Capital to Capital, Visitor Center to Visitor Center, Christus to Christus

So true confessions Sister Bascom's mom is a blog stalker. Yup I am. So these are the things I have learned about The Washington DC North Mission:

The Washington DC North mission is located in the Capital of the United States. There are about 140 missionaries serving in this mission. About 30 sisters 20 senior missionaries and the balance are young men. It is culturally diverse. The represent many nations and teach in as many languages.

The geographical location she will be serving in: Encompasses the District of Colombia, extends from Germantown in the North down to Lexington Park in the South. The mission boundaries remain within the state of Maryland, although it stretches as far south as Virginia along the Chesapeake.

Her mission is presided by Peter Stryker Cooke, 64, and Heather Nelson Cooke. They are from Salt Lake City, Utah. They attend the Monument Park 14th Ward, Salt Lake Monument Park Stake. President Cooke has served in many capacities in our church as a high councillor, former counselor in a bishopric, counselor in a ward Young Men presidency, ward mission leader and gospel doctrine teacher. He is the Founder/owner, PSC Enterprises, LLC. Retired Major General in the U.S. Army Reserve. Born in Miami, Fla., to Howard George and Bette Stryker Cooke.

See Bio: http://www.remembermyservice.com/Bios/bio-petercooke.html

Sister Heather Cooke has served as a ward Relief Society president, ward Young Women and Primary president, gospel doctrine teacher and in two stake Relief Society presidencies. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Joseph Fielding and Carolyn Boyer Nelson.

They have three of their teenagers living with them in the mission home in Gaithersburg Maryland. They are Elizabeth (currently 13), Joseph (15) and Carolyn (17). Our oldest son Howard (21) is attending the University of Utah and will visit when he can.

The say that religion and politics are the two hardest things to sell and Pres. Cooke has had plenty of experience with BOTH!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865570372/Ex-gubernatorial-candidate-Peter-Cooke-called-to-be-Mormon-mission-president.html?pg=all

The Washington DC North mission is the home to The Washington DC temple, a visitors centre and the international public relations office for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

It appears that there are about 30 sisters from various countries. That speak and give tours in numerous languages in the visitors centre. All the sisters have the opportunity to give tours to people that come to visit the centre.

The Director of the visitors center is Harden and Loi Anne Eyring. Hareden is the brother of President Eyring of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Harden Eyring was born in Princeton, New Jersey and moved to Salt Lake City when he was seven years old. He served a mission in Switzerland and Austria. He has bachelors degrees in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Utah and a JD from Columbia University. After he and Loi Anne married they moved to San Francisco where he practiced law and was bishop of the Bay Ward.

They returned to Salt Lake City where he provided legal support to the State Board of Regent, the governing board for the public colleges and universities in Utah for thirty-eight years. He has also served on several high councils and taught in the auxiliaries of the Church.

Loi Anne Eyring grew up in Salt Lake City. She recently played her fifty-first season since joining the Utah Symphony at age 16.  She received her BA from the University of Utah and was a scholarship student at the Manhattan School of Music in NYC.  She is the winner of numerous prizes and competitions, including the National Congress of Strings Competition, the Piatigorsky Chamber Music Competition, and the title of Miss Utah and Most Talented Musician at the Miss America Pageant.

She and her husband, Harden, have been married for forty five years. They have five children, ten grandchildren and one great grandchild. Sister Eyring love of music brings many WONDERFUL performances to the auditorium in the Visitors Center. The missionaries serving in this area have the opportunity to perform in monthly firesides. Lani will LOVE this opportunity to sing, sign and play her harp in small and large ensembles.

As you can see she will be under GREAT mentorship and will develop amazing leadership skills. 

The visitors centre houses another beautiful sculpture of the Saviour. Lani has grown to love the Christus in the SLC visitors center and I think she will be thrilled to see this one too.

This mission also uses technology to share our beliefs with the world.  They use Facebook as a teaching tool.This is what one sister in her mission said about this to her family and friends:

I have been getting a ton of questions about Facebook! So let me try to answer a few of those really fast. The purpose of Facebook for a missionary is to share the gospel. Whether it's through Mormon Messages, I'm A Mormon profiles, awesome quotes, or whatever, that's what it is meant for. It's supposed to be a finding tool as well. I'm there so I can answer questions and have great conversations with people about gospel related things. My purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ, so hopefully I can do that through the internet. Now, that being said, I probably won't message you back if you are family, or an active  member of the Church (unless you have a friend you want me to teach). I'm sorry! I would really love to talk to you all, but I'll just have to wait to do that for another 4 1/2 ish months. But please remember, if I don't message you back or I hide a comment from my timeline, I still love you! :)

They are or have recently starting using Ipads to as a tool to teach from too. 

On Preparation Days (one day a week), she will have the opportunity to explore the various sites and attractions within the boundaries of her mission. There are more historic sites and attractions than she has Pdays. I noticed every thing seems to start with National... cathedral, zoo, art gallery.... 

Here are pics of some of the things she may explore while there:

The local streets, cafes, shops...

Smithsonian

Capitol Hil

National Cathedral

Arlington Cemetery

The most exciting thing for Lani about this mission is that the Ivy League of Deaf Education Gallaudet University is in her mission. This means lots of Deaf and signing students to communicate with. Her hope when she went outbound was to go to a mission with a deaf unit and ASL missionaries and she has BOTH in this mission. Her hope is that she will get assigned to this unit of the church and be able to use and develop her ASL MORE. We will see where her new mission president feels impressed to use her.

LET FREEDOM RING!