gratitude

my heart is full to overflowing for the great blessing and opportunity of spending the last few days at the missionary training center. it is a very special, spiritual place! granted, i was only there three and a half days and i got to leave at night with my husband, but as we passed through the front doors for the last time to leave, i was very emotional. it has been an unforgettable experience. the brethren, the teachers, the training, the other new presidents and their wives, the music...it all has filled me up to over-flowing. i know it will be hard to believe that i am saying this, but i am really excited to get started. i can hardly wait to look at all of our sisters and elders and couples and start loving real people instead of what my mind has imagined them to be. what a great opportunity to serve! how very, very blessed we are to have this opportunity!

yesterday, elder packer spoke to us first thing in the morning. his talk was wonderful, and as he got ready to close, a really sacred thing occurred...he gave us an apostolic blessing. it was very specific about very many things and the spirit poured out over every one in the room. i will never forget it! there wasn't a dry eye from a single parent in the audience. i know it was something special because every one, all day and night long would refer to this blessing, and that we needed to hold on to the promises given. as i was able to pick my pen back up a little later i wrote, "i would give three years of my life in a heartbeat to receive the blessing and promises i just received."

then bishop edgley spoke about working with our couple missionaries. i kept thinking about aunt verla and uncle charles and i am so grateful for the wonderful instruction he gave us about how we could help them to love their missions so much that they want to go again and again and again. every hour we were filled with more instructions about how to help in this area or that area and how this or that would be vital to the success of our missionaries and the work. we are fired up about many, many things; we just have to figure out how to make it all happen. how to have time to do and teach and inspire others about it all.

we had dinner with elder christofferson and his wife, with several other couples last night. then, as we were getting out of the car at the hotel we heard some young girls yelling, "elder bednar, can we shake your hand?" he and his wife had just gotten into the elevator in the parking garage. they were cute with the girls and jon and i were laughing...glad they were running towards them rather than away from them. but as they were getting off the elevator we were coming off the stairs and started chatting. twenty minutes later we think we might be related :), and the thought hit me so strongly; "our church leaders and their wives are the nicest, most genuine people on earth. they aren't full of themselves, or condescending. they are encouraging, loving, supportive, helpful, and WISE! we are a blessed people to be lead by men who love God and not themselves!

this morning we had a final meeting where the twelve and the missionary committee answered some questions that had been written by the new presidents and their wives. elder perry was conducting. he has amazing energy! he is pretty funny! he and elder holland and elder hinckley fielded the questions and asked various members of the twelve and seventy to answer them. it was great! and as he was about to close he asked all of the twelve who were in attendance to take 2 1/2 minutes to bear their testimonies to us! it was powerful! each one of them gave us a tiny jewel of advise to think about and use as we serve in our missions. the only ones missing were elder packer, elder ballard and elder hales.

our sacrament meeting was attended by the first presidency and every member of the quorum of twelve apostles except elder packer (he is still resting and healing from something). after we partook of the sacrament the prophet spoke to us for an hour about how we might best motivate our missionaries. he was wonderful! it was wonderful! i am full to over-flowing!

i have a lot to read and study...YIKES! i was probably the least prepared wife at this seminar. for real. but i can go forward from here and do my best and learn and grow each day for the rest of my life, right? i love you all. the church is true! thanks for your love and prayers, we can really feel them, and we definitely need 100% of the Lord's guidance! tomorrow we are off to santa rosa (well reno really) but on our way none the less!