Merry Christmas from the Mission!

To all our dear family members and friends whom we love so much, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed and peaceful New Year. Is it really going to be 2010? An entire decade has passed since all the scares and rumors about Y2K. It is truly God's world, and He doesn't need anyone telling how to keep it going.

We missed our family over Thanksgiving but had a lovely dinner with another couple in the mission at the home of their daughter. Elder Smith became ill with probably strep throat at the end of the day and spent the next week home sick. The same thing happened last year over Thanksgiving. He hopes this isn't becoming a trend.

We moved again! To the building right next door to a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with new blinds, appliances, etc. for the same rent we were paying for 1 bed and bath. We gave up our beautiful view of the mountains and gained a bathroom. Yeah! We still have a nice view of pine trees and grass when it isn't covered with snow. We are on the second floor instead of the 7th. Moving was a cinch (relatively speaking). We packed grocery carts and went underground from one freight elevator to another without having to go outside or pack the car. Our floor is so friendly and neighborly. Sister Smith calculated that we will save three hours of elevator time over the course of a year by eliminating five floors. Elder Smith thinks she is nuts for even thinking of it. (But I will have to do jumping jacks a lot faster!)

Christmas on Temple Square is so beautiful. The concerts and lights, potlucks and more concerts are just wonderful. The mission president and his wife gave us tickets for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert in the beautiful Conference Center with Natalie Cole, David McCullough, the Bells on Temple Square, and dancers galore. It was spectacular.

We're pretty wimpy, though, when it comes to mingling with the crowds at night who come to see the lights on Temple Square. We don't handle 22 degree weather very well! Brrrrr!!

To those of you who are working in New FamilySearch on your family history: The word from this morning's Family History Department with our presidency and some of the General Authorities is that right now, as you know, there is much cleaning up to do in the way of duplications and errors. The analogy was that it is like trying to clean up a pile of dirt with a tablespoon; however, in a year we will be using backhoes. It is very exciting to see the work progress. Elder Smith is much more up to date with it all than I am since he teaches it every day.

The mission office is the best place in the world for me. I can't imagine working with better people. Our president is just phenomenal. He is working miracles with our young missionaries, most of whom are trying so very hard. They are computer geniuses and do so much good in the mission. One of our dear elders, only 24 years old, was able to leave the hospital this past weeked after being at Primary Children's Hospital for 2 1/2 months with complications from spina bifida. What faith and courage it takes for some of these young missionaries to serve their missions through such overwhelming obstacles. Our zone leader and his wife in World Wide Support just received a letter signed by President Monson asking them to report to D R Congo

as soon as possible to replace a couple who had to leave immediately because the husband suffered a heart attack. We never know when or where the Lord will call us next.

We encourage you to seek out your ancestors. Find out all you can. They were real people and lived out their times here on earth just like we are. We know they want to be found and remembered. They know who YOU are and want you to know THEM! President Wilford Woodruff said: "Oh, I wish many times that the veil were lifted off the face of the Latter-day Saints. I wish we could see and know the things of God as they do who are laboring for the salvation of the human family who are in the spirit world; for if this were so, this whole people, with very few, if any, exceptions, would lose all interest in the riches of the world, and instead thereof their whole desires and labors would be directed to redeem their dead."

What greater gift can we give to our Father in Heaven who gave us life than to work to bring together the whole family of God.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

May we each recognize and feel the glory, the peace, the wonder, and the unspeakable love that came to earth that holy night when all of heaven rejoiced at the savior's birth.

Merry Christmas!

We're still here!

Hopefully this will assuage my daily guilt over never having the time or energy to write. Elder Smith and I really are loving our mission. Every day is different and never boring, even though we are involved in office and computer work. The new mission presidency is building on the work done before and taking the mission to greater heights. We have 452 full-time senior missionaries, 91 Young Missionaries, and 836 part-time Church-service missionaries. The Young Missionaries are phenomenal, serving in spite of overwhelming challenges. One of our young elders has been in the hospital for a month now after complications from a clogged shunt. He, like a few others, has spina bifida. Yet they come to fullfill their life's dream of serving a mission for the Lord.

I have nick-named the Presidency the slice-and-dice team, as they continue to streamline, reduce, and eliminate programs and many of the massive reports. If it doesn't serve the purpose of the mission directly, it has to go. I am grateful that I can now go home at a reasonable time instead of 6:00-7:00 p.m. Assuming the jobs of two sisters plus the increased secretarial duties for our new president was simply not possible. I could have worked around the clock and still not have finished. We have a wonderful assistant secretary, so life is good.

Elder Smith has been teaching many new missionaries including an 85 year old widow whose great-great grandfather Alexander McCrae was in Liberty Jail with the prophet Joseph Smith. Alexander was the tall red-haired man who was too tall to stand up in the jail. He also taught the former chief personnel director for the Library of Congress.

Sister Smith continues to teach the mission president how to use the computer, which must be terribly amusing to her family that she can teach ANYBODY about the computer. I've actually become quite competent.

Elder Smith is very excited to be finding so many of his own ancestors. Sister Smith is so busy in the office that research time for her has dwindled.

Our Saturdays are spent doing regular "P-day" activities - cleaning, laundry, Costco (Elder Smith's favorite) and exploring Salt Lake City, driving through the beautiful canyons, going to the varous temples (We have been able to do over 100 sealings for our ancestors in the past two months.), visiting our nephew Greg Schern and his family in Ogden, etc. Autumn has been very beautiful here. The mountains have been blanketed in colors. We had our first snow followed by beautiful sunny weather the last few days. Alas, it will change again next week. We enjoy finding new places to eat. The Mandarin in Bountiful is our all-time favorite. It is seven miles to Nielson's Frozen Custard in Bountiful!

Sister Smith can get in 24 jumping-jacks in the apartment elevator from the 7th floor to the underground parking. That is good since Elder Smith keeps wanting her to share his desserts in the Church Office Building cafeteria.

Sister Smith is still singing in the Elijah Mission Choir.

In August we attended the Martin Harris Pageant in Clearfield. Cold! Brrrr! Glad we took coats and blankets. We went to the annual Swiss Days in Midway near Heber City. We were part of an up and coming performing group of old missionaries that lip-sinced (sp?) a R & R song for our Hail and Farewell party. We were the Fat Rascals!

We have had visits from Ruth and Richard Farnsworth, our son Mike Schern, our daughter Sherry Stevens and her family, Jason, Maddy, and Jaxon, and our daughter-in-law Kristen's parents. We have cherished those special visits with family and friends. We are so thankful for the constant watchcare which the Lord gives our families as they seem to incur one crisis after another on a weekly basis: surgery, paint-ball gun blast to the neck, lacerated foot, dead horse, one daddy with flu falling down the stairs. Enough already!!!

