Monday, October 27, 2008
19-26th of October
Dear Family,
Today was a church-a-thon. We spoke in the 3rd ward Sacrament meeting, which started at 9:00 am. then we went to the 2nd Ward Sacrament meeting at 11:00 am and then we did a little planning meeting for the Halloween activity we are doing for the missonaries. Then we went to the Branch which started at 1:15 pm, but today they started Sunday School (full 3 hour meeting schedule for the first time) and we attended a baptism service for three girls (Cousins) of families in the branch after the meetings, so we got back home about 5:45 pm to get dinner ready for the Sisters at 6:00. OK we were late getting dinner ready, but we really tried!
Monday we went to the USS Lexington with Elders Johnson and Walker. On the Bridge, we met Mr. Sassman, a WWII veteran who flew a Hellcat and later a Corsair off of (and landed on) the USS Lexington in the Pacific against the Japanese from June 1944 to December 1944. He was involved in several battles including Iwo Jima where Uncle Nile was. Wish we could have talked with him some more. We told him how much we appreciated his service. I posted his picture on our Blog.
Tuesday morning we taught the New Testament Class and took Elders Walker and Johnson and Sister Weatherston to lunch. Sister Weatherston is the mother of an Elder in Michael's mission and they currently have three missionaries sons - two in Idaho (Boise & Pocatello).
Elder Corless mailed us his SD with more pictures. I will scan through them and post some on our Blog when I get a chance.
Next week we are scheduled for two + days of apartment inspections, and the Halloween activity on Friday for the Missionaries. This besides the regular teaching apointments with the different sets of elders.
We love you all so much,
Mom & Dad
Today was a church-a-thon. We spoke in the 3rd ward Sacrament meeting, which started at 9:00 am. then we went to the 2nd Ward Sacrament meeting at 11:00 am and then we did a little planning meeting for the Halloween activity we are doing for the missonaries. Then we went to the Branch which started at 1:15 pm, but today they started Sunday School (full 3 hour meeting schedule for the first time) and we attended a baptism service for three girls (Cousins) of families in the branch after the meetings, so we got back home about 5:45 pm to get dinner ready for the Sisters at 6:00. OK we were late getting dinner ready, but we really tried!
Monday we went to the USS Lexington with Elders Johnson and Walker. On the Bridge, we met Mr. Sassman, a WWII veteran who flew a Hellcat and later a Corsair off of (and landed on) the USS Lexington in the Pacific against the Japanese from June 1944 to December 1944. He was involved in several battles including Iwo Jima where Uncle Nile was. Wish we could have talked with him some more. We told him how much we appreciated his service. I posted his picture on our Blog.
Tuesday morning we taught the New Testament Class and took Elders Walker and Johnson and Sister Weatherston to lunch. Sister Weatherston is the mother of an Elder in Michael's mission and they currently have three missionaries sons - two in Idaho (Boise & Pocatello).
Elder Corless mailed us his SD with more pictures. I will scan through them and post some on our Blog when I get a chance.
Next week we are scheduled for two + days of apartment inspections, and the Halloween activity on Friday for the Missionaries. This besides the regular teaching apointments with the different sets of elders.
We love you all so much,
Mom & Dad
Friday, October 24, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
CC Corless Connection 12th-19th of October
Dear Family,
Thank you so much - We enjoyed the updates of the pictures on your blogs and the phone calls. We really miss the family, but it is reassuring to see and hear that every one is doing well. All you Mom's and Dad's are doing a great job with your families. We are honored to be the Mom & Dad and/or the Nonna and Papa of this family.
Friday was missionary interviews in Corpus Christi, which is a long grueling day for President Miller, who was already suffering with a cold. After the interviews, we went with them to Johnny Carino's, for some good Italian cuisine. They asked us to host an activity for the all the missionaries in Sinton and Corpus Christi zones on Halloween so that they will not be stuck in their apartments as they are not to proselyte that evening.
During the interviews, the zone leaders have training sessions for the missionaries that await their interview. This was an interesting experience for us - one of activities was to write down two stewardship interviews with Heavenly Father. 1st as if you were actually accounting for mission thus far it had room for a dialogue between Him and you (Father...You...Father... You...3-4 times), and 2nd., as you would want the interview to be. This really started us thinking. It is a good exercise for all of us to go through regarding our own stewardships. Another part that impressed us was the words of Ammon as recorded in Alma 26:22. In short, it says: repentance, faith, good works, continuous prayer, result in knowing mysteries of God, to reveal things,and to bring thousands to repentance.
