Fun week, and 35 years together!

Last week was a fun week.  We went to two different district meetings on Tuesday--one in our Calgary North Zone where Elder Fellows was the district leader and one in our Foothills Zone where Elder Rodriguez is the district leader.  They were both such good meetings.  I love going to these and seeing our missionaries teach and instruct each other...they do such a great job.  In the meeting in the Foothills zone we participated in the role plays, and I had to teach Elder Murphy the first lesson in about 5 minutes.  I have to admit I was a little rusty on it.  And then Elder Murphy had to teach me, and he did a fabulous job.  I told him I wanted to be his companion and just sit and listen to him teach.  It was really good.  The purpose of teaching in that short amount of time is just to help them learn how to focus and teach simply.  In a real teaching situation it wouldn't be that short, but this helps them know how to teach clearly and succinctly.  It is harder to do than you think!  We all like to ramble a little more than we should when we teach, and role-playing helps us hone our teaching skills!
We also had our interviews with our departing missionaries that leave this week.  On Wednesday we did the ones up in Calgary, and then on Thursday we drove to Taber to do the 3 down there.  From Taber we drove to Lethbridge to meet with the 3 Lethbridge stake presidents, President Stewart, President Atwood, and President MacLennan, and also Elder Evanson, the area authority.  We also had a few high councilors over missionary work there as well.  We just wanted to discuss the missionary work in their area, and see what the challenges are, as well as what is going well.  It was a good meeting and everyone came out with some things we could do.  We love these stake presidents, and are so grateful for all they do in the missionary efforts in their stake.  We know they carry heavy burdens, and we want to help them in their efforts.  We also love and are so grateful for the support of Elder Evanson.  He is always on board to assist us in any way.
On Friday we had our meeting for the missionaries that are going to train new missionaries this transfer.  It was a great group, one of our best, I think.  We are excited for them to train and love their enthusiasm, but also their willingness to learn and to work hard.  Our new missionaries coming tomorrow are getting good trainers!
Saturday and Sunday we participated in the Foothills Stake Conference under the direction of Elder Brian Rawson of the Seventy.  We spoke in the Saturday evening session.  I felt good about my remarks--I felt like I said what I was supposed to, and Steve did a great job too..he always does!
We learned much from Elder Rawson.  One question he posed, that really stuck with me was, "Do my habits match my hopes?"  He then spoke a bit on that question--if we have hopes of having a strong testimony, do we develop habits that will lead to it?  If we have hopes of having a strong, faithful, close family, do we do the things that will help produce that?  It's a great question to ask in so many aspects of our lives.  I have really loved attending the stake conferences and being taught by the general authorities.  It's a great blessing.
Sunday evening we had youth from the McKenzie ward of the Bow River stake come to the mission home for a little fireside.  We had two elders and two sisters teach them the first lesson, and then do a question and answer time with them.  We also showed them around the mission home a little bit and just talked with them about preparing for a mission, but also about being missionaries now.  They were a cute group.
Sunday we also celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary!  I never dreamed that I would celebrate that anniversary serving a mission, haha!  But here we are.  I have to say, I LOVE  my companion!  And I'm very glad I never get transferred from him!  We have had 35 wonderful years together and I am so grateful for him--he is the best husband ever.  And best mission president ever!!

District meeting in the Calgary North Zone

Lunch with our new trainers

McKenzie Ward youth at the mission home for a fireside

Elder Lee (our assistant who is going back into the field to train-we will miss him!!!), Elder Moffitt, who is staying, and Elder Stringam, our new assistant.  (we are excited to have him)