Week ending June 24 2012

Well two weeks have passed.  I started writing at work at the beginning of the week and thought I had saved it and sent it to my email to finish at home.   I can’t find it so here is seeing if I can remember anything that has happened.  It has been a busy two weeks and you will recognize that when I tell you that two times I have agreed to stop at McDonald’s on the way home at 7:00 or 7:30 to get something to eat. 

With the coming of a new Mission President and sending another home there is lots of extra stuff to take care of.  President Griffiths has also started a project of making and packaging 1600 DVD’s every transfer so that every companionship gets 20 of them to give out with the Book of Mormon to introduce the Book.  That takes a lot of time we have discovered.  We are now finished with 500 in our third time of making them.

We have painted a flat, inspected a closed flat, and now have cleaning of carpets to do these next two weeks to get ready to reopen the one flat we checked and get the Office sisters flat ready for their arrival on the 14^th of July.

We have attended the Zone Conference in Edinburgh on Friday which is our first and last time of doing it with the Griffiths.  It was their final one and needless to say an emotional one.  The Presidents final message was one on teaching by the spirit.  Something he believes in and prays that all missionaries will develop a closeness to the spirit so that they can recognize when it is there.

On the last two Saturdays we have stayed around home most of the day finishing up projects, cleaning and shopping for food.  Yesterday we did go with the Grahams to see the House of Binns. 

This home has been lived in for the last 400+ years by the same family.  The family still lived in a part of the house and allows the rest of the home to be shown to raise money to keep the home up.  It is a big beautiful home totally filled with family memorabilia of 400 years.

On the property is a tower that was built to win a bet.  The bet was who could spend 100 pounds sterling to create the most useless thing.  This tower one because it really has no purpose other than to overlook the surrounding lands.  In the picture is Julia with Sister Graham.  Unfortunately you can't see how windy it was.  We all about got blown away climbing the hill up to this tower.

The House of Binns is also well known for all of the peacocks that live on the property.  Here is one of the males we encountered just outside the door into the home.

We love the work and are still glad for the change of assignments even though the hours are longer time goes quickly with the change of activities.  No two days are the same.  The missionaries are fun to be around as well as the Grahams.  We are going to miss them when they go home the end of July.

Week Ending 10 June 2012

A third of June is over and it seems like it just started.  So much has happened this week we have had two birthdays, Brynn’s and Adell’s.  We have had notice of Grandpa Grettenberg having cancer.  Our neighbor up the street Jerry Jones passed away, and Jason’s wife ‘s funeral was this week.  Live is full of positive and sad events.   

At work it was a busy week also with many days going from 7:45-8:30 or nine o’clock.  We put in some long enjoyable days with events occurring around Missionaries going home and others coming in to begin their labors.  We saw parents arrive on Monday to check in and find out what time they were to be there the next day for the farewell dinner.  Julie, little did we know what we were making you miss by taking you away early.  I feel sorry for you that you didn’t get to go through the last couple of days with your group.  It is a great time for them to see people they came out with, but may not have seen much since if they were on different islands or different areas. They then go up Pratt’s Hill to report to the Lord on whether they had fulfilled the goals they had set when they came out and think about what goal they wanted to set for their next phase of life.  At about 5:30-6:00 parents start coming.  We had four of the 19 missionaries have parents come to pick them up.   We saw one missionary catapult the six foot fence to hug his parents when they arrived.  It was so neat.  Then they have their dinner followed by a testimony meeting.  That night after we are all gone the missionaries get in their pj’s and they sit around the lounge talking and asking the Mission President and Sister Griffiths any questions they want to.

Wednesday morning they are off to the airport, bus station, or away with their parents to life beyond the mission field some knowing what they want and others having no idea.  We had one from last group that is already married to his girl that was waiting for him.

About 10:30-11:00 the next group arrives and this time you see different expressions of those with wonder in their eyes about what is ahead and where they will be going.  They are fed a sandwich, chips and drink and then they are off to the top of Pratt’s Hill in the rain.  They set their goals for their mission.  This is the hill Parley P. Pratt climbed when he needed to visit with the Lord.

President Griffiths interviews every new missionary either before they go up or after their welcome to the mission lunch.  Then instruction begins with the new trainers on one side of the room and the new missionaries on the other side.  Each of the office staff has a part.  I tell them about referrals, the mail, and baptismal reports.  Grandpa tells them about ordering supplies and working with individuals that have “disappeared” from the church.  While this is going on the President finishes his interviewing and then he and his wife and the two Assistants to the President start forming companions.  When they have made their selection they announce who will be going where and with who to be trained to be a missionary.  This time it seemed to take a long time with the number of missionaries that arrived.  We then do all we need to do, like pictures of them with President and Sister  Griffiths, their companion, and then the whole group.  We were about nine o’clock getting home this night.

