January 7th to January 20, 2013

On the 8th we went to a Zone Conference in the morning and interacted with all the Elders in our Zone.  Nan made appointments to inspect all the Elders apartments through the remainder of the week. Found a few issues this visit but those have been resolved.  We will spend next week recruiting and registering the YSA for Institute for the Winter/Spring Classes.

Wednesday the 9th we took Elders Leithead and Simons, the Zone Leaders, to Mount Shasta to interview a  sister for baptism.  We spent the time in the ward building looking at what is available for us as we teach our institute class.  We have decided there is enough interest to begin a class in Mt. Shasta on Tuesday evenings.  We will travel up after leaving the Institute at four, grab a hamburger and set up for class, which will begin at 6.  It is a 1 hour drive north to Mt. Shasta.  Our first class there will be on the 22nd.  A YSA sister who used to attend the Young Single Adult Branch in Redding, is taking the responsibility to assist in building interest and called us just yesterday, the 19th, and told us she is preparing a soup and sandwich dinner prior to our six 6 PM class to bring students out.  If you have food, they will come.

Classes in Redding start on the 23rd.  Day classes at 10, 11 and 1 with an evening class at 7 on Wednesdays.  About 6-8 students have left for school or on missions but we feel we should still be teaching about the same number of students.  Counting all the classes that should be 25-30.  We both enjoyed seeing all the young people again.  They keep us going.

We spoke in the 3rd Ward on Sunday the 13th. Kent doesn't feel his talk, a couple of weeks earlier, in the 5th Ward, was very good but we both felt good about our talks in the 3rd Ward.  Nan always speaks great.  For some reason my talk in the 5th Ward just never got of the ground. (Kent speaking here.)

Kent, the Branch Clerk, and the Branch Executive Secretary reviewed records on Monday the 14th in preparation for the Branches annual audit coming up.

As you can see this was a very uneventful two weeks.  Back in the routine of going to the Institute Monday through Friday from 9 to 4.  Oh yes, Kent is getting quite good a vacuuming and cleaning floors.   And he thought he was going to retire.


Kent and Nan

Elder Holland - let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid - one of the Savior's commandments that is almost universally disobeyed

From his talk: “Come Unto Me” – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Ensign, April, 1998, p. 19

"Consider,… the Savior’s benediction upon his disciples .…  The Savior said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

I submit to you, that may be one of the Savior’s commandments that is, even in the hearts of otherwise faithful Latter-day Saints, almost universally disobeyed; and yet I wonder whether our resistance to this invitation could be any more grievous to the Lord’s merciful heart. I can tell you this as a parent: as concerned as I would be if somewhere in their lives one of my children were seriously troubled or unhappy or disobedient, nevertheless I would be infinitely more devastated if I felt that at such a time that child could not trust me to help or thought his or her interest was unimportant to me or unsafe in my care. In that same spirit, I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands or trust in his commandments.

Just because God is God, just because Christ is Christ, they cannot do other than care for us and bless us and help us if we will but come unto them, approaching their throne of grace in meekness and lowliness of heart. They can’t help but bless us. They have to. It is their nature. That is why Joseph Smith gave those lectures on faith, so we would understand the nature of godliness and in the process have enough confidence to come unto Christ and find peace to our souls. There is not a single loophole or curveball or open trench to fall into for the man or woman who walks the path that Christ walks. When he says, “Come, follow me” (Luke 18:22), he means that he knows where the quicksand is and where the thorns are and the best way to handle the slippery slope near the summit of our personal mountains. He knows it all, and he knows the way. He is the way.

December 24th - January 5th, 2012

Well the holidays have come and gone.  We have several weeks before we start teaching again.  College starts up on the 14th and that week will be used to register students for Inistitute.  With the 21st of January being a holiday, we will not begin teaching until the 23rd.

We talked and spoke on the webcam with all our children over the holidays.  All seem to be doing very well.  Kent's mom was at Kim and Patsy's for Christamas and all the children in Utah county went over to Kim and Patsy's and made taffy.  Patsy sent us some pictures and they seemed to have a great time.  Pam had them over to make gingerbread houses and those pictures were also great.  New Year's eve was also party time, again at Pam and Don's.  It was great seeing family get together but we did miss being with them.

Back to what is going on with us here in Redding.  Saturday the 29th we went to Medford, Oregon and went through a temple session.  Desiree, whom was baptised on the 15th was at Weed, which is a town just north of Mt. Shasta.  We stopped in there on our way back to Redding and stayed Saturday night at the Comfort Inn.  We picked up Desiree and went to the Mt. Shasta meetings on the 30th.  It had snowed 3-4 feet in Mt. Shasta on the 22nd and 23rd so they did not have their meetings on the 23rd.  They were 'snowed in' their homes.  So, the meeting on the 30th was their Christmas program.  Chirstmas messages and families singing Christmas carols was such a treat.  Comming into Mt. Shasta I took this picture on the mountain giving the town it's name.  It is 14,300 feet high.  A breathtaking sight.  We have seen it on several occassions but covered in snow adds to it's beauty.

We also looked into the possibility of teaching an institute class in Mt. Shasta on Tuesday evenings.  We talked with some of the young adults in the Mt. Shasta Ward and have sent out a number of letters telling the young people about the class. We hope to generate enough interest to get 8-10 to these classes.  The potential is there.  The one hour drive and cost of gas have made it difficult for them to attend the Wednesday evening class in Redding.  So we will teach the same class on both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. 

Yesterday, the 5th, we attended the baptism of another young women.  She may attend her home ward instead of the YSA Branch.  She has been living with a family of nine for 6-9 months and feels really comfortable in their ward. 

No more to report at this time.  Have a prosperous new year.