2012 August Newsletter Article

We have been traveling the past three weeks from our apartment in Niles, Ohio to Chardon, Ohio. Chardon is the county seat for Geauga County. It takes approximately one hour each way and so when we return home we are tired for the day. The working conditions in Chardon are wonderful. All brand-new buildings, well lit, air-conditioned and very comfortable. We thought when we arrived that we were going to do approximately 5 to 7 books total. The first day we found out we had three weeks of work at about 2-3 books per day. But it was great and the people there are wonderful. While we were there we met two sets of sister missionaries that work in Chardon part-time and then the Historic Kirtland Visitor Center during the rest of the week. We had the opportunity to take the sister missionaries out for lunch. They are wonderful sisters. One of them is from the Isle of Man. Look it up and see where it is found. The work we did for Stark County was Coroners reports from the 80s. We could feel their family’s heartbreaks as we read through them to find the information we needed. We are so grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit with us to feel compassion for one another. An interesting bit of information about Geauga County in Ohio is that Kirtland was in Geauga County in the 1800s when our church was there. We got to look through the original records in the Archives to find the Marriage License of Brigham Young when he married Mary Angel, his second wife. He and Sidney Rigdon signed it.

 One of our responsibilities here in the mission is to inspect three missionary apartments. They are nice and have what they need. The Elders are really pretty good housekeepers. Their apartments are clean and well-organized.

 On 24 July we had a picnic in Kirtland where they cooked hamburgers and hotdogs and all the fixings. The young sisters did a Pioneer Day presentation and involved all of us in the fun. That same day we had our first interview with our new mission president, President Vellinga. He is a wonderful man. The missionaries love him and we do too. We felt very inspired by his message and look forward to continuing our work here in Warren, Ohio. 

The eight-year-old daughter of the family we have Family Home Evening with was baptized July 8th. We think the entire ward stayed after the block meetings to witness the baptism and confirmation. Elder Carmack felt very privileged to be asked by the father to stand in the circle of the confirmation. There was a wonderful spirit present and it was a beautiful event. We love to have family home evening with this family. 

We are getting a little better at doing our work in the archives. Last week we did over 7000 pictures. We are not the fastest or the best, by any means, but we are steady in the Lord’s work and feel so grateful to serve a mission and have the opportunity to learn this great work. We love our mission and we love all of you.

FHE

Family Home Evening this week was on Alma 39. The choices we make can lead to Eternal Life together as a family. The Object lesson was with popcorn. We are like the popcorn kernel when we sin or disobey. We are living with our sins inside a hard shell until we repent and we "pop" open and become all that Heavenly Father meant us to be. We love our Focus Family.

Chardon Ohio Sister Missionaries

We found a new restaurant that we like. El Patron Mexican Restaurant in Chardon, Ohio. The Chardon sister missionaries liked it too. Sister Poppleton is from Carlsbad, California. Sister Ellsworth is from Carey, Idaho. Sister Johnson is from Southern California. Sister Christian is from the Isle of Man that is between the United Kingdom and Ireland. We had a good time getting to know them a little better. They are great missionaries.

Sisters Poppleton and Ellsworth

and Sisters Johnson and Christian

Amish Hay Stacks

It is time to get the hay in for the livestock for the winter. The Amish have a very strong work ethic.

Amish Produce Stand

The Amish are wonderful trusting people. We stopped at the produce stand for some sweet corn. We picked up our corn, put the money in the green box on the pole in the middle of the building, no attendant.

Mike Tyson's Estate in Southington, OH

Ohio Strawberry Box

Lake Erie

Lake Erie July 24th. The wind was blowing so the waves were alot higher.

Kirtland Isaac Morley Farm

We had a senior couple missionaries get together on Pioneer Day at the Isaac Morley Farm in Kirtland. Beautiful! The young sister missionaries were there and presented a cute activity with a game like charades and volunteers or (assigned) volunteers were the players in the skits. We guessed the names of the pioneer people in Kirtland history the skits were about. Really fun activity. The young sisters also sang the Ohio Cleveland Mission song to us. We had our first interview with our new Mission President and he made us feel so good about ourselves and our mission. He is truly called by the Lord to the Ohio Cleveland Mission. We love our mission presidents.

