Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Star Wars Anecdote

17 Dec 2017

I just have to share this fun little anecdote from this morning. I attended the Sunday morning broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word (which was awesome!), then, afterward, they asked Sutton Foster and her husband, Ted Griffin, and Hugh Bonneville and his wife, Lulu, back on stage. They presented them with gifts and the choir sang ‘God Be with You ‘til We Meet Again’ to them.

Then, Ted Griffin asked for permission to ask the choir something. He was given a mic and he asked how many of them were Star Wars fans. They all enthusiastically raised their hands.

He then said. "We have a good friend named Rian Johnson who just directed a little film called 'The Last Jedi' - and, today is his birthday. What better gift could I give him than to have the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing 'Happy Birthday' to him?" Ted whipped out his cell phone, recorded a short message and turned his phone on the choir while they joyfully sang 'Happy Birthday Rian Johnson!' 

He then turned the cell phone to the audience and we all waved a "Happy Birthday" as well. It was really delightful, and unexpected, to see how much fun everyone had with it.

p.s. I probably won't post later this week since I'll be traveling to NC on Friday.

A Great Conversion Story

15 Dec 2017

Last week I completed the Family History Library lessons I’ve been taking. Then, this week, Debbie Gurtler, who is the employee in the FHL responsible for missionary training, came by and presented me with my certificate.

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Of course, the BIG happening of the week was that we got to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert!! It was fabulous in every way! I would have been heartbroken to have gone home without experiencing that. This year's special guests were Hugh Bonneville, and Broadway singer/actress, Sutton Foster. We loved it!!!

We were so excited to hear about the First Presidency's announcement regarding new ways the Young Men and Young Women will be able to serve in the temple! (And the 11-yr olds prepare for the temple) It's inspired. The Lord is preparing his youth!

In previous letters, I’ve mentioned some of the missionaries who speak at our Monday Morning Mission-wide Devotionals. Each speaker is given three minutes to (as some say) “tell their life story.” (An impossible task, of course.)

A sister we heard from this week, Sister Judy Ryan, decided to tell us the funny story of how she happened to join the Church.

She grew up in California, and when she was 7 years old and in first grade, her family lived across the street from the school playground. One day, she heard a bunch of kids cheering on a fifth-grade bully named Norma. Norma would often clinch her hands into fists, raise them over her head, and charge at smaller children. That day her victim was Teddy Fisher. Judy LOVED Teddy Fisher. He was also a first grader and he lived next door to her. When Judy got to the group, Teddy was dirty, bleeding and crying. Judy said something to the bully and suddenly all eyes were on her – and Norma was charging at her instead of Teddy!

Sister Ryan explained, “I stuck out my boney little fist and she ran right into it, belly first. I must have caught her in the diaphragm, because she went down like Goliath!”

When Judy looked up, everyone was gone – even Teddy Fisher. Norma seemed kind of shaky when she got up, so Judy stayed and walked with her a bit. But, then, she realized Norma was ringing her family’s doorbell – and there, in no time, was her mom.

At this point, Sister Ryan explained that her father was a marine who had been captured in WWII, was a Japanese prisoner of war for 4 years, and also had spent two years fighting in Korea. But, despite that, the one everyone feared most was her mom! Her mom had been a marine drill sergeant and, she thought discipline should be “immediate, corporal, and memorable.” So, when Norma began wailing to Judy’s mother about her offense, Judy braced herself for the worst.

But, looking from this fifth-grader to her first-grader and back, her mother seemed confused. Her mother told her to go to her room until she could sort things out.

After four hours, she was summoned to the living room, and, to her surprise, sitting there were Teddy Fisher and his mother. Sister Ryan’s mother asked, “Do you want to go with Teddy Fisher to his church on Wednesday after school?”

Judy continued, “I had spent four hours imagining all the possible punishments I had in store for me, but being Teddy Fisher’s church body guard was not on the list. I couldn’t figure out the catch, so I said ‘yes.’”

She started walking to Primary every Wednesday with Teddy Fisher, and even though he moved away not long after this event, she loved Primary so much she went on her own after that. She said, “I loved my teacher! She was from the Philippines, and her accent was enchanting. I leaned in to every word.”

Sister Ryan was baptized just before she turned 10 – and eventually, other family members joined the Church as well. She and her husband are serving here in special collections in the Church History Library.

This was such an original story, I had to share. (I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone else who ended up joining the church because she had a fight with a fifth-grade bully!) 