Elder Smith and I served as sentinels for the beautiful art exhibit at the Conference Center several Sunday evenings. We loved attending the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference. It is very special to feel the spirit of conference there in person. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke to all the missionaries in a temple devotional the Wednesday of Conference. He read excerpts from his grandfather's journal, a real treasure.

Elder Smith and I collected 51 white shirts, 129 neckties, and 18 pairs of reading glasses that we took to our nephew in Ogden. He will ship all he's collected to his parents who are serving in the Fiji Suva mission in the Republic of Vanuatu on the teensy island of Espiritu Santo where the people have nothing. We hardly mentioned it, and the donations came pouring in.

The most important thing we have to tell about our mission is that it IS the work of the Lord. The inspiration, revelation, and miracles that take place in this great work are many, and most are too sacred to even share. Lives are changed, people are able to do the impossible, and the bonds of eternal friendships and families are forged in testimony and sealed in covenants on both this side and on the other side of the veil. We know the work of God will go forth, and no power can stop it. What peace that gives us in this ever darkening world. Our prayers are with our dear family and friends.

Pioneers, Builders of the Nations

We are thankful for a 4 day, much needed weekend. I'll never be able to catch up the last sixweeks, so I will just have to begin from today with what I remember. Most days are 10 to 13 hours from when we leave the front door to when we return. Elder Smith is usually able to finish earlier than I am. When we get back to our aparment, I am just too tired to write. We have truly loved all the pioneer commemorations here including picnics, the Tabernacle Choir concert in the Conference Center, singing in the Elijah Choir pioneer concert, watching the Pioneer Days of '47 Parade from right outside the front door of our apartment on the 24th, and even performing with 4 other couples singing pioneer songs and dancing the Virginia Reel on stage for our branch of about 400+ missionaries (a real first for Elder Smith!). Glenn did a part of the narration and played a hand drum. We must never forget our pioneer heritage, the sacrifices made for future generations, and the legacy of faith left to us. I know we must write our own stories and make sure, in this world of depravity and declining values, that our children and grandchildren and all those who follow will have these stories of faith and testimony to carry with them in their hearts.

Our former mission president, Ronald T. and Linda Halverson, invited the administration zone and spouses to their beautiful cabin outside of Morgan, Utah. What a picturesque setting on the bend of a river that winds around their rustic cabin surrounded by giant trees, rolling green grass, and a trout filled pond.There were about 40 of us, and we had a marvelous time.
President H deep-fried in a big pot 300 huge shrimp and with steaks on the grill and yummy homemade rolls, baked potatoes, salads, it was a feast like no other. We shot skeet (Do I have that right?) and I got one with a 16 guage (missed a bunch!). We went on a pioneer "trek" by car and followed the Mormon trail. What a beautiful place at the backside of Big Mountain where Mary Fielding Smith's ox died and where Johnson's Army camped, the rock wall the Mormons built on top of the pass to fend off the army should they begin shooting. President H was telling the story to a group of people once with Elder M. Russell Ballard present. Elder Ballard cheerfully and politely corrected him and said that it was Mary Fielding Smith herself who annointed the ox and restored it to life. The ox got back on its feet and pulled their wagon on to the Salt Lake Valley, beating the captain who didn't want her on the trip in the first place by about two hours. Many of you know the story but have not known that it was she who blessed the ox and raised it up. We stopped to see the Overland Trail way station, way off the road, the original little building that people have kept up and are living in - not members of the Church. The pouring down rain stopped right before we returned to the cabin and dampened everything but our spirits. The evening concluded with Pres. Tom Davis, counselor in the presidency, reciting his hilarious cowboy poems and Elder Marvin Kuchar, Training Zone leader and retired BYU chemistry prof, showing us slides and telling us more intimate details of the mummys he was sent to Egypt to study. Absolutely fascinating. It was a beautiful, memorable trip.

Our new mission president is Dennis E. Simmons and his wife Carolyn. He is a former member of he 2nd Quorum of Seventy, mission preident in Africa, and president of the Logan Temle. They are really lovely people. My first two weeks in the mission office, Sister Simmons and Sister Staples, the assistant secretary, were out with pneumonia. What a time I had!!!

One day we were returning to the Joseph Smith Bldg underground from the cafeteria when we stopped on the sidewalk by the door for the cart carrying Presient Eyring, President Uctdorf, and Elder Oaks to go by. What a treat to share big waves and smiles, especially from Pres. Uctdorf.

On the lighter side, we enjoy finding good places to eat. There is a new food court going in across the street in the refurbished high-rise. Right now only McDonald's (of course) and a really good Chinese place are there. MMMM. On the Fourth of July we drove up the mountain north of us and watched fireworks going off all across the valley from the grassy park of a stake center there. I was glad we had a blanket and jacket. (Eat your heart out, Mesa!) The weather is great for me, but the Utah natives think it is beastly hot. In the winter, you can be the ones laughing, Mesa. Too cold for me! We love to go on impromptu trips driving through the many beautiful canyons. (You'd think we have lots of time on our hands. We don't!)

How wonderful to see all the Temples here. Elder Smith went to the Bountiful Temple last week with the new missionaries on their Go Forth day. He said it is his favorite. I was too busy in admin zone to go. Next time!

This weekend we drove to Ogden to the beautiful 1918 era home that my nephew and his wife, Greg and Melanie Schern, just bought. What a Norman Rockwell house and neighborhood. It was just wonderful to see them, two other nieces and their families and 8 of our great-nieces and nephews. Elder Smith said it was the "family fix" we needed. We had a cook-out, told stories and laughed our heads off. Yesterday we all met at the open house of the beautiful new Oquirrh Mountain Temple in South Jordan. What a sweet experience. We hope you all will have the opportunity to visit a temple open house.

An update on our grandson, Danny Branch, for whom so many of you prayed and fasted for so long. He is continuing to recover and make progress at his parents' home in Mesa. Another miracle was manifested when he was able to baptize his wife Ashley all by himself on June 20. He had to immerse her twice, and he was shaking, but he did it, and most wonderful of all, SHE did it! We have no words to express our gratitude for the goodness of our Heavenly Father. There is nothing more important or more precious than the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Light of Christ, and ultimately the blessings of His Holy House, which we all seek, and most all people would if they knew where to find it. (See p. 73 of July Ensign) I believed it then, and I know it now with all my heart.

Where was I? So much to remember!

View from our balcony.

In the mountains on Saturday.

Beautiful flowers everywhere.

View from our balcony.

The days are flying by like a whirlwind. It is easy to lose track of time. Sometimes I leave at 6:00 a.m. and don't return to the apartment until after 5:00 p.m., too tired to eat supper until after a short nap, and then it's late. The learning curve is HIGH for both Elder Smith and me in our new assignments. He is just about ready to start teaching new missionaries, and I'm not sure what I'm ready for. I am still working back and forth between the mission president's wife's office and the secretary's office since I will be doing both jobs. At least that's the plan, but I still haven't figured out how to make two of me yet. Elder Smith and I love working in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The people are just wonderful. We still find time to go to the library, especially on Saturdays, to work on our certification books and on our own family history. The resources there are like no other, and the biggest regret some missionaries have when they leave to go home from this mission is that they have failed to use their time here to work on their genealogy. The following was quoted in a devotional this last month: "Going to the Temple without doing our own family history is like fasting without paying fast offerings." There is a time and a season, though, and you young mothers with lots of children ARE doing your family history! You're making it happen!

