Week 52 - April 22-28

Monday and Tuesday of our last week as missionaries we decided to use some of our packing time to drive into Star Valley with Nathan and Susan.  This picture was taken from the hill pasture of my Father's farm over looking the flat part.  You can see Crow Creek winding though the property.

We stayed in Thayne with my cousin Ida Beth and Larry.  In the morning we took a walk to flat creek. 

On the way I took this picture of a hawk.

On Tuesday morning we picked up our brother and all of us enjoyed a session together in the Star Valley temple.  Fun to be together in the temple.

The Star Valley temple was long waited for by my ancestors who settled in the valley.  What a blessing it is to members there to be able to attend the temple without the long drive on snow covered roads.  It is an amazingly busy temple.  We had a full session on Tuesday morning.

There is still much snow in the mountain passes but the roads were clear and we had a wonderful short trip.

We ran into our friend Sister Briggs on Wednesday as we were walking to our Farewell Luncheon with President Fenn.  Sister Brigg's granddaughter and family live in our home ward.  We have enjoyed serving together in the Utah, Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission.

We had a wonderful luncheon.  There were 30 full time missionaries finishing their mission this month.  President Fenn said it is the largest group of returning full time missionaries he has sent home in the almost two years he has been mission president.

Thursday was a special treat, Toma Graves, a former scout of Elder Koberstein who works in the Salt Lake area took us out to lunch.  We had fun catching up on the past twenty years and remembering old times together.

As we walked across temple square one more time we could see the green leaves starting to show on the trees.  It remained me of a year ago when we first came to the mission.  What an amazing year it has been.

We finished Thursday with dinner at Kings Buffet with Elder and Sister Smith who we served in Japan with a few years ago.  It was fun to enjoy the food there and share experience since returning home, as shown in this photo.  A special treat.

Thursday, our last day as missionaries, was spent at the Family History Library taking the classes taught there about using DNA to help genealogical research.  It was an interesting day and will be exciting to see what the future holds in this area.

Friday we packed our car, said goodbye to our wonderful family who allowed us to stay in their home this past year and headed to California.  Again we saw much show in the mountain passes but enjoyed good roads all the way.

We drove half way and spent the night in Winnemucca, Nevada.  Saturday we finished to trip to Antioch.  This picture was taken at Donner Lake, at a rest stop.  We were released on Sunday morning after reporting to the high council.

 We are enjoying the beautiful flowers our son's family brought to welcome us home.  We enjoyed a ham dinner and visit on Sunday with two of our sons.  It is great to be home.

A THOUGH FOR YOU

"It is impossible to fail 

When you do your best

 When you are on 

The Lord's errand."  

Elder M. Russell Ballard

Week 51 - April 15-21

This is the homepage of the International floor (B1) of the Family History Library missionary site.  Elder Koberstein and I had the opportunity of helping with the setup of this Sharepoint website for our zone.

Our new zone leaders Elder and Sister Viera are now pictured on the site as we are approaching our final week as missionaries in the Utah Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission.  It has been a wonderful experience.  We have learned so much, enjoyed Utah and met and worked with some of the best people on earth.  Thank you to all, who we have had the opportunity to know, work with and share in this wonderful experience of helping those on earth find their families.  This is the work of our Heavenly Father and will continue until it is complete.  We are so blessed to live in this day of technology and have the opportunity to learn to use it to find our family.

Monday evening we enjoyed mission conference.  We had a delicious turkey dinner at the Conference Center after the library closed and then a presentation by President and Sister Fenn about Easter in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square.

Wednesday we were surprised by a quick dinner visit with our son and part of his family.  We met them at Red Robin in Layton.  Fun to visit a few minutes.

As we left Red Robin we saw this beautiful view of the moon in the evening sky.

Friday, about noon, Elder Koberstein and I drove around City Creek.  As we drove by the Utah State Capital building the trees were in full blossom and it was beautiful.

Friday, after our last Capstone Class and day at the Family History Library, we had the opportunity to attend the Easter Tabernacle Choir Concert with my sister's family in the tabernacle.  The sunlight on the Salt Lake temple was beautiful as we stood in line waiting to go inside.

This is a part of one line to get into the concert.  I wondered if there would be enough seats for all inside.  I learned the tabernacle is bigger than I thought.  We were seated in the middle center behind the recording crew and special guests.

"He Is Risen-A Sacred Easter Presentation" was a very enjoyable evening with  The Orchestra at Temple Square, Bells On Temple Square and Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble" accompanied the choir during the performance.  The picture above shows the orchestra and Tabernacle choir.

Saturday Elder Koberstein and I enjoyed a day in Logan with our son's family.  We watched two soccer games in the morning and then went to the Logan temple and enjoyed doing work there.

The early evening was spent attending the "Spring 2019 Piano Recital" at the Red Balloon Toy Store.  Our granddaughter played "Jazz Band Jam" and "I Like Soccer".  Our grandson played "Nothin' to do Blues" and "Rockin' Good Time".  It was a fun day to be a grandparent.  We are so blessed!

A THOUGHT FOR YOU

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.   John 16:33

Week 50 - April 8-14

Blossoms on temple square Monday morning reminded me of beautiful cherry blossom time in Japan.  We were so lucky to have experienced that time of year twice while serving in Japan.

This picture was taken at the Kumomoto castle in Japan in 2013.  Elder Koberstein and I were serving as missionaries in the Japan Fukuoka Mission.

Monday as we walked to the Family History Library from the morning devotional at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building every thing was beautiful with the sun just coming over the horizon.  A more beautiful walk would be hard to find on a pleasant spring morning.

Since our assignments has change we are now working the night shift of 1-9pm.  Wednesday morning we were invited to attend a sealing session at the Bountiful temple with Susan and Nathan.  This is their home as we leave the driveway. 

