The hills and valleys are alive with wild flowers. Fuchia and white small lupins and pink clover. The birds chirp in their welcome of Spring and the grass along the boulevard where I walk to work is up to my hip bone. It is lovely and warm - today 30 degrees.
This past week we have had wonderful visit for several hours with Owen, he brought a disc of the family photos so we felt like we had a mini visit with the whole family. Saturday was the beginning of the Toronto "Doors Open" and the end of these city tours will be today at 5:00 p.m. Grant and I were there Saturday from 9:00 til 5:00 with a small display of the employment resource centre. By the end of today they will have had over 300 people come into the Ossington Chapel and tour the building. Mark Mabry from Arizona was here with his display of photography called "Reflections Of Christ". Very beautiful photos of real people in various depictions of the Saviours life. We took an hour off on Saturday and went to Castle Loma to tour that castle which is in the heart of Toronto. Quite magnificant in its day. A busy week but with the usual daily activities at the centre.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
May Sacrament talks
We have some events this weekend that we are looking forward to.
Firstly, we have been asked to put on a career workshop in the Osslington Chapel in mid-town Toronto. There are 20 job seekers signed up for the Friday evening and all day Saturday classes.
Sunday Grant and I have been asked to speak in the Young Single Adult Churchville Ward. Sunday evening we will be teaching the first of seven lessons on Temple Preparation to 5 members of our Etobicoke ward.
This evening some members of the Churchville ward are coming to tour our Employment Resource Centre and the Cannery. I plan to make a batch of cookies to share for both occassions.
Up to now I haven't written much spiritual but today I thought I would share with you mytalk.
THAT WE MAY SEE THE FACE OF THE SAVIOR
Who is Jesus Christ ? Who Is He? Do I know Him? Do I know who he is? How do I feel about Him? What has he done for me? What is He in relation to me? Can I see him? Where is He?
D&C 101.38 “Seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life”.
I quote Sister Cheryl C. Lant, past primary president, “Christ’s invitation to seek Him is an invitation to know who He is, what He has done for us, and what He has asked us to do. Coming to Christ, and eventually seeing His face, comes only as we draw close to Him through our faith and our actions. It comes through a lifetime of effort.”
Doctrine and Covenants 123:17 Christ says;”Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power.” Many of you have answered the call from the prophet to prepare yourselves from your youth to be worthy and financially able to give up all those wonderful activities of teen-hood, the sports, the family gatherings, the dances, the company of the opposite sex, the self indulgent pass times, and have committed yourselves to the full time service of bringing your brothers and sisters to Christ.
Knowing who Jesus Christ is, and what He has done for us is the beginning of Learning to love Him.
Eve possessed the spirit of Christ when she weekly drove to the acute-care hospital in Victoria, to bring John to her home, for an afternoon of nurturing. John could not speak, feed himself, walk or do anything other than sit in his giant electric chair and observe life around him. Eve would wrap her loving arms around John, give him kisses on his cheek and spoon feed him a home cooked meal. Wipe up the spilt food and drink from his chin. Eve truly loved as the Saviour loved. John was no relation to Eve, just one of Gods’ children who needed love. Eve taught me by her example.
We seek the face of the Lord when we support each other with kind acts and and words of encouragement . You know God loved us so much when he gave us free will to make choices in our life here on earth. Satan on the other hand, wanted full control over our choices. Many times in this life we make choices that aren’t very noble, choices that actually harm us or set us back in our journey to where we really want to be. Sis Ochinko tells us “When bad things happen, keep the lessons and throw away the experience.”
We seek the face of Christ when we sustain and support our church leaders. We sustain and uphold all the laws of the land, we pay an honest tithing. We are honest in our dealings with our fellow man, this also means our governments. We don’t try to cheat or get the better of anyone. We seek the face of Christ when we are available for our friends, our family, our callings in church and community.
To seek the face of Christ we must become worthy examples of his teachings. Vida and Kaare Gronnestad opened their home to a family of two parents, three teen age daughters and one large afghan hound. They gave the Raddicks a comfortable living for eleven months and in addition Kaare spent months working on the construction of the Raddick home. No money was every exchanged. How many lessons has he taught his children. How many lessons have they taught me and all others who knew the circumstances?
