This is the first week I've blogged that I have no pictures. Could be that Byde being sick all week had something to do with that. We've stayed pretty close to home because he just didn't feel well. He didn't go to the Library at all. The folks in Utah say he has the Gamboo or Dreaded Gamboo whichever you prefer to call it. He had a sore throat, body and head ache, a terrible cough, and in general felt lousy. I do believe he is on the mend and should be able to return to work on Tuesday. The library will be closed on Monday.
Because of Roots Tech last week the Library had some very busy moments. It has slowed down a little this week but there have still been plenty of patrons to help. It is always so rewarding and fun to see a patron's eyes light up when you help them find a record for their family that they weren't able to find previously. Those moments of helping others, in any way, are the best of all. We have many opportunities to help fellow missionaries in their learning pursuits but not as often do we get to help patrons.
The rain came this week! We're so glad to have rain instead of snow and the ice which seems to follow it. On Thursday night we had a hail storm that sounded like it would make the roof cave in. The ground was covered white in a matter of minutes but it was warm enough that the hail melted rather quickly. The temperature got up to over 50° yesterday so our bones warmed up a bit. The weatherman is predicting that we'll have snow again by Friday the 22.
We had our release interview with President and Sister Workman so we're definitely winding down our time here. We will have this one last full week at the Library and the following week we will pack and leave for home on Thursday, February 27. We will stay in St George or Las Vegas overnight and drive on to Mesa on February 28.
Elder Montgomery, one of the senior missionaries in our zone is driving to Arizona on Tuesday and he offered to take some of our belongings back for us. We took 5 boxes over to him yesterday, YEAH!! We have been concerned about being able to get all our stuff in the car but I think we'll be able to squeeze it in and with some luck even take a sack or two of Lehi flour with us. THANK YOU Elder & Sister Montgomery!!
On Saturday night we went to the Assembly Hall to attend a performance of "Cultural Arts Submission Winners." The institute choirs from Taylorsville and Jordan sang the numbers and the actual winners of the poetry contest read their entries. There was also a short dramatic presentation "A Misunderstanding of the Best Kind" which was very entertaining. We will miss the availability of cultural events when we return home; we have lived in the center of a dream world for a year and it has been so delightful!!
We attend Music and the Spoken Word almost every Sunday and never get tired of it. Today the message, in honor of President's day, was "The True Measure of a Nation." One of the quotes that was given was from President John F Kennedy when he spoke in the Tabernacle in 1963, " 'The qualities that we seek in America, the qualities which we like to feel this country has, [are] courage, patience, faith, self-reliance, perseverance, and, above all, an unflagging determination to see the right prevail.'
Could these words, spoken decades ago, be used also to describe us - our neighbors, family, co-workers, and friends? When history reflects on our era, will it remember us as people with courage and unflagging determination to see right prevail? Will it focus on our self-reliance and perseverance, our faith and patience? And will we be remembered for our good judgment, integrity, and dedication?
A nation may be applauded for its successes and contributions to the world, but its true measure is found in the character of its people."
I suppose we could say of the mission that the true character of its success is in the character of its people. We have had the privilege of associating with many great people during the year we have served here in the Family and Church History Church Headquarters Mission and that is what has made it such a rich, memorable experience for us. We will miss the close association we have with the friends we have made here.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Roots Tech 2014
We had the opportunity to attend Roots Tech this week and heard some great tips and new ideas for how to find/search for ancestors. Roots Tech, which has rapidly become the largest family
history conference in North America, was held at the Salt Palace
Convention Center February 6-8. According to the report all 50 States, except South Dakota, and many foreign countries were represented. The event was put on by
FamilySearch International, the genealogy service provided by The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you want to watch some of the events from this year's conference you can access them at https://rootstech.org/about/videos/
One of the fun things about attending was seeing several friends from Arizona. We saw Beth Coons and had a very nice visit with her. We got to visit with Richard and Leone Pearce in the Exhibition Hall while we shared some popcorn.
On Wednesday night the missionaries were honored with a special program in connection with Roots Tech in which Dennis Brimhall and Alan Packer addressed us. Hors d’oeuvres were served and the musical group, Voice Male, entertained for about an hour. They are an acapella group and were most entertaining. In addition as we left the activity we were each given a little gift bag with CHOCOLATE, FamilySearch notepad, and pen.
If you love family history work you might want to schedule for Roots Tech 2015 which will be held in tandem with the Federation of Genealogical Societies February 12-14, 2015 in Salt Lake City. If you want a hotel reservation for the event you probably need to schedule now.
