two more NEW beautiful LDS Temples

 Hartford, Connecticut

Star Valley, Wyoming

more September Birthday dinners at my place

 Happy Birthday Elder Leishman

 Elder Towne and Leishman

 Elder and Sister Gareis joined us

Sister Irwin - Happy Birthday

Sisters Irwin and Preator

 Sisters Preator, Cope and Irwin

I love treating the missionaries to birthday dinners 

if they are in my area or zone - they are lucky!!!

beautiful fall --beautiful temples

borrowed from Patrick Risk

borrowed from Jean Haslem Ruiz  

General Women's Conference

What a wonderful and inspiring Women's Conference teaching of the Doctrines of Christ and that our Savior is the Master Healer. Every word and thought spoken, every song sung spoke to my heart and soul and deepen within our Saviors love -- his redeeming love -- his will to heal us to make us whole.  We must turn to him in prayer -- seeking for his love, his pure love to heal us.  Let us learn from the Doctrines of Christ.

"Despite the conditions of our day, we have many reasons to rejoice and be optimistic.  I believe with all of my heart that we sisters do have the innate strength and the faith that will allow us to meet the challenges of living in the last days, but it will take a concerted effort to be converted and to keep our covenants.

I testify that the Lord  has blessed us, we women who live in these perilous times, with all the power, gifts and strength that are needed in order to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ."  Sis Bonnie L. Oscarson

Jesus teaches the Samaritan woman at the well --  John 4 ...whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Oh how I love this story -- may we all have a "well" experience may we all drink of his water and never thirst -- may we seek for eternal life.

I love the words of this song and want to include them on this post.

Woman at the well,

Your water jar to fill,

The life of hidden grieving

Just trying to satisfy your daily needing, 

Stranger at the well, 

With water in himself, 

Draws near to you in love,

And offers life that you know nothing of,

Still you hear,

Then you believe,

Quench your thirst at his feet,

He'll be coming to the woman at the well.

Woman at the well,

Knew more than tongue would tell,

Held fast to all he said,

So sons and daughters raised up from the dead,

Choosing life,

Teaching faith,

Magnified by His grace,

Heaven's highest praise is women at the well.

Our father gave to us the living well,

With water sent to strength and cleanse and heal,

Come women to the well,

Drink deep and get your fill,

And then with cup o'er flowing,

Take Jesus hand and help him do his holy...

Come at him,

And believe,

Quench their thirst at His fell,

There is more tongue can tell,

Fill the fountain in ourselves,

Till the women live as women at the well.

***

THE PURPOSE OF FAITH IS NOT TO CHANGE GOD'S

 WILL, BUT TO ENPOWER US TO ACT ON GOD'S WILL

--Dieter Utchdorf

*be strong in our faith
*extend charity not judgment
*build confidence and faith in others
*focus on a bedrock understanding of the Doctrines of Christ
*God knows the silent pleadings of your heart
Jesus Christ is the Master Healer
*"Rise up in Strength"
*Fourth Floor, Last Door

TORNADO - DAVIS COUNTY -- FLOODING - ROOSEVELT -- MY OH MY!!!!

Sept. 22, Utah was surrounded by a terrible storm which brought a violent winds, heavy rain and power outages which resulted in flooding and a tornado.  The tornado caused a lot of damage in the southern part of Davis County; So Ogden, Washington Terrace, Layton areas.  110 miles an hour wind -- over 100 homes damaged -- at least 10 of them completely destroyed.  

Paul Hulet's home in Washington Terrace

dad to Sandra, Scott, Misty and Angie

another picture of Paul's home

next photos are of flooding in Roosevelt, Utah

my hometown and where my mom still lives

I am so grateful to hear that there were no reported deaths or extreme hurt in these disasters.  It is the will of the Lord and his tender mercies.  Elder Bednar quoted this in his talk "Tender Mercies"

We should not underestimate or overlok the power of the Lord's tender mercies.  The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live.  When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when moral experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies if the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance  
(see 1 Nephi 1:20)

Good Bye to Sister Myler

Sis Myler and I came the same weekend last year to begin our journey in this wonderful Nebraksa Omaha Mission.  We arrived October General Conference. So a year ago, I was in the MTC in Provo.  It's amazing -- all of it.  Sister Myler came in Michigan, and was called to be our mission nurse.  She is 80 years old and has kept up with the pace, the weather and even drives the Interstate.  She is amazing in her knowledge of the gospel and has quite the funny wit about her, comes up with the best and funniest comments.  She's great and we love her.

