Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!

Dear Family and Friends.
First of all we want to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving.  In case you don't know, this is not a holiday in Ireland, but we are aware that it is coming this week, and we will still celebrate it by being thankful for each of YOU.   We are happy to be serving this mission, but even though we are far from home, you are each so important in our lives.  We are grateful for your support and love and hope the holiday is fun for you.   The YSA have actually asked us to cook Thanksgiving dinner for them, so they can know what it is like (totally not our idea!) but even if we could get the right foods, and even if the climate were the same so the foods would turn out, it would not be like home---We will miss everyone bringing their favorite pies, and best recipes all around.  We will miss the hugs and fun of the grandkids, football games, the craft times, combing through the newspaper ads and all the crazy shopping times, the game sessions, the sledding or whatever else fun activity gets put together and so many more wonderful traditions.  Thanksgiving is truly worth being thankful about!


Second, we will update you the little bit we know about our upcoming move.  We have heard they have a car for us--we are hoping it is 4-wheel drive, but think it isn't.   We have heard they have an apartment for us, and hope it is warm and a little better than our present flat. (We are frustrated this week because we have not had internet connection at all, and the water is even lower pressure which causes some problems with the washer and it's hard to shower.)  We are crossing our fingers that this move will be comfy --but regardless, we are more sure every day that we are going.  We think we are leaving on Dec 15 with a temporary 90 day visa, meaning we will likely come back to Ireland for a bit (which is very good for us!)  We have heard folks say we will not even get to see Sweden in the daylight for awhile because it is so far north--but we think it is an exaggeration.  And several say that it is very cold (but a dry cold--so more like home).  And many say it is beautiful and we will love it, so we are happy for all good reports. 


This week has been quite busy and the upcoming week is really scheduled tight--- but with so many good things.  Probably the most fun thing has been teaching our friend Polo.  We mentioned her in our letter last week and we are glad to report that she has been doing well with the lessons.  Thank you for your prayers.   We have taught her almost every day--as she requested, because they are going back to South Africa this coming Saturday on business for a few months and she is anxious to learn all she can.  We have not wanted to push a baptism date to be more important than truly gaining a testimony, but she is so prepared.  Our lesson times have gone long and she has been such an incredible investigator.   We thought she had been taught some lessons, but apparently not because she wants to learn everything from us ---and her responses are wonderful.  So many things in her life have prepared her for the gospel and she really recognizes the reasons behind the doctrines.  Her baptism and confirmation are scheduled for Friday night, so we are looking forward to the day.


Here is a cute story about Polo this week:   On Friday we didn't teach her, because she had a shopping day planned with a friend (non-member).  That evening she called and said she had a good day and she was proud of herself.  She said her friend suggested they go get a drink of wine, but Polo declined, saying she doesn't do that anymore.  The friend then said, "I've been  thinking I could see you changing, are you starting that religion of your husband?"  Polo said yes she was.  Then the friend asked if she was already a member and Polo said, "not yet."   So the friend said, "then you can still have a drink of wine."  Polo's answer was, "no, I am already a Mormon in my heart."   Great huh!


And here is one more funny thing.  We were talking to the missionaries about her husband, Wellington, a very intelligent man who we were able to help bring into the Church about 5 months back.  He is now the Elders Quorum teacher and we hear he does such a good job.  We smile because he even tells us how well his lessons go.   Anyway, the missionaries were telling us that some people in the ward think he will be the next bishop.  His answer to them was, "Well, first we need to get my wife baptized."  We love their comfortable way of settling into being Mormons!


This week we had three "devotionals" scheduled for 3 consecutive nights (one from each stake), but in the end one got bumped to next week for good reasons.  It was an all-time first to have so many budding groups in a row.  The funnier thing is that we didn't even realize that we were breaking a record for ourselves because we are just trying to keep up with the way things are popping.  The two that did happen were very successful, especially since they are in small branches.  One group even had two non-members come, and the other  one was a little hard to get organized because the members wanted to take multiple classes!  Both of these branches are being supported by senior couples who are now willing to take on the role of SR specialists for their branches.  This is an idea that is being implemented in Ireland that we think is going to catch on in many areas.  The devotional that is postponed to next week is even more innovative because we were given permission (from the Mission President) to let young missionaries lead a Job Search class to help their investigators.  We feel such miracles as these branches are able to have the blessings of SR come to them.  There is power when saints put their faith in the Lord to help them lift themselves to higher goals.


Now in case you think we are not having any genuine fun, this week we had two great nights out.  The first was a Relief Society activity that Grandma was invited to (we have become good friends with the Relief Society President) , to go to dinner and then to the Broadway show, "Sister Act".  It was a very fun night (no host) with 42 sisters attending!   The remarkable thing was how difficult it was for everyone to get transportation there--but they did it and it was so bonding.  They had less actives, and non-members, and moms and sisters come along.  It was a great success. 


The second night out was an invitation to dinner from the former Belfast Stake Specialists that we have not seen in quite a few months.  We ate fabulous food (steak and lobster) at a quaint little restaurant on the bay and just visited for hours.  We learned about their brave move from South Africa (white discrimination and crime) and their difficult, but very successful, endeavors to build a business here.   They are really an example of righteous prosperity with a strong motivation to help others.  It was a delightful time!


