heads up

I'm getting a new calling next Sunday.  Although, I'll miss singing time I was really struggling with Primary so I am kinda' excited to try something else.

YW camp certification stuff

We were 15 minutes early!!! For teenage girls on a Saturday morning (and taking into account Mormon standard time) that's pretty much a miracle! 

The bell at the Korean Memorial where we met for the actual flag ceremony.

A special thank you to Don, Jerry and Ray for making it possible for us to do this at the State Capitol.

And also thank you to Bro. Brinegar for his shared knowledge.

Waiting for the guys to remove the POW flag before we started.

Heather giving the "DO NOT let the flag touch the ground" lecture or else we'll have to practice the flag burning ceremony too and I didn't research that one!

Josie and Megan learning how to fold the flag.

all the crazies who gave up their Saturday morning

aren't they beautiful?!

so glad I get to hang with the YW occasionally

thanks Heather for letting me be your unofficial counselor

Surprisingly

this is not the ideal place to study for my lesson

but only because of the glare :)

Primarily Fun

I haven't quite figured out yet what is so fascinating about the chalkboard. 

But, so far it is my best offered reward for good behavior.

I was just getting attached to them...

and now they'll be moving up to the next class.  Such cuties! 

I'm going to miss them.

Epiphany

Remember the Emergency Broadcast System?

I made this image for myself.  I'm going to put it as my phone background so I'll see it A LOT.  It's a reminder for me of one of the General Conference talks that I liked - Saturday afternoon session, Pres. Boyd K. Packer.  Go here if you'd like to watch, hear or read it, scroll down until you find his name. 

Anyway, the purpose of the "reminder" is so that when life gets tough  or sins become too tempting I can tell myself This is a test, this in only a test.  I know that the competitiveness in me will then step up to the plate and say, "bring it on!" and maybe I'll endure my trials and resist temptations a little better. 

What do you think?  Will it work?

Do you make yourself reminders?  Was there a memorable part of General Conference for you?

Do you even know what General Conference is?

Seminary Graduation - Heather

Payson Stake Seminary Seniors 2010
Lucy Schouten, David Struening, Austin Albin, Heather Mendenhall, Trae Dunman, Reghan Flake, Joey Spear, Nick Randall

Sunday Blues

My lesson in YW didn't go very well today. My class was out of control. I never was very good at being the bad guy. The counselor wasn't there today so it was just me and 7 beehives. I love that my class has doubled in size since I've been here. Just not when they're misbehaving.

It was a Special Day

at the temple. Getting ready to send out Missionary #2.

He's going to the Australia Brisbane mission.And lunch afterwards with more of the family.

What a great day!

I keep forgetting to do this (Keri)

So I decided that I would put my name in the title because everytime I read someone elses I don't know who it is. I can't really remember what I posted last so I'll just do the exciting stuff I can remember. This last weekend Kelly and I went down to Payson...that is so wierd to say...usually we have to climb the hill not go down it...anyway we went to Payson to visit the family...ok actually we went to do laundry and pick up the X-men Origins: Wolverine movie that mom got from netflix. Well...they were going to return it and I wanted to see it...so be quiet. (You do realize that you can not return the Stardust movie when you get it either mom) Then we came back Sunday morning because the institute choir was taking a field-trip to Holbrook to do a choirside(apparently thats what you call firesides that are mostly singing). Technically Kelly and I are not in the choir but we are awesome and went anyway. For those of you thinking how did they manage that............ we are awesome!!! AND in my math class even if I get a 0% on my final I still pass with like a 74%!!!! I can't fail the class!! IN YOUR FACE!!! So total bummer...for IWA (its kinda like the sorority for the institute) stands for Institute Womens Association...there is a girl ask guy formal dance coming up....the only guy I know that would actually go with me might have hockey that night...bummer!!! Oh well its not like I actually have a formal dress to wear anyway.

Ponderosa Beehives

Beth, Sis. McLaws, Esther

Anna, Christina and Brooke

with their octopus that Keri, Kelly, Grandma and I spent hours making

to go with Pres. Monson's talk about beware the maka-feke.

I love being in YW!