On Saturday afternoon we attended the most unbelievable performance by the Ballroom Dance Company from BYU. The event was part of Winterfest and was held at the little theater at the Conference Theatre. The costuming was unbelievable and the energy of the young performers was enough to dance you out of your seat. The group holds titles in the US and abroad and are recognized as one of the premier ballroom dance companies in the nation. If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of their performances don't miss it. When we return to Arizona we will miss being able to attend these great performances.
We have had beautiful weather the last week with lots of rain which is badly needed here. The rain is washing away much of the leftover dirty snow and has cleared up the air so no more tasting the inversion at least for the time being.
One of the fun things about attending was seeing several friends from Arizona. We saw Beth Coons and had a very nice visit with her. We got to visit with Richard and Leone Pearce in the Exhibition Hall while we shared some popcorn.
On Wednesday night the missionaries were honored with a special program in connection with Roots Tech in which Dennis Brimhall and Alan Packer addressed us. Hors d’oeuvres were served and the musical group, Voice Male, entertained for about an hour. They are an acapella group and were most entertaining. In addition as we left the activity we were each given a little gift bag with CHOCOLATE, FamilySearch notepad, and pen.
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| Large signs in the hallway showing keynote speakers and class schedule |
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| More signs for direction |
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| 24 Computers set up for registration - it was efficient and quick! |
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| One of the classes I attended was "How to Interview Yourself" |
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| Assembly Hall where Keynote Speakers addressed us |
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| Rootstech Sponsors |
If you love family history work you might want to schedule for Roots Tech 2015 which will be held in tandem with the Federation of Genealogical Societies February 12-14, 2015 in Salt Lake City. If you want a hotel reservation for the event you probably need to schedule now.
On Saturday afternoon we attended the most unbelievable performance by the Ballroom Dance Company from BYU. The event was part of Winterfest and was held at the little theater at the Conference Theatre. The costuming was unbelievable and the energy of the young performers was enough to dance you out of your seat. The group holds titles in the US and abroad and are recognized as one of the premier ballroom dance companies in the nation. If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of their performances don't miss it. When we return to Arizona we will miss being able to attend these great performances.
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| BYU Ballroom Dance Company |
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| BYU Ballroom Dance Company |
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| BYU Ballroom Dance Company |
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| BYU Ballroom Dance Company |
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Gecko Grill in Salt Lake City? Not Really
The Salt Lake Temple closed for maintenance on January 20 and won't open again until February 17. We love going there not only because it's close but the beauty of the building continues to be breathtaking no matter how many times we go especially knowing the sacrifice that was made to complete it. We'll get to go there a few more times before we have to go home. In the meantime we went to the Jordan River Temple this week. No matter which Temple we go to we feel the spirit and peace that make it such a treat to be able to be there. It's really great to have so many temples so close.
We work at the library the first Saturday of every month so February 1 was our turn. When we work on Saturday we have Friday off so we chose that day to attend the Jordan River Temple. On our way there we saw "Gecko's Mexican Grill" and decided we would stop there after our Temple visit for lunch to see how it compared to Gecko Grill in Gilbert - NO COMPARISON!! We did have lunch and it was okay but not a place we'll return to. Cafe Rio is still our Spanish food of choice in SLC! (We've also tried the Red Iguana which we heard was the best in town but it was WAY too hot for us.)
Brigham Young University Winterfest.
On Saturday night we attended a performance by the International Folk Dance Ensemble from BYU. The event was held at the Conference Center Theater which is just across the street from our apartment. The advertisement for the show was the following:
"Any wanderer will tell you that there is something magical about discovering new places and old traditions. The International Folk Dance Ensemble’s new show, Journey, is a 90-minute voyage of dance and music through the heartbeat of the world’s cultures. In this show you will see Irish hard shoe, American clogging, Ukrainian Hopak, exotic Indian dances, and many more. The experience of the furious footwork, the pulsing rhythms, the live music, and the authentic costumes will leave you (AND IT DID) with a special kind of wanderlust. So throw off the bowlines and catch the wind in your sails as our companion on this Journey."
The show was foot-stompin' GOOD!! We really enjoyed it. We have tickets to see 2nd show in the series next week which will be the Ballroom Dance Company.
This morning the message at the Tab Choir Broadcast was "The Unfolding Story". We were reminded that "Each life is an unfolding story - a story of growth and learning and change, a story of happiness and heartbreak, a story of success and sorrow. So perhaps we ought to be a little more patient, a little more forgiving. Perhaps we ought to be slower to judge and quicker to love.
