My how time flies!!! We have had a great day!

May 25, 2014

Dearest Family,   

    My how time flies!!! We have had a great day!  Happy birthday this week to my Sweetheart of Friday! One was a youth Sunday School class, these young people were wanting to find their ancestor for Trek! It is just 10 days away so time is getting short. I feel we were able to help them! Classes went great, smaller than normal since it was a holiday weekend. Tonight Bro Croft helped a couple, FH Consultants, they reviewed the things which inspire.  I worked with a Father & daughter.  She is going on the Trek & hasn’t decided on a pioneer to take with her!  When we discovered that she was related to Aurelia Spencer Rogers, the founder of Primary, she thought that was special. Her grandpa also knows stories about Sister Rogers! Visiting with him will be a special opportunity.  Had to overcome some challenges tonight, the tree part of Family Search was just not working, put we were able to search other places, then it finally started working!  Shared Puzzilla & they were both totally amazed at how it works. There always has to be a few challenges!

 

    We have helped a brother record stories, then typed them into the tree!   A sister learned to scan photos! It was our week to cover the Family History Center on Wednesday.  There were several people who came in for help!  I helped in the afternoon, since someone for got to come to cover their time slot!  In the afternoon, we had our second week with a group of Activity Day girls, all 8-9 yrs old.   They continued to add pictures & stories! After the first walk thru of scanning & adding a photo they are ready to teach their peers!  They are great fun!

   

    We had a great day at the temple on Friday!  It was so very nice!  Enjoyed so very much seeing the second new film! That was a spiritual feast!

 

    After our quick trip to Laurel Wal-Mart, we drove to Red Lodge & spent two hours with Mark Urbanik.  It was amazing to see all they do in their business (Red Lodge Clay Center) We took a tour of the Gallery on Main St with its showroom, class rooms, photo inventory room and offices. He told us about 90% of their business in over the internet so they have a awesome shipping process to keep things from getting damaged in shipment. Then we got in his pickup to tour the rest of the campus. They have nice artist in residence houses for the visiting artists and their families to live in for a few weeks upto a year. Then off to the Studio out of town several miles on the Clay Center owners personal property. This is a very large structure right on Rock Creek (great trout fishing Mark said) they have built all their Kilns' for firing the clay products. There are small, medium. large ones to one that is 6 x 6 x 30’ long with a large vertical chimney. They use wood, gas and electricity to power the different ones. There is a lot of chemistry and physics in the processes. WOW ......... There are individual studios for each artist plus some large rooms for family and group classes. They really stress family use of the facility and their prices are very affordable! They also supply local schools and colleges with all the various supplies needed to do clay art. All of you would enjoy such a tour maybe even taking your family to do some art for a day. We look forward to meeting the rest of the family on our next visit!

 

    Saturday we met with two of the sister missionaries (Sister Trainers) who serve here in Lovell – they are excited to use FH as a proselyting tool, for retention of new converts & in reactivation! We were with them from 1:30 – 5:00  which went so very quickly!  Shared some videos, helped them with their own trees, even helped them add a few pictures!    So intent on what we were doing, that we practically missed a rain storm, & some hail.   Later heard that there was a tornado which touched down near Cowley! 

 

Well, we love you all & have a great week!   CTR     Oh, & by the way, I finished quilting the quilt, now for the binding! 

Love Bro And Sister Croft

Have a Special Memorial Day!!!!

WOW – what a week! but isn’t that the way they all are?

May 18, 2014

Dearest Family,   

    Happy Birthday 12th Birthday to Symphony  on Tuesday! 

    WOW – what a week!  but isn’t that the way they all are? We are so blessed to be able to serve in this way!  We thank you all for your support & prayers!  It is always wonderful end our week with a great Sunday!   Or maybe it is the other way around – we start the week with a wonderful Sunday – maybe it is a little bit of both!  anyway today was great! Classes & open workshops were great & busy!  Several youth found a story for trek!  Several people were able to find some cousins using Puzzila.   In this program one finds a ancestor, then does some research & finds a family, one which is not in familysearch!  The names are then added & there are cousins who desire to have their temple ordinances performed!  