Our daughter, Susy, told us something fun about her 3-year old the other day. She said if you ask her if she’s on the naughty or the nice list for Christmas, she yells: “I on the HAPPY list!” :-) May we all be on the happy list this Christmas!

It's Frosty and Cold

9 Dec 2017

We can’t really say we’ve enjoyed this week of temperatures in the 20’s, but we’ve gotten to attend some great events, nonetheless. Brrr!

The Family History Department (FHD) had their annual Christmas Devotional and lunch for all the employees and missionaries who work here in the FHD. Elder Bradley Foster, a General Authority Seventy, who is the Executive Director of the Family History Department presided at the meeting, and Steve Rockwood, Managing Director of the FHD, conducted. We heard from two of the seventies who serve as associate directors in the FHD, Elder Edward Dube from Zimbabwe and Elder Eduardo Gavarret, from Peru. It was interesting to hear of their backgrounds as well as their testimonies. And, at one point, Elder Gavarret had us all sing a delightful and lively Christmas song from Peru. (We did really well on the La La La La La parts – not so much on the lines of Spanish.) :-)

Last night we went to The Piano Guys concert. (This is what I gave Bob for his birthday) It did not disappoint! They’re such amazing and innovative musicians! Their special guest was Lexi Walker. She sang that beautiful rendition she does of "O Holy Night" sung to the tune of "Ave Maria." It’s fabulous! And, they ended the show with the song they wrote that is a compilation of "Fight Song" and "Amazing Grace" – with a dozen bagpipes on stage backing them up. Loved it!

It’s hard to believe Christmas is just over two weeks away. And, even harder to believe that I will be in NC for Christmas! I’ll be there from Dec. 23 until very early in the morning on Jan. 2. It actually seems weird to be leaving the mission. But, I’m glad the mission presidency were flexible enough to allow this trip. Hopefully, I’ll be useful for Susy and her family. A lot depends on when the baby actually arrives.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2 December 2017

This week I ran across an online article (no author was given) that included a paragraph I love. So, I’m sharing it here. The article was aimed at Family History Department employees, but, I think this applies to all of us. It said: “As members of the Church, we have a divinely appointed responsibility to search out our ancestors and perform sacred temple ordinances in their behalf. Our vision is to safely gather our families as families on both sides of the veil, healed by the Atonement [of Jesus Christ] and sealed together in the temple." 

The concept of families on both sides of the veil who are healed by the Atonement and sealed together in temples is so sweet to me!

On another note: I mentioned in a previous letter that I’ve been taking the Family History Library training. The other day I was in the library for a review of one of the lessons and the woman I was working with saw my name tag and said, “Crenshaw. Do you have a son who served a mission in the area around Park City?” I answered, “Yes. In about 2000, our son, Mike, served in that area when it was still part of the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission.” Her name is Sister Matthews and she was pretty sure she knew Mike. That was fun.

I know some of you saw my posts on social media about the cool #LighttheWorld vending machine that’s in the lobby of the building where we serve. (Joseph Smith Memorial Building) What a great idea! I know there are other non-profits I could search out online who provide these same things to those in need (goats, chickens, food, clothing, etc.), but, it’s wonderful to make giving to others so easy and convenient!

And, for all the Harry Potter geeks - we saw something unexpected at a Christmas market on Friday afternoon. One of the booths claimed to represent a "real" wizarding school. One of the signs even says you can have your wand tested. (It seemed very incongruous among all the festive Christmas booths.)

We're enjoying all the music and decorations of the season that are all around us. There are daily concerts in both the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and in the Church Office Building. And, you can't beat the lights all around Temple Square!

Thanksgiving 2017

25 November 2017

Oops! Here it is Saturday night and I just realized I didn't send my usual Saturday morning letter. This long Thanksgiving break feels like we've had three Saturdays in a row - so I guess that has thrown me off. 

Our Thanksgiving has been pretty low-key - though we did take a couple of hours on Friday to visit a special Harry Potter Christmas Shopping Experience at a mall in Sandy, Utah. It was fun to see.

Today, I did some more sewing, and then, tonight we enjoyed a Christmas-themed performance by the American West Symphony and Chorus. They had a short sing-along at the end of the concert that was fun!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a record high here of 71 degrees! Then, by the end of the week they're predicting snow. :-/ I supposed before long we'll be wearing all our winter gear every day.

I'm looking forward to all the #LightTheWorld initiatives the Church is encouraging this Christmas season. Its such an inspired program!

Star of David

18 November 2017

It’s been another busy week, here.

