Saturday July 4, 2015

Happy Fourth of July!

We are experiencing a cold and rainy 4th of July unlike Utah that is experiencing a hot sunny 4th of July.  We got up and went with Elder and Sister Whidden and Elder and Sister Winters to the temple.  It rained most of the way.  The temple was very busy today.  It was great to be there.  We ran into quite a few people that work at the Area Office who were working at the temple today.

It had stopped raining and was a little nicer when we came out of the temple.  We drove straight home and changed clothes because we are having a 4th of July Family Home Evening beginning at   4 p.m.  We walked over to the Area Office to be with the other senior missionaries and have a fun time. 

We sang patriotic songs and had a nice lesson on comparing what was going on in the US during the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition with what was going on in the Church at the same time. It was very interesting.

Then the fun began.  We actually had a picnic meal.  The two couples in charge of Family Home Evening grilled hamburgers with all the fixings, fresh vegetable trays and potato chips, so good!

We played a few Minute To Win It games.  We did a lot of laughing and had a lot of fun.

The first game was trying to keep hitting 2 balloons and trying to keep them in the air and not hit the ground for 1 minute.  The next group had to try to suck up a Skittle with a straw and keep it on the end of the straw until you could transfer it to another plate.  Some did really well at this game, some not so well.

The next round of games Nada had to put panty hose on her head with a tennis ball in one leg and try to knock over the water bottles.  It is much harder than it looks!

Reed below had to do the same game.  He did better than Nada.

Above is the group of senior missionaries serving in the Auckland New Zealand Mission. Some of us serve in the Area Office, some at the Mission Office and some serve as MLS Missionaries, Self-Reliant Missionaries and Records Preservation Missionaries.  It is a great group.

In the top picture the winning team is sporting their Fourth of July glasses they received as their prize while the others are showing their plastic Fourth of July rings they won as consolation prizes.  All were good sports.

When we were finished playing the games they served the root beer floats.  So yummy.

This was a great Family Home Evening.  We missed celebrating with our family but are grateful to serve here in New Zealand with such great people and have a fun 4th of July Celebration.

We hope you all had a great 4th of July and were able to enjoy being with family and or friends.

The Gospel is true.  No matter where we are there are always great people who care and are striving to be obedient to Our Father In Heavens commandments.  Keep moving forward doing great things.

Until next time.  Love, Elder and Sister Spencer (aka Reed and Nada)