It has been a busy and marvelous week that just got progressively better and better. On Tuesday we drove 20 miles to visit the farm of one of our YSAs. Her lambs and kid goats were growing fast so we needed to get there!
She led us into the pasture and then went to let the animals out and they came enmasse - maa-ing as they surrounded us. It was hilarious. It was fun watching the kids play "king of the hill" on a barrel - jumping on and off and nudging each other off. Gary's new best friend wouldn't leave his side!
Effects of our visit persisted
as we had some shoe and floor mat scrubbing when we got home. Katie was thrilled that we had come to see her babies.
We started teaching this week (in our newly painted room) - had three lessons. Tuesday & Thursday Elder Mumford taught from the New Testament during the lunch-time Munch & Mingle lesson. We did the Tuesday lunch (hot dogs) and our Branch President's wife did pulled pork tacos on Thursday.
After preparing together, we decided to have Sister Mumford present the Thursday evening Institute lesson on The Plan of Salvation. We planned too much for our 75 minute lesson - and had to cut some out, but it went pretty well. We had 10 students in our class (summer numbers are much smaller than during the school year)and six in Sister Jacobson's Old Testament class.
On Friday we had permission to leave the mission boundaries and attend the Columbus Ohio Temple. It is beautiful! It is the small footprint temple but efficient and lovely. Took nearly 3 hours to get there. The temple is generally closed from 4-6 pm so the Muncie stake provided their own ordinance workers and used those two hours for a special stake temple day. It was great to be back in the temple.
We were up early on Saturday and drove an hour to attend a special mission conference with the entire mission present. Elder Neal L. Anderson and area seventy Elder Fred Parker came to speak to the missionaries. He praised President and Sister Collins admonishing the young missionaries to look to them and watch and learn from them. Elder Anderson walked across the front of the chapel with a microphone in hand and interacted with the missionaries. He used power point slides and taught about the Merits, Mercy and Grace of the Savior. He was fun and engaging - until the last five minutes when he walked back to the stand to the podium and got very serious and testified and witnessed of the reality of God and the Savior and of the truthfulness of the gospel and this church. It was so great to be there! (no cameras allowed).
We spent Saturday afternoon at Turkey Run State Park with Kevin & Dacia and family and another family from their ward. After driving across flat farmland we were surprised by this tropical forest that drops into the ground. It was a beautiful place - with lots of hiking trails. We got in several days worth of morning walks! The little girls especially loved slosshing through the streams. Bryson loved crossing fallen trees that spanned the canyon walls 15 to 20 feet off the ground. It was a memorable day.
At Sacrament Meeting today the young man who got baptized last week was confirmed. Tonight was a special "Why I Believe" fireside that they hold monthly here. It was the first of this type we have ever attended. Four recent converts shared their conversion stories. The counselor in the stake presidency who closed the meeting was also a convert - 30 years ago. It was awesome! Each of them spoke of the love they felt when they attended church - the feeling of family. They also spoke of the missionaries that taught them and of the feelings they had as they read The Book of Mormon. It was a great meeting. Ready to begin our 4th week in Muncie tomorrow!