    Bro Croft has been learning about digital audio recording with an app on his Kindle Fire HD – this week at the public library he recorded stories which Brother L (81 yrs old) told him.  He then has typed them & Sunday he & the Brother L read them together & added more thoughts.  Bro L is feeling the spirit in many ways.   He has been inactive most of his life, & since his wife’s passing, has been thinking about the temple covenants more. Dad also helped Darece on Thursday while I helped another Sister C, both are using Puzzilla. They were successful finding more cousins! The cousins Sister C & I found never married – thus no cousins to find!  Next time!

    Had a great FHE with a couple, sure enjoyed helping them add photos to their tree & feel the spirit!

    One bit of advice!  Write your LDS Acct USER NAME & PASSWORD down where you know where it is! Better yet, change it to something you can remember! We spend so much time recovering forgotten ones!  The time could be used for more important things!

    We had a nice time with Bill & Kathy on Wednesday in Thermopolis at the funeral service for her father.   We were also able to visit with Allen  at his office in Worland on the way over & then with Amber & the girls on our way home!  Amber is trying to do a Family History Activity with her Activity Day Girls!  We also stopped in Greybull to visit with Aunt Lavon & Aunt Leona, they seem to be getting older & struggling more!  It was great to see them both! Dad tried to fish Deaver reservoir but too cold and windy so we came home and he fly fished our pond. He had a good time catching!

    Thanks to all of you for the wonderful Family Dinner tonight! Enjoyed seeing all who were there!   Missed Dak & Kenya, so sorry you were ill Kenya! It so nice to get together, even when Brother Croft & I have to take off for other things.    

 

Our love to all of you & CTR 

   Bro  & Sister Croft

A very Happy Mother’s Day to all ........

May 11, 2014

Dearest Family,

    A very Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Mothers we have in the family!  We are also grateful for all the very special young ladies ‘Mothers in Embryo’ also!  Happy Anniversary to Rob & Michelle!   Happy Birthday to Rob on Saturday!  Congratulations to Kenny & Rosie, August 23 & Ethan & Bekah, July 19.  Our love & prayers to Kathy Croft, her father passed away on Saturday, services will be on Wed in Thermopolis. We are happy we will be able to go.

    Thanks to all of you for your Birthday & Mother’s Day visits, cards & gifts. Both days were great!  It is always so special to talk to each one you!  Love you all!  We enjoyed having the Grants stop by tonight to visit!

    Our week has been a busy one, with appointments each day!   One of the high lights was a group of Activity Day girls on Wednesday!  They get so excited, several were writing stories about activities with family members.  They also love to see the pictures!  As we were finishing up the activity, several of the girls were showing each other the different things they each had done, helping each other.  Also on Wednesday evening, we had Family History consultant Training Meeting.  We had all of them go into www.Puzzilla.org & look for places where with a little research, they could find cousins who needed temple ordinances done! It was exciting to  have everyone working on it. Today was great also!  Classes went well. During open workshops, we had new people in.

    I had fun helping Rosie on Thurs in the Cowley bldg do FH. We were able to find several new things so she can do more research!   That evening we went to Rocky Mtn school to support so many of our youth we work with, in the musical “A Pirates Life for Me”. It was very enjoyable time! ! We also caught a rain-less afternoon to mow the orchard. We have had over 3/4” of rain this week, a little each day.

    On Friday, Rob & his friend Steve from Casper, came by to visit!  Enjoyed visiting with both of them.  He had came to fish with Rob!   The weather was a little rainy!  Also on Friday, Bob helped Ken with a scout campout in the field!  They did their annual nature walk, identifying plants & animals & signs of animals!   They also all enjoyed fishing in the pond – the sunfish & bluegills do lots of biting & are fun to catch, even if they are small.

    Saturday, Gaye, Evee & three of her children brought the sheep down to eat off our pasture and all the early weeds!  The kids enjoyed doing a little fishing also!

