GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH

"BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM"

         (Psalms 46:10)

The Will of God

two weekend pictures

my evening walk

my stop in at the trail center

Sisters Svensson, me, Borla and Parsons

"Sisters, your sphere of influence is a unique sphere - one that

cannot be duplicated by men.  No one can defend our Savior with any more persuasion or power than you,the daughters of God, can - you have such inner strength and conviction.  The power of a converted woman's voice is immeasurable, and the

Church needs your voices now more than ever."

 -- Elder M. Russell Ballard

"My mission belongs to the Lord. With all my heart I give my energy and my time to the Master, because I love Him.  Therefore I'm going to look at every day not as mine, but as His. And I will treat each minute of His time with respect and focus and the dedication that it deserves."

--Elder M.Russell Ballard

Nephi's wife

I wanted to do some study and reflection on Nephi's wife during one of my personal studies.  She is only mentioned a couple of times in the Book of Mormon.  We don't even know her name. They only refer to her as Nephi's wife.  We do know that she is one of Ismael's daughters.  She is a spiritual woman in the scriptures and is an great example of a woman of great faith and obedience -- a spiritual giant. She - along with all the rest left their beautiful homes in Jerusalem to follow the word of the Lord and Lehi's instructions to take his family and journey into the wilderness and to also take Ismael and his family.  I found an article in my studies that said she gave birth to her children all in the wilderness - which spanned through 11 years.  So that means no hospitals, no nurses or doctors. They didn't stroll the malls, or play at the park -didn't go to movies or shop at the grocery stores.  
The scriptures tell of hard times, full of adversity, contention, hunger and times of peace.  We never heard her murmur or complain, but sustained and supported her husband. She begged his brothers to stop their anger towards Nephi and to release him for the cords that bound him, when they were on the boat.  Her faith was amazing, her courage and trust in the Lord was strong.  She watched the abuse between the brothers and Nephi time and time again.  She got on a boat to sail to the promised land.  That must have been terrifying but she trusted in the Lord and the prophecies of her husband, Nephi.  I am sure she spent countless hours on her knees in prayer for strength, guidance and hope.  She had unwavering faith, sacrifice and devotion to her family.  

This is how I would describe her:
  *earnest and sincere prayer to her Savior
  *love and charity in her heart
  *forgiveness to her family members
  *knew how to work hard and survive in the wilderness
  *had faith and trust in the Savior
  *a hope for the promised land

  *stood by her husband with courage and strength
  *was willing to sacrifice and move forward
  *was an amazing support to her husband and an example to       her family
  *was righteous, faithful and charitable

In the story of the Tree of Life, Nephi talks about four groups of people.  Some are traveling towards the tree and some are not.  

The first group discovered the path and began their journey to the tree.  But then they entered the mist of darkness  (which represents the temptations of the devil).  It was thick and soon they wandered off the path and were lost.  

Elder Bednar wrote that those people who ignore or treat lightly the word of God do not have access to that divine compass which points the way to the Savior.  The first group obtained the path and pressed forward, exhibiting a measure of faith in Christ and had spiritual conviction, but they were diverted by the temptations of the devil and were lost. (unquote)

The second group pressed forward with faith and commitment.  They found the rod of iron, grabbed on to it – the clung to it - and got through that mist of darkness -- this group did partake of the fruit.  But even though they tasted of the sweet fruit, they did not stay true to it’s promises.  They were made fun of and yelled at by the finely dressed people who inhabited the great and spacious building that was across the river.  The scoffing and finger-pointing of these well-dressed people caused this second group to be ashamed, annoyed, easy to convince and they left the path and were lost. These people had received the word of God in their lives – they had been blessed by the powers of Christ’s atonement and they sins had been forgiven.  But in the end they were too worried about what others thought – they were too concerned about being made fun of or people questioning their faith.  They couldn’t handle the presecution and adversary.

