Senior Couple journal — New Zealand Hamilton Mission
August 31, 2014 to September 6, 2014
Our love to you, wonderful family and friends,
Our move from Inglewood to Hawera has proven to be a great blessing in our lives, but we did not escape the “Taranaki sunshine” a.k.a. torrential rainfall. We had 4 inches of rain in 4 days this past week. This rain is a great blessing to this area, however, and we enjoy the “green” so much.
1/ Scripture joke for the week: For my joke of the week, I thought I would share some humorous anecdotes that enterprising pastors have placed on the marquees of their churches to attract converts and parishioners:
- Keep using my name in vain, and I will make your rush hour longer. Sincerely, God
- There are some questions that can’t be answered by Google.
- Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you want to meet Him.
- Read the Bible. It is user-friendly plus we offer tech support here on Sunday at 10 am.
- Church parking. Trespassers will be baptized.
- To be “almost” saved is to be “totally” lost.
- What is missing from “Ch__ch”? U R !
- Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, the serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on.
- The best vitamin for a Christian is B 1 !
- Try our Sundays. They are better than Baskin Robbins.
- You are not too bad that you can’t come in. You are not so good that you can afford to stay out.
- Can’t sleep? Try counting your blessings.
- Try Jesus! If you don’t like Him, the Devil will always take you back.
- Aspire to inspire before you expire.
- Where will you be sitting in eternity? Smoking or non?
2/ Church history quiz for the week: Only once in the history of the Church has an apostle been set apart as the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve twice. Can you name this apostle and the circumstances surrounding his two settings-apart?
3/ Quote of the week: “Prepare your snow sleigh in the summer, and your hay cart in the winter.” — Alexander Solzhenitsyn
4/ This week’s update: This week, a sweet thought offered by a wonderful member of our Hawera branch as she spoke in Sacrament meeting — Sister Gail Stubbing recounted how the date ‘9/11’ is a day of sorrowful remembrances for people throughout the world, but for her it holds a very wonderful place in her heart, for on ‘9/11’ of 1996 she entered the waters of baptism in our church. She stated how grateful she was to Elder Nathan Prescott and his companion, Elder Squires, “for coming to New Zealand to find me”. She stated that she knew those two young men gave up so much to come on their missions, and that they came specifically to find her. She said that whatever else they accomplished on their missions was, in a way, ‘irrelevant’, because they “came for me”. She related her gratitude for them because just this past week, Gail’s own 18-year old daughter, Hannah, submitted her papers to serve a full-time mission. Gail wished that these two missionaries could know what good has come from their devoted service as missionaries those many years ago. There were six devoted full-time missionaries sitting in the congregation as Gail spoke this past Sunday, and joy filled their hearts in behalf of Elders Prescott and Squires. “And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!” D&C 18:15.
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5/ Answer to the Church history quiz: The apostle is President Boyd K. Packer. He was first set apart as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve on June 5, 1994 when President Hunter called Elder Hinckley and Elder Monson to be his counselors in the First Presidency. Elder Hinckley and Elder Monson were both senior to Elder Packer in the Quorum of the 12, but since they were both serving in the First Presidency, Elder Packer was set apart as Acting President of the Quorum (President Hinckley at that time served as President of the Quorum of Twelve as well as First Counselor in the First Presidency). Elder Packer was again set apart as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve on March 12, 1995, upon the death of President Hunter. President Hinckley chose Elder Monson, the senior member of the Quorum, to serve as his First Counselor in the First Presidency. Thus, Elder Packer, the next most senior member of the Quorum, was again set apart as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve (Elder Monson served as President of the Quorum of Twelve and as First Counselor in the First Presidency).
Much love,
Elder and Sister Taylor
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