| From: | Lynne Pettit (lynnepettit@msn.com) |
| Sent: | |
| To: |
Dear Family and Friends:
Though it still rains quite often, the signs of spring are definitely here. It doesn't seem possible that things could have gotten greener, but they have. They call this the land of 40 shades of green. The days are perceptibly longer, and with daylight savings time, it doesn't get dark until well past 8 in the evening. They say that in the summer we will need to get used to going to bed and getting up in the daylight.
There seems to be so much happening every day that the days are running together. It is nice to be busy, but we need to try harder to document all that is going on so that we remember better. The work is progressing so well on some fronts, and not so well on other fronts. We suppose that until every ward in every stake gets up to speed, we have missionary job security. We have had some wonderful experiences with Self Reliance, and we are quite encouraged. Our testimonies are growing daily of the effectiveness of this inspired initiative. To us, it is just another manifestation of the Lord's love for His people: He reveals that which the Saints need long before they need it. With the world situation as it is, we have a real sense of urgency.
We actually had a missionary experience at the bank the other day. What? At the bank? They finally might let us open a bank account here so we don't get hit with exchange rates so much. They are beginning to believe that we really do live here and we are not money launderers. As we were talking to the young banker, he asked us if we had many followers in our church here. As we mentally compared the congregations here to the congregations at home, we replied: "They could be bigger." When we told him that some of the congregations in Ireland could be as many as 100, he was astonished. He proceeded to tell us about the largest, oldest, most beautiful cathedral in downtown Dublin. He said that if they get 6 worshipers on any one Sunday, they are pleased. They just had a big magnificent celebration for Easter - and 16 showed up. They were ecstatic. Scriptures come to mind when we hear such things: scriptures about Christ's living, dynamic Church versus dead churches. We are so grateful to be engaged in the Work, and are anxious to tell more people about the true living Church. We are actually grateful that we have to go back to the bank--because he told us to for sure ask for him--and we will be even more prepared. :)
We had our monthly Skype conference with all the Self-Reliance couples in Europe (UK, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Cape Verde, etc.), and it wasn't until we visited with the couple in France that we realized just how "close to home" the bombing in Brussels really was. Brussels is in the Paris France mission, and the France Self Reliance couple had been working with the Senior Elder (Elder Norby) just a few days before the bombing. He and the two elders were within 20 feet of the blast, and people were killed all around them. Elder Norby's life was saved only because he had his back turned, and we feel that the Elders had angels surrounding them to help them survive. They have had to all go home, but Elder Norby's injuries were the worst and he will be a long time recovering. It was sobering for us as couples to visit and pray about something that was so real and so close. It was wonderful to hear Elder Oaks mention in conference how he knows the Lord "blunted" the effects of the bomb. Certainly such things add a real urgency to the Work as we strive to prepare the Church for the Second Coming.
Tuesday we had our regular meeting with the Dublin Stake Self Reliance committee, and it so good to know how supportive they are. They are working very hard to make this program work in the stake, and positive things are happening. We have discovered that the program is administered on the stake level, but it really functions on the ward level. When a bishop and a ward council get behind it, it works so much better, so we are trying to spend as much time as we can in the wards presenting, encouraging, and training. President Eyring said: "If we (the Church) do this right, in 10 years we will look back and be amazed." This thing really has the power to change lives.
We had a class on "Job Search" on Wednesday night with 3 YSA, and for the first time, really, we felt like it went the way it was supposed to go. The class members were actively involved and willing to make commitments. These classes are different than "normal" church classes because they involve so much committing and reporting. At the beginning of the class, for instance, each member comes to the whiteboard to report on whether he or she fulfilled his commitments for the week. They may sound a little elementary, but it is a powerful tool as the class members clap and give praise and encourage one another. It takes awhile for everyone to "buy in" but now they seem to be really getting involved.
Thursday night was a banner night for Self Reliance, as well. We actually had 3 Self Reliance things going on at the same time in far apart places, so we had to have some help to get it all covered. We asked one of the class members to "facilitate" the on-going Finance Class here in Dublin, the Self Reliance Specialist took care of the devotional in Belfast, and we covered the My Path Devotional in Clonsilla (about 20 minutes away.) It was a great night in Clonsilla. We had about 20 people in attendance (our largest group yet), and they all seemed very enthused. The key to the success was, again, the fact that the bishop is so supportive. He came to the devotional and is going to attend one of the classes. It made all the difference to have him there.