To see the face of the Lord we submit our will to His will , we humble ourselves to follow the teachings of Christ. Elders and sisters, God told Adam and Eve to take care of the good earth, to multiply and replentish it by marrying and having children, and he hasn’t recinded that commandment. It means humbling ourselves and extending ourselves to show our love of the Lord by believing in Him and having faith in Him and following His counsel.
We know that the only best way to feel close of God the Father and Jesus Christ on a daily basis is to be in communication with them through prayer, through reading their words to us and through following their council. When we follow the example of Jesus and are baptised into his Church, when we take out our temple endowments,and attend the temple often when we live our lives worthy of Gods choicest blessings, we draw nearer to seeing the face of Jesus. Dana was a young single adult who attended the Edmonton temple regularly , it wasn’t long until she was asked to become a temple worker. Dana told us that it was the most joyful rewarding experience she had ever had. Just two weeks ago Dana was married in the Edmonton temple, following the commandments of the Lord. I am confident that she will continue to keep Gods commandments to multiply and replentish the earth.
Elder Marvin J Ashton states: “Joshua reminds us of the importance of making decisions promptly: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve;… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). Not tomorrow, not when we get ready, not when it is convenient – but “this day”, straightway, choose whom you will serve. He who invites us to follow will always be out in front of us with His Spirit and influence setting the pace. He has charted and marked the course, opened the gates, and shown the way. He has invited us to come unto Him, and the best time to enjoy His companionship is straightway. We can best get on the course and stay on the course by doing as Jesus did – make a total commitment to do the will of His Father.” ( Ensign, May 1983, 30-31)
3Nephi Ch 5:1 The armies of Gadianton and later Zemnarihah had come upon the Nephites in blood dipped clothing, shaved heads and fierce intent to inilate the Nephite population. Nephi ch 4: 8, “And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.” A bloody battle ensued with the Nephites being the conquerors. Ch 4: 30And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection.” Vs: 33, And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies, and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered---
Ch 5: :1, And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled. “
Today, right here, right now, we have no need to doubt the words of the prophets about the reality of us being in the presence of God, of seeing the face of Jesus and rejoicing in the warmth of his embrace.
May 1983, 30-31)Elder Ezra Taft Benson said that two principles are essential for security and peace:
“First, trust in God;
Second, a determination to keep the commandments, to serve the Lord, to do that which is right…
The Lord has made it very clear in the revelations that even though times become perilous, even though we be surrounded by temptation and sin, even though there be a feeling of insecurity, even though men’s hearts may fail them and anxiety fill their souls, if we only trust in God and keep his commandments we need have no fear.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1950, 146)
Brothers and Sisters – God is pleased with EVERY effort we make. You have a life time ahead of you and it will take a lifetime of experiences, faith and selfless service to eventually see the face of Christ. But - you know what? It will all be well worth it…
The miracle of Jesus Christ is His power to transform us, to change us, to make us better.
Christ accepts our offering, even when it is not our ALL.
May the blessings of Heaven be upon you as you go forward making your very special and very unique mark in this one precious life. It is yours, use it wisely and as you follow the plan God has for his children you will have an abundant living experience here in mortality.
I bear testimony to you that this is the ONLY way safely and for sure, back to seeing the face of Christ and dwelling in His presence forever. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sacrament meeting is over and I think our talks were well received. They are so very quiet and still in the young singles ward. A member of the bishopric gave me the names of two companions from Magrath that he had while serving as a missionary. Grant gave a good talk on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and he told of the experience of his grandmother who lived in Chemnitz, Germany giving the missionaries room and board, and of her family joining the church and then introducing the missionaries to four other families from the same apartment building. He told of the priesthood blessings he was given when he was shot in the hip at the age of 13. We both bore testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in his true church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days saints.
This evening we look forward to teaching and learning in the Temple Preparation Class.
It is a beautifully warm day here and soon I am going for a walk. Enjoy this beautiful day. Elaine
Firstly, we have been asked to put on a career workshop in the Osslington Chapel in mid-town Toronto. There are 20 job seekers signed up for the Friday evening and all day Saturday classes.
Sunday Grant and I have been asked to speak in the Young Single Adult Churchville Ward. Sunday evening we will be teaching the first of seven lessons on Temple Preparation to 5 members of our Etobicoke ward.
This evening some members of the Churchville ward are coming to tour our Employment Resource Centre and the Cannery. I plan to make a batch of cookies to share for both occassions.