Heather & the Annoying Kid in Seminary

Ok so there's this boy in seminary named (*Mom removed the name*) who just won't shut up. He comes in and starts talking and yet it seems like five people are talking because he's so loud. And then of course since he's talking and making fun of people other boys start talking and teasing/making fun of people. They even talk straight through the lesson which I find very annoying and aggravating. It got to the point that our teacher had to assign seating. It's ridiculous when you have to have assigned seating in seminary because you would think that these kids would know how to behave. The first couple of days the seating order worked but then they started talking across the room to each other. So seats were changed again and again it didn't last very long.

So this morning I went into seminary and sat down. And then I noticed that *'s name had been moved by mine. I inwardly sighed. It was going to be a long day. Needless to say I did not have a very spiritual morning. He kept talking to me and being rude. When his phone would go off he would say "Turn your phone off Heather" and his phone went off several times. And before seminary started he banged on my scriptures which I thought was very offensive and disrespectful. He grabbed my arm and picked it up so I yanked it away and said "Don't touch me." Throughout all of seminary he would do annoying things like this. My friend Maddie sits next to me and she said somethings to him that probably didn't help the situation. But I never once told him to shut up or said something rude. I politely told him not to touch me and to stop when he was pestering someone else. I was just surprised that I could ignore him for the most part. I wonder if what Mom says really does work"They do it to get a rise out of you. If you ignore them they will stop doing it." because he was still loud but yet he was quieter than he usually is. So I wonder if my teacher put him by me for a reason because I'm the only one by him and I just ignore him.

from Jennifer

Heather's fall break is coming to an end. She spent this last week in Glendale. It is Stake Conference weekend in the Glendale Stake. Nathan and I went to the adult session last night. It was really good. That's always my favorite session.

A counselor to the Phoenix Mission President spoke. Are the counselors also called President? President Morris, Brother Morris? Anyway. He told a story about a man who joined the church in the 60's, back east somewhere. Sorry, I'm not good with details. When he joined he ended up in a branch with about 10 active members. A few years later he found himself the branch president and the branch had only grown to 20 members. So he prayed about how to grow his little branch. And this is what he did. He invited 3 families to each invite 1 family for a meeting kinda like a fireside on a Wednesday night. The missionaries were in charge of part of the meeting and taught a lesson. Then they invited the families to come again on Sunday for another lesson. Then on Sunday they invited them to come again on Wednesday night. So, the families were getting 2 lessons a week and getting to know other families in the branch. He did this for a couple of years. He said they just kept teaching them until they got baptized or they said, "no more." In the first year they baptized 450 people! in families! 190 in the second year! Isn't that amazing? I'm sure he had to really pray about which families to have invite another family, but still. Great story.

He said something else I thought was interesting. The 3 fold mission of the church is: perfect the saints, preach the gospel, redeem the dead. If we consentrate on preaching the gospel and redeeming the dead the perfecting of the saints takes care of itself. Good meeting.

Lots of love, Mom

Jennifer

So, Friday was my first try at telecommuting. Had to work out a lot of bugs. Seems like they could have given me a LOT more information. Still have some things to resolve. So next Friday should go better. But from now on I will be able to telecommute every Friday. Woohoo! If all goes well I might be able to telecommute more than once a week. That would be so awesome. Saturday I got to meet my new visiting teachers, Sis. Wilson and Sis. Jacobs. What fun ladies! I also went to Prescott Valley for a funeral (Sis. Axe's dad). It was just under 2 hours each way. So, I missed most of the Relief Society broadcast. I got there in time to hear Pres. Eyring's talk. But I watched the rebroadcast tonight. Sis. Beck's talk sure had a lot of information about Relief Society. I really liked it.

Fireside

Last night Heather and I went to a Stake Youth Fireside. The speakers were returned Mission President Packer and his wife from the Mozambique Maputo Mission. They knew Pres. & Sis. Mann from the South Africa Durban Mission and one of Andrew's former companions, Elder Feliciano, who is from Mozambique. Pretty cool.

YW

I have a new calling (church job). I'm the Beehive Adviser. Which means I teach the 12 & 13 year old girls. I'm SO excited. YW is my favorite auxiliary and I LOVE teaching. It doesn't get any better than that.

Missionary Monday

What I sent to him:
Nathan had his interview with the new Stake President last Sunday (two weeks ago now). He said to give him about a week to complete the paperwork. So we are assuming that the papers are in.

