scripture study...

Dear Grands!!!    Our Internet has been down this week and we have been traveling...so I missed a post on Monday. So, maybe I will quickly show you what I have been doing in little moments here and there. You know that I Love Color like most of you do.  You know that We all love the scriptures.  So...

I like to try new ways to remember and think about the scriptures.  See what you think.  It is very fun and easy.  I feel much better prepared for those talks that come (often at the last minute).   I think preparing for a mission is really fun when you are loving the scriptures alot.  I imagine that Nathaniel would do his scripture circles mostly green, and Jase mostly blue and Audrey mostly Pink and Uncle Bruce mostly orange!  It's kind of fun to try.  I'd love to hear about your ideas too!

Isaiah 32:17

Looking over the balcony, I could see our young neighbor...creating mudpies...and at once...those peaceful, summer-days where time stood still for dreams and definition washed over me. 

I loved Pres. Uchtdorf's talk in conference.   

"When we are young, it seems that we will live forever. We think there is a limitless supply of sunrises waiting just beyond the horizon, and the future looks to us like an unbroken road stretching endlessly before us."

Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.

Is it?

I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.

I can’t see it.

Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time.

We shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. “This is the day which the Lord hath made … ,” the Psalmist wrote. “Rejoice and be glad in it.”⁶

Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.

My young neighbor didn't know that she was being observed, for great designs and mudpies must not be interrupted...nor does she know that her perfect circle design is significant beyond art, nor that she gave me moments of joyful reflection and grateful contemplation...all while I was hanging wet clothes on the line...

Are you having fun?

Our sweet ballerina Alexa sent us a wonderful drawing a few weeks ago and a great question!  "Are you having fun?  I know you are.  But, are you?  Color in a box...yes/no." 

Dear Alexa,  YES!  We are having Fun!  Not like at Lagoon sort of Fun...but more like when Lincoln learned to walk and you all smiled type Fun.  Not like going Trick or Treating type fun...more like Family Home Evening treats type of Fun.  (Grandpa likes driving on the bumpy cobblestone roads...so maybe it is a bit like the fun of Lagoon on those days!)

Remember the day your Momma was in the hospital when Lincoln was born?  We all wanted to clean the house to make it extra sparkly for her smile because she would soon be home?!  She had already done most of the work, so it was just your own bedrooms that needed a tiny bit of help.  Well, actually alot, after all the playing and making tents and stuff! At first, it looked like alot of work, but once we got up the courage and started... it turned out to be fun!  I think missions are kinda like that.  We know that if Heavenly Father's children have clean lives then that will make Him very Happy when He comes again.

Cleaning a room and cleaning our lives takes alot of work and some courage!  But, you probably remember that once we decided to pick up everything green, then everything yellow, then everything red, the time went by soooo fast.   Plus, doing it together meant we could tell stories, pretend we were stocking store shelves, and laugh.  The room was quickly clean and it was fun, but mostly made us happy because we did what we knew we should to help. I remember your smile after all of your work.We were happy because we knew how happy your momma would be too!  When people read the scriptures then they want to work on one thing at a time as well.  Maybe they will get married or maybe they will stop smoking, or maybe they will be kinder to their brothers and sisters or maybe learn to pray or maybe we can be more thankful...and soon our lives are clean and we are happy.  That is the Fun part of our mission...when we get to see people's spirits smile. You can see it in their eyes. That kind of sparkle doesn't happen without being clean inside.

I missed watching your swimming lessons this summer, and I missed making our smiley pancakes, and I missed your Ballet recital and our coloring times.  But, we will be back and do all of those fun things!  Right now, we live in a place where they don't even know about Ballet recitals, or smiley pancakes.  It is fun to learn about their ideas and to tell them about Jesus and about Heavenly Father's plan. They ask all kinds of questions about why we are here on the earth, where we came from, and what happens after we die.  And it really really makes us happy to see them smile when they learn the truth.   Sometimes people are so happy that they get tears in their eyes when they find out that Families can be Families forever and ever.   Happiness is the kind of Fun that keeps going!

Another fun thing here is to watch the children.  They make their own kites, and they like to roll tires around, (they don't have bikes, but sometimes they find old bike tires and they use a stick to roll them around) and they love to color when someone brings paper and crayons, and they love coming to Primary.  They get so excited when I take their photos because they love to see what they look like and they giggle. How fun is that? I think you would like it here. You already know that Grandpa always makes life fun!  Plus, sometimes we make Pizza!!!

We love you so so so so so much!  Thank you for your drawing of some of the beautiful planet creations.  It's awesome that Heavenly Father made Everything and all of the colors...just because He loves us. Your drawing is hanging up in our apartment so we can see it everyday. And for us...that is really FUN too!

Ok, so are you having a fun and happy day?  I know you are...but are you?  Leave a Comment...YES OR NO!   

There will be Wonderful Surprises...

Yesterday, in Relva, we were able to watch the final sessions of conference.  We were touched by the talks given about discipleship and the blessings of the Atonement.  We are thankful for the Plan of Happiness and humbled by the things we are learning about gratitude, both from our beloved Prophet, and from the wonderful people around us. These young women will walk just under 2 hours each way to attend church.