Up to now I haven't written much spiritual but today I thought I would share with you mytalk.
THAT WE MAY SEE THE FACE OF THE SAVIOR
Who is Jesus Christ ? Who Is He? Do I know Him? Do I know who he is? How do I feel about Him? What has he done for me? What is He in relation to me? Can I see him? Where is He?
D&C 101.38 “Seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life”.
I quote Sister Cheryl C. Lant, past primary president, “Christ’s invitation to seek Him is an invitation to know who He is, what He has done for us, and what He has asked us to do. Coming to Christ, and eventually seeing His face, comes only as we draw close to Him through our faith and our actions. It comes through a lifetime of effort.”
Doctrine and Covenants 123:17 Christ says;”Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power.” Many of you have answered the call from the prophet to prepare yourselves from your youth to be worthy and financially able to give up all those wonderful activities of teen-hood, the sports, the family gatherings, the dances, the company of the opposite sex, the self indulgent pass times, and have committed yourselves to the full time service of bringing your brothers and sisters to Christ.
Knowing who Jesus Christ is, and what He has done for us is the beginning of Learning to love Him.
Eve possessed the spirit of Christ when she weekly drove to the acute-care hospital in Victoria, to bring John to her home, for an afternoon of nurturing. John could not speak, feed himself, walk or do anything other than sit in his giant electric chair and observe life around him. Eve would wrap her loving arms around John, give him kisses on his cheek and spoon feed him a home cooked meal. Wipe up the spilt food and drink from his chin. Eve truly loved as the Saviour loved. John was no relation to Eve, just one of Gods’ children who needed love. Eve taught me by her example.
We seek the face of the Lord when we support each other with kind acts and and words of encouragement . You know God loved us so much when he gave us free will to make choices in our life here on earth. Satan on the other hand, wanted full control over our choices. Many times in this life we make choices that aren’t very noble, choices that actually harm us or set us back in our journey to where we really want to be. Sis Ochinko tells us “When bad things happen, keep the lessons and throw away the experience.”
We seek the face of Christ when we sustain and support our church leaders. We sustain and uphold all the laws of the land, we pay an honest tithing. We are honest in our dealings with our fellow man, this also means our governments. We don’t try to cheat or get the better of anyone. We seek the face of Christ when we are available for our friends, our family, our callings in church and community.
To seek the face of Christ we must become worthy examples of his teachings. Vida and Kaare Gronnestad opened their home to a family of two parents, three teen age daughters and one large afghan hound. They gave the Raddicks a comfortable living for eleven months and in addition Kaare spent months working on the construction of the Raddick home. No money was every exchanged. How many lessons has he taught his children. How many lessons have they taught me and all others who knew the circumstances?
To see the face of the Lord we submit our will to His will , we humble ourselves to follow the teachings of Christ. Elders and sisters, God told Adam and Eve to take care of the good earth, to multiply and replentish it by marrying and having children, and he hasn’t recinded that commandment. It means humbling ourselves and extending ourselves to show our love of the Lord by believing in Him and having faith in Him and following His counsel.
We know that the only best way to feel close of God the Father and Jesus Christ on a daily basis is to be in communication with them through prayer, through reading their words to us and through following their council. When we follow the example of Jesus and are baptised into his Church, when we take out our temple endowments,and attend the temple often when we live our lives worthy of Gods choicest blessings, we draw nearer to seeing the face of Jesus. Dana was a young single adult who attended the Edmonton temple regularly , it wasn’t long until she was asked to become a temple worker. Dana told us that it was the most joyful rewarding experience she had ever had. Just two weeks ago Dana was married in the Edmonton temple, following the commandments of the Lord. I am confident that she will continue to keep Gods commandments to multiply and replentish the earth.