I told Elder Smith I wasn't going to the library or anywhere until this apartment got cleaned. So we jumped in, and one and a half hours later, it is spotless. He is now resting up before we finally head out for the library.

The missionaries in the JSMB keep the following site minimized on their computers, ready to pull it up when the chirping begins. Go to: wildlife.utah.gov/peregrine

Peregrine falcons have been coming to nest on the side of the JSMB way up toward the northeast corner for years. Someone actually built a box on the side of the building and installed a camera and microphone. Click on camera 2. These falcons are quite fascinating. They can fly 200 mph. They kill pigeons and bring the dead birds to the nest to feed to the babies. There is one egg that has not hatched and probably won't. When Elder Smith first watched them, he said, "Aw, this is liking watching grass grow," but now he is hooked. The mission has adopted this little falcon family and is cheering them on.

We had a wonderful time going to the symphony with President and Sister Nielson and are going to miss them SOOO much when they go home the end of this month. We are in the middle of so many changes and transitions right now preparing for new leadership. I am going to miss our mission president's wife, Sister Linda Halverson, terriby. It has been such a blessing to have worked so closely with her this past month. They are going to have a combination monthly birthday party and zone "last hurrah" party at their cabin next Saturday. President Halverson has done an incredible job and has "grown" this mission in remarkable ways.

Last Monday evening we went with our missionary activity group (the group that came in together on Jan. 5) to watch "Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration". I just cry more every time I see it. Then we walked to JB's for supper or dessert. There were twelve of us. A couple sitting at a booth next to us mentioned that they were from Indiana. Of course I began talking to them about where in Indiana, things we love about Indiana. I told them I was from there. When our group was ready to leave and asked for our bills, (We had requested separate checks.), the waiter said we were all paid for. The couple from Indiana had paid for our whole table and didn't want us to know until they were gone. We never got their names. We pray they will be blessed for their generosity.

Two weeks ago we attended the US/Canada zone party for Family Home Evening and even did a little line dancing. Over Memorial Day weekend, we headed out through one of the canyons and picked wild flowers and enjoyed the incredible beauty of Utah. We went to the Hill Airforce Base Museum on Memorial Day. If any of you have the opportunity to visit it when you come, it is well worth the time.

Last night Elder Smith and I walked down to the park near us and enjoyed a great concert. They have free concerts on Tuesday and Friday evenings beginning in June and running through August. It was a little chilly (in the 60's. Ha!), but we had fun and the rain held off.

Last week we had another wonderful devotional in the Temple chapel with Elder Marlin K. Jensen. What a humble, good man. Elder Smith and I were able to shake hands with him and visit with him for a few minutes afterwards which was very special.

President Halverson has asked all the missionaries in the Family and Church History Mission to join together in a special fast tomorrow for the purposes of increasing the numbers of missionaries and increasing the spirituality in the zones. The zones are "robbing Peter to pay Paul" and borrowing missionaries from each other. The economy has taken its toll on senior missionaries' ability to fund missions. We need greater faith to prioritize and sacrifice for this sacred work. We are down to 413 senior missionaries in this mission as of last month's statistical reports. Thirty new ones are coming in, but many more are needed.

From the Administration Zone Journal: "Some come on missions in wheel chairs, on crutches, and those who walk and work in constant pain, and yet all are willing to serve. To add to the magic of it all, we work long hours, struggle to learn new tasks, leave the rearing of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to those we have taught, and we then pay our own way. Our daily prayers contain the words of thanks to our Heavenly Father for the call to serve Him, and we count it as blessings to be able to do so." After Elder Smith finishes folding the laundry and I get my shoes on, it's off to the library.

Mother's Day in the Mission

Sweet cards, grandchildren's drawings, phone calls, music, emails. All so dear to a mother's heart. I miss them all.

What greater gift to a grandmother than to have a beloved grandson's life spared and to hear of his steady improvement, looking to the day that he can go home to stay. Such gratitude to all who have remembered him in prayers and fasting cannot be expressed.

Messages from Salt Lake Stake Conference April 26, 2009
From Elder Patrick Price, Area Authority Seventy: Felt to change his talk and give us instruction "so that we will know how to act." "...to find out what the Lord would have me do and how," Pres. Eyring. He talked about the importance of keys and quoted Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve. "...Apostle, only office that has all the keys - rights, responsibility, authority. Keys are a channel for the receipt of revelation." "The doctrine of Keys is the doctrine of love, the way Heavenly Father takes care of his children in heaven and on earth." Elder Price continued, "Keys are the power that binds in heaven and on earth." He quoted Elder Holland who said, "If you live within your income, you'll have to live without some things. Two of those are fear and worry."
The story was told of a Denver Temple security guard who watched a little boy crossing the street repeatedly in front of the Temple. When the guard asked the boy why he was crossing the street over and over again, the little boy responded, "Doesn't it just feel better on the Temple side? Do you feel the difference?" I hope we can all feel the difference when we are on the Temple side.
President Sorenson, the stake president, spoke on the following principles: Things we should do daily: prayer, scripture study, service, Temple worthiness and attendance when possible.
Finances: Tithing, fast offerings, reserve, home storage.
Love our neighbors.
Guard influences that come into our homes. Our homes will be protected from corrosive influences, and we will feel the Holy Ghost in our lives if we live by these standards.
Tulips push through great obstacles to reach the sun. What will we do, how hard will we push to reach the Son?