In her closing testimony at the mission home for departing

missionaires she said "KEEP THE FAITH BABY"  it was so

funny and so uexpected -- It has become our new mission motto

our last week together

the office staff:

Elder Gareis : Financial Secretary from California

Sis Gareis: Mission Secretary - California

Sis Cope: Referrals, service, luncheons - etc

Sis Myler:  Nurse - Michigan

Sis Henry: Housing - from Washington

Elder Henry:  Cars, transportation - Washigton

Sis Myler with Pres and Sis Gardner

It's crazy -- winter hours are already upon us.  I left the Trail Center at 8:45pm last night -- this is our beautiful temple that sits across the street.  What a peaceful sight.  

"BE THE LIGHT"    (Matthew 5:14)

Sept 21, 2015 ---- Sept 21,  2016

A year ago today I entered the MTC in Provo, Utah to start an amazing journey -- I will never regret this decision to serve the Lord on a 18 month mission.  I am so in love with this work and blessing.

"STUNNING"

Philadelphia Temple

My heart is full of so much LOVE and GRATITUDE tonight for our Savior - our only begotten Son.  I can't imagine where I would be without him, or where my family would be without him.  What would we do without our Savior's love - the love he freely gives to me.  My heart is filled with peace and it is such a blessing to share his love with others who come into my life.  I am so humbled from the last few days.  Every minute has been filled with his love, his guidance, his answers.  I am on a good path - a path of happiness and understanding.

We have been taught by Elder Falabella (from the Quorum of the Seventy) and his wife and from Pres and Sis Gardner.  We learned more about the Sacrament, hope, searching diligently the scriptures.  We have been taught about faith and to have confidence and faith in our Savior -- that he is a Divine Being.  We need to learn of and live the gospel attributes and live according to his will.  We need to put the atonement in our lives everyday and know that our Savior has his arms stretched out continually before us.  We were taught about the tree of life -- that by partaking of the fruit - which is the atonement - we can be happy, pure and we will desire the truth.  We were taught to be obedient in all things and all the time.  We learned about PEACE  - that if you have peace, you can ride out the storms.  It made me think of my father -- who died at 82 from cancer.  He was aware of what was happening, that he was leaving this earth life -- yet he was filled with so much peace.  (John 14:26-27)  That was my dad.

We talked about Alma and his brothers --- they saw thousands come into the church.  But they didn't do all the work -- for example -- Ammon taught and baptized Lamoni -- Lamoni was truly converted, so he began to teach and bring others unto Christ.  It takes us all to bring thousands into the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We were taught that Lamoni was a father -- the head of his household. Our missionaries were challenged to find the fathers - and the head of the households -- when we do that we will most likely teach and baptize complete families. Alma and his brothers did not do all the work. There are goals that need to be set and met in order to find and teach and bring others to Christ.

SINCERE PRAYER AND FASTING, SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES DILIGENTLY, LOVING THE PEOPLE AND BEING FAITHFUL IN KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS.

We were reminded that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH.

This is only a small part of what we learned during zone conference.  I haven't even begun to share it all -- our stake conference was absolutely one of the best stake conferences I have been too -- soooooo inspiring and so full of love and truth.

I am so grateful for our leaders and for the love and guidance they give to us through their examples and words.

I just want to share a few tidbits about Elder and Sister Falabella.  They are newlyweds and they sure do love each other.  Her husband died 6 1/2 years ago and his wife died 2 years ago. She is from Honduras and was converted at 20 and is the only member of her family.  At 28 she was married and her husband who was 31 was called to be a mission president in So. America.  She has had a life full of trials, but has remained true and diligent and has been blessed with this new marriage. I am inspired by their story.

It's been an amazing three days ---- some photos to share

Sunday Evening:  A missionary musical fireside -- there is so much power in music -- I think we could convert dozens of people just by the music performed in this amazing, spiritual fireside

Sunday:  Stake Conference with Elder and Sister Falabella (from the quorum of the seventy) then I had the Hermana sisters over for dinner: Sisters Marshall and Young.

Saturday evening:  Stake Conference Adult Meeting - before that I had a dinner and birthday celebration for all three of us who have birthdays this months.  Sisters Orton, Hutchison and me.