Elder Marvin J Ashton states: “Joshua reminds us of the importance of making decisions promptly: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve;… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). Not tomorrow, not when we get ready, not when it is convenient – but “this day”, straightway, choose whom you will serve. He who invites us to follow will always be out in front of us with His Spirit and influence setting the pace. He has charted and marked the course, opened the gates, and shown the way. He has invited us to come unto Him, and the best time to enjoy His companionship is straightway. We can best get on the course and stay on the course by doing as Jesus did – make a total commitment to do the will of His Father.” ( Ensign, May 1983, 30-31)
3Nephi Ch 5:1 The armies of Gadianton and later Zemnarihah had come upon the Nephites in blood dipped clothing, shaved heads and fierce intent to inilate the Nephite population. Nephi ch 4: 8, “And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.” A bloody battle ensued with the Nephites being the conquerors. Ch 4: 30And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection.” Vs: 33, And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies, and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered---
Ch 5: :1, And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled. “
Today, right here, right now, we have no need to doubt the words of the prophets about the reality of us being in the presence of God, of seeing the face of Jesus and rejoicing in the warmth of his embrace.
May 1983, 30-31)Elder Ezra Taft Benson said that two principles are essential for security and peace:
“First, trust in God;
Second, a determination to keep the commandments, to serve the Lord, to do that which is right…
The Lord has made it very clear in the revelations that even though times become perilous, even though we be surrounded by temptation and sin, even though there be a feeling of insecurity, even though men’s hearts may fail them and anxiety fill their souls, if we only trust in God and keep his commandments we need have no fear.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1950, 146)
Brothers and Sisters – God is pleased with EVERY effort we make. You have a life time ahead of you and it will take a lifetime of experiences, faith and selfless service to eventually see the face of Christ. But - you know what? It will all be well worth it…
The miracle of Jesus Christ is His power to transform us, to change us, to make us better.
Christ accepts our offering, even when it is not our ALL.
May the blessings of Heaven be upon you as you go forward making your very special and very unique mark in this one precious life. It is yours, use it wisely and as you follow the plan God has for his children you will have an abundant living experience here in mortality.
I bear testimony to you that this is the ONLY way safely and for sure, back to seeing the face of Christ and dwelling in His presence forever. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sacrament meeting is over and I think our talks were well received. They are so very quiet and still in the young singles ward. A member of the bishopric gave me the names of two companions from Magrath that he had while serving as a missionary. Grant gave a good talk on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and he told of the experience of his grandmother who lived in Chemnitz, Germany giving the missionaries room and board, and of her family joining the church and then introducing the missionaries to four other families from the same apartment building. He told of the priesthood blessings he was given when he was shot in the hip at the age of 13. We both bore testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in his true church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days saints.
This evening we look forward to teaching and learning in the Temple Preparation Class.
It is a beautifully warm day here and soon I am going for a walk. Enjoy this beautiful day. Elaine
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
May 11, 2010 Yellow canaries and brown groundhogs
I had mentioned that the main road that is just one block south from our apartment building and along the 6 lane road,(Rexdale Blvd.) for two klms and one block south is where we spend most of our days at the Employment Resource Centre. There opens to my vision a new window of wonder on my walk to work in the mornings or coming from work home in the evenings. Today on my way to the employment centre as I walked past a lone grape vine clinging to the fence that enclosed the Humberwood Parkland and Humberwood river, two beautiful yellow cannaries flew just over my head. I turned to watch as they darted up higher and higher until I could see them no more. The wind was raw today and I clutched at my coat to keep it closed around my legs. On this roadway, Rexdale Blvd, is a small cemetary with 30 headstones, the plaque reads" Sharon United Church from the Primitave Methodist Church - 1800's" The cemetary is enclosed within an iron fence and surrounded on the north west side by many purple and one white lilac bushs- today in full bloom. I pictured in my mind a time long ago when this Rexdale Blvd was perhaps a one lane road and the little church on the hill would have been in quiet company with nature. Set up on a high bank with the Humber River flowing below. Today this tiny bit of long ago is surrounded by automobiles, transport trucks, fire trucks and all manner of transportation, all rushing east and west to join the major freeways not far from here. Often on my way to the office there are elderly men from India or Pakistan riding their bicycles to the Casino at Woodbine Rack Track.
