Has it Really Been One Month?

 

In some ways it feels as if we just started. And in other ways, it seems as if this is all we have ever done. It's hard to believe that we hit our one month mark earlier this week! In two more weeks, we will have finished a full "transfer cycle" (missions operate on a six-week cycle or rhythm). 

Once we will have completed our Zone Conferences in 10 days, we will have participated in most of the types of things we will be doing on our mission for the next three years. I say "most" because we still haven't participated in our first Area Council meeting (once a month), Coordinating Council meetings (once a month for each of the 7 Coordinating Councils), and Stake Mission Correlation meetings (once a month for each of the 68 stakes in the mission). Despite our schedules getting busier each week, we seem to be getting into the rhythm and feeling more comfortable with our responsibilities.

A couple highlights from the week were:

(1) being able to attend the final night of the Days of '47 Rodeo at the State Fairgrounds on Monday night (Anne's favorite). The Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Thus July 24th is a state holiday, celebrated with parades, fireworks and a nationally renowned rodeo. The red mark on my forehead and "hat-hair", in the picture above, are from the cowboy hat my son-in-law and daughter gave to me for Christmas a few years back that I was able to wear with pride. (Not shown in the picture are my cowboy boots that got their first wear and tear.)

(2) attendance at two baptisms over the weekend. The first was held yesterday, Saturday, July 30th, for a young man (in his 20's) by the name of Rayan Cheng. He is here from China doing a graduate program at the University of Utah. The missionaries saw him on campus, asked him if he would be interested in learning more about Jesus Christ and he progressed to where he was baptized. After his baptism, he talked about how much happiness and joy he felt. Then today, we attended the baptism of an older young man (in his 30's) by the name of Vijoy George from India. He expressed that after his baptism, he felt "light". Both of these young men told stories about how they came to be in Utah and both, independently, bore testimony that they could see the hand of God in their being led to Salt Lake City and the missionaries.

 

For the month of July, in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission, 64 people entered the waters of baptism, joined Christ's church, took upon themselves the name of Christ, and entered into a covenant with Him to keep His commandments and always remember Him. These individuals ranged in age from 9 to 68 years old; some joining as individuals and others with family members; from all different backgrounds and ethnicities. It was so uplifting to see the joy and happiness each of these persons felt as they took this significant step in their lives. What a blessing to watch them in their individual journeys.