Saturday, we enjoyed the 2 hour adult session of Stake Conference, which included, some great talks and a great organ solo by Elder Walker. We heard sounds from the organ that we didn't know were there to be heard. As a speaker put it on Sunday, "the music seemed to swell until the very chapel rocked with the power of that old (dropped) hymn "Oh Thou Fount of Every Blessing'". It was so touching, even our Stake President, and armed force career man, wept like a child.
Sunday, we attended the Stake Conference general session in the morning. Afterwards, we talked with several members and the missionaries. But most importantly, we listened to the Stake President. He is a retired marine pilot, who flew over 2000 missions during his career, which started in Viet Nam. He started with jets, and later went to helicopters, which is his favorite. As a captain, he lead missions of 50 aircraft. Dad could listen to him for hours. But more importantly, he is a good, solid, humble, sensitive man that enjoys serving the Lord. His wife "Pinkie" is a live wire in our Tuesday morning New Testament Class. There are many great people here that have been so helpful and kind to us.
During our companionship study time today, we read and discussed the Creation as recorded in Abraham 4. (The greatest engineering project ever!) It seems that all the physical and biological sciences are nothing more or less than an effort to understand the Creation process of our Heavenly Father. Even our efforts to take matter unorganized and create something beautiful/good are, in our own little nano-level, an attempt at learning to be creators. (Pres. Uchtdorf taught about this in his great talk in the RS Conference broadcast). At the end of verse 10, it says "and the Gods saw that they were obeyed", which indicates to us that even matter has a choice to obey or not. The "freedom to choose" is, has been and always will be, at the very core of Heavenly Father's plan. It's evidence of an "active principle of maximum participation/cooperation of all God's creatures to work out His Plan for their own benefit. "Everybody gets in the act. "Every creature, to the limit of its competence, is given the supreme compliment of being left on its own, so that the word 'obey' is correctly applied". May we always show faith in Him to make the right choice.
Love y'all, Mom & Dad
PS The weather has been beautiful these last few days; what a relief from the heat. And, the Anti Ant Assault "AAA" continues.
Thank you so much - We enjoyed the updates of the pictures on your blogs and the phone calls. We really miss the family, but it is reassuring to see and hear that every one is doing well. All you Mom's and Dad's are doing a great job with your families. We are honored to be the Mom & Dad and/or the Nonna and Papa of this family.
Friday was missionary interviews in Corpus Christi, which is a long grueling day for President Miller, who was already suffering with a cold. After the interviews, we went with them to Johnny Carino's, for some good Italian cuisine. They asked us to host an activity for the all the missionaries in Sinton and Corpus Christi zones on Halloween so that they will not be stuck in their apartments as they are not to proselyte that evening.
During the interviews, the zone leaders have training sessions for the missionaries that await their interview. This was an interesting experience for us - one of activities was to write down two stewardship interviews with Heavenly Father. 1st as if you were actually accounting for mission thus far it had room for a dialogue between Him and you (Father...You...Father... You...3-4 times), and 2nd., as you would want the interview to be. This really started us thinking. It is a good exercise for all of us to go through regarding our own stewardships. Another part that impressed us was the words of Ammon as recorded in Alma 26:22. In short, it says: repentance, faith, good works, continuous prayer, result in knowing mysteries of God, to reveal things,and to bring thousands to repentance.
Saturday, we enjoyed the 2 hour adult session of Stake Conference, which included, some great talks and a great organ solo by Elder Walker. We heard sounds from the organ that we didn't know were there to be heard. As a speaker put it on Sunday, "the music seemed to swell until the very chapel rocked with the power of that old (dropped) hymn "Oh Thou Fount of Every Blessing'". It was so touching, even our Stake President, and armed force career man, wept like a child.
Sunday, we attended the Stake Conference general session in the morning. Afterwards, we talked with several members and the missionaries. But most importantly, we listened to the Stake President. He is a retired marine pilot, who flew over 2000 missions during his career, which started in Viet Nam. He started with jets, and later went to helicopters, which is his favorite. As a captain, he lead missions of 50 aircraft. Dad could listen to him for hours. But more importantly, he is a good, solid, humble, sensitive man that enjoys serving the Lord. His wife "Pinkie" is a live wire in our Tuesday morning New Testament Class. There are many great people here that have been so helpful and kind to us.
