Been too long, 21 March to 17 April 2016

Time flies!  It's been almost a month since I have written anything, so sorry.  Some weeks are busy and others slow down and the week of the 21 March was one of those slow weeks.  We continue to read the Book of Mormon with out young family, he is a member but less active, his wife is not a member.  They have a darling 18 month old boy who keeps them busy.  She loves reading the Book of Mormon, she said that what the Elders have taught her combining that with the Book of Mormon has made all the difference.  Truly it is the corner stone of out religion and bears such a witness of our Savior and of his doctrine and teachings.

We've been working with a young couple in our ward who has three daughters, they are living with her mother for now until they get a house sold and finances in order.  We had not met the husband until Easter Sunday when they attended church, then visited with them a few days later and asked them if they would attend a temple preparation class.  They have agreed and we've been asked to teach it starting in mid May, our bishop is inviting others to attend as well, with those who have never been to the temple or those who have and it's been along time.  We are looking forward to teaching this class on such an eternal matter.

March has been missionary month for our ward, we were asked to participate with Elders Edlinger and Fairbanks who serve in our stake and two other stakes to be on a panel Easter Sunday with the young men and young women asking questions as well as Bishop Larsen.  The spirit was sweet and had very good questions.  On Tuesday of that week they youth were to go out two by two, some had to be in three's, to members home for dinner then they were to give a discussion on the Restoration.  We had offered if we were needed.  That afternoon we were visiting our Sister Balle who is related to Elder Morley when our bishop called asking us if we could have three young men to dinner and they give us the lesson as the family they were to go to had to cancel, this was at 4:00 PM, dinner at 6:00 PM.  What a blessing to have these three young priests in our home, we served them lasagna, green salad and peach cobbler with ice cream.  They then taught us the lesson on The Restoration and did so very well.  They brought a sweet spirit into our home.

On the 30th March we had Zone Conference.  Before it started we watched a documentary on the Provo Tabernacle when it burned down, when President Monson announced it was going to be rebuilt into the Provo City Center Temple and the completion of it, brought back the beautiful day of it's dedication.  President Killpack is a spiritual giant.  He instructed us very well doing out calling and inviting others to come unto Christ.

A Brother Gonzales from the missionary department spoke as well telling us that the Lord will increase u sin  our calling.  He also taught us well.  I had a thought of our young family we are reading the Book of Mormon with in what we need to do to encourage them to attend church and to let her know she doesn't need to know everything before she is baptized.  Ray and I participated with the Highland district in singing a special musical number.  These Zone conferences are also nice to be able to visit with the other senior couples.

Also during this same week we were able to visit with three other families, a Sister who is a widow with a son who served a mission and has been home a year and a 15 year old daughter, they get slacked in their church attendance every so often.  Another widow who is raising two grandchildren, tends three other grandchildren.  We had the ward mission leader along with us and he will bring her needs up in ward council that she needs home teachers and if someone in the primary could pick up her 11 year granddaughter when she is unable to attend due to her illness that flares up.   Then the last family we visited is a couple who both have been on a mission, has a four year old boy and has wanted more children but unable to, the husband has gotten upset with God and has quit going to church.  We had a wonderful visit with them, they told us about their desire and frustration in trying for another child.  I then told them that both Ray and I oldest daughters both couldn't have children but adopted.  Ray had something he was going to tell them but when he opened his mouth the spirit spoke through him and he just said, "I feel I need to suggest and challenge you to go back to the temple."  They said they would and they have gone back to church.

General conference was marvelous, being taught by our Prophet and Apostles and other leaders, especially by President Monson when he talked on choices and the choices we make determines our destiny and to choose the hard right and not the easy wrong.  We are so blessed to have the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ once again upon the earth and to have a prophet who receives revelation, to have the truth once again on the earth and the holy priesthood.

