May 27-30, 2016

It has been a very nice last few days.  We have spent the 27, 28 ,29 at Palmyra with a Northeast Area YSA conference called "Gathering in the Grove."  We had 6 from our area attend.  We spent a lot of our time preparing and serving meals to over 250 Young Single Adults.  The Keynote speaker was the original rugby coach that was portrayed in the DVD "Standing Strong".  He was also a Mission President and a very good speaker. 
Everyone seemed to have had a lot of fun and were given Testimony building opportunities.  We would start at 6:00 am and get back to the Motel at 11:30 pm.  It was busy, lots of work and just awesomely wonderful.  This was our second time helping at the "Gathering".

Today 30 May we took one sister, who has been here awaiting her visa to Australia, to the airport for her 37 hour flight.  We also picked up a sister missionary from Brazil who is serving a Temple Square Mission and she will be here for two transfers.

Elder Brown taught over 160 visitors in 6 hours while we were at Alvin Smith's grave site in Palmyra.   Sister Brown helped and stamped their papers.  It was a great activity.  We had 50 or more come to see the grave site that were not participants.
 The Grave Site is really a sacred place and it was humbling to know that the Smith family had been where we were when they buried and mourned the death of their oldest son.  How grateful they were when Joseph received the revelation in section 137 of the D & C that Alvin was saved and that they would see him again.  This Gospel is wonderful and answers so many questions that so many only wonder about.

One of the groups that came through was our institute class from Fort Drum.  Two were the Anderson sisters, Victor a soldier and  recent convert, Jared a soldier and a member, Amy a doctor on  Ft. Drum a recent convert and one young non member soldier.

Speed dating opportunity at "The Gathering"  They seemed to really enjoy this activity.

Several of our Stake participants. Some of our soldiers had to leave early. that Sunday Morning.

A small ice cream cone.  The medium cones had a foot of ice cream above the cone.  We did not get to see what a large ice cream cone looked like.  

May 16, 2016 Update

 Here we are at the North Riva Ridge Chapel on Fort Drum.  It is Thursday night Institute.

Teaching--So much fun.  He does such a great job.  You can really feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost attend our classes.

We took a trip to Palmyra with some of our Institute class.  Most of them are soldiers and had never been to the Sacred Grove, the Printing Press, Hill Cumorah, Alvin's grave and the Temple.  Picture taken from Smith Farm looking towards the Temple.

Mom/Grandma made this landscape from a picture we took.  You can see the Temple from the Joseph Smith Farm.

In the Sacred Grove From left to right
Jordan, Diana, Victor, Abby, Jared (Chris was a way off).  It has been such a thrill to see Testimonies really grow and become stronger.  This Church is truly awesome and it changes lives!

Flowers from Bishop Buettenmuller's garden.  Given to Mom after we spoke in Sacrament Meeting May 15, 2016.  He always has beautiful flowers in his flower gardens.

We spoke with Elder and Sister Jenkins from Payson, AZ.  They will be taking our place in July.  They sound like a great couple and they are very excited to be coming to Ft Drum Etc.  They sound like really sweet people. 

A New Day

This is an abandoned house outside of Copenhagen we pass when we go to Utica.  I have taken many pictures of it as we drive by.  I love this old home and just wish it could talk to me and tell me about its life.  Kind of silly but I feel attached to it. 

Here is another picture of the home.

Friends took us to Black Pond.  That is where we are in this picture.  We had a lot of fun with them.  We would love to see him baptised while we are here.  

from Black Pond we walked further and came to Lake Ontario.  It is so beautiful.  Here we found drift wood sticks for my wall hangings.  We had so much fun and it was so relaxing.  You can walk out into the lake about 100 yards and it is only knee deep.

I love this old barn and especially the tractor.  We pass it on our way to Church in Carthage.  I have taken lots of pictures of barns.

Friends inside one of the beautiful churches with the stain glass

A Watertown Church noted for its stain glass.  Beautiful Church!!!

Another Church with Stain Glass Windows.

Life is good.  Yesterday we picked up a new Sister Missionary at the Syracuse Airport.  She is from Salem, ID.  She went to Sugar City HS.  We knew her grandparents when we lived in St Anthony 30 years ago.  Sister Ta Li Rose.  She is awaiting a visa to Australia and we are short one sister so she is here until her visa comes through.  Great young lady.  Today we get to inspect missionary apartments and install new fire and carbon monoxide detectors.  Tonight we have our Addiction Recovery Meeting.  
Hope you all have a great day.  It is beautiful and sunny here today as we start the 16th month of our mission.

April 6, 2016

I haven't posted for some time and so I was preparing a Institute lesson and thought it was time for an update.  We continue to have a simple and beautiful experience.  The other day we were on Ft Drum and had the impression to stop by and see a sister who's husband is deployed.  We knocked on the door and the dog barked long and hard but there was no answer.  After a couple of minutes we went back to the car but instead of leaving we felt we needed to give it another try.  This time as we approached the door we could here very loud and obvious crying.  We thought maybe she was in trouble it was so loud.  We knocked again and this time she answered.  She is expecting their first child and she was so lonely and so distressed.  We stayed and talked for quite a while and made additional arrangements to help.  She has now gone home to her mothers while her husband is gone and waiting for the baby to be born.  
It wasn't a monumental deal but it is so sweet to know that the Lord can and does use us for small and simple things. The church is true and our Father loves us so much of that we testify.
Love to all.