Thursday night a group of women from our branch went to the Humanitarian Center and tied quilts. We’ve been doing this twice-a-month since July and have completed 39 quilts. Of course, there’s no way to know where the quilts are sent once they're finished, but, we know they are sent to people in need somewhere in the world.

We had a really interesting Sunday School lesson this week. (Our missionary branch doesn’t follow the same lessons as the rest of the Church. The mission president chooses the topics.) This past Sunday the lesson was based on an April 1985 conference talk by President Howard W. Hunter called, “Christ, Our Passover.”

One of the missionaries serving here grew up in the Jewish faith and the teacher asked him to share some things with us about the meaning and practices of the Jewish faith around Passover. I expect that most latter-day saints are familiar with much of what he told us, but he gave us a handout that was particularly interesting – because Bob and I had never been introduced to the meaning of the Star of David before. Here’s a copy of what was on his handout:

(My note: This breakdown is a little confusing because it doesn’t literally represent Jacob’s 12 sons. Ephraim and Manassah were Joseph's sons [Jacob's grandsons]. However, Joseph received a double portion of inheritance and it was divided between his two sons. The Bible says that Reuben [Jacob and Leah's oldest son] originally received a double share of land because he was the oldest, but he lost this birthright due to immorality. Then, the double portion went to Joseph, who was the oldest son of Jacob and Rachel. So, Joseph is represented by Ephraim and Manassah in this graphic. Levi [Jacob and Rachel's youngest son] is not represented because he was not given a land inheritance due to his unique ecclesiastical role.)

He showed us a beautiful, velvet pouch that was embroidered in gold with the Star of David. The pouch contained his prayer shawl, his yarmulke, and this folded piece of paper describing the meaning of the Star of David. It made me think about what we carry with us that are constant reminders of our faith. Mostly, I think, they are not so much physical things (though, there are some) but they are the things we carry in our hearts — treasured, daily reminders of who we are and of our relationship to God.

I am truly grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for Christ’s atonement, and for the blessing of being able to repent and draw closer to the Savior through the help of the Holy Ghost.

It's the Basics that Count the Most

11 November 2017

Happy Veteran’s Day! I’m so grateful for those who have and do serve to protect our country. Neither my father, nor either of my grandfathers served in the military, but I have two brothers, a husband and a son who have served in the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. One of my brothers was in Germany when the wall was erected in 1961 and the other earned a purple heart in Vietnam. My prayers go out to all our servicemen and women.

This week, President Fenn shared a story with us about a time when he and his wife had a near-miss run in with an alligator in South Carolina. (Did you know that the average length of an adult alligator in the U.S. is 14 feet?) It reminded me of a talk Elder Boyd K Packer gave more than 20 years ago about spiritual crocodiles. There are so many spiritual dangers we cannot see – we must be constantly on our guard. Our only safeguards are scripture study, prayer, obedience, and a heart turned to Christ. It is sticking to the basics that matters most.

Also. in another talk Elder Packer gave several years ago, I remember him saying that we will not survive spiritually unless we know how to receive personal revelation.

I have begun taking some classes at the Family History Library that I hope will make me a better researcher. There are a series of 17 lessons that are provided for all the missionaries who serve in the Family History Library – to help them know more about how to use the FHL collections so they can help patrons with their searches. They have opened those classes up to any missionary here, not just those serving in the library, so I’ve begun working on them. After the initial, introductory class, all the lessons are on-line. Then, once you’ve completed a lesson, you schedule an appointment with someone on the library staff to review what you’ve learned. I’m learning lots of good things!

Whatever struggles you may have, whatever doubts may trouble you, hold fast to the Savior, and he will bring you through. 100% of the time. We seldom know how things will turn out, but they will all work out for our good if we put our trust in Him. I know this to be true.

Saw An Interesting Film

4 November 2017

This week we lost four of the dear missionaries in our zone, but we also gained four, so the size of our zone remains at 37 for now. A CSM couple that we got yesterday are Elder and Sister Hinckley, but, we forgot to ask them if they are related to Pres. Hinckley.

We saw the animated film, “Loving Vincent” yesterday, and really enjoyed it. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a film about Vincent Van Gogh. But, unlike the processes used for creating most animation, every frame of this film is an oil painting - and most frames were painted in Van Gogh’s style. (There are some flashback sequences that are more representational and done in grayscale.) More than 100 artists worked on this project. I read somewhere that they would paint a canvas, film it, then paint the next frame over that canvas. The colors and textures are beautiful.