We were asked by a sister in our ward who is so faithful in her covenants, her husband who has served a mission has chosen to go inactive.  She had a 17 year old daughter who is an amazing young lady, we've adopted her as our granddaughter and I get hugs every time I see her.  Her son who is 12 years old has started to question the church and doubt the truth so she asked us if we would visit him.  We decided to visit the three of them on Sunday 10 April after he had gone out collecting fast offerings.  I talked of President Monson's talk on choices, then Ray told them of his conversion when he was 17 years old and how his mother told him that she might have to live with one Mormon, who was her husband, but not another one and she told  Ray if he was baptized he was no longer welcome in the home, he was baptized and he had to leave the home, but in about 6 months her heart softened but when he accepted his mission call she again had him leave.  The spirit was so strong and all three of them had tears streaming down their cheeks.  I felt impressed to tell the young man how important him being a deacon is, how he represents the Savior, and how it became personal to me when I couldn't attend church for about 6 weeks and two priests came to my home and gave me the sacrament, I learned how personal the Savior's sacrifice was for me.  I told him that his calling so more important than anything else, more important than even the President of the country.  His countenance had changed from the first time he had sat down to when we left.  We saw him this past Sunday in church and he was able to pass the sacrament to us with a small grin.

We have a new elder as of last week seeing it was transfer week, we still have Elder Fairbanks and we received Elder McHood who had been serving in the Orem area, wonderful young man.  We have them over for lunch each week to coordinate who we and they visit.  It is so humbling to serve with these young men and now we have two grandson's who are putting in their request to serve a mission after they graduate from high school in the next month and to know how their lives will be blessed as well as so many others.

We lost one family we had been reading the Book of Mormon with for the first two months of our mission, he has chosen his other way of life and yet he knows the Book of Mormon is true.  When one submits to the desire of the flesh and the evil one, they have to work hard to break away and he is not willing to do so, so the Elders and us will walk away for now but the ward mission leader will try to still work with the family, especially the father.   He was so close, had such a testimony then chose to step into the evil ones territory.  We just have to move on to those who are willing to listen and want to come back to the Savior.  

Last Friday t he 15th, we had our Zone training meeting, it consist of two districts, ours and Highland/Alpine.  Once again, we were well taught seeing this type of mission we are on is just about 2 1/2 years old in Utah.  We see the ward leaders are learning more how to use us in teaching, helping mostly the less active members of their ward.  We have a wonderful, spiritual giant of a Stake President, his counselor who is over missionary work in the stake and the two high councilmen as well.  We are so supported in this great work but especially supported by the Lord himself.  It's a mission I had never desired to serve but I am grateful the Lord called us to represent Him and reach out to his children.

Week of 14 March to 20 March 2016

We took Monday the 14th off to do things around the house and to do  planning for the rest of the week.  Tuesday we attended the temple and did family sealing's which are always so special.  I am grateful we are able to attend the temple as it is such a blessing and helps to be more in tune spiritually.

We visited a daughter-in-law to her in-laws who are living with her and their son, they have used their health as an excuse not to attend church but they are able to shop Wal Mart, their son is concerned.  We have tried contacting them several times and the last time Ray talked with them they told him that they would call us.  We wanted to visit with the son and his wife to let them know what we had done and what was going on.  I have learned what enduring to the end means in many ways and this is one way I have learned, continue with your activity.  I see one in our ward who can hardly walk with a cane but he comes and teaches the High Priests.  I see those who can hardly walk or in wheelchairs attend the temple regularly, they are great examples to me to Endure to the End.

We met with our you family in our own ward, we talked about she and her husband taking the temple prep class.  Her husband wasn't home but she would talk to him, I told her that there was no obligations, it's a great way to be taught what they can teach in preparation in becoming temple worthy and receiving their temple blessings, that made her more at ease as her husband doesn't like to be pushed into anything.  We visited with her a few days later and she had talked with her husband and he is willing to take the class, she also invited us to visit when he is home which is a big step for him.  Even though he serves in the ward, he is sporadic, great couple with three beautiful children. Our bishop is going to call a teacher to teach the temple prep class and invite others to attend.

