July 23rd through July 28th, 2024

Week 24, another great week! 

Wednesday we had another great District Council in Petoskey.  Never get tired of how beautiful the town is along Lake Michigan.  And we never get tired of spending time with our District missionaries.  We learn so much from THEM.

Thursday we gathered with the Branch RS sisters at the Cheboygan Beach Park here in town to celebrate all the July birthdays.  They invited Elder Gibbons too since his birthday is on the 31st.  Our RS President, Cindy Pugh, thinks of everything and brought a photo frame and insisted she take his picture.

The view from our picnic area right along Lake Huron.  

Fun fact Sister Pugh told us.  You can remember all the Great Lakes with the acronym HOMES.

H = Huron

O = Ontario

M = Michigan

E = Erie

S = Superior

One of the greatest joys we experience is to accompany our Elders when they are teaching a lesson to one of our friends.  It is especially wonderful when the friend is so receptive.  On Friday evening we did just that as Elder Sines and Elder Rogers taught Emma (on the right) and her friend, Makayla about The Plan of Salvation.  Every once in a while we contribute a thought or a testimony.

Saturday we drove to Alpena to do an apartment inspection with two sister missionaries we hadn't met yet.  Sister Biggs (on the right) is from Colorado and Sister Fowler (on the left) is from Alaska.  Sister Fowler just got her in this last transfer so Sister Biggs is her "trainer."  We took care of a spider they named "Eduardo" that was in between two panes of glass by their air conditioner.  Replaced some light bulbs, fixed a shower curtain and took them to Walmart to get them a new vacuum after we treated them to lunch at Jimmy John's.  It's always so heartwarming how grateful these missionaries are for whatever we do for them.

Sunday was our monthly potluck after church.  We-- okay, I-- am eating way too much food here.  Don't want to offend anyone by not partaking.  It's a nice "problem" to have that so many want to provide for us.

Amidst all the turmoil in this world and people looking for something to make sense of it all, here's a thought from the Book of Mormon:  

"And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just--yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people that the sword, or anything else, which had happened to them--therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God."

Find your answers in the scriptures!