And then to top off the week we will tell you about Nick.  We really think he is getting close to being able to be baptized, but it is not easy for him even though he wants to, and he is so lonely for family.  His brother was going to join him in Ireland, but the plans changed (probably a good thing for now) and he was feeling low.  You probably remember he is trying ever so hard to quit smoking.  Thursday night we had a few hours open and went to his house to read scriptures with him and just talk.     It was a wonderful time together and we ended with Grandpa giving him a blessing.  He did better the next two days, but not a complete stop.  Then today, we made a special effort to take him to church in the ward he is supposed to be in, since he moved, but doesn't have friends at all there.  He was a good sport about it, but not thrilled.  But the Spirit really came with such power to bless his efforts. The meetings were wonderful and he said he felt the Spirit so strongly.   We introduced him to people we know and they were great to him.  We have to say that another surprise about our mission is, it is remarkable how when we are trying to help others build their testimony, that we also feel our testimonies growing in significant ways.  We know that the Lord loves each of His children--and us.


So yes, we have much to be thankful for this year.  We wish we could zip home and give you all a big hug, eat some of your fabulous food, and enjoy all the warmth of the holiday, but we are doing well.  We LOVE you and we love serving the Lord, so we are thankful!!


May all the joys of the holiday be with you and your families!
Love,
Grandpa and Grandma,
Dad and Mom,
Lynne and Lanette
Elder and Sister Pettit

This is our good friend John Hannon singing "Danny Boy."  When we get home, we will play it for you - it is a real treat.  John really watched out for us!

 

Thanksgiving and Baptism

Dear Family and Friends,


We hope this letter finds you all just a little fatter and happier after a Thanksgiving weekend holiday.  Here in Dublin we also celebrated a nearly traditional Thanksgiving feast and weekend--minus the football games and of course family.   It really was a good and memorable weekend where we were indeed thankful for many blessings, but it really didn't seem the same.  That's okay though because we realize that there is no substitute for family, and we only have to miss it this one year. 


So to do a little review:  we told you how the YSA asked us to do a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner for an activity.  We wondered if we would find the food needed, but it turned out pretty well.  We didn't realize how lucky we were to find  turkeys this early in the year because we learned whole turkeys are usually only available for Christmas, but we did find them at only the second store we checked.  They were small, but small worked best for the wee (tiny) ovens, so we bought two and a ham.  We couldn't find any pumpkin canned or fresh--- too bad for the pumpkin pies, but they do have sweet potatoes, so we had the yam and apple dish we like--which was quite popular.  (We think our sons will be happy to know we just didn't dare try yam pies!) Pie crusts in general don't turn out as well, so we made apple pudding cake instead and ate store pies,(which verifies that crusts don't do too well here).  We made good stuffing, green bean casserole, corn, honey glazed carrots and least popular of all: fluffy marshmallow cranberry and pomegranate salad.   The issue is sweets don't ever go with savory foods---and although it is somewhat like trifle dessert, it was not popular.  The best deal of all was the potatoes.   Once again we used In the potatoes that were peeled and shrink sealed and it made the best mashed potatoes with so little work.


We survived the appliance size problems by being extra resourceful   We used the car  (35-40 degrees) for a fridge, which meant WE smelled like Thanksgiving dinner.   We used all four crock pots from here and the Church, so they served as ovens. And of course we layered both the ovens and fridges with a skill we hope to never have to use again.


The institute teacher (also Americans) and his family joined with the dinner effort and brought a tossed salad and some pre-prepared foods too, so the feast table was nicely filled---and more bodies for the celebration.  The sad thing was that this is really not an Irish holiday, so there were not many YSA who came.  Who celebrates mid-week in November?  We did have some foreign investigator friends come, so a total of about 18--- and after we were mostly done, the Elders showed up "to the rescue"!   The American Elders were delighted, but it was funny how the UK Elders just thought it was too much food!  Yes, we Americans do know how to eat.


The good part of not having a huge crowd was the leftovers.  For some reason, this week had already broken the record for number of big and small meals hosted, so to have quite a bit left over was not a problem because Friday was Polo's baptism party--and those who were special guests for that evening, especially Polo and Wellington, were delighted that it was a Thanksgiving feast in her honor.  We were of course not sad that we didn't have another dinner to prepare and like Grandma Godfrey always said, the second day it tasted even better. 


So now for the highlight of the week:  Polo's baptism.  It is never easy to be able to explain the delight of seeing someone come into the gospel, but being so involved in the friendshipping, teaching, and planning made this extra special to us.  Polo and Wellington seemed totally happy and at peace as they came into the Church Friday evening.  We had to smile that they were even color-coordinated with Wellington in a handsome new blue suit, and Polo in a modest blue dress.  (One time Polo commented on how Grandpa Pettit's tie usually matches Grandma Pettit's clothes--and how much she liked it.  This of course is a G&G Godfrey trademark we stole for fun).  But more than being dressed so nicely, they were ready spiritually.  It was just powerful to see a husband baptize his wife. They have not been married even a year yet and this was like adding cement to their relationship.  He was a little nervous because it was his first ordinance except for blessing the sacrament, but it went perfectly and was indeed a sacred experience for all who were there.


After the baptism, Grandma went into the dressing room to offer help (after about 15 minutes) and Polo was so gracious and grateful, but apologized for being slow because she had been crying so many tears of joy.  The confirmation was performed by Grandpa and was beautiful.  Grandma gave a talk on the Holy Ghost and Polo herself bore such a wonderful testimony that you would never think she had only been learning about the gospel for 2 1/2 weeks.  We have always felt that Wellington would be a leader, but she is going to be right there beside him.  The very next day they flew to Africa for business, so the evening was ended with heartfelt good-byes.  We wish we could be here when they return from Africa to hear their experiences of sharing the gospel with family and friends--because that is their plan.  But we will stay in touch, and the ward here in Ireland is extremely supportive of them--so they will return to open arms. 


