Week 7

On Wednesday we had coordinating missionary (CM) training in Natchitchoches.  The Seminary and Institute Area Coordinator from Georgia was there, as well as the Area Director and support specialist from Kentucky and our Area Director and support specialist from Baton Rouge.  All to train the three coordinating missionary couples from Shreveport, Ruston, and Alexandria (us). It lasted from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm, and we got several ideas of some additional ways we can fulfill our role as CMs.  It was also just good to be together and feel the Spirit. 

Instead of going straight home, we drove to Rosepine to see the last seminary class in the stake--a home study group.  Now we'll start scheduling our next round of visits to the nine seminary and three institute classes.  Now we know the teachers and even the students a bit and hope we can actually be helpful to them. 

The next day we drove two hours to Monroe for zone conference for the Monroe and Alexandria Zones.  It went from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm, and was a wonderful day.  President Varner has a nice, easy rapport with the missionaries, and gave some good instruction throughout the meeting as well as his address at the end.  It was great to be with the young missionaries. So much enthusiasm, energy, and commitment.  The first speaker was the area vehicle coordinator, and his talk was fascinating--it's astounding how much money the Church spends on missionary vehicles and on keeping missionaries safe in those vehicles.  All to enhance spreading the Good Word. 

President and Sister Varner had been at a regional training for mission presidents and other leaders the week before where Elder Bednar did much of the training.  They told us a story he told:  Elder Bednar was asked by a friend of his to attend the testimony meeting at the end of a youth conference.  He said no, he wouldn't go, because those weren't testimonies, they were stories and dragged on forever.  Then the friend asked him to come and teach the youth how to bear testimony.  So he did--he taught them that bearing true testimony comes down to telling what you know in your heart to be true about the Savior and the gospel.  He said they didn't have to tell everything they know, they didn't have to name everybody they love, they didn't have to relate experiences; they just had to testify of what was important to them right then.  Then all of the 75 youth bore powerful testimonies in 20 minutes.  So, with those guidelines all of the 50 missionaries in the room (including three senior couples), in order, bore a short but sincere testimony of essentially one truth.  Marvelous!  A real highlight of the day. 

On Friday we visited a less active sister in Mansura--she suffers from bipolar illness and some other mental problems, but she finally let us come in for a visit.  She is in her 50s and lives with her parents and an older brother (frankly he is very scary looking).  Along one living room wall was an enormous gun case with about two dozen rifles.  Mostly for the squirrel hunt, but some for deer hunting.  After that we found a fabulous Lebanese restaurant in Marksville--quite a nice surprise.

We had a bit of surprising news at church today, but first the background:  The branch president and his wife came here from Utah on an MLS mission in Marksville four years ago, having sold their home before they came.  With six months to go on their mission they were praying about what they should do next.  They had the distinct impression that they were to stay in Marksville.  So, they looked around, bought a home, added on and fixed it up, and spent the last few months of their mission in their own home.  Two months after their release from the mission, he was called as branch president, and she's a counselor in Relief Society.

Well, today, they announced that they are moving to Idaho because of some pressing family issues.  Again, they had prayed earnestly to know what to do, and the answer was it was time to go back west.  Every sister in the congregation was crying because they love Caryl so much.  It will really be interesting to watch what unfolds, because the branch is severely limited in priesthood holders, especially experienced ones. 

In case you thought I was kidding in an earlier post about meeting in a triple wide trailer, here is a picture of our little branch building.

Our little meeting house

This evening we had our Seminary and Institute Faculty Training meeting.  It wasn't well attended, possibly because of the torrential rain forecast for later (and it came--we were absolutely drenched walking between the building and our car), and except for the Alexandria ward, everyone is at least an hour away.  However, we had a good meeting with those who came. We're so impressed with the dedication of these S & I teachers.

Temperatures have been much cooler this week; highs in the 50s and quite a bit of rain and fog. 

My great niece, Cayley, and husband Isaac had their first baby this week:  little Traeger entered the world on Tuesday.