Changes

We are soooo behind in writing. We have been on the 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. shift in the library for most of the past month which makes it difficult to keep up with life. There are leaves on the trees and flowers everywhere. The sky is blue most days. Two weeks ago at our Monday morning devotional in the chapel of the JSMB, Elder Smith and I were finally "up" to give our three minute life sketches. We had hoped in vain that we had been forgotten. Every missionary who comes here has to do this. After three minutes a sister in front holds up a little red 3 minute sign. After another few seconds, the missionary gets "gonged" if still talking. We both got "gonged." (I think she was quick on the bell.) Can you imagine giving your whole life story in three minutes at our age? Can you imagine Sis. Smith saying ANYTHING in three minutes or less? The talks have to be written out. We're glad that's over.
Last Monday evening we attended the Hail and Farewell luau in our branch for the new and outgoing missionaries. It was so much fun, complete with Polynesian dancers and flowers everywhere. Upon returning to our apartment, we learned that our next-door neighbor's husband had passed away that morning, and with her children gathered there in there apartment, her two-year old grandson had gone missing. Poor Sis. Mason was so distraught. We quickly joined the other residents and police in searching for the little guy who turned up happily playing games on the third floor in some poor old soul's apartment.
Our jobs have been pretty routine as we have continued to work in our own certification books and help patrons in the library. We are actually able to help and answer questions on our own now.
But alas!! We have been TRANSFERRED!!!! Elder Smith is being reassigned to the Training Zone in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, hereafter known as the JSMB. He will be training new missionaries and will have a new crop each month. He will have an incredible zone leader, Elder Kuchar, a retired BYU chemistry professor, the one who was called to Egypt to do fabric analyses on the mummies. Elder Smith begins his own new training on Monday, May 11. I am excited for him. (They always have very yummy treats in the morning in his zone.) Sister Smith was asked last Tuesday to be the secretary for the mission president, also in the JSMB, in the Administration Zone. Sister Smith nearly passed out but had to stay conscious since she had to begin her duties this past Thursday morning. With only a day to say goodbye to the friends I'd made in the library and clean out my messy locker, I made the transition with more butterflies than I've seen all spring or in ANY spring. Our mission president, President Halverson, told us that now that we will be working in separate zones, we will have to attend parties in both zones. I told him that was sad, but somebody has to do it.
We were looking forward to coming home from our mission in two years being somewhat knowledgeable in family history so that we could be a help to others working on their own genealogy. Elder Smith will come home the expert, while Sister Smith will come home with a knot in her brain.
My first two days in Admin were actually much less stressful than I had anticipated. The differences between secretarial work in the offices of the "world" and those of the Lord's kingdom are vast. I spent the first entire day with Sis. Halverson and yesterday morning, with Sis. Hansen, the secretary whom I am replacing, and Sis. Halverson again in the afternoon. There is soooo much to learn. The love, laughter, expertise, organization, standard of excellence, spirituality, etc. that exist in that environment truly testify of Him for whom we labor.

Spring on a Sunday at Temple Square

Tulips know just when to push through the soil, snow, wind, and storm to reach for the sun. How hard do we push our way through the obstacles of life to reach for the Son?

Elder Smith after a superb stake conference in Assembly Hall.

Sentiments in Spring

Spring is finally coming to Salt Lake City, even though I still wear my heavy coat and even boots. The blossoms on the trees and flowers are beautiful. I've never seen such lovely tulips before. We continue to work hard and keep very, very busy. The library is getting busier and busier. It is really exciting to be able to help patrons find their ancestors and to see the thrill on their faces. General Conference was just wonderful, of course. It was the first time we have ever attended a live session of Conference, and it was a very special experience. I have been in the Conference Center before but not for Conference. What a magnificent building it is. Watching 21,000 people file out when it is over is like watching ants. It is amazing. We hooked up with Ned and Lydia Smith on Saturday before Conference. They came to our apartment after the Sunday afternoon session for dinner. We had such a wonderful visit and talked ourselves to death. They reported to the MTC on Monday prior to their going to Nauvoo. Ned is really excited about getting to drive a team of horses, and Lydia hopes she can sew fast enough. It was great to see them.
I am singing in a quartet with Evelyn Nielson tomorrow in Relief Society. She is so much fun. They are such a blessing to this mission and will be sorely missed. The Elijah Choir that Sis. Nielson and I sing with is presenting an Easter program Monday morning, April 13 at the weekly devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building chapel.
I was walking by myself to go into the library this past week when Mack Wilberg passed me and said hello. Swoon. (Ha!) Last evening Elder Smith and I attended the Bells on Temple Square concert in the filled-to-capacity Tabernacle. What a magnificent performance! I don't have words to describe it. If you ever have an opportunity to hear them, don't miss it. Your children would be mesmerized as you would be. What a spiritual, cultural feast in preparation for Easter.
Thank you again for your prayers for our grandson. It appears that he has turned a corner and may be on an upward climb to recovery. If it were not for the prayers and fasting of so many and the tender miracles that the Lord has granted, he would not be with us. He has a long road ahead still, but at least the road is there.
At this Easter time, we testify that Jesus Christ is truly the only begotten Son of God, our eternal Father. He is our Savior and Redeemer. He suffered for each one of us, for our sins, our sadnesses, and our afflictions, for our grandson and children and all of your children and grandchildren and for all of you and every single soul. How great and wonderful He is. We love Him and desire to give our lives to Him. Every morning when I see the sun rise, I am reminded over and over again that the Son DID rise for us all.

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today!

I love Easter weekend. I love the music that tells of the Resurrection. I love our Easter feasts. I love the flowers and strawberries and eggs and all the things that are part of our traditions that remind us of our Savior. It is all that Easter symbolizes that causes us to yearn to find our kindred dead. President Wilford Woodruff said,

"Oh, I wish many times that the veil were lifted off the face of the Latter-day Saints. I wish we could see and know the things of God as they do who are laboring for the salvation of the human family who are in the spirit world; for if this were so, this whole people with very few, if any, exceptions, would lose all interest in the riches of the world, and instead thereof their whole desires and labors would be directed to redeem their dead."

The Elijah Choir sang for the noon devotional for Church Service Missionaries Thursday. Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Quorum of the Seventy, the Church Historian and Recorder, spoke. It was a wonderful presentation. He said that he is concerned that the members of the Church do not have and feel the awe, the respect, and the reverance for our Heavenly Father and for Jesus Christ that they should. He said that he personally does not refer to the Savior as his brother because it feels too familiar and just not reverential. I have felt that myself but just thought it was me.
He has been in charge of the Joseph Smith Papers project. He said he is sure that the Church is making more out of Joseph Smith in this Papers project than Joseph would want us to. Why do we do it? In order that millions shall come to Jesus Christ and know the greatness of God.
Some interesting facts he shared: He is involved in Mormon historiography (which he had never heard of) which means the science of Mormon history. "The Whitmer cabin replica where the Church was organized isn't all that accurate, and some day when the Church isn't mired in this recession, perhaps will rebuild it to make it accurate."
If Joseph Smith were a fraud, why would he have written, "There shall be a record kept." Elder Jensen said that from his experience as an old, broken-down lawyer, he has learned that the first thing anyone wants to do to get out of trouble or to hide something is to get rid of the record.
He told the story of George A. Smith. He wore a toupee, eye glasses, and false teeth. He loved to take them off in the presence of the Indians. The Indians called him, "Non choco wicher" (sp?) meaning, "Man who comes apart."
In the 1970's Dean Jesse began assembling the papers of Joseph Smith. Larry Miller, recently deceased owner of the Utah Jazz, became acquainted with Dean Jesse and caught the vision of the Papers. The Papers Project would not be possible without the generous invaluable contributions of Larry Miller.
Re: Doctrine and Covenants
How many of us know that Section 1 is a preface. Section 133 is the appendix. Sections 3 and 10 deal with the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. Section 4 deals with Joseph and Emma Smith's marriage. Joseph paid $200 for the house he bought from Emma's father, Mr. Hale. The deed was in both Joseph and Emma's names. It was legally written and prepared by Oliver Cowdery, an attorney, on April 6, 1829. It was the spring of 1828 when Martin Harris lost the manuscript. This was a very difficult time for the Smiths that often isn't recognized. She had also lost another baby during this time.
Elder Jensen said, "What does all this mean to us on a personal level?" He recounted the experience he had as a mission president taking new missionaries on their first day to the Sacred Grove to dedicate themselves to the mission and taking them again on their last day to account to the Lord for their service. He bore fervent testimony of the restored Gospel, of the Savior, and of Joseph Smith. He said that in all the Joseph Smith Papers, there is nothing there to hide, to be embarrassed about, or to denigrate the Prophet in any way. He said the world will know of the goodness of Joseph Smith.