The next day is training for new District Leaders from 10:00-3:00 and another lunch for the group.  The last of the missionaries leave to go to their areas Friday morning.

Thursday night we joined two other couples in going to see the musical “Oliver” after enjoying dinner together and so we actually left the mission home a little after five but didn’t get home until about 11:30.  It was a wonderful evening and the play was great.  We do wish we could have sat closer to the front though.

Friday is sure seemed quiet after having missionaries around all week.  We caught up on some things that did not get done earlier in the week and started all the letters and paperwork that go along with new missionaries.  That evening we went out for dinner with President and Sister Griffiths, and Elder and Sister Graham.  It was Elder Graham’s 70^th birthday on Tuesday when we were too busy to celebrate.  We went to the place we took Lee and Adell for dinner that we love.  We had introduced the Graham’s to it and they shared it with the Griffiths.

Saturday brought a day out with the Graham’s visiting Pollok House and gardens’ near Glasgow. The home was wonderful, but we really enjoyed the gardens. 

 

There Peyton, Ethan, and Caleb, Grandma got to climb a wonderful tree like you did.  I had lots of fun. 

We also visited another garden near there. 

On our way home we found the sheep that were painted...this time they were purple.

We had a wonderful day.

Sunday is always a special day attending meetings in Falkirk.  They are beginning to feel like our branch family with us knowing most of their names by now.  Today the 4 full time missionaries and the 6 branch missionaries got to sing in Sacrament meeting with Elder Rasmussen leading us.

We also get to visit with family on Sunday’s and that is special.  We have got to visit with Scott and family so far and tour their new home which is beautiful.  Scott has almost recovered from his 52 miles race ran last Saturday in Pocatello.

We tried to talk with Adam and family and Craig and family yesterday, but the connection was bad.  Hope it works better next time.  We are hoping to get to talk with others today and see how Amy’s trip to Arizona went alone with Ava.  Khalil is still flying to Afghanistan.  Heather we have not seen any of you on Skype all week when we were home to check.  Hope you are back enjoying Kevan, Judy and Brody and all your family are also now at home from their various places.  Max we hope you survived being home alone and didn’t have the same experience as the boy in Home Alone had.  Have fun all of you that are taking swimming lessons in the next two weeks.  We love you so much.  Khalil, have fun with your family and the wedding and be safe.

We love you all so much and pray for you daily,

Grandma and Grandpa

Week Ending June 3 2012

We live in the section of the city called Corstophine.  Yesterday, they had their fair in the park that we walked down to experience.  We should have had a booth set up to introduce the Church because every other organization had a booth set up.  They had many of the usual toys for the kids including a giant slide, bounces houses, and even a paint ball range provided by the army. 

Then we enjoyed watching a drum and bagpipe band perform and then they had a re-creation of the people of Corstorphine defending their city against the invading British army. 

After an hour and a half in the park we walked back home and drove to the Newhailes Home that was the seaside home of the Dalrymple family since the 17^th century.  The last living descendant had to move to a retirement home and didn’t want to see the home sold to be made into a hotel or any such thing and so she sold it to the National Trust of Scotland to be kept as a house untouched by modern hands since the updates in the 18^th century.  I think we also have pictures to share of the outside of it.  I wonder if my friend Nancy was related to that Dalrymple family.

This last week was a catch up on projects week.  We were still just as busy, but they  were things that needed done but no time for the other weeks and were things you could put off a week.  Now this next week is sending missionaries home, getting new ones, transferring others, and all that stuff so it will be a busy late night week.  It is always fun though.

Last week I had the experience of greeting a man who came in looking for a priest.  I took him to the main office and Elder Graham ended up visiting with him for over an hour.  This man had since been back a couple of times and met with Elder Graham who then invited the Elders in to teach him also.  It has been interesting to see the physical difference in that man in one week.  He has dressed differently, looks cleaner, and happier.  It will be interesting to see where this goes.

Each week I read the Mutual lesson over even though it may not be my turn to teach.  When I was reading the lesson last night, the topic was Forgiveness which is one our girls need as there are several that do not like each other.  I didn’t know who was supposed to be teaching this week, but this morning I felt that I needed to prepare to do so.  When I got to church, Sister Mead was the first person I met and she asked me if I could teach today as she had left her manual at church and didn’t feel she could teach a lesson on forgiveness since she and her daughter were part of the problem we are having.  She wondered if I could teach the one I was scheduled to teach next week.  I told her I had actually prepared  the one on Forgiveness and would rather do that one.  The only problem was some of the girls were not there that needed it.  I went ahead with it anyway.  It is amazing the way The Lord works in Mysterious Ways.

Last week’s letter was too long and so I am going to end this weeks now.  We love you, pray for you, and love hearing from you.  Have a wonderful week.