BREAKING NEWS: MISSIONARIES ARE SAFE!!!

From Pres. Hanks:

All missionaries are safe and accounted for as of Tuesday at 7:45am

The entire mission feels blessed with the safety and protection of the Lord.  After returning from a Mission President’s conference late Saturday, President and Sister Hanks drove to Tupelo, MS where they and the missionaries of the two Tupelo Zones met together with the saints for Stake Conference.  It was wonderful.  Immediately afterward, about a third of the missionaries began meeting one-on-one with President Hanks in interviews, until about 7:30.  Many of the missionaries stayed over in Tupelo for the remainder of interviews with President Hanks on Monday, and for a two-zone joint activity of athletics and food and fun.

On Monday about 2:00 the sirens and alarms and phone alerts started pouring in.  

President Hanks asked all the missionaries (48) to gather in the chapel, where for the next 4-5 hours the missionaries sang hymns while Tornados surrounded us.  For much of the time, the electricity was out.  The missionaries were brave and courageous.  President Hanks was in constant contact with the brethren and with a member of the church who is well connected with the weather agencies.  As areas to the west of Tupelo became clear, Missionaries were released to go home.  About 7:30 the worst had passed, and President Hanks asked everyone remaining (42 missionaries) to go straight home and remain on alert.  Some missionaries were instructed to remain with other missionaries until we were sure that it was safe to travel to their apartments (power lines and trees etc.)

All Tupelo North and south zone missionaries were safe by 9:00.

All other missionaries throughout the mission were instructed to stay in their apartments and listen to their emergency radios throughout the late afternoon and evening. 

Multiple tornados touched down in Tuscaloosa, Cullman, Bessemer, and Birmingham areas.  There was some substantial damage, but the extent is not completely known yet.

REPEAT:  ALL missionaries are safe and accounted for.

Further weather alerts are in effect for today, Tuesday, and all missionaries have been instructed to listen to emergency radios and take precautions.  Pres Hanks will be having a mission-wide conference call later this morning.

President Hanks sent an email to all contacts that the mission has listed, and will continue to keep parents and contacts informed as there is new information to report.  

Join with us in thanking Heavenly Father for the safety He has afforded the missionaries this past day.

Missionaries make the local news! From the Anniston Star Newspaper...

Two by two ... Missionaries want to meet Jacksonville residents
From the Anniston Star Newspaper 
Apr 22, 2014
by Lori Tippets

 You can see them walking or riding a bike on the side of the road, well dressed, well groomed and always in twos.

These are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) better known as Mormon missionaries.

Senior Couple Spotlight: The Tylers!

Elder Val and Sister LaWana Tyler

             The first thing many missionaries open after they’ve opened their mission call is an atlas to find – or at least find out more – about the area and people they’ll be serving.  Not so Elder and Sister Tyler from Evanston, Wyoming.  Elder Tyler served as a missionary from 1965 to 1967 in the Southeastern States Mission, and in North Alabama for a year; Sister Tyler had been doing extensive family history research on her forebears from Alabama for years.

What is "Mission Leadership Council" training? Find out here!

            Those of you who have visited the page entitled “Mission Terms and Definitions” know that it was designed to give families and friends a better understanding of what life is like in the Alabama Birmingham Mission.

            In this posting, we’ll give both a little more of what actually goes on as well as some photography (which, let’s face it, is the REAL reason you come to the blog, right?).

            Instituted last April in all of the 405 missions of The Church, our Mission Leadership Council is exactly that – a council – in which some training is provided from the Mission Leadership on a variety of topics, but it’s also conducted to counsel together.  That is, to receive as well as to dispense information needful for the ABM to function at its highest possible level. 

Conducted monthly, the MLC is presided over by President Hanks, and usually conducted by one of his Assistants; Sister Hanks, as well as Senior Couples working in the Mission Office who also make presentations across several areas as needed.  Often in attendance are President Hanks’ counselors. 

            The largest population in attendance are the Zone Leaders from across the Mission as well as the Sister Training Leaders.  Both groups are responsible for absorbing the training, as well as administrative, safety and health briefings, and then providing that same information to their own zones – usually later in the same week.  There is also training in their own responsibilities as leaders. 

            In terms of what the attendees contribute to the MLC, it’s truly significant.  In this mission, goals and standards are developed more on a “bottom up” than “top down” basis.  Zone Leaders, for example, obtain realistic information, goals, projections and standards from District Leaders who have previously counseled with missionaries in their Districts.       

Happy Easter! All things are possible…Because of Him.

Jesus is the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. 

Because of Him, death is not the end, and life takes on new meaning. 

We can change, we can start over—and we can live again with God. 

This Easter, celebrate His life and discover all that’s possible because of Him.

Learn more at http://easter.mormon.org