Monday Lee had to be at the office by 6:45 am for an airport run. The
Elder leaving a week early lives on Vanuatu and needs a hernia repaired.
He's going home by way of Fiji and having the surgery there. He bore
his testimony Sunday and it was very tender and humble. He told Lee in
the car on the way to the airport that he is the oldest of 8 children
and his father fishes in a canoe to support the family. This Elder is
older, has had some difficulties, and I wonder about his life once he
gets home.
President has approached me a couple of times wondering about converts who were baptized in 2013, and asking if we could track how they were introduced to the gospel. Were they approached by missionaries who were out finding and talking to everyone they meet, or were they referred by a member friend or relative, or were they touched by the internet presence of the church or ? Of course, we weren't keeping track of that bit of information in the mission in 2013, but I organized the individuals by wards and then I emailed each Bishop to ask
1. If the convert still lives in the ward
President has approached me a couple of times wondering about converts who were baptized in 2013, and asking if we could track how they were introduced to the gospel. Were they approached by missionaries who were out finding and talking to everyone they meet, or were they referred by a member friend or relative, or were they touched by the internet presence of the church or ? Of course, we weren't keeping track of that bit of information in the mission in 2013, but I organized the individuals by wards and then I emailed each Bishop to ask
1. If the convert still lives in the ward
2. If the convert is
attending church regularly
3. How was the convert introduced to the
church (see previous).
I asked each Bishop to reply within a week, then I will have to follow up with non responders.
As you can imagine this task is very time consuming. I looked at the clock and it was 11:15 am. After lunch, the next time I looked at the clock, it was 4:20 pm.
Tuesday, 8 July was our year mark! One year ago we went into the MTC! President and the assistants were in the office all day planning transfers. Lee ran out to get them lunch and I worked on the above project after receiving final travel arrangements for next weeks arrivers and updating the information everywhere. We have seven arrivers and two temporarily assigned as they are waiting for their visas.
Lee got a call Monday that two sisters bikes were stolen while locked up. Darwin called Tuesday to inform him a brand new bike was stolen there and the bolt cutters were found on the ground near where the bike had been locked. Grrrrrrrrrrrr! Lights and helmets are constantly lifted as well.
Wednesday at 9:00 am President Carter set apart a missionary called from Alice Springs to serve in South Africa, Johannesburg. His mom, sister and brother flew down also since he left for the MTC that night from Adelaide. President Carter is the presiding District (stake) President over the Northern Territory (which includes Darwin and Alice Springs) and also Mildura District (where our mission spills over the South Australian border into the state of Victoria).
Wednesday I was on the phone before 8:30 am until just after noon with the help desk in SLC A.G.A.I.N. We took a couple of breaks for downloading time but we were trying to get the 4 computers to work together in outlook email since the update two weeks ago. A very nice man named John helped me and even called back late in the day to make sure it was all functioning fine. He works the 5:30 pm to 2:30 am shift in Utah on the Japanese support desk (I don't have any idea how he answered my call from Australia) and he was really great to work with and I appreciated his patience and expertise.
Just after we got home Wednesday night, President called to ask if I could help him make handout copies for a meeting he was leaving to attend in 45 minutes. So we turned right around and went back to the office and by the time we arrived, he had figured out how to use the copy machine and get double sided, back to back copies from single face originals. We stayed to help him get 30 copies stapled and then we came home to the chicken and rice dinner in the oven before going to English class. We learned about "talking to your boss" and reviewed "learning about school" with Sammie, Max, Christina, Danny, and Ali showed up again. We haven't seen him for a couple of weeks because he has moved to a new room which is further away from Firle. Brother Addis will substitute for us teaching next week since it's transfer meeting.
After English class, the assistants showed up and we divided into two teaching groups. I stayed with Elder Bingham and he taught about The Living Prophet to Danny and Christina. Lee was in the other end of the double classroom with Elder Fepulea'i teaching Sammie and Max about the Book of Mormon. It was new to Max but review for Sammie.
Danny was willing to believe that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet because we told him it was true and he trusts us, but Elder Bingham asked him to pray out loud to know for himself and he said the most darling, simple, heartfelt prayer. We were all kneeling and after Danny said amen, we stayed in place waiting for the spirit to testify to him and it did. It was beautiful to feel, and watch Danny feel and acknowledge. WOW!
Thursday I spent the morning working on the project mentioned above and in the afternoon I booked August travel for the Carters and transfer travel as well. It was Elder White's 73 birthday and to celebrate, they brought lovely hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries for anyone who came onto the office. They were beautiful!
Goodrichs didn't come in Friday to give Sister Baker a true test. I worked on updating the telephone and mail lists since I already know who is going where at transfers. I finished Best Practices and the Zion Rescue and printed them. Sister Goodrich had run the July and August calendars so I stapled those 4 things together and I used red, white, and blue paper. Get it? July and red, white and blue? I told Elder Bingham no one else would notice but that we (meaning Americans) would!
I asked each Bishop to reply within a week, then I will have to follow up with non responders.
As you can imagine this task is very time consuming. I looked at the clock and it was 11:15 am. After lunch, the next time I looked at the clock, it was 4:20 pm.
Tuesday, 8 July was our year mark! One year ago we went into the MTC! President and the assistants were in the office all day planning transfers. Lee ran out to get them lunch and I worked on the above project after receiving final travel arrangements for next weeks arrivers and updating the information everywhere. We have seven arrivers and two temporarily assigned as they are waiting for their visas.
