Adjustments and Challenges

Here we are by our church building.

March began with our family birthday party on the 1st. We had a great time. It is wonderful being able to attend these now after mission two years of them.

Isn't she a charmer?

Spooner in uniform.

The week following our MTC experience was quite busy with mission meetings. We had a mission-wide conference and some training sessions for the missionaries receiving their iPads. This mission received their mission-issued iPads that week, culminating with a setup meeting on the 6th.

Sisters Reed and Stewart with us

One of the activities in a zone meeting

We also had a number of meetings with bishoprics and ward councils, receiving lists of people who we should start visiting. We visited some of them over the past two weeks.

Also, the past two Sundays we taught the missionary preparation class for the stake. We invited all of the students and had a great showing the first week (March 8) with 20 in attendance. They were very enthusiastic and the class was fun. There are some young people who are nearly ready to serve missions, including two young men entering their missions in the new few weeks, and also young people as young as twelve years old. One of our young men will be serving in Columbia and another in London, England.

Also during this time, we attended the production of the play "Jane Eyre" put on by the homeschool group, our granddaughter having written the script and several of the grandchildren performing (as well as out daughter). It was a wonderful performance. This was also on the 6th of March.

Our oldest granddaughter, also known as Avot, wrote and performed in the play.

Our daughter (on the left) was a narrator, a grandson is shown here in one of his several roles (sitting in the left chair).

Our grandson, known as Lek, standing over Goob who is in another role, injured and laying on the floor.

The play is over. It was a great success!

In our visits, we have had some nice times getting to know people. Most have welcomed us, but a few have been less open to us, which is to be expected. Many of our people have some serious difficulties in their lives, and really need the help of the Lord. We have had some wonderful meetings, feeling the Spirit of the Lord in our times with them.

On Sunday, the 8th, including our mission prep class, we had 9 events on our calendar. Our day started with an early meeting (after losing the government-mandated hour) at 7:30, another meeting at 8:15 and then our sacrament meeting at 9. We left that meeting a little early in order to get to Midway, Utah for another sacrament meeting - a mission report for Elder Benjamin Wasden. That was a great meeting. We hurried from that meeting to get back to West Jordan for the ward conference of the 44th ward, then went to a quick appearance of a birthday party (the son of a less-active family), then we had mission prep class. In the evening we went to Ogden to visit Irina, a member we were close to in Germany.

Last Sunday (yesterday, the 15th) was also busy. We also had a mission report, in Tooele, for Zach Thompson. We loved his talk. We also had a beautiful mission prep class, about 20 again in attendance.

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to take the Spanish elders to Temple square with an investigator and her daughter. It was beautiful hearing them taught in Spanish and then go through one of the presentations there (also in Spanish).

I included the word "Challenges" in the title. We still have been experiencing some sickness. I have had a problem with coughs and sickness. It hit me first as we were leaving Germany in December. It hit me again as we were in Oregon. It hit me again on March 7th and lasted a while. I hope it is finally over. It has been hard to serve. I know the Lord will bless us.

Well, that was quite a bit. I did not realize that I had collected so much to share. The last picture shows a water-color painting Shauna received before we left Germany. We had it professionally framed and it is hanging with another in our how. We love Lothar, the artist who painted it, and taught Shauna how to paint. My has our lives changed because of our missions. It is wonderful!