Elder Bednar writes this about this group:  Even with faith, commitment and the word of God, this group eventually was lost-perhaps because they only periodically read or studied or searched the scriptures.  Clinging to the rod of iron suggests to me only occasional “bursts” or irregular dipping rather than consistent, ongoing immersion in the word of God.  (unquote)

The third group pressed forward on the path and caught hold of the rod or iron.  They hung on, kept walking, journeyed through the mist of darkness, fell down at the tree and partook of the fruit.  We assume that they were faithful, they held to the rod and were humble.

The fourth group did not even reach the path, but went straight to the great and spacious building.  They didn’t have any interest in the tree of live, nor what it would give them.  They entered the building and went along with the others there; scoffing and pointing fingers

NAVY

OUR LITTLE PRINCESS WHO LOVES TO DRESS UP, 

TWIRL IN HER DRESSES AND 

LOVES TO HAVE HER PICTURE TAKEN

OH HOW WE LOVE LITTLE NAVY

BANANA COOKIES

 I had a great time with Morie Naw tonight.  I taught her how to make cookies - she wanted to make banana cookies. Her boys are begging for chocolate chip next time.  I am teaching how to read the recipe and the directions and how to measure the ingredients.  We will do this again so she can continue to learn. She was pretty excited when they were done.   l love all my karen friends.

OMAHA - EVENING

 MY EVENING WALK IN MY OMAHA NEIGHBORHOOD -- Fall is in the air 

BEAUTIFUL EVENING -- where oh where is my walking partner?????

trainer training meeting

 Pres. Gardner role playing 

 Sisters Preator and Irwin

 Sisters Parsons, Firth, Hall and Borla

This is Elder Winward from Idaho, his uncle was an
AP in my mission when I served in Ohio

...just an interesting fact!!!

Cicadas

It is the time of year the cicadas are back.  They are like the locusts in Utah, but much larger. The humming noise coming from the trees is almost deafening at times.  I have been wondering for weeks now what that loud noise is outside our apartments.  It is the cicadas.  I don't know alot about them, but this is what our senior missionary couple who works on the grounds wrote about them.  

Besides the cicadas we have huge wasp-like cicada killers this time of year.  They make holes in the flower beds and carry the cicada (which they have stung and paralyzed) into the hole where they lay their eggs under the leg of the paralyzed cicada.  The cicada is still alive, but the larvae feed off of it until they make a cocoon and become an adult wasp. In checking on line, they are so intent on chasing the cicadas they don't bother humans unless you accidently harrass them.

 

This is Sis Davies, the couple I spoke about in the paragraph above.  This is her in Logan, IA  -- the corn is 7-8 ft. tall.   ANYONE WANNA COME AND PLAY HIDE AND SEEK WITH ME????

HEARTLAND PARK - downtown Omaha

D.C. 104:14  -- I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork, and all things therein they are mine.

It was such a beautiful day yesterday - I drove downtown Omaha to the Heartland Park -- just to walk around and write in my journal. I'm always amazed how cell phones have taken away from people visiting with each other.  There were sooooo many people there and I would say that 90% of them were on their phones.  So sad to me.  I went there to people watch, I love to people watch.  So I pulled out my journal and began to write:  Where are all these people headed, what is on their minds?  Where is life taking them?  Most of them look like very good people and I am sure they are. They are all sons and daughters of God - Heavenly Fathers children with potential for eternal life and a divine destiny.  

How can we reach them, so that we can teach them about the Savior's plan of happiness, salvation, the restoration and atonement?   Exaltation is the greatest gift from our Savior, he is counting on us, his representatives.  Our purpose as missionaries is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.  I was in his frame of mind the whole time I was at the park.  Shame on me for not approaching anyone.  I will have to go back prepared to do that.   

Week of August 15-20

 Sisters Janson and Hutchinson over to my home 

for waffles

Every month we have a Senior Missionary Dinner, followed by entertainment or a speaker  held at the Trail Center.  This was our dinner this week.  We had a Hawaiian themed dinner and entertainment by our darling missionaries -- sang, danced and did the haka!