On Saturday morning we had another good experience in a small branch about an hour away.  This is where the young missionaries were given permission to be an experiment as facilitators for Self Reliance, because the branch is too small to have extra people for the calling.   When we got there, we were met by a little group of 6 who seemed very committed to starting a class.  We did the 'devotional' which starts them out, and they were so supportive of the missionaries and each other.  It felt like a little family unit--all friendly and caring--and the group strengthening activities were powerful.  We had brought a soup lunch and enjoyed the time with them, feeling that this branch was now on its way to having the blessings of SR too.


Sunday we were in the other end of Ireland helping a rather large branch get a new start on SR.  They had classes some time back, but with a new Branch Presidency and some other calling changes, they needed to be trained and start again.  We didn't do much because the District SR Specialist is in charge, but it was good to see the District committee now working so well.  


And for the weather report, things are so comfortable this fall.  We have had quite a bit of frost--and last year we didn't have any, but the weather this year seems more mild. It seems there has been far less wind and rain, just mostly cool, calm days, with cloudy skies and a little rainfall most days to keep things damp, but not super wet.     We are not certain if this is as different as we think it is, or if we are just more used to being a little cool and damp all the time, but we know we are definitely in for colder weather in Sweden. 


And Sweden?---We are still  waiting for word on how they are going to handle our visa and when we will go.  In the mean time, we are filling our days with all we can to have things in good order and get everyone as trained as possible.  We do have a Mission Home address if you want to send a note, but of course our email will remain the same.  (Actually we hope our email will get much better! as we have had so much trouble lately since the Stake offices we are connected to changed the provider.  Everyone is frustrated and we feel there are few bigger stress factors than technology!    ( We NEED our kids and grandkids here to help us.)  One evening our Stake President came by to work on doing some adjustments to make it better (That is his business, so we were very grateful)---but he fell off the chair and badly dislocated his finger!   We had to help him drive home and then his wife took him to the A&E  ( Accident and Emergency)    So that was the end of help, but we try to be proactive, patient, and cheerful whichever is most needed. 


Stoockholm Sweden Mission
Enebybergsvagen 38
182 46 Enebyberg
Sweden


Email address
2019205@ldschurch.org
phone:   +46 8-5447-0930


So another week of our Irish Mission has come to and end.  We find ourselves quite tired every night--but happy and comfortable and recognize that the Lord is blessing us in so many ways!  We wish we could share more of our faith and love with you so that you could feel it too.    We appreciate your emails and support.   We know the holidays are getting in full swing now and we hope they are not too busy to enjoy them and especially your families. 


In Ireland, people are more "huggy" than in America--especially if you have good feelings for the person.  On Sunday a lady we didn't know well, but was very nice gave Grandma 4 hugs in 10 minutes!--- so we are sending some Irish home.   Lots of hugs to everyone!!!!


Grandpa and Grandma
Dad and Mom
Lynne and Lanette
Elder and Sister Pettit

Mom with Polo Kagonye on baptism day.  What a special day for a special person!

Polo on her baptism day.  A great friend!

What a happy day!

Wellington and Polo Kagonye.  What a special thing for him to baptize her!

This was a great occasion!

The Jacksons, Wellington and Polo, us.  The Jacksons were a great influence in her baptism.

Dundalk Branch, Dundalk, Ireland,  A small SR group just started there when this was taken.

 

Hugs and Hospitality

Dear Sweet Family and Kind Friends,
We are now into November, the only month we have not yet had in Ireland.  The weather is honestly beautiful!  The temperatures are a little cold--but only just below freezing.  Yes, freezing.  We think we should note that we saw frost in Ireland just this week for the first time ever.  Even though we came last year in December, and we had some pretty miserable weather days, we never saw frost ---and we only saw snow from a distance on a hillside.  Now we think we are really in winter, but the days are beautiful!  Even if the morning starts out below 0 Celsius, the sun has been shining a lot.  A few times when we have had our curtains open and the sun is streaming in the patio doors, it actually gets too warm in our little apartment---but only for a few minutes.  


The colors of the leaves are starting to be less glorious but only because so many have fallen now.  Here at the Churchyard the leaves are falling in beautiful layers and it seems such a shame that there are no grandchildren here to bury in the leaves or make piles to jump in.  We have taken a few bits of time to help rake and bag some of the ones on the sidewalk outside the gates, because that is a big thing with the neighbors.  And this morning we went out and gathered some of the most gorgeous ones to press as table decorations for the couples conference this week.  Some of them were honestly too big to go into an 9x12 book!  


We are really looking forward to the Mission Couples Conference this week to be held here in Dublin.  Since we are pretty much the only residents of Dublin area, we are doing the recreation and food planning.  There will be 24 here--(staying in a hotel) for two days.  One day will be for fun and one for meetings.  We plan to go out to the ancient burial structure in the morning, eat lunch at the Church here, and then take a city bus tour in the afternoon.  The evening will be fun to just mingle and maybe play games.   The hardest part of it all is that there are only small refrigerators, and limited equipment---so we are having to be a bit creative with preparing ahead.  The mission will cover some of the cost, but since all the other couples are having to pay for their hotels, we decided we would take care of a few of the meals.  We think it will be much more fun for everyone to eat together than trying to figure out restaurant meals, and all the Irish couples are helping out by bringing a dessert to share.


We thought of the "Hugs and Hospitality" title because in contrast to the Irish way of serving a meal, we will just do it  American buffet style.  But we do want to share the Irish way of hosting a dinner.  This week we were invited again to some friend's home for Sunday dinner.  It was a very welcome invitation because we had such a busy day and a meal would have been pretty basic, but this meal was far from basic.  There were two meats, two potatoes, mushy peas, carrots, savory bread dressing, and Yorkshire Pudding (a bread like German pancakes).  The hostess, Audrey Cole,  served up the plates and they looked like Thanksgiving Day quantities!---and all heavy foods.  The "rule" is, only eat what you want to---but that is hard to do when so much work goes into the meal.  Then there were two desserts---the one I brought and the one she did too.  It was all deliciously  too much!


