Hello from sunny, very warm Fresno!  I am loving this town and the weather right now.  It’s just beautiful – well, actually today is a little warm!  I’m thinking it’s time to get me some sandals!  I checked the weather and this week Sun - Sat it’s supposed to be 88; 88; 89; 89; 86; 87; 86.  I hope it cools down just a little bit, and then waits for a little bit to get hot but it doesn’t look like it will.  Nothing like going through 2 summers when one is not too fond of the heat!  Just the right things to keep me humble!  It’s too bad it’s hard to do! (keep me humble, that is)

My new companion arrived on Monday night the 8th of April.  Here are some pictures of she and I, of her daughters, and at the mission office.

Welcome Sister Ball!

Cute family!

At the mission office (closed eyes and all)

 

It was great to be home for the weekend.  I was able to spend a lot of time with my family.  We watched a movie, went out to dinner, made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, just hung out, played games… One of the best things was the baptism of course.  It really touched my heart.  Karla’s dad kind of laid Camden down in the water, then lowered him further into the water.  That was such a great way – I didn’t know how Camden was going to bend backwards, and then he didn’t have to.  Karla’s sister, Sue, took a lot of pictures, (no – not of the actual baptism.. ) and I hope to be able to get some copies from her.

 

Camden and me before his baptism

Willis and Cindy

Sharon and little Richard, Rick and Jayden, Janessa

Taegen!

Janessa and Jayden; Kate and little Richard

Dan!

 

We helped with Mormon Helping Hands again this year!  It was fun!  It was a lot of hard work, and my shoulders are killing me – but fun none the less!  There is a bike path not too far from Britta’s house, which Sister Morris and I used to exercise on.  Our ward was cleaning up this very bike path!  Of course I had to help!  I’ve used it!  I would anyway, but there was a double reason!  Here are a couple of pictures from it.

(l-r) Me, Sister Aldrich (from New Hampsha), Sister Ball

Sister Ball raking up what was cleaned up - ugh!

Elder Neave from Australia

Elder Williams, local ward members (vehicle coordinator) and

his wife, Sister Williams (housing coordinator), in the background

The almost completed project

Cute, cute kids from the ward - the little guy (Tyler) was sharing his sour gummy worms

Part of the 4 mile path with stuff to be cleaned up in the middle

The end of the day - people from the ward, including the Bishop in the white t-shirt

Our friend, Becky, has, supposedly, moved.  She has left no forwarding address or message.  How sad is that?  Our dear Becky who helped me more than I could possibly help her!  Heavenly Father knows where she is, and what she needs.  I can only have that hope through our Savior that things will work out the best they can.  I miss her -

Last night, Sister Ball and I were going to a double baptism in a Spanish ward here in Fresno.  One of the Coordinating Sister’s (Sister Jamison) companions (Sister McArthur) wanted to also go to the baptism, as Sister McArthur helped teach this sister and her granddaughter.  President Gelwix will let the younger Elders and Sisters go to those special baptisms if they have been transferred out of the area before the baptism takes place.  The companionship involved needs to make sure the work in their area does not stop, so someone needs to take the person wanting to go to the baptism, and then the person remaining needs to find someone to be their companion while they are gone.  The time they take in this process is taken out of their preparation day activities.  Sister Jamison tried to find someone to have as a companion while Sister McArthur went to the baptism, but couldn’t find anyone.  Sister Ball and I asked what needed to happen, and Sister Ball told her she would be the companion while I took Sister McArthur to the baptism.  I have been on “splits” before and wanted Sister Ball to experience the great treat and blessing that is.

The baptism was no less enjoyable.  The one of sisters being baptized was Maria.  She is 83 years old and blind in both eyes.  She doesn’t walk much, and gets around in a borrowed wheelchair.  The other sister was Lupita.  She is older and has some learning disabilities.  Sister McArthur was asked to give the talk on baptism.  One of the things she told the sisters that the moment after baptism was that they are perfect; they are clean and spotless! 

There were 2 Elders in the font with Maria.  They carefully led her down the stairs, and had to re-adjust where they were standing quite a bit, but finally got to the right spot.  The Elders baptized her about the same way Camden was baptized, as it would be hard for Maria to bend backwards as well.  She stood straight up, and I noticed she put both her hands to her mouth.  I felt like she knew she was clean and perfect before our Savior.  The Spirit was very strong –

Lupita had a little harder time, and kind of got water up her nose, but she was happy and giggled and was smiling to beat the band.

I was speaking with one of the Elders about Maria’s baptism and the Spirit which was there.  I told him my feelings about that moment.  He said he asked Maria how she was.  She said “I see something beautiful!”

How amazing is our Father!  What witness Maria received I do not know, but I know it was just for her!  Our Father knows everything about us, and knows our needs.  He will do whatever He can do, according to our faith in Him! 

I skyped with Taegen and Camden this afternoon!  What fun!  They are great!  I had a nice message from them too!  I got to see a good majority of Camden’s ‘Skylander’ guys – pretty cool looking dudes and dudettes!

