No adventures - just a normal missionary week

We  have just completed a rather busy week, with many opportunities for service so not so much time for visits.  But it's all missionary work - or as our younger friends would say,  "It's all good!"

Our Monday (Preparation Day) was pretty normal, with chores and such.  In the evening we picked up a neighbor, Becki, and went out in the country to our Family Home Evening group, where Wayne gave a good lesson using our current favorite Mormon Message,  "Bearing Our Burdens with Hope" that uses Elder Bednar's recent example of the traction of a load.  We had a nice fruit salad for a treat, plus good conversation.

Tuesday, bright and early, we picked up Becki again, plus another ward member, Theresa, and made the drive to the Washington, DC, Temple. Another couple that had planned to go with us cancelled out at the last minute. Another car, with three people, also went.  The traffic was pretty congested at times,  I don't know why, on a Tuesday morning.  We look forward to soon living in Meridian, Idaho, where our house is only 10 minutes from the Boise Temple!  But the DC Temple is beautiful and once we got there we had a lovely experience.  On the way home we grabbed a quick lunch at Wendy's, then made it back to Petersburg in time to help out at the nursing home for an hour in the evening.

Wednesday Wayne's service opportunity was fishing, then singing with his friend Johnny.  I spent the afternoon helping my friend Wanda with genealogy and an hour in the evening at the church indexing. Thursday and Friday we had assignments at the local food pantry, we always enjoy that when our ward's turn rolls around.  Also Thursday and Friday Wayne sang at the nursing home.  In between assignments we did manage to visit a few folks... but not nearly as many as we do in a more normal week.

Today (Sunday) was our ward conference.  So fun to have our wonderful Stake Presidency and many other stake visitors in attendance, to speak, teach, and fellowship with our ward.  Because many of them have to travel quite a ways to get here, and also to enjoy a little more time with them, it's a ward tradition to have a potluck meal after church on ward conference Sunday.  So that was fun too,  there are some very good cooks in the Petersburg Ward.  The meatballs and the brownies that I contributed were completely devoured too.  It has been a great day, and week.  The weather this week started out very hot,  then a few days of rain,  today the humidity is very high.  We Westerners still haven't gotten used to that.

Thanks, Karli, for the pictures of your beautiful daughters.  And for the weekly emails.  I did laugh when I read today's, where you said you look forward to reading of our adventures...   You are kind, but we know we are boring.  We just plod along, hoping to be useful is some small ways.  And to bloom where we are temporarily planted, here in Petersburg, West Virginia.  (and we do love it here)

Thanks, Darin and Laura, for the fun pictures you sent last week.  Your kids are growing and changing so much.  And we rejoice with you in Darin's new job opportunity as the middle school science teacher in Logan, Utah.  Sounds like a great school, they are lucky to have you, and to have your awesome family.

Happy, Happy Birthday to Angie this coming Thursday. You amaze us with all you do for your family and others, hope you get a little spoiling on your day.  Thanks to all our wonderful, supportive, encouraging children & their spouses, and our grandchildren for your email and letters. We sure miss you.

I love the Relief Society/Priesthood lesson for today on the Power of the Word.  I am so grateful that our children and their families have made scripture study a priority in their homes.  It is a powerful habit.

“The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life.”           - President Ezra Taft Benson