Sabbath, Sacrament and Saying Goodbye

 We joined the two Oxford Wards for a one half hour sacrament meeting service.  We were here at home.  The meeting was held in the chapel, with a limit of 30 people.  That is 30 people for two wards.  They have an opening song and prayer, a sacrament hymn and then the sacrament.  After that, they broadcast the last half hour to all of the rest of the members who are not physically present at the meeting.  

We think we will wait to attend for a few more weeks, since there are people who greatly benefit from being with everyone else, and we are fine at home.  On Sundays, SK administers the sacrament.  Melissa gave us a little tray that is perfect.  He reverently prepares, blesses it and then "passes" it to him and me.  He always gets emotional when he blesses it.  He doesn't know why....he just does.  It is a sweet experience for us both.  Veer joined us last Sunday, and in Gilbert, we had it often with the Holgates, our sweet friends from the 6-month COVID mission leave of absence.  We also had it from time to time with our family.

At four, we picked up the Oxford Elders and two large suitcases, having been instructed to deliver them to the mission home.   It is a 65 mile trip.  It took us 2 hours, almost exactly. One of them - Elder Richards is going home to Utah on Tuesday at the end of his 2-year mission.  He was very quiet in the car.  Last night at our zoom devotional, he bore his testimony and said that he really didn't think he belonged here for the first six months of his mission....he was unhappy, unproductive and unmotivated.  He was then transferred to a flat with 3 other missionaries.  They were always so happy.  He began to want they had, so he began to work for it.  The first thing he did was to start being grateful.  He said that was the single most important thing he did that turned his mission around.  He was kind of blue about leaving I think.

We stayed until 9, visiting with Dave and Deb and the two sister missionaries who are the trainers.  They train new missionaries, and they conduct ongoing training in the field.  Their callings have changed in the last 6 months, because they are doing most of it from their flat or the church - online.  They were both so delightful.  One is from Australia and one is from South Korea.  Both will be leaving for their homes within the month.  The South Korean will leave Tuesday.  The Australian was supposed to leave Tuesday, but they cancelled her flight and she has to wait 4 weeks for the next fllight.

With outgoing and incoming missionaries, Dave is in interviews every day for two weeks.  This time it is about 25 interviews, each taking half an hour to 45 minutes.  Both Dave and Deb are doing well, but it is a grueling schedule, and they never do anything halfway.  Deb fixed a big meal tonight for 14 people, and will be planning meals this week for all the missionaries coming and going. She is also planning all of the transportation for all of the above mentioned.  It is a huge job.

At nine, we left to come home, and made it in less than 2 hours - but not much.  Mostly because we took one wrong turn, and wrong turns around here can take as much as 15 to 20 minutes to correct.  

It is late now, and tomorrow is Monday.  That means I start fresh with everything, including getting up early to start a productive day.

I may sing a different tune at 6:30 a.m.