During our companionship study time today, we read and discussed the Creation as recorded in Abraham 4. (The greatest engineering project ever!) It seems that all the physical and biological sciences are nothing more or less than an effort to understand the Creation process of our Heavenly Father. Even our efforts to take matter unorganized and create something beautiful/good are, in our own little nano-level, an attempt at learning to be creators. (Pres. Uchtdorf taught about this in his great talk in the RS Conference broadcast). At the end of verse 10, it says "and the Gods saw that they were obeyed", which indicates to us that even matter has a choice to obey or not. The "freedom to choose" is, has been and always will be, at the very core of Heavenly Father's plan. It's evidence of an "active principle of maximum participation/cooperation of all God's creatures to work out His Plan for their own benefit. "Everybody gets in the act. "Every creature, to the limit of its competence, is given the supreme compliment of being left on its own, so that the word 'obey' is correctly applied". May we always show faith in Him to make the right choice.
Love y'all, Mom & Dad
PS The weather has been beautiful these last few days; what a relief from the heat. And, the Anti Ant Assault "AAA" continues.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Week of Oct. 5th-12th
Dear Family,
We really appreciate your efforts to keep in contact with us via phone, blog, letter or a care package. It is wonderful to get news and know what challenges and joys you are having. Thanks for keeping us a part of your family. We bought and installed a webcam on our computer so we use Skype for those who want to see and hear us.
We have decided to launch an All-out Anti-Ant Assault to rid the apartment of these little pesty free loading biters. We found on the Internet a bait formula that uses sugar- water laced with Boric Acid that the ants get and take back to the nest and put an end to that colony (by poisoning the queen); or at least, that is the theory. Blessed be Mom, who has resisted the urge to kill and endured the "Freak show" of ants massing around the bait and waiting 48 hours for the process to be completed. Its kind of like the "Go Tell Your Friends" approach. :) We launched the offensive on four fronts: Kitchen counter, 2 bathroom sink counters and the study room. So far the ants appear to be almost gone in 3 of the 4 battle fronts! Mom's sink that at first had the least ants, now is the one with the most, by far!!! Its not that we hate ants, but they just don't belong in the apartment with us. :) :) :)
Pamela, an investigator we visited with Elders Walker and Johnson, was set to be baptized today but it fell through. At least she came to church still, which was a plus. She has health problems as well as WW habits to overcome. We also have been teaching Nancy with Elders Salazar and Johnson. She is a spunky octogenarian with a great sense of humor and we enjoy going there. She has a friend, Joshua, from the Philippines (about the same age and just as lively), who sometimes comes to the lesson.
We are still teaching the New Testament class on Tuesday mornings. Dad leads the discussion and Mom adds interesting insights that really shed light and make things easier to understand. The class is mostly all seasoned sisters eager to learn more, which is a totally different experience for Dad to teach. He says they must enjoy it because for most part, they keep coming back.
Today we attended the 2nd and 3rd Wards and the Horne Rd. branch meetings. No surprise - Mom seemed to have the most fun with the sisters in the branch (Spanish) Relief Society! Dad, as usual, helped with the youth there, since they all are English speaking. Next week is Stake Conference.
We love y'all, Mom & Dad
We really appreciate your efforts to keep in contact with us via phone, blog, letter or a care package. It is wonderful to get news and know what challenges and joys you are having. Thanks for keeping us a part of your family. We bought and installed a webcam on our computer so we use Skype for those who want to see and hear us.
We have decided to launch an All-out Anti-Ant Assault to rid the apartment of these little pesty free loading biters. We found on the Internet a bait formula that uses sugar- water laced with Boric Acid that the ants get and take back to the nest and put an end to that colony (by poisoning the queen); or at least, that is the theory. Blessed be Mom, who has resisted the urge to kill and endured the "Freak show" of ants massing around the bait and waiting 48 hours for the process to be completed. Its kind of like the "Go Tell Your Friends" approach. :) We launched the offensive on four fronts: Kitchen counter, 2 bathroom sink counters and the study room. So far the ants appear to be almost gone in 3 of the 4 battle fronts! Mom's sink that at first had the least ants, now is the one with the most, by far!!! Its not that we hate ants, but they just don't belong in the apartment with us. :) :) :)
Pamela, an investigator we visited with Elders Walker and Johnson, was set to be baptized today but it fell through. At least she came to church still, which was a plus. She has health problems as well as WW habits to overcome. We also have been teaching Nancy with Elders Salazar and Johnson. She is a spunky octogenarian with a great sense of humor and we enjoy going there. She has a friend, Joshua, from the Philippines (about the same age and just as lively), who sometimes comes to the lesson.
