Saturday, October 26, 2013 The missionaries in our ward announced on Sunday that they had a baptism on Friday. She is a young girl in the military whose husband is deployed in Korea and she has a little baby girl. I have been sitting by her in Relief Society and it has been wonderful watching her progress. Would you believe they found her tracking and she was the last door they knocked on at 7:01. They almost didn't do it. What a miracle and find. I'll post her picture. Her name is Shyanne. Well the new couple, the Hadlocks, came on Tuesday and so this was a wonderful introduction to the mission and our ward - going to a baptism. Afterwards we took them to the local seafood haunt - Steamers - and introduced them to the local cuisine. So now back to our week with our new couple. She use to be a secretary and accountant and so she just picks everything up and will be the new backbone of the office and knowledge. The mission will continue and be efficient. Had an interesting spiritual thought to start off the week in the office meeting. Elder Bingham reported on a Priesthood lesson in his ward that was on 4 Levels of service and obedience. The bottom level is that we serve and obey for reward and pleasure. The next level is that we do it out of fear. Then next we do it out of duty, which is good as we try to be covenant keepers. The fourth step is the big step and that's when we serve because of charity and love for the Savior. That is the ultimate and goal. I thought that was very insightful. I am definitely in the duty category. The President then told a miracle story. The sisters were biking, working on their member visit list. They realized one member was close and they back tracked to the house, but no one was home. Then they heard a voice yell, "Are you Jehovah Whitnesses or Mormons?" They answered, "We're Mormons." This elderly woman said, "Come here." She was an old convert who had later had her and her family's records removed but lately she had wanted to return and was phoning a friend to send the Church's missionaries, but she couldn't get through to her friend, hung up the phone and looked out and there were the missionaries. They taught, invited and the family was at Church Sunday. I had my own missionary experience on Tuesday, or should I say non or bad missionary experience. We were at Taco Bell for lunch and the young man who has waited on us all year came running up to us and said, "They told me you had come. It's my last day and I wanted to say goodbye. They are transferring me to Parkland." We told him we were leaving in November to go home and we'd hoped to see him before then to thank him for good and friendly service. Then we sat down and I told Jerry I felt bad. I'd wanted to give him a tip and a Book of Mormon. Of course, for once in our lives we didn't have a Book of Mormon in the car (and we're suppose to be missionaries!!) I did have an Articles of Faith Card in my wallet, so as we left I walked over and gave him the card with a tip and said we wanted to give him a Book of Mormon before we left to explain why we had been here for a year, but weren't prepared today. I asked him if he'd heard of the Book of Mormon and he said, "Yes." I said that the card listed our beliefs and if he'd read it and then had questions the name of our Church was on it. I then went back to the office and called the Parkland missionaries and told them they had to go eat at Taco Bell and find this young man. I'm maybe half a missionary. Alison got credit for a great missionary though. Sister Weaver got a letter from her daughter saying they needed to send something right away for their grandson's missionary Christmas package that the family was mailing to him in Chili. It had to be there at the end of the month. She wanted to send one of Alison's missionary shirts that she made me for the office bulletin board. Yeah, Alison, I was prepared because of you and now one of your shirts with tie and name tag will be in Chili. Today we went down to Olympia to a Stake musical production called "One Life." (I'll post pictures) It was the story of the Prophet Joseph Smith. They did a fabulous job. The one who played Joseph had a great voice. What struck me was that there was a flash back to Joseph at 14 years of age. The young man was that age who played the part and he looked so young. It hit me more than ever how young Joseph was to have received such revelation and responsibility. And then he never waivered. How blessed we were because of a young man who believed and was faithful to the end. I'll end with the lyrics of the central song, "One Life is all we're given, One Life a gift from Heaven. The value of the life we live is shown in service that we give. So we will live and we will give one life!" Thank you for also being in our lives. Love, Jerry and Carolyn