Today we’re going to the Brigham City, Utah temple, about an hour’s drive north of us. A few others in our zone are going with us. After today, we will have been in every temple but one that is within our mission boundaries. The Jordan River Temple is still closed for renovations, but will reopen late next spring, so we’ll get to attend that one before we go home.

I took this picture on my way to the office yesterday morning. They were testing the Christmas lights around the conference center.

Since we set our clocks back to standard time this weekend, it will soon be lighter when we go in each morning.

Taking in Some Local Culture

28 Oct 2017

One of the senior missionaries in our zone was telling us about an unusual name she found in her family tree the other day –The ancestor lived in England in the early 1700s, and her name is Thankful Poop. No kidding!

We’ve had a full and busy week in the mission, and spent some time relaxing this weekend at the annual Heber Valley Western Music and Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Heber City, Utah. We enjoyed a wonderful concert featuring a long-time Western band, Riders in the Sky. (Reminded us of the kind of music we used to hear performed by Gene Autry and Roy Rogers when we were kids. If you own the movie, Toy Story 2, they performed “Woody’s Roundup” on that soundtrack.) Then, we had tickets for the first session of Just Cowboy Poetry. It was also great. However, since neither us of were raised on a farm or a ranch, we have no experience with some of the more intimate tasks involved in animal husbandry, and some of the jokes went right over our heads. Of course, there were lots of vendors, western art, western wear, etc. too. We’re loving taking in the local culture! :-)

                  Riders in the Sky                           

                                           part of the Mountain Men exhibits

This morning we’re meeting our friends, Loren and Lillimor Hubbard, and going to Antelope Island, on the Great Salt Lake, for the annual Bison Roundup! This is one of the nation’s oldest and largest public bison herds. Evidently, hundreds of horsemen from around the area sign up to ride in this, and they drive nearly 700 bison from other parts of the island to holding corrals in an area near White Rock Bay.

Once all the bison are in the corrals they let them rest there for five days so they are more relaxed and “de-stressed.” Then, they vaccinate them and do health screenings.

In order to keep the herd within a size that the habitat on the island can support (given other animals that are also there, and the amount of vegetation/food supply) some of the herd are released back onto the island and others are sold at auction. Since about 100-150 bison are born into the herd each year, they try to keep the number they release to about 550.

Tonight, is a complete change of pace, as we attend the fall concert of the Orchestra at Temple Square in the Tabernacle. We're going with President and Sister Hansen, who were just released from our mission presidency this week. They go home in mid-November and this will give them time to help the new counselor and his wife get a little training before they leave. We've really loved working with the Hansens and will miss them - but, we think President and Sister Thornock will be great, too.

No Blessing Denied

21 October 2017

It’s been one of those weeks, for me, where you almost feel like you're meeting yourself coming and going. It’s nice to have the weekend – to rest up, to grocery shop, to run errands, and to find renewal at our Sunday meetings.

On another note, I'm grateful for the hope and joy that we can each have as we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Although we all struggle with a variety of issues in this life, it is a blessing to know that there is the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) available to each of us.

This week, as part of our monthly mission conference, there was some discussion about the hope that faithful, righteous members of the Church can have, even if their life circumstances are less than what they want them to be. This included discussion of those who are single or childless despite their best efforts, and the desires of their heart, as well as those whose spouses make choices that cause them and others great pain. 

One couple in our zone served a previous mission among the Navajo in New Mexico. They said, “On our last mission, on the Navajo Reservation, so many of the sisters had lost hope of “eternal families” and many of their daughters did not marry after watching the discouraging marriages of their mothers. Most branches of the church that we worked with had 2-4 active men, and 30-40 active women.” (Of course, it's not only women who experience these things, some men do as well. And, there are other circumstances besides these that cause pain and heartache.)

There are several quotes from Church leaders that say, in essence, “No blessing will be denied those who are faithful and righteous.”  However, it’s often difficult to understand when and how it will all work out when faced with so much disappointment. Here are some of the quotes that were shared (I especially like the one by Boyd K. Packer):
We all face difficulties and challenges in this life – some, seemingly, more than others. Perhaps that is why the Lord has instructed us to “... be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."  (Ephesians 4:32) 

We all need that.

Enjoying the Fall Colors

Saturday 14 Oct 2017

With the weather turning colder we've added a blanket to the bed and have needed to bundle up a bit more for the morning walk to the office. But, we've resisted pulling out the winter coats. Adding scarves and gloves to our fall jackets has worked so far.

