22 June 2008 – Sunday

I received a call last night asking us to meet with President Esplin this morning. Before and after going I worked on my lesson and I can not say that I felt that I had much to talk about. I just never found that spark that would cause the lesson to touch the rest of the group. It turned out I probably worked to hard and should have gone the easy way and kept it simple.

Our meeting with President Esplin was probably the shortest interview for a calling I have ever had. We were already fairly certain what it was going to be and only a detail had to be cleared up. I of course was happy to accept and I hope that in the next 5 months I can do some good. The people I will be working with are old friends and we have served together before.

We read for about 30 minutes from the A&P – it is good to get back into studying Indonesian. Hopefully we will continue doing this even while serving our next mission so that we do not lose what we have gained. After all we never know when we will need to use Indonesian again.

My lesson went about the way I thought it would. I hope someone got something from it – I do think I hit on a good idea but it was only after 95% of the time was over. Sister Poggio did an excellent job on teaching the SS lesson on Alma and Amulek preaching to the people of Ammoniah. She is a lovely sister and always has a smile. It is a shame that Max is so sick and what they can do is so limited.

Sacrament meeting was the YW reporting on their camp experiences. From what they said they had both great fun and some had powerful spiritual experiences. The leaders should get immediate entrance to the Celestial Kingdom for the great work they do. I am not sure I could call any of the young women by name – but then there are times when I have a hard time coming up with the names of our children and grandchildren.

Speaking of that after Sacrament we called Tom and wished him happy 46th birthday. I find it impossible to think that I have a 46 year old son. Where did those years go?

I was delighted to see Matt Shumway for a few minutes after sacrament. He is serving at the MTC in a branch presidency and we talked a little about the experience of serving at the MTC and how it is almost impossible to talk about it with someone who has not served there. He is truly a good and faithful brother. I asked the bishop about getting us signed up for our next mission application and he said it has been done for a week. He did not realize he needed to call us.

Later this evening we both got the paperwork started. All we need is to have our physicals and dental exams done, be interviewed by the bishop and stake president and they can be sent in. I am anxious to know where the Lord needs us this time.

It is still strange to be home and hearing English in church. It is good to see old friends and meet new ones. Today I met the Greens and the Riddles – the Greens almost bought the house next to us that the Tanners bought but were too late so they bought the ‘boat house.’ The Riddles moved into the Wilson house. Last week I met Mike Griffith a new High Priest who is here working at BYU and also working on his doctorate. He is quite young – we are getting a number of younger High Priests it seems – and very friendly. He added much to the lesson today. We will just get to know them fairly well and then leave, but when we come back there will be other new friends to get to know.