I will hold you close with a thankful heart!

We had a very good Thanksgiving week! We had two Thanksgiving meals and a lot to be thankful for! The first meal was fabulous! We went to a Tri-Zone Conference in Poole and the wonderful people of the Stake prepared a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and a little added British touch! We were so touched and grateful (and full) for their very hard work! I was most thankful that I did not have to do the cooking.

We went to Costco Wed  to pick up pies for Zone Conference
We are very grateful for Costco

Wonderful ladies!

Elder and Sister Teixeira and Sister Millar

The second meal I cooked at home just for the two of us this past Sunday. Lindsey sent us a Thanksgiving care package! ( it cost an arm and a leg) with canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce, Stove Top Stuffing and gravy mix so I had to be sure to put it all to good use! I even found a pie crust mix and was able to bake a pumpkin pie!

So now we are sufficiently ‘stuffed’ and do not feel like we missed anything in any way. Turkey day itself was a very busy long day however. At 7 am we had to drive to the flat of the Elders in our ward and pick up one of them. Of course that had to be perfectly timed with the Zone Leaders who were picking up the other one so they would not be alone for any length of time. Then we fought, well actually Bill fought, the traffic in Bristol’s rush hour to the Sisters flat who are in the next area and pick them both up. Then we proceeded to drive through morning traffic in Bath to get on our way. Three and ½ hours later we got to our destination in Poole. Just on time!

The Conference was fantastic! We had Elder Jose A. Teixeria (pronounced Tashera) of the 1^st Quorum of the Seventy and European Area President, visiting us on a mission tour. His wife was with him and gave part of the instruction. They are from Portugal but speak very good English. They were just delightful! He really had us ‘eating out of the palm of his hand’... no Thanksgiving pun intended!

One statement he made that has application to everyone is that: "faith is bestowed upon the obedient…"He counseled us to never feel constrained to invite others to make a commitment because we are offering such great blessings to them.

The Stake President from the Pool stake, President Crew quoted Mother Teresa: “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle, I just wish that He didn't trust me so much!” and “I can do things that you cannot, you can do things I cannot, together we can do great things.”

Sister Teixeria told the missionaries that we can give a Christmas gift to the members of our wards. She said we can give them referrals! Ask them to watch out for the people we are teaching or bare testimony to them, take them to church, pray for them, read the scriptures with them, sit by them in church etc. What a sweet way to help all of us be involved in hastening the work of salvation.

After the Conference we all piled in the car again and headed back to Bristol. We could easily see that we would not make it back in time to drop off our precious cargo so we headed for the Wells Road building where Elder Preece and I had to teach Institute. By the time we got everyone dropped off afterward it was quite late when we got home, but happy happy time, we got to talk on SKYPE to many of you family members and share with you the happiness of the day!

Friday we were NOT moving too fast. We had a recoup and recovery day and then in the evening the Elders met with Georgia in our home for a nice discussion. Elder Treadway, the district leader, was with Elder Hagadorn. She had not seen him since the first day he and Elder Collard called on her and her flat mates answering a media referral. It was a very good evening and a very good discussion! Sweet feeling!

Saturday was a very good day. We met Sarah, one of our YSA for a late breakfast and then went to the store to find all the ingredients for the Thanksgiving meal I was preparing for the two of us on Sunday. We finished up the day with a 'dinner out' to make up a date night. That was a good thing because of Fast Sunday the next day.

Fast Sunday, a very good day! The Bristol Stake YSA finished up their week of fasting. Since the Sunday before someone in the Stake YSA was fasting in an unbroken chain for a week. Every morning all were praying together at 7 am. The purpose for the fast was to assist all as they reach out this month to fulfill Elder Ballard’s challenge that he gave the YSA of Europe to bring someone in to the Church by the end of December; December the month of invitation! It was a privilege to join them in this fast and purpose…

Elder Ballard's challenge: http://res.ldschurch.eu/voc3V

Sunday was also a day for Elder and Sister Preece to teach! I taught Gospel Principals class in Sunday School. It was so nice to look out on Hanna’s smiling face and see Georgia taking notes! Then for YSA Home Evening we had to teach also. The lesson material at the moment comes from For the Strength of Youth pamphlet and we were assigned the section on Family. Elder Preece got to be the facilitator and I just played ‘Vanna’. He shared with them our family story of the' Drops of Oil' from the ‘ten virgins’ parable in the New Testament. It was well received though our numbers were few. Maybe the winter and dark evenings tends to reduce the attendance at YSA functions…

Monday was a good day. I know we need a preparation day once a week, but because of our schedule with most responsibilities in the evenings we get time during the week for laundry and house cleaning. I was determined when I got up yesterday that I would make a list and tick off each thing when accomplished. I was therefore able to schedule appointments, make calls, do laundry, grocery shop, fix dinner for the Elders and get ready for FHE! Feeling pretty proud!!

Elder Hagadorn gave a wonderful FHE lesson on the difference between joy and happiness and how doing the things that bring joy in our lives helps us through tough times in life. He gets an A+. I am sure I will borrow from his lesson as we go forward in our mission. Georgia, Rebecca and Hanna came and a good time was had by all. We finished off the pumpkin pie, Lindsey, and they all loved it. Most had never tasted one before. I am feeling better about my baking skills.

I will close with this quote from Elder Hagadorn’s lesson by Thomas S. Monson:

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life-here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey-now."

Merry Christmas!!!