Those 200 workouts must have worn me out--I haven't been back to my blog for a week! Actually, it does take time to get over there to Curves every day, so maybe I've been working out instead of blogging! Or something! I've still been going to Curves every day and I really enjoy it. I feel a lot better after I've been. Not that I don't feel well before I go, but I just feel better afterward.
Today is Eliza's #1 Birthday! Happy Birthday Eliza! Those are such cute pictures that Sarah posted today. That was a pretty--and messy--cake! It looks like you all had a fun and exciting day there.
This evening on my way home from AF I stopped by the Barretts and played with the girls in the playroom for a few minutes. Sidney is getting to be such a good walker! She walked and walked bringing me lots of delicious food. She's learned how to do it from the girls. I think she wore herself out going back and forth, back and forth. The Barretts were nice enough to share their real dinner with me--some of Lindy's delicious bean and wild rice soup followed by those mysterious black bean brownies. Very tasty! (See ourveggietales.blogspot.com. Riley told me very excitedly, "My mom has a food blog.")
Steven is at the MTC tonight greeting eight new elders. Last night the MTC Presidency informed us that they will be moving Steven from Branch 4 to Branch 50, where he will serve as branch president there. Ironically, he will be taking the place of Pres. Donaldson who was recently called to be a mission president in San Diego. Pres. Donaldson was Steven's counselor for awhile before he was called to be the branch president in Branch 50. Now Steven will be taking his place. We'll miss serving with the Ahlanders and the Jackmans, and we'll miss the missionaries in Branch 4 that we won't get to see leave. Our new sacrament meeting time will be 8:00 a.m., so that will get me up and going. Steven is already up and long gone by that time anyway, so it won't be too different for him. Maybe he'll be home a little earlier on this new schedule.
Last night (Tuesday) at the MTC Elder W. Douglas Shumway of the Seventy and his wife, Kathy, were the speakers. Elder Shumway used to be president of the Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission. In fact, when Steven was in Bolivia several years ago on Benson Institute business, he was invited by the Shumways to have dinner with them in the mission home and then they took him on a tour of Santa Cruz where Steven had served his mission. He saw firsthand the amazing growth that had taken place in Santa Cruz in the 30 years since he had served there. Back in the day, Steven had served as president of the one branch in Santa Cruz that met in a rented building. Now there are many stakes, wards, branches and church buildings there.
Sis. Shumway told the missionaries five attributes that could make them strong, powerful missionaries. (These are attributes that, as the wife of a mission president, she hoped missionaries would have when they arrive in the mission field.) First, Be happy. Smile and show that you are happy to serve the Lord. Second, Be humble and teachable. Third, Be obedient. Fourth, Know the doctrine, having felt the Spirit, and be ready to testify. Fifth, Be ready to work. I thought that was a good list of attributes for the missionaries to remember and strive to develop, so that when they arrive in the mission field they are ready for the work.
Elder Shumway gave the missionaries a lot of good counsel and advice on how to be good missionaries. "If you almost do what you are supposed to, then the Lord will almost bless you. . . Satan cannot lock you up. You have the key. The key is repentance. The only power Satan has over you is the power you give him. . .Self control is the road to heaven and self justification is the road to hell. . .The Atonement is the Gospel. . .Don't let the doctrine get too difficult in what you teach. . .Peace will be found only through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the soul hope of the world." He told a story of their daughter Stacey who served in Canada. While there, she bore her testimony to a young man who said he wasn't interested in the Church. A few years later, when she was teaching at the MTC, a missionary approached her and told her that he was the young man in Canada to whom she had born testimony and he had told her he wasn't interested. He said her testimony had actually made an impression on him, and that later he asked the missionaries teach him and he was baptized and called on a mission. So you never know what impression you leave with someone when you bear testimony, even if they say they're not interested. Elder Shumway concluded by telling the missionaries, "You are Israelites, children of the covenant, may you serve Him well."
Steven met with the elders in District A after the devotional. I took care of some scheduling arrangements with Richard so that Steven and I could meet with the MTC presidency after the district meeting. I met with the district long enough to bear my testimony to them and to feel the spirit of what they had learned from the meeting. It was later when we met with the MTC presidency that Steven received his new assignment.
Earlier in the week we had fun Easter activities with the Barretts. On Saturday we stayed with the girls from about 3:00 to 5:00 while Nate and Lindy attended a play. We played outside with the girls for awhile. Sidney had fun walking and walking out on the grass. When Lindy and Nate returned, they brought Mexican food home for dinner which we all enjoyed. On Sunday, they came for our Easter dinner of ham, sour cream potatoes and peas followed by BE-Naa-Na Cake! (as Riley used to sing; we can't get her to sing it any more). After dinner the girls had fun hunting for eggs out in the backyard. Instead of candy in the eggs, we had put in "clues" of things they could do to be happy (i.e. Obey Mom and Dad, Be nice to sisters, Go to bed on time, etc.). They liked the clues.
On Easter Sunday, I went to R.S. at the MTC and enjoyed Sis. Lant's most excellent talk about ways we can try to be like the Savior every day by applying Christ-like attributes in our lives. (See Preach My Gospel, pp. 115-123.) She asked, "Is Jesus Christ the center of your life? Is that how you're living your life? I know that as we place Him at the center of our lives, we can find guidance and strength and pece. This becomes the key."
After R.S. I went with Steven to district meeting with the departing district, District C--eight elders and four sisters going to the Carlsbad California Mission, except Sis. Crabbe who is going to Salt Lake City South. They've been a good district. Steven gave them his departure message taken from Jacob 5, quoting Zenos' three things to do to be great missionaries: (1) work diligently, (2) teach by the Spirit, and (3) obey with exactness. Then they can experience joy with the fruits of their labors. He told them the story of Elder Aliaga, from Bolivia, whom we met at the MTC prior to his going to the California Carlsbad Mission. He thought Steven might be the Elder Taylor who baptized his grandmother in Bolivia in 1968. Steven didn't know for sure. After coming home and checking his missionary journal and a 25-year mission reunion list, he found for sure he wasn't the Elder Taylor, but he did find an Elder Mark Taylor whom he thought might have been the one that baptized Elder Aliaga's grandmother. He called Mark Taylor; and, sure enough, he was the one who had taught and baptized Elder Aliaga's grandmother. Steven told him about Elder Aliaga and that all his grandmother's children and grandchildren were active in the Church. Mark Taylor was happy and excited to hear that news. The most amazing thing, however, was that Mark Taylor lived in Carlsbad California where Elder Aliaga was going! He told Steven to give Elder Aliaga his name and phone number so that Elder Aliaga could contact him. A few months later, we got a card from Elder Aliaga with a picture showing him and his companion having dinner with Mark Taylor and his family. He thanked Steven for getting them together. The missionaries liked hearing that story about experiencing joy with the fruits of your labors.
Then in Sacrament Meeting we were visited by our friends Pres. Mark Rowe, of the district presidency, and his wife, Paula. They both spoke and gave wonderful Easter messages about the Atonement. It was nice to have them there. District C sang their departure musical number, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," and "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again." They did a good job, acapella even. Afterwards, we said goodbye to Elders Carlson, McAllister, Poulsen, Stevens, Murray, Stanley, Gagon, and Walton; and Sisters Stepp, Crabbe, Jensen. Sis. Menke is being delayed for two weeks with her injured ankle that needs to heal more, so she is moving to a different branch to be with another delayed sister, and then she'll go to Carlsbad when her ankle is better.
Lots of things happened this week!