We had a rather interesting experience at Clonsilla. Before the meeting we met a sweet, beautiful "youngish" woman who had come to participate in one of the classes because she wanted to start her own music business. She seemed to be very supportive and humble, and was anxious to encourage others and make the program work. She was driving a small older car, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. After visiting with her, however, we discovered that her name was Alex Sharpe - the "Celtic Woman". She is very well known here and has performed in venues all over the world, including with the Tabernacle Choir--and I Logan. She can be seen on UTube: "Alex Sharpe - Celtic Woman." We are thinking of asking her to do a benefit concert for refugee children. That would be something to pull off!
On Friday, we conducted our first Self Reliance training for young missionaries who are about to go home. We have been talking with the Self Reliance couple in Scotland and the Mission President, and were finally able to get something organized. We had to work fast, because we wanted to catch those who are leaving the mission field in April (just a week away) and May. When we were in the training in London, Elder Herbertson came to deliver a message on Self Reliance, and he took almost the entire time talking about YSA. The Brethren are very concerned about this age group because so many returned missionaries (and others) are falling away. He urged us to help get the missionaries ready for re-entry into normal life as much as possible. We had adapted (a little) a wonderful training session from the work of a couple in the Birmingham Mission, and we spent 4 hours talking to these Elders and Sisters about goal-setting, resume writing, interviewing skills, networking, debt, education, and a host of other things. It was an interesting experience, because these wonderful missionaries don't want to think about anything but missionary work - even for a day - and it is a shock to them to think that their missions might really be coming to an end. Elder Holland's talk at the end of conference was so appropriate that we used it in our second training session, which we held today in Belfast. We have one more to do this week in the southern part of Ireland, and then we will repeat the process in a couple of months. We hope it helps a little. We feel that the adjustment to going home is harder than the adjustment to coming out. These are bright, good, energetic young people. and we love them.
That brings us to General Conference. We suppose that Conference might be just about as close to a Celestial experience as we can have on earth. Again, Elder Holland's talk was so appropriate! Here is how the schedule went for us:
Saturday morning session: 10:00 AM Utah time, 5:00 PM Ireland time
Saturday afternoon session: 2:00 PM Utah time, 9:00 PM Ireland time
Priesthood session: 6:00 PM Saturday Utah time, re-broadcast 10:00 AM Sunday morning Ireland time
Sunday morning session: 10:00 AM Utah time, 5:00 PM Ireland time
Sunday afternoon session: 2:00 PM Utah time, 9:00 PM Ireland time
Except for the priesthood session, we got to watch everything live! Cool, huh? What an incredible spiritual feast. How do you pick a favorite talk? We guess you don't. A few standouts, however: President Nelson's talk on re-activation of the father of the girls he had lost in surgery. That hit home! We could listen to President Uchtdorf forever; Elder Duncan's talk on forgiveness was so special. There was one very meaningful talk for us: Elder Kearon's address on the refugee situation. He is the Area Seventy for Europe, and his major emphasis is dealing with this almost incomprehensible crisis. The numbers are staggering, and it affects all of Europe, including Ireland. We have refugee camps in Ireland, and we have had some refugees join our classes in the Limerick District. It is heartbreaking to see what is happening, but it is also astounding to watch the Lord direct the affairs of the Church in dealing with the situation. If ever there was evidence that this is truly the Lord's work, this is it. It is Christianity in its highest form. One of the neat things Elder Kearon said that was particularly meaningful: "Being a refugee doesn't define them, but how we respond defines us." We honestly have never had a more spiritual moment in conference than when we watched President Uchtdorf - himself twice a refugee - struggle to control his emotions after the talk. Self Reliance needs to play a big role in the relief effort, so we feel very much in the thick of it. We'll just try to do what we can - one precious child of God at a time.
One other interesting thing about Conference. We had an investigator watch one of the sessions. He had been used to seeing the Church on a local level, with a small chapel-full of members in meeting. When he saw the Conference Center with 21,000 people in it, he was blown away. He said: "This church is bigger than I thought!" I guess that we get so used to it that we don't think about such things.
Of course, we missed being home with the family during Conference. It is one of our favorite things--to be with the family and feel the Spirit and the blessings we share. And the shots of the beautiful blue sky, and the Temple Square scenes we love, were a little hard to take. Just two of us watching on a computer--or sitting in the semi-filled chapel isn't nearly as fun as sitting with grandkids), but it made us so grateful to be a part of proclaiming this "Good News" to the world. Fortunately there was a great spirit of love with all the missionaries afterward and we shared a lot of food with them and the YSA group, so it made it a little bit "homey"--and of course we still love Conference here or there!
Our prayers and thoughts are with you constantly. We hope you can feel our love across the miles.