 Sisters, Hutchinson, Pinhey, Slater, Laumua, Firth and Parsons

 Elders Karl, Kimzey, Grey, Kane, Towne and Maize

One evening after all my assignments, I drove to

Lake Cunningham and to do my studies -- a beautiful

evening and a peaceful place to study and feel of God's love

Tuesday was Zone Conference for the Omaha and Omaha West Zones.  We learned some pretty powerful messages and I was once again humbled and grateful for this wonderful gospel and for our Saviors love

 some of the birthday missionaries for Sept. (they highlighted 

June, July and Sept.

 Our groups pictures

luncheon -- I was sooo excited -  fried chicken

"Faith is equal to our belief and unbelief -- increase your belief and exercise your unbelief...all things are possible to him that believes."

CHANGE - "Your life's greatest work is YOU!"

"You are wholly responsible for what you do and most importantly for what you become."

"It's impossible for us here in mortality to come to a state of perfection of which the Master spoke.  But in this life, we lay the foundation on that which we build in eternity."  

                                                        -Pres. Harold B. Lee

Be involved in consistent effort.......unwearied diligence      (Helaman 15:6,7)

...that you may bring people to the knowledge of the truth....that they may be led to believe the holy scriptures, yea the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them.

I strive to become a true disciple of Christ -- to be meek and humble, to always be worthy of the visitation of the Holy Ghost, to have a changed heart.  As in Alma 5:12 -- I want to always be ready to hear the word of God and to feast on the word of God.  And as in Mosiah 5 -- I want the door of my tent always facing the words of our prophets and leaders - I want to hear and listen and I want the door of my tent to always be facing the good in life and to always be open for knowledge and wisdom.  I hope that I will never close my door -- that I will have a changed heart and never have a desire to do evil.  

Every Saturday morning there is training at the Trail Centers for the sisters and senior couples who serve there.  And the other seniors are also invited.  I usually take the third Saturday off from the temple so that I can join them for Pres. Gardners' training.  This morning he gave a great message on always teaching the Doctrine of Christ -- faith, repentance, baptism and confirmation and enduring to the end.  And that the Book of Mormon is to bring FAMILIES unto Christ.  He spoke deeply at the most important day in the history of our church - April 3, 1836 -- D.C. 110 -- when our Savior appeared in the Kirtland Temple.  Also Moses - the gathering of Israel, Elias - the gospel of the Abrahamic Covenant (sealing families) and Elijah - sealing of ancestors  (I must study this section).  
We must yoke ourselves to Christ -- when yoked to him -- all things are possible.

me and Sister Hutchinson

me and Sister Janson

"After the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony,last of all, which we give of him:  That he lives!"

(D.C. 76:22)

An exciting day at the Winter Quarters Temple. I had about an hour after my ordinance shift before our scheduled baptisms in the temple. So I was headed over to the Trail Center for a little visit and "look who I found" heading my way from the Trail Center -- Jim and Kay Ivins from Bountiful and a bunch of the grandchildren. What a fun moment -- it was soooooo fun to see them. The other two pictures are some ofthe youth from our ward who came to do baptisms and in that group is Heather and her two daughters. Remember they were baptized three weeks ago.  They were baptized for Heather's mom and grandma.  I am so proud of them. What a great day. What a great blessing to be here in Omaha.

The story continues....

I was assigned to answer the office phone calls while Sis. Gareis attended Zone Conference.   It was a quiet day in the office.  I received a call in the afternoon from the Chalco Hill Sisters - Sis. Gershin and Rook.  They had a referral and wanted me to see who the missionaries would be and what ward they lived in.  They were all excited and I was too. They gave me the address and I immediately had chills run up and down me.  It was Heather's address.  I started to get excited in a loud voice and said - "That is Heather's address -- our new convert -- we JUST baptized her and her three daughters three weeks ago!  Sis Gershin went as crazy as I was and also was loudly rejoicing.  She said ''Oh my goodness, you are kidding -- our referral is from her uncle.  He is so worried about her, and said that she is depressed with life, is struggling, needs to stop smoking and she needs the missionaries".  It's all DONE!  We are taking these four to the Winter Quarters Temple on Saturday to do baptisms.  HOW SWEET IS THAT!!!!  Another miracle in the missionary labors and another tender mercy from the Lord.  Sis Gershin couldn't wait to tell this uncle - a man in their ward and I couldn't wait to tell Heather.   I would be visiting them at their home that evening to help get Heather's niece McKenzie ready for baptism.  

