Week 18 - Happy New Year!

What a wonderful Christmas week! The beauty of a senior mission is the flexibility we have to spend time with family. Sorry all you young missionaries - I guess they've found a way to give incentive to old folks and it works!

Sunday night Cheri invited me to the Murdock family Christmas party. All her siblings and their family were there. We had a nice dinner and had some fun activities. It was so nice to see all of them again. There are certainly advantages to living all in one state! Cheri decided that Michele and I look alike with our short hair and glasses. 

Monday Cam & Lori came to visit me at the mission office and we walked over to my apartment and had a nice lunch at the Lion House. My friends all think Annabelle is the cutest, and of course she is!

I spent Monday night through Saturday night with Coray and Mindy. It was so nice to be included in their Christmas celebrating and to spend time with Mindy's family.

I'm so grateful to be included and so welcomed. I loved talking to our three missionaries on Christmas Day! I'm so proud of all they are doing and grateful for their faithful service and example for all of us. 

On Friday I was invited to my nephew Gary's daughter Saydi's wedding at the Payson Temple. It was so nice to spend time with the Mangelson family and catch up with them. I went to the luncheon and the reception too. The picture of Marian and Nolan is of them "dancing" at the wedding. They won the honor of being married the longest - 58 years. I'm grateful to be close enough to spend time with them too!

On Saturday night, Cam, Lori & Annabelle, and Alyssa & Chad came to Coray & Mindy's for dinner and games. It was so fun to see them all for one more night together. I got a (few) cute pictures of Alyssa and Annabelle - my oldest and youngest granddaughters. 

I'm so very grateful to Mindy & Coray for taking such good care of me and welcoming me to their home. They were such great hosts, and I appreciate all they did to make my holiday so fun. I want you to know, though, that I really missed being with the Ashtons and the Wengreens this year! It's hard to be spread so far apart, and I'm looking forward to the next time we can all be together!!

Just a word about Come, Follow Me this year. I have loved reading the New Testament and studying the words of the Savior and the Apostles. I hope you have too! I am so grateful for this inspired program and for the motivation to read and study the scriptures. I have learned more this year than I ever did at my New Testament class at BYU. I'm grateful for your examples as you've shared with me what you're doing with your families. It keeps me going. I'm really looking forward to studying the Book of Mormon this coming year. If you have ways to inspire and motivate us all, please share them! 

Well, a decade is coming to an end this week and a new one is beginning! I hope that the 2020s will be happy and blessed for all of you, that you'll have many wonderful things to look forward to and learn from. Thank you all for being my greatest blessings and for your love and prayers. I pray for you all, and I'm so grateful for our eternal family!

Week 17 - Merry Christmas

I'm imagining many of you busily getting reading for Christmas, the kids grateful that finals are over or at least that school is finally over for the year. For us missionaries we carry on, and I'm sure in the case of Elder Wengreen, Sister Ashton & Sister Christensen you're sharing the message of the gospel of Christ and the beautiful promises of His birth and life, His atonement and His gospel. As President Hinckley said, "There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection." Aren't we grateful for this message and sure knowledge? 

I've had a very nice week! It has been quite slow at the office again, but the evenings and afternoons have been fun. Monday night was a party with my FHE group. I was in charge and we had a yummy potluck and gift exchange. We played it a different way with dice and passing the gifts around based on the number rolled. I think everyone had a good time. On Tuesday night, Coray invited me to have dinner with their family at a really nice Italian restaurant at City Creek. It was so great to be with them and be part of their traditional before-Christmas celebration. I'm mad at myself for not getting a picture before we parted! On Wednesday, Lori and Annabelle came to meet me at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. They came to the office and got to meet my mission president. We walked around City Creek and had dinner together. It was so fun to be with them! Annabelle is such a cutie!

On Friday, I went to lunch with my cousins Kathi & Doug. They are siblings and children of my Aunt Frances, who was my father's sister. That was fun too because we just don't have chances to get together often enough.

And on Friday night Jenna and I met for dinner. A full and fun week.