We also had our monthly meeting with our Stake President, the counselor over missionary program in the stake, the high councilor and one of the full time elders as they were on splits.  Poor Elder Fairbanks was so sick he just sat there, his companion was with a ward mission leader at a family's home in the stake, he was also sick.  This is the first time they have been sick being away from home, so he as sat away from the rest of us.  I love our Stake President, he is so amazing with such spiritual insite.

That same night on the 15th, we met with another couple in another ward in the stake, they have both served missions, have one 4 year old boy who is darling.  They have gone inactive as at least the husband has become angry and upset over them not being able to have another baby.  In our conversation they opened up to us and really poured their hearts out.  We were able to tell them about both of our oldest daughters who couldn't have children but adopted.  I told them of Elder Neal A Maxwell's council to my daughter which was to continue to pray, read scriptures, stay active and attend the temple often which they did and they were blessed with their daughter.  They asked us if we would keep them in our prayers which we will be so happy to do.  Ray had some thoughts he was going to say but the spirit guided him to council them to become temple worthy again and attend the temple.  The spirit was so strong in their home, beautiful couple just hurting.

On Wednesday 16th we were able to meet our new grandson, number 29,  Ray's oldest son and his wife.  He is so beautiful, so new from Heavenly Father.  We then had our neighbors kitty corner from us over for dinner, they are non-members, have had some bad experiences when they lived in Park City but the two years they have lived in this neighborhood they have so enjoyed it and have a different perspective of Mormon's.  They have two daughters and one son.  He use to work for a garage door place until last December when he had an accident and his one foot and ankle was crushed.  Ray and the other neighbors have helped them with snow removal, getting garbage cans out, yard work.  The Lord sure does provide opportunities to serve others.   We then read with our young couple afterwards, she is loving the Book of Mormon now she has some understanding and we help her to understand it.

We had a great District Meeting on Friday 18th, the couple who gave the training lesson did it on the Proclamation on the Family.  Took each paragraph and read an explanation by Elder Merrill J. Bateman from a talk he gave.  It was suggested that we use this to teach families when prompted to do so, it's such a powerful proclamation.

Saturday we were able to gather with my kids and their families for our Easter family party, not all were there but who was there, it was wonderful being with them.  This mission gives us this opportunity to spend time with family which I am grateful for, for this is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about, eternal families.

Sunday the 20th was the day the long awaited Provo City Center Temple was dedicated, what an out pouring of the spirit.  It is like our own lives, we sometimes have parts of our lives in ashes but our Savior can rebuild it through the Atonement and His Grace.  I am so grateful for temples, for eternal families, for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for my testimony and membership, for our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and for the Holy Ghost.

Week of 7th March to 13th March 2016

We had a busy week in visiting those we had met before, reading the Book of Mormon with our young couple and meeting and visiting new people in the stake.  On Monday the 7th was my oldest son Mark's birthday.  Tuesday 8th, we attended the temple which was very sweet, we were asked to be the witness couple which is always special.  Had the Elders over for lunch, they did splits so we had one of them, Elder Fairbanks and his District Leader Elder Evans.  We met with a member then was able to go to our grandson Nathan's band concert that night in Riverton, he plays the sax and oh, he is good, he's in the 8th grade, plays in the Jazz Band as well as the Symphonic Band.

We were able to meet with out neighbor who lost her husband three weeks ago, she's such a dear friend, we miss her husband as well.  Met with a member couple who are friends with a family who lost their 19 year old daughter last August in a car accident.  They have not been active for years and they were so touched by how the ward members came forward to help.  They are still struggling with her death. so the neighbor will invite them to dinner and ask if it's ok if we come as well to just meet them.  The gospel of Jesus  Christ and the Plan of Salvation teaches us that death is not the end.  i also met with a three new families, one is a single mom with three boys living with her parents.  She knows they ought to attend church, her sister lives in the next ward over and is active as are her parents, it's just going and being single.  I was able to tell her about me being single with five children.  She wants us to come back and give her and her sons a message.

