Ogden Mission Blog: One Month Anniversary!

August 1 marked the one-month anniversary of the beginning of our mission. We have made many new friends and had some great experiences.

Monday we had a farewell FHE with Melanie and Brad, the two youth we have been teaching, along with their wonderful grandma, Donna Orstrom, and the Brown family. The Brown's daughter, Cherokee, has been instrumental in bringing us people to teach. She sat in on every lesson with Melanie and Brad. They have now returned to their home in Ft. Myers, FL. We pray for their continued success in learning the gospel.

We were very sad for a time after learning that our last youthful investigator, Tara, a 12-year-old black girl, decided that she didn't want to continue with the lessons. She is used to being entertained at church, we believe, so she finds our services too "boring." :< We will still visit her occasionally to keep in touch. She is really sweet and cute.

We received great practice and instruction at our zone meeting this week. Pres. & Sister Irion were there to buoy us up and give wonderful teachings. We learned about justification, sanctification, and qualification. We learned more about the Holy Ghost and practiced teaching about it. One of my favorite stories was about a lady who had been baptized and then received the gift of the Holy Ghost as a member of the Church. She said, "The Holy Ghost is like an old friend who had guided me in the past but had now come to stay."

Friday evening we finally enjoyed a date by going to dinner and a movie. Monsters University was the only choice available, but that's okay. It was good to reconnect with our Friday nights. :) We miss joining with our dear friends for these dates sometimes.

An interesting farming feature here is that the grass grows so easily and abundantly that the farmers just cut and bale the grass as hay in giant rolls. They don't grow alfalfa. People spend many, many hours on their riding mowers mowing their hills, yards, and roadsides. I guess they have to in order to keep the grass at bay.

We have been visiting our neighbors up and down the street. Most are widows or widowers.
They have all been friendly and kind, inviting us into their homes and onto their porches. We take them banana bread and just visit so we can get to know them. They are lonely and need visits, and we enjoy them.

We have been wonderfully enriched by the deep spirit of the strong Saints here. They bear humble testimonies of the gospel truths without apology or embarrassment. Many are in part-member marriages or are single parents, yet they remain strong examples to their families. Others yield to ease or temptation. We are trying to visit and help wherever we can.

We love you all, or in Southern vernacular, all ya'll!