We are still teaching the New Testament class on Tuesday mornings. Dad leads the discussion and Mom adds interesting insights that really shed light and make things easier to understand. The class is mostly all seasoned sisters eager to learn more, which is a totally different experience for Dad to teach. He says they must enjoy it because for most part, they keep coming back.
Today we attended the 2nd and 3rd Wards and the Horne Rd. branch meetings. No surprise - Mom seemed to have the most fun with the sisters in the branch (Spanish) Relief Society! Dad, as usual, helped with the youth there, since they all are English speaking. Next week is Stake Conference.
We love y'all, Mom & Dad
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Week of Sept 29- Oct 5th
Dear Family,
We are survivors! The oppressive hot 90+ weather appears to be behind us now. Although, officially the hurricane season goes until the end of November, the locals claim the hurricane season is over because the "cooler weather" (90 to high 80's) has cooled down the water temperatures in the gulf. We are so very thankful we did not get blasted. Our sunrise walks have been so much more pleasant with temperatures in 70's instead of 80's.
On Monday, we invited Edgar, a member of the branch, who is working in Corpus Christi as a painter to dinner. He has a wife and two children at home in Guatamala, and hopes to be able to return in December. He misses his family a lot. We enjoyed getting to know him and his family a little better. He is the only member in his family. He said he studied his language in school and hears all kind of incorrect Spanish here. Mom says he speaks very good Spanish unlike many others we meet in Corpus Christi.
Conference was great. We take solace knowing that wherever you were, you were doing the same thing as we were. We enjoyed listening to the speakers, taking notes and being edified during each of the sessions. We are truly blessed to be able to listen to and receive counsel from these servants of the Lord. Saturday we took two Elders to lunch and two other Elders to dinner between the sessions. On Sunday, between sessions we went with the Elders for a teaching appointment and after the last session, we made dinner for the Sisters. During the last session, Mom went to where conference was translated into Spanish and tried to take notes in English. It didn't work out so well. :)
We are so grateful for you and your children and miss you so much. Please give our grandbuddies a hug from Nonna and Papa.
We love you all, Mom & Dad
We are survivors! The oppressive hot 90+ weather appears to be behind us now. Although, officially the hurricane season goes until the end of November, the locals claim the hurricane season is over because the "cooler weather" (90 to high 80's) has cooled down the water temperatures in the gulf. We are so very thankful we did not get blasted. Our sunrise walks have been so much more pleasant with temperatures in 70's instead of 80's.
On Monday, we invited Edgar, a member of the branch, who is working in Corpus Christi as a painter to dinner. He has a wife and two children at home in Guatamala, and hopes to be able to return in December. He misses his family a lot. We enjoyed getting to know him and his family a little better. He is the only member in his family. He said he studied his language in school and hears all kind of incorrect Spanish here. Mom says he speaks very good Spanish unlike many others we meet in Corpus Christi.
Conference was great. We take solace knowing that wherever you were, you were doing the same thing as we were. We enjoyed listening to the speakers, taking notes and being edified during each of the sessions. We are truly blessed to be able to listen to and receive counsel from these servants of the Lord. Saturday we took two Elders to lunch and two other Elders to dinner between the sessions. On Sunday, between sessions we went with the Elders for a teaching appointment and after the last session, we made dinner for the Sisters. During the last session, Mom went to where conference was translated into Spanish and tried to take notes in English. It didn't work out so well. :)
We are so grateful for you and your children and miss you so much. Please give our grandbuddies a hug from Nonna and Papa.
We love you all, Mom & Dad
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Week of Sept 22-28, 2008
Dear Family,
Monday was a three (Corpus Christi, Sinton and Laredo) zone conference with Elder W. Douglas Shumway and his wife Sister Dixie Shumway. Mom got recognized for her September birthday along with all the September birthdays. The two senior missionary couples (Laws & Hinckleys) came from Laredo and afterwards we went out to dinner and had a great time just talking and getting to know them better. It was great to be with some other senior missionaries even if was just for an evening meal. Elder Law was a research chemist at University of Maryland and Elder Hinckley was an engineer with Boeing in Seattle. They are Dad's kind of "good guys".