Friday the 11th, we had a great Zone Training Meeting.. It's always nice to be able interact with the other senior couples in the Zone.  That night, the Orem Utah Mission held it's semi annual music fireside at the Alpine Tabernacle in American Fork, Utah.  The Young Ambassadors from BYU sang several numbers as did some of the Elders and Sisters, a couple of them bore their testimonies.  The highlight was listening to Brad Wilcox who spoke on \why we believe in Jesus Christ.  He said that we believe in him because Joseph Smith saw him face to face, talked with him face to face.  All Christians are taught to Follow Him but we are Lead By Him as it is His church, He is the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The place was packed with missionaries young and old and with investigators and members, etc. Was a wonderful, spiritual day.

Saturday, Elder Morley was dressed in his suit, looked out our front window and saw our neighbor kitty corner from us raking his front yard.  In December he had an accident which crushed his foot, he is to be off of it with no weight on it yet and yet he was out there raking, oh, he has a walking boot on.  Elder Morley changed his clothes and helped him rake, he wouldn't stop so Ray just raked faster.  We invited them over for dinner this coming week which they accepted.  They are not members and when they moved here they didn't want anything to do with Mormons as they had moved from Park City and didn't have a good experience with Mormons there which is way too sad.  But, they have found out that we are like we say we are, they have come out to neighborhood block parties.  Ray and the Bishop have kept their driveway and sidewalk clear of snow along with doing it for other neighbors.  They are a wonderful young couple with three children, they just need friends and love.

Sunday the 13th, we had our regular meeting with the ward mission leaders then attended a ward conference which have been so powerful in the talks on the Sabbath Day and the Sacrament which our Stake President brings in with his talk.  We visited two families that afternoon, one in our ward who are living with her mother for now with their three children. The wife is excited to have us work with her and her husband to help them get to the temple.  The other couple is a young couple, he's been on a mission, they have one four year old son and have not been able to have others and they has been discouraging to them so they have gone inactive.  They are a delightful couple, she teaches guitar at her home.  We will be seeing them again this week.

Then to end the Sabbath day, Elder Morley received a text with two pictures with it from his oldest son, their little boy was born that afternoon, a few weeks early but he's healthy and so beautiful, lots of dark hair.  This is their first one, makes 29 grandchildren for us.

This week has been a very blessed one, I guess each missionary has their good and not so good weeks but I will dwell on this one and go forward this week to make it just as good or even better week.  I am including a quote from President Heber J. Grant which I came across this past week.  We as members of The Church of Jesus  Christ of Latter-day Saints are all missionaries, we don't need to preach, we just need to live the gospel as we have been taught.  Show kindness to others, reach out and help

Week of 29 February to 6 March 2016

i wrote in my last blog about taking our neighbors to the temple open house on Monday 29th February.  That evening, we met with the Jenkins family, we had stopped by earlier and had talked with Sister  Jenkins father whom they live with, he is quite the story teller but an interesting one, he is single, his daughter and husband with four children are living with him for now as they had hit hard times.  Her husband has health issues, she works full time with a son 17, daughters 15, 11, 8, beautiful family but we have not met Brother Jenkins yet.  We visited later that evening with Sister Jenkins and the girls, her son was at work.  Sister Jenkins is an amazing, positive woman.  They are members but with her having to work on many Sunday's the children won't go to church without her and the dad's health is not where he is able to go most times.  She voiced her desire to attend the temple open house seeing it's the last week of it.  After we had a delightful visit, Elder Morley sent an email to our Stake President as he works for the church in the temple department and one of the secretary's takes care of the open house tickets.  He requested so many tickets for Wednesday at 3:30 PM, within one hour we had the email with the tickets to print out from the secretary.  We have an amazing stake president.

