Long days and nights!

Computer All Day Makes For Burning Eyes

So much to figure out in the office makes for very long days. There are BIG elements to this funny picture.

Zoom in a little: it's almost MI MIdnight


And to explain the sunglasses, I do occasionally have seeing problems. This was on our drive to MI. This picture is no surprise to any of my children and grandchildren. :)

But in the longs days of Employment Center work, a few things help me:

1. My Children are always with me on my arm and in my heart (pictures of each in a charm bracelet I wear).


2. My Grand and Glorious Grandchildren looking at me


3. Also listening to music of Laura & Brian (flute and organ)

Our Ward

We attend the same ward as our MIssion President, Brother and Sister Holms (when they are not off visiting somewhere else). He will assign us to another ward soon, but for now we are enjoying where we are.
Church today was very special. #1 The Sacrament #2 the uplift of the speakers. Bishop was out of town. There was one assigned speaker plus five people who asked to come up and speak briefly ahead of time and then two more were asked from the pulpit. Each one bore a beautiful and powerful testimony. The YWs president spoke and told about an experience she had sometime back. She said she listened to a very convincing preacher preach against Temples. Then through prayer and seeking to know the truth, she took the YM/YW to the Temple and had a powerful witness of the purpose and need for Temples.
Another leader who is a Seminary Teacher said her favorite friends are the youth. She has had her testimony since she was a youth when her father riled against the Church every time he drove her to Seminary. Because of the sweet spirit of her mother, the Lord's Spirit, and her own desire to know the truth, she grew up with a strong and mighty testimony of her very own. She loves that the youth can have a spiritual foundation every day before going out into the world of school and hardship.
Sunday School and our combined Priesthood Relief Society Mtgs were just as uplifting as we met together together for worship and learning.

Settling In

In our first days in Michigan, we are settling in just great. We were pleasantly surprised when we discovered our apartment was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath (larger than we thought!). We also found this great farmers market just blocks from where we live.

The employment center is great. We feel like we already belong, with desk plates and all.

Here is my window view from my Employment Center desk. I would just love to enjoy all of this with our grandchildren. They would love watching these silly geese strut around. There are five times this many geese on the lawn, but I only captured a few in the picture.

Scenes like this intensify our gratitude for being sent here to Michigan. The creation and beauty of the world surrounds us here. Today we begin our second day of service in the Employment Center and are excited for today's agenda.

Our Arrival

When we FINALLY arrived at the Detroit Employment Center, we were greeted with a wonderful surprise! The whole center was decorated with flowers and signs welcoming us on our mission. We had so much fun on our first day!

This sign read: "We had to jump through hoopes to get you here." :)
and there were more signs....

The wonderfully talented and compassionate people we are blessed to work with in the Detroit Employment Resource Center. Director Doug Mallory & Associate Manager Susan Shafkalis

We believe we are in a fantastic area where our director has magnificent vision on how we in the Church must serve those in need. He presses for personal action beyond the study of principles and theory. We are quick to help those who suffer from a death in the family. We were reminded that the personal impact of the loss of a job is next only to the loss of a loved one. We must respond likewise to those who have no job. It is clear we need to respond to those with employment needs with the same compassion and actions that we would give to those who suffer loss of a loved one. The Employment Resources can help us all to know the skills needed to help those with employment needs.

Goodbye Again

After 1 week and 5 days at the Provo Utah Missionary Training Center, we got in the car and headed for Detroit. After 4 days of traveling across the country, we rested for a day outside of Akron with our daughter Laura and her husband Brian. They live just 3.5 hours away from our Detroit Mission, so we are happy to have them so close (and they are even more excited to have us so close)!

We've said goodbye and then goodbye all over again with many of our children, but now we are finally headed to do the mission field to do the Lord's work. We can't wait!

Dear friends leave for Denmark!

On the bus - farewell friends!

The Rays with fellow Denmark destined missionaries leaving early early early in the morning!

New Arrival

550 missionaries arrived at the MTC today. It was powerful to see all these young men dedicate their lives and sacrifice so much to the service of the Lord.

Above is our Grandson Jonathan arriving at the MTC. Each new Elder that arrives is hosted by an 'experienced' Elder (one who has been there a couple weeks already) so that the new arriving Elders don't feel lost and are well taken care of. The Elders with jackets are the newbies and the ones with white shirts are the hosts.

Jonathan N Hoopes dedicating his life in the service of the Lord

Erick Garlock, Jordon Overstreet and Jonathan Nat Hoopes all friends from Mesa flew into Salt Lake together. They were picked up at the airport by our other grandsons TJ, Garret, Colin, and Chandler, who brought the Elders to the MTC.

Grandparents and Grandsons celebrating a monumental day: Proud to be with our new missionary Jonathan Nat Hoopes, July 28, 2010. Group picture of us with the Sheffield boys Colin, T.J. Garret and Chandler Hoopes.