My Thought for the week...
We had a visiting General Authority, Elder Foster of the Seventy, come to do a mission tour this week. We had two zone conferences, one on Monday and one on Tuesday. As I listened to Elder Foster, my mind was opened and I realized a lot of things. One was very personal: I have struggled with this mission call mostly because we were caught off guard and not totally prepared for it, we didn't get to go to the MTC, and it is certainly not like anything I had envisioned for a "mission." I have served willingly but with a lack of appreciation for it that I would like to have had. The week before Elder Foster was here I had had the thought, after a very meaningful day, that our time here IS my MTC experience and I have been blessed to have two years instead of two weeks. Listening to Elder Foster just confirmed that, deeply, and enlarged the feeling so very much. As he spoke to us about having a vision of the work of salvation, my mind was opened to a much larger view of my place and purpose on this earth and how very much the time here will be of help to me to fulfill that purpose.
Because Jim Jr. and I were talking about missionary work and the "hastening" that is happening, I sent him my notes of the conference as well as a copy of "Missionary Work in the Digital Age" by Elder L. Tom Perry - which is well worth reading and re-reading by all of us. We have been informed that our mission will have iPads for our missionaries by January - this is not general knowledge yet - and as I sat at my desk I kept seeing or noticing things that will or can change because of that, all for the better. Glad to have the iPhones so that perhaps we will be a little better able to keep up with some of it:)! I remember many years ago listening to Scott Lander give a talk in which he compared the church to a train moving down a track and saying that there were some people kind of jumping off now and then or running along beside it, but not really "on board" - and saying that the train was speeding up and the time would come when the speed would be such that you could not easily jump back on. I feel like that time is quickly rushing upon us - things seem to be going faster and faster, happening more and more quickly. Amazing.
Just Notes...
Yesterday Dad went to the Ducks/Utah football game at Autzen Stadium and had a good time; he was invited by President Palmer, a counselor in the Stake Presidency. We had worked with him and his wife when we were working with the YSAs in Roseburg. He had also invited two other ward members so it was a nice "guy thing." Nice that they won as well I guess:).
Work at the office continued to be intense this week, but I finally was able to get updated rosters out to all of us. Of course the first copy that went to everyone had to be revised another two times before the final copy that I did on Friday because we keep getting new apartments and moving elders & sisters:). We'll see how long this one lasts - hopefully for more than a day or two. The Routs left, so we now have only one "extra" couple in the office, the Fluckigers. He will replace Elder Terry as the housing coordinator and she will replace Sister Terry as the president's secretary; the two of them leave Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I am feeling somewhat guilty about our Thanksgiving trip now - had not expected the Terrys to leave until December 2nd so didn't see any problem with our being gone; now there will be 2 new couples with very little experience all on their own. Since we don't leave until Thanksgiving morning and the office will be closed Friday, that shouldn't be much of a problem, but we won't be there Monday because our plane doesn't get back to Eugene until Monday night. And now, we will be gone most of Tuesday for a temple trip with the departing elders. So the week after Thanksgiving may be interesting.
It was fun to see pictures posted by Charlotte and Seth of their trip to New Zealand; I'm sure they are having a great time. Also had fun doing a Face Time call with Emily as she had arrived home with Rose and was going to rock her back to sleep; Rose and I managed to subvert that idea and had fun smiling at each other and playing peek-a-boo on the phone:). (See...I AM learning to do some things with my iPhone!) Had a call from John B and am looking forward to seeing him soon; talked with Mary Elizabeth and shared info sent to us about her drivers' license expiring...looking foward to seeing her soon too, since she is joining us at Christi's for Thanksgiving and Becca's baptism. Christine called and visited for a long time; sounded like things are going well there all in all but the work on the remodeling is going slowly. We will be sure to take pictures when we're there and share on Facebook! Dad got to talk with Jim Jr. for a LONG time one day this past week (kept me wondering where on earth he had disappeared to) and then I got to talk with him myself a couple of days later. Sara even called us and so I got to visit with her - and Jocee. So it was a fun week for hearing from our kids:)! Missed Steve and Holly so I'll have to work on that this week.
If you didn't see Sara's picture of Jocee with her stick horse on Facebook, you can see it here, with the comment. I thought it was cute:)!
Posted at 8:36 a.m. on Nov. 15th: Jocee realized she wasn't wearing a helmet while riding her stick horse this morning... so she stopped and grabbed a stocking cap. Problem solved!
Guess that's all for now... don't forget the birthdays in the last post:)! Love to Everyone:)!!!
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