This Week

Following some beautiful spring weather, we have enjoyed a snow storm today. The tulips and daffodils completely ignored it.
This evening we had a Mexican potluck dinner and get-together for those missionaries going home. Now that we have been here for almost three months and are making friends, it is hard to see these dear people leave. We sat with the Nielson's and had a wonderful visit. They are always anxious to hear news from home.
Our mission president spoke to us during our Monday morning devotional and said that the economy is definitely reaching into our missionary force. Fewer members world wide are able to replace those who are finishing their missions and returning home. Next month we will have 30 going home and only about eleven new missionaries coming. It is sobering.
Sis. Smith has been called as the branch music director.
Yesterday we had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the dedication of the new Draper Temple via live broadcast in our stake center. Our branch had a shortened block of meetings. Then everyone vacated the building and then re-entered (including the entire stake) with our Temple recommends and white handkerchiefs. It was a beautiful, special occasion and a first for Elder Smith.
We are thankful for the dear people and the wonderful spirit that are ever-present in this mission. Our hearts are heavy as our grandson Danny Branch, who came successfully through his surgery, is now fighting for his life and fighting to save his left leg which is being overtaken with infection. We know he is totally in the Lord's hands; yet we are pleading hour by hour for a miracle to turn this around and put him on the road to recovery. Life is such a mixture of trials and blessings.

Duty, Dinner, Devotionals

The other morning about 7:40 as I was walking back to our apartment from choir practice (underground), a security guard had me wait for a moment so I wouldn't get run over by the carts (like multi-seated golf carts) carrying Elder Robert D. Hales and Elder Richard G. Scott who were going to the Thursday morning meeting of General Authorities in the Temple. What a nice way to begin the day to see the servants of the Lord in their places quietly going about doing their duties.



Last Monday evening we had a terrific branch party (A branch is like a ward. Our congregation is huge and is designated a branch instead of a ward because we do not have Primary, Young Men, or Young Women. We are all just adult, both young and old, missionaries.) It was our every-other-month Hail and Farewell party to say hello to in-coming missionaries and farewell to those who are going home. It had an Irish theme. The food was delicious, decorations super, entertainment was great. A missionary from Ireland sang, we had some fun group singing, and an award-winning group of cloggers danced. They were fabulous. The only thing I wished for was that I could have been dancing with them.



Last Wednesday the Elijah Choir sang at noon for a Church Service Missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building chapel where we have most of our devotionals. Elder (oh, I forgot his first name) Klopfer gave the most amazing talk. He has served on the Church music committee since 1983. He was born in East Germany in 1936 to parents who were members of the Church. He was a child prote'ge' and was the branch organist when he was six years old. He is an accomplished pianist and organist (Every day he plays the piano in the Church Office building cafeteria all during the lunch period.), former bishop and stake president. He didn't talk about music, however. He told the story of his family who lived in Nazi Germany. His father was the mission president and then was forced to join the German Army. He told how dangerous it was when Hitler was in power and about the bombings. One day when his father had taken his mother, his little brother and him to the mission home to do some work, a soldier came by and told them that he expected there would be bombs dropped and warned them to leave for their safety. During the night the mission home was destroyed by bombs. He told of several times when his family was miraculously saved. He recalled the last time he saw his father. After tearful goodbyes, his father went off to fight with the German Army. They never saw or heard from him again. In 1948 a man came to visit his mother, Sis. Klopfer. He told her that her husband had been captured by the Russians and forced into hard labor. The man was next to Bro. Klopfer when he finally died of hunger. He resolved that he would find a way to tell Bro. Klopfer's widow what had happened to her husband. He survived and walked a thousand miles to his home, first stopping to find Sis. Klopfer and give her the sad news.
Sis. Klopfer felt strongly that she had to get her two sons to America. With the help of Walter Stover, the mission president who replaced her husband (You may recall Pres. Monson mentioning Pres. Stover), and at the risk of their lives, with courage and tenacity and through strategy, she was able to escape from East Germany. Sis. Klopfer and her youngest son separated from Elder Klopfer so that if they were caught, they would not all be punished or killed. Sis. Klopfer and her sons managed to get off a train in the middle of the night undetected. They met up with Pres. Stover who put them in the back of his car. He told them when they went through the checkpoint at the border, they would be stopped and searched. He promised them that if they sat perfectly still, did not make a sound, not even a cough, that even though the soldiers would shine spotlights directly on them, by the power of the Priesthood and in the name of Christ, they would not be seen. Just as Pres. Stover promised, they were stopped. He had his papers in order and was clear to go through to the West. Spotlights were shone into the car on every nook and cranny as Sis. Klopfer and her little boy remained still and silent, but they were never seen and were able to safely cross the border.
In the meantime, Sis. Klopfer had instructed her older son, Elder Klopfer, that he would need to ride the bicycle and cross the border. They had managed to take the bike with them on the train and get it off with them. She gave him instructions that he was to act as stupid as possible. He was to pretend that he didn't know anything. He had no papers or identification on him whatsoever. She hugged him and prayed for him, not knowing exactly how it was going to work out. At the appointed meeting place in the West, they fearfully awaited Elder Klopfer who was about three hours late. At last he appeared. He said his mother asked him, "What happened to you?" Apparently he looked quite disheveled and terrified. She asked him how he had gotten through the checkpoint and across the border. He told us that he had absolutely no recollection whatsoever at that time, nor has he ever had any remembrance of what happened or how he crossed the border. He was about 14 years old at the time. He is looking forward to getting on the other side of the veil where he can finally find out what happened and how he made it across. From there they were able to get to Holland and obtained passage from Holland to America and went on to Salt Lake City. It was a harrowing story. I found my heart beating rapidly and sitting on the edge of my choir seat as he told his amazing story.

