Heart-Tugging Adventures

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Hopefully I'll get these few adventures/memories captured and posted today, but I think it is going to be a busy day so I may be a day late again......I just hope I'm not a dollar short ;-) as the old saying, "A day late and a dollar short" goes.

Monday morning as I left for the office I notice this small cactus across the street was blooming.

Pretty, in it's own prickly way :)

I was also fascinated with the last end of the sunrise as I headed to the gym on Tuesday morning.   I love how the subtle shafts of sunlight are coming up from the horizon and shining on the bottom of the cloud giving it a glow in some places.

When we first started at the office I was thinking that I might be bored without enough work to do as the referral secretary/supply so when they mentioned that Sister Edman would be released at the end of June (she took care of baptisms) I immediately volunteered to take that on.   I was thinking of 1 or 2 baptisms a week to enter in the system and prepare congratulatory letters for the President to sign.   I was not aware that I would be preparing notebooks for each incoming missionary at that time, but even when I learned I would be doing that I figured it was not a big deal because we don't usually have a big influx of missionaries.   Well, it seems I was wrong on both counts!!!  In July we are expecting 14 missionaries and I thought we would be getting an additional 14 in August.....and felt pretty confident that I had bedding supplies for the next 2 transfers and all the notebooks put together for the July arrivals.   Tuesday we learned that we will be getting 24 missionaries in August......ooops - guess that means I need to get more bedding sets AND create a bunch more notebooks.  I was feeling plenty busy when I checked the baptism records for the weekend of June 19 - we had 14 baptisms.   I spent several hours getting those entered into the system and getting the spreadsheet updated with all the new information so it will be ready to go with President Nattress when he leaves the mission on June 30.

I just started to breathe a sigh of relief when Sister Partridge approached me and asked if I would help her type up letters that all the missionaries had submitted to be given to President Nattress before he leaves.   We  have been typing, and typing, and typing.   And all I can say is WOW.   The missionaries were asked to write about their most spiritual experience and then name 3 things they have learned on their mission.   Most of the stories are extremely touching and I finally told Sister Partridge the other day that people would wonder what was going on in the mission office if I left with mascara stains down my cheeks.   I continue to be amazed at the caliber of these young missionaries and how strong they are!  We worked the last few days of the week in all our spare minutes and I even brought some home with me to work on Sunday afternoon.  I couldn't think of any better way to keep the Sabbath than to read miraculous missionary stories and have dinner with family!

I guess it was because I read all those wonderful spiritual experiences from the missionaries, or maybe it was because we got to hear the report from a young missionary just returning.   (We were privileged to watch the transformation in his life as he took advantage of the Atonement and let it and the gospel work a miracle.   I am so proud of that young man - almost feel like he is one of my grandsons or something...) Or maybe it was because I spent Saturday morning at this beautiful place with my daughter-in-law and grand-daughter. But - whatever the source of my feelings, my heart is full with gratitude and thankfulness for the blessed life I live!

A few flowers in front of the Gilbert Arizona Temple

Front view of the Temple

Side view of the temple and fence

And to top off the week we were able to attend Sunday School class taught this week by Brother Schwitzer who is an amateur thespian.   He makes class so interesting, but this time I couldn't take my eyes off his tie----I kept thinking of the ceramic pigs all around Smithfield, VA:)

And to top off a great sacrament meeting and Sunday School class, we had family dinner with 19 of us there....kids, grandkids, and some great grandkids  - two of whom I haven't seen for about 2 years.  It was GREAT to see them!

Just wanted to share this beautiful home that is a couple of short blocks from the office.   The house and yard seem very peaceful to me and I'm shocked that they can get the ivy to grow on the brick in 115 degree heat!

Happy Summer (aka heat) from a couple of "oldster" missionaries in the Arizona, Gilbert mission.