Love,
Grandma and Grandpa
Mom and Dad
Lynne and Lanette
Though it still rains quite often, the signs of spring are definitely here. It doesn't seem possible that things could have gotten greener, but they have. They call this the land of 40 shades of green. The days are perceptibly longer, and with daylight savings time, it doesn't get dark until well past 8 in the evening. They say that in the summer we will need to get used to going to bed and getting up in the daylight.
There seems to be so much happening every day that the days are running together. It is nice to be busy, but we need to try harder to document all that is going on so that we remember better. The work is progressing so well on some fronts, and not so well on other fronts. We suppose that until every ward in every stake gets up to speed, we have missionary job security. We have had some wonderful experiences with Self Reliance, and we are quite encouraged. Our testimonies are growing daily of the effectiveness of this inspired initiative. To us, it is just another manifestation of the Lord's love for His people: He reveals that which the Saints need long before they need it. With the world situation as it is, we have a real sense of urgency.
We actually had a missionary experience at the bank the other day. What? At the bank? They finally might let us open a bank account here so we don't get hit with exchange rates so much. They are beginning to believe that we really do live here and we are not money launderers. As we were talking to the young banker, he asked us if we had many followers in our church here. As we mentally compared the congregations here to the congregations at home, we replied: "They could be bigger." When we told him that some of the congregations in Ireland could be as many as 100, he was astonished. He proceeded to tell us about the largest, oldest, most beautiful cathedral in downtown Dublin. He said that if they get 6 worshipers on any one Sunday, they are pleased. They just had a big magnificent celebration for Easter - and 16 showed up. They were ecstatic. Scriptures come to mind when we hear such things: scriptures about Christ's living, dynamic Church versus dead churches. We are so grateful to be engaged in the Work, and are anxious to tell more people about the true living Church. We are actually grateful that we have to go back to the bank--because he told us to for sure ask for him--and we will be even more prepared. :)
We had our monthly Skype conference with all the Self-Reliance couples in Europe (UK, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Cape Verde, etc.), and it wasn't until we visited with the couple in France that we realized just how "close to home" the bombing in Brussels really was. Brussels is in the Paris France mission, and the France Self Reliance couple had been working with the Senior Elder (Elder Norby) just a few days before the bombing. He and the two elders were within 20 feet of the blast, and people were killed all around them. Elder Norby's life was saved only because he had his back turned, and we feel that the Elders had angels surrounding them to help them survive. They have had to all go home, but Elder Norby's injuries were the worst and he will be a long time recovering. It was sobering for us as couples to visit and pray about something that was so real and so close. It was wonderful to hear Elder Oaks mention in conference how he knows the Lord "blunted" the effects of the bomb. Certainly such things add a real urgency to the Work as we strive to prepare the Church for the Second Coming.
Tuesday we had our regular meeting with the Dublin Stake Self Reliance committee, and it so good to know how supportive they are. They are working very hard to make this program work in the stake, and positive things are happening. We have discovered that the program is administered on the stake level, but it really functions on the ward level. When a bishop and a ward council get behind it, it works so much better, so we are trying to spend as much time as we can in the wards presenting, encouraging, and training. President Eyring said: "If we (the Church) do this right, in 10 years we will look back and be amazed." This thing really has the power to change lives.
We had a class on "Job Search" on Wednesday night with 3 YSA, and for the first time, really, we felt like it went the way it was supposed to go. The class members were actively involved and willing to make commitments. These classes are different than "normal" church classes because they involve so much committing and reporting. At the beginning of the class, for instance, each member comes to the whiteboard to report on whether he or she fulfilled his commitments for the week. They may sound a little elementary, but it is a powerful tool as the class members clap and give praise and encourage one another. It takes awhile for everyone to "buy in" but now they seem to be really getting involved.
Thursday night was a banner night for Self Reliance, as well. We actually had 3 Self Reliance things going on at the same time in far apart places, so we had to have some help to get it all covered. We asked one of the class members to "facilitate" the on-going Finance Class here in Dublin, the Self Reliance Specialist took care of the devotional in Belfast, and we covered the My Path Devotional in Clonsilla (about 20 minutes away.) It was a great night in Clonsilla. We had about 20 people in attendance (our largest group yet), and they all seemed very enthused. The key to the success was, again, the fact that the bishop is so supportive. He came to the devotional and is going to attend one of the classes. It made all the difference to have him there.
