around the circle.........

Well.........another successful MLC dinner is in the books. It looked so pretty down the middle of the table........I thought about taking a picture, but had left my camera home. I've got to remember that my iPod will take pictures!........RAH!!! I can take a deep breath now and relax again. I've discovered my biggest source of anxiety--when it comes to dinners like this--is how much food to prepare........are we going to have enough? Are we way over-buying? And!!!! there is never a guarantee you will hit the middle!! We had taco salads today.......the missionaries loved them. (so gratifying) Way too much lettuce and tomatoes. (I assigned those out and when I do that, I let them make those decisions) Plenty of meat, (I cooked 18 pounds of hamburger last night while Roger made three 9X13 pans of brownies in our little kitchen), cheese, beans, etc....... with some left over, but not a lot. The chips were a little close, but I'm really glad we don't have any of those left........well, a couple of hands full. Then we had brownies and ice cream for dessert.......we couldn't have done the brownies any differently, but we had almost twice as much ice cream as we needed.........and twice as much root beer. We made dry ice root beer for them.........two batches...........we will not be doing that again! --the two batches part. We will be making root beer again. They loved it! So fun!!! I'm now open to suggestions for future lunches........... and really...........please share some ideas........

Roger is so tired. He had to go out in the heat to work on a car while we stayed inside and cleaned up the air conditioned kitchen. Then when we got back to the office he had to change a tiwi in a car and also change the bike rack. A month ago we got some new bike racks. One came off a car we are getting ready to sell, so we asked these sisters if they would like it and they did. I helped with that--there was thunder in the air and I wanted to get it done before there was rain........but the rain never came..............

I'm going to stop. I think we are both tired............ but it's been a good day.

.......a new heart?

We were blessed yesterday to participate in a baptism in our Branch. I absolutely love the simple, direct words of the baptismal ordinance. It reminds me of the feelings I had the last time I did baptisms for the dead........... Today after her confirmation she had a few tears. What a sweet, tender time. Makes me so thankful for all the blessings I have received every day my whole life through. I also know there have been many times when I have taken it all for granted........probably years' worth of time. Sometimes, when I stop and think about it, I really cannot comprehend how much our Father loves us.......it overwhelms me, and I stand in awe. How can I possibly serve long and well enough??? or be perfectly obedient? Now, that's another overwhelming thought!!! I think I better leave it at that!

I am so grateful to be here. So thankful I can have this time to serve more fully. I wish I had a more willing heart........there are times when I just don't want to do something. There are times when I think maybe we should receive more blessings for doing something we don't want to do than something we are excited to do......... I think I better pray more fervently for that "new heart".

lest you disbelieve me...........

Just some quick pictures today of our rain storm......downpour......... I am continually amazed!!!! I don't know how that much water can even get in the sky!!!! Let alone, stay up there for extended periods of time!! This storm lasted no longer than thirty minutes--probably less. And then it was all over. During that time the temperature dropped 19.......I kid you not!!!! 19 degrees!!! I cannot even begin to imagine how someone would plan for this when designing a city...........it runs and runs, then goes in a big hole and disappears!!! Where does it go???

 It could not get through this culvert fast enough.......the puddle here as getting bigger even while we waited for the light to change........

Another hole that was not quite big enough.......

Montevallo and "The American Village"

I have such a fun day to share with you today!!! We had our first......well, first for us.........."senior outing", "senior activity", "senior excursion".........whatever.......and I'm to see that they happen!!!! This one did! And I enlisted some help from a very willing sister who talked to the right people and .....well, you'll see.

We went to a rather small town called Montevallo about 30 minutes from Hoover--where the office is. Some years ago, a man who has had a love for American history all his life has made his dream happen! He has created a place called "The American Village". They have re-created several well-known buildings from American history.......

We started out at .........I don't remember the name of the building, but it looked authentic.....and there a woman who would probably have been something like a field nurse during the Revolutionary war was there, in costume and demeanor........ and she never broke it! She was good. She taught us about some of the more grisly things associated with warfare in those days..........

Left to right: Elder and Sister Glenn, Elder Hansen is behind me and Sister Hansen is to my left, Roger behind me; the docent; Sister and Elder Newman, Sister and Elder Millyard

You will recognize the Liberty Bell.......it's a full-size replica. And then we were all sworn into the Continental Army.......a pledge to defend the United States of America.......there was no Constitution yet..........and we learned how to fire a musket! Well........he gave us broomsticks to practice with.