Elder Smith and I home teach (The senior missionaries home teach as couples here.) a 19 year old missionary who lives alone (Rules are different here!). He has cerebral palsy caused by a stroke he had in-utero when amniotic fluid got into his brain. His mother delivered him four weeks early at 4 lbs. He is just amazing. He plans on being a bio-chemist or bio-physicist. He was able to complete two years of college during his last two years of high school. He came for dinner yesterday and was such a delight. I do not know how it is possible for one thin human being to eat as much as he did. It was so much fun to feed him. He has endeared himself to us. He does get lonely but is so upbeat and positive. He has physical limitations and a little quirkiness that seems to accompany such situations, but he is very likable. We need a dictionary to keep up with his vocabulary. He works in the Church History Department on the computer. He uses a walking stick, and even with his back and knee issues, can walk faster than I can. He has so far to walk each day. The sacrifices some of the missionaries make to serve the Lord because they WANT to and have CHOSEN to is humbling and inspiring.

This morning Elder William O. Nelson, former secretary to President Ezra Taft Benson and the Quorum of the Twelve spoke on the prophecies and the signs of the last days. It was incredible. It is so amazing to be living in the very days of which the Prophets warned and foretold. We are there! There are two great categories of the Signs of the Times: 1. Signs pertaining to the restoration of the Gospel 2. Signs pertaining to calamities, judgments, and increase of evil. "How do we prepare for the Second Coming? Well, you just do not worry about it. You just live the kind of life that if the Second Coming were to be tomorrow, you would be ready. Nobody knows when it is going to happen...Our responsibility is to prepare ourselves, to live worthy of the association of the Saviour, to deport ourselves in such a way that we would not be embarrassed if He were to come among us. That is a challenge in this day and age." Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

There is an intense effort under way here in Salt Lake City to have everyone prepared for any kind of emergency. Emphasis seems to be on civil unrest or earthquake. The missionaries, all of us, are to have a three month supply, sufficient water, "grab and go" kits, etc. Elder Smith and I are on the emergency preparedness committee for the branch. All the bishops in the stake have been given two-way emergency radios. The wards and branches are being divided into sections with members responsible for contacting other members in their sections and responding and reporting. We are being given placards to put on the outside of our doors letting emergency personnel know if we are okay, need help but can wait, need help immediately, or have left. (green, yellow, red, and blue). Quite a system is being put in place. This is the Readers' Digest version. Actually, it is rather ominous but "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

Testimony

Today is fast and testimony Sunday. I love this day. I love being able to fast, even though I know I "am not supposed to". With all my heart I bear testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is true. I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God, our Heavenly Father. I know He is our Savior and Redeemer and that He bought us and ransomed us with His blood and His love. I know that He restored His only Church on the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith, whom I love and revere. I absolutely know that the Book of Mormon is truly another testament of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful, priceless record of scripture it is. I know that Elder Smith and I are serving a mission in this part of the Lord's vineyard to help in saving our kindred dead. I know they are reaching out to be found. I know that this Church is led by a true prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, today. Through prayer and sincere intent, everyone living can know these things. I know our Heavenly Father is mindful of each one of us. No one is hidden or lost to the Lord. I am so grateful for his sustaining, miraculous, loving care of our dear grandson, Danny Branch, who is enduring a difficult illness with so much suffering. I know that the atonement of our Savior will cover Danny and his devoted wife Ashley, their darling little Ellie, and his parents and brothers who all are going through this ordeal together. I know that all they are suffering will be for their eternal good. I love the Gospel and the Lord who gave it. This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Sis. Smith

Another Week

Yeah! March is here. Hopefully spring will come soon. I have to admit that I am looking forward to seeing colors besides brown, black, gray, and white. I'll try never to complain about desert brown again. This week we are on the 10:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. shift. Except for the mornings that I have to get up early for choir practice, it is sure nice to be able to wake up when it is daylight without an alarm. Our schedule is fairly routine with rotating schedules for our duties. Elder Smith is now Floor Manager frequently. We are both on the education committee. I am helping edit and proof the certification manual and will be retyping the Silver level manual (Bronze, Silver, Gold). These are the training manuals for all new missionaries. I just completed my Bronze manual. VERY tedious, difficult, and time consuming, but we sure learn a great deal from them. I am always surprised when I can help a patron with information I have learned from my manual.
Last Monday evening we had a great zone potluck supper with soups, salads, rolls, and the never-ending Mormon desserts. A group of 8 men, four young and four older Elders, who call themselves the Elderly Brothers, sang and entertained us with great songs and humor. My daughter Amy thinks all we do is party, but not so. Of course tomorrow night is the pie and ice cream night for the Elijah Choir members and spouses. But that's the only one scheduled for this next week. Next party: Hail and Farewell on March 9.
We are so thankful for blessings every day including protection from flood and fire. Well, the washer hose did flood last night, which we were up late cleaning up. The fire alarm last week was false, and the dryer didn't catch on fire, even though the top of it was too hot to touch, and the exhaust hose thingy was split in half. The apartment building "maintenance men" came in to check our appliances, and this is what happened the first time I tried to use the washer and dryer after they left. I remembered Kathy Peterson's counsel to never leave the house with the dryer running. Amen to that.

Moving Right Along

We are making progress and are finally able to help patrons who come to the library. It is so exciting and rewarding to see the tears of joy, the gasps of delight, and beaming faces when a patron finds an ancestor, a great-grandmother, or someone he or she had been looking for for a long time.
Last evening Elder Smith and I attended the open house for the beautiful new Draper Temple. Every place we looked inside testifies of Jesus Christ.

Home - What a beautiful sound!

Today the most beautiful word to me is HOME. Our 17 yr. old run-away granddaughter returned safely HOME last night. Lieutenant Colonel Craig Patterson, the valiant son of my dearest friend of 40 years, recently returned HOME to his wife and four children after serving fifteen months in Iraq. Our grandson Daniel Branch, who is fighting a fearful battle with Cushing's Disease and complications, has once again returned HOME from the hospital. The other evening in St. George, Utah, Michael Ballam performed in concert and sang a stirring rendition of "Bring Him HOME" from "Les Miserables" after sharing with the audience that his son who has spina bifida was admitted to the hospital the night before. After an exemplary life of service, Larry Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz, returned HOME to his Heavenly Father.
The work in which Elder Smith and I are engaged at the Church Family History Library here in Salt Lake City is to help our Heavenly Father bring ALL his children HOME. How we pray that our homes can be filled with the eternal love of Jesus Christ.

An impression to "bolt"

Elder Allan F. Packer, son of Elder Boyd K. Packer, spoke at a special devotional recently in the theater of the Conference Center. He told the following story: During his growing up years his large family always had a horse. One day his father was sitting in a chair inside the house reading. Suddenly Elder Packer (Boyd K.) had a sudden, very urgent impression to get up and go outside. It was such a strong impression that it literally caused him to bolt out of his chair. He "bolted" outside just in time to see the family horse come running around the corner of the house with one of his young sons hanging by only his foot in the stirrup. Elder Packer was able to catch the horse and stop it, saving his son's life. As we work on our family history, we need to be attentive to the Spirit for those times when we may feel a prompting to literally "bolt" out of our comfort and urgently prepare the work for one of our kindred dead, an act that will literally deliver a soul from the spirit prison and save one of our own.
This work is real and bears eternal fruit. An 81-year-old sister, an accomplished genealogist, found her grandmother last Thursday. She had been looking for her for 50 years. What rejoicing!

