If you want to see time fly just go on a mission! It is hard to believe that we have completed another month. It has been a wonderful week. On Monday, Elder and Sister Duke came up from Boston where they work at the National Archives, and spent all day helping us work on our document prep. They are between projects and so the Family Search has them working two days at the Massachusetts state archives and two days here in New Hampshire. It is nice to see some new faces and we enjoy being with them. They think they will be here for about five weeks.
There have been a couple of nice days and we do see signs of Spring but then we woke up on Saturday morning to more snow. Although it left a dusting of snow on the cars it didn't require much more than a minute to clean up and move on. All senior couples were invited to the Joseph Smith memorial for a luncheon yesterday. What an amazing group of people. We had a wonderful Italian dinner and then they had us each tell a little about ourselves. That room was full of absolutely amazing accomplished people. I was surprised how strong the Spirit was as each got up to share a few thoughts about themselves. President Stoker concluded the dinner by speaking for a few minutes and I have come to understand why the young missionaries love him so much. He made each of us feel like we could do anything because we came out here not because of commitment only but because of consecration. As he talked I felt grateful that we had been able to serve a mission and had to keep reminding myself that if we hadn't come we would have missed special opportunities just like we were having right then. We concluded with a group pictures which I hope to put on the blog once they send it to us.
On the way back from Vermont I received a call from my friend, Pam Smith. Friends are so wonderful. We visited all the way back to Concord and it was a very fast trip! Scott wanted to find some books on Ancient history so he could learn more about what had happened long before the United States was the driving force in the world, so we drove down to Manchester. At Barnes and Noble he made a list of books that he wanted to read in the coming months and we are going to order them on the Kindle. On the way back from Manchester I decided that I needed to call my friend Helen Seacord. She is such a sweet person and her memory is so much like Grandpa Duncan who never missed a beat right to the end of her life and could tell you names and dates and relationships without pause. Helen mentioned that her baby brother Don who was 81 had died the day before. Helen is well into her 90s and told me that although he was 81 he was still her baby brother (be prepared Eden, Will, Peter, and Caleb--you will always be someones baby!). She is amazing.
I have come to realize that a mission is a time of refining and that is what I am trying to do. To be more honest about my weaknesses and then to take time to make those weaknesses become strength. Some times that can be uncomfortable because that means we have to become accountable for what we could have been doing better. I will let you know how all of that works out. Hopefully you will all be able to see a positive change. Have a great week and enjoy the opportunity to hear from the leaders of the Church next weekend. If Women's Conference is any indication it will be amazing!
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