Yesterday morning I decided to brave the Salt Lake Temple one last time. Since it's closing next weekend I knew this would be my last chance to go while I'm here. I knew that it would be extremely busy and that I might have to wait a long time to get in, but I decided that it would be worth it. I got there at 10:00 hoping to make it in to the 11:00 session. I didn't. The room was full, but I thought I might get in the next session. A few minutes went by and they started taking people to different rooms to wait for the next session. I barely missed getting in that one, but at the end they asked for three people. It was convenient to be a single person so I barely got in for the 12:00 session. I took a seat with a Bible on it, and started reading Revelation 12. Good way to spend my time! I was only in that room for about 30 minutes when they said it was time to go up to the Creation Room. I was pleasantly surprised - they had figured out that they could fill the sessions and keep them going without worrying about them starting on the hour. The 12:00 session actually started at 11:10. We had to wait a few minutes for rooms to empty at times, but it was a peaceful place to wait. I was so grateful to be there. The Spirit was strong and sweet. The worker who portrayed Peter struggled to keep his emotions under control at times. I'm sure he could feel the Spirit as well, maybe knowing it was one of the last times he would be participating in that way. I'm so grateful for the blessings of my temple covenants and for the sealing power which ties me to my family. I put each of my family's names on the prayer roll - hundreds will be praying for them this week! 

Church at the branch where I play the organ was really sweet today. The people there are so humble and good. I know many of them have had difficult lives, but they show their faith by worshipping together. "David" keeps coming. I watch for him and am grateful that the branch members have welcomed him. He's the man a while back who bore his testimony wearing two different shoes, saying that he was ready to come back to church. Nolan calls him "the disheveled man in church" and talked about him during one of his Sunday School lessons about the type of person the Savior loved and sought out while He was here. 

The beauty of two sacrament meetings on Sundays is that I get double the inspiration with beautiful messages of the gospel. Today was messages of the doctrine of Christ, the gifts of Christmas, and beautiful music of the season. Today the Relief Society gave Christmas stockings to all the young elders with messages from home. The picture is of them following strict instructions to line up to get their letters, pick a stocking and make sure that their Walmart gift card was inside. 😊 It was sweet.

My gift to you today is my testimony. I have a sure knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He came to earth as a precious gift from our Father in Heaven to accomplish the atonement that no other could do. He restored His gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith who gave us the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the only true and complete gospel on earth today. The doctrines and teachings in the Book of Mormon guide us on our way back to our Heavenly Father, and the blessings of the temple will allow us to be together as a forever family if we keep those covenants. I'm so grateful to be blessed with my precious family! I'm grateful for their examples and their testimonies which strengthen me. Their lives are the greatest gift to me. 

Merry Christmas!

Week 16

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Temple Square is beautiful as usual. There are devotionals and concerts all around to remind us of the season. Last Sunday night was the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It's so wonderful to be able to just walk across the street to watch these special events. I went with Alyssa & Chad and my friend Jenna. We sat in the midst of fellow missionaries. It was a wonderful night with inspiring messages. I hope you'll all take the time to watch if you haven't already.

That's Elder Bellos peaking around in this picture. He didn't think he needed to be part of it, but he's one of my favorites and Jenna was so cute talking with him.

My days at the office have been quiet. I've finished a project of documenting the names and dates for all the full-time and young elder missionaries serving under our current mission president, who will be released in June. It's to be included in the mission history, which will be nice. Only one new missionary couple to process this week. We did get at new set of missionaries from the MTC. They've been in training all week, and I've put their pictures all on the mission intranet and their assignments sent to the zone leaders. It has been slow with all of the office missionaries, and I expect next week will be even slower. Sorry that there's not a whole lot of awesome news!

I did get my hair cut this week, and Marian came in right after me. That was fun, and Nolan took us to dinner afterward.

Last night Jenna and I went to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. The guest singer was Kelly O'Hara. I hadn't heard of her, but she had one of the most magnificent voices I've ever heard. Richard Thomas, of the Waltons fame for anyone old enough to remember that TV show, was the narrator and told the sweet story of the young boy who surprised his father on Christmas morning by milking the cows. I think President Monson told the story once, and I didn't realize that the author was Pearl S. Buck. It was a really fun night!

As I go through this next week leading up to Christmas, I'm going to try my best to keep my focus on the reason we celebrate - The Savior of the World, Jesus Christ (which Elder Kearan reminded us last week). He was the greatest gift of all, "the gift that never stops giving," that Sister Jones talked about. We truly can have the peace that President Oaks reminded us of as we remember why we celebrate.

I also celebrate you and your sweet examples to me.
Love you all so much!

