"Called to Serve: The Time (for us) is Now"

We received our September Ensign this week and were so excited to see the cover story about serving missions.  We certainly know that we were called to serve NOW and in this mission.  We were more excited to read the messages inside, beginning with President Eyring's awesome article on "Sharing the Gospel Heart to Heart".  He said, "If you do your part, you will increasingly have the sweet experience of meeting people who are prepared to hear your testimony of the truth--offered from heart to heart, yours to theirs."  I know this to be true, especially the "if you do your part" part.   I love hearing about the experiences our children are having right now about talking to people about the gospel and I'm so grateful for their example of truly loving and accepting people of other faiths. Way to go you guys!

We also loved the article on p. 22 where it addressed the 4 F's about the decision to serve a senior mission:  Fear, Family, Finding the right mission opportunity, and Finances.  We certainly went through those exact same emotions.  But we loved what the article pointed out that their family realized what great blessings came from  their service, and we hope that our children and grandchildren, too, will be able to bear witness of their great blessings that hopefully will come from our service.  That is our challenge to our family!

And here's some of what has happened this week:

Our good friends, the Trumans, who live here now, made a trip to Utah and picked up some things from our house to bring back to us.  Thank you so much, Carl and Margaret!  And thank you Lisa for gathering up the  stuff for us!  Our walls here were so bare and I really missed our pictures being on the walls.  They brought back some of our pictures, which immediately brought more of the Spirit into our condo.  Seeing these pictures really strengthens me. 

    

                     

Once a month, all the senior missionaries have FHE at the mission home, which includes having dinner and then a lesson.  This is our second one now, and we look so forward to these.  Pres. and Sis. Black make the dinner (we all bring things, but the major work is done by them) and this time Elder Conder gave the lesson, which was wonderful.  We love being with them!

We also went to the temple again this week, and got here early enough this time to take a picture of the beautiful Las Vegas Temple.  The temple is on the very east end of the valley, and we live on the west end of the valley. It's nearly a half an hour's drive from our condo.

We couldn't resist taking a picture of the blue moon from our condo--it was so so beautiful.  The next blue moon won't be for three years!

We had such a busy night Thursday night.  We wanted to hear Mitt Romney speak at the Republican National Convention, and Glen was able to hear it.  Our Relief Society presidency came over to visit during that time, and they are so sweet.  Our president wanted to hear about our duties and responsibilities at the mission office, and I was telling her about them.  I told her about Glen's responsibility right now to find apartments for the 20 new missionaries that are coming in two weeks and that he has to furnish and equip the apartments with beds, tables, desks, chairs, couches, dishes, cleaning supplies, vacuums, etc. She immediately offered to send an email the stake Relief Society president to send to all the wards requesting furniture and dishes to be donated to the missionaries by the members.  It was amazing to see how she could see what was needed and then to act on it.  It reminded me of Kathy Mower, our amazing Relief Society president in our ward in Layton.  The very next day we had people responding!  It will help Glen and the mission so much!  One thing we have been amazed at so much here is the member support of the missionaries--it is truly incredible.  Unbelievable.  

It was also the BYU football game that night and we wanted to see it so badly.  A couple here, the Joneses, invited us to their home to watch it, and it was so awesome!  They are the nicest people, and it was so fun to  be with them and get to know them and to see the game, but definitely not the same as being there at LaVelle Edwards stadium!  We also had to leave early because the game started so late and we get up each morning at 5:30, and we're just too tired to stay up late! 

Glen has had to spend a lot of time signing new contracts for missionary apartments and renegotiating old contracts.  He really feels that the missionaries need a place to live in that will allow the Spirit to be there and he wants to make sure that their living arrangements will provide that.  He's been overwhelmed this past week in finding these apartments and getting the things I mentioned above to go along with each apartment.  I know exactly how he feels about being overwhelmed!  But we know that as we trust in the Lord He really will help us.  We have to do this on a daily basis!  

This week I have also been able to work on getting the office surroundings a little more conducive to the Spirit.  We now play the Mormon channel live music stream, and the music adds so much.  Many of the missionaries comment on it.  I also made a framed scripture of JS-History 1:16-17, the parts quoted in Preach My Gospel,  and added a bronze statue of Joseph in the Sacred Grove.  It looks so awesome!  I also added a picture of our family on the desk, and I love it!  President Black said I could do this, but I never had the time until this week.