Along with the huge dipped plate of food, the Irish seem so hospitable.  Whenever you go to someone's home, or whenever a church meeting starts, the host says "you are very welcome."  It is such a minor thing, but it often takes me off guard, and I think, "welcome for what?"  I haven't said thank you.   And then to greet a friend, it is always the European hug and kiss on the cheek.   It is so genuine and warm--but only to friends.  The dinner was shared with some cousins of the Coles and it was nice to meet them.  The boy, Lehi, 14, was nice young man, who was born without legs.  It was fun to see how easily he got around and without a bit of sadness.  It made us really think about the things we have without taking a even a moment to appreciate them.


On Sunday our busy day started really on Saturday.  We drove the long distance to the little branch in Sligo for a class, then found the Elders apartment and did a "flat check,", and finally drove another long distance on minor roads to another city (Omagh) to stay the night.  Early Sunday we went to a Branch Council to organize the starting time for classes, then went to Sacrament Meeting just for the Sacrament, and got on the road to get to the end of a block meeting back down beyond Dublin, where Grandma taught Relief Society.  After the lovely dinner we still had a YSA fireside--with refreshments to do for that.  We served ice cream cake roll, with chocolate topping--which we were surprised to discover was a new dessert.  Perhaps because freezers are typically so small, it must not be practical.  Anyway, it was a successful treat.


Other events this week included starting the Health and Well Being class in one of the wards nearby, so we are taking it with the group---not even facilitating it!  That feels like progress.  We also started a Job Class in a ward that had not been going yet.  There are quite a few groups in progress throughout Ireland, but it is fun when a ward gets its first start. 


We have been doing Self Reliance for 11 months now, and we wonder if we have done a very good job of summarizing how it works and why it is so important in the Gospel.  Self Reliance is the idea that we should all be providing for ourselves and our families, both spiritually and temporally.  It is based on the doctrine that the spiritual and the temporal are not separate in Heavenly Father's eyes--that he cares about both parts of our lives, and wants to and does help us when we put our faith in Him.  It started out focusing on careers, getting the education we need to get good jobs, or starting our own businesses.  Now it has expanded its curriculum to include teaching money management and how to be healthy.  The classes are all started with "Foundation" lessons that teach important principles that help us to do our best in life.


The classes are not really taught, but work like a council, with a leader or facilitator.  The group works through the lessons together and make commitments to reach the goals they set.   The reason it is all so important is that as people attain their goals, they are not only more happy temporally, but also spiritually, because they rely on the help of the Lord and see the source of their blessings.  Then with well-balanced priorities, they want to help others.  We see it as a significant way to build a Zion people.  As saints reach their own goals, they feel hope and then charity to be a light to the world.  It fulfills prophesy that Zion will be the light to the world.   Anything new, no matter how good, is slow to get started--but we feel so blessed to understand these principles and find such joy as we see others begin to see the greatness as well.


Self Reliance is one way to hasten the building of the Kingdom, but we also really see it as the missionaries stay so busy teaching so many new investigators.   We love seeing so many new people being taught and feeling their faith.  Our schedules to help teach do not always fit with the needs of the young missionaries, but when they do it is always a thrill.  The truth is not hard to see if an investigator is willing to put in a sincere effort.  They just read what they can of the Book of Mormon and pray about it and rely on the Spirit to tell them it is true.  The Elders and Sisters all have different ways of teaching, but that doesn't matter because the Holy Ghost is actually doing the teaching.  It is truly amazing to see the miracles that are happening as the Work is hastening.  It's just not possible for new investigators to know everything about the Gospel before they are baptized, so they have to rely on the Holy Ghost to assure them that the Church is true and that baptism is necessary.  This all makes sense because the Holy Ghost doesn't teach in the same way that men teach.  People who have only an elementary understanding of the Church and the Gospel can indeed know that they are true because they have been taught by the Holy Ghost using methods beyond the five senses.  It is a wonderful thing to watch.
This part of our mission is something we didn't count on:  being involved in so many missionary teaching situations.  We thought we would work with Church leaders (which is happening), but we didn't know we would also get the chance to watch so many individuals accept the truth.  It is interesting to note that the Scotland Ireland Mission is 60% ahead on baptisms compared to the same time last year.


The holiday season is fast approaching, which makes us a little homesick, but we are amazed at how fast the time has flown.  Christmas shopping in Ireland is in full swing, since they don't have Thanksgiving or Black Friday.  One day Halloween decorations are up, and the next day Christmas decorations are everywhere.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the days have shortened dramatically, and it feels like "winter."  Leapin' Leprechauns!  Only 248 days until Christmas!


We think about you all constantly and pray for you every morning and night and in between.  We try to imagine what each of you is doing, and are grateful for the examples you are to us.  We are so grateful for many things:  good health, a warm home, the chance to serve - and you.


Consider yourself hugged!


Love,


Grandma and Grandpa
Mom and Dad
Lynne and Lanette
Elder and Sister Pettit
Level II Leprechauns (full certification is pending)

Baptism of Polly - a great friend on a great day!