Here he is showing us how the first and second regiments should be spaced--Roger is the first regiment or line, and since we should all fire at the same time the muskets in the second regiment need to be that far ahead of the first regiment........ I don't know if that made any sense or not. But then he taught us the importance of the drum and fife corps..........the drums were how the officer sent out his orders, because they could be heard..........

A scaled down replica of Mt. Vernon where we were taught through the eyes of none other than Thomas Jefferson. It was very interesting..........how he might have felt and what he might have thought when given the job of writing the Declaration of Independence......... And they had an exact replica of the "rising sun chair" in which George Washington sat during the Constitutional Convention when they were taking votes that would be binding. I should have taken a picture of that, but I hope some day I will see the real one! The next two are just of the grounds.......it was so pretty.

On the steps of "Mt. Vernon"

Right next to and really a part of "Mt. Vernon" was a building housing the replica of the Oval Office. The only untrue part of it is the ceiling which is not domed. It would have cost an additional $100,000 to do that, so they opted not to........... This was my favorite wall..........it's "creamier" than it looks in the picture..........a very pretty room....... I've never seen the real one of this either.....

  My "commander and chief"

I had a call this morning from the people at the Village warning that a big thunder storm was forecast for their area today and maybe we would want to reschedule.......well, we couldn't do that.......we just hoped we would finish before the storm got there. And we did!........kind of. We were just coming out of the "Oval Office" and were going to go to the Chapel where they have a Veterans' Memorial when a man came up on a golf cart and told us the storm was about ten miles away and if we went inside a building, we would have to stay there until the storm had passed. We decided we would go to our cars with the possibility of returning in the afternoon.........well, we just got to the place where we had reservations to eat--thanks to Sis. Hansen and her contact at the Chamber of Commerce--we all walked in without our umbrellas.........and then it started to rain. And I mean RAIN!!!! This was a "2-whale" storm!! This picture of Roger on the porch does not do it justice.

But look at this!!!! Crazy!!!

This is on the campus of the University of Montevallo. It is the only liberal arts college in the state of Alabama. About 3200 students. And employs about 3500 people! I was going to look online to see what the tuition is. Our guide wouldn't tell us! We waited till there was a little let-up in the rain, then we got in a van and Steve, the Chamber of Commerce guy, drove us around Montevallo and really gave us a good tour. I don't have any other pictures because the van had "murals" all over it and the rain filled up the little holes we were supposed to be able to see out of. But it was okay.We had a good time anyway. And he was so generous to drive us............

He also took us to "the" National Cemetery. I didn't even know there was a National Cemetery there!! And I learned that Alabama now has two!! It's a "new" cemetery........no Civil War graves here.......... There were a couple of Antebellum buildings on campus.......it was a girls' school then. He thinks maybe that's why it was spared where the University of Alabama was completely destroyed.........it had a cadet school.

The rain stopped completely as we were driving back.......and then the mist started rising through the trees. Can I just say I. Love. That!!!!!! The pictures don't really do it justice.........sorry............

....Emmaus experiences, a.k.a. miracles...........

I wasn't going to write tonight, but I keep thinking about this, so here I am................. When Pres. Hanks has a meeting with the missionaries he asks them to share their "Emmaus Experiences" ........think about Jesus on the road to Emmaus with the two disciples, etc. Sometimes they are called "tender mercies". I think sometimes they are more appropriately called miracles!! I am reminded of something Elder Anderson said in his talk in conference last April. "Eighteen years ago while traveling on a train in Switzerland with President Monson, I asked him about his heavy responsibilities. His response strengthened my faith. 'In the First Presidency,' he said, 'we do everything we can to to move this work forward. But this is the Lord's work, and He directs it. He is at the helm. We marvel as we watch Him open doors we cannot open and perform miracles we can scarcely imagine.'"  Soooooo............. two weeks ago I asked some missionaries who came into the office to write down an Emmaus experience for me.........this is what I received......... "One of our recent converts is from Micronesia in the South Pacific. A young man just moved into our ward who served a mission on her island and SPEAKS HER LANGUAGE. D&C 90:11" "For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language..." And then, the other day one of the Zone Leaders asked me if I could order a Book of Mormon in Pompanian (I think that's it........at least it's phonetic) I told him I didn't know there was such a language anymore.......the only Pompanians I knew about were buried by Vesuvius thousands of years ago. Well........no...........there is an island in the South Pacific where they speak this language. ............I'm going to have to finish that one later, when I find out more about it.

