June 1, 2014

The highlight for sure this week was the baptism of the McCullough sisters.  Heather, Sarah, and Hattie were baptized Saturday morning.  Their mother and step father are with them in the top picture.  We are all hoping they will follow them next month.  Kathleen McCullough, the mother, gave the opening prayer and it was so simple, loving, and sincere.  They are a loving family.  She and her boyfriend have set a date to marry and he is working hard on quitting smoking.  We are all praying that they will make it happen.
   The second picture is the sisters with Elder Walker and Aengus Rafferty, Hattie's boy friend.  Aengus introduced them to the gospel and invited them to see the missionaries.  I was fortunate to have been asked to assist Elder Walker and Elder Parry in that lesson.  We were so excited that when we got there, they were all sitting around the table and had a whole list of questions to ask us.  Teaching an entire family was the best.  It is rare in our mission.  They loved the gospel message and then the entire Ward got involved with the Elders in teaching them.  Miriam and I picked them up many Sundays for church.  We have really learned to love them.

   The picture to the right is of the sisters with Elder Walker and Elder Harrington.  In the last transfer Elder Parry was transferred out of Manchester and Elder Harrington replaced him.  The picture below is with myself, Elder Harrington and the sisters.  Elder Jensen is in the background.  It was a most beautiful morning.
  Elder Jensen was my companion all day Saturday.  President Stoker asked me to pick him up and the Mission Home at 8 am Saturday morning.  He then accompanied us to the baptism.  Afterwards he and I went to Dover NH, his old area, packed up his things to move him to Derry NH.  We had to move everything out of their apartment as we are closing the area.  We had the Exeter North Zone leaders help us. Elder Lund and Elder Chapman worked so hard to help Saturday afternoon.  After we got everything loaded, I took Elder Jensen and his stuff to Derry where he joined Elders Gilbert and Simmonds.  They will be in a threesome until other things can be arranged.  Elder Jensen was a great companion to have for a day.
   Elder Wiesenberg, Elder Jensen's companion went home after struggling with some medical problems for quite some time.  We sure wish him well.  We all hated to see him leave. It was sudden.
   We had MLT this week where all the leaders of our mission were trained by President and Sister Stoker and two previous mission presidents.  It was the largest MLT we have ever had.  We were not able to attend but the reports we got that it was wonderful.  We prepared their lunch and as always the missionaries know how to eat.
   Here it is June 1st.  The weather now is warm and beautiful.  It is so green.  It rains a lot but that is why it is so green.  But after the winter we have had, we love it.
   The Work is wonderful.  We have staff meeting every Monday morning where we got over the reports from all the Zones.  There are successes all the time along with many mission miracles.   The Gospel is so true.  Church today was wonderful also.  I am really learning to love the members here.  We have become such good friends with them.  We are having such a wonderful mission!