Sad news. Rico, the baby bird the kids tried to nurture and hand feed, died during the night. The kids were crushed and Jessie felt particularly sad. She would like to have a memorial service for him and bury him in the back yard. I’m not so sure about that.
This week Aaron and I divided up our assignments to attend several district councils and take care of lunches we owed them from zone conferences. These lunches are a highlight for them and it gives us a great opportunity to get to know them more personally and to teach informally. We are getting more questions about what it will be like with a new mission president. We assure them that it will be better than they can imagine and that great things are in store for them. I emphasize that they have an important role to help, listen and follow the Guthrie’s during the transition.
One of the greatest blessings this week was to go to the temple again with our departing transfer group. Our last opportunity to do an endowment session was in August. Our time in the temple was greatly needed and appreciated. The missionaries loved being there and it’s always a good way to send them home. We’ve had to change the way we do our transfer schedule and Aaron and I wish it was their last day, but we found a way to make it work without taking up the full day. Aaron reminds them to ponder how their covenants, specifically their obedience, sacrifice, and consecration will bless them at home. When we return home we want plan and invite our return missionaries to join us for monthly temple sessions.
A highlight of the week was the visit from Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Twelve. He was accompanied by Elder Juan Villar, a new general authority seventy. It was cool to find out that he is married to Aaron’s mission president’s daughter. He’s a Chileno from Vina Del Mar and a great guy. Elder Cook was awesome to be with and he kept us on our toes. Aaron attended the priesthood leadership session where they spent most of the time discussing the way the wards and stakes need to apply the ministering assignments to make them effective. Many wards and stakes have expressed that people aren’t catching the vision of what this means yet. Elder Cook mentioned that more details would continue to come out to help everyone make the transition.
About a 40 minutes before the adult session he pulled Aaron aside and asked if Aaron and I would speak for fifteen minutes on how the gathering of Israel is an important part of ministering. Aaron can speak all day on missionary work, but I have a hard time speaking on the fly. ☺ We went into a side room, said a prayer and then spoke on whatever came to our minds. I ended up speaking on the doctrine of Christ and how it can help us in our ministering efforts. Aaron focused on Matthew 28:19-20 on how we have the blessing of making disciples and followers of Christ.
Allie wrapped up her finals and feels like she did well this semester. Zac is getting about 12 to 15 hours a week in at work so that’s better than the 30 hours the first week. ;) Bode and Jessie are in the midst of taking the Texas Star tests and doing well on them. Aaron had an interview and an offer from the U of U to be on faculty at the business school and get involved with some of their initiatives. We still don’t have a clear answer for what he should do which impacts where we will but hopefully soon. Seems so much easier to leave for the mission than to come back, keep praying. ☺ All is well in Texas.