August 27-September 4. 2018
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| Blue Heron these birds will begin their migration south in about 2 weeks |
Welcome to week two! This is how our week began =)
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| Notice the Humidity 93% |
People (the young missionaries, our Young Single Adults YSA. members...) have been asking us all week what Senior Couples do all day. I guess we haven't looked very busy yet. Actually, we haven't been really busy yet (It should pick up real soon), but I thought I'd fill you in on what we think it will look like.
Mondays, in the evening we have FHE (family home evening) with the ward. That usually consists
of a spiritual thought given by one of the youth and some kind of fun activity wth treats afterward. Those treats will sometimes be from us or Sunday leftovers from Costco. We usually have about
20-30 members come and it is so much fun. It usually ends up with a game of Bump (basketball) just before they head out the door. Monday mornings are filled with follow up from Sunday meeting assignments and prep for FHE.
Tuesdays are P-Day (preparation Day) Laundry, shop, clean, and sometimes a little sight-seeing. This week we toured the Parliament Building. It will be closing next week for 10 years so we were told to make sure we saw it and we're glad we did.
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| Got to watch a boat come through the locks on the way there. |
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| aAfountain just outside parliament |
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| Always at the ready! |
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| While we waited we explored the architecture. Beautiful! |
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| and the statues around the buildings |
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| Loved these suffragettes! Women are People! |
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| Tea Time |
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| I think this was the Senate. The red seats are for the King and/or Queen when, if, they come. |
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| This was (I think) a committee room where bills were debated |
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| This was my favorite- the library. The only room that survived a fire in 1916 |
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| This is only part of the library many more books are stored elsewhere |
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| All you Wood Badge people will understand the significance of this picture |
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| The woodwork was spectacular |
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| Parliament at night during the laser light show |
Wednesdays will be spent preparing for Institute class which will be held that evening at 7:00. We will teach a Cornerstone class. Brother Carpenter, our Coordinator, will teach a Scripture course, and there will be a mission Prep class taught by a member of the stake.
Thursdays will hopefully be filled with community service and meeting/finding YSA from around the stake. This Thursday we went to a members house for a barbecue and game night. Ned made his famous salsa. They loved it.
Fridays we have District Meeting (we meet with the young elders and sisters), Ward Mission Correlation Meeting (the missionaries assigned our ward meet with the ward missionaries) and then there is usually a youth activity of some kind in the evening.
Saturdays will be full of shopping and getting ready for Sunday. The first Sunday we have Ward Council before church and a Break the Fast meal after church. Second Sunday is YSA Council before church. Third there's ward correlation before and a Munch and Mingle after and the 4th- I can't remember. We also get to help clean the church Saturday mornings and first and third weeks we get to help fill Bishops storehouse orders. That is fun! I love to help bring blessing s to sweet families in the stake. The church has a contract with a local grocery store and they deliver all the food to the church and then those with Bishop Food orders come in and fill the orders.
We sent out a survey asking to see if any students need to have an on campus daytime Institute Class. Several responded so we are trying to see if the university will allow us on campus. If they will, then one day we will teach a daytime class.
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| Seagulls lined up on the dock waiting for their turn at the fish |
We love going for walks every morning. Here are a few more pictures of the things we see along the way.
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| We walked up to the church we see out our window. |
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| Its a Greek Orthodox church with a statue of a Ukrainian Priest on the grounds. It was all looked up that early in the morning so we couldn't find out who this Ukrainian was. we will definitely have to go back. |
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| Theses squirrels are black as ink. The fat ones look just like minks |
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| There's marmots everywhere they are a little bigger than a cat |
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| Sometimes we walk through a huge park. The parks are well taken care of and very clean |
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| This is a huge past time here you see people walking around town carrying their paddles |
But I think I would have to say that our favorite parts of the week are the meetings we have with either the leadership of the ward or the missionaries. You can tell that the most valiant servants have been saved for these latter days. We are humbled, and enriched every time we meet with them. Let me share a few of the lessons we've learned this week.
After referencing President Nelsons October 2017 conference talk about the Book Mormon (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/the-book-of-mormon-what-would-your-life-be-like-without-it?lang=eng) Sister Ashcraft asked us to read 2 Nephi 4:16-to the end. We discussed each verse as we read then she had us ponder on verse 21
21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.
and asked us if we had ever felt that way. Lehi had just died, Laman and Lemuel were ready to kill him, he was feeling wretched and unworthy but then Nephi remembered the Lord's hand in his every breath and he rejoiced, felt renewed and ready to do the work he had been commanded to do. He felt the love of the Lord even unto the consuming of his flesh!
Other quotes from Pres Nelson's talk
"When I think of the Book of Mormon, I think of the word power. The truths of the Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen, console, and cheer our souls."
"My brothers and sisters, how precious is the Book of Mormon to you? If you were offered diamonds or rubies or the Book of Mormon, which would you choose? Honestly, which is of greater worth to you?"
"My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, "
"Whenever I hear anyone, including myself, say, “I know the Book of Mormon is true,” I want to exclaim, “That’s nice, but it is not enough!” We need to feel, deep in “the inmost part” of our hearts,12 that the Book of Mormon is unequivocally the word of God. We must feel it so deeply that we would never want to live even one day without it.
Then one sister asked,"How can we learn to work with the Savior instead of just working for Him?"
An elder quoted Brad Wilcox, "We're not earning heaven, we're learning heaven"
From Acts 3:6-7
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
We learn
“Now in my mind’s eye I can picture this man, what was in his mind. ‘Doesn’t this man know that I have never walked? ... Peter just didn’t content himself by commanding the man to walk, but he ‘took him by the right hand, and lifted him up.’ (Acts 3:7.)
“Will you see that picture now of that noble soul, that chiefest of the apostles, perhaps with his arms around the shoulders of this man, and saying, ‘Now, my good man, have courage, I will take a few steps with you. Let’s walk together, and I assure you that you can walk, because you have received a blessing by the power and authority that God has given us as men, his servants.’ Then the man leaped with joy.
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| Today there was a Stake Picnic in Gatineau. These kids have fun wherever they go. One of the Brothers from the ward there told us there used to be a senior couple assigned to the ward a few years back. They had been such a needed support. There's not enough senior couples to go around anymore. Hopefully, some day, they can get the help they need again. |
As we come to the end of week two we are so grateful for all our blessings. We are blessed to be a part of this work. We bear testimony that the things we are teaching are truly the teachings of our Father in Heaven and that as we live by these teachings we will find peace and joy in this life and in the world to come. As we read the scriptures daily we will be find the power and the inspiration we need to accomplish the work we have to do and as we share with others the things we are learning, the truthfulness of those lessons will find place in our hearts.
Have a great week!
Families are forever!
We Love our family so very much!
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