Tuesday morning we taught the New Testament class. In the afternoon, four of the Elders invited us to go with them to the Texas State Aquarium. See the attached pictures of Mom petting a string ray and Dad getting attacked by a Hawk. I was called out of the audience to sit with my camera and take a picture of this hawk diving in on me - the hawk landed, as planned, just above and behind Dad's head. He thinks the grandbuddies would love it there. We would have loved to show them all the cool stuff they have.
Wednesday was transfers and almost all of the companionships that we most often work with were affected. We took Sister Durrant to the bus station in downtown Corpus Christi to catch a bus to Laredo and Mom was the companion to Sister Gallik until her companion arrived a couple for hours later at the Stake Center. One of the transfered Elders ask Dad to email some pictures to his home so he did it and his mom was very grateful. Dad has been working with the apartment maintenance supervisor to get the flooded apartment ready for the Elders to reoccupy it. There was more damage than originally thought so it has been taking longer than originally estimated. The problem was getting the apartment dried out quickly enough to avoid mold growing. Unfortunately, mold has been growing in a few spots inspite of all the efforts. Also, their phone line has gone bad so we have been host to their land line and fax machine. Actually, we got the information about the transfers at the same time the Zone Leaders did because it was all faxed to our apartment.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM! Thanks for all the calls, songs and cards from all of you. Mom specially liked hearing the little ones joining in the songs. "Saudades"... Thank you so much to all of you. Mom got serenaded at the branch (by the president) for her birthday. He sang " Las Mananitas" (a Spanish/Mexican birthday serenade song). When we got home from church there were messages on the phone from Brazil and Dad got to chat on line with her friend Eloisa waiting for her to finish talking to Amelita, Perez and Armando, etc. Suzana had called first thing in the morning, complete with "Congratulations!" :) Missionaries called and sang Happy Birthday to her and the Zone Leader (from Mexico) later called and sang "Las Mananitas", too. So it was a very "musical", fun day; a day filled with love. Thanks!!!
We love y'all,Mom & Dad
Monday was a three (Corpus Christi, Sinton and Laredo) zone conference with Elder W. Douglas Shumway and his wife Sister Dixie Shumway. Mom got recognized for her September birthday along with all the September birthdays. The two senior missionary couples (Laws & Hinckleys) came from Laredo and afterwards we went out to dinner and had a great time just talking and getting to know them better. It was great to be with some other senior missionaries even if was just for an evening meal. Elder Law was a research chemist at University of Maryland and Elder Hinckley was an engineer with Boeing in Seattle. They are Dad's kind of "good guys".
Tuesday morning we taught the New Testament class. In the afternoon, four of the Elders invited us to go with them to the Texas State Aquarium. See the attached pictures of Mom petting a string ray and Dad getting attacked by a Hawk. I was called out of the audience to sit with my camera and take a picture of this hawk diving in on me - the hawk landed, as planned, just above and behind Dad's head. He thinks the grandbuddies would love it there. We would have loved to show them all the cool stuff they have.
Wednesday was transfers and almost all of the companionships that we most often work with were affected. We took Sister Durrant to the bus station in downtown Corpus Christi to catch a bus to Laredo and Mom was the companion to Sister Gallik until her companion arrived a couple for hours later at the Stake Center. One of the transfered Elders ask Dad to email some pictures to his home so he did it and his mom was very grateful. Dad has been working with the apartment maintenance supervisor to get the flooded apartment ready for the Elders to reoccupy it. There was more damage than originally thought so it has been taking longer than originally estimated. The problem was getting the apartment dried out quickly enough to avoid mold growing. Unfortunately, mold has been growing in a few spots inspite of all the efforts. Also, their phone line has gone bad so we have been host to their land line and fax machine. Actually, we got the information about the transfers at the same time the Zone Leaders did because it was all faxed to our apartment.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM! Thanks for all the calls, songs and cards from all of you. Mom specially liked hearing the little ones joining in the songs. "Saudades"... Thank you so much to all of you. Mom got serenaded at the branch (by the president) for her birthday. He sang " Las Mananitas" (a Spanish/Mexican birthday serenade song). When we got home from church there were messages on the phone from Brazil and Dad got to chat on line with her friend Eloisa waiting for her to finish talking to Amelita, Perez and Armando, etc. Suzana had called first thing in the morning, complete with "Congratulations!" :) Missionaries called and sang Happy Birthday to her and the Zone Leader (from Mexico) later called and sang "Las Mananitas", too. So it was a very "musical", fun day; a day filled with love. Thanks!!!
We love y'all,Mom & Dad
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