Family History Library - Home for the Homeless

There are many sweet stories that surface here at the FHL. The missionaries tell of a homeless man who came into the library to escape the weather and find a place to sit down and rest. He was dirty and unkempt. Someone who found his appearance repugnant offended him and told him he did not belong there. A missionary went after him and befriended him. He was invited to come back. Eventually this man was taught how to index, and over time, he indexed over 50,000 names! His appearance improved, as did his life.

Another homeless man found refuge and solace in the library. He was divorced, had a substance abuse problem, and was not allowed to have contact with his only child, a daughter. He began researching his family history and compiling records. He contracted cancer and continued to work at the library as long as he was able. He put all his genealogy records in a safe deposit box for his daughter hoping that when she reached the age of 18, she would be interested in what he had done and would want the records. He had no one else. He died, and only the Lord knows the outcome.

There is worth in every soul. No one can be forgotten.

Census, Immigration, Naturalization, and Elvis

Elvis?!!! Yes, the Gospel even reaches out to Elvis. After another morning of brain-overload training, Elder Smith and I sat next to another senior missionary in the cafeteria at the COB (Church Office Building). Elder King works in archives in the Church History Museum that will be moving to its amazing new facility in April. He told us about some of the fascinating documents and treasures from Church history that are housed there, including the Book of Mormon that belonged to Elvis Presley. This is his story: A little girl lived in the neighborhood close to the Presley home. She would walk by the house and stand by the gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. One day Elvis was out in the yard and saw the girl. He approached her and introduced himself. Over time they became friends. He didn't see her for a while. When she reappeared, he asked her how she was and where she had been. She asked him if he really wanted to know and if she could tell him something really special. She told him about her family investigating the Church and getting baptized. She gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon, which he agreed to read. Apparently shortly before he died, he had agreed to listen to the discussions. After his death, his father disposed of some of Elvis' belongings and returned the Book of Mormon to the girl who somehow ended up in contact with the Osmond family. She gave them the special Book of Mormon, and the Osmond family donated it to the Church. Elvis had marked some scriptures that had particularly touched him and had written some of his thoughts in the margins. I've always felt sorry for Elvis Presley. I believe he was a good man who was exploited and ruined by evil agents and managers for their financial gain.
Every day we enjoy sitting by someone we don't know at lunch because by the time we have to return to our assignments, we are friends with new stories and connections.

Another Day in the Mission

It snowed all day yesterday. I don't think I have ever seen such big snowflakes in my entire life. It was beautiful. More snow today. Tonight it will get really cold again. Last night we went to a couple's apt. two buildings east of us. We put our grippers on and walked just fine. They are little rubber things with cleats that snap right on to the bottoms of your shoes and keep you from slipping and falling in ice and snow. Very cool. Then we went to a fireside for our missionary group's first social downstairs in the same apt. bldg. It was so interesting. Elder Kuchar, a zone leader here and retired chemistry professor and Egyptologist from BYU, spoke and showed us his slides from Egypt. He had been assigned to analyze fabrics and materials from the ancient pyramids and participate in the DNA studies on the mummies. He said that all the DNA tests on King Tut that have been repeated and verified prove positively that King Tut was not black, not even a little bit. He showed us pictures of the hair of several of the mummies. Many were blonde and redhaired naturally with no dye. He worked with Dr. Hugh Nibley. I wish you could have seen what he showed us. He had slides showing the ceremonial religious clothing from some of the mummies that had great similarities to our Temple ordinance clothing and drawings, etc. of our very same Temple sacred symbols, etc. How amazing that the Temple ordinances that we have were known and practiced by Father Abraham's children even before the Savior was born.

We had a wonderful devotional this morning. President Nielson of the mission presidency (from our ward in Mesa) spoke. When you read about Ammon in the Book of Mormon, read the story with the perspective that it is a type and a shadow of the Savior: Ammon being a type of Jesus, the scattered sheep being a symbol of all of us, the wicked servants symbolizing the adversary and his followers who would destroy and scatter the Savior's sheep or us, and his taking the arms that he chopped off to the king as a symbol of the Savior overcoming the arm of flesh. I love all the stories in the scriptures that are types and shadows of the Savior. He also had us read from the Book of Ruth. Boaz was a type of the Savior who became Ruth's literal savior when she chose not to return to the world but to stay with Naomi and follow the only true God. It was through Ruth and Boaz's lineage that the Jesus was born.

We sat sleepily through more computer classes today on vital records and library catalogs. Tonight we had a great potluck dinner party for our US/Canada Zone in the Relief Society room in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB). The food was terrific, the company great, and the entertainment out of this world. The Utah Oldtimers Fiddlers Band played for about an hour. They were about 12 - 15 strong playing fiddles, zephyr, piano, singers, mandolin, harmonica, etc. They were outstanding. All very accomplished, both musically and professionally. Their star player was a 93 yr. old woman, very dignified, attractive, articulate, and savvy, who has played the violin/fiddle for 85 years. She was amazing. She could play anything. Never missed a note or beat. How those 93 yr. old hands could do what she did was unbelievable. Afterward it was sure nice to walk back through the tunnel to our apartment. We are spoiled!

Rain, Rest, Review

We finally were able to sleep and get up when we were rested (although I think I could have slept all day). Much needed rain fell most of the day, clearing out the inversion and terrible pollution that have been blanketing the city for so many days. The humidity is healing my dry, cracked hands, thankfully. After laundry and walking outside in the not-too-cold fresh air to get mail from the old apt. and practicing not getting lost in the tunnel again, I'm feeling mostly caught up with chores and errands. It felt so good to sit down and review training manuals and try to feel a little more prepared for Monday's continued training. I feel like I'm back in college! There is so much to read, study, review, etc. We're looking forward to another good night's sleep. This apartment is so quiet and peaceful and so very comfortable. Tomorrow we will be participating in a family fast for our grandson, Danny Branch, who will finally be undergoing surgery next Thursday to remove the tumor that has caused him to suffer with Cushing's Disease. We know there is power in fasting and prayer.

What's Happening

Today we begin two more weeks of training specific to this zone. This is the largest mission in the Church with 28 zones. It is the only mission that reports directly to the First Presidency rather than to the Missionary Department.

The people here are just wonderful. It is so much fun to meet many other senior missionaries all from diverse backgrounds. Some are attorneys, educators, Ph.D.'s, and some are farmers and just hard-working people who have never even turned on a computer. This mission is short 110 missionaries, so put the word out to your friends, senior family members, and ward members.

