After October General Conference

October General Conference on "M1" Level of the Conference Center with the other 3 Senior Missionary Couples and our Interpreters was JOY beyond words.

                                Some of our Hindi-Fijian Interpreters! They are such kind and dedicated people.

Elder Holt in Fijian Booth with Isoa, getting ready.

Inoke one of our newest Fijian interpreters wore a suit fabric lava-lava with pockets and sandals. He looked so handsome.

My brother Gordon Woolf asked me why I had not written yet about our experiences at General Conference and the answer is this. "I really don't know how to put those experiences into words. Words don't adequately express the feelings we had while serving our wonderful interpreters as THEY spoke the words of the Conference Speakers with such humility and feelings. The Spirit truly blessed them to feel and deliver the talks with as close to the same emotion as the General Authorities were expressing.

True the 36 Conference Talks were translated into 92 languages and ready for the Interpreters, however, the interpreters tell us that despite thinking they are prepared by fasting, praying and going to the temple before the days of Conference, they want to be able to do their best and that only happens when the Spirit is with them.

Telugu interpreters being shy around the camera as they prepare for the broadcast on Sunday.

The reverence and the humility of these people who are watching the speaker on tv screen in their language booth and wearing a headset that lets them hear in one ear the talk in English and  then hear themselves talk in their language, while having the script in front of them. Why the translated script? Why not just simultaneous interpretation ? We wondered also and were taught that most languages do not translate easily in  other languages. Our English phrase do not fit well in other languages like Hindi, Yapese, Swahili and so on. The interpreters need time to research the proper way to get across the message of the General Authorities, so that the message is the same. Some speakers add or delete to their talks as they give them in general Conference. It is common and the Interpreters just do their best and all works out just fine. Prayers are not scripted of course and done simultaneously. Announcements of great importance like temples and sustainings and releases are not given ahead of time.

Hannah, wore a traditional costume on Sunday. She is so special. For the Relief Society Broadcast a week before Conference, she did the whole sesion herself with three of the talks done simultaneously. The other interpreters  could not come at the last minute.

We have already fallen in 'love' with the interpreters and translaters, even those we are not in charge of co-ordinating the Events with . Our assigned language teams are: Chuukese, French, Fijian, German, Hindi-Fiji, Hindi-India, Kosrean, Italian, Marshallese, Palauan, Pohnpeian, Sinhala. Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and Yapese. The other languages are divided up among the other Senior Couples and also three permanent staff members.

Sinhala Booth..Shishka is listening on the ear phones outside her booth and waiting her turn. She wore a costume from her country on Sunday as is the custom at General Conference.

Each language booth had a minimum of three interpreters and most had six ...each speaker had a new interpreter, but some did two talks. In the booth there always TWO interpreters. One is talking and one is listening as a back up, but ready to take over in case the interpreter starts coughing, gets too emotional etc. They have bottled water and hard tack candy in the booth that we supply to get their throats moist and ready to interpret.

We love our mission and our Interpreter Teams...most of whom live in the United States and a conversion story to share. They are very humble and want to serve!