FEBRUARY BRINGS MANY MISSION MIRACLES

The video we needed to
find a way to show at our
zone meeting

This month I need to begin with our mission happenings as therein lies the mission miracles. Paul and I are Zone leaders and so we put on a zone meeting every month. We spend the week, prior to the meeting, in preparation as we adjust and add to a power point presentation, decide how best to present each discussion section, and find new and inspiring teaching tools. February's prep was no different. We found a video we wanted to include about using technology to do missionary work but could not download it. This meant we needed to show it from my phone and project it onto the television. It took some research and a trip to Provo but we managed to find the proper cord to do just that. We felt really good about what we had planned but, when we got to the building, we found that the only television available was a very small portable one. It was not attached to a stand nor did it have all the necessary cords (HDMI) to show our power point. Just by chance, we brought a cord and our own television. (We've never brought a television before but felt inspired to do so.) When we set up the television with the cord, we found the power point wouldn't work properly, for some reason. After offering a silent prayer, Paul pushed random buttons on the computer and it started working as it should. The next miracle was that we needed a second HDMI cord to show the video off my phone. We had only brought one, thinking the library in the building would have a one. It did not but Elder Hunsaker happened to come early and just happened to have the necessary cord in his bag. What are the chances? We felt very blessed that the Lord extended all those tender mercies toward us so our meeting could be meaningful for the zone members.

On Valentine's Day, I made a batch of heart shaped cookies and did up several plates to take around to different people. One of the places we were hoping to visit was the home of a newly married, older couple who had recently moved into the Old Mill 2 ward. The day before, Paul had talked to person about a neighbor we needed to know before visiting. In the process of the conversation, this person mentioned that he and his wife had served a couple of missions and that, each time they visited someone new, they would present them with copies of the Living Christ, the Family Proclamation, and the Articles of Faith. When Paul got off the phone, he felt inspired that we needed to make up a similar package to take to the newly married couple. (The wife is a non member.) We copied each of those documents onto nice parchment paper and took them with us, along with a plate of Valentine cookies, to visit the couple. When we knocked on the door, the husband answered and invited us in. He told us his wife was not there but that he would love to visit with us. It was good that he was alone as we could talk with him about his new bride. He told us that he had been up front with her, before they were married, about his activity in the church and that he wore garments. He also told us about a time when he used his priesthood power to heal his, then, fiancee's horse. As we were getting ready to leave, we presented him with the cookies and then the packet of documents. He said he had always had those up on his wall but since the move had not been able to find them. He had been wanting his wife to read them. We have never taken those things to any other person we have visited in 16 months but were inspired to take them to this home. Amazing!!!

Other mission news included saying good bye to Elders Carpenter and Morales. They will be missed. We said hello to Elders Finch and Brassa whom we will get to love, too. We thoroughly enjoy having them in our home each Tuesday for lunch and a coordination meeting. This month, we had the privilege of hearing Elders Geddes and Finch speak twice in sacrament meetings. We just happened to attend the wards in which they were scheduled to speak. They gave powerful talks both Sundays as they bore testimony of missionary work and our Savior. So glad we were inspired to attend those particular meetings.

Elders Brassa, Hernandez, Finch, Geddes (Left to Right)

At our last district meeting of the month, Sister Gordon had someone come in after our meeting to take a group picture. From left to right - Elder and Sister Gordon, Elder and Sister Black, Elder and Sister Thurber, Elder and Sister Ward and, of course, Paul and I. This will be a good keep sake as we leave this mission in less than 2 months. 

At the first of the month, we attended Paul's sister's funeral. Yvonne passed away on January 30th and the funeral was held February 10th in Portland, Oregon. We flew out right after our zone meeting, landed in Portland, rented a car, and drove to Cheryl Ashdown's home for a small get together with family. Afterwards, we checked into the Executive Suites hotel where we would be staying for the next two nights. The next morning was the funeral which was lovely...a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to a sister, wife, mother and grandmother. At the cemetery, Paul dedicated the grave site. Andrea, Casey, Charlotte and Lydia drove up from Springfield to be in attendance and to spend some time with us. After the funeral and burial, we went back to Cheryl's for a lunch and to mingle with family. We had good visits with Derrill and Irene and their three children who had all come to be at the funeral. Later that night, we took Andrea and family out to dinner at Red Robin in downtown Portland. It was good to be with them then and again at breakfast at the hotel before they left for home and we left for the airport. 

The brothers with their sister

After the dedication of the grave

Everyone got a kick out of how much Paul and his brother look alike -
not so much in facial features but in mannerisms.
Note the hands in the pockets.

At the emergency room....not feeling well
but loving the stickers on her forehead.

We were grateful that Todd and Kailee had invited us to stop by for dinner on our way home from the airport. It was delicious and I didn't have to wonder what I would fix for dinner after a weekend away. Aria was not herself when we arrived. Very clingy to her Dad. She started fevering the next day and by that night, Kailee had her in the emergency room when she started having trouble breathing. Her oxygen count was low and her lungs had developed pneumonia. Poor little girl. She recovered in a couple a days but those first few nights were hard on Kailee.

At Rodizio Grill

Deon and Gary came to visit us over President's weekend. They wanted to attend Garrett McClintock's wedding reception on that Saturday night. Saturday morning. we had a big breakfast, planned some things to do in Copenhagen on our trip in May, arranged for a trip to St. George in September, and watched some of the Olympics. In the late afternoon, we drove to Provo for dinner at Rodizio Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse. It was a fun experience as the waiters brought around different types of meats on skewers for us to try.  After we were thoroughly stuffed, we drove to the reception in Cedar Hills. By Sunday night it was snowing. Deon and Gary were thrilled to wake up the next morning to about 6 inches on the ground. That meant snow blowing and shoveling which was a new experience for Gary. That afternoon, we drove to Provo, again, to meet Dana and Bryce for lunch at Zuppa's. Dana was in town to be with Bryce after knee surgery so we decided to get together. Deon and Gary left the next morning. It is always fun to have them come visit us.

We have wondered when winter would hit Utah. It has been unusually dry and warm this whole winter. I think we've had only 2 major snow storms leaving about 2 or 3 inches on the ground. It has been so warm, though, that the snow would immediately melt hence no snow cover... until the President Day storm. It has turned really cold, too, so it should stay around for a while.



The last thing we did this month was buy a new car. We had leased our red Honda Accord for almost 2 years. It was a good car but we were almost to the allotted amount of miles for 3 years. When we took the car in for an oil change, we talked with our salesman, Cornell, about it and he made us a deal on a new car. This one is a Honda CRV with all wheel drive. It's even white, which pleased Paul. We purchased this one so we won't have to worry about limiting our miles anymore. What a relief.

Our new car - finally a car that has all wheel drive which
should be safer in the canyon in the winter snows.

Lately I've noticed the dinosaur sitting outside the Sinclair One Stop station. Someone changes its clothes each holiday. Here's Valentines and St. Patrick's day attire.

This adds some class

to our little town of 

Heber - don't your think?

And now for Aria........ (a few more pictures this month because we had the opportunity of babysitting her while Todd took Kailee out for an early Valentine's Day movie and dinner.)

The above three pictures where taken when we babysat Aria. She loved
playing with her dolls, the balls and her 'Peppa Pig' house.

Aria playing a matching game on the I Pad.
She is very smart for her age.

Aria went to a BYU basketball game and loved
Cosmos (Aria called him 'Kitty') until he got
up close and personal.

Jon and Mindi brought their family up
one Sunday for dinner. For the first time
in a long time Aria let Jon hold her.