Testimonies

Our Mission office asked us to write our testimonies that will be in our Mission newsletter. We decided to include them here in our blog also. 

Elder W Patrick Traynor (WVCM Feb 6 2017-Aug 6 2018)

   I know that as we study the scriptures and listen to modern day prophets, we can learn eternal truths that God has revealed to His prophets. God has revealed all truth that is necessary for salvation to His prophets. If I prepare myself, by obedience to God’s commandments, and seek confirmation of these truths, the Holy Ghost will confirm these truths to me. I testify that among the eternal truths that have been confirmed to me on our mission are the following:

1. Heavenly Father lives and we are sons or daughters of Heavenly Father and He knows us personally and individually and He loves us. 
2. Jesus Christ is the son of God and is our Savior and Redeemer. Through the power of Jesus Christ, as manifested through His Atonement, Christ defeated death and He conquered sin. 
3. Joseph Smith was and is a true prophet who was called by God to open the last dispensation. 
4. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and is the most correct book on earth. 
5. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s true church on the earth. 
6. God designed a plan whereby our spirits are able to come to the earth, which was created by His Son, Jesus Christ, under the direction of Heavenly Father, and gain a mortal body and prove ourselves worthy, through obedience to God’s commandments and with the saving grace of Christ’s Atonement, including His resurrection, and eventually become like God and return to live with God.
7. Christ’s power, as manifested through His Atonement, enables and strengthens us, as we exercise our agency, to to trust Christ and have faith in His promises. I know that since Christ is unchangeable and that just as He kept His promises to the people I read about in the scriptures, I know He will keep His promises to me. 

Sister Traynor and I love all aspects of our mission. We love the warm, kind and loving people of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. We have come to love the beautiful area where we serve. We treasure relationships we have made here and the eternal truths that have been confirmed to us as we have served in our mission. 

   I know that as I keep God’s commandments, I can feel the power of the Holy Ghost more frequently and more powerfully and I am strengthened in my efforts to trust in Jesus Christ and more fully obey His commandments. 

                                                                            

                                       Sister Sally Traynor (WVCM, Feb 6, 2017- Aug 6, 2018

  I am thankful for the opportunity to serve a mission with my husband. I have learned many things that have strengthened my testimony. 

   In the MTC, senior couples were promised that our families would be blessed as we left them in the Lord’s hands. One of my testimony strengtheners is that He knows our specific needs and promised blessings have been, and still are, being poured out to our family while we are away. I have a greater understanding that our Savior’s promises are real. He loves us and He is in the details of our lives.

  Our S & I (Seminary and Institute) assignment has also strengthened my testimony. As we prepared to teach our Institute lessons each Thursday night, we were blessed with the opportunity to study from the wonderful curriculum that has been prepared and provided by the Church for our Young Single Adults. These lessons, together with the scriptures and prophetic readings, have been inspiring. I have learned so much.

  My favorite lessons were from the “Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel” cornerstone lessons. Through these lessons I have gained a greater love for my Savior as well as I feel His love for me more deeply. I have a greater understanding of His role in the creation of the world and His power and glory, and that through His love and atoning sacrifice all mankind can be saved and have the opportunity to live with our loving Heavenly Father again. 

  This past semester we have been studying “The Eternal Family”. I have gained a greater appreciation for our prophets who are on the watchtower to warn the world, as in, “The Family, a Proclamation to the World”. Our prophets are inspired and courageous and warn us of coming calamities that could harm our families. How thankful I am for ancient and modern  prophets. 

  Lastly, my testimony has been strengthen by a deeper commitment to read and study the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for President Nelson’s challenge to study and gain for ourselves the knowledge of what the Book of Mormon is; what it affirms; what it refutes; that it fulfills biblical prophecies; what it clarifies; and what is reveals. My testimony grows as I study, ponder and pray to learn eternal truths. 

  

To our children, grandchildren, loved ones and friends, we are grateful for this consecrated time to serve the Lord and we  thank you for your love and support to us.

We are still going strong. We still love these good people and It's still Almost Heaven. 

Elder and Sister Traynor 

  

   

Dandelion Jelly

  Today at church we were given a jar of freshly made West Virginia Dandelion Jelly.  I am still trying to figure out it's flavor. It's color is a lovely light yellow and because Pat and I could not come up with what it tastes like I referred to the .com. It suggests that it is somewhat the flavor of honey with a hint of lemon. The funny part is that you can actually find many recipes, but they mostly come under the heading of "Cooking with Weeds."  Ugh.
Dandelions are everywhere which makes them plentiful for picking, boiling down and making jelly. To think, I am 68 years old and I have never known about Dandelion Jelly.

Wednesday March 28th we drove to Charleston Airport to pick up William. We had a short but good visit here in Huntington with him. We taught our Institute/Pathway lessons on Thursday night then on Friday we drove back to Charleston to meet up with Emily and Erik's gang for the Easter / General Conference weekend. We all stayed in a VRBO ( called Blackberry Farm) owned by the parents of a gal in Emily's ward in Virginia. We had a great time all together. We loved seeing the grandchildren and playing with baby Rosie.

 3/31- 4/1 OK, let's talk about General Conference. Did anyone else, besides me, have to take a deep breath to just to stay on the same page with President Nelson? My, my what an inspiration he is to the church and the world. This new Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 will be wonderful.
  After the announcements of 2 new Apostles, changes in the Quorum of the Seventy, and the Priesthood changes, etc,  we were wondering what the Sunday meetings would bring.
  Emily had slipped out to feed the baby and was watching the conference on her phone. Upon hearing the announcement to change HT/VT to ministering, Emily sends a text to all her siblings which read, "There's a new sheriff in town". Well said girl. We had all better get on our horses and be ready for the ride.

4/3 Tuesday we drove to the Columbus Ohio Temple. Pat was asked to be the escort for Tait Nelson as he went through for his endowment. Tait was in our Institute class all last year and as well as this semester. He enters the Mexico City MTC this Tuesday. He will be serving in Cancun, Mexico. We had a great day with him and his mom and grandmother.
 Our only problem was that we drove through the worst rain and wind ever. It was only after we got home and had the news on and saw pictures and reports of the tornado we had driven through.

4/4 We worked on our lessons in the morning, worked with our literacy learners at 1:00P then at 3:00 tied a quilt for the two YSA's that were in our class last year and were married I the Payson Utah Temple. There is an open house for them this Saturday.  We are excited to see them this week.

4/5 We picked up two new members to our virtual Institute class this past Thursday night. These fellows are both returned missionaries. One from Nampa, ID and one from Madagascar.
 This virtual Institute is such a blessing to those who live so far from any institute programs and would otherwise have none.

  4/6 We drove the Sister Missionaries to Charleston for transfers. One of our sisters was returning home and we got a newbee straight from the MTC. We took them to lunch as we got back into Huntington/Barboursville.

 4/7 Pat and I celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary today. We marked the occasion with dinner  at Jewel City, a fresh fish restaurant ( a favorite place), frozen yogurt and a movie yesterday.  We are ready to sign up for another 47 plus years( it's actually called eternity). We are up for it.

Monday April 6th we crossed off another month here in West Virginia. We are 14 months here. Time is moving to quickly now. We love you all.
Almost Heaven, Traynors

PS, Did you all enjoy John's last Sunday night jam with Cameron singing "Almost Heaven"?
 It truly was. hanks John and Cam. I loves it.