tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74195343446181611072024-03-15T23:45:51.314-04:00Mission MusingsElder Steven Watts and Sister Michele Watts share their ongoing mission experiences.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-2842985805474561592018-05-06T18:06:00.000-04:002018-05-06T18:06:46.452-04:00KIRTLAND, OHIOAfter leaving Washington D.C. we drove through the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, across Virginia and Western Virginia and up to Kirtland, Ohio.
Kirtland has several sacred historical sites for our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While there we enjoyed talking to senior missionaries serving missions similar to the one we just completed.
Below are some Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-84055145712538641512011-08-08T08:57:00.000-04:002011-08-08T08:57:37.706-04:00ON TO WASHINGTON DC or Monuments, Museums, and More OH MY!Can you tell from the title of this blog that we are in Kansas as I post it? But, we had a marvelous time in Washington DC. We were there a week ago and spent 4 days. We could have spent 4 weeks, there are so many things to do and see.
We started off with a tour of several monuments: The Lincoln Memorial, The Vietnam Memorial, The World War II Memorial and the Washington Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-27082303348493840092011-08-06T23:21:00.000-04:002011-08-06T23:21:53.733-04:00CHOCOLATE AND BATTLE GROUNDSAfter sightseeing in New York City we drove to Pennsylvania. Our objective was to visit Gettysburg and review some of the history of the Civil War. However, on the way there we took a detour to a very fun place, one that I have long wanted to visit. What city would have a street named "Chocolate Ave" . . .
and chocolate kisses for street lights?
If you guessed Hershey, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-61986851414598527962011-08-02T09:01:00.000-04:002011-08-02T09:01:45.088-04:00FORTUNATELY or NEW YORK CITYA favorite children's book of mine is Fortunately by Remy Carlip. The story begins this way:
Fortunately, Ned was invited to a surprise party.Unfortunately, the party was a thousand miles away. Fortunately, a friend loaned Ned an airplane.Unfortunately, the motor exploded. Fortunately, there was a parachute in the airplane.Unfortunately, there was a hole in the parachute.
That pattern Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-84724779582379121302011-07-28T22:54:00.000-04:002011-07-28T22:54:54.042-04:00CONCORD, BOSTON, AND LEXINGTONFriday, Saturday and Sunday we spent in the heart of American History, Concord, Boston, and Lexington, MA. What a great time we had! First we stopped at Orchard House in Concord.
This is a home that Louisa May Alcott lived in with her family when she wrote Little Women. Louisa's books have been favorites of mine since I was a girl. The home was built in the late Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-71297912413009604232011-07-25T09:08:00.000-04:002011-07-25T09:08:59.323-04:00JOSEPH SMITH'S BIRTHPLACE: VermontOn Thursday, July 21, we visited the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Vermont.We knew he was born in Sharon, Vermont, but it turns out the home he lived in was on the dividing line of Sharon and South Royalton, Vermont. Later he said he was born in Sharon, so that is what history now says.
&Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-20588272601578490702011-07-22T07:47:00.001-04:002011-07-22T21:56:35.702-04:00ON THE WAY HOME!Friends kept asking if I planned to continue posting on Mission Musings after our mission was finished and I said I wasn't sure. Here is what I now know:
1. I have at least three posts from our mission that I didn't get time to finish. I will finish them sooner or later and post them.
2. I want to post our trip home.
3. I will probably continue to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-76330570859526147272011-05-23T08:59:00.003-04:002011-06-17T18:40:17.976-04:00A FACELIFT FOR OUR MURALAs a teenager, one of my favorite books was The Agony and the Ecstacy, by Irving Stone.
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961) is a biographical novel of Michelangelo Buonarroti written by American author Irving Stone. My favorite part of the book tells of Michelangelo painting his famous mural in the Sistine Chapel.
Recently we had our own "Michael" painting a mural here in Palmyra.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-42214021592318527432011-04-28T09:22:00.000-04:002011-04-28T09:22:42.376-04:00HISTORIC HARMONY: Susquehanna River LDS Church History TourSix days ago 8 Senior Missionaries, including Elder Watts and myself, were privileged to go to Afton, New York and Oakland (Harmony), Pennsylvania to visit some Church historic sites. Unlike Palmyra, where we serve, these sites are undeveloped. However, many important and sacred events took place at these sites, many of which we testify as we give tours at the Palmrya Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-31194283618879415902011-04-06T22:05:00.001-04:002011-04-06T22:34:37.922-04:00MISSIONARIES THROW A PARTYOn March 26, 2011, to celebrate the 181st Anniversary of the first printing of the Book of Mormon, the missionaries invited the public to a birthday party. Here's what we did:Visitors were greeted by missionaries in period clothing, or just missionary attire. They were invited to sign in. &Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-30251201264682209362011-03-31T20:01:00.001-04:002011-04-27T07:45:12.429-04:00White Deer in Seneca, New YorkShortly after we arrived here in New York on our mission we heard about the "white deer". Once we even went in search of them, but didn't find them. However, in the back of our minds we knew we would look for them again. So, yesterday seemed to be the perfect day. It was our preparation day and we did some training of new missionaries in the morning. In the early Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-78605358352105364642011-03-19T13:34:00.001-04:002011-04-27T07:44:42.092-04:00FOUR SEASONS IN THE SACRED GROVE: FallFinally, the last of the FOUR SEASONS IN THE SACRED GROVE blog posts. I started these in November, thinking I would have them posted within four weeks. However, life has a way of changing our well laid plans.