Our first apartment was very cute and quaint but with absolutely NO parking. (The landlady misrepresented that aspect just a tad.) After playing the parking meter shuffle for two weeks, we have moved into another apartment with parking, a stove that cooks on all four burners, kitchen drawers that open, and a shower that can get you wet all over all at the same time. It is beautiful, and we love it. It seems a little fancy for missionaries, but alas, we can handle it. We do NOT want to move for a long, long time.

We are hoping that now that we are moved again and our computer is up and going, that the dust will settle, and we can get a little more rest. The schedule is busy and begins EARLY! I am enjoying singing with the Women's Choir that practices at 6:15 a.m. on Thursdays. The director is just excellent. For all of you that haven't yet had an opportunity to work on your family history in PAF, you are missing a real adventure. I can't believe how much there is to do in that amazing program. If you do it, you will love it. To my family, I discovered that my first husband, my children's father, and his brother are my 9th counsins, 3 times removed and just where the ancestral lines connect. There is just so much to learn and nothing more exciting that finding enough information on a person to get him or her Temple ready.

Assignment

We received our assignment this morning. We will be working in the U.S./Canada zone in the Family History Library on the top two floors and in Special Collections on the bottom level. (5 levels). We will begin training specific to that zone next Tuesday, so we get a three day weekend which we NEED! We are moving. There is actually a little parking lot for you to park in right across the street on First Ave. The apartment is wonderful. I hope we can finally get settled.

Moving Again

We will start moving again tomorrow. This will solve our parking problem, but now we need our microwave, throw rugs, vacuum, etc. Ha! Our new address is:
Elder Glenn and Sister Nancy Smith
109 East South Temple St., Apt. 7N
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Rebecca Patterson is on the second floor. That will be fun. Tomorrow is our last day in the PAF and New.FamilySearch training zone. We will have our Go Forth meeting where we receive our assignments and new zones, get a pep talk from our mission president, President Halverson, all go to the Temple together and have lunch in the cafeteria together, then all go to our separate zones. Our group will stay together for socials for the duration of our missions. The people are just wonderful here, and we are loving it.
One senior Elder missionary was talking to Dr. Romney, an internist in SLC who also works in the Church Office Building part of the time. The Elder referred to some work he was doing at the "COB". Dr. Romney asked, "Do you actually call this building the "COB"? The Elder was embarrassed, thinking that perhaps that was an irreverent term to call the building, and said meekly, "Well, yes, that is what we call it." Dr. Romney replied, "We would never call this building such a name. We call it THE MOTHERSHIP!" There is a lot of laughter and fun here.

The First Week

The first week of our mission has gone by so quickly. We arrived at our apartment on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. It was bitter cold. Rebecca Patterson had arranged for two Elders from our branch to meet us there to help unload the car. The apartment is really nice. Everything is new and clean. Well, the kitchen is clean but not new. Drawers stick, a burner on the stove doesn't work, and the water pressure is low. But it is so pretty. The bathroom is remodeled. The bedroom is big, the new bed is comfortable, the three big windows in the living room and window in the kitchen give us great views of the city and mountains. A new sofa was delivered Wednesday, and we finally gave up on the "free" high speed internet in the building and subscribed to comcast for basic cable TV and internet since we have found out from the neighbors that the signal doesn't go beyond the third floor here. The building is very quaint and pretty with a big lobby all done in marble and glass with chandeliers. Even the elevators are all mirrored which is great to make sure we look good when we head out in the mornings.
Parking has been a nightmare. The landlady wasn't forthcoming about parking. Turns out we are 5th on a list to get into the multi-level parking garage behind us that will cost $50 a month. The mission office has been working tirelessly to help us find parking, unsuccessfully. So we are playing the parking meter shuffle. We wouldn't have signed the lease if we had known, but oh well, there wasn't anywhere else for us to go anyway.
We began Monday, Jan. 5th, with a luncheon on the mezanine level of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was beautiful and delicious! We got to meet lots of people, were introduced, and the mission presidency spoke. We began our orientation and training. We had to have our pictures taken, a group picture, and then individual pictures for our security badges.
All the new missionaries in this mission receive the same two-week training on the computer in PAF and New.Familysearch. It is really fun. I can't believe how much I am learning. Each one of us has an individual trainer one-on-one for the entire day. We have snack breaks in the morning. Lunch is fun. We can go through the underground parking garage/tunnel to the Church Office Building (called the COB as in Corn on the...) cafeteria for a huge array of food lines including grill, salad, entree, pasta, taco, dessert, etc. etc. and the food is VERY cheap! There is also a new Nauvoo Cafe off the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (called the JSMB) which has delicious soups, pot pies, sandwiches, salads, and desserts. It's NOT cheap.

Nancy is singing in the Women's Choir which meets at 6:15 a.m. (yes, A.M.) on Thursdays and Mondays when we sing for devotionals. We meet on the stand in the choir seats in the beautiful chapel in the JSMB. The director is exceptional. Maybe my singing voice can come back.

Yesterday Jason and Hy-eine (Sorry, I can never remember how to spell her name.) came to see us after taking Uncle Mike and Aunt Kathy to the airport for their trip to their mission in Vanuatu. We went to lunch at the Macaroni Grill and just had a great visit. Hy-eine is being sworn in as an American citizen on Tuesday! We are so proud of her.

I made my first outing to venture into parts of Salt Lake unknown. I went to a super-Target in Fort Union for some groceries, coat hangers, universal remote, etc. Got a little lost, but lost is good because then I learn new places. Today we will go to Church for the first time in our new Branch. Time to quit playing and go do my hair and get dressed.

Are we in the party branch?

Monday evening we braved the snowstorm for the first time and went to our Salt Lake Second Branch ( more like a stake conference in attendance!) for their Hail and Farewell party. The branch is made up of all missionaries, mostly senior missionaries and some young Elders and sisters. Every few months they have this party to hail the new missionaries and pay farewell to those going home within the next two months. It had a cowboy theme and was lots of fun. It was a potluck, so I had an hour to throw together what I called missionary first day surprise. I made beef rice-a-roni and added black beans, tomatoes, and cheese. I baked it and took it, but not many people ate it. Ha! I ran into CJ Shults from Mesa, a single woman whom I have known for about twenty years who is also serving a mission there. We sang lots of cowboy songs, had a crazy auction with funny money, two young elders sang and played the guitar, and a counselor in the mission presidency recited cowboy story poems in his cowboy hat and angora chaps. All the new ones had to introduce ourselves, and the ones leaving had to speak briefly. One Elder had a big brass gong for anyone who spoke too long or said something really funny or crazy. We think we will really like our branch.

Missionary First Day Surprise

All of the new missionary couples had a pot luck. Here's the recipe for what I whipped together!

beef rice r roni

black beans

tomatoes and cheese

MMMMMMMmmmmmm! Tasty!