Hello all from beautiful Indiana. This has been another busy week. On Tuesday we took some Elders to transfer meeting which meant being in Owensboro-the wrong way to Louisville-by 6:30 a.m. We love going to transfer meeting and this one was especially good because it was the last time we would get to hear from our Mission President who has finished his three year calling. Even though we have only been here for 4 months and had three interviews with him we have felt of his spirit and love for all things missionary. We are looking forward to meeting our new President next week at Zone Meeting. We put over 300 miles on our car that day the last half without a fan to run our AC. We couldn’t even have the car windows down because of the rain that was pouring down. We are so spoiled and blessed to have air conditioning. It has made us ever so grateful for those saints who went through this area without the luxury we enjoy. On our way back from the meeting we stopped in Tell City to help our Elders move the heaviest stuff for the non-member family they were moving. Four Elders made the job much easier. Our greenie was enthusiastic for his first opportunity to serve.
We have had many appointments with new contacts and continuing investigators. Our good friend Anna is coming around about leaving her home. She continues to surprise us. When the Elders asked her to pray at the first of one lesson she said she just couldn’t but when they asked her at the end she just went ahead and prayed. She told us she would come to FHE and perhaps to church. Each time we meet with her she has progressed. She is reading the Book of Mormon rapidly and always has questions she writes down to ask us. She says she knows it is true and believes that Joseph Smith could be a prophet.
We had an interesting time with the Elders at one appointment. They had met with Kyle and Molly a couple of times before and one time Molly’s dad tried to bash them. When we visited with the Elders, Molly had some really deep questions about some of the doctrine that we know come from her dad and anti-literature. They didn’t set up another appointment but the Elders will keep in contact with them.
We were able to go with a less active couple to see the convent and monastery which are not far from us. We saw the statue of Christ overlooking the Ohio which is patterned after the one in Brazil, a covered bridge and took pictures, the convent in Fulda, the Amish shop that is the old flour mill with a water wheel and then the geode gardens which are amazing just because it really is all made of geodes and then went back to Mienrad and saw the monastery. We got there just in time to attend Vespers which was interesting but I sure didn’t feel the spirit. The monks all came walking in wearing their black robes. It was a man singing a verse and then the congregation singing one. We then toured all through the monastery and saw lots of idols. Talk about worshiping idols. There were plenty of them to see- from the finger bone of St Mienrad who started the monastery to the relic box which holds the bones of someone. There was a very ornate box which holds the sacrament bread that isn't eaten because they believe it really does turn into the body of Christ. It felt like a very pagan place and I didn't feel any of the spirit there like I do in the temple. It is beautiful architecture and a lot of money goes into it but I didn't feel the spirit there.
We had four less actives to church on Sunday and one nonmember who comes with his wife a couple of times a month. I took over nursery for the day so that the young couple who take turns staying with their boys in nursery could both go to Sunday School and the combined fifth Sunday lesson. Thank heavens for the i-pad and phone because they kept William and Daniel entertained after they got tired of building towers. I can’t do the nursery every but will certainly take it on when we don’t have anyone attending the Gospel Principles class.
We are still finding less actives who have had their feelings hurt some way and don’t want to make any effort to come back. It is sad to see how many people take offense when probably no offense was meant. Today we are headed out to try and find all five families in a little town 20 miles away. The two we have already talked to there aren't very interested but we still pray for them.
Love to you all
Mom and Dad
Evan and Trudy etc.
Picture
1 Christ overlooking the Ohio, 2 Convent 3 Covered bridge, 4 Amish shop 5 is the waterwheel. More Pictures will come in another email.
Here are more pictures from our jaunt last week. The first two are of the geode garden. It is very interesting and if you go to Geode Garden Jasper Indiana you can see all the pictures.
3. the monastery, 4. the monks, 5. fingerbone of St Meinrad, 6. relic box and 7. Sacrament box.
I could send about 100 more but will just tell you it was very interesting and for the most part beautiful but not very spiritual to my way of thinking and feeling.
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