January isn't all Beginnings...

 

The view every day as we head in, we are on "3 West" which means the third of four floors behind the globe you see on the right hand side of the building. You are seeing a bit of the Relief Society building next to it - those with offices behind us see across into it as their view, we could watch them set up for events on the top floor. We haven't been in there but because all the usual rooms were booked, the next monthly IFR lunch was moved over to the RS building and we are invited to come eat and say goodbye the day we leave. No 6 a.m. departure this time!

We had Elder Hamilton speak at devotional, I guess its time to go when you have heard the speaker before :) We did learn the they had tried for decades to get permission to actually publish records from Brussels without luck but a week or so after a temple was announced there, suddenly the laws got changed so they could use all the records. 

With perfect timing, the "roundhouse" entrance to our parking garage shortcut we've used since they closed access where the reflecting pool used to be is now closed to be torn down and renovated so we have to take the long way around just in time for a lovely slushy snowy walk to church.

I hear this is no longer in existence

We had a last-chance-before-leaving dinner with Durk's brother Barry and in the process got to buy a couple of things from the Giving Machines that were still up. His nephew bought a goat and shoes, we did malnutrition relief and cold weather kit. I think it is a totally brilliant concept! A couple of the missionaries manning the area were service missionaries - we've seen so many glowing happy young service missionaries! We need to help people realize service missions are real missions - its best to serve where you can be successful. Teaching missionaries are Lords mouth, service are Lord's hands - they open doors! they use their talents and abilities in many ways -

Ipsen's devotional for the new year - we've all heard that it takes 10,000 hours of good practice to really master a skill, that goes for spiritual growth as well. Invitations from conference talks in 2022 Resolve: study scriptures, time in temple (let God prevail) kind to others, be resolute, from President Nelson FB: be patient, be persistent, be prayerful 

Holland: the past is to be learned from, not lived in, faith is always pointed forward.

I was sad we didn't find some great Broadway musicals to go to here (sorry, Shrek the Musical wasn't on our bucket list) , but we did get to do a lot!

Elder and Sister Johnson work at the MTC once a week or once a month? training CES senior missionaries. They took photos of the beautiful and inspirational murals in the main MTC classroom bldg and shared the lessons from them:

Moses 1:6 What role do I have in God's plan?

Ex. 3:11 Do I have enough faith in Jesus Christ to accomplish anything he wants me to do?

Esther 4:14 What can I accomplish with the Lord's hep?

Luke 10:41-42 Are my priorities aligned with the Lords?

Acts 9:6 Am I ready to do the Lord's work in the Lord's way?

1 Ne 2:16 Have I inquired of the Lord?

1 Ne 4:6 How am I being led?

Alma 17:3 How can I teach with the power of God?

Alma 5:46 Have I experienced a mighty change of heart?

Ether 2:23 How can I act in faith?

JSH 1:28 What does it mean to me to represent Christ?

D&C 122:7 How will I allow my experiences to help me grow?

see also D&C 4:4, D&C 6:9, Alma 26:12 (or 42?) 

The Mission printed up the blue version of my little booklet to give to all the missionaries.

brrrr. (that is not the sun or moon but a reflection on the window of the light in our spare room.)

Not going to take all the watercolor exercises home so this is a record of some of them - traced from the book to learn and practice the painting techniques - big thanks to Melinda Kimlinger for doing  painting lessons via Facetime with me! We didn't finish the book so there
will have to be some after we get home - maybe even in person?

We spent a lovely sunny Saturday doing some errands down to Orem/Springville and picking up my painting that didn't get through the final round of judging for the church art competition but we really didn't want to haul home. Our mission president and wife were interested in having it on loan for the office so we took it off my sister Carol's hands (or out of her storage)

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Its been wonderful to see mountains when we drive a way out from downtown

Timpanogos has some really deep snow - I'm so glad the water situation is better this year

I also got to have a "working lunch" the next week with my sisters to talk about future book projects, then Durk and I headed to Orem to a gathering of his cousins (everyone is realizing they have to gather fast before we leave!)

Wonderful sacrament meeting, we will miss the reverence and ornate room. Elder Blasnik told us his new way to pray in the morning - he uses a "prayer shawl"  - actually a small afghan a friend crocheted - and puts it over his head to be his cocoon and he only lets in God - he feels it has really helped his prayers be intimate and meaningful. After he listens and reads along to a conference talk and then prays, he feels he has banished Satan from his day, allowing him to do much better at following the Lords will. We will miss the super reverent meetings.

We started training Sister Hansen, whose husband will be an IFR. they worked in an area office and as either mission or MTC presidents, I'm not sure, but she has much helpful experience, speak Spanish, and is learning fast. We had a meeting about redistributing responsibilities hoping one person will cover what we do. 

Then we had dinner with the Other Sister Hansen and it was delightful - she is a former Kirton-McConkie worker now a service missionary helping with follow-up on mental-emotional health      early releases, I think. 

Our lunch group continues to discuss The Chosen and other random things, hilarity occasionally ensues. We will really miss them! 

The next two weeks are super full with things every single day, TIPS, lunch group, zone, mission, department, all have lunches or dinners or good-by socials (should have cleaned out the freezer much sooner), plus some friends and family and somehow we have to pack up and clean, so I will post this now and eventually you might get the last bit and trip home.