November 1, 2011

Sunday was wonderful!  Ammon, your chowder was a BIG hit in the branch here, but I don’t know how the members will get any green chillies.  They all want the recipe.  This Soup Sunday after meetings at the church is a fun tradition that maybe we should adopt at home; or else Fast Breaker Sundays where everybody meets at one of the member’s home for potluck.  It sure helps the members to feel close to each other.  They  need it so they don’t feel alone in the church.

Sunday Night we had a CES Fireside (or at least, they call it that) at our flat.  All the young people brought potluck dishes again, and we watched one of the sessions of Gen. Conference.  There was a good feeling, but we didn’t have enough time to see the whole session.  At this rate, we all won’t see all the conference until it is time for another one!

Monday afternoon we took our two Elders with us out to a place further west along the coast where the Red Tingle gum trees are about 200 feet high.  It’s called Valley of the Giants.  There’s a suspended walkway high up in the tops of the trees and a path on the ground.  It’s just beautiful.  We had a chance to talk to a  couple about the church a little bit. 

Then later on as we were preparing for bed, a cute young couple from the branch, Sarah and Nick Cook, brought us a jack-o-lantern they had carved for us.  So we put a candle in it and sat there for an hour talking in the dark.  My heart goes out to them because he is alone of his family in the church.  His mom died a year and a half ago suddenly from an aneurism, and she is trying to hold all her siblings together after a difficult divorce.  We felt like their parents as we sat and talked about things.  I wish they could be friends with our own kids.  They need other young couples with whom to relate.  We’re trying to work on that.  

I'm so thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I'm learning better to hear his promptings, not to just burst through with my own solutions to everything.  When I do that, I am recognizing the Lord's help more.  The Preach my Gospel  manual is truly inspired.  There is a video for missionaries that goes with it which is very good too.  From it, we are learning to ask inspired questions that will encourage the investigators to reflect about how God has worked in their lives.  I think that parents could use this book very well for Family Home Evenings.  I wish we had understood some of these principles in raising our children.  Oh, the mistakes we made!  Please forgive, my precious children, our failings, and do better than we with the one chance you have!  

Some day the whole world will recognize the truth of the Gospel, but until then, our little ones are going to have to be strong to resist the opposition that is building now against the church of God.  Please make sure each is prepared to help in His kingdom before he or she gets to the mission field.