Tuesday, February 21, 2012

My Mission Presidents

http://marriottschool.byu.edu/alumni/portal/featured/index.cfm
Presidente Harris
http://library.weber.edu/asc/archivesdept/registers/bishop.cfm
President Bishop


When I first made it to Argentina, we were picked up by the assistants to the President, and taken to the President’s residence, Presidente Harris, where we had our first dinner in Argentina.  We stayed close to the mission home that night, and then the next day became part of transfers.
Similarly, at the end of my mission we had a similar experience, going to the presidents home to report on our mission.  This included writing a report of our future goals.  However leaving was different than arriving.  We were accompanied by our companion, who went to transfers and got another companion.  Returning from this visit, I was on my own.  That felt strange after two years of not being alone.  We were expected to find our own ride or transportation to the airport.
I served under two mission presidents in Buenos Aires, Argentina North Mission, President John Arthur Harris and President Joseph L. Bishop.  The attached articles are brief biographies of each of them.  President Harris went back to school and studied business after his mission.  President Bishop served another turn as mission president at the Missionary Training Center.  He then worked at BYU until his retirement. 
Presidente Harris was a native of Peru, but of Chinese extraction.  He would always present zone conferences in Spanish.  If I am not mistaken, he had three children during this time, at least two girls and one son. the youngest.  I remember one fun day at their house with singing and talent shows.  Elder Morasco did the skit with someone else behind him as his arms.  The person shaved him without being able to see.  It was funny.
President Bishop came to Argentina when I had about seven months left of my mission. He had been the President of Weber State College.  His wife had sung in the Tabernacle Choir.  When he came he interviewed us all at the church in Belgrano.  This is a two story church. As he interviewed the entire mission, the meeting took about all day.  The biggest difference is where President Harris was a native Spanish speaker, President Bishop was not.

2 comments:

  1. Reed Graham Findlay Don't believe everything the media says. Wait for the facts.

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