We don't drink the tap water here (like in Arizona.) The pipes are old and rusty. We learned about a spring that provides fresh water available free to anyone right outside a little town about 20 miles away. The couple who own the house we live in, Brother and Sister Olson, are in our Branch and they took us to the Spring, and we are so grateful. We bought four, 5 gallon jugs and filled them up. We will go by this spring every other Wednesday on our way to Petoskey for District Council. There are very specific rules for using the spring.
This is a picture of the road coming down the hill from the small chapel in Petoskey.
We spent Friday in a little town called Alpena about 65 miles away and so enjoyed having lunch with two fantastic Sister Missionaries there. Elder Gibbons asked if they had any appointments that we could join with them. They were going to make a second visit to a woman named Phyllis who resides in a nursing home. What fun! As we arrived, they had just finished a St Patrick's Day program and Phyllis was sitting amongst several of her friends so we struck up a conversation with them as one of the Sisters taught Phyllis about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Phyllis is the woman in the red jacket.
This woman called Elder Gibbons over and just needed some attention too. She gave him a gift. He is kinda cute afterall. She told Elder Gibbons, "I just want to walk." Elder Gibbons promised her that one day she would.
We continue to visit members of the Branch. We have been challenged to meet each one within the timeframe of two transfers (about 12 weeks.) There are 62 members in our Branch and we have met 20 so far. Without fail everyone we have visited has been friendly, even if they aren't at a time in their lives that they want to participate. Yesterday we had 21 people at Church.
One little family that recently moved into our Branch came. They have been less active, but when we learned about them we went to meet them and they expressed a desire to get back to church. Last week they asked us for lunch and made homemade chicken tenders and french fries and we taught them about ordinances and covenants and The Covenant Path. They asked us to come tomorrow and demonstrate a Family Home Evening with them. We are going to talk about the meaning of Easter. They have a two year old daughter. The mother grew up having FHE, but the father is a convert from a few years ago.
This is a picture in the town of Indian River where this family lives. They have big fish here!
The Friend we met while visiting her husband in the hospital came to Church for a third week in a row. If you have been a missionary, you know that this makes missionaries really happy. We are meeting with her again on Tuesday afternoon in our home, and although her husband isn't yet coming to Church, we hope he will come again to our home to learn. Please help us and pray for Arthur and Sheree.
One of the speakers yesterday wasn't able to come so Elder Gibbons threw me under the bus and blessed me with the opportunity to speak. Fortunately, we both decided to carry a talk in our pockets just in case. I was carrying a copy of a talk I gave in our home Ward before we left for our mission about the blessing and importance of having a testimony of the Savior that can be gained through reading scriptures. Wouldn't you agree that it's his turn to talk next?!
It is customary here (and I think in many missions) for the missionaries to put pictures of the Savior up on their walls. When we are on Zoom meetings with the Mission, we can often see them. So wanting to be like these amazing younger missionaries, we did the same.
The three papers underneath are things we have been asked to memorize.
Many of the sisters in our Branch have good husbands who are not members of the Church. We feel like this is surely something for us to pray about-- one home at a time, and seek the Spirit to find the time and a way to invite all to come unto Christ. We know that God loves all of them, and each of us. One such sister's husband loves to paint abstract pictures using a really cool process. This is a picture of one we have in our home that we put on our kitchen counter. Talented, huh?
We pray you each do what you can to seek a personal relationship with our Savior. In the Book of Mormon, Ether 12:41 says, "And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever." We promise as you do so, you will feel His love and watchful care for you.
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