One year ago on Tuesday of this week we will have been missionaries for one year. What an amazing year it has been and what great blessings we have received during that time.
Yesterday we went to the Joseph Smith Memorial for a luncheon with all the senior couples in our mission. One set of missionaries are single sisters. Very impressive and inspiring to realize they accepted the call and then received assignments that put them together for 18 months and they had never met before. It is easy to see the bond that has developed between the two of them. Many of the missionaries work at the memorial serving as guides and others that work there maintain the grounds which are indescribably beautiful. One of the couples work at Camp Joseph which is for girls camps, boy scout camps, and other ward activities. The rest of the missionaries work mostly in branches in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire supporting the members of the branch. The mission president and his wife along with two other couples who work in the office were also with us. The Adams (relatives of Christian) have received a new assignment and they will now be training and working with the missionaries so the missionaries can teach their new converts to search out their ancestors and take their names to the temple for baptism within three months of their own baptism. We are the only record preservation missionaries here although we have had the opportunity to meet with the Dukes who serve in Boston doing record preservation. It was a great day and after we ate each missionary couple was asked to share some experience they have had while serving. It was wonderful to hear so many inspiring stories. One of the sisters called them "tender mercies" and I had to agree. We have been a recipient of tender mercies so many times since we arrived here in Concord. When Scott shared for us he told them that one of the highlights for him has been teaching the Sunday School class to the 14-17 year olds and how impressed he was with those students and how we have grown to love them. It is true! After the various reports we received a special treat when one of the Elders got up and shared a poem he had written about serving a mission. He was introduced as the "Cowboy Poet" and the description was appropriate because the words were wonderful as he shared his testimony in poetry.
It has been so interesting to realize that life continues to go on for each of you even though we aren't there! Can you imagine that? We celebrated two birthdays and two anniversaries this month. We heard about Perry's week in training for the BYU Marching Band in which he is one of 17 Tuba players and practiced from 8 in the morning until 10 at night for one week and although he said it was hard he also said it was so much fun. We hear of Rachel getting ready to move to Salt Lake to begin her studies at the LDS business college. We enjoyed pictures on Aunt Amy's blog with pictures of Ruth celebrating her birthday this week. We heard about Caleb and Ava enjoying another season of soccer. We know that Owen started on the tennis team for one last year and Miriam has been enjoying being on the golf team at her school. Lincoln continues to earn merit badges even though he has already earned his Eagle and that Ellis is getting ready to begin his final phase as he starts on his Eagle project. You are all so busy and so impressive. I have loved sharing these moments. I think they have been even sweeter because right now we only imagine all the great experiences you are having. We know that in the blink of an eye our mission will end and we will again share first hand those happy experiences. Right now we are looking forward to seeing Bill and Bev in September and in October we will get to spend time with Kent and Becky. So grateful for the gospel and so thankful for a wonderful family. Have a great week.
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