Lee got a call Monday that two sisters bikes were stolen while locked up. Darwin called Tuesday to inform him a brand new bike was stolen there and the bolt cutters were found on the ground near where the bike had been locked. Grrrrrrrrrrrr! Lights and helmets are constantly lifted as well.
Wednesday at 9:00 am President Carter set apart a missionary called from Alice Springs to serve in South Africa, Johannesburg. His mom, sister and brother flew down also since he left for the MTC that night from Adelaide. President Carter is the presiding District (stake) President over the Northern Territory (which includes Darwin and Alice Springs) and also Mildura District (where our mission spills over the South Australian border into the state of Victoria).
Wednesday I was on the phone before 8:30 am until just after noon with the help desk in SLC A.G.A.I.N. We took a couple of breaks for downloading time but we were trying to get the 4 computers to work together in outlook email since the update two weeks ago. A very nice man named John helped me and even called back late in the day to make sure it was all functioning fine. He works the 5:30 pm to 2:30 am shift in Utah on the Japanese support desk (I don't have any idea how he answered my call from Australia) and he was really great to work with and I appreciated his patience and expertise.
Just after we got home Wednesday night, President called to ask if I could help him make handout copies for a meeting he was leaving to attend in 45 minutes. So we turned right around and went back to the office and by the time we arrived, he had figured out how to use the copy machine and get double sided, back to back copies from single face originals. We stayed to help him get 30 copies stapled and then we came home to the chicken and rice dinner in the oven before going to English class. We learned about "talking to your boss" and reviewed "learning about school" with Sammie, Max, Christina, Danny, and Ali showed up again. We haven't seen him for a couple of weeks because he has moved to a new room which is further away from Firle. Brother Addis will substitute for us teaching next week since it's transfer meeting.
After English class, the assistants showed up and we divided into two teaching groups. I stayed with Elder Bingham and he taught about The Living Prophet to Danny and Christina. Lee was in the other end of the double classroom with Elder Fepulea'i teaching Sammie and Max about the Book of Mormon. It was new to Max but review for Sammie.
Danny was willing to believe that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet because we told him it was true and he trusts us, but Elder Bingham asked him to pray out loud to know for himself and he said the most darling, simple, heartfelt prayer. We were all kneeling and after Danny said amen, we stayed in place waiting for the spirit to testify to him and it did. It was beautiful to feel, and watch Danny feel and acknowledge. WOW!
Thursday I spent the morning working on the project mentioned above and in the afternoon I booked August travel for the Carters and transfer travel as well. It was Elder White's 73 birthday and to celebrate, they brought lovely hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries for anyone who came onto the office. They were beautiful!
Goodrichs didn't come in Friday to give Sister Baker a true test. I worked on updating the telephone and mail lists since I already know who is going where at transfers. I finished Best Practices and the Zion Rescue and printed them. Sister Goodrich had run the July and August calendars so I stapled those 4 things together and I used red, white, and blue paper. Get it? July and red, white and blue? I told Elder Bingham no one else would notice but that we (meaning Americans) would!
The Carter's left for Alice Springs so Lee had a trip to the airport at 8:00 am Friday. He was back by 9:10 and it was just us and Sister Baker in the office, plus the assistants getting ready for transfers.
We got to the temple that night and the video wasn't working. The I booth was booked, so they had some workers come in with us and we did sealings for an hour. We had taken Sister Baker with us and crashed when we got home. I seem to get headaches with extended computer time from concentration and eye strain I think. Anyway, it was good to get home and relax.
A friend wrote this week to offer her strong shoulders and listening ear for frustrations and difficulties we experience from time to time on the mission. She said that even though I'm a positive person and hence a positive blog writer, there must be challenges about which to vent, and that I don't need to sugar coat everything all the time.
Lee and I discussed this after reading her message and we both agree that what I write seems pretty accurate. We aren't working "in the world" so to speak and lovingkindness, patience, tolerance, and willingness to help and support each other, the missionaries, and our President is easier to practice and achieve in this type of environment.
As senior missionaries working in the office, our "area" of service and responsibility described by Elder Holmes several months ago, is the missionaries. Our primary duty is taking care of details and distractions for the Carters and missionaries that enables them to focus their efforts on inviting people to come unto Jesus Christ. We are convinced that our working life at the store all those years was in preparation for our office service on a mission in Australia. We both love what we do and feel greatly blessed that President Carter was inspired to change our assignment from Member Leader Support as we requested on our application to office missionaries instead. We were grateful to serve in Mount Gambier the first two months as MLS missionaries so we experienced that type of assignment too, if only briefly.
All I'm saying is what you read is what we experience. We LOVE serving with these young people. They are amazing and we feel blessed and thankful for this opportunity. (No sugar added)
Saturday Lee washed the van and Pres' car since they were out of town, after grocery shopping. We got take out pizza Saturday night for fun.
Sacrament meeting talks were about Relief Society and all three women speakers were not just good, but great! I LOVE Relief Society! It was cold Sunday morning!
Sammie and Max were at English class to learn about "healthy living" and reviewed "talking to your boss". They stayed the whole block of meetings for the first time and I asked Sammie after Relief Society how much she understands of the lessons or talks? She said it is hard to understand the words because people talk so fast and her vocabulary is limited, but she can "feel." Isn't that beautiful?
All's well with us...it's transfer week again!
Has elder barnett arrived yet? His dad gave me your hug when we saw them on the fourth, so have Nathan give you a hug from me! Love you! Thank you for sharing your wonderful, sugar-free experiences! <3
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