Week 3

Monday, June 15, 2015

Back this morning for training.  I like the days with few interruptions.  We can just really get into our records and do so much.  I'm really learning, just hope I'm really remembering!

This evening was the Aloha Dinner put on by our branch.  It was to say hello to the new missionaries (like us) and good by to the ones who are leaving--there were more of them than of us.  It was at the stake center and we had volunteered to set up tables and chairs and set the tables.  Wow, did they set up for a crowd!  I didn't try to count the tables or the place settings, but they must have prepared for at least 250 people.  It was all very well done with centerpieces, etc. They had a couple of short skirts at the beginning, which were cute.  They did the "Who's on First" thing with a guy from England, a guy from Japan and the American guy who was in charge of the dinner.  It was funny.  Then our branch president, President Klopfer, had arranged for an abbreviated version of the play "Our Own Story," which they put on in Nauvoo, to be presented.  We'd heard at church on Sunday that he is very involved in music and knows the who's who of music in the church.  So he had assembled a cast of 13, who had all performed in the play in Nauvoo in the past, to put it on for it and it was FABULOUS!  They were all professional grade musicians, the accompanist was a marvel and they told the story having us laugh one minute and cry the next.  What an evening.  I've told a couple of people that every day we have been on this mission has brought new blessings--some little whispers, some gang buster events.  This of course was one of the latter.  But I keep thinking, "Surely we've used up all of the blessings that could possibly come our way" and every day brings more. It doesn't seem possible.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

We start each day with a devotional and they're wonderful.  One of our favorite parts is that Elder Thomas finds three or four clips on the computer that he shows us.  Usually the first one or two will be something funny--cats doing crazy things, or some funny commercial, or a comedian talking about the differences between men and women.  Then there'll be a more serious one, then maybe a very serious one that may bring a tear.  We love them all.

Today we got to go back to the Church History Library to see some of the things they have and take the tour we missed last week.  They have such great collections there.  It's such an interesting place. We saw copies of the "Children's Friend" from the earliest day, one of the first Books of Mormon, shelves and shelves of interesting books and periodicals.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Today Sister Hutchins and I wrote down some things we wanted to search out in person, so she took me to the Family History Library for a field trip!  I loved it, of course.  We went to the second floor to the Special Collections room and I looked up my maternal gggrandfather and found his sealing to his wife in Heber C. Kimball's office.  The Endowment House was closed for some reason, so they did it in his office.

Then we found a young guy who is a specialist in Irish records.  My ggggrandfather on my dad's mother's side, was born in Tyrone County, Ireland, married in Ireland and their first four children were born there.  Since we had dates and a place, we thought maybe we could find birth records on them.  But it has to be narrowed down to the city or town, so he helped us look for books with indexes and a CD that helps you plot where certain families were numerous in what year (such a cool thing to use), and now I have some more work to do when I go back and look up the books.

After lunch we went to the Assembly Hall for a Mission Conference.  President Workman and President Johns will both be released at the end of June, so they both spoke.  It was very good.  Pres. Workman talked for probably 30 minutes, without notes, on Christ and kept me on the edge of my seat.

After the conference Robert and I went to the temple to do sealings.  I had ten names with me that I've needed to do for quite awhile.  Two other couples from our branch were there, too, and they each had names.  So we traded out the kneeling and worked on each other's names.  We got all of mine done.  I was very grateful.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

This was our last real day of training because tomorrow we will get our assignments and all go to the temple together.  We went back over some of the things I learned last week--attaching pictures of documents in Family Search, ways to search, ways to organize information--I just hope I can remember it when I need it or someone I'm trying to help needs it.

For lunch we went to the Church Office Building cafeteria because it is prime rib day!  Wow, a plate-sized piece of the tenderest meat imaginable, mashed potatoes and gravy and broccoli salad--absolutely mouth watering and under $20 for two of us.

I've worked on myself all week.  With 19 zones in this mission, there are so many more places we could be sent than I even knew existed.  I'm willing to go anywhere they need me.  I know I'll learn things no matter where I'm sent.  I want to have a good attitude about it.  I've prayed that I can physically go wherever I'm needed and do whatever I'm asked to do and be happy about it.  I know there are some things that I'm more interested in than others, but I don't want to be disappointed in any way.