We had a rather interesting experience at Clonsilla. Before the meeting we met a sweet, beautiful "youngish" woman who had come to participate in one of the classes because she wanted to start her own music business. She seemed to be very supportive and humble, and was anxious to encourage others and make the program work. She was driving a small older car, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. After visiting with her, however, we discovered that her name was Alex Sharpe - the "Celtic Woman". She is very well known here and has performed in venues all over the world, including with the Tabernacle Choir--and I Logan. She can be seen on UTube: "Alex Sharpe - Celtic Woman." We are thinking of asking her to do a benefit concert for refugee children. That would be something to pull off!
On Friday, we conducted our first Self Reliance training for young missionaries who are about to go home. We have been talking with the Self Reliance couple in Scotland and the Mission President, and were finally able to get something organized. We had to work fast, because we wanted to catch those who are leaving the mission field in April (just a week away) and May. When we were in the training in London, Elder Herbertson came to deliver a message on Self Reliance, and he took almost the entire time talking about YSA. The Brethren are very concerned about this age group because so many returned missionaries (and others) are falling away. He urged us to help get the missionaries ready for re-entry into normal life as much as possible. We had adapted (a little) a wonderful training session from the work of a couple in the Birmingham Mission, and we spent 4 hours talking to these Elders and Sisters about goal-setting, resume writing, interviewing skills, networking, debt, education, and a host of other things. It was an interesting experience, because these wonderful missionaries don't want to think about anything but missionary work - even for a day - and it is a shock to them to think that their missions might really be coming to an end. Elder Holland's talk at the end of conference was so appropriate that we used it in our second training session, which we held today in Belfast. We have one more to do this week in the southern part of Ireland, and then we will repeat the process in a couple of months. We hope it helps a little. We feel that the adjustment to going home is harder than the adjustment to coming out. These are bright, good, energetic young people. and we love them.
That brings us to General Conference. We suppose that Conference might be just about as close to a Celestial experience as we can have on earth. Again, Elder Holland's talk was so appropriate! Here is how the schedule went for us:
Saturday morning session: 10:00 AM Utah time, 5:00 PM Ireland time
Saturday afternoon session: 2:00 PM Utah time, 9:00 PM Ireland time
Priesthood session: 6:00 PM Saturday Utah time, re-broadcast 10:00 AM Sunday morning Ireland time
Sunday morning session: 10:00 AM Utah time, 5:00 PM Ireland time
Sunday afternoon session: 2:00 PM Utah time, 9:00 PM Ireland time
Except for the priesthood session, we got to watch everything live! Cool, huh? What an incredible spiritual feast. How do you pick a favorite talk? We guess you don't. A few standouts, however: President Nelson's talk on re-activation of the father of the girls he had lost in surgery. That hit home! We could listen to President Uchtdorf forever; Elder Duncan's talk on forgiveness was so special. There was one very meaningful talk for us: Elder Kearon's address on the refugee situation. He is the Area Seventy for Europe, and his major emphasis is dealing with this almost incomprehensible crisis. The numbers are staggering, and it affects all of Europe, including Ireland. We have refugee camps in Ireland, and we have had some refugees join our classes in the Limerick District. It is heartbreaking to see what is happening, but it is also astounding to watch the Lord direct the affairs of the Church in dealing with the situation. If ever there was evidence that this is truly the Lord's work, this is it. It is Christianity in its highest form. One of the neat things Elder Kearon said that was particularly meaningful: "Being a refugee doesn't define them, but how we respond defines us." We honestly have never had a more spiritual moment in conference than when we watched President Uchtdorf - himself twice a refugee - struggle to control his emotions after the talk. Self Reliance needs to play a big role in the relief effort, so we feel very much in the thick of it. We'll just try to do what we can - one precious child of God at a time.
One other interesting thing about Conference. We had an investigator watch one of the sessions. He had been used to seeing the Church on a local level, with a small chapel-full of members in meeting. When he saw the Conference Center with 21,000 people in it, he was blown away. He said: "This church is bigger than I thought!" I guess that we get so used to it that we don't think about such things.
Of course, we missed being home with the family during Conference. It is one of our favorite things--to be with the family and feel the Spirit and the blessings we share. And the shots of the beautiful blue sky, and the Temple Square scenes we love, were a little hard to take. Just two of us watching on a computer--or sitting in the semi-filled chapel isn't nearly as fun as sitting with grandkids), but it made us so grateful to be a part of proclaiming this "Good News" to the world. Fortunately there was a great spirit of love with all the missionaries afterward and we shared a lot of food with them and the YSA group, so it made it a little bit "homey"--and of course we still love Conference here or there!
Our prayers and thoughts are with you constantly. We hope you can feel our love across the miles.
Love,
Grandma and Grandpa
Mom and Dad
Lynne and Lanette
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