Never forget that every life and every occasion is unfolding in a unique and distinctive way. We may know some, but never all, of the story; so err on the side of compassion. Hold off on criticism and sarcasm, and never withhold kindness and mercy. And then, someday, when the whole story is finally written, we'll be thankful that we were able to contribute - at least in some small way - to a happy ending."
We work at the library the first Saturday of every month so February 1 was our turn. When we work on Saturday we have Friday off so we chose that day to attend the Jordan River Temple. On our way there we saw "Gecko's Mexican Grill" and decided we would stop there after our Temple visit for lunch to see how it compared to Gecko Grill in Gilbert - NO COMPARISON!! We did have lunch and it was okay but not a place we'll return to. Cafe Rio is still our Spanish food of choice in SLC! (We've also tried the Red Iguana which we heard was the best in town but it was WAY too hot for us.)
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| Gecko Grill in SLC - no comparison to the Gecko Grill in Gilbert |
Brigham Young University Winterfest.
On Saturday night we attended a performance by the International Folk Dance Ensemble from BYU. The event was held at the Conference Center Theater which is just across the street from our apartment. The advertisement for the show was the following:
"Any wanderer will tell you that there is something magical about discovering new places and old traditions. The International Folk Dance Ensemble’s new show, Journey, is a 90-minute voyage of dance and music through the heartbeat of the world’s cultures. In this show you will see Irish hard shoe, American clogging, Ukrainian Hopak, exotic Indian dances, and many more. The experience of the furious footwork, the pulsing rhythms, the live music, and the authentic costumes will leave you (AND IT DID) with a special kind of wanderlust. So throw off the bowlines and catch the wind in your sails as our companion on this Journey."
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| An example of the costuming for the BYU performance |
The show was foot-stompin' GOOD!! We really enjoyed it. We have tickets to see 2nd show in the series next week which will be the Ballroom Dance Company.
This morning the message at the Tab Choir Broadcast was "The Unfolding Story". We were reminded that "Each life is an unfolding story - a story of growth and learning and change, a story of happiness and heartbreak, a story of success and sorrow. So perhaps we ought to be a little more patient, a little more forgiving. Perhaps we ought to be slower to judge and quicker to love.
Never forget that every life and every occasion is unfolding in a unique and distinctive way. We may know some, but never all, of the story; so err on the side of compassion. Hold off on criticism and sarcasm, and never withhold kindness and mercy. And then, someday, when the whole story is finally written, we'll be thankful that we were able to contribute - at least in some small way - to a happy ending."
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Ambassador Classes
Last week I mentioned that we had Monday off to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and that we would go to the movies and indeed we did. We went with Sister Cantwell and Sister Gregory and saw Saving Mr. Banks. We loved the movie and Tom Hanks' portrayal of Walt Disney acquiring the rights to make the movie Mary Poppins. I wasn't expecting it to be so sad but it was! It was a most enjoyable outing for all of us and I would definitely recommend seeing it if you haven't already.
Byde and I had the privilege this last week of attending "Ambassador Classes" at the Library. The class was created as a help for missionaries returning home to continue to be of service in their home wards and branches. We learned new ways to search for ancestors and spent time in familysearch.org learning how to use some of the tools that often get overlooked.
We also spent time working on photos and stories and were given good ideas of ways to include "memories" of our ancestors without having to write an entire book. During the class we were assigned to write a "memory" on one of our ancestors and we each wrote on our fathers and later I put one in on my mom as well. It would be a great family activity to choose a departed ancestor, do the research on that person, and then enter a memory; you'll find it's very easy to do.
The Family Search site, like many other web sites has so much information that one could never devour all of it. If you haven't been there recently you ought to nose around a little, you'll find lots of GREAT information to help you with your family history goals. As you can see from the screenshot below just in the Learning Center there are so many great courses to help you.
Almost all the snow from the last snowfall has melted here in SLC. When we drive north to Bountiful there is still plenty on the rooftops and the ground. According to the weatherman the snow is 50% short of the normal accumulation which makes for a real concern about drought and the "inversion" is making for some very nasty air. Despite the lack of snow, the temperatures are still low and we bundle up everyday as we brave the outdoors. BUT, we continue to see plenty of people walking around in short pants and shirt sleeves; apparently it's "cool" to go without a coat. We will happily remain amongst the "uncool" people who continue to wear our warmest coats.