I love the fall. I think it may be my favorite season. Certainly I looked forward to spending a fall in upstate New York and seeing the leaves change Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-32943915486228040352011-03-08T18:39:00.001-05:002011-03-08T18:40:25.586-05:00FAMILIES ARE FOREVER I have been gone for some time from the blog scene. That is because it seems I used up all of my free allotted memory in the system. I tried several things to try to free up more space, with no success. Then I tired multiple times to buy more space, but those attempts failed too. I was just about to the point of opening another blog on Elder Watts' email account whenUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-8483484438869307672011-02-06T22:28:00.000-05:002011-02-06T22:28:16.679-05:00IMAGES OF CREATION:A Traveling Exhibit at the Hill Cumorah Visitors' Center
When I was a child, growing up in southern Nevada, our family would often visit the family ranch in the isolated mountains, far from the bright city lights. We would sleep outdoors on warm summer nights. I remember how much I loved laying on my back and gazing up into the heavens. In these clear nights the stars were brilliant and seemed close enough to reach Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-6948165953575056832011-01-22T16:31:00.000-05:002011-01-22T16:31:53.525-05:00FOUR SEASONS IN THE SACRED GROVE: Summer
The Sacred Grove in the summer is serene, peaceful, and beautiful! The trees have all their leaves and there is beautiful foliage on the forest floor. When I make a post, especially one that is mostly pictures, I like to post a message with the pictures. My cousin, Ken, who lives in China brought my attention to a beautiful hymn. So, I will intersperse my Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-75920738456763058402011-01-10T15:38:00.000-05:002011-01-10T15:38:13.345-05:00FOUR SEASONS IN THE SACRED GROVE: Spring"We now pause for station identification." If you grew up in my era you will recognize this phrase as one that interrupted your favorite TV show right during the climax. That is sort of how I feel about my blogging. On November 21 I started a series of 4 posts about the Sacred Grove during each season of the year. My first post was winter. Then I stopped, not forUnknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-65579428953531790032010-12-31T22:56:00.002-05:002010-12-31T23:10:50.403-05:00CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS: VI - A Visit Better Than St. Nick!!!Besides wrapping gifts for school children, watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, mailing Christmas cards, and decorating, what else can cheer up holiday homesick senior missionaries more than a visit from grandkids. Of course it's always nice to see their parents too.
Picture at Grandin Building
So, imagine how happy we were to see our oldest daughter, her husband and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-6686949835508883402010-12-28T09:47:00.000-05:002010-12-28T09:47:57.702-05:00CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS: V Christmas CardsThe theme of the past few posts has been about the things Holiday Homesick missionaries do to keep from being so homesick. One thing that is very satisfying for me is sending and receiving Christmas cards. I LOVE sending them, thinking of each recipient as I address the card and the good memories I have of the times we spent together, whether it was very recent or many yearsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-64481095307803828932010-12-22T11:50:00.001-05:002010-12-22T12:25:46.009-05:00CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS: IV DecoratingDecorating, for me, is an important part of the Christmas season. I guess I inherited the tendency from my mother, the only person I know that hangs Christmas ornaments from the ceiling (or she did when we were kids). When I was a child I thought it was magical! Now, our youngest daughter does the same. I like to decorate our entire house – it is fun for me. But, when we left Oregon in January, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-61779484194199157842010-12-10T15:43:00.000-05:002010-12-10T15:43:29.391-05:00CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS: III - Kids and ChristmasWhile it's true, we won't be home for Christmas and will miss seeing our grandchildren in Oregon, it buoyed our spirits to help with the local elementary school's Santa's Breakfast last Saturday.
Several Senior Missionaries and Young Sisters showed up to help. We started out before the breakfast officially began by washing tables in the cafeteria to prepare for the guests.
As Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-9759545915709307542010-12-06T23:22:00.000-05:002010-12-06T23:22:52.788-05:00CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS: II Christmas DevotionalWhat else do two holiday homesick missionaries in New York do to celebrate the holidays? Well . . . we won't be home for our traditional Watts Family Christmas Devotional where we share talents,
eat good food,
and act out the Nativity.
We will miss these events.
But we can and we did watch The First Presidency Christmas Devotional.
Elder Watts and I opened the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-32854670502441762592010-12-04T14:51:00.000-05:002010-12-04T14:51:56.388-05:00CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS: ISo. . . how do a couple of senior missionaries in New York celebrate the holidays? During the coming month we will be posting the answers to that question.
We will start with Thanksgiving. While it was hard to be away from friends, family and our own comfortable traditions at home, we did have a special Thanksgiving here on our mission.
We started the day working for three hours at Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-41691303937370460362010-11-21T22:09:00.004-05:002010-12-01T13:52:54.831-05:00FOUR SEASONS IN THE SACRED GROVE: WinterWe have now walked through all four seasons in the Sacred Grove. We love it in each of its seasons. Perhaps you will enjoy seeing a glimpse of it during each season. Since we first experienced the Grove in the winter, that is the first season we will share in this first of four posts.
As you walk through the grove with us in winter, you might enjoy reading one of our Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-4885174220844171912010-11-09T11:23:00.001-05:002010-11-09T11:47:00.742-05:00THE MOVE!!!Last week was the big move. Well, not really a big move, since we only moved 3 miles and didn't have to move dishes, furniture, etc. . . just our clothes, food, and personal items. Using these trusty moving tools: scissors, marker and tape, along with boxes, we packed our belongings from our cute little apartment on Stafford Road.Below you see our packed boxes placed in the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419534344618161107.post-60472201645884841412010-10-28T16:12:00.000-04:002010-10-28T16:12:29.167-04:00SPECIAL FRIENDSThe second week we arrived in New York we went to visit some members of our assigned congregation, the Rochester 2nd Ward. When we arrived at their home, we were graciously welcomed by this kind family!
As we visited them in subsequent months, we had many wonderful times together, culminating most recently in the baptism of the two oldest children this past Sunday, October 24.&Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1