metropolitan operas, and from the Juilliard School of Music, who participated in the musical included Ariel Bybee, Frederic Kalt, Diana Walker, Richard Bishop and Frank Murphy. Also participating was an ensemble of Spanish musicians and a children's chorus. The musical was the concluding event of the 150th year of the Church in Manhattan.
North America Central Area:
Ward commemorate centennial
MUSKEGON, MICH. - The Muskegon Ward, Grand Rapids Michigan Stake, had an exhibit, hosted by full-time missionaries, in the recent "Festival of Faith," which was part of the city's centennial celebration. Relief Society members embroidered a quilt block depicting the ward meetinghouse, which was included on a large patchwork quilt permanently displayed in the city's museum. Sixty area churches also took part in the festival.
North America Northwest Area:
Temple spires rising
PORTLAND, ORE. - The Portland Oregon Temple, under construction in the southwest Portland suburb of Lake Oswego, is already becoming a landmark as its spires are being erected.
The temple's central spires rise some 170 feet. The Portland temple will be the second in the Pacific Northwest and among the first in the Church of its design.
The temple was announced April 7, 1984, and ground was broken for the temple on Sept. 20, 1986, by President Gordon B. Hinckley. Construction is expected to be complete in about a year.
North America Southwest Area:
Young women help 51 families
SILVER SPRINGS, NEV. - What started as a Young Women project to give Christmas assistance to a few needy families led to helping 51 families in Silver Springs and Stagecoach, Nev., said Wanda Smith, Fallon Nevada Stake public communications director. Under the direction of Linda Kinkead, first counselor in the Young Women presidency of the Silver Springs Branch, food, clothing and toys were donated by merchants and delivered to the families.
North America West Area:
1,200 tell about families
SAN JOSE, CALIF. - Nearly 1,200 students, from grade school through high school, entered a recent essay contest on "What my family means to me." Twenty-six cash awards of $25 were given to younger children and $50 to older youths in the contest. Sponsors of the contest were the San Jose and San Jose South stakes and Carl's Junior restaurants.
Utah North Area:
Non-LDS join sing-in
OGDEN, UTAH - Nearly 2,000 members and their non-member friends attended the sixth annual Christmas carol sing-in at the Ogden Tabernacle. Sponsored by the Ogden Temple Visitors Center, the sing-in centered on the Savior. Lyneer C. Smith, former member of the Church Music Committee, conducted the musical event. A slide presentation was narrated by Dr. Gordon T. Allred.
Utah South Area:
Manti Temple book planned
MANTI, UTAH - A 160-page, hard-bound Manti Temple Centennial Book will be published this spring, said Temple Pres. Alma F. Burton. The book will include color and black-and-white photos and historical descriptions. Pres. Lee R. Barton of the Manti Utah Stake, Centennial Committee chairman, said the published book will cost about $7 and must be ordered and paid for before March 1.