At the end of the day, Dr. Ricks met with us and talked about exercise and staying healthy.  The walking is good for Robert and me both.  I feel I should be doing more exercise each day.  I hope I can build up to it.

Friday, June 19, 2015

THE BIG DAY FINALLY ARRIVED!!
We met in the Training Zone for our devotional, spent a few minutes with our trainers, then went downstairs to the chapel.  They had a homemade bread and honey butter snack for us--yummy.  Then back to the chapel for our assignments.  We sang, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" and there were many chuckles.  President Workman asked us to stand as he called us, listen for our assignment, then look at our Zone Leader, because we would meet with them after everyone got their assignments. He called our names and said "Hosting Zone" and I didn't even know what that was!  My trainer was sitting next to me and she grabbed my arm and said, "You'll love it!  You get to greet people.  You'll be so good at it.  You'll be in the Family History Library."  I was still so stunned, I honestly didn't comprehend where we were going or what we would be doing.  We met with our zone leader and his wife and they explained we'll be at the FHL, we'll greet people as they come in, there are many different stations and we switch every hour.  We may be greeting, showing the video, explaining what all is done there, help them get on the computers, etc.
Basically, it's exactly what I wanted!!  How did that happen?  I was so afraid I would be in a room with a computer and a telephone helping people solve problems, or in a room with a stack of documents filming all day, and I want to be with people!!  That's what I'll be doing!  I'm so excited.  It's so wonderful.

We went to the Salt Lake Temple and went through a session together--all of us, the mission presidency, the trainers, all of those who just came out.  It was a great experience.  Then we went to the temple cafeteria for lunch and felt spiritually and physically and emotionally fed.  What an amazing day.

When we got home we called ComCast about internet service.  The Jet Pack from Verizon just wasn't going to work.  We had gone through two gigs of data (one in an hour) in a week and had been scared to death to get on the computer.  I had checked our bank account once and looked at my e-mail twice. This wasn't going to work.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Since we have our own router/modem Robert was able to just plug everything in and we are finally on the internet.  It'll be about $30/month.  We can handle that.  It's been a nightmare.  So glad it's finally worked out.  I got up at 6:30 and started trying to update the blog.  Meg's been putting pictures on for me.  It's been quite the process.

We went back to Rio Grande Street to the Verizon store to turn in the Jet Pack and the guy was very nice.  Hopefully everything will work out.  The bill should be a nightmare to figure out.  I looked again for white shoes--no luck.  I'll make it, if I have to wear my ugly shoes to the FHL every day and then change into something that looks better.

There is ALWAYS something going on in SLC and this weekend was an arts festival.  They had the street closed off between the shops on Rio Grande and they were doing sidewalk chalk drawings.  They were just so cool.  Neither of us had a phone or a camera, so we ran some errands, came home and got phones and camera and went back.  They were too wonderful to not have some of them to keep.

  

We went to the Dollar Tree and then to Deseret Industries. I got some crazy stuff at DI, but things we felt we needed. We have an ironing board in the apt., but it fits over the door and it's very unwieldy to use, so I got one for $3!  We also got a crock pot ($8), some more glasses and plates (so we can feed the missionaries), and speakers for the computer--can't believe we left ANYthing electronic at home, but guess we did.  Think we're pretty well set now. 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Spent a quiet morning at home then walked to church.  It was hot, but a pretty good breeze, which was very welcome.  We had a lesson in Sunday School about the Parable of the Talents.  The instructor had asked ten different people to tell us a talent they had been given.  One Elder said his talent was to go on overnight camp outs with the scouts, sleep on the ground, and wake up refreshed and ready to go!  Made me think of some of the great scout leaders our boys had, like Robert Ault and Alton Cryer who seem to be able to do that and taught our boys so much.  We're very grateful for them.

We had a great Sacrament Meeting, too.  The man who was the Scouter and his wife spoke.  He is serving in the Temple building department and she told about the people who build the temples.  They don't have to be members of the church, but they have to agree to abide by the rules of modest dress, no smoking, no cursing, no drinking.  She said the vendor who has done the stained glass windows in the new Payson Temple and Arizona Temple is in Lehi and they give tours.  I think that would be very interesting.