Roger and I were in the grocery store the other night when a man stocking the shelves stopped us to talk. He had "associated" with the Church in Los Angeles and since moving here he is working two jobs and one of them is nights so he can't get to church Sunday morning. He is Hispanic.......a really nice guy. We are going to see if we can encourage him and find him somewhere he can go in the afternoon......... And I gave a card to the girl who made my sandwich in Subway the other day!!!!! I want to get to where I am giving at least one to someone every day! The missionaries in one of the Districts in the Montgomery area have been working really hard--80-100 hours a week. They have increased their teaching by 300%!!!!! EXCITING!!!!!!! And the Assistants were really excited when they came in this afternoon because another zone or district had committed to do that. I think I better order a little bit more of everything very soon............we are going to need the materials!!!

...."early, when it was yet dark"............

Well............I've put it off too long............ For some reason, the Ensign was lying here on the table, open to the article "Filled With Life and Energy". I have made it easy for you to find it.....it's right here. And Marilyn.........there really isn't much to say in our defense. Sorry. I've know this for years. And during that time I have said "if I could change just one thing in my life and as a mom, it would be the going to bed and getting up thing." I want to share just one, little part of this article with you. The one that touched me the most.........he gives scriptural examples of getting up early--Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and the Savior. Then this..... "Mary, a devoted disciple, followed His example and in doing so taught us a powerful lesson: "'The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre'. In the early morning she became the first mortal to see the resurrected Lord." Part of learning things--and sometimes learning the obedience--at this time of life, is the remorse I feel for not putting forth the energy and/or discipline to have learned and/or implemented them into my life years ago. And even now I think, "well, I've blown it in teaching our children...........now it's just me and Roger, it's not all that important now." I know that's not "right". It may not even be true. But I will need encouragement by the bucket loads to get me to bed "on time". I stay up late to do the things I want to do because the duty things are always, always present. Somehow, late at night, it's easier to turn down their volume and enjoy doing something I want to do. Does that make sense? Anyway........it's still true.......if I could change one thing in my life and as a mom, it would be the going to bed and getting up thing.................

Today Roger and I drove out to Oneonta to take a car to some Elders who had to leave their car in the shop--it will be there a week or more. They live in Locust Fork, the car repair place is in Oneonta. They had tried to find some members who could take them back, then at least they would have their bikes, but they couldn't find any. So we drove our car and a mission car out. I didn't want to drive, and it turns out we had to go right through downtown Birmingham--on the freeway. It would be like coming west to east on I-80 then onto I-15 northbound.......and unfamiliar. But I had the GPS on and also Divine help........I know that. At one point I was concerned about which lane I should be in, was it going to end......well.........it turned out to be just the right lane because I had to stay to the right after the exit--which was not really an exit............a spaghetti bowl............

The more I see of Alabama the more beautiful I realize it is. That north-east part of Birmingham is the industrial part (the old SLOSS furnaces are there) but it wasn't long before we were in a rural area. Come to think of it, there really wasn't an area of suburban........just industrial and then rural. The farther out, the prettier it was. I love the hills, then there is a little rise and it opens up into another little valley headed another direction. And I found another house!!!!! I like this one better because it's in the "country" and has lots more space!!!! If we end up going out to get the car, I'll take my camera and get a picture for you......... It's fun to "see" the mission and meet the missionaries in their areas. To have images in my head of beautiful places to go with the names of both places and people!

I hope you have had a good day. Mine has been mostly good. I need to make some changes in my life. And that's okay...........

the marathon.........

You asked for it! well.........you agreed to it.........so here goes...........

We left just after 7:00 a.m. heading south-west to a smaller city named Demopolis, south of Tuscaloosa. While the whole state is "Tide" country......we were driving into the heart of it....

I knew beforehand we would be going through this town........can you guess the name?

Maybe this is the phonetic spelling of Utah? (It definitely is "Utah" because I heard it on the weather report the day before......when the weather man almost promised no rain for a week--and it's rained every afternoon since!! Thank goodness 'cause it cools things down some.)

This house just caught my eye.......no significance...........

........and here is some really fun "yard art" in a big way? 

 This is the back of this house.......maybe that's obvious. We didn't drive around to the front. I imagine it is vacant, but I love the way the trumpet vine has spread it's beauty as best it could. And that old brick chimney with the rusting roof........kind of nostalgic......I can almost hear the rain on the roof of the old chicken coop!! And here the rain thunders down!!!!! 