Love you all  & CTR 

   Bro & Sis Croft

Our Sunday – extra busy –

May 4, 2014

Dearest Family,   

    Our Sunday – extra busy – There were two first lessons taught in adult classes, a photo lesson, they are always so fun!  & several open workshops!  I had a busy, working Mom come in, she wants to work during SS - she has little time during the week,   We started, just reviewing the program, connecting the tree & looking at photos!  She is excited.  Like others, she loved the photo part & the idea of family entering stories about parents & grandparents.   In one of the classes several very special spiritual experiences were shared!  One told of his son, who has struggled, now married, & has gotten really excited about FH – is taking his parents to the temple to help with all the names he is finding. A youth consultant shared how she feels the power of protection from the adversary in her life ‘just as Bro Bednar promised & how it has changed her family. She also told about a Priest-Laurel Temple Excursion where they bought all the names which they did!  A third told of writing for adoption papers for her deceased father & the things she learned about him & his two siblings. What power there is in this work!

    Had a wonderful lunch with Mark Urbanik – he is a NWC college friend of Allens, prior to his mission, & became Bro Croft’s fishing partner when Allen went on his mission!  He is part of the www.redlodgeclaycenter.com  in Red Lodge, Montana.  They have resident artists who live in the town plus do all kinds of classes and guest artist in residence programs.  Mark brought us one of his pottery pieces which he made – what an artist he is!! His wife Sarah is from Worland and they have two sons 16 and 12 yrs. We plan to go see them on one of our trips back from the temple.

    Our days were full of house calls to Cowley and Lovell folks providing a wide range of help on FH and indexing. Plus I had my annual med checkup and we went to Dr Mitchel for our monthly chiropractic visit, we really enjoyed the visit, his techniques are the same as we are used to.  It’s hard to switch from our own Dr Fike and his wonderful services! ! !

    Our evenings were busy this week also!  We were able to work with a High Priest Group leader & his wife who was just called as a FH Consultant!  They will be a great team!  She teaches school & is counting the days until summer when she can spend more time adding pictures!

    We also enjoyed another evening with a sister who was learning to do pictures & preparing to do Multiple page PDF documents.  She is the family member who has inherited all that relates to FH.

    Special thanks to some of the Grants who helped with ditch cleaning & window washing, the outdoors looks extra good!  Saturday, we went to Thermopolis for the burial of Kathy Croft’s Mother.   It was good to see them & offer our support!  We also spent some time at Allen’s. Amber had some things in her FH which we were able to correct.  We had a very brief contact with Phil & Emma Lynn, who used to be neighbors.  We understand they will be back soon, & hopefully will be able to visit  more then.

    The farmers are finally getting some sugar beets planted in our area and the grain fields are very green. It is great to have spring!!!

We love you all!!! CTR 

Love Bro & Sis Croft

April 27, 2014

Dearest Family,

    Monday – expected water company to work on water project today – Canceled time in public library. I had my lady whom I work with every week come to the house-was great!   No drillers, they had had problems down the road with the work there.

    Tuesday – Our Tuesday morning indexer canceled – She was not going to have electricity because a power pole was being replaced which had burned in a weed fire on Saturday.    Bob stayed at home in the afternoon, water drillers did come for 2 hrs.  I was able to go to a home, to help a sister who wants to get started!  She has a new laptop, very little computer experience, & loads of desire.  She has a family friend who passed away a year ago.  He was just getting active when he passed & he had asked her to do the temple work for his wife.  This is her main goal! Worked mainly on computer skills today!  She is a sweet heart! Had a great night in the FHC!

    Wednesday – They drilled a little this a.m. having trouble!    I went ahead & went to FHC meeting, then to a sister’s home!   She shared with me a special experience!   She had been looking for a note with a death date on it for some time. Had reached a point of frustration & just written to a relative to get it again.   Next morning, the note was on her desk!  Also helped another sister in the afternoon.

    Thursday – drillers here again,  broke their bit. Don’t know what they are going to do!  A ward FH consultant helped me in Cowley, since Bro Croft needed to be here at home today.   Had a great day in Cowley with several people!  I returned to help the sister with the new laptop.  We had some info on the wife, but lacked a marriage date & people we called didn’t know when it was.  As we were about to finish, a thought came to call the court house!   She picked up the phone, & had the info in just a few minutes, and a copy in the mail to her house! We felt so blessed!!!

