While everyone else in in the nice warm chapel at the start of Zone Conference, Elder Carter, Elder Gray and myself are out side inspecting the vehicles.  This picture is from our latest conference where the Cincinnati and Cincinnati East Zones met at the Montgomery Stake Center on Feb. 13th.  We had 25 cars to inspect and at 8:30 in the morning it was 24 degrees.  Good news - there was no snow and no wind.  Most of the cars were clean.  We finished up in about two and a half hours.

Elder Gray doing his thing

Elder Carter getting all of the paper work straight.

This is the Ohio Cincinnati Mission Song.  Each time the missionaries meet - Zone Conference, New Missionary Training, New Arrivals and Departures this is the closing song.  Those who are leaving stand in front while we all lock arms and sing this song.  There are always lots of tears and most times we can't make it through without crying.

















The weather has finally warmed up a bit.  Supposed to be 78 tomorrow.  Then a full 8 days of rain.  The Ohio River is already above flood stage and is going to get a lot higher.  We have kind of settled into a routine.  I go into the office on Monday morning - Sister Wendel stays home and cleans the house and does laundry.  I come home after half a day and we go and do our shopping.  Then Tuesday we are in the office all day.  Wednesday we usually do mission related chores but not office work.  Thursday we are back in the office all day and Friday we could be anywhere.  Saturdays we have two missionary correlation meetings.  On the 2nd and 4th Sundays we are in the Cincinnati ward - we start with ward council at 7:50 and Sacrament starts at 9.  On the 1st and 3rd Sundays we are at the Norwood ward - we have ward council at 9:30 and Sacrament starts at 11. 

Every six weeks we have arrivals and departures and Zone conferences that we are involved in and once a month we have MLC (Mission Leader Council) that we attend.  We now have the rest of February where we have no traveling meetings to attend so hope to get a little more involved in our wards.

Sister Wendel heard from a lot of family and friends for her birthday.  She did not get a cake with candles and a wish.  We will have to make up for the missed wishes when we get back.

We talked in the Norwood ward yesterday.  No one got up and left.  That is always a good sign.

Here is a paragraph from my talk:

The Book of Mormon was written for our time – for us, by men who were inspired and who saw “our doing”.  They included in this record precisely what we need - to learn about Christ and his Gospel, to strengthen us for the struggles we will experience and to warn us of the perils we will face.  When we are able to vicariously live its stories we are more fully able to understand its doctrine.  Then we are more in tune and can receive the message we need in our lives.  These three things, the stories, the doctrine and the message are what make the Book of Mormon so powerful.

Here is a paragraph from Sister Wendels talk:

Covenant keeping men and women seek for ways to keep themselves unspotted from the world.”

TAMARA’S STORY

Our daughter told us of one of the things her family is doing to try to keep  themselves “unspotted from the world”.

After every conference they order a copy of the Conference Ensign for every member of the family.

They meet together every week and take turns selecting a talk.  During the week they independently read and study the talk and select something that they want to share with the rest of the family when they gather the next week.

Their weekly meetings were never very long but this simple study habit greatly blessed our children.  It was during one of these discussions that our 11 year-old grandson recognized the whisperings of the Spirit for the first time.

Well - work hard and stay safe!
Much Love
Elder and Sister Wendel