The Lord is so aware of us and our needs...

Since this is Easter Weekend I would like to say how grateful I am for the Savior.
The atonement is so much a part of our lives.
I am humbled to know that He loves us so much.
The trick now is to...
Believe Him.

The week has been so full of adventure and work.

When Stan made the decision not to travel to his sisters Funeral...

I was concerned for him...

But the Lord has filled his life with so many wonderful things to keep his mind and body active.

We have also had close contact with family... 

who have kept us current with what is going on.

Thanks family!

Our daughter Becky sent a Blog about the funeral. It was real enough we thought we were there.
Many tears were shed.

Stan's mom sent him a birthday card.  

It will be cherished forever.

It was transfer week AND we got four new cars that had to be recorded and assigned to the missionaries who had the oldest cars. 

 Four new cars fitted with their bike racks...

I think they look like stinkbugs.

 Three of the old cars, the fourth one is getting it's locks fixed!

(Transfers for cars as well I guess)

New missionaries...

Sister Allen could be related since I am an Allen through my Grandmother...

and she is from Grantsville.

I love this time of Orientation.

The night before we were able to be at the mission home and have dinner with them as well.

I am so impressed with the new missionaries.

They are so alert and ready to work.

With transfers as well as new missionaries we have those who are going home.

Everyone gathers at the mission office to get their new companions...

or make the transition to go home.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=

It isn't often we get sisters in the office...

This is a wonderful moment.

Just after this picture four more came in the door.

 Back: Sister Christensen, Durr, Raney, Homer, Akin and Higginsen

Front: Sisters Jensen, Holladay Davis and Freeman down front

 The assistants Moore and Rydalch who are the Roosters of the Roost...

Think there are way to many hens in the house!

Total sadness...

Elder Capps is going to Cocoa and we are no longer going to have an office Elder.

The good thing about it is...

Elder Berhold is going to be his companion!!!!

 Our last photo together....

for awhile anyway.

 Elder Pratt and Whitworth peeking behind us...

The last of the office Elders and one Spanish Elder.

 Elder Pratt (Spanish)--Capps Jensen and Whitworth.

Elder Trotter is going home!

 Elder Jonson is going home!

 This is what is called a four generation picture...

Elder Trotter trained Elder Volorio who trained Elder Goodrich who is now training the new

Elder Brough (from Tremonton)

 Great grandpa, Grandpa, PaPa, Baby

Elder Capps left the first two notes.

Elder Jensen now old companion wrote the next note.

Elder Jonson, going home wrote the last note.

 

The Hunters Creek Elders.

 Elder Shelley, Brandenburg, Campbell, Wood Jensen and Whitworth.

The no longer office but now East Elders are now two...

Elder Jensen and Whitworth.

The West are now three, Elders Shelley Brandenburg and Wood (District Leader)

I always wish these guys would never change...

But change they do...

And each new Elder worms their way into our hearts and leaves a forever print there.

 This is Elder Lopes...

He is from Brazil.

 The package he is holding is one he sent to his family.

He paid a good chunk to send it to them.

The postal service in Brazil put a little note on his families door Friday afternoon.

Since the post office is closed over the weekend...

His mom went in Monday morning to pick it up.

Oops!

They put it in the wrong pile and

it came back to Elder Lopes.

He is hoping the post office here will have compassion on him...

For his sake I pray that they do.

Elder Lopes left and Silva Augusto right are companions

both are from Brazil.

Elder Nordstrom in the middle is waiting for a Visa

So he can go to Brazil.

Don't know if I have had this cross here before.

If so I still don't know who it belongs to.

I have asked a lot of questions

and googled it but no answers.

It is quite impressive.

Not as impressive as the temple.

Temple at sunrise...

We felt angels there today.

It is where we went to remember Jeanne Marie.

Elder Campbell has been moving washers and dryers and repairing them with Elder James.

He has been shuffling bikes and cars.

Today he is taking an old car (the one not shown above) to Elder Berhold and Capps.

They have a new car that needs a bike rack on it.

I finally got in touch with a sister in our ward and she is in the hospital.

There are a lot of things being done in her behalf.

I tried to be a part of it...

BUT the visiting teacher and home teacher and Compassionate Service Specialist have it all under control. 

It is beautiful to see how the Lord works through his servants.
+++++++++++++++++++++

I am sure most of you remember the great white duck that was the mascot of Colonial Grand Apartments...

It seems he used to have a partner.

They were named Heather and Glen..

the name of the housing community (Heather Glen) across from Colonial Grand.

Heather was run over by a car in the parking lot...
so Glen was alone for a lot of years.

He became crippled and folks around fed him and loved him...

He got to old...

Animal Control got him and put him in a retirement home for Ducks.

So now this funny looking guy is a loner...

No other ducks will associate with him.

He is almost pretty...or handsome or something.

 This week Mary Eskelson drew pictures for 'the grandma and grandpa missionaries'

I invited Power and James to dinner for Easter.

James had other commitments.

Then there is a family whose mom has been in the hospital.

(I mentioned her before)

I asked if they needed food for Easter dinner.

Mom said yes.

Then the Home Teacher and Visiting Teacher (husband and wife) and the Compassionate Service Leader told me that the ward members would take care of them and not to worry.

So I invited Jennifer to dinner instead.

This was her 'first Easter Dinner'

Before she joined the church Easter was bunnies eggs gifts etc.

She is such a sweet humble teachable gal.

The Powers Jenneifer and Stan and I had just said the prayer and the phone rang.

It was the daughter Fabiola (13) who called to see when we were picking them up for dinner!!!!

I told her what I had been told but as soon as we were done we would bring their dinner to them!

I wanted to jump and run right then!

But did my hostess duties then started cleaning up and getting food ready for the Pinaro's.  

The others felt my urgency and helped then left.

Powers got away but I did get a picture of Jennifer...

such a choice one who is trying to hard to do what the Lord asks her.

Fabiola and brother Eugene.

 I felt so bad that they were counting on us for dinner.

Don't know what happened to the other families who were going to take care of them.

I need to make some calls to see what happened.

There is so many who are suffering trials...
That of course is what this life is for.
As I was reading this week a thought by the Apostle Orson F Whitney (1855-1931) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostle stated:
No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted.
It ministers to our education,
to the development of such qualities as patience,
faith,
fortitude
and humility.
All that we suffer and all that we endure,
especially when we endure it patiently,
builds up our characters,
purifies our hearts,
expands our souls,
and makes us more tender and charitable,
more worthy to be called the children of God...
and it is through sorrow and suffering,
toil and tribulation,
that we gain the education that we came here to acquire."