We found the Elders in Demopolis--one from Utah and one from California.....nice young men who needed a new lock on the trunk (it wouldn't stay closed) and a new tiwi. (You are going to be hearing more about these little ______________ you fill in the blank. I can only imagine what some of the missionaries have called them. But they are making a HUGE difference in safety.) They gave us a welcomed drink of ice water, a warm handshake, bade us thanks and good-bye, and drive safely. It was somewhere around 11:30 (I think) and we headed east........toward Selma and Montgomery...........

The land was flatter and we began seeing ponds of water........my only guess was catfish farms--which proved to be correct!

  So we stopped for a closer look.......... There were cranes or egrets--don't know which--all around too. Smart birds!

 They also didn't cooperate very well.........I wanted a closer picture, but they were pretty skittish.

 

This "contraption" is used to stir and aereate the water. I thought they "traveled" across the pond, but then, again, I wonder. We saw one churning, and I remember our friend, Ed, in Arkansas, telling us catfish farming can be tricky due to aereation and temperature........I'd love to learn more..........(there were more birds I would have loved to photograph, but we were hardly 1/2 way through the marathon)


Shortly after this, we stopped to eat............and ..........decided we had to have some catfish! I've had it before, with afore-mentioned Ed and his wife Joan.....AND.......they deep fry it......AND......they also had salmon on the menu (who can eat catfish when there is salmon around????) so I had salmon and Roger had catfish. I'm withholding final judgement to give it another try, but it is a very soft fish (catfish) and I struggle some with that.......we'll see........... I've had better salmon, so maybe there is better catfish as well...........

We traveled between Selma and Montgomery on the road used by Martin Luther King and those who walked with him to the capitol. I tried to imagine thousands of people walking that distance with a purpose............and it is beautiful country.........fields of corn, cotton, and some kind of bean......and, of course, the trees........I also thought of Charles Ingalls and how he fought to keep the trees out of his fields. The fight continues!

I must have got tired, or something.............or things weren't as interesting........... In Wetumpka--a little east and north of Montgomery--they were having some sort of arts festival at the "city center". The Elders were "contacting" at WalMart and had told us the area of the parking lot where they left the car......we found it! (Roger had brought the extra keys from the office preparing for just such a contingency) so he replaced the tiwi, re-set it, took it for a test drive, locked the car and we left in search of the Sisters because we were also delivering mail. They were downtown at the festival when we finally found them............they were harder to find than the car in the parking lot! But so happy to get their letters, happy to see us, and glad to know the tiwi was fixed. They share the car with the Elders. Leaving Wetumpka was an experience!!!! The GPS directed us to something only a little better than a paved track winding through the trees--a couple of blocks from the very middle of "downtown"! But low and behold!!!! It came out to the highway!! This time the destination was Alexander City...........smaller again............

Look what we found!!!!! (and I was the one who spotted them........we had to turn around and go back for the picture and so Roger could see them.......they looked so pretty all white in all the green)

The Talla...........something river............this is something else I was not prepared for......don't know why, we have rivers "all over" Utah, but these are so big!!!! I guess I just had not thought about there being so much water..............just didn't think..............

We found the Sisters......one from Las Vegas and the other from Firth, Idaho! She was impressed that I knew about Shelly, Idaho........anyway..........Roger changed the tiwi in their car too, and they gave us another very welcomed drink of ice water, which, by the way, tasted really good. Alexander City is a small city--population about like Delta but more spread out.......and we found people putting out luminaries along "main street" (which looked more like "the highway" to me) but I almost wished we could stay and drive through after dark. They had hundreds of luminaries......a trailer the size of ours about 1/2 full. I don't know the occasion or anything, neither did the Sisters........

We were tired and "home" sounded really good, so we thankfully headed north.

........to the hills.........

................and home...............arrived 7:15 p.m.

make way for..........goslings???

Yep!!! We had our very own make way for.............. today. I even ran back to get a picture but was too late! Drat!!!! As we were pulling into the parking lot at the office today there were six Canada geese making their way across the driveway. We had to wait for them. By the time we got parked and were getting out of the car, we could hear cars braking and horns honking.......sure enough, they waddled across Lorna Road (which is a very busy street) and were on the other side before I could get anything ready to take a picture with. :-( But such a fun way to start the day!