    Friday – No drillers expected – Hurray we can go to the temple!   We have been wanting to do sealings so today was the day!  It was so special!   Our sealer was a member of the Temple presidency and he ask about our FH mission. And in between doing the sealings, one of the witnesses (an ordinance worker) was fascinated & wanted to know about our mission. Could we help him? He had many questions & had tried to get them answered to no avail.  He lives in Laurel, so we stopped on the way home to help him for 2 1/2 hrs.  He & his wife are both converts, 30 years ago. It was an amazing story!  

    Saturday – Helped at the Earth Day Program in town!  Had several people ask about our mission & what we did? Bro Croft helped our friend in Laurel by phone for several hours!  Had a lot of wind and rain thru the night. 

    Sunday – We love them, it was a great day with several classes & open library times, new  people in, Little miracles continue to happen, in the Lords time, in quiet & special ways! Bro Croft continued to help several new HP group leaders.  Wow, it has been amazing to watch them catch the spirit of the work.   Both have not been interested in the FH work, but the spirit of Elijah is quickly touching their hearts!  They were so enthused today in their ward FH classes! It was busy at the FHC last night some youth also in finding names!

   Our love goes out to Kathy Croft whose mother passed away last night!

    Sorry I am late, our router died last night!   Have it replaced now!

 

Our Love & CTR    Bro & Sis Croft

We pray that your Easter was a wonderful one

April 20, 2014

Dearest Family! 

       We pray that your Easter was a wonderful one filled with love for your family & of your Savior Jesus Christ.

     We have had a wonderful day of worship & service!  What could be better! Today was filled with our normal Sunday schedule. Sacrament Meeting – 4 classes, so very nice to be back to helping people!  Brother Croft had the opportunity to work with two new High Priest Group Leaders.  I spent time with new consultants, reviewing lessons & Family search. Tonight, also was busy in the FHCenter.  In one class today, a sister had brought a non-LDS friend. We worked together showing her about Family History.  She was totally amazed at what was available & how one could view original records & learn about our ancestors!   Several today were totally amazed & grateful for the amazing pictures, stories & records that are available! An interesting success, Bro Croft scanned on the copy machine -  to a thumb drive, a tattered, handwritten person history. It was 17 pages, both sides. Now the patron can add this to Family Search! What a treasure!  I am so grateful for all the tools we have in this day, computers, indexed records & indexers,  modern day technology – what a blessing it all is. Again the spirit witnessed to many today thru the power of pictures, especially, the greatness of this work! We witnessed their hearts softened & caught up in the work!

 

    Our weekday activities were much the same, maybe a few less appointments, but still so special. Wednesday was our day to cover the FHC. I had a great day with several patrons &  consultants at the FHC. One was a convert some years back & things are just beginning to open up!  So-o- fun when the spirit is there!

 

    Bro Croft had a Big Horn Lake Issues Group Meeting that day also. One man has at times been very one-sided about the lake issues but still he and I have become friends. Bro Croft shared:  “I had the opportunity to share FH with this non-LDS Montana friend. His eyes were riveted to my name tag prompting him to ask about FH.  He spoke of how recently he had a constant drive to get know about his ancestors. He couldn’t get it out of his mind lately & wondered if I could help him. With a group growing around us, I shared how one can do FH now and that I  could help him. We are continuing to communicate on FH by email. Its wonderful when the Holy Ghost prompts all people concerning their heritage!!

     Friday & Saturday were so very special!  Joy, Ky, Symphony, Kenya, & Daeja came & spent the night with us!  Dak, Chalin &friends were making a trip to Laramie. We so appreciate all the help they were – yard work, plumbing, oil change, etc.  Darece, Talon & Kaitlyn also pitched in Friday afternoon.  We had fun making marshmellow Easter eggs, playing games, fishing, even a Treasure Hunt on Saturday a.m.  Thanks for all of your service to us each week! The pond was a busy place this weekend, Bro Wellman also brought some of his family out both days to fish and had a wonderful time!

