SERVE, SACRIFICE, SUFFER

We are so impressed with our family missionaries. I can see it in their faces – they have changed hearts.  Here is what Hermana Finlinson spoke about of her final testimony in her last multizone conference, “But in those three minutes, I felt a kind of spirit that I had never before felt in my life.  It was so powerful.  It was the kind of feeling that God was telling me that he was happy with my mission and pleased with my efforts that I have given as his hands down here in Peru. 

 I really feel like that.  I don't regret anything.  I have been obedient and worked as hard and as best as I have been able to and will continue to do so for the next two months....I love my Savior so much.”

Alma 26:30 - And we [the sons of Mosiah] have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

Sister Stringfellow:  “THIS WEEK was incredible. It is amazing to see first hand how the work really is hastening!! I can̕̕̕t even believe that all of this happened. The gospel is SO TRUE and the atonement has the power to strength and truly CHANGE people's hearts and lives.
I am absolutely overflowing with a love for the gospel, for Christ, and for the people of my area....

I am continually being strengthened by the Lord physically, mentally, and spiritually, and I recognize that it all comes from HIM.

Hermana Stringfellow had her own kind of sacrifice and suffering because of exact obedience:

“10/14 Tuesday- Since a missionary can't be alone, we had to help drop off two more sisters this morning, one at 3am (going to Everett WA with Katie!), the other at 5am (going to Ogden UT with the newly rededicated temple!).... Hna Anderson (my comp) fell asleep on the couch and I stayed up to calm the nerves of Hna Duff. She cried because she was nervous to go on her mission. She is from Trinidad and has never been so far away from home before. WHAT AN EXHAUSTING MORNING. But like Elder Chi Wong said in conference, "the work to help others unto Christ is never too demanding." But wow, were we tired that day... and every day here...”

Hermana Finlinson,  Hermana and Sister Stringfellow, and Elder Heflin inspire us each week with their service, sacrifices and sufferings.  We are so thankful to be part of such a wonderful extended family.  We are thinking of Trigg and Brianna and love all of you so much.

Here is one part of Elder Heflin̕s email that inspired us to action:  “As for the whole experience watching Conference, it was great! I must have taken 20 pages of notes or so, and yeah I'll take a quick moment to brag about that. But it's for a good reason! I made a goal to spend 5 minutes every night to review all my notes from the mission and another 5 minutes to ponder them. I highly recommend it to anyone who did take notes, because it's been really neat to look back at the main message of each talk along with my personal thoughts.

 My favorite part, though, is creating an action plan to improve myself based on the remarks of the speakers.

So, taking Elder Heflin̕s advise and using Brett̕s method after conference ends to each night read one talk, we are setting a goal of improvement from each talk.  These young elders and sisters are so dedicated and we love them!!

Especially this week, we remember Darin on his birthday.  Thank you for all your hard work and all you do for your family.  We always are glad when your plane returns you home.  Enjoy your B-day in China, Darin!

And happy 4^th birthday on Wednesday, Drew.  We miss hearing your stories.  We are so glad we got to see your fireman outfit you will use for Halloween.

Aaron, as you hit 7 on Thursday, we remember the fun times we had in Las Vegas.  Grandma still remembers the personal mission statement you made at the sleepover with Logan as you two prepare for your baptisms.  She said yours was the recognition that “happiness comes from within.”  You were so shocked that after you chose your personal mission statement – that you actually had to follow it....! And Logan had for his personal mission statement: “Be the Good.” We know you both (as well as Bryant coming up first) will be ready to be baptized in one year. 

Our current  job is at Valparaiso’s Cementerio No. 1, where we are recording – with cameras – their records from the mid 1800’s through the 1920’s  and on through the 50’s.  The first thing we do is to take a clean shoe brush, and dust off all the accumulated cob webs, dirt, etc.  Then comes the part of smoothing out wrinkled and rolled sheets to as flat as possible for recording.  It is just a labor of love – no other way to explain it.  It is slow work.  We only manage about 500 pages each day…, while at our training in SLC, they said that the goal (when doing clean books) should be about 1,000 pages per day.  

Here are a pictures of our getting to work.

 Here are a few pictures of our Saturday "Paseo" where we went to  the fish market, walked along the shore of Valparaiso and ate fish at the nice restaurant there.

 

The Smith's had grilled eel

 this grilled salmon was Dad's - I had grilled swordfish.

This article was quite interesting. 

 “The Mormon Church Is Building a Family Tree of the Entire Human Race”
October 15, 2014 The New Republic 
(in speaking of Granite Mountain) The mountain now holds parish records and old English manuscripts dating from the 1500s, including records from London, when civil registration began in 1837, and copies of jai pu, Chinese family records, which date back before AD 1.

Overall the data the Mormons have gathered is equivalent to thirty-two times the amount of information contained in the Library of Congress--and the church adds a new Library of Congress's worth of new data every year...

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119785/extensive-mormon-genealogy-offers-limited-vision-history