We had only one referral this morning--there were more later in the day, thank goodness. I was quite disappointed. I whizzed right through "my" work and kind of puttered around .......... well, I went with Roger to take some cars to be detailed, and we had to get the Jetta from the garage......so I wasn't really "puttering". It just felt kind of like that because I didn't have any significant block of time spent on any one thing. Elder Jones cleaned out an apartment yesterday and brought me two boxes of "stuff". It is amazing what missionaries will accumulate in their apartment!!!!!! We had about twenty assorted pens, ten markers/dry erase markers, 6-7 highlighters. Several copies of each pamphlet we have (that is understandable) and a very large stack of very old Ensign magazines. And other assorted cards and mementoes.........I'm shocked at how heartless I can be when it's someone else's stuff!!!!! I set the garbage can out so the custodians will be able to dump it. (For some mysterious reason, the "media" room is supposed to be locked during the night............when you figure it out, please let me know). I would really like to leave it open over the weekend and let it air out some more.......it still smells pretty badly............it fact, the "cure" is TONS worse than the " ailment"!!!

Roger and I are going to have a marathon day tomorrow...........I'll tell you about it later.............and.........I'll take some pictures............

letter from Pres. Hanks

I wanted to share Pres. Hanks' letter from a couple of weeks ago. Today will be a perfect day to do that. More rain this afternoon.......and I was just outside a couple of minutes ago. It's like the bucket gets full and suddenly tips over......sheets of rain.......and it's warm. Very different than Utah rain. Here is the letter.............

July 6, 2015

My Dear Fellow Missionaries,

Today I am going to share a piece that my Dad gave to his missionaries in London, England in 1962:

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HOW TO READ AND ENJOY SCRIPTURE

President Marion D. Hanks

WHY READ SCRIPTURES?   FOR WHAT SHOULD ONE LOOK?   Read and Mark: (1 Nephi 19:22-24)

The Prophet Nephi explains that he has read many things to his people from scripture, and he explains why.  THREE BASIC REASONS ARE GIVEN:

 (1) “...that they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old.”

That is, he wanted them to know THE HISTORY OF GOD’S DEALINGS WITH PEOPLE in other times and other places.

 (2) “But that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read...”

He wanted them to have a TESTIMONY OF JESUS, which would, of course, include a testimony of our HEAVENLY FATHER, and of THE GOSPEL.

 (3) “...for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.”

The great value of scripture can only be gained when we know of the past revelations, have a testimony of Jesus and the gospel, and then… APPLY THE LESSONS AND COMMANDMENTS to our own lives.

Now read (Mosiah 1:1-7).  Write down the reasons why King Benjamin caused that his sons “should be taught in all the language of his fathers,” and become “men of understanding.”

Are these reasons different from those noted in (1 Nephi 19:22-24)?

And how should we read?  (DC 88:118) [diligently, faith]; (Mosiah 2:9) [open ears, hearts, minds, as well as eyes]; (Nehemiah 8:8) [read for understanding].

READ THE SCRIPTURES REGULARLY, THOUGHTFULLY, PRAYERFULLY.  LEARN THE LESSONS OF THE PAST. GET A TESTIMONY OF THE GOSPEL.  APPLY THE TEACHINGS TO YOUR OWN LIFE!

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Good counsel!

We love you,

President and Sister Hanks

Steadfast in Christ and loving the scriptures!

the wonder of it all............

First of all.........thank you for your kind words. You give me courage to continue...........

Another busy day--on the run most of the time. Roger had some missionaries to meet at the Birmingham Stake Center--they were there for interviews with Pres. Hanks--so we went out to meet them there........dead batteries really.........we had to jump start two cars. The assistants drove one back to the office and the other one is assigned to some darling sisters in Gadsden. They have had to ask for jumps many times in the past two days. She said one time they prayed and it started. But just once. This is the same darling girl who threw her arms around me that late night we drove up there to get them in their apartment. She has a new sister since last week........she's a good one to be a trainer. Anyway, so Roger had to take the battery out, take it to be charged and checked, then put one back in (I don't know if he had to buy a new battery or not). He was outside an awfully lot, and it was so hot today. Somewhere around 4:00--while he was out working on that car (Oh! because after he got the battery in it, he had to find out if it really was the tiwi that was draining the battery. Then he had to call Inthinc--who makes, well, designed, the tiwi. They wanted him to take it for a test drive and re-orient it etc., etc.......) So while he was doing all that, and about 4:00, there was a weather alert on the weather radio--severe weather: rain, hail, wind........till 10:00 p.m.!! I looked out at a blue, blue sky with lots of sunshine!!! Roger got the car finished. The sisters left. We wrapped things up at our desks. And we went to the temple. I didn't think another thing about the "severe weather" until I walked through the door into the celestial room and I could hear the wind howling outside!! And it was really howling. I heard the rain beat against the window for just a minute and then in what I supposed to be the rain gutter--outside the emergency exit. The lights flickered a few times. Then the wind was still. We didn't stay much longer--we were hungry and tired...........as we were walking out the brother at the recommend desk told us it had really rained and that the roads would be slick so "be careful". It was raining just a little bit as we walked out to the car. We stopped for something to eat. A little rain. Drove back to Hoover. A little rain.  But there was evidence of a downpour and/or wind all over the parking lot at our apartment. There are leaves everywhere! And something that I think is neat............after the heat of the day, and then the cooling of the rain, the mist rises off the roads to about two feet high. I don't know where it goes after that, but it's very visible as it wafts up in the headlights.........could be spooky on the right kind of night......or time of night.......but otherwise, just one of those neat things that happens here.