So I arrived at the home, sat through the discussion, just so anxious to tell Heather the news, but wanted McKenzie to have her "spotlight" first.  Mckenzie is 10 and really wants to be baptized.  She comes every week with Heather and her girls and she has sat through almost all of the discussions.  She loves church and primary. Her mom just gave her permission to be baptized.  Isn't the COOL!  After the discussion ended, I jumped up and told the group while embracing Heather -- the news about her uncle and his referral.  Heather had tears in her eyes and a glow about her and so much gratitude in her heart.  She said that she knew this was another confirmation that the Lord loves her, that she made the right choice and that someone in her family was looking our for her.  They will all be at a family reunion this weekend.....and what a reunion it will be.

I AM SOOOO GRATEFUL.

On Monday evening I took dinner and a birthday treat over to Heather's home and celebrated Angyl's birthday.  Heather had to work, so we pitched in and helped with the celebration.  All four Elders from the ward joined in:  Elders Karl, Maize, Donohue and Connolly.  It was a great night - but ended in a big cupcake fight amongst the kids and all we could do was watch.  They wouldn't listen ----- their mom grounded them the next day with cleaning assignments.  KIDS!!!!!

The birthday girl -- Angyl

Elder Karl, Maize, Donohue and Connolly

THE LONG ROAD FROM UTAH TO NEBRASKA!!!

...thoughts taken from the book written by Wendy Ulrich -- LET GOD LOVE YOU.  -- this is so fitting for travel to and from Utah-Nebraska.

When we drove our college kids from Michigan to BYU in Utah, the longest part of the journey was Nebraska.  The road through Nebraska was boring, flat, and everlasting....
There are parts of Nebraska that are delightful, but when we were just driving through, Nebraska wasn't even worth being awake for....many of us get to the culminating stage of acceptance and renewal with God only if we are willing to endure things we don't understand, prayers that aren't answered as we'd like, or challenges we have...After awhile we learned to actually enjoy Nebraska, but first we had to just find ways to keep driving...If we hit Nebraska periods with God when nothing much changes, the radio channels all die out, boredom or relational flatness sets in, and we've run out of things to say.  We just keep driving....Sometimes Nebraska is not just boring.  Sometimes Nebraska might be a nightmare that never seems to end.  Sometimes God seems to have left us in Nebraska with four flat tires, an empty tank, and a broken GPS, and we not only don't know where He is but we can start to wonder if He ever was...When Joseph Smith languishes for months in Liberty Jail while outlaws hound his followers, he too anguishes:  O GOD, WHERE ART THOU?....In the throes of such extremities, it can be immensely challenging to just keep driving, or walking, with no assurance that we're even on the right road.  When the journey hurts this much, it is understandable that we might start looking for exits to anyplace but here.  We have hard choices to make.  

these are my thoughts now - not from the book:  so let's finish this little analogy of the long, boring roads of Nebraska and be reminded of how to have a renewal with God.  

So driving those long roads until we reach our destination is much like enduring to the end or "hanging in there".  It is our duty to help others along the strait and narrow path so they can reach their full potential and continue on their path in order to return to our Heavenly Father some day.  Pres. Utchdorf says that enduring to the end is exalting and glorious, not grim and gloomy.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is a joyful religion, one of hope, strength and deliverance.  Enduring to the end is a process filling every minute of our life, every hour, every day, from sunrise to sunrise.  it is accomplished through personal discipline following the commandments of God.  

