So it's back to school for our Institute/ Pathway students. We kicked it off with an opening social with Food, Fun, and Friends. We had invited the two other institute programs of the stake to join us. One is from Martin, KY ( 2 students) and the other is from Marshall University, on campus (4 students). The YSA's had a great time playing silly games and enjoying each others company. We were happy to be back with our regular Thursday teaching responsibilities. We had missed them during the month of August while we were between semesters.
Sept 9-10 were privileged to have Elder Cook, Elder Nielson and Elder Dudley as visitors to the West Virginia Charleston Mission.
Our first meeting was at 9 AM Saturday as an all West Virginia Mission conference. The missionaries were all so excited to see each other as past companions and friends. We had the blessing to be taught by and receive an Apostolic blessing from Elder Cook. He blessed us "that our families would be blessed an all those we love". What a wonderful promise.
Then Elder Cook, as a special witness of Jesus Christ, testified that he "knows our Savior's voice and he knows our Savior's face". What a powerful witness.
We had another great Institute/Seminary inservice on the 16th. The main message there was to strive to see our students as our Heavenly Father sees them, their potential, their spiritual gifts, and the way they handle life challenges that they are dealing with. This also applies to our spouses, children, grandchildren, folks in the ward, business colleagues, neighbors and all those we come in contact with. We can love them as He loves us.
Another highlight of the month was our Zone conference on the nineteenth. It is always a pleasure to learn from our mission President Lindhardt.
I had 2 great take away messages. The first is to "pray each day to have the spirit to be with us and then follow the promptings". I will try harder each day to "listen" for the promptings of the Spirit. Sometimes I get so caught up in busyness that I miss out on the still small voice trying to get my attention.
The second message is 4 questions.
1- Do I believe that God loves me?
2- What evidence do I have that God loves me?
3- Do I love God?
4- What evidence have I given God that shows Him my love?
There is a lot to ponder in these 4 questions.
Our Heavenly Father gives us commandments because He loves us and we can strive for exact obedience to show our love for Him. We obey to qualify for the Spirit to be with us. Therefore, "If ye love me, keep my commandments".
All is well here in Huntington WV, we love these people and this country.
Almost Heaven, Traynors
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Summer is Coming to an End
Our days are a little less warm and humid and there's a change a coming. The schools are all back in session and Marshall University had their first home game. There is really a lot of hype in college towns when there is a home game.
A funny thing. You know how folks prepare for tailgate parties before games, well I was at Kroger grocery store and saw the people buying tons of the big Solo Cups for the drinks, and here, of course, the color is vivid GREEN. There were stacks and stacks of green solo cups, and green,
We are...Marshall shirts, and green ice chests, and green tents, green umbrellas and every thing you can think of all green Marshall.
Our U of A red and blue and BYU blue are so normal to me, but green? I had never thought much about it.
The leaves have just started to turn colors and some are starting to fall. So summer is ending. We love experiencing the 4 seasons.
Our Stake President Cox has such a vision for lifting the members of this stake both temporally and spiritually. He strongly believes in the Self-Reliance program and we are happy to be on the stake committee to help train the wards. He has asked that every family take the Personal Finance course so Pat and I have signed up for a course. We are in week 3 of 12 classes. We really see the blessings that can come to those that will practice the principles learned. This past week Pat was the facilitator for our group.
We had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Louisville Temple Aug 26 with the Sadlers, an almost 70 year old couple in the ward that were going through for the first time as well as were going to be sealed. We got to know the Sadlers as we worked with them in a self reliance class as well as literacy lessons. We were grateful for the opportunity to be in the Temple. We traveled to and from KY with some folks in the ward and had such a great time visiting and enjoying the landscape along the way.
On the Sunday the 27th, Pat and I were joined at 9 AM by Elder and Sister Dean (from the Olive Hill branch), full-time missionaries here from Springerville-Eagar AZ, to prepare 100 potatoes and cut fruit for the Stake Standards night. We got all the food prepped before our meetings started at 12:00 and then started baking after our meetings finished at 3:00. When the stake hosts activities here they usually start early and provide a meal as several of the wards are one to two and a half hours away from the stake center. So we prepared a potato bar with all the trimmings, salad, rolls and fruit. After the meeting the stake YW leaders cleaned up so we could head home since we had been there minding the food for 10 hours already.
On Aug 29th, Mother's birthday bread baking event went well. Pat and I were able to take Grannies bread to some folks that really loved receiving it. I shared the Bread Poem with them too. Everybody loves Mothers bread. Well duh!
We are gearing up for our new Pathway semester. I'll report on that next week.
When I say Almost Heaven, it really is. Traynors
A funny thing. You know how folks prepare for tailgate parties before games, well I was at Kroger grocery store and saw the people buying tons of the big Solo Cups for the drinks, and here, of course, the color is vivid GREEN. There were stacks and stacks of green solo cups, and green,
We are...Marshall shirts, and green ice chests, and green tents, green umbrellas and every thing you can think of all green Marshall.
Our U of A red and blue and BYU blue are so normal to me, but green? I had never thought much about it.
The leaves have just started to turn colors and some are starting to fall. So summer is ending. We love experiencing the 4 seasons.
Our Stake President Cox has such a vision for lifting the members of this stake both temporally and spiritually. He strongly believes in the Self-Reliance program and we are happy to be on the stake committee to help train the wards. He has asked that every family take the Personal Finance course so Pat and I have signed up for a course. We are in week 3 of 12 classes. We really see the blessings that can come to those that will practice the principles learned. This past week Pat was the facilitator for our group.
We had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Louisville Temple Aug 26 with the Sadlers, an almost 70 year old couple in the ward that were going through for the first time as well as were going to be sealed. We got to know the Sadlers as we worked with them in a self reliance class as well as literacy lessons. We were grateful for the opportunity to be in the Temple. We traveled to and from KY with some folks in the ward and had such a great time visiting and enjoying the landscape along the way.
On the Sunday the 27th, Pat and I were joined at 9 AM by Elder and Sister Dean (from the Olive Hill branch), full-time missionaries here from Springerville-Eagar AZ, to prepare 100 potatoes and cut fruit for the Stake Standards night. We got all the food prepped before our meetings started at 12:00 and then started baking after our meetings finished at 3:00. When the stake hosts activities here they usually start early and provide a meal as several of the wards are one to two and a half hours away from the stake center. So we prepared a potato bar with all the trimmings, salad, rolls and fruit. After the meeting the stake YW leaders cleaned up so we could head home since we had been there minding the food for 10 hours already.
On Aug 29th, Mother's birthday bread baking event went well. Pat and I were able to take Grannies bread to some folks that really loved receiving it. I shared the Bread Poem with them too. Everybody loves Mothers bread. Well duh!
We are gearing up for our new Pathway semester. I'll report on that next week.
When I say Almost Heaven, it really is. Traynors
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