Saturday morning:  Zone Conf with Elder and Sister Falabella     Friday evening:  study at the Winter Quarters Cemetery and then a surprise at the Trail Center

               

Elder and Sister Falabella

Omaha Zone

Omaha Zone Leaders:

Chamberlain, Pitcher and Maize with their

matching ties

Sisters Lewis, Cope, Jordan and Yancey

me and Sister Yancey

(she wanted this photo because we match)

she is one amazing sister 

Heather and her daughters, Destini, Angyl and Alyna

Heather is standing with her uncle Kenny.  Three weeks after she was baptized, she found out that her uncle Kenny who lives in Omaha is a member of our church.  She was elated, he was thrilled and it was just three weeks too late for him to baptized her and her girls.  He came tonight to support as she was invited to share her testimony of how the gospel has blessed her and her girls.  She was so scared, but gave a beautiful testimony of how she and her girls has been blessed with peace and happiness, they are complete now with the new teachings and are embracing their Saviors love and teachings.  I love them so much and thrilled to be able to watch this story unfold.  Her niece (the young girl with glasses) McKenzie will be baptized on Oct. 1 ad she has invited uncle Richard to baptize her.  It will be a blessed day that we all look forward to.

The birthday girls

Sisters Hutchison, Cope and Orton

left the "h" out of birthday -- WOW

Crazy sisters -- matching dresses

Sisters Atkins and Milne

sisters Forsgren and Cox

me and Sister Cox

  she adores me and is a sister I have been able to help in

in many ways.  I love her for being brave

our darling Hermana sisters

Sisters Marshall and Young

lunch ladies for zone conference

Friday evening rainbow

study at the Winter Quarters Cemetery

My Trail Center Surprise

Verdus and Colleen Miles

I felt like I should leave the cemetery and head on over to the Trail Center for a visit and then I could head back to the cemetery.  I still wanted to study, but was prompted to go, so I did.  This cute couple was just finishing a tour and was standing in the foyer.  l looked at them -- I don't know them at all, but thought that I should know them.  Weird huh!  So I asked them where they were found and they said Utah and I said where in Utah -- are you from Altamont I asked?  And immediately, she said  "oh my goodness, are you Julias sister?  We thought you was serving in Nauvoo and all day yesterday while we were in Nauvoo we were asking everyone if they knew you and if they knew where we could find you.  Well no one knew you and we didn't find you.  We had no idea you was here.  Turns out that they know Julia and Rudy very well.  They have a ranch in Mountain Home.  They worked in the temple for years with my mom and dad.  What a fun surprise and a fun visit.

I'm still the PANCAKE LADY -- and don't forget!

It's been a great week -- a fast and busy week of:  incoming missionaries, departing missionaries, fixing lots of meals, testimony meetings, a session in the temple for the departing ones -- one inspiring week -- one where I learned so much from these special missionaries.  Sometimes I really wonder if I am fulfilling my purpose as a missionary here in Omaha, and then I have a week like this and I know that I am -- because I get to be in the office and fulfill my duties which help our young missionaries do their work.
I had the honor to listen to 46 testimonies during our outgoing and incoming missionary testimony meetings.  It is so heart-warming to hear these testimonies.  Everyone has their own feelings and the way they express something that I hope we all know:  the light and life of our Savior, his redeeming atonement, the plan of salvation and happiness, the blessings and miracles of missionary work and on and on.  I was so touched by the spirit and the learning from these beautiful missionaries.  AND I express the same love for this gospel and for the Doctrines of Christ which heal us, enlighten us and help us to "come unto Christ".  And on a side note:  I have been blessed to be a missionary a few times.  My family and I served a two year mission on the Ute reservation in Whiterocks. I served a two year mission in the Ohio Columbus Mission, I was a two year stake missionary on the U of U campus and a two year tour guide on Temple Square.  I believe that I was called as a "Mom" missionary for all the years as a single mom to teach and testify to my children. AND now this amazing mission I have been called on - to serve in the Nebraska Omaha Mission.  I was a "committed missionary and 37 years later I am STILL COMMITTED to missionary work.  In Preach my Gospel we memorize "My purpose as a missionary" -- 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.  This is our Saviors work, it is his plan for us to bring others unto Him.  I am grateful to have a small part in it.  And grateful to know and be blessed by his redeeming grace.

THESE PICTURES ARE POSTED -- IN NO SPECIFIC ORDER -- JUST POSTED AS I FOUND THEM