Conference Time

Our British Zone training this week has been intense as we continue to practice using the many resources available at the Family History Library to research out our ancestors. We have not begun helping patrons yet but are about to complete the "Apprentice" book which means we will get to "graduate" and go on to a "Journeyman" book which we hear is more difficult.  The Apprentice book covers the UK and Wales but when we move on we will be learning to do research for Ireland, Scotland, and Australia.  Apparently many of the early records in Ireland were destroyed by fire and other calamities so it is more difficult to research ones ancestors if that is the area they came from.

We were able to attend the Salt Lake Temple for an endowment session on Tuesday and complete some names for our daughter, Jennifer Cox. In the Mesa Temple the endowment is presented via film but here it is done "live" which is a nice change for us.

The hyacinths are in bloom and are not only beautiful to look at but smell wonderful as well.  It is a treat just to walk across Temple Square and see and smell the flowers.

 

We were fortunate to have tickets to the Saturday morning session of conference and saw a number of people from our home stake in Arizona. Our former Stake President, Ken Smith, is behind us in the picture below.  The picture was taken Saturday morning before the session started. Byde and Boyd attended Priesthood together and Dot and I went to the mall and shopped for several hours including visits with a number of Arizona friends that were there for "Ladies Night Out."  The lines to get in to Deseret Book were all the way down the block so we only went to Macy's.  Apparently Marie Osmond was at the bookstore to sign her new book.

Our former Stake President Ken Smith with friends Boyd & Dot Williams

Boyd and Dot Williams are serving in the same mission we are; Boyd is the Zone Leader on the International floor. They have been serving as the assistant to the housing director which means they are responsible to get the apartments ready for new missionaries as previous missionaries leave.  They called us last Friday to see if we wanted some Christmas decorations that were left behind by someone so we now have a Christmas tree, lights and decorations.  We are ready for the season even if it is WAY too early!!

Boyd & Dot preparing an apartment

Christmas decorations in April