 “To believe in God is to know that all the rules will be

 fair and there will be wonderful surprises”

Elder Marion D. Hanks 

Missionary Work and Joy and Your Grandpa!

There are many Joys in serving a mission...and I must tell you that having your Grandpa for my companion is one of them!!!  Of course, the highlight for this week has been watching General Conference in bits and pieces as we can in English (while recording it in Portuguese for this coming Sat. and Sun. in the branches).  There are so many great parts to a mission...you will love serving. yours...(and a bit sooner with the Prophet's announcement about the ages of missionaries!) YEA!   

Now you must know that missions are alot of work.  But you will love it because it matters.  We don't always know when or why it matters...but we know that it does.   Like the feeling we had to walk down a street and I stopped to take a photo of a beautiful tree while asking the owners, Manuel and Rosealea, what it was and they could help me because it was a subject they love and I wanted to know more...and by and by... we not only knew the name of the beautiful plants...but we had an appointment to go back and share with them what we love, because they wanted to know more.  We returned and returned and visited and returned...and even gave them one of the Books of Mormon that our Mission President had asked us to put our photo in and write our testimony in.  They would sometimes come to the door.  Sometimes we would visit with them...and sometimes on the way home...we wondered why we keep feeling to go back?!  

While Missionary work...is work...some of it is just plain fun.  Here are some of the fun things we get to do.   Since I am the one with the camera...you will see Grandpa alot...I think he is a great missionary!   

These wonderful young leaders (counselors and secretary in a Sao Filipe branch) came for a short visit as we were just on our way out the door...they really enjoy your grandpa...he inspires them to do their callings and to prepare for Missions and he talks about Temple Marriage for when they return!  Only Bruno (left) has been a member of the church for a whole year and he has been called to serve in Brasil!  (All three are preparing for missions.)  I promised each of them a pancake breakfast before they leave on their mission.  Some of the missionaries from here have tasted pancakes before...others have only heard about them... so far!

Counseling...it is amazing how many come to Grandpa to ask questions...maybe because our hair is gray now...people think we know something!  Mostly, they know we love Heavenly Father and so they are really asking us, what we think, He would think.  While Grandpa was in branch meetings and in interviews yesterday, a very young Relief Society President asked if she could visit with me.  She poured out her heart about some very difficult decisions that she is facing right now. We are so thankful that we have the scriptures to answer the questions. I am so thankful that Grandpa honors the gift of being able to use The Priesthood of God to bless people... and thankful we know about the incredible gift of Prayer, so our Father in Heaven can inspire each of us in our own lives to know what is right and what is not.

Sometimes, the electricity goes off at nights...but phone light (or candle-light) make it possible to finish reading an important chapter during our visit!  

Seminary and Institute Teacher Training...We are very excited for The New Testament Study this Semester!  We hosted an Opening Social in each branch and had a one day training for our 12 Instructors. We have  over 120 students on Fogo and Brava Islands.  They are kind and receptive to us everywhere we go...and we think this year will be a great one.

OK...so now I can tell you one of the greatest Joys of Missionary work and why (at least one reason why) sometimes you will need to go back to a home over and over...even when you don't know why.  

One night we were at the young adult center with about 46 young adults when I noticed a young man that we had not met yet.  I asked him for his name and he said: Luridiu.  He smiled and told us that he has our book.  We assumed he was talking about the Book of Mormon...which he was, and encouraged him to read it...which he is.  "I mean the book with your photos in it...I am reading your book."  Meet a very studious and thoughtful young man: His name is Lucridiu Pires Lopes, the son of  Manuel and Rosalea.  He began reading a book that his father has...with our testimony just inside the cover...He knows that Book is True.  So do we.

Ashley and Avery!

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She is beautiful...just like her Momma! 

It is amazing to be here in Cabo Verde listening to the night sounds and feeling so very far away... 

and then in a moment due to technology and the graciousness of our children...being 'in' the hospital room waiting for... and then watching our daughter hold her little girl.  The calendars in our hometown hospital said that Avery Louise was born October 1st, yet we were already into October 2nd on this Island when she finally decided that earth life was due.  She is precious enough to celebrate for both days!

Thank you Travis and Ashley for letting us spend time with you yesterday, through the night, and to watch Benson meet his new baby sister today.  Thank you for giving us part of your moments so we could also memorize and keep them forever.

We haven't held her yet...yet she is already holding our hearts...

and the night sounds have become music...

It has been two days with much emotion knowing that my Momma, Daughter, and Grand-daughter are in the same hospital with different doctors and under different circumstances...yet sharing the same miracles.  Feeling very blessed...full measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.  We Love You!

Another flat tire...lots of help!

 What do you do early Sunday morning in suit and tie when you are on the way to meetings on the other side of the island and you get yet another flat tire on these crazy cape verdian roads?  You open the trunk to get the replacement tire out and immediately kids come running to help.  They all but push you out of the way to get the jack out and they beg you to let them help...and so you just get out of the way!  (sort of!) So few people have cars especially outside the city...and the young men love to help with anything car.  We love these good people!