186 years ago today the church was organized.  It is so marvelous to be in this area and to teach Church History for our Institute class.  We are so blessed.

Another quick experience.  Each week we go to a Tai Chi class at the Presbyterian Church.  Last week one of the ladies who has become a good friend of Mom/Grandma/Diane told her that her nephew was dating a Mormon but since meeting us she is no longer worried about it.  Small little favors from on High..... 

One year ago today

Feb 5, 2016 - We arrived in Watertown one year ago today.

Feb 5,  2015 Gas Station on Arsenal Street

Feb 5, 2016 Same Gas station on Arsenal Street

Last year there was at least 5' of snow on the level, this year we have green grass and a little bit of snow under some trees.  Unusually warm and dry.  We are supposed to get 1-2" tonight.

We continue to love being here.  We have met so many great new friends.  Grandma especially continues to bless the lives of so many, she is a remarkable woman.  She just got a young lady who hasn't been to church for two years or more to agree to help her teach a craft at Relief Society in two weeks.  She has made friends with so many non-members.  She visits with people everywhere we go, at the store or library it is all the same to her.  She is awesome.

Well we love you all.  The Gospel is still true.

Jan 2016 A New Year

Can't believe we have started a new year.  2015 flew by. We have been a little sick since the 3rd of Jan so we haven't been out doing to much for the last week.
We are almost at our 1 yr mark of entering the MTC.  It seems like we are just getting started.  We have enjoyed being here together and we still agree about 99% of the time (it would be 100% but if i agreed on that 1% there would be 2 of us wrong I can't let that happen!!!!-mom-). We have been married 44 years and counting, hard to believe. Time goes so fast.

Here are a few pictures from December 2015.

This is the called the Paddock Arcade, it is located here in Watertown. It is historic because it is the first mall that America ever had.  It was made so people could shop at different places and stay out of the NY cold, wind and snow.  It was "The Place" to be seen.They say that carriages would drive up and the ladies all decked out in their full long dresses with fancy hats and men all dapper with their top hats, canes and gloves would get out and stroll the mall.

Here is the Broadbent family looking down over the railing in the mall.  We were so glad the Broadbent Family came to have Christmas with us.  We played games, put together puzzles, ate, laughed and enjoyed being together.

Here is another picture of the Arcade (Mall) Decorated for Christmas.

These next few pictures are of buoys that are dry docked out of the St Lawrence River until spring.  We were shocked to see how large they are.

They are huge!!!

Christmas Eve day we had a Christmas party for some families who dad are serving in Afghanistan.  We had pizza, games, fun and lots of prizes.  Chandi, Dan and family helped a lot they brought gifts and prizes.  Here is a look at some of the bingo prizes.  Sister Branch and Chandler enjoyed the activities also.  Chandi, Dan and Steven are on the left.  The kids and moms had lots of fun. So did we!

Getting things set up and games ready to play!!!

Over looking the falls at Burrville. Jessica, Dan & Alexis

Pictures taken of Bolt Castle in Dec. 2015 from Bishops home.

The Bishop called this the "The Star of David over the Castle"  What an amazing picture.

Our apartment garage.  We have Loved having a garage! Two days after Broadbents left it started to snow.

This is how it is starting to look now.

Well that's about it for now we love you all.

End of Dec posting

Somehow the pictures got posted in random order so we will just explain them as they are.

Here is an upside-down Christmas tree we saw in a store at Clayton, NY

Full moon over Bolt Castle in 1000 Island area of Northern New York.  Picture taken from the Bishop's house.

Western side Mission Conference Christmas Dinner Dec 17th

Pres and Sister Rogers and us at the conference both celebrating our Dec 17th wedding anniversaries.

Trinity Church where we attended "The Messiah"  It was beautiful with orchestra and choir.

This was a Christmas concert at the Baptist Church.  We had two members of our ward singing in the choir.  Really nice evening.

Our indoor tomato plant still producing fruit on Dec 26th and a few new flowers.

Mom taught this Korean lady how to sew a table runner.  She was so excited, she just giggled it was the first thing she has ever sown.  She picked out the fabric.  She speaks very little English.

Had a great description of events written and then hit the wrong button and deleted all of it.

We spoke in the Watertown Ward today and felt a sweet spirit present.  The Bishop sent us a text tonight:  "Thank you for helping us end the year in such a spectacular way.  You are a blessing to our ward."  The Lord has been very good to bless us with the talent for communicating gospel principles.

Dan, Chandi and Kids have been with for Christmas.  We have had such a wonderful time with them.
We are also grateful for Facetime and the Family Facebook page.  We almost feel we are there with you.  What a beautiful blessing it is for us.

I will now just post some of the pictures from this last month and explain some of the events.

Dan and the kids at the Burrville water falls.

Broadbents in Clayton by the St Lawrence River

By the anchor in Clayton

Christmas Eve day at a members home with kids who's Dads are deployed plus our grand-kids.  We played Bingo and Mom and Chandi had wrapped lots of prizes.

Same party with Sister Missionaries.

Tibbits Point Lighthouse.  Chandi took the picture

Broadbents on the shore of Lake Ontario at Tibbets Point 

After the concert "The Messiah" at Trinity Church with friends Donna and Allen