Leaving the Country!

We left Michigan! But just for two days. :) Our Area Conference for employment was in Toronto, Ontario CANADA, so we had to get out the passports and leave the good old USA. Here is outside my window just before crossing the border on the way back into Michigan, the American and Canadian flags side by side.

Crossing the Canada USA Michigan border

We were surprised to learn that the chapel where we were having our conference was just across the parking lot of the Toronto Ontario Temple. This Temple was dedicated in August of 1990, making it Canada's second Temple. When Jay served his mission in Canada(in the Western part)from 1959-61, the Cardston Alberta Temple (dedicated 1923) was the only Temple here, so this was particularly exciting to him. Canada now has 7 Temples, 4 of which were dedicated during 1999-2000 and the latest one dedicated just 4 months ago in Vancouver.

And yes, we did go into the Temple for just a brief moment before the conference started!

Success! A Victory for Debra!

Sweet Debra who came to the employment center several times a week until she was hired by OnStar. I just love what we do here!

More of our apartment

Walking to the back door of the apartment - this is our main entrance

Our second floor apartment patio where wer can see this Beautiful tree outside our window. We can watch the squirrels flying and jumping through the trees!

Here is a wonderful surprise gift (on loan) from Brian. I just kept mentioning to Brian how much I missed my piano at home and just being able to sit down and play a hymn. So before we left Laura and Brian's house from the holiday weekend together, he set this keyboard out for me to take back to the apartment. Laura also sent this Arnold Friberg print of Christ she had found at a local secondhand store deep in the heart of Mennonite and Amish country. This print had a great story behind it too, as is this was Arnold's first concept idea of Christ appearing in the Americas to the Nephites, but he ended up painting the one we all remember with Christ descending from the sky for the Church. He painted this picture later in his life. Laura was quite surprised to find a picture of Christ appearing to the Nephites in a thrift store for only $8! She couldn't decide where to hang it, so she sent it with us to brighten up the apartment.

Branch Relief Society

We have been assigned to attend and serve in a branch in Downtown Detroit, a little distance from where we live. Before we attended for the first time, the mission president's wife told us that, when attending a Fast and Testimony meeting in this branch, it was the MOST spiritual and uplifting meeting she had EVER been a part of. This was exciting to us and we looked forward to our first Sunday at the Grandriver Branch. Here are pictures of our great Relief Society on my first day - and also visiting that day was the wife of a counselor in the Mission Presidency (seen left, back row, middle).

Letter from Home

Dear Grandpa and Grandma Hoopes,
since i turned 8 i have been going to cub scouts. i love it. i went to cub day camp. it waa so much fun. i made a bird house and a catipult. the catipult works real good. i also earned 2 belt loops. summer was short but fun. as you know we spent a while in arizona and utah. i had my birthday at our cousins and got some good presents.

last saturday i got baptized.

when i went into the font the water was hot. it felt good. i wanted to do again becausr it was so cool. i wish my dad would have messed up so i could get dunked again.

sis england made a ctr cake and cookies which were really cool. i still remember the blessing my dad gave after i recieved the holy ghost. he said that i could be a good example to my little brothers.
i also got a new set of scriptures wiith my name on it.

it came with a case and marking pencils. from the pictures my dad sent you can see my new suit. i like it. i can't forget to tell you about yesterdays sacrament meeting. i got to sit next to the bishop after i was introduced to the ward. since the 1st councilor was gone i sat on his right side. i got to operate the pulpit for rthe entire meeting. that was totally awsome.

love,
logan