Seems like fall is a little more colorful this year than last. Perhaps the cooler weather is responsible for that.

Someone gave us tickets to a live performance of "An American in Paris" playing at a nearby theater this afternoon. We're looking forward to that.

The gospel is true! And, Heavenly Father loves us all!!

The Lord Has Need of Willing Hands

6 Oct 2017

I was deeply moved by the eulogies spoken at Elder Robert D. Hales funeral yesterday. It is touching to see the great love the Brethren have for each other.

Some tidbits from this week:

Between sessions of General Conference on Sunday, they showed a short, 5-minute video that tells about the preservation of records in Sierra Leone. Once these records are filmed they are sent to the Church Office Building, and some missionaries in our zone process them so that the data can be available for others. (One brother in our zone worked on some Sierra Leone records this week.) 

If you haven’t already seen it, you might find this interesting:

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-preserves-precious-records-of-african-nation

We also had a sister tell us that in some places where our camera capture operators are, government officials are literally taking the paper records away as soon as they’re captured and burning them! The officials are constantly going to those camera operators and saying “Are you finished with this stack? We need to burn them.” So, there’s not even an opportunity to redo something if it isn’t in focus – it’s all they can do to keep ahead of the people trying to get rid of the records! It’s hard to imagine!

On another note, one couple who spoke at our Monday Mission Devotional told us that this is their fourth mission. Then, they said they were the most surprised when they got their very first mission call letter. In that letter, they were told they were going to prison! Their calling was to serve in a men’s prison. Amazing! Kudos to them!!

We’re enjoying some beautiful fall weather and yesterday after work we explored a fun little shopping village in West Jordan called Gardner Village.

Looking Forward to General Conference!

30 Sep 2017

Why is it so much harder to get out of bed on a chilly morning? I just want to snuggle up under those covers and pretend it’s not morning – and, it’s not even winter yet! But, then, I think of our mission motto – “I will greet each day with love in my heart, a smile on my face, and gratitude for all of my blessings” – and, up I get. 😊

Last weekend’s women’s session of general conference was wonderful and we look forward to hearing the inspired words that will be available to us this weekend – for the rest of conference. Bob and I have tickets to be in the conference center on Sunday morning and will stream it live for all the other sessions since we don’t have a TV.

On Wednesday, we were walking toward the Church Office Building and saw the General Relief Society President, Sister Jean Bingham. She has such a radiant smile! She’s lovely.

Bob enjoyed all the cards, facebook greetings, etc. for his birthday last week. I got him tickets for us to see The Piano Guys when they perform here in December.

We did a bunch of family temple sealings Thursday and it was amazing! We know these families have been waiting for their work to be done and we felt such a wonderful spirit there. 

Earlier in the week, a couple who serve with us went to do some family sealings, and the sealer said, “We have some of President Monson’s family cards here, would any of you like to help with those?” Of course, everyone in the room volunteered!

We’re looking forward to hearing the messages of General Conference this weekend!

Fall is in the Air

23 Sep 2017

Today is Bob’s birthday (the big 7-0). He’s treating himself to a massage, and then he’ll get his cards (and a couple gifts) after lunch. Since tonight is the women’s session of General Conference, and I have a ticket to be in the Conference Center for that, we’re going out for lunch to celebrate his birthday.

In Salt Lake City, they begin hanging Christmas lights on the trees, in and around Temple Square, on the first of August - because it takes 3 ½ months to put them all up. But, imagine our surprise when, earlier this week (on Sep 18) we entered the Assembly Hall for our mission’s Book of Mormon conference, and saw this:

The rumor circulating was that The Piano Guys were going to be filming in there the next day, for their upcoming Christmas album. I assumed someone was planning to film something, but who it was, I don’t know.

All that aside, we had a great conference and my appreciation for the Book of Mormon and for the prophet, Joseph Smith, was strengthened. What a miracle it is that we have this book! And, how grateful I am for Joseph Smith, and for all the latter-day prophets since. What a blessing to have a prophet, Thomas S. Monson, to guide us today. It will be wonderful to attend general conference, this weekend and next, and to hear from modern prophets and apostles!

We got a chance, this week, to attend the Ogden Temple. What a magnificent place!! (It’s about 40 minutes north of us.) We hadn’t been to that temple before and it was great to be there with several members of our zone.

On Thursday, we took the underground route to go from the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to the Church Office Building and happened to see six members of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles as they were walking between the Salt Lake Temple and the Church Administration Building. (Elder Holland, Elder Bednar, Elder Cook, Elder Andersen, Elder Stevenson, and, Elder Renlund) We’re not likely to top a siting like that one!