Ladies night out, Dublin (Clondalkin Ward)

Sayings attributed to Shakespeare

Found in a library, Dublin

 

Halloween Originated in Ireland

Dear Family and Friends,


We thought since it is Halloween we would share a little history of Halloween--at least from an Irish perspective.  We often get a chuckle out of Irish pride:  that products that are Irish are seemingly of best quality, such as Irish Chicken (it is actually quite good)  Irish beef (not so good) Irish lamb (trying to avoid it at all lengths) Irish butter, (can't really tell the difference)  Irish soda bread (very unique--- but much like banana bread with no sugar) etc.  The funny one Grandpa saw this week was Irish firewood.  Who knows, maybe it is more dense, or smells better, or whatever, but Irish are proud of their "products".


But they are also proud of their history and of original ideas---some of which is not very convincing.    So when we heard that Halloween originated in Ireland, we didn't know if there was much to it.  Then we started hearing it more and more often, and some of the tradition stories sound like it could be reality.  We have told you about the very ancient burial structures and sites not far from Dublin, called Newgrange.  What we heard this week is that Halloween first began on these sites.  Newgrange is literally in the center of Ireland, and for some reason, on a certain night of the year, all the fires of all the land were put out.  Then on the tops of the largest structure, which looks like a very flat hill, a large bonfire was  lit.  When that fire was seen by the next location, they lit their fire and signaled the next location in a chain reaction all across the land.  (Like Lord of the Rings)   Now we haven't heard anything about bonfires being lit in these days, but we were surprised that fireworks go with Halloween.  We have not seen a single bit of fireworks all through the almost year now that we have been here ---and now tonight, Halloween night, the air is popping with fireworks.  It seems like  a good way to carry on the bonfire signal.     Daylight savings time started yesterday, so it is also now dark at 5:00 p.m. and it is just right for good fireworks.    It seems like such a sudden change from the very long summer nights.


Jack-o-lantern carving originated not with pumpkins being carved, but turnips, which are very common here, were carved to frighten away evil spirits.  Turnips are large, but not as big as pumpkins and would not have been hollowed out because they are solid through like a potato.   They were carved with frightening faces and placed on the graves and ceremonial sites.  In Ireland, and England too it seems, pumpkins are not eaten much.    We made Jack-o-lantern sugar cookies (American traditional kind) and they were quite a novelty.  But more of a novelty was making pumpkin-chocolate chip cookies.   We cannot find any cans of pumpkin--so we had to cook from scratch and puree it.  People were very reluctant to try them, and very surprised that they would be good.  There was a general clamor among the older crowd to take home leftovers because they were so uniquely good.   I wonder if we would figure out how to make turnip cookies if the pumpkin had not saved the day. 


In YSA they carved pumpkins and it also was a real novelty---so to claim that Halloween started in Ireland, when they don't do pumpkins like we do in America, seems odd.  For Halloween night English class we think we will try to do caramel apples.  We have not seen them anywhere, so we will see how popular that is.


Tomorrow, the day after Halloween, is All Souls Day, or All Saints Day, and we hear that many go to church.   But today was surprisingly busy at the cemetery.   Lots of people were there putting flowers on the graves.  Another bit of information is that in Brazil they do not celebrate Halloween.  We heard that about  5 years ago they started it a little--but it certainly is not a big celebration.  The Brazilians are excited to participate in a Halloween party. 


Well, we just wanted to share all this so you can think about it as you do your very fun Halloween traditions.  We will be thinking of you and how much fun you always are.  We think of lots of fun memories of being with you and just those memories make it a fun holiday for us.  Tonight we were teaching with the Elders and the topic of the importance of families became a big part of the conversation.  We fell so blessed to have a family that we love so much, so we wish you to Be Safe.  Be Happy.  Be good!


And now for the more "spiritual" part of our week.---(not Halloween spiritual) Ha Ha.--- but mission spiritual. 


The week has been fairly busy because our manager from England came to spend a few days with us and do the rounds within the three areas.  In one 26  hour period we had meetings with each of the stake SR committees, which meant we were really on the go.  We had a meeting here one night, an early start the next day to drive to the south of Ireland for another stake committee, and then left directly to go all the way back to Dublin and on to Belfast--- the opposite direction north for the third Stake committee.  And we returned back to Dublin that night.  Fortunately the manager is fairly young and brought his car, so he drove and we just rode and talked about how things are going and what the priorities are for time ahead. 


All three of our Stake Committee Meetings were positive and reflected a lot of progress.  It has been several months since our manager was here and he was very excited about how things are going.  Ireland is the most remote of all the areas for SR in the UK and Ireland Region, which are led by the two managers, and putting us here with just three Stakes to work on was an experiment that seems to have been good.  Even though the area is much larger than any area except Scotland, the Church population is much smaller, so we have been able to focus more directly on the single units and help them more.  The manager feels that our efforts have given us more personalized experience in all the aspects of the Initiative than anyone in the region because we were small enough to do it.  We are happy to be a successful experiment.


The day the manager came, we got a call from our Mission President that was so sweet and supportive concerning the possibility of being transferred to another mission.  It has been discussed off and on for a few months, but we have not known how seriously, so we have just let it stay in the "what if" category.   President Donaldson was quite certain it was cleared to happen and wanted to make sure that we would be okay.  It really touched our hearts and helped us feel the love behind the decision process, which reflected for us the love of the Lord.  We then talked about it with our manager, who let us know that it is actually not yet final, but that it has to be decided by the Quorum of the Twelve ---and the Mission President didn't know that when the Area Authority spoke to him.   It really has been a humbling and heartfelt experience for us to think of moving.  We are not anxious to do this, but we are wanting our mission time to be used in the best possible way and we have an Irish drivers license issue coming up soon, which doesn't have an easy solution, so we realize that some change is likely. We will probably hear the final decision within 2 weeks.


