Friday, December 23, 2011

A Joyful Christmas to YOU


The photo Christmas card of two elders serving in a Spanish speaking area of the mission captures our feeling of the season.

LIGHT


In the long, dark days of New England—it is dark by 4:30pm--candles light windows of homes. Ours is a message of LOVE of the LIGHT of the world even JESUS CHRIST. The Joseph Smith Memorial is ablaze with lights during December.

One by One


In a small way, President Wilkey hopes to act as the Savior himself did in ministering one by one as he interviews every missionary every three months. This month, each missionary companion came prepared to share Christlike attributes of his or her companion. So which photo do you think expresses the feeling of interviews!! While the President is interviewing, the zone leaders were teaching members of the district. Sister Wilkey had the privilege of discussing personal and companion study with each one, emphasizing the counsel of the First Presidency in regard to Preach My Gospel, “ use it daily in your personal and companion preparation.”

Together


We love being with the missionaries! We were able to attend a District Meeting as the missionaries together studied the Atonement of Jesus Christ and applied what they learned in what we call ‘real play’ or applying the principles in a practice with ‘real’ people they are teaching. And as you can see, the missionaries enjoy being together. This district knowing that transfers coming this week the day after Christmas will change their numbers decided to take photos.

Finding - Native American New England - Honoring Those who Uphold Freedom


Winnipesaukee, Pigwacket, Amoskeag—the names go on and on. The rich Native American heritage of New England lives principally in the names and reminders such as this monument in Opechee Park, Laconia, New Hampshire.


Nearly every town we have passed through has a
monument honoring the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for their country. This monument erected in 1882 in Auburn, Maine celebrates Civil War heroes.We appreciate the reminders of those who continue to support freedom.
Finding those who want to know the message we bring is like finding the bird in this photo.

Miles to Go before We Sleep or Mission Glimpses



Androscoggin River Falls in Lewiston, Maine once vibrant with aquatic life became polluted from factory waste.Today it is being reclaimed though it is still tainted with mercury and dioxins.
In an object lesson for President Wilkey in talking to the youth, he referenced 1 Nephi 15:27 the
water which my father saw was filthiness;and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water. He asked simply,“Are you filling your minds, your hearts, your lives with so much good that you will not pay heed to the filthiness? And if you have become polluted, are you doing all you can do –and allowing the healing of the Atonement—to again to become clean again?"

Monday, December 12, 2011

More in four "SSSS" and two "HH"

Weekly planned service to random acts of kindness,
Smiles in fulfilling our purpose to invite others to come to Christ,
Scripture study and holy habits:
These are a few of our favorite missionary things!


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Service, Smiles and Sacred Ordinances



What more can we say? Called to serve him, Heavenly King of Glory...onward, ever onward.....

MIRACLE

A copy of this Carl Bloch painting, the Healing at the Pool at Bethesda is in our Mission Home living room. We attest to the miracle of healing through the Savior. We are grateful for the priesthood authority that allows such blessing in this day as in the time of the apostles in the meridian of time.

James 5:14 “ Is there any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him,anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
Wednesday night, interviews and meetings ended at 7 pm, two hours away from Williston and our hotel but it was there in So. Royalton that diarrhea struck Dad-Dave. With a vengeance. Two stops later we arrived and he settled orrather unsettled for a long napless night. Frequent bathroom visits and his stomach gnawing at him. At 6 am I awakened again. He simply said, “ I’m too sick and can’t possibly be ready for another set of interviews at 8:30 am.” We prayed—always a good idea—and he said in short, I’ll do what you want me to do dear Lord, but I’m miserable. Promptly he went into the bathroom and got rid of the horrible nausea and everything he had eaten that had not already
made its exit. Now thoroughly rung out and 45 minutes later, he decided we’d go to interviews a half hour late. Arriving he received a blessing. Twelve hours, 18 interviews, a meeting with the zone leaders and with the stake presidency and a lesson with two young men later, we returned to the hotel. Now that’s a MIRACLE!

Symbols - Light and Wreaths

Shall we say that Christmas décor on the outside of homes has a distinctive look here? Our two favorites are single candle lights in the windows and wreaths on the doors and windows.We love the symbolism: circular evergreen, symbol of eternal blessings
through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Mailboxes with decor are common in the neighborhood as well. We can cheer that one: we love to find mail in our box. We have the nicest mailman possible and we enjoy a chat with him.
But nothing could be more unique than the décor in the front yard of a home
in the neighbor hood!!! Maybe it’s in memory of Vermont Cabot Cheese or Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

Monday, December 5, 2011

If Ye Are Not One, Ye Are Not Mine

Can thirty elders pull one another up on the count of three? Or more accurately, can one hundred plus elders lift one another up in their companionships, their areas, their wards or branches? Not to mention the eighteen sisters.
Leadership training - this was a short break of action, applied action, along with about 12 concentrated hours of training.
The bottom line--will we unitedly lift the mission?
Will we invite others to come to Christ and receive Him in faith and repentance, receiving his saving ordinances through the authority to act in his name.