Zone Conference rolls around again-

Each time Zone Conference rolls around, we travel into Montreal to help with the luncheon to feed all the missionaries. There are 5 zones in this mission... One way to the East - Quebec Zone, and one way to the west - Ottawa Zone. We do not travel to those conferences and they each have a member who cooks and feeds the missionaries in those zones. But the middle 3 zones we help with. One day is Zone Conference for the 2 smallest city zones, and the next day is for the larger city zone plus all the out-lying area missionaries. We help cook the food and then go in to help set up and take down and serve - besides attending the conference itself. While we are in the meeting, one of the office couples has to go out & check all the vehicles! I always get such a kick out of them because they have matching furry earmuffs that they put on to go outside & brave the weather:Elder & Sister Levitre are real troopers! They are from Bountiful and he used to sing in the Tabernacle Choir. They are really wonderful! This conference was fun because there were many fun presentations. Elder Levitre always does a safety presentation...(think driver's ed and those videos of accidents)... he told this time of how we follow cars and trucks during the winter, and often huge sheets of ice fly off the top of vehicles. He told of a set of missionaries who had these huge sheets of ice fly off the vehicle they were following and the ice hit their windshield and shattered it! Luckily they weren't really hurt, but had a few glass shard cuts on face & hands. Then our CES couple did a dental health presentation. He used to be a dentist and after a successful career in private practice, he went to work for the Arizona Prison system. He showed some pictures that would curl your hair! People who hadn't used a tooth brush, what effect on teeth human hands to human jaws causes, infections & abcesses, tongue ring problems, meth mouth and bulimia mouth... oh man... every one of those Elders and Sisters wanted to run out the door and go brush their teeth! ha! We had a wonderful chili and cornbread luncheon afterward.This is our Zone. Sister Mahaffey is in the 2nd row -all the way to the left - Elder Mahaffey is behind her. During the lunch Sister Cannon always gives out birthday presents for those who will have a birthday before the next conference. Last year she gave out a candy lei, but this year it is a package of brownie mix w/nuts. Then the companion must stand up and give a birthday wish to their companion. As I was in this group, here's all the birthday people:

Sister Cannon was in this group too, and since she is known as the mad photographer in our mission (she takes TONS of pictures).. so, Elder Florence had to take the picture with her I-phone.

Since our mission has 4 different languages in it, I guess they want us to know not to ever leave food in the kitchen after we are done...and they want to make sure ALL can read it. Here's the sign in the kitchen. We love the chance to see the other senior couples, all of the missionaries, both old and new, and spend some wonderful time learning from our AP's and our Mission President & wife. And the lunch is always great, too!