ANOTHER WONDERFUL WEEK

We had another wonderful week.  I guess I can say that, because there have been a few ups and downs along the way, but if we stop and reflect on whole it was truly a wonderful week.   The most exciting part of the week was seeing and hearing from family.  Every Monday, the first thing we look for is word from our missionary granddaughter, Kinsey.  We do so much appreciate her letters home to her parents and family and we are thankful that Jared is so prompt in making it available to us and others who are following her mission.  It is always good to know what she is doing and to feel of her spirit and to take lessons from her example.  She always seems to be upbeat and encouraging.  I know she has her disappointments too, but she just turns them upside down and makes the best out of every situation.  We try to do the same in our mission, but I  think she has the hang of it a little better than we do, but we are trying.  When we stop and truly think about all the blessings we have, I find it very difficult to stay down for very many minutes, not that I want to be down at all.  We never have to look very far to find someone who has it harder than we do.  This week has been kind of rainy and drab, but we know we need the moisture and have bee greatly blessed in this way in the past few weeks.  It's nice to look up at the mountains and see them all covered with white.  That means we will have lots of green down in the valleys in the summer months.  it is indeed an answer to the prayer so many.

Our missionary activity has kind of gone in spurts this week.  We had some of our appointments fall through, however we did meet with a few new people who can use a helping hand and a little encouragement and some of those who broke their appointments had legitimate reasons, so we'll be back and we'll keep trying.
After on of our appointments fell through we
had a couple of hours on our hands with not much to do.  Grandma was not feeling all that well anyway.  Sinus issues and the colder rainy weather wasn't helping a whole lot so we just went home.  She took some medicine and a little nap and I went to the computer, go the stake directory and started e-mailing everybody on the list a reminder about our Stake Conference meetings on Saturday and Sunday and also a special  musical fireside put on by the missionaries in the northern half of the Utah Ogden Mission. It was themed "God is Near You".  We attended all of the meetings including the fireside tonight.  It was wonderful.  There are so many talented young people in the Church and serving missions all over the world.  It is a joy to be associated with them.  We had some of the people we have been working with attend the conference sessions and the fireside and a few of the members actually thanked me for the email reminder.  We were happy to sit by a young man we've been working with in the Saturday night session.  He had been asked to say the opening prayer at that session,  We are going with him and his wife to receive their endowments at the Logan Temple on the 15th of March.  That is real progress. Three years ago her was in prison.  Now he has a smile on his face, a lovely wife, has been ordained an Elder, holds a temple recommend and has an appointment to go and receive his endowments and another appointment in the Bountiful Temple to be sealed to his wife.  That's what the gospel does for people who repent of their sins and turn their lives over to Jesus Christ.  Some of the other people we have been working with are also making progress, while others are backsliding a bit in spite of our best efforts.  All I know is that they are God's children and he loves them and will be patient while we continue to help them get their lives in on order.  We all need help in one way or another.  God is hastening His work and we are glad to be a part of it.

Another time we had a dropped appointment  we were driving home when we saw a little elder lady we've been helping with her family history.  I pulled over next to where she was getting out of her car and asked her if she was busy and if she'd like a little more help on her family history.  She is of Swedish descent (Magnuson).  She jumped at the chance, so we brought her home with us and spent a couple of hours on the computer .  When she left she had the biggest smile and was filled with gratitude to have reserved more than a hundred temple ordinances and shared them with the temple system where they will be done in temples all over the world.

Perhaps the biggest joy was to be with Micah when he was baptized.  He turned eight last week.  He was ready.  When the bishop was interviewing him he asked Micah what his favorite Bible story was.  Micha surprised him when he told his he liked the story of the Last Supper.  He then told the bishop all about it.  That's not something most eight-year-olds grasp.  We are proud of him and also of Ryan for being worth to perform the baptism and to confirm his son a member of the Church and to give him the gift of the Holy Ghost.  These are indeed great blessings and we are grateful.