July 27, 2014

    This week we had 2 zone conferences.  Tuesday in Augusta Maine for the 4 zones in Maine, and Wednesday in Exeter for the 2 Exeter zones and the Concord South zone.  It is always a very busy time when we have zone conferences.  President Stoker has asked us to participate.  I taught a session on Provident Living and the use of these Sacred Funds.  Miriam taught a great lesson on teaching from the heart.
   We always have fun traveling with the Pettingill's.  They teach also and we have so much fun together.
   The eight pictures to the left are of the Sanford Days celebration in Sanford Maine.  The Church did this last year to celebrate Pioneer Day and the city so much liked it that they wanted to participate and call it Sanford Days.  

As you can see, there were a lot of booths with the different things pioneers did.  It is amazing how much work went into everything they did.  The missionaries had lots of fun and it was very well attended. 
   President and Sister Stoker were unable to attend as President Stokers father was in town and he was leaving this morning.  His father is in very poor health and President Stoker feels this may be the last time he sees his father on this side of the veil.
   The next four pictures are of us with the Pettingill's at the lighthouse in Portland Maine.  We decided to try and go see as much as we can every week end as our time here is closing too fast.
   It was the most beautiful day.  As you can see from the pictures we had lots of sunshine and ocean, sky and greenery was fabulous. 

    The bottom picture is of the Manchester Elders her for dinner.  Miriam prepared the most wonderful dinner.  We had Elder Plyler, Barnes, Warner, and Harrington.  Boy do the Elders know how to eat.  Miriam made plenty and with Strawberry Short Cake for Desert, nobody went home hungry.
   Elder Plyler gave us a lesson afterwards on the faith that is needed to have miracles happen in our lives. We reviewed 5 miracles in the New Testament and found that those that received these wonderful miracles needed only a particle of faith to be healed or saved from natures torments. 
   He then ask us to pray with this same faith tonight for our Heavenly Father to put someone in our paths that we can find and teach.  It was a wonderful lesson.

   We love the missionaries so much.  One of the blessings of working in the mission office is that we get to know so many if not all the missionaries.  We love them all. 
   We have one more zone conference this Tuesday in Vermont and then it is time again to  get ready for transfers.  This is the most work for Miriam.   It is hard to believe how much paper work there is to run the mission. 
   Our testimonies continue to grow and our love for the Lord gets stronger and stronger.