Sister Ball and I went to another baptism tonight; this one was in English!  The young man being baptized was Parker – or was that his last name?  The speakers were Young Men, I would think 14 and the other was 16.  Both gave very impressive talks and touched our hearts.  The 2^nd young man – the 16 year old, spoke of how he wanted to know if he was God’s son.  He didn’t receive an answer to his prayers right at first, and was feeling very lost and dejected, but went to stand from asking our Father a last time, and received an overpowering witness of Heavenly Father’s love for him – that he was, and forever will be, a son of God.  My heart received the witness of the truth that we are all sons and daughters of an Eternal Father!  How could it be otherwise?  I have been so blessed to see Heavenly Father’s hand in my life, and the lives of others here more powerfully than I ever have.

I am blessed beyond measure, and I am so grateful for all that I receive – which is much!  I am forever grateful to my Savior for all He has done for me!  How do you repay someone for saving your life, let alone saving it more than once?  It isn’t possible!  But it gives me reason to try the best I possibly can.  I fall short of “the best” more times than I want to admit, but I know, because of my Redeemer, I can keep trying!

Life is good!  I feel full of light – full of love for my Father and His Son!

Will everyone please pray for my mom who is having knee replacement surgery Monday?  And, of course, Willis, my father in law, who is recovering from a stroke.

Thank you!  I love you all – Sister Ure

Hi to all!  I hope everyone is doing well.  We have a semi cloudy day here, with a breeze blowing.  It’s about 70 degrees, and just lovely!  Britta’s house is a lot like mine, in that it is cooler in the house than it is outside.  It works out really well as it starts to warm up, until it’s like frying hot, then only the central air helps.  

Conference has been great so far, with only 1 session left!  I have heard in the past several conferences that it is past time to start to prepare ourselves for the return of our Savior.  We don’t even need to be fearful about it!  “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” was stated today.  The scriptures in Alma 34:30-41 come to mind.   All I know is that I am SO grateful to our Savior for making repentance possible.  All He did for us!  We are so blessed by His love, His mercy, and His grace.  We need Him so!

The theme for the just finished Sunday morning session, and others, seemed to be obedience.  A couple of things stuck out to me.  When we obey, we observe God’s law.  Obedience to that law is liberty – freedom!  I have seen that obedience = joy! 

I felt that we don’t have to be worthy to receive God’s gift of agency, He has given it freely.  What we have is a choice to which consequences we receive by what actions we take.  I also felt when I don’t obey, it’s not just not choosing to obey; it’s choosing to disobey – like in the Book of Mormon – knowingly going against the will of God.   When I don’t choose the right, I am choosing the wrong, which is sin.  Even not doing things I know I should, though I’m not , technically, doing anything wrong, I find myself in need of repenting. 

Sin will always be sin!  Disobedience will always reduce the amount of blessings we receive from Heavenly Father.   I would much rather have as many blessings as I can earn to help me through this earthly existence!  I want to do all I can to serve our Father and His children! 

I want to obey, but find myself repenting way too many times!  No – I know I can’t be perfect yet – and I can only be perfect with Christ – but I can repent as many times as I am willing to humble myself, (or I am compelled to be humble, again, the choice is up to me), confess my sins, turn from them, and ask our Father for forgiveness through His Son, our Savior. 

We are so blessed to have the ability to repent.  I have had that hardness of heart while on the mission which has caused me to be sorely repentant.  I have felt that all-encompassing joy when I have done all I can to repent and have that contrite heart and broken spirit.   I am grateful to know these truths, and that I have the ability put them into practice!  Again – the choice is up to me!

I was grateful to feel the love of our prophet for me immediately as he stood to speak.  He doesn’t know me, but I know he has that Christ-like love for me!  I look forward to the last session of Conference. 

We had a Senior FHE Monday night.  Sister Gelwix is so sweet – she had vases of daffodils out on the tables, and at the end of the evening – she gave a vase to each Sister who was there.   I think this is the only picture I have taken recently.  Other than a picture of an Elder who had surgery to fix his nose that was broken playing basketball, and even I don’t like to look at that!

 

I am busy as always – I have started to call all the Bishops in the mission to find more available doctors.  I have most of the numbers now, too.  I have a lot of text messages on the mission phone to get those numbers, so thanks to all the missionaries who have helped me in this. 

I will be coming home to attend Camden’s baptism this week, and getting to spend time with my family for a couple of days.  I have promised to make the recipe I copied from Dan’s copied recipe of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with my grandkids!  I will head back to continue the work here on Monday.

Nothing can be done about the timing, but my new companion is coming this Tuesday am, then, I will be at the mission office all day Wednesday, and then leave on Thursday around noon to fly to SLC.  Not exactly the best way to make your companion feel welcome!  It’s like “Hi!  Nice to meet you!  How are you?  See you next week! BYE!”  Too funny..
It’s time to get ready for company coming to watch conference.  Probably not a wise thing to still be in my pjs.

We've had Sister Morris leave; Easter dinner here; and cookies taken to many!  Lots of changes - lots of blessings!

I hope you all are well – I am doing SO WELL!  I just love it here – serving at the employment center and in the medical area as well!  Life is good – our Father loves each of us, and I’m so grateful to KNOW that and FEEL that!  Our Savior is helping me try to serve as He needs me to.  What a privilege!

I thank you all for you faith and thoughts and prayers in my behalf, and know they are working, and am always grateful for them.

My love to all – Sister Ure