A fat brown groundhog was on the knoll of the hill in front of the Comfort Hotel, he or she had many entrances dug to his abode. A small brown rabbit hid in the wild parkland of Humberwood and two large canadian geese were eating the puff balls of the dandelions on the bulevard in front of the Woodbind Shopping Centre. Life is never dull, never stands still and always an expression of wonder from our Father in Heaven. We are twice blessed. Hi Mom and Marion
I had mentioned that the main road that is just one block south from our apartment building and along the 6 lane road,(Rexdale Blvd.) for two klms and one block south is where we spend most of our days at the Employment Resource Centre. There opens to my vision a new window of wonder on my walk to work in the mornings or coming from work home in the evenings. Today on my way to the employment centre as I walked past a lone grape vine clinging to the fence that enclosed the Humberwood Parkland and Humberwood river, two beautiful yellow cannaries flew just over my head. I turned to watch as they darted up higher and higher until I could see them no more. The wind was raw today and I clutched at my coat to keep it closed around my legs. On this roadway, Rexdale Blvd, is a small cemetary with 30 headstones, the plaque reads" Sharon United Church from the Primitave Methodist Church - 1800's" The cemetary is enclosed within an iron fence and surrounded on the north west side by many purple and one white lilac bushs- today in full bloom. I pictured in my mind a time long ago when this Rexdale Blvd was perhaps a one lane road and the little church on the hill would have been in quiet company with nature. Set up on a high bank with the Humber River flowing below. Today this tiny bit of long ago is surrounded by automobiles, transport trucks, fire trucks and all manner of transportation, all rushing east and west to join the major freeways not far from here. Often on my way to the office there are elderly men from India or Pakistan riding their bicycles to the Casino at Woodbine Rack Track.
A fat brown groundhog was on the knoll of the hill in front of the Comfort Hotel, he or she had many entrances dug to his abode. A small brown rabbit hid in the wild parkland of Humberwood and two large canadian geese were eating the puff balls of the dandelions on the bulevard in front of the Woodbind Shopping Centre. Life is never dull, never stands still and always an expression of wonder from our Father in Heaven. We are twice blessed. Hi Mom and Marion
Friday, May 7, 2010
May 7, 2010, Blossoming trees, groundhogs and robins
It has been suggested to us that we attend several "Job Fairs" this is where potential employers display information about their company and job seekers make application for a position or merely turn in their resume. We had decided to attend one such job fair. This particular one was right downtown Toronto - in what was named "Cabbage Town". The Job Fair was a bit of a fizzle with only one company represented and there must have been 50 people filling out applications and waiting for an interview. But Cabbage Town was a delightful experience. Once the slum of Toronto where the poor emigrants lived in shantys and raised cabbages in their front yards but what are now more stately brick homes, many being refurbished. The narrow streets were lined with maple, magnolia, and flowering plum trees. Each street adjoining Parliament street - the main street - bekoned the curious to walk a bit. I did just that while Grant waited on the corner of Parliament Street. We came upon the most delicious bakery and I will absolutely HAVE TO GO THERE AGAIN. We bought a type of a bread dough crossant that was filled with chocolate. It was delicious! Further down the street was a creamery and here Grant treated himself to a moose-tracks-ice-cream-cone. The sunshine was radiant and there was no wind. Another lovely surprise experience.
Sunday we had contacted the bishops of three wards in London, met with two of them and one bishops councellor, set a date to return in June to speak to Relief Society and Priesthood regarding the resources at the employment centre and encouraged them to be holding career workshops. I knew before hand that one of the councellors in the London 1st ward was a man by the name of Michael Bridge. When I shook his hand and told him that my name was Elaine BRIDGE Harker Fisher Gehmlich and that we were probably not related but ask him to tell me about his grandfather Bridge. He said he didn't know much about the Bridge-side of the family as his association was more with the Dudleys - which his grandmother was. I told about my grandfather coming up from Utah as a young man and that his father came from England to the U.S. He said, so did mine. I ask him who his father was and when he told me Grayden Bridge, I laughed and told him that I was a babysitter of him when he was first born and that he is my first cousin. What a small world. Michael John Bridge works for the church education system and is assigned to the London area over seminaries and institutes.
The next surprise was when we arrived at the home where we were to have dinner, one of Grant's friends from Sherwood Park, Judd Bunnage, I realized that his wife had been my neighbour growing up in Magrath and that I had also been her babysitter. Linda Blumell Bunnage. Another lovely experience visiting with them and their children Richard and Kelly Bunnage and their children. Judd had made sweet and sour pork ribs - and were they delicious. Finger licking good!
You may think that we never work but in fact we held our third career workshop here Tuesday and Wednesday then attended a networking meeting in Toronto Wednesday evening.