We’re enjoying cooler weather and the feel of fall in the air.

A Surprise Package

16 Sep 2017

I received a surprise box of genealogical goodies this week! Someone found me on ancestry.com and sent me some of the belongings of George Akridge, my 2nd cousin, 1x removed. He was born in 1906, but didn’t marry until he was in his late 50s and had no children. (His wife’s family kept all these things and instead of just getting rid of them, the family wanted a relative to have them.) The couple pictured on the bottom, right, were George’s great-grandparents on his grandmother’s side (they were born in the mid 1800s.) The baby gown is more than 100 years old and was worn by George Akridge as an infant. The workmanship in it is beautiful!

Of course, as often happens, there are lots of unidentified photos. (sigh) Some are tintypes. If only we had names for those faces!

In our Monday morning, mission-wide devotional, Elder and Sister Crowl, who are zone leaders in World-Wide Data Security, talked some about what their zone does. They are responsible for the accuracy and the security of information on familysearch.org. It was really interesting – and, of course, they get some weird requests from time to time (some are pretty funny!) as well as taking care of all the legitimate queries that come their way.

President Fenn told us about his mother’s decline as a victim of Alzheimer’s in her later years. The family tried as best they could to care for her themselves. (His parents had always been faithful, active members of the church; had been temple workers; and, had served missions – and, it was difficult to lose his mother to this disease long before she actually died.) He said that eventually she no longer recognized his father and was sometimes alarmed and frightened to see him in her home. Once, about a year before she died, his father called him and said he’d locked himself in the bathroom because his mother had come after him with a knife. (Because Pres. Fenn didn’t live nearby, he had to call the St. George police for help – and tell them “Please don’t shoot my mother.”) In spite of events like this, he spoke of sitting by her bedside in the hospital, holding her hand in her final days – and, after she passed, catching a glimpse of the family and friends waiting on the other side of the veil to greet her.

The work we are doing in this mission is a tremendous blessing for both the living and the dead, and we’re grateful to be a part of it!

Interestingly, I had an opportunity Monday evening to attend a special lecture at the University of Utah called Music and the Mind – about the research being done regarding the impact music has on the mind, and how the use of music can improve evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of various cognitive disorders (like Alzheimer’s). They have learned a lot in recent years.

Thursday night we got to see a live, two-woman (and a band) musical-theater performance, about the life of Patsy Cline, at a community college nearby. It was an excellent performance and we enjoyed hearing the many tunes that she made famous. The woman who played Patsy Cline was made to play that part!

Our mission is having a special event next week to commemorate the anniversary of the angel, Moroni, appearing to Joseph Smith, and, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. We’re looking forward to that!

A Full Week

9 Sep 2017

Bob is still recovering from his foot surgery, so we didn't do much over Labor Day weekend. I worked on some quilt tops (sent one off for machine quilting and have three more, that I've been working on off and on for a while, that are almost ready to send off. Woo hoo!!)

The good news is, Bob's foot is doing much better now than last week!

We’re, of course, concerned over the devastation taking place all around the U.S. right now. Severe flooding in Texas; Raging fires in Montana, and many other western states, including parts of Utah; and, now, one of the largest hurricanes ever recorded, Hurricane Irma, has swiped across several Caribbean islands, and is heading toward the east coast of the U.S. We’re praying for everyone in its path.

We had a nice, but brief, visit with Tammy Davidson on Wednesday. It's great to see North Carolina friends! Tammy brought her daughter, Kiersten, out to start the fall semester at BYU-I in Rexburg, ID and they toured some of the area before settling her into the dorm. It was fun to see them!

On Friday, we also had a brief visit with Joel and Jacob Estes. (Joel is our daughter, Susy's, brother-in-law.) Jacob is heading up to BYU-I, as well, and they stopped to see some things along the way. It’s hard to believe Jacob is old enough for college! You turn around, and they grow up!

We got new assistant zone leaders this week and we are VERY happy with this change. The new couple, Elder and Sister Boyter, will be terrific! We appreciate the efforts of the previous assistants, but, they are going home in October, so it's good that they can have a break from the extra responsibilities before they go.

We enjoyed a session in the Salt Lake temple yesterday and could feel the wonderful spirit of the family file work we did. It was a lovely time.

This weekend, there’s a Greek Festival a few blocks down the road from us, so we may head over there later today and see if we can get some Souvlaki, or other goodies. :-)

The days are flying by. . .