Week 15

I decorated for Christmas last Sunday night. I got my tree in September at the missionary swap meet. I knew I'd need one! It even had lights that work. I picked up some ornaments at the dollar store and Target's dollar aisle and voila!! The cute pillow that Alyssa made me really added to the festive-ness. I'm also grateful for the sweet scripture advent tree that Caryn made. The ornaments are all your favorite scriptures, and I call it an advent because I'm reading one or two a day so that I enjoy it all season. Thank you for sharing them with me!

On Monday night I drove to Salem for the Christensen "adult" Christmas party 😉 at Rod & Catherine's. It was great to be together and enjoy the company of these loved ones. They truly have become my brothers and sisters over the years, and I'm so grateful for them.

On Tuesday we were invited to a special Christmas devotional for the Family History Department. Elder Stevenson and Elder Bednar spoke, as well as Elder Hamilton and Elder Duncan of the Seventy. Elder Bednar spoke about the miracles in the "acts of the modern Apostles." He told the story of his assignment to RootsTech London, which was given many months earlier. He met the ambassador from Nicaragua there, and he mentioned that he would be going to Nicaragua in a few weeks on assignment (again given many months earlier). She promised to set up a meeting with "some of her associates," which he was grateful for but frankly doubted would carry through. Well, she emailed him several times and the meeting was set up for him to meet with several very important government officials. He was able to explain that he was meeting there about building a temple in Managua, Nicaragua. He explained to them why we build temples and how a temple there would not only bless the members of our church, but all the people of Nicaragua. This meeting has helped to facilitate what could have been very difficult negotiations to build a temple there. This was a sweet testimony of how the Lord guides His work and makes miracles happen along the way.

Yesterday I went to Orem to spend time with Marian. She had just had some surgery, and it had been a while since I had seen her. I asked her if there was something that I could help her with, and she was thrilled. When I got there, Nolan was setting up their Christmas tree and had brought the boxes upstairs. I got to decorate her tree and set up her nativity set. It was really nice to spend the day with her, and it let Nolan work outside putting up their lights and finishing the raking of leaves before the next storm comes. They both really appreciated it, and I loved spending time with them! At the end of the day I met Alyssa for dinner at Zupa's. It turned out to be a really great day to #LightTheWoirld by "performing an act of service for a family member" even though I didn't plan it that way!

Today's #LightTheWorld is to share a scripture with a loved one. Since you all are my most loved ones, I'll share my favorite scripture. I have loved reading yours on my scripture tree from Caryn and thinking about why you may have chosen them. Mine is Ether 12:41, and it happens to be Madeline's too - a sweet coincidence! It reads, "And now I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen." I don't remember exactly when this became my favorite scripture, but I do remember being struck by the beauty of the words of Moroni as he tells us to seek Jesus so that we may have the grace of God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost to "be and abide in you forever." At this Christ season, it's easy to seek Jesus. I hope we'll all keep on seeking Him so that His grace will always abide with us.

Week 14 - Thankful!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving week to remember all we're thankful for! I'm most grateful for my family. Their lives and testimonies are so precious to me. I'm so grateful for their examples of strong testimonies and strength through adversity. There isn't any one of their families who doesn't have something tough they're going through, and I'm so grateful for their examples and endurance.

It was so wonderful to share Thanksgiving with all of them. It was wonderful to talk to our missionaries!! I'm so proud of Abby, Adam, and Madeline! We missed being with Cam, Lori & Annabelle! Someday maybe we can all just teleport for these times we want to be together! 

We did something fun with the Giving Machines. You've probably heard about the Giving Machines that the Church has set up in connection with Light the World. It's like a vending machine only it's things sent to various charities all over the world. On the opening day, I went down to the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building where I work, and I bought 18 different things in honor of my 18 precious grandchildren. Then each grandchild got to open a card telling them what they gave - it was totally random, which made it more fun! Annabelle's prize was three chickens. Abby gave seedlings for a greenhouse. Madeline gave lifesaving nutrition (I think that goes to Africa). Adam gave polio vaccinations for 100 kids. Here's what everyone else gave: Mac & cheese, laundry detergent, a child's eye exam with glasses, farm-to-fork meal for kids, cleaning supplies, a backpack with school supplies, five basketballs, art supplies, 100 meals, a STEM kit, a mobile vision clinic, soccer gear, groceries for a senior, and glasses for a child. We are so blessed with so much to be thankful for! This Christmas let's all try to find ways to give to others. Thanks for helping me to do it! #LightTheWorld!