Tuesday 1 March, the full time Elders had lunch at our home as they do most Tuesday's, this is a good time to plan with them and to catch up with families they need us to visit or to report to them of those we have visited.  We then visited our sweet widow, Sister Balle who she and Ray are cousins and I knew her years ago as we were in the same stake in Kearns.  We gave her a copy of a recording  Ray did with a Vicar in England while he was a missionary there. The Vicar had been doing research on the Morley line as they were one of the first families in that area in that church.  Thanks to Ray's son Dan several years ago who was able to copy it off from the old reel to reel and put it onto a CD for him.  As usual, we come away being lifted by Sister Balle.

Wednesday 2nd March, we went to the Provo City Center Temple open house with the Jenkins family minus their father who didn't feel that he could walk around that much.  It touched each of them.  Sister Jenkins realized that she needs to get back attending the temple and she needs to talk to her boss and arrange for her to have Sunday's off to go with her children to church, he said it will take a lot of praying but she knows this is what she needs to do to keep her family together an on the right path.

We were to have read with our young couple who has one darling 16 month very active boy but they had sickness but we did visit the Peterson's who were going to move this coming Thursday to their new home.  He served a mission in Taiwan, his wife is also from there.  With all the move in's from all over the world here in Lehi, there are several from China who speak English but the vocabulary of the Mormon faith, they don't understand sometimes so the Elders and ward mission leaders need help and even though the Peterson's are moving out of the area, he is still willing to come and help when needed.

On Friday the 4th of March, we had our District Meeting and the training lesson was on Listening, how often we talk too much and not listen to those we are teaching or visiting.  Brother Byers also took us through the time when the sons of Mosiah met up with Alma after their mission and how they were instruments in the Lord's hands in bringing many  of the Lamanites into the Gospel, unto their Savior.

That evening we joined the 4th ward in their table game night.  Members bring many board games and you just pick a table which game you would like to participate and play and for us it was getting to know the ward members of that ward better.  We met a couple of non-members who loves to mingle with the saints but doesn't want to join the church, not yet anyway.  This is a perfect example in reaching out to all in our neighborhoods not matter if they are members of the LDS faith or of another faith, we are still all children of God.  Very enjoyable evening with lots of snacks.

Ray's daughter from San Antonio Texas, along with her husband and oldest son flew in on Saturday 5th March to visit their daughter who is going to BYU, she needed a little support in life, she's doing great at school, just life.  They stayed with us Saturday night, attended our three hour block with us then visited her mom until dinner time then ate with us and flew back home.  Was nice to have them here even if it was a short trip.

Sunday afternoon, we visited a Sister who is single, she has home a son who served a mission and has been home for a year, he's going to school and needing a job, so we asked the ward employment specialist to contact him.  She also has a 16 year old daughter.  They are active, their Bishop thought just a visit from us and a message would be nice for them.  We showed them a short video of President Uchdorf talking of our worth as sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and don't let anyone tell you you have to be this way or that way.  That message was what they needed to hear.  The mother grew up in the stake we just moved from in Orem, we know her parents.  Beautiful family.

It's been a wonderful week.  I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know it is true, for it ws upon the earth when our Savior lived and it was restored again in its fullness through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Thomas S Monson is our modern prophet today, called by God to receive revelations for not only the church but the world.  I know God lives, I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, he sacrificed his life for us, I am humble and grateful for his perfect love for us.

With the Jenkins family

                    

Week of 15 February through 29 February 2016

We had a slow week 15th February.  Our family we have been reading the Book of Mormon with came down with the flu one at a time.  On Friday 19 February, my grandson William turned 18, will graduate this June and is planning on a mission this summer.

We attended our District Training meeting in the morning on 19 February, we were the teachers this week.  We taught on the Grace of God.  Most people believe that the Lord makes up after all we have done but that is not so.  He has already paid the debt, he paid it all, there is no after all we can do He makes up the difference,  Jesus makes ALL the difference.  We in turn are to show appreciation for what Jesus Christ did, by using it to live our live like His.  It went very well as there was a great discussion among the other couple missionaries.

