The stake seminary program hosted a light-hearted getting to know the teachers program followed by a sundae bar for the students and parents. Each of the teachers shared a talent in 3 minutes or less. Pretty amazing! The students are so blessed to have such outgoing and hilarious teachers. I am so impressed with the teachers because this is their calling (not paid) and they willingly get up early and make it fun for our kids each morning. Huge kudos to all of them.
Monday was Talk like a Pirate day! In honor of the day Jessie got to dress up like a pirate for school. She makes a pretty cute pirate. Allie and her roomies also celebrated the day by one of them dressing up as a pirate to get a dozen free do-nuts from Krispy Kremes. It wasn't just an eye patch, hat and sword kind of pirate. Nope, a full blown pirate costume with a hair, beard and all. The do-nuts were good but the laughter they shared together and video they Snap-chatted is what made the day so fun for them. The girls is 605 know how to laugh!!!
So this week was a very full week with Aaron and I traveling to all six zones to share with them the insight and passion for conversion we acquired from the Mission President’s seminar. We felt like we needed to remind the missionaries the skills that would help them focus on their effort. Critical skills like planning and inviting that can become more effective through role-playing. “Faith comes from confidence, confidence comes from skill, and skill comes from knowing what to do and how to do it.” This was my favorite quote from the seminar from Elder Pearson. We also focused on helping them recognize who they are and the significance of their calling. There is fear in missionary work……fear of offending, investigators dropping us, being awkward, discomfort, etc. We have to keep reminding them that what we offer is so important, their salvation and that there should be no excuse for helping people see the truth and testifying boldly about it. I have also increased my boldness with the missionaries. I get a bit fired up about my passion for conversion.
For October we will be beginning a Book of Mormon challenge with the mission. We’ll read the BOM in 59 days; the same number of days Joseph Smith translated it. It’s an average of 9 pages per day and we are marking it focused on the Doctrine of Christ. Anything that discusses or shows faith, anything that mentions or teaches repentance, anything that mentions or teaches baptism, anything that teaches or demonstrates following the Spirit, and anything that helps us endure to the end. It will be a great way to read and study the Book of Mormon. I have never read the Book of Mormon with this kind of focus so I’m excited to see how my testimony and love of it will increase. I will continue my individual study of it in the morning. I love the Book of Mormon, it changes your heart and life. #Read it every day, never miss a day for the rest of your life. #Blessings will and do come.
The intensity of school is ramping up. Zac had a major grade test almost every day this week. It makes for long evenings of homework and study. Bode does most of his homework at school during his attendance aid class although I have to stay on top of his study for tests. He hasn’t mastered studying for tests quite yet. ;) The homework schedule for Jessie girl is so varied each day it kind of makes me crazy. No consistency. I have to check the teacher’s weekly email and refer back to it often to make sure we don’t miss anything. Her teachers don’t accept late work so if you left it at home, forgot to do it or couldn’t print it off, you put your name in a notebook. Your name in the notebook equals a deduction on your grade. Frustrating but we will learn quickly how to manage fourth grade homework. We have already had to retake tests and do makeup work before school in tiger den.
Bode’s football game was canceled due to lightening. They will make it up later in the season. Jessie’s enthusiasm for gymnastics continues. She looks forward to it, practices the skills when she can but not by the pool anymore. ;) Zac stays after school two to three times a week for open gym to play basketball. I am hoping it helps his desire to stay but we will see. Allie is still enjoying her classes however her Humanities class really stretches her thinking about art. It works for me because it means she calls me more to get my opinion and advice. ;)
I did a sister comp study on Friday down in Texas City. It is about an hour away and I was stopped on the freeway for almost a ½ hour because of two fender benders. That tends to happen when cars follow to closely in a downpour. Needless to say I was late to the comp study. They had already started and had come up with some great lessons plans for two of their investigators. I had studied for one of their recent converts that hasn’t been coming regularly to their branch. The sister’s desired outcome for him was to prepare names for baptisms for the dead but I had an impression that he needed something else. During our study, the sisters shared a little more about his situation and we totally went in a different direction. Can I just say the Holy Ghost is truly a gift from God that can guide us to help others in ways we don’t expect? Amazing!
Friday was a day off of school for Fort Bend County days. Basically it is the only break they get until Thanksgiving. Mostly the kids just wanted to catch up on sleep. Aaron and Jessie had a daddy/daughter lunch date that Jessie was so excited about. They went to a Chinese restaurant, which was a first for Jessie, and she loved it! Allie and her roomies went to Jason Derulo’s concert at UVU. She had a great time but it was no Coldplay according to her. Saturday I went on a 25-mile bike ride and my tune up didn’t help my speed. ;) Bode and I also went on a 5-mile ride. He rode my bike and I rode his. He likes the feel of a road bike and I can see why. I was ultra slow on his mountain bike trying to catch up to him. ;) Allie and her roomies went up the Provo Canyon to go Ham-mocking. Ham-mocking, it's a thing?!?! They had fun and I think it looks fun too.