September 23, 2012

 Seeing the date lets me know it is another “click” for us.  The missionaries call the day of the month they started their mission a “click” day when it comes around.  That is how they measure their mission time.  We have been out now for 5 months.  It really seems to have gone fast in some ways and slow in others.  Each week is always filled with things to do and there is usually never a dull moment, especially for President Stumm.

Today President Stumm spoke on adversity.  I had adversity this week when Rick cleared the camera of pictures not knowing they hadn’t been downloaded onto the computer.  At the last zone conference where Elder Carl B. Cook was in attendance we had our picture taken with him and his wife.  Elder Cook had also specifically asked Rick to sit next to him at lunch and of course I took a picture of it.  Those pictures were some of those that were cleared.  Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.  I mean, how many times do you get to have you picture taken with a General Authority…it was quite meaningful. I do have the memory and the entry in this journal but it still was a trial. I do have one last hope and that is that Elder Scicluna copied the photos off of our camera onto his hard drive.  However, my thought on adversity is that in the eternal perspective of things it just isn’t that big of a deal.  My eternal companions’ feelings are more important than a picture.  With that all in mind, if we don’t get the picture life will go on and be just fine.

A couple of days ago, Kara (Dixon) Houser emailed us wanting to use our mission story on the website  latterdaysentinel.com  in the September 20, 2012 issue.  We agreed and it was posted.  She did a really nice job .