January 17, 2016

This week flew by.  We had our office meeting on Monday and then the rest of the week went by so quickly.   How does time do that? 

Tuesday night after work we went to the mall and walked the hallways for a little exercise with the Spencer’s.  We are enjoying our time with them here.  My question then, does it do any good if you walk awhile and then stop at one of the vendors and have something to eat afterward??

Dennis had to have a car repaired and while he waited he went to the Goodwill and look what he found for $6.00. 

He was so thrilled, it hadn’t been out of the box and since we had one he let the Spencer’s have it.

We went to the Temple on Wednesday night with the Spencer’s.  We had a very quick session.  There were 4 women counting the 2 Temple workers that came into the session to help.  It is so peaceful and relaxing in the Temple; but I didn’t sleep during the session.  (too much) 

I heard that our friends are going on a great trip in March.  They are going from San Diego to Hawaii on a cruise and seeing the islands and then back.  It is a 15 day trip and should be lots of fun.  I am happy that they are going to have that opportunity, but will miss having fun with them.  (no envy or malice—only charity, right? Lol)

On Friday the Aldrich’s arrived at the mission office about noon.  We were so thrilled.  Another couple, the White’s, arrived about the same time.  We are so glad to have them here!  It was so much fun to visit with them about their experiences at the MTC and traveling across the great United States.  They are going to live in Arcade, New York (west of us and south of Buffalo)  There are 2 elders in that area and they are so happy to have a MLS couple they can have help them.  They were ready to be moved out of their car and into an apartment.  It is hard to live out of a suitcase.

 

The weather is a little colder, but still no snow.  While we were at church it started to snow and looked like it could get really serious, but as we drove closer to Rochester it got lighter and then quit.  It will probably start up again tonight.  The deer have been scarce since the beginning of hunting season, but they are beginning to show up near the roadside again.  It is so sad to see so many of them killed this way, and I imagine it doesn’t make the car owner very happy about it either.  We stopped to help a lady the other night with her flashers on.  She said that she was waiting for the police as her insurance company required a police report when hitting a deer. 

I think I have lost my taste for pizza here.  It tasted so good for the first part of our mission and we had some once a week or so; but it has lost its appeal at this point.  It’s funny how we go through times when something tastes better to us than others.  (chocolate and candy—will that ever lose its appeal??)

Friday about quitting time a set of missionaries called with a car that would not run.  It sounded like transmission trouble or rear end whatever (you know all those guy/auto terms)  Elder Merrill found a wrecker and told the elders we would bring them a loaner car on Saturday.  So we took the drive to Penn Yan and saw the missionaries.  They were very happy to have something to get around in.  I don’t know how they could be very effective without a car as they have so many miles to cover.  This state is so big; it boggles my mind.  The drive was beautiful and the country side was so pretty, even without the green.  There is so much beautiful farm ground here.  We were listening to tapes about the early pioneers and how much trouble they had farming in Utah (and probably Idaho) because the soils are so different.  The soil here is dark and rich without rock.  However, I think that they have to continually take out trees or they would lose their farms to foliage.  The Smiths spent years trying to clear their farm in Palmyra. 

We had a fantastic Sacrament meeting today.  It was on having a Christ centered family/home.  The high councilor, Brother Sageben, asked the 4 elders in our branch to talk about the good and bad things that had happened in their families.  One Elder said that his dad had to work in China for a while.  He would work 6 weeks and come home 2.  He said that it had been a really hard thing for them, but that it had also made them closer as a family.  One Elder said that his parents divorced about 2 years ago and that had been hard, but that he and his brother and mom had gotten so much closer and that the church and the scriptures had come to mean so much to them.  One elder told everyone that he regretted that he hadn’t spent much time with his parents and family prior to his mission and that he missed the times that he had been able to do things with them, especially his dad.  He and his dad had gone to tournaments for horseshoes.  They are both professional horseshoe players.  (I didn’t realize that was even a thing, but it is)  Brother Sageben warned us of things we must stay away from if we want to have a spiritual, Christ centered family and how quickly Satan can creep in and wage war with us.  (he especially addressed pornography and the effects of it)  He is a young doctor in Rochester at the teaching hospital.  He is in his residency.  He is a heart specialist and I was so impressed with him.  His talk was excellent.  He talked about the 12 point program for addiction and how we should all follow this program because we all have problems.  We are all sinners and need help.  Here are the steps:

The 12 Steps of the Addiction Recovery Program Sponsored by LDS Family Services

• Step 1—Honesty: Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable.
• Step 2—Hope: Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.
• Step 3—Trust in God: Decide to turn your will and your life over to the care of God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
• Step 4—Truth: Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of yourself.
• Step 5—Confession: Admit to yourself, to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority, and to another person the exact nature of your wrongs.
• Step 6—Change of Heart: Become entirely ready to have God remove all your character weaknesses.
• Step 7—Humility: Humbly ask Heavenly Father to remove your shortcomings.
• Step 8—Seeking Forgiveness: Make a written list of all persons you have harmed and become willing to make restitution to them.
• Step 9—Restitution and Reconciliation: Wherever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed.
• Step 10—Daily Accountability: Continue to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong promptly admit it.
• Step 11—Personal Revelation: Seek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord’s will and to have the power to carry it out.
• Step 12—Service: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message with others and practice these principles in all you do.

Isn’t that great?  Any problem at all can be dealt with using these steps.

After church we went over to the hospital to see one of our home teaching ladies.  She doesn't leave her house (usually) and hasn't seen a doctor in 16 years.  She was in pain yesterday and when she was admitted they thought that she had a blood clot in her leg or was going to have a stroke.  Today she said that they think her problem is diabetes.  Her blood sugar was over 400 and out of whack.  I guess they will keep her a couple more days and help her get feeling better.  

Funny:  One of the sister missionaries got out of her car and her cell phone slide off and landed on the ground and the battery came out and went into the storm drain.  Dennis was able to get it out with a long pole and a piece of sticky tape at the end of it.  Yahoo!  Tape man strikes again!

I have the stray battery now, any other requests?