How to spend a week . . .

(Source:  Valley Forge Woman) 

On Monday I went Visit Teaching in the afternoon with my partner Carolyn.  We used to work together on the Relief Society Presidency.  I love Carolyn.   When Todd and I found out we had lost our job down South and came back to Chester to look for a place to live, Carolyn and her husband Eric opened their home to us and gave us a bed to sleep in.  We did not even know them.  I was so grateful for their kindness and generosity.   We don't get to talk as much these days because we both have different church responsibilities, but we still enjoy getting together and having a good old gab, and Visit Teaching is a great opportunity for us to do that.   We never shut up the whole time in the car, both on the way to visit our various sisters and on the way back home.   She is such a choice example to me of everything a good Sister in the church should be and a good friend.

I love the Visiting Teaching program.   You become really good friends with your Visiting Teaching partner (usually) and you also become really good friends with the sisters you visit, or you should do at any rate!  No one in the church need ever feel alone or should ever feel alone.   The church is designed to make sure that everyone feels cared for, at least it should do if everyone is doing the things they should be doing and the two most important things we need to do is Visit Teach and Home Teach.  When I was a single sister my Home Teachers really helped me out many times.  I didn't know how to do things like change windshield wipers or other things.   I could always rely on them to help me out.   My Visit Teachers also helped to uplift me when I was going through a really bad patch.  These two programs are so very important.   We can be the Saviour's hands in a very meaningful way if we do what we are asked to do and participate fully in these programs, and we will be blessed in numerous ways for doing so.

I also did my grocery shopping for the week in the morning and we had Family Home Evening in the evening!


 
(Source:  One of a Kind) 

On Tuesday we had a Prep Day, or "P Day" as it is also called by the missionaries.  "P Days" help us to be more focused in the work we are doing.  They are days to catch up on things like doing laundry, etc. and also to organise ourselves for the week, to set goals of what we want to achieve and other things.  This helps us to be more effective as Missionaries.  I know we are not like the youngsters and we don't live, eat and breath mission work 24/7, but we still need to be organised.   Todd and I are focusing now on finding ways in which we can serve our community at large and we have been trying to come up with ideas on how we can do just that.  We also want our scripture study to become more focused.  It's a good thing.  I found the greatest app for my iPad, called Ponderize.  It's a free app.  It enables you to download one scripture (or more if you want) a week that you can use to reflect on and to study and to memorize.  I am finding it very useful.  My scripture for this week has been the following one:

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. 2 Nephi 32:3

It is the end of the week now, and I still don't have it memorized.  I think memorizing comes harder when you are older.  What do you think?



Wednesday this past week was Transfer Day.  Every six weeks in the Mission there is a Transfer Day.   This is the day when new Missionaries come into the field from the Missionary Training Centre in Chorley.  They will be given their first Missionary Companions and it all happens at a special meeting which is held at the Mission Chapel in Manchester.  (Because this is the England Manchester Mission)  It would happen at other places in other Missions.   This is also the day when Missionary Companionships get switched around.   Usually missionaries will spend one or two transfers with the same companion, and then they will switch to another companion in another area.   This is good for them as it helps them to grow and to gain more experiences and blessings in the field.  These transfers come under the inspiration and discretion of the Mission President.  They are fun and exciting meetings.   It is so inspiring to see all of these young people together and to feel their excitement and love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   It is a really amazing experience.  I love LOVE Transfer Meetings.   It is also where the Missionaries who are finishing their Missions have the opportunity to say goodby to the Mission and to bear their Testimonies at the end of their Missions.  These Testimonies are always so heartfelt and inspiring to everyone who is there.   Oh, how I do love these young people so very much.  I truly do.  It is a pleasure to be able to serve with and for them.



I had a bit of a cooking day on Thursday as there wasn't a lot of Missionary work to do that day.  This was what Todd had for dinner that day, a real mixed bag.   Some Sausage Cassoulet, some Beetroot and Goat's Cheese fiorelli with a Spinach and Chive Pesto and Pumpkin Gnocchi with sage butter.   Normally we wouldn't have all three of those things on the same day, but I had some catching up to do.   Being the husband of a food blogger is always interesting if nothing else!  (By the way all three things were gorgeous.)


(Source:  Melonheadz LDS Illustrations) 

Yesterday was a real mishmash of this and that.  We went here, we went there and a lot of in between.  I had phone calls to make and a house to clean.  I got a glucose meter earlier this week and I spent some time trying to make sense of that.  I think I have it figured out now, but watch this space.   I spent a whole lotta time with that.   I used up all of the glucose strips which came with the maching.  (It's a good thing I bought extra!) My fingers are a bit sore from the pricking!  I am having some real dizzy spells and I want to get to the bottom of what is causing them.  I sewed a bit . . .



The two in the upper left are the ones I got done yesterday.  SO cute!  And I did a bit of colouring in the colouring book my dear friend Suzan sent me.  I just love it so very much.  It was such a thoughtful gift for her to send me.  I can just lose myself in it.

And that's how you spend a week . . . 

Today we are going to participate in another street display.  I want to bake some cookies before I go, so I best dash.   But first  . . .  a thought to carry with you through today . . .


⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰✿⊰
I don't want to get to 
the endof my life 
and find that
I just lived the length of it.
I want to have lived 
the width of it as well.
~Diane Ackerman
⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰✿⊰



Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . . Wholemeal Pumpkin Pie Rolls.   These were a succesful experiment!  Finally success!  Really tasty!

Have a great Saturday!  Don't forget . . .


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And I do too!