As we drove toward the Bountiful temple was saw snow on cars coming down the mountain side.  It also was on the ground.  The road was good though.

By the time we reached the temple there was lots of snow.  It was amazing what a few short miles with elevation gain could do in this Rocky Mountain home.

Spring is here for sure.  The grass is starting to grow on the log cabins sod roof.  It has been fun to watch all the changes to this little home and its garden this past year.  This picture has the roof of the tabernacle and the spires of the Salt Lake City temple behind the log cabin.

At the recognition meeting on Thursday our zone sang "Happy Birthday" to Elder Viser and I.  We both have birthdays on April 1st.

The zone sang the "International Zone Farewell Song"  Elder (not present) and Sister Ch'en and Elder and Sister Koberstein.  We are both full time missionary couples serving until 25 April 2019.

Saturday, Elder Koberstein and I drove to Heber, Utah.  The former zone leaders, Brother and Sister Seiter invited us to join others from B1 to celebrate with Brother and Sister Wing on their new mission call to the China Hong Kong Mission.  They will be leaving in May.  It was a fun potluck luncheon together.

Saturday evening we attended a zone leader potluck.  It was fun to visit with leaving zone leaders and meet the new.  Elder and Sister Viera have been asked to lead the International Zone and we have been training them the past two weeks.  An interesting fact, both Elder Viera and Elder Koberstein lived in Menan, Idaho and attended school in Rigby, Idaho.  What a small world it is.

The flowers on temple square are beautiful this week but a little late this year for General Conference weekend.

A THOUGHT FOR YOU

Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation: behold, this is the gift by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.

D&C 8:2-3

Week 49 - April 1-7

For my birthday Elder Koberstein took me to dinner at Roof Restaurant in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  We were not successful at getting the flash to work on my camera thus we are in silhouette.  It was a wonderful evening with just my special companion.  We enjoyed good food and a beautiful view of temple square from ten stories up.

We then finished walking through the art exhibit at the Church History Museum.  I took pictures of some of my favorite exhibits.  This one is titled "Mercy's Embrace" by Ann Henrie Nader from Washington.  The art's says Christ cares for us equally.  He is depicted holding two different sheep, representing the variety of God's children.

This picture is the "Three Women at the Tomb" by Robert Barrett of Utah.  Women played a central role in the life of Christ as disciples who bore witness of His divinity.

This picture by Howard Lyon of Utah is titled "Consecration."  It is of the widow's small offering of a farthing, Mark 12:43-44.

This is a graphite pencil on rag paper by James Shelley from Utah.  It is titled "Refuge from the Storm."  It is a visual representation of the physical protection that the temple offers. 

"Pondering God's Promise" painted by Vander Veur Matz of Utah.  The information about the painting says "While God said He would multiply the seed of Abraham and Sarah 'as the stars of the heaven' (Genesis 22:17), they were ask to wait beyond hope, for the promise to be realized." 

"Roots" by Jillian Damstedt Shaw from Washington is the artist of this copper foil stained glass piece of art.  It depicts five trees from the scriptures (tree of life, tree of knowledge, olive tree, sapling-Alma faith grows from a tiny seed), Sacred Grove).

"Let Us Walk In The Light?" by Mary Z. Hutchings from Utah.  This picture "...was created using raw edge and reverse raw edge applique techniques and thousands of freehand-cut pieces of back fabric."  The subject is the Sacred Grove.

"Opaque Destiny" by David Malan from Utah depicts "a women and her daughter stand at the edge of the daunting frontier."  

"Living Water" by Justine Louise Peterson of Utah is of the Samaritan woman at Jacobs well.

This piece reminded us of our grandson.  It is something he would do.  It is called "Resonate" by Doug Adams of Idaho.  The artist says, "Bells have been used for centuries to warn of danger, call villages and hamlets to meeting, and to create peaceful meditative influences through their calming and resonant tones...The tree of life pattern can 'remind us of our heavenly home and our earthly mission.  The round stones reminded me of the large round stone closed after the Savior's Crucifixion and opened for His resurrection and Ascension to our Father in Heaven.  The ivy-embellished uprights remind me of the Garden of Gethsemane...."

"Good Samaritan" by Lynde Ann Mott from Utah.  A beautiful Lone Star quilt also depicted in the oil painting.

"The day runs after the Night" by La Famiils Flouffe.  Heavenly Fathers work is all around us even in the simplest of things and the grandest. 

  "What is a Seed but Sunlight Sent Into the Future?" by Alisha Marie Anderson.  "These photographed sees, appearing as stars come from the cones of the Utah Juniper and are arranged according to the stars that appeared in the early-spring sky in Palmyra, New York, 1820."

"Zapa Stele 5" by Paul D. Yates of Utah.  A Replica of the Aztec stone carving Zapa Stela 5 or the "Tree of Life" stone, dating approximately between 300 BC and AD 50.  It is made of cut wood glued to backer-board.

New zone leaders were assigned this week.  Elder Koberstein and I have spent the week training them.  I took this picture just before the change was made.

Elder Koberstein in the zone leader office on B1 or the International Floor.

Friday was our temple research day.  Elder Koberstein and I decided to do a sealing session in the last of the seventeen Utah temple.  The Draper Utah Temple was the twelfth temple dedicated in Utah.  It is built on a natural bluff with a 180 degree view of the entire Salt Lake Valley.  Both the Jordan River and Qquirrh Mountain Temples are visible from the grounds.  

THOUGHT FOR YOU

We hope and pray that each member's home will become a true sanctuary of faith, where the spirit of the Lord can dwell.  Despite contention all around us, one's home can become a heavenly place, where study, prayer and faith can be merge with love. -President Russell M Nelson