It's been way too long since I posted back towards the end of April. Between the mission and family life it's been very busy so here goes the Readers Digest version.
The Lord's work is moving along. On Saturday 30 April, we had a Utah Orem Mission special meeting with Apostle Elder Rasband and Elder's Todd Hansen and Christensen of the Seventy. It was an amazing meeting to be taught by an apostle. Before the meeting began Elder Rasband along with our mission President and Sister Killpack shook hands with each of us, 170 young Elders and Sisters and 52 senior couples.
Sister Killpack bore a beautiful testimony as did President Killpack. Elder Todd Hansen spoke from Chapter 11 from Preach My Gospel inviting those we teach to make commitments. Elder Christensen spoke on you and your calling and serving members. He said when President Monson announced the missionary age change in October 2012 General Conference that most who were listening missed something very important that he said, he said that for the members to work with the full time missionaries in helping their neighbors to come unto Christ.
Elder Rasband spoke telling us that this mission along with two other missions in Utah are the strongest in the church, in attendance, tithes and fast offering and sending their son's and daughter's out on missions. He also mentioned how blessed we are in Utah to have senior stay at home missionary couples, it's been a tremendous blessing in the missionary work.
He opened it up to questions and answering period the last two hours which was so good to hear the young missionaries ask good questions. He talked and asked about the worth of a soul from D & C 14,15,16,18, he invited us to be Divinely Bold and always follow the first prompting and Endure to the End.
We have had several contacts with several people within the Stake, mostly one of the spouses have gone inactive. We have taught and finished just last Friday 17 June with a couple whom he is working his way back into the church, his wife has stood by him and what love they have for each other. We taught them all the missionary lessons including the new one on temples and family history work which on that lesson their son and daughter-in-law were there and they sat in on the lesson. The son has been through the temple and one a mission but his wife has not been through the temple and is working her way to be prepared to go soon. She is very much involved with family history work. He has been out of work for several months and has been wearing on him. The following week when we visited we were told that their son had gotten a good job with an airline, they were thrilled.
During one of the lessons, I felt impressed to challenge them to have prayers together. She still works for a few more weeks so she leaves early and goes to bed early but they took the challenge and they said the spirit in their home has increased since praying together. They also took the challenge to talk to their non-member neighbor and ask them if we could visit which they agreed to. We visited with them and had a wonderful visit. They are Catholics, they love having Mormon neighbors as they are quiet and decent people, they invited us back for us to tell them about our beliefs.
We are teaching a temple preparation class in our ward on Sunday night, one of the couples who said they would come have not come which saddens us, the husband has been on a mission but both are less active, he was excited to be invited but for some reason they have not come, we have visited them and reminded them of the class, but maybe they aren't ready yet. We have had an enjoyable time with a young couple with three children come, a young man getting ready for his mission, a young lady who has received her mission call and a widow neighbor of ours. It's exciting to see them interested and doing the reading assignments.
Mixed in with the mission are family blessings as well. I was able to see my youngest granddaughter Emilie play one game of soccer which she is very good at, she is 10 1/2 and defends well. Her brother William received his mission call on 19 June but didn't open it until two days later so family and friends could be there. He didn't want to stay in the United States and wanted foreign speaking, he read his call and he has been called to serve in the Scottsdale Arizona Mission, he enters the MTC on 6 July, from that day he had just 45 days to get ready. He said for the past two weeks he had Arizona come to his mind often.
He runs track and I was able to watch him in his final track meets, he missed going to state but now can see the wisdom in not going. I have watched him for the past 6 years run cross country, indoor and outdoor track and it's been so enjoyable to see him grow.
Our May was busy with mission and end of school activities with family. Went to granddaughter Nicole's orchestra concert, she is in the Chamber Orchestra, she has one more year in high school. We had three grandson's graduate this year from high school starting with Jeremy from American Fork High on 27 May, so proud of that young man. His family lived in Korea for five years so he had not had any American schooling until he came back ten years ago, he has worked hard. I then flew to Las Vegas on Sunday night the 29th May to attend a grandson, Jarrett's promotion from Elementary to Middle School. I was able to spend time with my daughter and family which was wonderful. While in the airport I ran into Brad Wilcox and got to talk with him.
I flew home from Las Vegas on 1 June and the next day we had two more graduations, Kyle from West Jordan High, it was held at the Viviant (Delta) Center at 10:00 AM, we arrived early to see him and get pictures, as soon a his name was called and he walked we had to leave to drive to Weber State's Dee Events for William who graduated from Syracuse High. So proud of these four grandson's. If that wasn't enough, Ray's cousin whom he is close to and who he and his wife had served an MLS mission being released last summer passed away from a fall he had a few weeks earlier. I had known the family since I was young as they were in my stake and the father was in our stake presidency, I had gone to school with this cousin as well as friends with the sister my age. He and his wife had visited us in the fall when we received our mission call and had spent four hours with us showing us what they had learned on this mission and gave us so much which has been a help to us.
We have had wonderful District meetings, Zone Training meetings and Zone Conference with Elder Ringwood from the Seventy speaking to us. We have the Elders in our area over for lunch each Tuesday, this way they get fed and we can coordinate with them as well. I will miss these two when either or both are transferred. We keep reaching out to those who have strayed off the path, inviting them to come back to their Savior and receive all the blessings he has for them.
This mission is so wonderful, it was a huge challenge for me at first but as one loses themselves in the lives of others the love of the Savior comes and you know what you are doing is so right. I will do better in keeping up the blog.