"For the mountains shall depart. and the hills be removed, (and the NEBRASKA roads bearble), but my kindness shall not depart from thee"  (3 Nephi 22:10).  "I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer" (3 Nephi 22:8).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the divine powers of the gospel of Jesus Christ will bless you to endure joyfully to the end.  

JUST SOME PICTURES THAT INSPIRE ME TODAY

 BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE SQUARE

 BEAUTIFUL WINTER QUARTERS TEMPLE

AMISH AT THE PHILADELPHIA TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE

"AS WE LOSE OURSELVES IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS, WE DISCOVER OUR OWN LIVES AND OUR OWN HAPPINESS!"

                                  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I was on my shift Saturday as an ordinance worker in the Winter Quarters Temple and one of the men who is single, came up to me and asked me if he could take me to lunch after our shift ended at noon.  I looked at him  -- astonished -- and said "Bro. _____ --- NO, I'm sorry, I am a missionary and you know that."  And he asked me to think about it, if I changed my mind to meet him after the shift outside the temple.  Okay -- was I suppose to think about --- me being a missionary, or me going to lunch?  The answer was still NO?    hahahaha

flowers on the temple grounds

Our cute family that was baptized a couple of weeks ago, received their baptism recommends and we are taking them to do baptisms this coming Saturday.  We are all sooooooo excited.  They worked fast and was able to get some family names and will be baptizing Heather's (the mom) mom and grandmother. This is going to be such a special day for them as they baptize their mother and grandmother.  And the youngest daughter will be doing one of our temple names.  We are also taking five other converts to do baptisms also.  I am sooooo excited.  This little family are amazing and have such a strong testimony of the gospel. It still amazes how the Elders found them.  Their street is off a dirt road, just away from anywhere I would have gone.  It's a testimony to me of the Lord's love for his children and for his missionaries.  When they are ready for the gospel, and the missionaries are in tune to follow the spirit -- it all aligns together and we have this darling family who have grasped the gospel and they are so grateful.   I just came from visiting them this beautiful Sunday evening -- took them fresh baked cookies.  It was a great to spend a Sunday evening when I can't be with my family.  Tomorrow is Angyls birthday and their mom has to work tomorrow night so I am taking them dinner and cake.  We will CELEBRATE!!!!!  and we invited the Elders to join us.  -- how does sloppy joes  and potato salad sound -- chocolate cake and ice cream.   So excited!!!!!

"NO UNHALLOWED HAND CAN STOP THE WORK FROM PROGRESSING."

This week on Thursday we had a night of finding.  All the mission participated.  From 6:0-9:00 pm we went out knocking on doors. Our goal was to pass out 200 Book of Mormons, get 100 baptismal commitments and teach the Restoration 300 times.  That was for the entire mission.  We prayed for miracles -- it was outstanding. We exceeded all three goals.  281 Book of Mormons, 107 baptism commitments and 351 teachings of the restorations.  A lot of miracles and a lot of tearful and humbling stories were shared.  I love this work and love being apart of this great mission.  

We had two tornadoes that passed through Omaha and Council Bluffs, and rain, rain, rain trying to pause our work, but I witnessed tonight that there is nothing that will stop the Lord's work from progressing.  

THIS PHOTO IS SO PRECIOUS TO ME

TAKEN AT THE TODD REUNION ON AUG. 6, 2016

AUNT ALICE, AUNT VELMA, MOM, AUNT ARVIL

(we are missing Aunt Carol)

here's another one taken on Junee 22, 2016

Mom, Aunt Arvil, Alice and Velma

Have you received his image in your countenance?

Does the Light of Christ shine in your eyes?

Will He know you when He comes again because you shall be like Him.

When He sees you will the Father know His child?

final post for the day - tornado sighting in Omaha

posted on facebook by Destini Carnako

So me and my mom are just casually shopping at Walmart and then we look up at the sky and there's a cloud like half way down the sky. We get in the car and look back and the thing is all the way across the sky and its a tornado. Cool but scariest thing ive ever seen haha.😂❤😱