Bright as the sun, this heavenly ray light ev’ry land today

Good week! Sunday, Monday Tuesday and Thursday are good days to report on. The other days have just been filled with organizing and check lists and trying to adjust to the fact that we are leaving.

Sunday was a wonderful day at church. We decided to attend our home ward, Southmead, I had an assignment for Young Women and Jessica needed a ride after church. I cannot tell you how happy it made us to sit with a whole row of YSA. There were 11 young single adults at church on Sunday! Just in our little ward!!! Not supposed to be proud, but I felt proud anyway. Bishop Geldenhuys asked if we were taking any of these “sons and daughters” home with us. Bill told him we have certainly been tempted.

Monday P-day we went to Warner Brothers Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter. This tour was one of my Christmas presents. Wow! It is the actual film studio where all of the Harry Potter movies were filmed with actual sets and costumes. I am a great Harry Potter fan and loved every minute of it! If you want to see more of the tour I did post in the blog just for the grand kids. You can access that.

Tuesday we had Zone leadership training. The Zone leaders called a few days before to ask us to order the Pizza and get the drinks. Then they called 2 or 3 times on Monday to ask if they could use our computer etc. Tuesday morning they called and asked us to pick up some missionaries from the train station. It is wonderful to feel needed! The meeting was very good. I can’t decide if it was better than usual if my attitude is different as I am nearing the close of the mission. President and Sister Millar were there also which always adds such a great spirit.

The Elders and Sisters teach each other and their council is always right on. Two of the sisters had been assigned the topic of ‘dedicated & unified companionship’. They had everyone go into the rec hall and each companionship was told that one partner needed to put the rocks provided in their shoes and one was to blindfold themselves with the scarf that had been laid out beforehand. Then the ‘rocky’ missionary had to hurry across the room, read a scripture placed on a chair there and then hurry back. When they returned they had to lead their blindfolded companion to do the same, including reading to them the scripture. It was so funny to watch. Sister Torvinen actually picked up Sister Polidario and carried her across the floor. In the end they all decided that when they were helping their companions the rocks in the shoes were not nearly as noticeable. So clever!

(check blog post Companion relay)

I guess I am going to preach a little here. I am not sure that I totally understood the power that these sons and daughters of ‘Helaman’s Army’ carry with them until I had this assignment. In Alma 37: 6 it says: Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

I know that I have championed this fact many times in lesson discussions but I am not sure that I really believed it. It is easy as members to be leery of 19 and 20 olds and not really trust our friends, acquaintances and family members to their care. I repent! They truly are commissioned by God! They wear the Savior’s name on their clothes. We need to trust that power and commission. PMG states: “As an authorized representative of Jesus Christ, you can teach people with power and authority…” Alma 43: 2 says…and they preached after the holy order of God by which they were called.

My admonition to all of us is to remember this and do not shy away from using this great resource available to us! The whole day Tuesday was teaching obedience, I think obedience should be our guide too as we embark in member missionary work. Using the full time missionaries to teach is what we have been asked to do.

OK off of the soap box... It is just so clear to me here how much the Lord loves his missionaries and blesses them with the power of the word!

Thursday evening we attended our next to last Institute. As always the association that we have with those choice sons and daughters of God lifts our hearts and spirits. We have a special little class that we teach and we are really going to miss them when we leave. Bill gave a great lesson on section 76 “The Vision”. There is so much in that section, so many great gospel truths, truths that we possess that no other sect or religion teaches. If you want some instruction and inspiration I suggest that you read that section this week.

Our flat is getting emptier and emptier. We must get rid of all the ‘stuff’ that does not belong to the landlord. After 3 or 4 years of missionaries living here that is a lot. We are sifting bit by bit but some of it we need in order to function from day to day. Next week will be challenging and the next even more as we distribute, donate and discard all of it.

Sunday I was sitting next to the Young Women President in our ward as it was announced that there will be a “munch and mingle” right after church in our honor our last week here. She nudged me and said something about being a celebrity. I agreed that yes for a moment at this end and a moment when we return we will be celebrities but then we will just go back to being ordinary members of the church. That is so true… however there is probably not anything ordinary about being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ! Always we have an obligation to be more than we are. This assignment has taught me this more than any other experience before.

Love you all! Words can’t express how grateful we are for your constant support and prayers. To our wonderful grandchildren, we love you so much! Thank you for praying for us every day. Soon we will kiss your cheeks and give you big hugs!

To our wonderful new Bristol friends, thank you for your light and testimonies. Thank you for accepting us and helping us to fill our assignment. Forever you are in our hearts!!

Things you will not see in AZ.