The temple session was wonderful!!!! After Pres. Hanks' teaching two weeks ago I quit trying so hard to figure anything out and just soaked in the Spirit. It was GREAT!!!!!! The word "joy" is used many, many times, and I thought how much Father in Heaven loves us and wants us to be happy and have joy!! It didn't hurt either that it was my most favorite film of the new ones.

I've also been wondering about "giving our agency to Father in Heaven". I'm sure you saw/watched Pres. Packer's funeral........and I listened to one of his talks this week when he taught us that. Just wondering.............

Where is Victor? and other such vagaries.........

I think it's time for another post..........and this is what I've worried about......things becoming "common" here and so there is "nothing" to tell you. I'll see what I can do......... a kind of funny thing happened yesterday..........I have been asked to help with the music in the branch--playing the organ every other month (started this month) and helping with Primary music--again trading every other month playing the piano and leading/teaching. We have three little girls in Primary and they are certainly quiet singers! I'm a little curious to see how the Primary program is going to turn out. Now, for the funny thing that happened...........We went early so I could practice a little and set stops. Check. Prelude went well--I even did okay with the pedals. The opening song is announced and I wait for Victor to stand up--to lead. No Victor. I wait a little bit. No one stands up. I think, well, maybe we are going to sing without a leader today, that should be interesting. So I start the introduction. Suddenly, the first counselor in the branch presidency realized that Victor was not there, so he jumped up and did are pretty good job leading the singing! After the opening prayer, Sis. Randall, the music director assigned to the branch came up to lead the other hymns. We were going along nicely during the sacrament song when suddenly!!!! The lights above the stops change and the tone of the organ changes with them!!!!!! What do I do?!?!?!?!??? What can I do????? Talk about heart stopping!!!!!!! I tried to pretend nothing happened and finished the hymn.........well, I think I added one more stop to give it a little more bass..........but oh my!!!! I think I must have hit one of the pre-set stops just above the "Great" keyboard. Sis. Randall said she didn't even notice! No one else said anything. I'm going to have to really watch that in the future........they are so easy to hit, and apparently, you don't have to "hit" them very hard! I went to play for Primary, and we ended up having more adults in Primary than children! Sis. Randall had an adult niece with her, the stake Primary president came for a visit, and then the Primary councilor came and left........she might have gone home to bed as she had worked at the hospital all night.

We had about 18 referrals today........three days worth........... I got a really cool text from a pair of Elders--one was Elder Morley from Price........this was Saturday about 3:30 p.m........."Hey Sister Stephenson! We just taught a lesson to someone who we contacted from a media referral! They are solid! Thanks for all that you do." I thought that was so kind of them to include me in the joy!! I texted back, of course. And I think I've told you how Pres. Hanks continually teaches gratitude.......... and today he clarified that the Elders are to always, always, always stand when anyone approaches them. I think he and Daddy would get along pretty well...........at least on that score--and the high esteem for his Father.

Roger has had an exhausting day. Poor man. I don't  know what I can do more to help him. There are just so many loose ends he feels a need to tie up (or down) and yet the every day obstacle course has to be run.........hopefully without any trips or near-falls.........I'm surprised at all that is included in his job description. I think it could keep two of us going non-stop, but I can only help to a point. Maybe I need to bring the "bicycle book" home and study it, then I can put the bikes together. That would be something!!!!

I better get to bed. I have learned an amazing thing!!!!! Something I have been hesitant to confess........... If I go to bed at a decent hour, it's lots easier to get up in the morning! You'd think that would be a no-brainer...........and I know all about D&C 88:124. In fact, I've had it marked in my scriptures for many years......I have several thoughts on that, but I'll save them for another post........