Message—30 September 2012

Dear Family & Friends,

Monday in mission office staff meeting we were blessed to be taught by President Christianson.  He is a great teacher; he knows and uses relevant scriptures to teach the doctrines and principles of the gospel.  Although he could quote many of the scriptures, he opens the scriptures to the right chapter and verse and has us read them so we learn more.  After the staff meeting we had our interview with the President.  The President interviews all of the missionaries, young and old, during each transfer period, which is 6 weeks.  He includes us senior MLS and office couples and also the senior couples who serve at the church history sites, the senior couples who are serving FM missions, and we have three couples who serve at the Seneca Falls Girls Camp whom he also interviews.  The information he learns from the interviews provides some help in making decisions about transfers for the young missionaries.  The senior couples are blessed to keep the same companions and usually serve in the same place and do not usually get moved.  The final decision on all transfers is done after much prayer and receiving a confirmation by the Holy Ghost.

Monday afternoon two missionaries, who are serving together in Bath NY, brought their 2012 Subaru Legacy up to the Subaru Dealer in Victor, near the mission office, to have some warranty work done on the car.  While we were waiting for the work to be done on the car, we took the two Elders to dinner at a restaurant.  We were not able to get the vehicle until it was too late for them to drive back to Bath; so we had them spend the night with us.  Sister Jensen spoiled them with a great breakfast Tuesday morning before they returned to Bath.

Tuesday evening we spent some time working on our Institute lesson and were able to go to bed earlier than usual so we were able to get a good nights’ rest.

Wednesday I worked on following up on getting approval to proceed with getting some accident repairs scheduled to be done.  In the evening we went to the Hill Cumorah for the Site Training meeting.  We had some mail for some of the sisters, and I had a few items to take care of on some vehicles for the sisters.  We arrived home about 9:30 pm very tired but very blessed.  After arriving home, I received a phone call from two Elders who reported that while their car was parked in a parking lot and they were teaching the owner of a Tailor Shop; a lady had backed into their car and caused some minor damage.  She had the police come and do a police report and the officer left a note with the driver exchange information telling the Elders to call the police station.  Since another vehicle was involved it is required that I report the accident to the Church Insurance Agent.

Thursday after we left the mission office we went to Geneseo to get things ready for our Institute lesson.  Jon and Marisa were the only ones who came to Institute; Alex had to work late, and the others who should have come did not make it.  We had a good discussion and lesson about the Savior in the pre-mortal world and also about his birth on earth and the related events.  We learned a couple of new things from the lesson.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph her espoused husband were cousins and so both of their earthly lineages follow the same line.  There are 42 generations from Abraham to Joseph & Mary.  Since Heavenly Father is the father of Jesus there is only one generation between Jesus and his Father.

Friday morning we drove to Geneva NY to get the report of the accident which happened Wednesday night; and to also take pictures of the damage to send to the insurance.  Geneva is a town which has one of the NY State Agricultural Experiment Stations, including a college.  While working in the BYU Library I remember receiving several series of research reports published by researchers who had done their work at the Geneva Experiment Station.  Friday evening we were invited to have dinner across the street at the Servoss’s along with the young Elder’s and Sisters who serve in our area.

Saturday morning we left a little after 8:30 am and drove to Amherst NY, which is in the Buffalo area, to attend the baptism of Bill Bernacke who Sister Brown and Sister Schank have been teaching.  He is a wonderful older gentleman who has accepted the gospel with enthusiasm.  The Sisters had invited us to come to the baptism.  President Miner, who is President Christianson’s 2^nd Counselor in the Mission Presidency, performed the baptism.  It was a great baptism service.  We left after it was over so we could get to Brockport as close to 12 noon as possible to drop off some mail for Elder Perkins, whose birthday is today, Sunday.  It is the first time we have been back to Brockport since we moved from there last February.  There were some people demonstrating on all four corners of the main intersection in Brockport which is where Rte. 31 and Rte. 19 cross.  We learned later Saturday night on the news that a young female Brockport College student had been murdered by her boyfriend the night before.  It is a very sad thing to have that kind of thing happen.  The police found the boy friend and arrested him within a few hours.  That was the reason for those who were demonstrating with religious signs about the Savior providing comfort and peace.  We then drove to the mission office to meet Brother Schroeder and his son Michael and a friend of theirs.  They wanted to see and drive one of the vehicles that is for sale from the mission.  They made an offer a little lower than what our asking price is so I will have to ask the fleet manager on Monday if he will accept the lower price.  Saturday evening we watched the General Relief Society meeting by way of internet on my computer and then projected through our TV.  The messages were all very spiritually enriching.  The Spirit was very much present for all of the meeting.

Today we had good church meetings.  Since it was Fast Sunday in our ward we were blessed to hear some great testimonies.  We had a good discussion in our Sunday School class about the Church at the time of Christ.  I had been asked to help with a Primary activity at the beginning of the 3^rd hour.  The Primary Presidency had devised a fun activity to help the children learn some of the songs for their Primary Presentation next month.  It was great to be back in Primary again; I love to be where the children are because they have the Spirit with them.

As we have been doing some traveling this week we have noticed that some of the leaves on the trees are starting to change to fall colors.  The maple trees are starting to have the leaves on their outer branches turn red, some of the trees are turning various shades of yellow; and some of the sumac bushes are starting to turn their brilliant red.  Some of the other trees, shrubs, and bushes are also starting to change colors.  It is really very pretty to see all these colors begin to change.  Heavenly Father and the Savior did a superb job of giving beauty and variety to the creations around us; we really do live in a beautiful world.  Elder Servoss and I stayed up a little late on Friday night to watch the BYU and Hawaii football game; BYU won 47 to 0.  I noticed from some of the camera shots of the Provo Mountains that the colors have changed there also.  My Fleet Manager told me the other day on the phone that it had snowed about 6 inches in the Utah mountains Tuesday or Wednesday, fall is truly here.

As near as I can discover there is only one birthday in our immediate family in October, and that is Laurie on October 28^th.  Laurie, we are very pleased you are a member of our family; we love you and hope you have a wonderful day on your birthday.  We hope all of you have a great month in October.  Those of you who are hunters we hope you have success in your hunting activities and are kept safe.  We love all of you very much and we hope you will do things which are spiritually strengthening to make each other happy.

Love,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Maxine & Richard