We then attended the funeral of our neighbor and friend the afternoon of Friday 19 February, it was hard to say bye to him but because of the Plan of Salvation we know we will see him again and still have this friendship we had here on earth.  His death has touched many lives of his wife's family as they are not members.  Her parents are grateful that she belongs to "our" church as she has seen the outpouring of love and support towards her daughter.

We met with our neighbors in back of us and to the east of us, an older couple who have been active all their lives but due to health they now are unable to attend church.  The Johnson's are a delightful couple, very attentive to each other.  We had a wonderful visit with them, they told us they use to serve at the MTC for the senior missionaries playing the roll of investigators, we asked them if we could practice on them and they were happy to do so, this way they will get some gospel lessons.

Sunday 21 February we had our usual 8:00 AM ward mission leaders meeting along with the Elders and was given a few names from some of the ward leaders to visit.  It always boggles my mind when it's a couple who has been married in the temple, taken those sacred covenant's and the husband has served a mission and they have  gone inactive.  Just don't understand, but they are the ones we reach out to and help t them to understand those blessing that await them if they come back to Christ and honor those sacred covenant's.  We attended a ward conference at 9:00 AM,  The theme of all of the ones we have attended so far has been on the Sabbath Day observance.   Our Stake President spoke and this time he spoke to the females about knowing who they are and not to compare ourselves with others.  Also, it's ok to say NO, don't over schedule so much that we are frazzled.  Know that they are daughters of God who loves them and knows them.   The spirit was so strong while he spoke.  We spoke at 11:00 AM in the first ward which went well as we had three people come up to us and gave us names to visit including the bishop.

The following week was a bit more busy, we visited a couple of widows, they enjoy having the senior missionaries visit.  One sister had served a mission in England where Ray had served but a few years earlier, they had much to talk about.  Our visits went well that week.  We are reading with another young family, he's a member, she is not, they have stopped the Elders from coming for a while, she felt rushed but enjoys us coming once a week and reading the Book of Mormon with her and her husband.

Our other family we've been reading with since the first week in January has had to cancel for various reasons but one is that he went back into his old ways, back into a club and now he is not sure of anything he's been taught, trying to find excuses for his actions, he said he missed the atmosphere and enjoyed it.  The spirit about him has left him, it was there up until he went into Satan's territory.  One cannot have the spirit and step onto the evil side as well, one cannot serve two masters and I have seen this so clearly now.  We are sad over this, but it's about making choices and having agency but any choice one makes, one does not have control over the consequences.  I hope some day he will and his wife will put their desire to be an eternal family ahead of the worldly ways.

Our visits this past week has included a young man from the Marshall Islands who has been a member for a year.  He lives with a wonderful family in his ward.  We are working with him to get to the temple for his endowments.  He enjoys performing baptisms for those who have passed on.

Sunday 28 February, we attended our own ward for the entire three house block, we nice to be among our ward members.  At 1:30 PM we attended another ward conference which was another spiritual feast.

Today, Monday 29 February, we took our friend and neighbor who lost her husband recently, her daughter who lives with her and our neighbor to the Provo City Temple open house this morning.  The daughter is a non-member, she was really touched by it.  We had planned on taking her step dad as well a few weeks ago but that is when his health declined with cancer rapidly.  It was a sweet moment with them.  I am including the picture of us.

The gospel is so true.   I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, for the Atonement and His grace.  For eternal family and friends.  Grateful for the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon which testifies of our  Savior and of his doctrine.  I am grateful for a living prophet, even President Thomas S. Monson and the Twelve Apostles who are called to witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Provo City Center Temple open house with
Rita, Kristie and her daughter Bonnie, Sister and Elder Morley

Weeks of 31 January and 7 February 2016

Ok, my last blog I put week of 24 February and it is suppose to have been January, sorry about the mistake.

