Interviews begin!

Last week we began our round of interviews--starting down south with the Lethbridge, Lethbridge East and Medicine Hat zones.  Before we drove down on Tuesday though we needed to pick up our new missionary, Elder Amartey, from the airport.  He was supposed to arrive with our transfer last week, but because of some health reasons, he was delayed.  So, we got him at the airport about noon on Tuesday, grabbed a bite of lunch with him, and headed down to the Lethbridge area to take him to his two companions.  They were so excited to get him!  They felt like they had been a little slighted since everyone else had received their new companions the week before.  I love it when the trainers are so excited to receive their new missionary!  So, we dropped Elder Amartey off with Elders Rodriguez and Robbins and headed to Lethbridge for our interviews there on Wednesday and Thursday, and then we left Thursday and headed to Medicine Hat for interviews on Friday with that zone.  Our interviews went great, and we are glad we are able to do them this quickly.  Originally we were supposed to be having a mission tour with a General Authority, but it was cancelled, so we decided to rearrange our calendar and begin interviews.
We got home late Friday night and began interviews Saturday morning with the Bow River Zone, and then headed to the Calgary Stake Conference where Elder Marcus B. Nash and Elder Thomas T. Priday of the Seventy were the visiting authorities.  Steve was asked to speak in the Priesthood Leadership session on Saturday afternoon, and he felt like it went well.  Saturday evening we just enjoyed the adult session since neither of us had to speak.  We each spoke for just a short 5 minutes at the Sunday morning session.  Since it was Father's day I couldn't help but acknowledge the wonderful  fathers in my life...my amazing husband, my own dad, my father-in-law,  my son, and sons-in-law.
I am so blessed to have them all.  And above all, I am grateful for my Heavenly Father who I know loves me immensely and showers me with so many blessings.
I learn so much at the stake conferences we are able to attend.  A Bishop Barlow spoke at this one about our Sabbath worship.  He explained that to worship is to make an offering, or pay our devotions.  This put a whole new light on it for me.  He suggested that we don't go to church to 'get something out of it', rather, we go to offer ourselves, through being 'present'..or in other words, we pay attention, we watch for those who might need us, we aren't distracted with our cell phones, etc.
He also said that worshipping means to 'participate'--to prepare for and magnify our callings, to read the lessons ahead of time so we can offer thoughts and insights, we can fast, etc.  And then we can prepare to take the sacrament so that it can be a sacred time and change us.  I just loved all of these thoughts.
Then Elder Nash spoke to us about the perilous times we live in.  He read in 2 Timothy 3:1-17 where Paul has written to Timothy, and he told us that on one hand we have the evils of the world, but on the other hand we have the antidote, as it says in those verses--we have the scriptures which teach us the doctrine of Christ.  Specifically the Book of Mormon.  He told us to always be reading the Book of Mormon and letting it strengthen our faith, and if we do so, we don't have to fear anything.  He then counseled us to be teaching our children so that they can grow in their testimonies and faith and be able to withstand the things that will be thrown at them.
I just love to learn from our General Authorities.  They are such great examples to me.  Elder Nash and his wife will be headed to West Africa in August on assignment for an indefinite period of time.  These men and their wives truly give up all they have to serve the Lord.
We are so blessed to be led by a prophet, apostles and the Seventy.
This week we are back doing interviews, then an MLC on Wednesday, and more interviews on Thursday and Friday.  It's a great week!!!

So grateful for this wonderful Dad- Dad Miller

So grateful for this wonderful Dad- Dad Miles

Meeting Elder Amartey