Nine Months Out

For our non family readers, Bakersfield was the place to be last weekend. Jordan spoke in church before heading out to the MTC. We will miss him very much. He is a great young man and a very good example to all brothers and cousins. Miss Courtney received a beautiful engagement ring from Brigham. They have set a date in June. Thank you both for that.

It is hard to believe that we have already served half of our mission. As we have discussed what has taken place in these months and also what we desire for the next half we are so very happy that we came and that we were called to serve in the Melbourne West mission language zone. I know we were meant to do exactly what we are doing. Who better to work with 14 Elders who come in and out of your flat all day long, who need some grandma and grandpa talks and especially some grandma cooking, who at times don't know the answers to some of the more difficult Gospel questions that come to them. Who better then a couple of people who raised 8 kids with people coming in and out all of the time, who are grandparents to 37 and a grandma who has an excuse to make cookies. Many times Elder Urmston is called into a discussion to answer a Gospel question. We love are Elders and are feeling real sadness as some of them are now starting to go home. Elders Klienman and Beckham have left and Elders Brown and Gin next.
We have also been given the great blessing to teach new members. We have prepared 12 lessons for them. That takes them another 3 months in close contact with us. Some desire further lessons. To see them grow and receive callings in the ward brings great joy. Saturday we had a The Autumn Moon Festival celebration. Very big holiday in China. One of our new members Aggie changed the words to a favorite Chinese song to represent Gospel teachings. She organized the whole thing. They sang and danced and were wonderful. The audience was very surprised and impressed by them.
My first job in nursing was in the Geriatric Ward. I loved the older people than and I do now. I always asked to go Visiting Teaching to our older sisters. We have been loved and nourished by the older wiser people here in Melbourne. Several of them are pioneers here in Melbourne. ElderUrmston is so good to keep them talking about there experiences. We feel it a great privilege to serve them in any way we can.
So as you can see we keep very busy, are being Spiritually fed, our testimonies are strengthened,we are gaining further Gospel knowledge and our love of the Lord Jesus Christ grows daily as we see his hand in peoples lives.
We thank you for your prayers and we pray for you and love you and miss you.
Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Elder and Sister Urmston