These past two weeks have been busy and enjoyable.  As I wrote in my last blog, on Monday 1 February, Ray and I had our interview with our mission president, President Killpack who is an amazing spiritual giant.  I posted the picture of us he took of us in his office.

Each Tuesday, we have the Elders over for lunch and we discuss and plan with them as well, they are two fun, spiritual young men, Elders Edlinger and Fairbanks.  We continue to read the Book of Mormon with our family which the husband loves reading from.  He's made great changes in his life, his language has cleaned up and his temper as well, even the guys at his work has noticed the changes as he is a pipe welder and a good one, he's been doing it for over 25 years.  We love this family.

I was able to help a sister with her family history during the week.  On Friday the 5th, we had District Meeting which the couple taught from the Introduction of the Book of Mormon, that is the first page we read with those we read with or teach, it's so powerful and a promise.

Being senior missionaries, we have different guidelines from the young missionaries.  We were able to fly to San Antonio Texas on Saturday 6 February to see our first great grand child, Nicholas, he's so darling and such an easy going baby.  His father gave him a name and a blessing on Sunday.  We kept with out attendance on Sunday by going to two Sacrament meetings, the first one at 9:00 AM with Ray's daughter and family, we attended all three hours, the first since our mission started. Then we went back at 1:30 PM for the blessing of our great grandson.  It was so enjoyable being with Mindy and her family and having Neal's parents and grandmother there as well,  delightful time.  We flew home on Monday night.

It was interesting flying as many people would ask us if we were coming or going, we would tell them we're on our mission, then explain.  On our flight to Texas Ray sat across from an 18 year old young man who is religious and they had a wonderful discussion, Ray gave him a pamphlet and a pass along card and our card with our name and phone number on it in case he wanted to talk more about the church.  On our way home we sat by a young lady who is a member and has been a soccer player for USU, she asked if we could help with her parents who lives in Alpine, Utah as they have gone inactive.  At our next District Meeting we gave the couple who is in that area their name and contact information asking them not to let on it was their daughter as she preferred it that way.

We continued to read with our family, on the 9th we were able to have dinner with my granddaughter  Shilo and her family to celebrate her 21st birthday which was the day before but she was in Florida with a cousin at Disney World.

On Wednesday 10th, the Elders called us at the last minute asking us if we could meet them at a single sisters home as they are not able to be alone with a single sister.  This young lady had turned her whole life around and she is so loving the gospel and learning about it.  She has set a baptism date for Saturday 20 February.  By the way, she lives in the next stake over who doesn't have senior missionaries yet.

We've been meeting with each bishop in the stake to let them know we are here and available to help in anyway, some have given us people to visit which is always so sweet.  On Friday 12th we had Zone meeting which was wonderful, that night we met with another young couple whom we had met a few weeks ago, he is a member but inactive and she is a non member who has been taught the lessons but wanted to understand the scriptures so they asked for us to read with them once a week.  

Saturday 13th, we went on splits with one of the Elders and tried to visit two families which were not home so we decided to drop in one one of the couples whom one of the bishops had asked us to visit, the husband was home along with his younger brother who lives with them but his wife was on a trip to Taiwan, so we visited with him.  He's a returned missionary, they have been married in the temple but have gone inactive.  Ray asked him why, he said that when they got married they had a calling in the nursery and after a couple of years of it they felt that they needed to attend the gospel doctrine class so his wife could continue to learn more of the gospel.  So Ray said, so you went inactive?  H knows it's wrong.  His parents divorced while on his mission which really threw him.  It was an enjoyable visit.