  

   Water line still isn’t here yet. We are hoping they finish up down the road because we are next! We’re staying close to home today, anticipating their arrival to bore under the highway into the greenhouse so that it can be hooked up.  Ky & Joy both helped Dad with some plumbing in the house!

 

    The weather is beautiful!  The daffodils are blooming in front of the house, WOW!!!!  Hoping to do a little weed burning this a.m. We love you all, have a great day & CTR        Love Bro & Sis Croft

 

 

Today was great!

April 13, 2014

Dearest Family,

    Happy belated Birthday to Ira, he turned 8 years old on Tuesday!!!!!  Happy Belated Birthday on Wednesday to Kirena!!!!!  Happy Birthday this Tuesday to Chalin!    We love you all!

The weeks seemed different – the last two Sunday’s have been General & Stake Conferences!  We are out of sink & we are ready to get back into our normal routine, even tho it is busier!

Today was great!  Many special words of council, & again we heard the words relating to FH & temple work.    From the Billings Montana temple, youth were challenged to go to the temple weekly, any time of the day, without an appointment for baptisms!  What a blessing that is for them.  With the new youth Temple Recommend it makes this possible!

    Sister Niedens, an assistant matron in the BMT, spoke today!  She prefaced her comments by saying, “at 3:00 a.m. this morning I was inspired to change my talk for today!”   She told of being sealed to her parents this past week.  She then went on to tell about the importance of sharing our memories of our family in Family Search.  She challenged the youth to asked a grandparent to tell them a story about their grandparents  or parents & record it in FS.   We each remember special stories about parents & grandparents or other relatives. When we are gone, the stories will be gone! She also testified of the blessing which technology is & how it is for the Lord’s work.  We each make the choice, will it bless our life or drag us down under Satan’s influence?  Several sisters visited with us about helping them in the coming weeks.  That will be great!  President Niedens counseled us to help other members of our stake with their temple names, for the Lovell Wyoming Stake box is overflowing.  One young Women has found ?00 names.   We also have several adults in our stake who are converts with lots of names to do.

Dad was busy with two extra service meetings mid week. He held his last FOBHL Board meeting as President after 8 years in that position and also resigned from the board to become an Advisor and serve as board secretary. It has been a very successful many years for FOBHL plus all the years before working on Lake issues before FOBHL was formed in 2006 (FOBHL = Friends of Bighorn Lake). He encouraged the board to take FOBHL to the next level in the coming years! ! ! He also attended the annual Northwest College/LDS scholarship award meeting in Powell for 3 hours to award about 23 students over $55,000 this year. He has been on this committee for 20 years since this program began. I had a great visit that evening with Gaye, Frank & Evee.   Was a nice evening!

We went to HSBend cat fishing on Friday morning getting only a 6 lb carp that gave dad a good fight. We will use it for bait next time out. This will be our last time out there for awhile since it will be a mud flat by this weekend, as the USBR drain the lake to provide storage for the high snow run off this spring! We attended the funeral for Chuck Hayes at the Methodist church in Lovell. We have been working with 2 of his grand daughters in Cowley on FH plus Dad knew him well from helping him with High School science projects for many years.

    Saturday was a great day also!   We were in Worland with Ira for his baptism! What a privilege that was!   Dad spoke about the Holy Ghost in our life by sharing stories of how the Holy Ghost can help us in our daily lives. These stores are in his Family search  pages for all to read. Had a wonderful lunch with all the family.  Dad helped Melvin and Al with a project in the shop while I helped  Ira set up LDS Account.  He & Amber wrote about his baptism & then he uploaded a picture of he & his Dad taken just before his baptism. What a treasure this will be for his family in the coming years!

    It has been fun to exchange emails with a Cousin in Denmark, Jane’s great-grandmother & my grandfather are siblings. We completed a story & posted it in FS, both in English & in Danish. What an amazing world we live in, blessed to be able to communicate so quickly!

We love you all, CTR 

Bro & Sister Croft