Byde and I had the privilege this last week of attending "Ambassador Classes" at the Library. The class was created as a help for missionaries returning home to continue to be of service in their home wards and branches. We learned new ways to search for ancestors and spent time in familysearch.org learning how to use some of the tools that often get overlooked.
We also spent time working on photos and stories and were given good ideas of ways to include "memories" of our ancestors without having to write an entire book. During the class we were assigned to write a "memory" on one of our ancestors and we each wrote on our fathers and later I put one in on my mom as well. It would be a great family activity to choose a departed ancestor, do the research on that person, and then enter a memory; you'll find it's very easy to do.
The Family Search site, like many other web sites has so much information that one could never devour all of it. If you haven't been there recently you ought to nose around a little, you'll find lots of GREAT information to help you with your family history goals. As you can see from the screenshot below just in the Learning Center there are so many great courses to help you.
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| Screen shot from the Learning Center in WIKI |
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| The Inversion in SLC - (that's not fog) |
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Monday is a Holiday; We'll Go to the Movies!
Due to the recognition of Martin Luther King Day we won't be working tomorrow at the library. We're planning to go with the two sisters we home teach, Sister Gregory and Sister Cantwell, to see the movie, "Saving Mr Banks." We've heard that it's worth the price of a ticket to watch Tom Hanks do his impression of Walt Disney.
Sunday comes so quickly especially knowing that it's time to make another entry on our blog. We do pretty much the same thing from one week to the next so there's not a lot to report unless you get a blow-by-blow of our arrival at the library each morning and what goes on throughout the day. I won't bore you with the details of our routine.
On Monday night we had our Hail and Farewell which we have every other month. The purpose of this event is to welcome the new missionaries and say goodbye to the ones who are leaving. The next one won't be until March so we were in the group of departing missionaries being recognized (we have received our release date of February 26, so we'll be back in Arizona by March 1). The theme for the evening was "Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold." We enjoyed a baked potato bar and then some very fun entertainment including a skit/melodrama written by Sister Moser and a clarinet solo by Elder Holman.
We were able to attend "Music and the Spoken Word" in the Tabernacle this Sunday morning. We go almost every Sunday morning but for one reason or another we didn't make it the last two weeks. Today was a tribute to Nelson Mandela and all the songs the choir sang were Spirituals including "Deep River" and "Down by the Riverside". The music was great as usual.
The message included the following thoughts: "History is marked by great leaders whose moral influence has steered the future of nations. In that list of luminaries stand people like Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela.
While they lived on different ends of the earth, eacfh perceived an injustice and chose to do something about it. They championed the value of all people, seeking what Mandela described as a "democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities." It wasn't easy - Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his efforts - but remarkably those years produced a man who sought peace, compassion, and understanding, not retribution and revenge.
This is not the work of a select few. Each of us can reset history, even if it's only our own. Each of us can champion peace and harmony, even if it's only in our family or workplace. Mandela's leadership reminds us that true success comes from humility, love, sacrifice, forgiveness, and most of all, patience. He spoke for all of us when he said: "I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my walk is not yet ended."
Sunday comes so quickly especially knowing that it's time to make another entry on our blog. We do pretty much the same thing from one week to the next so there's not a lot to report unless you get a blow-by-blow of our arrival at the library each morning and what goes on throughout the day. I won't bore you with the details of our routine.
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| Panorama of departing missionaries (you'll notice some overlap) |
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| Our dear friends from Japan, Elder and Sister Shio |
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| Patrick (aka Elder McCarty) was the "hero" of the melodrama |
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| Elder Brake (2nd from left) from our home stake in Arizona (part of the group of incoming missionaries) |
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| Theme posted on the cultural hall wall |
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| Dessert table for the Hail and Farewell |
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| More dessert table |
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| Elder Holman played two clarinet solos (he is also a member of the Orchestra at Temple Square) |
The message included the following thoughts: "History is marked by great leaders whose moral influence has steered the future of nations. In that list of luminaries stand people like Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela.
While they lived on different ends of the earth, eacfh perceived an injustice and chose to do something about it. They championed the value of all people, seeking what Mandela described as a "democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities." It wasn't easy - Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his efforts - but remarkably those years produced a man who sought peace, compassion, and understanding, not retribution and revenge.
This is not the work of a select few. Each of us can reset history, even if it's only our own. Each of us can champion peace and harmony, even if it's only in our family or workplace. Mandela's leadership reminds us that true success comes from humility, love, sacrifice, forgiveness, and most of all, patience. He spoke for all of us when he said: "I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my walk is not yet ended."
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