Today is Sunday, September 15, 2019.
Zone Conferences are upon us again…didn’t we just finish those?! Yes, we are into our zone conference rotation and this week completed both Longueuil Sud as well as Ottawa. Last year when we arrived in Nova Scotia, zone conferences were so scary for me…I had a detailed script all typed out, and rarely said anything different than what I had written. I think Zone Conference trainings, as well as speaking in Stake Conferences made my body go into Shingles mode!! But now I am thrilled to report that I just LOVE Zone Conferences, and I just LOVE getting to present, and teach. I said to Dad the other day how fun it is to teach and train at these Zone Conferences!!! Our simplified theme ‘Become One in Christ and Go Forth in Faith’ has made our planning, and our Zone Leaders, District Leaders and Sister Training Leaders planning so much easier. (Really it could be a lifetime Mission Statement don’t you think?!) Every subtopic fits nicely into that theme, even the Christlike attribute of Humility which I trained on. Full of wisdom, and with some experience, our missionaries peppered me with thoughtful comments, and before I knew it my hour was up! Zone Conferences while we are in Zone Conference weeks is my favourite time of our transfer cycle. But then when it is MLC….that is my favourite time, and then when week six rolls around, which means transfer week….that is our favourite….we do love it all, and are so grateful for this opportunity to serve. We have sacred little miracles all the time, and one I’d like to share is how we have been blessed with the gift of learning the names of our missionaries…all 185 of them!! That really was my biggest worry (that and parle-ing in French!!) as we anticipated the merger…but our minds have been quickened and we KNOW their names…without looking at their name tags!!!
Speaking of French, I met Lavender - my new tutor, and I know she will challenge me!! I’ve got to figure how to do my studying while we travel!!
In Ottawa, while Richard was busily interviewing I ventured out to visit with Hicks cousins at Uncle Allen’s Dental Office. Thursday afternoon they close at noon, which I didn’t know. Anyway, I walked in and the 65’ish year old came and greeted me and said ‘can I help you?’ to which I replied…I’m here to visit with my cousin Wayne Hicks!!! (I knew it was Wayne…so he got a chuckle about that!! He said I didn’t recognize you….of course…) We visited for several hours, and I got a full report on our Hicks family…Wayne’s wife Nora, and son Russell, and all the rest of the gang. Tuesday - two days before our visit, his brother David’s son, passed away from aggressive brain cancer. Oh how I wish they understood, or even knew about the Plan of Happiness….
Richard was so excited to use his birthday money at the Ottawa Brooks Brothers outlet, and purchase two beautiful new suits, some ties and socks.
Our Fall area training is in Rochester, New York, and since we are really just a hop skip, and a big jump away, we decided a road trip was just what we wanted, so after our Ottawa Zone Conference, we hopped in our car and headed south, staying overnight in Watertown, New York Friday night, and then drove to Palmyra yesterday. We were pretty much the only visitors who climbed the Hill Cumorah, and there were only four of us in the Sacred Grove, so it was quiet, and sobering as we thought about, and talked about what happened there. Because it is what we are teaching and testifying of every day, it was particularly sweet to be right there….remembering, and in our minds eye imagining! Elder Marlin K. Jensen gave a CES talk back on May 6, 2012 called ‘Stand in the Sacred Grove,’ where he talks about ‘Witness Trees, - there are only 3,’ and we loved quietly walking around pointing out which we think are the witness trees. We could do that yesterday because we were all alone. Wow! Another sacred experience. We feel so blessed.
Palmyra Ward was bursting with saints…local and visitors. We were thrilled to visit with our very Sister Heggie’s grandparents from Taber - Elder and Sister Evanson, who are serving in the Palmyra temple (and their daughter and her husband visiting from the Lethbridge Henderson Ward), as well as David and Rita Hardy’s son Landon and his wife and their seven children from Raymond. (Might as well sing it…It;s a Small World after all!!)
I know I haven’t barely talked about how beautiful this eastern part of Canada and the USA are..so let me rave about how it actually takes my breath away. Stately, towering sugar maple, heritage oak, massive weeping willows, beech, and hickory are a few of the trees I can identify, but the forests billow with greenery. As we travelled the back roads to Palmyra yesterday, and then today to Rochester, we fell in love with the quaint old towns filled with beautiful century old homes..stone, brick or clapboard sided, and always surrounded by expansive freshly mowed green lawns. Our favourite hydrangea shrubs are everywhere and are heavy ladened with white, dusty rose, or limelight coloured blooms. Seeing the stunning Rose of Sharon shrub bursting with blooms reminded me of the Rose of Sharon quilt block, I made over 30 years ago!! Our afternoon backroad drive along the south shore of Lake Ontario was gorgeous.
Our next three nights we are staying in the ‘Woodcliff Hotel and Spa’…it is nestled in a forest close to Rochester, and looks like a golfers dream vacation. It will be a dream vacation for us too!!
Along with Elder Christofferson, Elder Gay, Elder Bennett, Elder Haynie, and several other brethren, are here to help train us. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be filled with motivational trainings, and then we head home to continue the work!! It is fun to come to these Area meetings where we get inspired, and revved to continue serving with all our hearts. Reuniting with our dear friends is also so much fun!! Our dear friends..the Vest’s also moved the end of June as their Utica Mission merged with the Rochester Mission…(and they have five young children with them…oh my!!! ) We were delighted to be travel partners with another couple - the Caplin's (from St. George,) who are serving in Washington DC South Mission.
Here I go again….rambling on…so it goes in our lives…we love the Gospel, we love our missionaries, we love you, AND we are grateful for the incredible, blessings of SERVICE…We know His Kingdom is rolling forth, and we love having the opportunity to do our little part in helping gather scattered Israel.
Much Love,
Richard and Gayle, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma…CTR and Keep Smiling!!! XOXOXOXOXOXO…Know how much we pray for you all!!
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