August 3, 2014

   We had an amazing week.  Monday was pretty normal with staff meeting and getting ready for our last zone conference.  That night I helped teach the first discussion to a young lady named Tiffany.  She was very interested and knew hardly anything of God or His works.  Her mother is in a nursing home and had found happiness in the Mormon Church.  She told Tiffany that someday some missionaries would come to her and when the did, please listen.  Elders Barnes and Warner tracked into her and now the teaching begins.  She seemed so receptive but cautious too.  I hope and  pray she continues to want to learn. 
   The pictures to the left are at the Montpelier East, West and Concord North Zone Conference.  It was wonderful just as all the others were.  The 2nd picture is of Elders Harper and Thomas giving Elders Farnworth and Gassant a birthday cake that they made and having everyone sing Happy Birthday to them.  It is amazing what the missionaries do for each other and I know they appreciate it and love it.  The weather was beautiful that day and everything was so green.  We went up to the JSM afterwards and viewed some drawings by Liz Lemon Swindle.  They were beautiful.  Then sister Stoker rode home with us as President Stoker had a lot of interviews to do.  We stopped in Concord and had a dinner at UNO's.

  Thursday I was asked to help teach a sister the 5th discussion on keeping the commandments.  We taught Gloria and she has committed to be baptized next week.  It always amazes me to see the faith in these wonderful new converts as they are asked to live the laws of tithing, fast, chastity, and others.  She is so poor and has nothing, but the desire to know Christ.  Her humble circumstances are definitely humbling.  I pray she will continue on in her investigation and journey in the Church.
  The picture to the left is of President Stoker and Elder Pettingill on Friday.  President Stoker called us and asked if we'd like to play golf and we were shocked.  We had asked him numerous times and he is always to busy.  We played at a wonderful course in Goffstown and we had a blast. 
 Early Friday morning, Elder Pettingill asked me to come over and help give Sister Pettingill a blessing before we went golfing.  She was having serious dizziness and head aches.  Miriam later took her to the emergency room at Eliot Hospital for tests.  She stayed until Saturday night and was released.  I don't think they found anything wrong.  The Pettingill's go home in 2 months.  President Stoker is having a hard time finding their replacements and we may have Elders coming in to do their work.  There is a real need for more senior missionaries.  President Stoker says the church has told him that there are 100 missions that need senior missionaries.  Wow!
   I took Miriam to Urgent Care Saturday as she was having abdominal pain.  We think she has kidney stones and they are moving and causing lots of pain.  We have found that we need to really take care of ourselves even when on a mission.  She is doing much better today.  We are glad we are in the U.S. and that the medical systems is as good as it is. 
   We have a busy week ahead.  We have two French speaking missionaries coming in tomorrow.  Fun, Fun.  The work goes on and we love it.