Happy Fall!

It's Autumn here!  The hardwoods are so pretty.  Too bad the camera can't capture the beauty very well.  And too bad that it means winter is coming.

Busy week here. We went to Fargo for 2 days of S&I (seminary and Institute) training.  We enjoyed meeting two other S&I senior missionary couples.One of the lessons we taught required them to participate in a tug-o-war.  These are the Evans who serve in Bismark and the Matellos that serve in Fargo.  You can identify two other people who are full-time CES employees, Brother Mattheson and Brother McDonald.  We enjoyed our training and learned more things we should be doing.  It was fun to socialize and be with people who have been doing this longer than us.  They had such good ideas.

 Today we gave a presentation at youth conference called "Why  Nauvoo Matters".  Here are some of the young people who attended.  They did many other pioneer activities and it was pretty fun to be with them.  We also went to the food bank on Thursday and Elder Stratton taught Institute class on Wednesday night.  That is a very fun class. He teaches and I bring the Oreos and post the reminders. I believe that divides up the responsibilities pretty well..                  

We also have an investigator that we are teaching.  That is pretty fun, too.  As long as he keeps meeting with us.  I really like teaching potential members.  I'm kind of surprised by that.

Last Sunday we gave talks in the Pine City branch.  I spoke about becoming a person worthy of eternal life.  Ron spoke about forgiveness.  It was a good experience and according to several people in the audience, they liked it too.

There is a Catholic university here in Duluth, and they have a campus wide theme this year that says,  "The World Needs More Saints."  I love that theme! They have it printed on flags all over campus and on a billboard.  Those Catholics are ahead of us on this one!

Scenery pictures first

Mountain Biking Trail                                                                                Chester Creek


This past Tuesday when we were working at the food bank distribution, Ron saw the Elders walking down the street.  He called them over and invited them to help out.  They did so willingly.  You can kind of see them here in this photo.  Afterwards, we talked to them and they want to come every Tuesday.  Their job was meeting the cars as they came into the parking lot where we were giving out the food.  People in the cars would drive right up to them VERY interested in what they had to say. They said it was very fun having people come to them for information.  Kind of different for them.

                             

This week we visited 2 seminary classes and an Institute class.  One of the seminary classes has 18 students and is held at the church.  The other class has 3 students and they all come early because their teacher brings breakfast everyday.  That class is held in her home.  The Institute class was on Wednesday night at the church and there were 9 students there.  This is what we came for!  Today we held an Inservice meeting.  It was humbling.  They are already doing great things in their classes.  For instance, I gave a presentation on journals.  One of our teachers brought some journals that have been done in her class and they were awesome!!!  I got lots of good ideas and I am supposed to be giving the good ideas!

There are many things in Duluth that are similar to Idaho. Minnesotans love the outdoors.   People here like to fish and hunt. There are lots and lots of outdoor activities: ATV riding, mountain biking, golfing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, running and in the winter ice fishing and cross country skiing as well as downhill, hockey and curling.  People here wear a lot of camo, sort of like Idahoans only more.  You can find pretty much every article of clothing, including underwear, in camo and also backpacks, purses, bras (you think I'm kidding).  But I am thinking that covering your living room furniture in camo fabric may be taking things a little too far. 

What do you think?

"Going out in the Bush"

Sunday before last, August 24,  we attended a small branch in Pine City, (south of us by a couple of hours - we call it the "Deep South" - however it is just a bit North of Minneapolis).  They have a great building and their branch is so friendly  The Bishop asked us to attend the youth Sunday School class and pump them up for seminary.  We met a boy named Shawn who was getting baptized that afternoon.  He is 16 years old and Ron asked him to share his feelings.  He said, "I feel like I am getting a big present and when I am baptized I get the gift inside."  He really impressed me with his excitement about joining the Church.  He couldn't stop smiling.  He is already signed up for seminary. I wish I was teaching his class.

This past Sunday we drove up to Canada to attend the Thunder Bay Ward.  It is approximately 3.5 hours north, along the border of Lake Superior.  All of the scenery was so beautiful.  We found the church on a rainy morning and after church we were invited to have dinner at the home of the seminary teacher there.  This part of Canada doesn't seem very foreign.  They have all the same fast food eateries, they have the same lake, they have the same hymns.  But, by golly, it is hard for me to understand why they sing, "Firm As The Mountains Around Us."  (We sang that same hymn last week in Pine City too.)  There are just no real mountains here.  Some words are used differently though.  In Boise when we leave the city we say we are "going to the mountains"; in Duluth they say they are "going to the woods" and in Thunder Bay they go "out in the bush, eh?"

We went last week to orient 2 teachers who were called just in time to start seminary this week. Wednesday's visit was close, a 25 minute drive.  But Thursday's was far, 2 hours each way. And then yesterday we stopped at the Church in Duluth and we saw this seminary room all set up.  We were so excited that a class was really in session, that kids came to seminary after all the planning and stress.  So far we haven't seen an actual class in session and we have only talked to teachers.  But now I know that students really exist and that's what all the fuss is about.

Bryan and Sylvia Pugh (Napervillians) came for a couple of nights.  Bryan had already called to sign up for another mountain bike ride with the guide he liked so much.  We showed them around Duluth and they were impressed with the beauty. Sylvia and I managed to appear supportive of their riding, as long as they didn't make us come with. We did tour of a big ore carrier.  When I see them on the lake they don't look so big.  But when you go inside, it's huge!















We stopped several times on our way home from Thunder Bay on Monday.  First we explored Grand Portage, which is a National Monument, and located on the Ojibwa Reservation.  There are old buildings there to explore and history about the name and more about the portage that is so grand.  We watched a man creating a birch bark canoe. And another man cooking with dutch ovens in the fireplace.  So interesting. Then we went to Grand Marais and looked in the shops and ate lunch.  The day was beautiful by then.  So fun to explore new areas.  We had our car searched when we crossed the border.                        

We are still volunteering at the food bank on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  When loading a van today, I told Ron to hurry and take a picture.  It's the food pyramid!