My Birthday & General Conference

My birthday was on September 27th.  It was a great birthday.  The elders brought me over cup cakes with candles all a flame.

   

 This is Elder Trumpet and Elder Hitchcock with the birthday cupcakes all a flame.

  Yours truly blowing out the candles.

Elder Sorensen and I went visiting and teaching in Falmouth for the day and then we stopped and had dinner on the way home.  During the day I received many nice email cards, pictures, and letters.

 

 

Sheridan, Amber, and family:  Brady, Carson, Kyla, and Bella the dog.  So Cute!!!

We received a letter from our Granddaughter, Shauni, which really touched our hearts.  She wrote, "Dear Grandpa and Grandma,  I am so grateful for your willingness to go out and serve a mission.  It has set such a good example for us here at home!  It has made me think about the power of missionary work and all of the wonderful blessings it provides for you and the people that you serve.  I have been thinking about it, and when I reach the right age, I want to go on a mission."  She concluded her letter by bearing her testimony.  It made me cry tears of happiness and joy.

One of the highlights of our mission is being able to watch General Conference at the church over satellite.  There was a better turnout on Saturday then there ever has been since we have been serving here. On Sunday the chapel was pretty well filled for the morning session.  After the morning session we all had lunch together.  Some of the sisters had brought rice & peas, fish, fried chicken, and coleslaw.  They always want me to bring the chicken pasta salad and the oatmeal spice cake, so that was my contribution.  It started to rain just before the second session started and then the power went off and stayed off until almost half way through the session.  We were able to come home and watch it on the internet later. My favorite talk was given at the General Relief Society broadcast, the Saturday before, by President Uchtdorf entitled, Five Things to "Forget Not".

      1.  Forget not to be patient with yourself.

      2.  Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.

      3.  Forget not to be happy now.

      4.  Forget not the "why" of the gospel.

      5.  Forget not that the Lord loves you.
Elder Sorensen really liked Elder Hollands talk that was given at the Saturday night Preisthood Session.

I'm so thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.