Kelly spoke in the YSA ward today. It's K & K's last Sunday in the YSA Ward. Next week they will be at college. aaaa! Kinda excited for them, kinda worried for them. They already know what student ward they will be in and what time it starts. Keri is really on the ball about finding out this stuff and following through on it. She's awesome.

Heather is doing pretty well at PHS. Having a little trouble with the homework, especially in math (precal). The adjustment from innercity school to normal school has been an eye opener for her. She's in 2 clubs: NHS and FEA (Future Educators of America), which kinda surprised me - she still wants to be a Neonatal Nurse. There is another club starting up soon for students interested in Health related careers, she's going to check into it. She's not going to play any sports this year. Went to the Ponderosa Ward today. Quite a few people in the ward know Heather already, so that's good for Heather. Heather and I met with the Bishop. No callings, he just wanted to get to know us. They should have our (mine and Heather's) records by next Sunday. Your and Nathan's records will stay in the Rose Lane Ward. Keri's and Kelly's records will go to their student ward.

Grandma and Grandpa are newly called as Family History Consultants in the ward. They just got back from a trip to Utah. Grandma's aunt died, the one they like to stay with in Park City.

Jill and Terry have set a date for their wedding - Oct 10th.

Jeanette is pregnant - due Mar 9th.

What he sent back:
Sweet! (re: Nathan) Wow, thats a lot of news!

Things are starting to get better here. The things that i've been working on, namely getting the members invovled, are slowly starting to work. Still needs some work but its getting there slowly. Slow work is so frstrating Mom. Its really hard to turn in bad numbers every week. The thing is that its what needs to happen here. The same as like back home. I can go door to door trying to find the one house per week that will open their doors in the white area or work in the township and get a lot more. But the ward isnt ready to give so much assistance to people from the township. The church building is in the city so any members or investigators from the outside have to travel, and most of the blacks dont have transport. So we need more people with transportation, so that we can build the ward without adding to the strain on its resources, which are already spread pretty thin. So we are laying the foundation that no other missionary has taken the time to lay. I know its the right thing but it frutrates me to have such little success.

On the plus side i am having a member make a sweet blanket for me that i will send home at some point. (By the way can you resend me Grandma & Grandpa's address, i have it but id like to make sure its the right one.) Its going to have the South African flag in the center surrounded by South African wildlife. I think its going to be really cool, i hope im right.

I love you Mom
Elder Mendenhall

...

My son was not involved in this (cause he's in Africa, not Taiwan). But, it is the kind of thing missionaries love to do!

Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God

Not being around my daughters for a few days - and knowing the older two will be gone more and more as they go off to college - has made me really miss them this week. Below is the song I used to sing to them. It was my favorite 'lullaby.' [I don't recall singing to the boys (sorry guys), just humming whatever came to mind.] I learned this song as a teenager at girls' camp. I was listening to it this morning in the car and got a little teary. I just want them to know that it is still my wish for them as they move on in life.

Walk tall

Be strong

Remember who you are.

Love, Mom.

"Right now I have a prayer deep within my heart,
A prayer for each of you there is a special part.
That you remember who you are and He who lives above.
Please seek for him and live his ways; You'll feel his love.

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Walk tall, you're a daughter, a child of God,
Be strong and remember who you are,
Try to understand, you're part of his great plan.
He's closer than you know, Reach up; he'll take your hand.

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Long before the time you can remember,
Our Father held you in his arms so tender.
Those loving arms released you as he sent you down to earth.
He said, "My child, I love you. Don't forget your great worth."

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Walk tall, you're a daughter, a child of God,
Be strong and remember who you are,
Try to understand, you're part of his great plan.
He's closer than you know, Reach up; he'll take your hand.

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This life on earth we knew would not be easy.
At times we lose our way his path we may not see.
But remember always that you are not alone.
He'll take your hand, He loves you! He will guide you home.

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Walk tall, you're a daughter, a child of God,
Be strong and remember who you are,
Try to understand, you're part of his great plan.
He's closer than you know, Reach up; he'll take your hand."

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You can here it and other songs by clicking here. They sing it a little faster than I do. But, they're not thinking lullaby.

Seminary Graduation