Cream Puffs, a Party, Preparation and a Plea for Prayers
This was a great day of preparation! Another cream puff dessert for 1st Ward's Christmas party, catching up on my Book of Mormon reading so that I am on schedule with the rest of the mission (we have been all reading individually, but staying with a schedule that has us reading Moroni 10 on Christmas Day.), making phone calls about different matters from health insurance, to the shower head in our bathroom that is sincerely broken, to setting up appointments for the last two missionary apartment inspections for the year. We'll start a new round in January.
I roasted a chicken and then boiled the bones for soup. I love chicken soup!!! I'll maybe make it for our evening dinner tomorrow.
We each spent time on our talks for Sacrament Meeting tomorrow. The Bishop is very casual about it. If you ever heard him speak you would know why. He stands at the pulpit and speaks as though it is just you and him talking. He is relaxed and comfortable. He is always so interesting - with applications that knock your socks off. He once started out talking about a jazz musician who discovered a particle of space dust on his kitchen table. The whole story was fascinating, and made more so by the way the Bishop told it.
Of course there was an amazing gospel principle, based on steady and steadfast faith. He is such a good man, and I think he probably thinks it is no big deal to speak in church. Oh well. I love love love the preparation, the immersion in a topic, the ideas that float around in my mind while I am working on it. It will all be over in about 16 hours, and as SK and I remind ourselves, no one will remember anything we said by the time they get home from church.
Nevertheless, I would prefer NOT to put someone to sleep.
We went to our second Christmas party in 2 days. Same place - a little earlier. Terrific feast, plenty of food, a lot of socializing (have I mentioned that I am really kind of shy and those kinds of socializing are sometimes a bit hard for me.), a Santa Claus, and gifts for the children. I love all those people who throw themselves into planning and executing great parties!
We came home in time to call in on the conference line, along with 180 other missionaries across the England London Mission. We heard announcements about upcoming firesides, the Giving Machine, the Temple Trips, transportation tips and schedules, mission rules, and some guidelines to stay healthy at this time of the year.
President Checketts spoke for about ten minutes. He is positively inspiring. After he closed, I was convinced that we truly can accomplish miracles in this mission. We are within our goal of 555 baptisms for the year. Our young missionaries are working and teaching and just so excited to do this. Our Oxford missionaries have 3 on the schedule to be baptized this month.
The three individuals are solid, with great faith and a desire to be baptized. When I have heard them speak, I can see the hand of the Lord in their lives. It is inspiring. I love seeing these young people bearing testimony and sharing their faith and the joy and steadiness in their lives that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings. They positively shine. We pray for them in every prayer.
Will you please pray for all of us missionaries as well? Pray that we will find those individuals who are seeking the eternal truths that will bring them peace and joy.
I roasted a chicken and then boiled the bones for soup. I love chicken soup!!! I'll maybe make it for our evening dinner tomorrow.
We each spent time on our talks for Sacrament Meeting tomorrow. The Bishop is very casual about it. If you ever heard him speak you would know why. He stands at the pulpit and speaks as though it is just you and him talking. He is relaxed and comfortable. He is always so interesting - with applications that knock your socks off. He once started out talking about a jazz musician who discovered a particle of space dust on his kitchen table. The whole story was fascinating, and made more so by the way the Bishop told it.
Of course there was an amazing gospel principle, based on steady and steadfast faith. He is such a good man, and I think he probably thinks it is no big deal to speak in church. Oh well. I love love love the preparation, the immersion in a topic, the ideas that float around in my mind while I am working on it. It will all be over in about 16 hours, and as SK and I remind ourselves, no one will remember anything we said by the time they get home from church.
Nevertheless, I would prefer NOT to put someone to sleep.
We went to our second Christmas party in 2 days. Same place - a little earlier. Terrific feast, plenty of food, a lot of socializing (have I mentioned that I am really kind of shy and those kinds of socializing are sometimes a bit hard for me.), a Santa Claus, and gifts for the children. I love all those people who throw themselves into planning and executing great parties!
We came home in time to call in on the conference line, along with 180 other missionaries across the England London Mission. We heard announcements about upcoming firesides, the Giving Machine, the Temple Trips, transportation tips and schedules, mission rules, and some guidelines to stay healthy at this time of the year.
President Checketts spoke for about ten minutes. He is positively inspiring. After he closed, I was convinced that we truly can accomplish miracles in this mission. We are within our goal of 555 baptisms for the year. Our young missionaries are working and teaching and just so excited to do this. Our Oxford missionaries have 3 on the schedule to be baptized this month.
The three individuals are solid, with great faith and a desire to be baptized. When I have heard them speak, I can see the hand of the Lord in their lives. It is inspiring. I love seeing these young people bearing testimony and sharing their faith and the joy and steadiness in their lives that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings. They positively shine. We pray for them in every prayer.
Will you please pray for all of us missionaries as well? Pray that we will find those individuals who are seeking the eternal truths that will bring them peace and joy.
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