TRADITION

Following the Tradition of our sons

Like this one better!

 Several days past by before we realized we had not taken a picture in front of "the map".  We were either dazed, lost, or too tired to notice.  It finally happened and surprisingly it felt really cool! There were so many moments while at the MTC that caused us to think and wonder about the adventures of our sons.  We'd see a young elder that looked like one of our sons/grandsons and we'd get excited all over again.  Guess our family is always on our thoughts no matter the activity.  We so love our families!!!!

MTC Flashback!

MTC District with Bro. Wood III, Preach My Gospel Instructor

MTC District

Our apologies for rambling but there's more we'd like to share about our experience at the Provo MTC.  On day two, Elder Sturgis had an uncomfortable feeling while in our first meeting of the day which was really the Spirit trying to let him know he would be called to serve as a District leader. Sister Price, Sister Lueders, and Elder & Sister Faulconer were in our district.  We stayed together as a group the whole time we were at the MTC.  The sisters left after the first week to labor as Women's Auxillary Specialists in Independence, Missouri along with two other sisters. Elder & Sister Faulconer were called to serve Member/Leadership Support missionaries in Florida.  There are so many tender mercies we are blessed with as members of the only true church but for the moment we are grateful for the tender mercy of meeting fellow saints and becoming friends in a relatively short time.  Elder Sturgis was a great DL as he offered and gave blessings to the sisters and assisted the Faulconers with unpacking and repacking their Honda Odyssey prior to their leaving for Florida as they were both recovering from illness.  The opportunities for service are all around us in so many small ways.  If we are diligent, we will recognize and act upon those opportunities.  How grateful we are for tender mercies.

Senior Missionaries at Work

Sister Guest & Sam her Green Beret son

Today we spent a couple of hours at the hospital with Sister Guest and Sam visiting with them while they waited the long hours while Brother Guest (non-member) was having triple bypass surgery. The Guests were visiting their daughter, Marie, whose husband is a Lieutenant in the army and will be deployed to Afghanistan (12/10) to train the Afghanistan soldiers; when Mr. Guest had a heart attack which lead to the surgery.  Our job (should we be up to accepting it) is to help Marie and her nonmember spouse come unto Christ.  Sam will be going back to his unit in Florida in a few days and we will contact the senior missionaries there to help him return to the fold.  The good news was the surgery was successful.  We will continue checking on his recovery.  

Michelle at Institute-all decorated for Christmas

FHE at Institute Bldg at UTEP after a flour activity out of control!

New powder? or hazards of activity!

Singles Ward Mission Leader...another casualty of the activity!!

We topped off the evening by attending FHE at the Singles Ward at the University of Texas at El Paso which is held each Tuesday after Institute class. Many single military personnel attend FHE and this gives us opportunity to get to know them and help find those in need of spiritual strengthening.  This military relations mission is getting complicated.  So what's new?  Not much since life is complicated.

Official Team Members

Yes, we have it in print, we are officially members of the New Mexico Albuquerque Mission.  You can see by the picture.  This is our zone, with President and Sister Miller and Elder and Sister Johnson, visiting general authority of the seventy.  This was our first zone conference and there were three zones in attendance.  I was difficult being a missionary because my heart went out to the sisters in the kitchen that prepared a wonderful lunch for all 70 missionaries and the leadership.  It felt my place was to be helping serve.  The conference was wonderful.  We were taught how to be better missionaries and spiritually uplifted!!  We review our notes but it all came back to our memory when we received the picture in our email.  Naturally, we had to post it!!

Welcome, Welcome Sabbath Morning!

Soldiers & Senior Missionaries fellowship after Sacrament Mtg

Bro. Sanchez, Josh Pichardo, & Bro. Flores - provided sacrament & goodies

Everyone having a good time!!!

This title has taken on new meaning as yesterday, November 25th our Sabbath day began with a 8:30 am sacrament meeting, followed by a 10:20 am sacrament meeting with a ward council meeting included.  We then attended a 1:00 pm full block of meetings.  To keep up our strength, we managed a quick snack and off we went to a 7:00 pm sacrament meeting at the McGregor Chapel at Fort Bliss.  This has become one of our favorite Sunday activities as we get to meet the young soldiers from the National Guard that are sent to Fort Bliss for training prior to deployment to Afghanistan.  Several wards in the two stakes in El Paso take turns providing priesthood to administer the sacrament to these soldiers and speakers for the sacrament meeting as well as light refreshments.  We have been blessed to have two LDS Chaplains attend some of these meetings.  The Holy Ghost has always been present at these sacrament meetings.  We truly feel grateful to these young soldiers for their willingness to serve.  Then we think of the many other soldiers that are serving and have sacrificed all for us.  We've attached a couple of pictures of just one of these meetings.

Learn and Then Teach

Just when you think you know it all, you learn more.  That is how it was at the MTC for the remaining 11 days we were there.  Our graduate missionary instructors, Sister Reese and Brother Wood III were awesome as they patiently instructed and taught us how to allow the Spirit to teach those we would come in contact with.  With half day preparation we then were allowed to teach an investigator.  We have testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ; we've taught many lessons in our lifetimes; we've reared children; so why was this so overwhelming?  What a wonderful reality to find; the Holy Ghost does come to our aid when we are prepared.  Now we knew this for ourselves as we found ourselves speaking with boldness and bearing witness of the truth.

Feeling somewhat confident, they move us quickly along to CES and instructors of Seminaries and Institute who once again taught us more that we did  not know.  Bob started carrying three handkerchiefs instead of two because I could not stop crying as we felt the power of the Holy Ghost in all their instruction.  Next comes putting into practice what we had been taught.  But wait, there is more!

Time to begin learning about being Military Relations Specialists and this was even more we did not know.

On the 9^th of November we woke early as usual to travel to our last 4 hours of Military Relations training at the LDS Church Office Building in Salt Lake City.  What did we find as we left the MTC? SNOW!!! We drove to SLC in a snow storm and prayed all the way (Bob more than I and I believe you all know why).  We arrived safely and upon completion of our training we were treated to lunch and sent on our way.  New Mexico Albuquerque Mission Home here we come!!!

Called To Serve and Loving It

Our service began with a short vacation prior to entering the MTC on 29 October 2012 at 10:00 a.m. We visited with Rachel, Cory and Tommy then on to Idaho to visit with some of Bob's family namely, Kristin and Allen; Paige and Jeff and their six sons, Tyler, Bryce, Dylan, Hayden, McKay and Payson.  We had a wonderful time strengthening family ties.

Entering the Provo MTC was so awesome and breathtaking.  We both had tears in our eyes when our missionary "black name tags" were placed on our lapels.  Bob's thoughts were of his son, Michael Robert Sturgis who some 29 years prior had received his "black name tag", then his thoughts immediately moved to his grandsons, Christopher Kuchin, Tyler Howard, Adam Kuchin, Bryce Howard, and Andrew Wilson who all honorably received and wore their "black name tags".  Bob's thoughts were, " What a legacy to follow and oh what giant footsteps to fill."

My thoughts were very similar as I could see in my mind's eye each of my sons, Adrian Anguiano, Trevor Jan, Heath Alan, Spencer Ryan and Jonathan Silas Bradshaw receiving their missionary "black name tags".  A small act but a monumental responsibility to take upon us the labor of love to willingly serve our Lord, Jesus Christ and tell the world of his love for them.  

Thinking this was the climax but it was just the beginning of many more climaxes along our way.