In the meantime, we are working as hard as we can to continue to get SR firmly established in as many places as possible.  This weekend we went north again to a new branch in the small city of Omagh.  It was a delight to find this branch doing so well.  They meet in a lovely chapel on the top of a small hill near the center of the city.    They were very welcoming and interested in the SR Initiative --- and they have a new missionary couple who are anxious to help get it started.  We will be going back this week again to take the next steps, which is an usually fast start.  We are delighted!


We are feeling very blessed to be able to teach fairly often with the Elders and Sisters.  The faith and preparation of those who are investigating the Gospel is always remarkable to us.  It is never an easy thing for someone to study a new religion, but it builds our testimony to see the Spirit work in their lives.  Tonight we watched again the short video of Elder Bednar explaining the workings of the Spirit as compared to light.  Sometimes, but quite rarely, the light is experienced as a sudden  burst--like turning on a light switch.  More often it seems like the dawning of the sun, growing gradually.  And most often the light makes us use faith to take each step as a foggy day, not being able to see too far ahead.   We loved seeing the video again and thinking about the experiences of investigators.  Especially the Brazilians are quite sensitive to the Spirit and don't seem to walk too tenuously.  One sweet investigator lady said "there are no coincidences".  It doesn't mean it is easy for her, but she is really aware of the light coming into her life, and we feel so blessed to see her appreciation. 


The weather this week has been just wonderful.  And we did get our heat fixed too!    It is fairly warm, in the low 50's, and not much rain, so it is glorious to ride across the island and see the leaves changing.  The colors are gorgeous!   We remember how in the spring we recognized that the trees were planted in alternate varieties and the blossoms were different, one tree to the next.  And now the color contrasts are even prettier.  We see such incredibly beautiful places especially when we are driving on the small winding narrow roads to more remote places.  We are usually in a hurry, so it is not super fun to drive these roads so fast, but we do appreciate the beautiful creations of Heavenly Father---and appreciate safe arrivals!


In all we are feeling very blessed.  We know that whatever is ahead for us will be right and that what we have experienced so far has brought us a lot of happiness.  We hope and pray that you too are feeling the blessings and happiness you need in your lives.  We love you and love hearing about your lives.


Our best and lots of love to each of you!


Grandpa and Grandma
Dad and Mom
Lynne and Lanette
Elder and Sister Pettit

Sisters on P-day, Bray, Ireland

Sisters on Bray "Head"

Halloween Day, 2016 - Pretty Spooky!

Glasnevin Cemetery, Halloween Day, 2016 - ooo!

 

Where There's a Willingness, There's a Way!

Hello Dear Family and Friends.


We realize that it has only been a few days since Ethan and Fayme left, but it seems like a over a week.  We are grateful for the memories of all the fun things we did together and how kind they were to us.  We tried to not totally exhaust them, but since they are younger, we gave them as full an Irish experience as possible for five days.  They went from the East coast to the West coast and from the southern shores to the northern shores.  We saw the Cliffs of Moher and the Giants Causeway, the most famous Irish castles, and the oldest structure we know of anywhere on earth (Newgrange, built around 3200 B.C.)  


Although we ate in a quiet part of a fun pub on Saturday night and just relaxed and visited, and again at a nice restaurant by the Irish Sea, most of the time we were on the run.  We stayed at two B&B's, where we had the famous "full Irish breakfast".   Fayme was diligent to eat authentic Irish foods and said she completed her Irish food wish list, which is more than we have ever wanted to try.


They brought great weather--not really warm, but not windy or rainy, so we were able to spend all the time we wanted to exploring outdoor enchanted gardens, and they were crazy enough to swim in the Irish Sea, which is rarely done even in "summer".  It was fun to show them around and share a bit of what we are experiencing, though we wish we could have shared the people and the spirit of our mission more.  There was just not enough time for everything, which is typical of life, it seems.  There was time, however, to see Bunratty and Blarney castles, two of the most famous in Ireland.  We walked up and down a lot of spiral staircases and explored all the secret passages.  Fayme and Ethan kissed the Blarney Stone, but we passed up our opportunity to do it a second time, thinking that once will give us enough germs for a lifetime.  We discovered the beautiful grounds of Blarney Castle this time, and were simply enchanted with the beauty of this serene place.  We decided that this was Ireland at its best.  At Bunratty Castle, we even discovered a Fairy Forest!  Some white-knuckle rides on Irish back roads rounded out the adventure. 

After they  left Dublin, they had a few more fun days in Switzerland and Italy, so we are happy their first time to Europe was a success.     We are sure they must have been on the run since they got home, getting the children from Fayme's parents in Pocatello and then driving back home to Vernal--but they still seem to not be too tired.


As for us, since we had been on "holiday", we felt we really needed to get back to work, and things have been pretty steadily busy since they left.   We have been a part of some fun teaching support lessons and met some new incredible young people.  We have been involved in helping a few get some job searching skills and employer contacts started.  It is a good experience because they are usually so appreciative and recognize Heavenly Father's help in their lives.  It is really wonderful to see young people humble enough to realize the source of all blessings, and not take any credit for their own efforts and good attitude. 


On Thursday and again on Saturday we facilitated a great group of women who are doing the Start and Grow Your Own Business" class.  They are middle-aged women who have worked so hard in their lives, but now want to get out and do something that will bring them more opportunities for growth and income.  They are so good to each other and appreciative of our efforts.  One time we couldn't get in the church so we met in a "quiet" part of a KFC and talked over the rock music.  Where there's a willingness, there's a way!


On Sunday we spoke in a great ward that has been doing SR well, but wanted us to come before they start their second round of classes.  It is exciting to see their enthusiasm and commitment.  Afterward, we were invited to dinner at the Stake President's home.  They are simply great people.  They are only in their mid-40's but are so strong and lead so well, yet at their home they were so fun and easy-going.  For the second time in a month, we had dinner at someone's home with a member of the mission presidency, which has made us a little uncomfortable because they never see us working - only eating, but it was fun to relax with them and visit with this wonderful Irish stake president and his wife. 

