Best of the Rez Week 45

Best of the Rez     Week 45     November 14^th to November 20^th

1)       YIPEE!!!!!  Another new experience.  The entire mission went to the Monticello Temple on Monday the 14^th.  We had 6 young elders and 2 couples meet at Many Farms and head to the temple together.  It was just wonderful.  They held a 9:30 session, a 10:30 session (ours) and an 11:30 session.  Then the Monticello stake fed us.  It was wonderful.  We had a great drive in nice weather.  The temple was wonderful.  We are going more and more—that is our new goal.

2)      Most of the week was on driving around inviting everyone to our ward Thanksgiving dinner.  We were able to see a lot of people so it felt good although nearly every one of our appointments fell through.  Piano lesson are holding strong at about 12-15 a week.

3)      Friday night the Curley girls came over and helped me make posters for the primary songs.  I was bound and determine to teach them, but we have different children every week, so posters are a must.  I found a site that donated me the pictures and showed me how to make the posters for free since I was a missionary.  We spent hours making them while Elder Parkinson made us lemon bars.

4)      Can anyone say work?  Can anyone do work?  Oh my goodness!  We held the ward Thanksgiving dinner on the 19^th.  I started cooking at 8 AM, taught 5 piano lessons and we were still working our little hearts out at 6 when it opened exactly on time.  WHAT A FEAST!  And I believe it was a huge success.  We think we served around 130.  Our favorite was our ‘safe’ member that his wife will not let us in or speak to us came!! We were so happy and she liked my pie.  We had a great turn out but still we thought we would have so many more.  You are happy about this one being there, but so sad that one is not.  And the food was great.  We cooked Safeway turkeys and they were so good.  Everyone brought something and we had tons of food.  Still, the day was long and the clean up was intense.  I got to eat about 8:30 and it was still one of the best meals of my life.

5)      Primary Program.  We will never hold that the day after the Thanksgiving dinner again.  Oh, next year I do not need to worry about such things.  We had 12 ward kids and Bishop Yellowhair’s (our high councilmen) son’s helped as well.  It really went as well as it could.  All the music was played by the youth – 4 primary kids and 3 YM-YW.  A couple forgot their talks, but we made something up on the spot for them, and all ended well.  And we had 63 there.  That is our highest attendance since before Elder Callister came.
I made them my Skittles pop corn and we played reverence games afterward.  I walked in and dang near died.
That afternoon we drove the Curley’s over to Window Rock for the Youth Standard Night.  That was nice, but things are different on the Rez.  We got there when it was suppose to start and the leaders walked in with us and told us what we could do to help set up. 

The Church is True,

     Serving brings happiness,

          All our love,

               Elder and Sister Parkinson