The Bishops storehouse is in this same building. Every Monday and Tuesday it is a beehive of activity with orders of food going out from Ontario to British Columbia. The current managers are being released and new ones taking over in July and as I have told them I am a secretary - I was asked if I would take care of the invoices. I am looking forward to doing this task as well. We are getting more appointments to speak in wards and are offering to take our career workshop from this office to the areas where the ward and stake employment specialists are not able to conduct them. Also, the Bishop of the Etobicoke Ward - we live in this boundry - has asked that we teach the temple preparation class. We are excited about doing this as well.
Brother Eversure, a high councellor came over last week and ask if we would work with the list of inactive young adults and offer them a welcome and become a contact with someone here in the Etobicoke ward.
Two more wonderful things happened this week. Firstly Owen emailed to say he would be here the last week in May and maybe even Jennifer will come as well. I am jumping with joy!
Yesterday I received a mothers' day card from Michelle- which I haven't opened yet - and a delivery brought a beautiful boquet of iris and tulips from David and Thao. I am a blessed lady. Grant and I went to the temple last night, the first time since it reopened after having beautiful new granite tile and patterned carpet layed in the foyer.
This weekend - beginning this evening - is Time Out For Women - I have purchased tickets and will take a newly baptised member of the church with me as well we will meet the other senior sisters from this mission. This will be my first experience going to this activity.
The Etobicoke Ward members had never made a 72 hour kit so that is next on my list of things to be involved in. Envolvement I like. Bye for now Elaine
Sunday we had contacted the bishops of three wards in London, met with two of them and one bishops councellor, set a date to return in June to speak to Relief Society and Priesthood regarding the resources at the employment centre and encouraged them to be holding career workshops. I knew before hand that one of the councellors in the London 1st ward was a man by the name of Michael Bridge. When I shook his hand and told him that my name was Elaine BRIDGE Harker Fisher Gehmlich and that we were probably not related but ask him to tell me about his grandfather Bridge. He said he didn't know much about the Bridge-side of the family as his association was more with the Dudleys - which his grandmother was. I told about my grandfather coming up from Utah as a young man and that his father came from England to the U.S. He said, so did mine. I ask him who his father was and when he told me Grayden Bridge, I laughed and told him that I was a babysitter of him when he was first born and that he is my first cousin. What a small world. Michael John Bridge works for the church education system and is assigned to the London area over seminaries and institutes.
The next surprise was when we arrived at the home where we were to have dinner, one of Grant's friends from Sherwood Park, Judd Bunnage, I realized that his wife had been my neighbour growing up in Magrath and that I had also been her babysitter. Linda Blumell Bunnage. Another lovely experience visiting with them and their children Richard and Kelly Bunnage and their children. Judd had made sweet and sour pork ribs - and were they delicious. Finger licking good!
You may think that we never work but in fact we held our third career workshop here Tuesday and Wednesday then attended a networking meeting in Toronto Wednesday evening.
The Bishops storehouse is in this same building. Every Monday and Tuesday it is a beehive of activity with orders of food going out from Ontario to British Columbia. The current managers are being released and new ones taking over in July and as I have told them I am a secretary - I was asked if I would take care of the invoices. I am looking forward to doing this task as well. We are getting more appointments to speak in wards and are offering to take our career workshop from this office to the areas where the ward and stake employment specialists are not able to conduct them. Also, the Bishop of the Etobicoke Ward - we live in this boundry - has asked that we teach the temple preparation class. We are excited about doing this as well.
Brother Eversure, a high councellor came over last week and ask if we would work with the list of inactive young adults and offer them a welcome and become a contact with someone here in the Etobicoke ward.
Two more wonderful things happened this week. Firstly Owen emailed to say he would be here the last week in May and maybe even Jennifer will come as well. I am jumping with joy!
Yesterday I received a mothers' day card from Michelle- which I haven't opened yet - and a delivery brought a beautiful boquet of iris and tulips from David and Thao. I am a blessed lady. Grant and I went to the temple last night, the first time since it reopened after having beautiful new granite tile and patterned carpet layed in the foyer.
This weekend - beginning this evening - is Time Out For Women - I have purchased tickets and will take a newly baptised member of the church with me as well we will meet the other senior sisters from this mission. This will be my first experience going to this activity.
The Etobicoke Ward members had never made a 72 hour kit so that is next on my list of things to be involved in. Envolvement I like. Bye for now Elaine
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