Neighbors in Nagoya

Connor has been serving in the Nagoya Japan mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for about a year and a half.  (He's been on his mission longer than that, but he was in the MTC for a while!!)  Now our neighbor Riley is there too!  They got to see each other at a multi-zone conference.   They are doing good work!

What Does Ministering Look Like? Halloween Cupcakes!!

Halloween Cupcakes!

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints changed home and visiting teaching to ministering about 7 months ago.  This change was made to help us to take care of and love each other a little better.

The thing that I feel this has done for me is to help me think harder about what each sister might need, and how I could be a friend.  I know I can always use a friend!  I still have a lot of figuring to do, but I had one experience that I am thankful for.  One lady that I visit has a lot of little children.  She is someone I really admire.  She often offers to help people with their kids, and she and her husband both serve in the church wherever they are needed, even if it is obviously not easy, or convenient.

In the past I would sometimes visit her at her house, but her kids always seemed afraid that my companion and I had come to steal them or their Mom and so it ended up being a tad difficult to have a conversation.  I was pondering how I could have a visit with this friend that we could both enjoy.  I thought back to when I had little kids.  I had a friend named Shannon, and we would get together often at our houses to visit, have lunch, or whatever else we came up with.  Pondering about this made me think that I could come up with an activity that I could do with the Mom and her kids that would be fun (hopefully) for us all and give us grown ups time to talk.

So a day was arranged, and looked forward to.  I made cupcakes and my friend came with her two kids who aren't in Elementary School.  We decorated the cupcakes with candy.  The two little girls were SO cute.  The youngest one would occasionally lick a cupcake she was working on, and both girls enjoyed eating some of the candy.  Afterwards I got out some games.  Sometimes the girls played, sometimes us Moms played.  It was really very fun.  Just to really feel like the good old days the girls and I had macaroni and cheese for lunch (Their Mom was being true to the health program she is on and declined).

I am looking forward to having them all over again.  Good conversation with cute children in the room can happen, with the added bonus of children's smiles to enjoy.