Missionary Moments #26, March 1, 2015

This has been a great week for us.  Because folders are in we were able to work consistently every day this week and reached our goal of taking over 10,000 pictures when we left work on Friday.  On top of that we are finishing up earlier than we use to.  We have talked about doing more but with dad's sore neck and my wimpy back we decided to not push our luck.  The weather seems to be getting a little milder and we enjoyed several days with the temperature in the high 20s.  Yesterday we decided it was time to have a big adventure so we drove down to Hyde Park in New York and enjoyed an afternoon at the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidential library.  It was a surprisingly emotional experience for both of us since both of our parents had experienced much of what they showed in the library.  Since he was President for three terms much history took place and the library did a great job of portraying the various aspects of the depression era and World War II.  I was reminded many times as we wandered through each exhibit that Heavenly Father had and has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives. The real challenge is coming to an understanding of what that may be for each of us.  I believe one of the best things Scott and I have been able to experience is visiting the various presidential libraries in the last ten years.  We plan to stop at the Gerald Ford library in Michigan on our way home from our mission and after seeing Ben and Becky and family we are going to drive down to see Bill Clinton's and our three Texas presidents libraries before heading west.  That will leave Jimmy Carter for another time.  Next week we are attending a Mission Conference in Exeter, NH which the Area Seventy, and a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric will speak to us. We are really looking forward to that!  Our mission has been so much more than we had expected and we are so grateful for this opportunity.  I think sometimes we have to learn things about ourselves and this mission has shown us many things--both good and bad that we need to work on so we can accomplish much in the time we remain here.  That is a great blessing! So proud of all of you for being so supportive to us while we serve.  People are always so shocked when they find out we have left 20 grandkids behind but they don't understand that we brought all 20 with us!