First Week of Seminary

Us preparing for Seminary.  I was trying to capture all the papers everywhere, but it was tricky

This week has seemed like it has all been about getting ready for and teaching Seminary.  Monday we saw Gary - picked some dragon tongue and green beans.  They just keep growing and growing.  Then we saw the Smiths.  With things getting worse, we were wondering if they would like us to visit more often.  When we asked them that question, Richard’s response was, “I don’t know why you aren’t living here!”  We feel so loved and appreciated.  We’re so grateful to be helpful in some way.  

Our seminary set up, minus students.  We need to get permission from parents before posting their pictures.

We visited them again on Friday.  Their town has a 4 day school week, so they are off on Fridays.  The kids were at their grandparents in Arizona for 6 weeks, so we hadn’t been able to see them for a while.  On Friday, the lesson in seminary was from Matthew  11:28-30.  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  I felt inspired to share this same message with the Smiths - especially the children.  We started by talking about burdens or hard things they are going through.  2 out of the 3 said, “The stuff with our mom.”  Then we piled a book bag with heavy books, one for each of their burdens and asked one of them to carry it around.  Then I held up the back to lighten the load.  It was a good object lesson about burdens and Christ making our load lighter.  I encouraged them to do the things that will bring them closer to the Savior, this will help them feel His help and love and His desire and ability to lift their burdens.  It doesn’t mean our trials will be taken away.  But He can make them lighter and easier to bear.  

Then Walt came up with a great idea about comparing the box of Dots (candy) we were bringing the kids to something about the gospel.  He said the unwrapped box was like the scriptures.  Both have good things inside, things we will enjoy.  Neither can be enjoyed without opening it.  I thought it was really cool.  The kids enjoyed it too, as well as, the Dots.

We got home around 3 pm.  I was feeling like we had way too much time and no appointments.  It was totally filled up with preparing for seminary.  (This is scripture/bible study for high school students.  It starts at 6:45a.m. and ends at 7:30 a.m..  We have about 8 students).  Seminary starts on the first day of school; which was Wednesday.  There are lessons every week day.  That’s a lot of lessons.  Originally, it was just supposed to be me as the teacher.  My sweet husband, volunteered to help.  So he teaches Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I teach the rest.  Every time we were ready to teach, it made me even more grateful for his helping out.  

On our way at 6:30 am

There is a really unusual thing the schools do here.  In all the various school districts we have been in, this is a first.  They hold sports practices before school sometimes.  For some sports, all the time.  So the students in our seminary class that play sports can’t always come to class.  It causes quite a fluctuation in our attendance.  We have 8 students.  The first day, we had 5 attend.  Then the second day, we thought there might only be 1 or 2.  There were two students we weren’t sure were going to come this year.  Walt had prepared a great lesson and even a really cool video to go with it.  So at 7 pm the night before, we changed the plan.  We decided to make a memory game with the 10 scriptures they are to learn this semester.  We were printing, cutting, and laminating the rest of the night.  We ended up with 4 students (the other 2 will be coming after all).  We had snack size candy bars when they got a match.  They are all about food - especially candy.  It turned out really fun.

By Friday, I think everyone was tired.  The students were mostly awake, and we got home and were just feeling done.  We held out and didn’t take a nap though.  This is only with a three day week, next week should be even more fun- tiring.  I am sure we will get used to it.  We are feeling blessed by the time we get to spend reading and studying the scriptures.  This semester we are studying the four Gospels in the New Testament.  This week the focus is the role of the learner, gaining Spiritual Knowledge, and the importance of the Savior in our lives.  Next week we jump into the actual scriptures.  

Tuesday we had our District Council in Gillette and picking up our groceries at Walmart.  I love that pick up service.  It saves us so much time.  Then I froze green beans for Gary and make breakfast casseroles for our first day of seminary.  I wanted it to be a nice start for the first day of seminary and school.  I did let them know in advance so they would come hungry.  We went to bed earlier; not as early as we wanted but we need practice.  

This next few pictures are of missionaries in our district.  Every morning by 10 am, they are to send a selfie to show they are out of the house and doing what they came here to do.  Thought you'd enjoy seeing a few.