FHE

We love our FHE with our Focus Family. The father of the family has been choosing the topic from the commandments and this week he chose envy. The commandment was "Thou shalt not covet..." The scripture was 2 Nephi 26:32. The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20. We had a discussion with the family with many examples they came up with about envy. There is a birthday in their family this week so we had a birthday party with cake and ice cream. So fun. We love our FHE family.

Amish Barn Raising

A little bit of Amish craftmanship on new building going up. We will get pictures as time goes by.

Homemade Ice Cream

Every Thursday night on the way home from work we stop at Katie's Corner for homemade ice cream.We are trying to sample every flavor before the end of the year. The shop is open year-round. Great flavor. Maybe we will have sampled every flavor by the time we leave!!

Organic Produce

We stoped on way home from Chardon, Ohio at an Amish farm for veggies. The first time the husband was very quiet. They recognized us the second time we came in and were much friendlier. Onions and tomatoes were on the menu the night we stopped.

The farmer called the onions "candy onions" but they were hotter than the 4th of July. Soaked them in vinegar to tone them down. Delicious!!!

FHE This Week

Family Home Evening this week was on honoring thy father and thy mother. 1 Nephi 17:55 and Exodus 20. We told a story out of the Friend about a young boy who was so excited to go on his backpacking trip after school was out for the summer, he didn't listen to his mother when she told him to pack things like a flashlight and a whistle for safety. Cute story. Then we sang "The Family Is Of God" The elementary age girls did a matching activity with counsel from President Monson about untangling our feelings. We love our FHE family.

Geauga County Archive and Records Center

Front Lobby

Reading Room

Archivist

Processing

Micrographic Specialist

Archive Records Clerk

Microfilming

Archives II

Archives I

Storage (Long Term)

Disposal Garage

Director's Office

Lake Erie

Baptism Sunday

We had a beautiful baptism Sunday. One of the 8-year-olds decided to be baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Elder Carmack was asked to participate in the Priesthood group to do the confirmation and Sister Carmack was asked to lead the music. It was a great honor to be asked by the father to participate. This is the family we have been having FHE with on Monday nights. The older daughter was there with her boyfriend who is not a member. There was a good friend there who has been inactive for several years. We are so grateful for the special renewing Spirit a baptism brings to a Ward. There were several members there and we filled the Relief Society Room to overflowing. It was a very special day.

Standards of Excellence in the Ohio Cleveland Mission

Baptize Monthly
Teach 20 Lessons Every Week
Teach 8 Lessons To Investigators With A Member Present
Bring All Investigators With a Baptismal Date to Sacrament Meeting Every Week
Find 2 New Investigators Every Week
Teach 4 Lessons To Members Every Week
Keep The Morning Schedule 100% Everyday
Receive 4 Referrals Every Week

Nap Time In Idaho

We love to watch our little angels sleep. We are reminded how precious they are.

Sleeping Like A "Sir" In Idaho

Farming the Amish Way

Ohio Cleveland Mission Song

The words to this song for verses 2 and 3 were written by a missionary in the Ohio Cleveland Mission. The music used for the song is from the Children's Songbook Page 172, "We'll Bring the World His Truth"

We have been called, and we will obey,
Repent and work with our might each day.
We'll call on Him, through fasting and prayer,
Then with His help we will BE PREPARED.
We are in the Ohio Cleveland.
We have prepared since our youth.
And we are in the Ohio Cleveland,
To bring Ohio His truth.

We have been called to serve in the place;
Where Christ our Savior has shown His face.
We know the words the Lord has proclaimed,
"Kirtland will be built up again."
We are in the Ohio Cleveland.
We have prepared since our youth.
And we are in the Ohio Cleveland,
To bring Ohio His truth -
to bring Ohio His truth.

New Mission President

Elders and Sisters from Akron and surrounding area wait for arrival of new Ohio, Cleveland Mision President.