Now seeing I am typing this on a Tuesday the 16th, I won't report this week except that today our dear friend and neighbor whom we have grown so close to fought to the end with his cancer and he was released today from his painful, sick body.  He has been such an example of enduring to the end, he and his wife Kristi served in the temple, he was in the High Priest Group leadership and he served others.  Ray had the opportunity this past Christmas to help his step son and another neighbor and neighborhood boys put their Christmas decorations up which was so small thing to do as they lights went with music.  Ray also helped take them down as Ron started to go down hill really fast the past few weeks.  We invited them to our mission setting apart in December and so glad we did and got a picture of us together which I will cherish.  We will miss Ron but so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for the Atonement and knowing we will have that eternal friendship.   We were in the temple on an endowment session when I knew he had passed, I got a bit emotional but got in control quickly.  Until we meet again Ron, God Be With You!

Ray and I with our dear eternal friends, Kristi and Ron Wells

December 27 2015

Week of 24 February 2016

I'm a bit late getting this post out this week, I was under the weather for 24 hours this past Tuesday but all is well again.

Last week was so enjoyable.  Sunday the 24th we started out at our weekly 8:00 AM mission leadership meeting, oh by the way, it was snowing that day as well.  We then met with a bishop in our stake which is so helpful as they get to know who we are and we get to know them.  We then spoke in our own ward, it was so nice being among people we know.  We then attended a ward conference at 1:00 PM then met with another bishop afterwards.  We were able to read with our family in the Book of Mormon which is coming along so well, the husband loves reading it.   We were then able to visit our grandson Jeremy for his 19th birthday and have cake and ice cream and sit and visit with them which was so enjoyable, lots of laughing with memories.

On Monday 25th, we met with our mission President Killpack, we know each other so it was just making sure we were doing ok and if we needed anything.  He also took a picture of us which I will post.

On Wednesday 27th  Ray received a text from the Elders early this morning asking if we were available to meet them at a single sisters home at 9:00 AM, luckily we were.  She is a young single mother of two darling young children.  She knew she needed to change her life around not only for her but for her children as well, she has a friend who is a member and told her about the church.  The Elders have been teaching her for just a few times and he is loving the Book of Mormon and loves learning about the restoration, the Plan of Salvation, she just can't get enough of it, she wants them to come by daily if possible.  Ray was able to explain a bit clearer on something the Elders were trying to teach her a bit clearer.

We then visited Sister Balle whom I knew in my former stake in Kearns in the 70's.  She and Ray are related through Isaac Morley who is both of their 3rd great grandfather.  We are sharing pictures, and other items with each other.  She loves the visits as she is a widow and a delightful person.  We also ready with our family again tonight.

Thursday, 28 January marks our first month on our mission.  We visited a gentleman in our stake who is coming back into activity, he lives with his daughter for now, he's delightful, has had some rough times in his life but is finding out that attending his meetings and paying tithing is helping him in so many ways.  The Elders called us this afternoon asking if we could meet them at a single sisters home whose granddaughter was baptized last year who is 11 years old.    The grandmother who is a widow and a member has custody of the granddaughter and her older brother,  Somehow the family has gotten lost in the ward as they have not been going to church for a while.  When we first arrived the young lady was all over the place, she was not connecting with anyone until Elder Edlinger held up a pamphlet and spoke the words, "The Restoration"  she stopped and came over next to her grandma and the Elders and listened and answered questions, she remembered what she had been taught.  I saw the light come into her eyes then her entire body came alive with the spirit, by the time we left she was glowing and had settled down.  We reported our visit to the Ward Mission Leader as they need primary and relief society and home teachers in their home.. We read again with our family whom we love so much.

Friday was District Meeting in the morning.   Ray and I took the afternoon off and drove up to the Olympic Oval to see our grandson William run indoor 2 mile which he came in second in his heat.  Left there and read once again with our family.

It is humbling to see the light of the gospel come into people's lives, to see them grow in their understanding and testimony.  To hear a father say he wants nothing more that to be sealed as a family for eternity and he is working hard to overcome a habit.  I have seen a change in a person's personality, one who use to swear and fly off the handle and now he has no desire to do any of it.  I have witness a young girl come alive when the spirit has touched her.  How I love the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Atonement is real, there is nothing a person has done that can not be forgiven through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.