Another busy Monday today (4 flat checks, shopping for food for the YSA Halloween party, teaching with the missionaries, and so on) was capped with a fun English class.  We decided to center the lesson around Halloween, and taught them some Halloween words. (What is your favorite Halloween word?  Superstitious?  Macabre?  Apparition? Zombie?  Ghastly?)  After the vocabulary introduction, we had them write a Halloween story.  Very interesting.  They don't celebrate Halloween in Brazil, so they didn't really understand much about the holiday, but they were anxious to learn.  They are all excited now to attend the YSA activity to see what a true Halloween party is like.  They really liked the idea of Trick or Treat.  We've been thinking about it, and since we live across the street from a very old and very large cemetery, we think we will lock the gate and stay bundled up in our house for Halloween night.  We'll miss the Great Pumpkin, but you can never tell what else might be lurking in the dark on that frightful night.  Whoooo!  Speaking of pumpkins, we have been shopping for some for the YSA party, and we are finding them not too plentiful and very expensive.  We miss being able to grow them in the garden!  Since we can't really go trick-or-treating, Grandpa decided he would just take off his mask and go scare some people on the street. 

There have been some very uplifting and wonderful experiences during our teaching times this week.  There are just too many little miracles to think that they are coincidences.  It is so apparent that the Lord is involved in this last "gathering time," and the pure in heart are being led to the missionaries.  We see it happen again and again.  One young lady wept as she told us how lost she was one morning - not knowing where she was headed in life, lonely, confused, and unhappy - until she found the missionaries that very day.  She told us that she knew God loved her and directed her to the place where she could find the peace and happiness she was looking for.  She is excitedly absorbing all the missionaries can teach her.

All of this strengthens our testimonies and makes us grateful that we have the opportunity to be on a mission.  Your support and love across the miles mean more than you can imagine.  You are in our prayers constantly, and we try to imagine what you are doing each day. 

We send our love.

Grandma and Grandpa

Lynne and Lanette

Mom and Dad (Whoooo!)

Elder and Sister Pettit

Sophie Curran's baptism, Galway, Ireland (she's a brave little girl.)

 



Cold, but not complaining!

 



Ethan and Fayme at Cliffs of Moher

 



Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

 



Cliffs of Moher

 



Cliffs of Moher

 



King and Queen, Bunratty Castle, Limerick, Ireland

 



Leprechaun house, Bunratty Castle, Ireland





Leprechaun Village, Bunratty Castle





Main Leprechaun house, Bunratty Castle

 



Church, Bunratty Village, Limerick County, Ireland

 



Nice chair!  Not too comfortable!

 

Wishing Pond, Blarney Castle, Cork County Ireland (Dad, Ethan, Fayme deep in thought)

 



To get your wish, you had to walk backwards up the steps with your eyes closed (Blarney Castle)

 



They are going to get their wish!

 



Blarney Castle (the Blarney Stone is at the top)

 



Inside Blarney Castle)

 



Blarney Estate house, near Blaney Castle (how would you like to clean this house?)

Swimming in the Irish Sea, after dark in October.  Average temperature = very cold

At least they could say they "did it."

 



Feeding the swans on the "running route" in Tolka Park, Dublin, Ireland

 



When they are hungry, they get very aggressive!

 



It's Shaun O'Malley himself!

 



That's Mrs. O'Malley with him.

 



Ethan, Fayme, Mom at Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

 



Typical rock formation, Giant's Causeway

 



Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surprises

Dear Family and Friends,
Another week has passed and here we are back home to share it.  The fun thing is, that even when we know quite well what the week before us should be like, it is still always holds plenty of surprises--- even for us.  To start, we will tell you a few small surprises, then on to the more significant ones.

Today was a pretty day outside. It didn't rain at all, and although the temperatures were a bit lower, it seemed quite mild, so we decided to do a little bit of flower garden weeding.  One surprise was discovering a flower that has been quite hidden that is now simply beautiful.  We puzzled over it, not remembering that we bought it, but it is a flower that we have received a few times as a lovely gift in America.  Because it was so well hidden we moved it to an open area where we can enjoy seeing it more, still trying to remember buying it.  (Our garden consists primarily of the least expensive flowers we could find.  Some were in the discard at the DIY store and some at an inexpensive hardware store--but it they now look quite respectable.)  As we worked a little more we discovered several of this plant starting to grow--even in the lawn!  It is remarkable that such an exotic plan could grow as a complete volunteer. (We won't say weed--as that would not fit.)  AND we also had a few volunteer carrots!  we think we will taste it soon.  Anyone afraid for us?    And last garden surprise is that we are getting tomatoes  (pronounced with a short "a" sound).  They are delicious-- small, but we are nevertheless happy since we were told it wasn't possible.

While we were outside, a little bird, sparrow-sized but orange breasted (called a robin here) was being so friendly.  Grandma commented that it seemed it would like to go inside--but of course we didn't let it.  Later we had to run some errands for about 2 hours and when we came back we wondered what would have made a breeze that would knock the greeting cards off of the fridge top.  --- No biggie though.  About 10 minutes later Grandma saw the little robin,  hopping, then flying about--- inside the house!  It didn't seem the slightest upset, but of course not,--- it had found a great warm home for the winter.  The funniest thing was, for those who remember, Grandma likes little bird figurines and it was trying to charm us with all the cute places to land and be living figurine:   the faucet top, the curtain rod, the bookshelf ---the candle was our favorite.  After we took some photos, we had to work at "inviting" it to go back outside.  Even if we had gotten a cage for it, so we didn't have to worry about accidents, (which did happen) we can't have a pet.  But it was cute enough to be loved!  But the burning question is: "a bird in the house is worth. . . ? . ..  in the bush."