Elder Hamblin (District Leader) and Elder McColley

Elder Slesk (Zone Leader), Elder Gillian, Elder Liddiard, and ? (haven't met him yet)

Sister Fuhrman and Sister Smouse

So Wednesday was our first seminary lesson.  It went really well.  They loved having breakfast.  We put a table cloth and flowers on the table and tried to make it special.  I think they appreciated the effort.  Lunch was serving at the Sr Center.  They always have the best meal of the week on Wednesday because they have the Lions Club, visitors from one of the Senior homes, and other clubs there.  This time it was roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, salad and cinnamon roll cake.  Walt’s tray had no salad and two pieces of cake.  We were sent home with extra cake and roast beef.  We are so blessed for our service there.

Thursday was more lesson prep.  The evening events were some of our favorite.  Thursdays at 5 pm is the town Farmer’s Market.  It’s all about the fresh corn for us.  We do get other things depending on what’s available.  No cherry pie this week, but I bought some sweet rolls to support the girls HS swim team.  Two of our students are on the team and convinced me to help out.  I ended up bringing the rolls to seminary for the students on Friday.  We were running a little late for our next appointment of calling Bingo at the Manor.  Unfortunately, they had cancelled Bingo that night because they had an indoor BBQ for the residents and their families.  They forgot to let us know, so we showed up.  Most of the Bingo players were done with dinner and really wanted to go ahead and play.  They are serious about their Bingo.  The staff said No.   A couple of players were really upset and wanted us to go and set it up anyway.  I was in favor, but Walt said I should not cause trouble and start an uprising.  

Saturday, Walt worked on his talk for Sunday and I spent the first half cooking.  I made Brunswick stew for us - 8 quarts and some things for one of our Elder Kerr’s birthday on Sunday; turning 19.  Man, they send some of those guys out early.  He requested hamburgers and side dishes and his favorite dessert is cheesecake.  So I made potato salad and cheesecake on Saturday.  The afternoon was spent attending some training and then the evening finishing Walt’s talk and getting ready for Sunday.

Elder Kerr and Elder Leavitt
Our missionaries

Today, we brought Gary to church.  Walt had a talk, and was left with more time than he is used to.  He even started it saying that he is used to following me and then has to cut it short.  He did a great job.  I did feel bad that he pulled the wrong version out of his book bag.  He’ll write, print and then edit.  He didn’t realize there were two of them in his bag.  He made it work just fine. 

After church was our birthday get together with the Elders and Gary for Elder Kerr.  Elder Leavitt was so kind to cook the burgers.  The best part of that was I didn’t have any metal spatulas - only plastic.  Not the best for grilling.  I picked the worst one and just threw it away when he was done.  Guess we’ll need to pick up a metal one at the thrift store.  The meal and cheesecake were quite good.  We sent the leftover cheesecake with the birthday boy.   After dropping off Gary, we stopped by a members house in Upton.  The husband is actually the Branch President (like a Bishop but for a smaller congregation)  in Sundance; even though he lives in Upton.  They had no options from people in Sundance.  Their normal attendanceIt is about 30 people.  He wasn’t home, but we got to meet his wife.  

Elder Kerr (birthday boy) and Gary playing cards while lunch is being prepared.

Elder Leavitt slaving over the grill.  So grateful!

Getting reading to enjoy our cheesecake!

The rest of today will be spent finishing this email/blog, finishing up tomorrows seminary lesson and setting up the seminary room.  We put up the table and chairs each Sunday evening and take them down again on Friday after it’s over.  The Primary uses the room on Sundays. 

It sounds like we didn’t do much, but getting seminary lessons prepared and things organized takes a lot more time than I realized.  I know the first week or two is harder, just getting used to it and things all in order.  It should settle down after that.  It’s a whole new routine for us.  Now we have only Saturday that doesn’t require us to get up before 6:15. We slept in till 8 pm on Saturday - felt so good!  

Deer in our yard.  Mule Dear.  Then they ate my geranium!

We love you all and hope your week is a good one.