ZONE CONFERENCE

This week was our first zone conference. It is amazing to hear the missionaries sing and bear testimonies. That to me is one of the best parts of being a missionary. It truly brings the spirit and it is great to know we are a part of a great work.

We had our first DA or tea appointment this week with a family from the Czech Republic. They have their own version of potato salad. It is much like ours but they add ham and peas. The potatoes are cut very small. It was delicious. They also made us chicken much like chicken fried steak and yummy vegetable soup. Every where we go people offer us something to drink. They are very kind and very clean people. Their homes are old as well as their furniture. They have been given blankets and they cover their sofas and floors with the blankets. Most of the time it is blankets of "Hanna Montana" or other famous people. Sometimes they wear clothes that have been given to them which we would never wear because of what is printed on them. Look at the pictures of their youth. It cracks me up that they have know idea what their shirt is saying. They have to be taught the right clothes to wear at church.

At zone conference Elder Juran asked me to read a scripture. One word or phase will hit you sometimes and your mine goes else where. Mark 6:46-51 talks about Christ and his disciples upon the sea. Christ was on the shore but the disciples where in the boat. I remember something in verse 48 where is says, "about the fourth watch he cometh unto them." Fourth watch was something I had heard before so I looked it up. With Deb Tolman help I was able to remember was the "Fourth Watch" was.  The days were divided into four watches. The fourth watch would be from 3-6 am. Following the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 I am sure the Savior was spent. He sent his disciples into a boat in the early evening while he retreated for some time with His Father. He was in a hill where he could observe his disciples toiling against a storm that came in on them. He allowed them to struggle all through the night before he came to relieve their burden. He does the same with us many times, allowing us to learn from the trials in our lives. He rescues us when he knows we will gain the most from it. BUT he is always watchful. We have to trust in his timing. That is a pretty brief explanation but I think it helps explain what the "fourth watch" is. It is funny how one little thing in the scriptures will total take our mind somewhere else.

It is great reading the scriptures together every day as a couple. We are able to learn new insight together. The bishop of the ward asked us to bear our testimonies in the ward during fast meeting. Mark was amazing and he shined.

Well we love you and think about all of our family. Keep up the good work.