And the Grandpa funny surprise:    Yesterday we spent a lot of time with the Mission President and his wife which was fun because they are such dear, fun people.  After an evening meeting with them and the YSA, Grandpa was standing around with his hands in his pockets when the President came up to him and said "20 push-ups!"  Grandpa smiled and turned to the Elder and asked him if he had put the President up to that joke.  He looked sheepishly innocent enough and said,  "No, its a mission rule".  Confused, Grandpa tuned back to the President and gave him a questioning look.  The President grinned and said, "Yes, mission rule, 10 push-ups for a hand in the pocket, and you have  both your hands in your pockets!"    Whoa!--the reason, he said is, "it looks slovenly".  That is not a term Grandpa is used to being called--but funny.  So fair warning, grandsons, don't get caught standing around with your hands in your pockets!

Now for a few more serious surprises.   We mentioned last week that we were able to attend the temple in Preston with the YSA, but we had such a nice time also returning this week for the SR Conference.  The other missionaries are so great to be with and we had a delightful time --especially at the temple.  Our meetings on Tuesday were supposed to be finished in time for a temple session together in the afternoon, but somehow we missed the time, so we decided to do either sealings or initiatory work, then perhaps a session the next day.  It worked out to be beyond our hopes.  We were able to do all three---and together.  We also had some nice meals and good discussions, so the time was a real treat for us. 
   This weekend was the Dublin Stake Conference and it was so wonderful for us.  (With the exception of a lighting glare which made Grandma's talk difficult because of her contacts.) Oh well, life isn't ever perfect.  But overall, the meetings were really a wonderful experience.  We were able to take Nick with us to both the Saturday and the Sunday meetings.  You will remember that he is trying to quit smoking and it has been so hard for him.  Before the meeting on Saturday we asked him how it was going and he honestly answered that it wasn't bad, but he was still smoking some.  After the meeting we asked him how he felt about the meeting (which was a full 2 hours long).  He said it seemed like every talk was perfect for him--that everyone knew just what he needed.  That is an amazing answer for an investigator when the talks were so strongly spiritual.  Then on the way home he asked if we could go to the grocery store so he could buy some things he needed.  This is very unusual for Nick--but what he wanted to buy then was the things recommended to help him stop smoking: grapefruit juice, mouthwash, peanuts, gum etc.

The next day was another related surprise.  When we went to collect him for the meetings, he came out of his house looking and smelling like a million!  He was wearing the new suit he had bought a few weeks back, with a white shirt and tie, and dress shoes.  We didn't  think to get a photo, but next time we will.  We told him he looked like a priesthood holder and it made him so happy.  On our car rides he asked us to tell him again about the apostasy and the restoration of authority so he can explain it to people.  He has so much faith when we teach him things, and it seems like his re-cap clarification statements are as profound as if he is already a long-time member.

The next surprise about Conference was how fun it was to see so many new friends all together.  We really couldn't believe it!  We were almost felt like we were home because of the many people we know quite well from all over the stake.  We talked about it afterward and realized that we have been so blessed as we have had many deeply personal interactions with people sharing their life experiences.  The nature of the SR courses is that people look at the challenges of their lives and how to resolve them with faith and hard work.  Doing that together brings an uncommon  trust and spiritual sharing that is special.  Those who have completed or progressed far are so grateful for what blessings it has brought to them, that we are a part of their joy.  It was really a remarkable time for us--and the only downside was that Nick had to be quite patient waiting for us to greet so many people that he didn't know.  We could have hurried off, but we think it was actually good for him to see the fellowship of the saints since his life has and will yet change so much.  We feel quite sensitive for the changes he is anxious to make because it leads him such a different direction for associates. 

Another fun part of the conference was being invited to dinner with some friends who also invited the Mission Pres. and counselor and wives.  We had a fun, fancy, delightful meal and didn't worry about a thing for 2 hours.  The hosts are such wonderful, devoted people.  They are very involved in their ward, and we talked about their plans to go on a mission in a few years.  We have decided that the most rewarding thing about a mission is meeting and learning from so many different people with so many varied life experiences.  Our hostess was telling us about when she went on a mission to Japan when she was younger.  Since she was the only member in her family, she had no support (and even some anger) from her parents.  Can you imagine what kind of faith that took for her to go so far away to learn a very foreign language in a strange country with no support or help?  It made us really count our blessings.

That reminded us, also, of how thankful we are for your good lives, for your prayers in our behalf, and for your continued support.  We really do miss you, so we are trying to stay as busy as possible to make the time go faster.  Please know how much we love you, and be assured that we pray for you all continually.  We are loving this mission, and our testimonies are growing daily.  This is the Lord's Church, and He is in charge.

So, until next letter:  "Top o' the marnin' and bottom o' the afternoon to ye! Aye!"

Love,

Grandma and Grandpa
Mom and Dad
Lynne and Lanette
Elder and Sister Pettit

Glendalough, Ireland. 

 



Entrance gate to church yard at Glendalough Ireland

 



By the lake at Glendalough, Ireland

 



Leprechaun highrise, Glendalough, Ireland

 



Preston, England Temple

 



Some YSA at Preston, England temple

 



Sister Michaelis, Sister Pettit, Sister Vernon at Preston England temple.

 



Our live bird candle topper.

 



Isn't he cute?

 



How about a perch on the water faucet?

 



Sister Peterson (a favorite sister) and the Pettits outside of the church building, Finglas, Ireland