This week was one of meetings. It all started on Monday with a pool of coolant appearing under the front of the car after we stopped at the bread store. Since the Olds is 15 years old, I was pretty sure I knew what was coming. Sure enough the radiator had a hole in it. Four hours in the dealer's waiting room and $462 later we have a new radiator. We needed it to be fixed as we had to attend two important meetings the coming week.
Tuesday was our last district meeting with our current missionaries before transfers next week. It seems these meetings become special testimony meetings. Sister Johnson and I feel like their parents and start giving them advice before they leave because it may be the last time we see them for a while. It's a special time with special people. At the very least they seem to tolerate us. Later on we went to the church so Sis. J. could practice the piano and I could practice cribbage with Bob Peters our investigator. When we arrived the hallway was awash with books (not totally unusual for me). These were books from the library of the sister that was murdered. Most were church related and weren't purchased by anyone at the auction. By the way her children feel the auction to sell her belongings was a success in that it was all taken care of for them by the auction company. It didn't hurt that the auction brought in more money than they expected.
Wednesday we shared with our LA mother and her non-member sister in Crystal Falls a DVD track narrated by Steve Young and Sharlene Hawkes. The title was "Myths about Mormons". It was well received and we went on to set up a weekly meeting with both of them. It is still amazing to me, although somewhat understandable, that many individuals still harbor erroneous beliefs about the church and its members. I think the "Book of Mormon" musical, the presence of mormon candidates for president and other newsworthy events will widen the dialogue and help increase understanding of what we, as a people, are all about. For all of our LDS friends and family...just remember the eyes of our friends, neighbors and indeed the world are always upon us. Remember to show them what being a disciple of Jesus Christ looks like in your everyday life.
Thursday we got up early to leave for Oshkosh (yes, where baby and work clothes are made...by gosh) for a special training meeting with the other senior missionaries. We were with 4 other couples, President Jones, sister Jones and 2 single sisters who work in the mission office.
Tuesday was our last district meeting with our current missionaries before transfers next week. It seems these meetings become special testimony meetings. Sister Johnson and I feel like their parents and start giving them advice before they leave because it may be the last time we see them for a while. It's a special time with special people. At the very least they seem to tolerate us. Later on we went to the church so Sis. J. could practice the piano and I could practice cribbage with Bob Peters our investigator. When we arrived the hallway was awash with books (not totally unusual for me). These were books from the library of the sister that was murdered. Most were church related and weren't purchased by anyone at the auction. By the way her children feel the auction to sell her belongings was a success in that it was all taken care of for them by the auction company. It didn't hurt that the auction brought in more money than they expected.
Wednesday we shared with our LA mother and her non-member sister in Crystal Falls a DVD track narrated by Steve Young and Sharlene Hawkes. The title was "Myths about Mormons". It was well received and we went on to set up a weekly meeting with both of them. It is still amazing to me, although somewhat understandable, that many individuals still harbor erroneous beliefs about the church and its members. I think the "Book of Mormon" musical, the presence of mormon candidates for president and other newsworthy events will widen the dialogue and help increase understanding of what we, as a people, are all about. For all of our LDS friends and family...just remember the eyes of our friends, neighbors and indeed the world are always upon us. Remember to show them what being a disciple of Jesus Christ looks like in your everyday life.
Thursday we got up early to leave for Oshkosh (yes, where baby and work clothes are made...by gosh) for a special training meeting with the other senior missionaries. We were with 4 other couples, President Jones, sister Jones and 2 single sisters who work in the mission office.
(l. to r. Elder and Sister Johnson, Sister Carrol, Sister Carling,
Sister And Elder Foutz, Elder and Sister Hunt,
Sister and Elder Bowring, Sister and Elder Wilkes, Sister Jones and President Jones)
It was a very spiritual meeting with training and suggestions coming from both President and Sister Jones and some of the Senior Missionaries. The Foutz and the Hunts will leave early next year and the Bowrings and Wilkes leave a year from now as they are serving for just a year. We will leave with President and Sister Jones around July of 2013. These are outstanding individuals with a real love for the work and with special abilities and gifts, that are helping the units where they have been called; which, by the way, is to all of the corners of the mission. We hail from UT, AZ, WA and WY. In "civilian" life we were ranchers, business owners, educators, civil servants, stay-at-home moms plus one was a librarian and another ran an Indian trading post for 30 years. We have one common goal, to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan.
Friday we awoke to a skiff of snow which I swept off of the deck then we visited with Jason for a lesson on prayer that Sister Johnson prepared and gave. He is getting more involved and is not so passive. I think it may be because he is now engaged and he is thinking more about the whole religion issue as his fiance' is not LDS. Sister Johnson worked some more to finish crocheting the little blue flowers and some new lists and other things for Saturday's Visit Teaching conference that are a part of her RS calling. Saturday was very cloudy and rainy with snow expected in the afternoon the VT conference came off very well and was well attended. The snow even waited until the meeting concluded. It is very helpful for our work for Sister Johnson to be involved as the RS secretary.
Sunday we found out that Elder Day is being transferred to West Bend having been called as a DL. His companion Elder Church, who came out when we did, will stay and train a brand new elder. New elders have a special 12 week training period with extra time for study. The missionary department is suggesting that new elders who have just been trained will be the best to train the next generation. Having trained and worked to develop programs I really think this concept has a lot of merit, we shall see.
The work continues and so do we,
Elder and Sister Johnson
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