Can’t believe it is the last Sunday of October

October 27, 2013

Dearest Family,

   Can’t believe it is the last Sunday of October – another month gone by so very quickly! We have enjoyed every minute of it & look forward to each  -new day! 

    Monday – P day - Library day!   super!  Didn’t have a FHE scheduled so we went deer hunting, a little change of pace, Dad was able to shot a nice doe up on Snells, still like the meat. Feel blessed!

    Tuesday – Indexed with several special ladies, they love it & know they are accomplishing something very worthwhile! First time appointment, with a sister who wants to get started again! I think she will enjoy putting pictures in! FHC was also busy in the evening with several patrons.

    Wednesday had a wonderful trip to Billings to the temple! It is always so uplifting to spend time there, doing some of our family names. Dad was also able to talk to Bro. Ed Johnson, Area Family History Advisor,  Ed, also has been able to have meetings with the Stake Presidents of the Area & share the spirit of this great work!  It is so inspiring for every one!

    Thursday – Our morning in the Cowley Chapel – we were able to help a sister continue finding names for temple work.  She is a leader in the YWs program in her ward so is able to help them also. It does have a rippling effect! Afternoon spent in another home,  then had a cancelation, it happens.

    Friday – remainder of P-day at the lake, a lot of fishing with not much catching.  In the afternoon, I helped a sister, we had been puzzling over Ruth Jane Beebe & with that special help from the spirit it finally all came together!  She will soon have all of her temple work completed & her info will be correct!   It was a special time to have Ryan stop by for supper and visit for a while this evening,   We so enjoy all of you & love to have you stop by!

    Saturday – the Crofts of Worland were here.    Grandpa, Allen, Melvin, Ira & Leanne went to the lake, it is a little crispy in the morning, but they all survived.  Amber, Camille & I had a wonderful time here at home! Who doesn’t have fun with a 14 month little sweetheart! Also got bread baked, and Amber got a little sewing done!  We were able to attend the baptism of a boy in our ward who's parents we have worked closely with for years including going to the temple with them! This was a special time to be with them once again for the baptism of their youngest son! 

    And the SUNDAY! It is always the greatest!  A change of pace today – didn’t start until 8:30 – attended the Cowley 1st ward sac mtg & were able to see the annual Primary Program, wonderful, then taught a class for 15 minutes. Just got them started before we were off to Byron Ward. Bishop  Don Hatch was doing the My Family Stories Lesson.  Home for lunch, then off to the Lovell 3rd ward. Bishop Steve McArthur gave this lesson to his ward! Both were so special.  The rest of the afternoon was spent in the FHC meeting with two more new Youth Consultants, a High Priest Group Leader & several other Consultants who are just getting started.  Our evening, also was helping several consultants.  It is a blessing to get this one on one time with them also!

   

We pray for each of you each week,   keep up the great work you are all doing!

CTR     Love to all!

Bro and Sister Croft

Billings Montana Temple Oct 2013

Billings Montana Temple October 23, 2013

We had a wonderful day in the Temple doing family names! The grounds are so beautiful in the fall!

October 20, 2013

Dearest Family,

    Great week!!!!   Last Monday the Fike kids (Ky, Symphony, Kenya, & Daeja, missed you Chalin) were out of school, so they came to visit. Plans were that we would do outside work,  but shucks – it was rainy & cold!  We scrapped that idea.  dusting in the house – playing several games, shopping in Grandma’s fabric store, the girls were making headbands, & Grandpa sharing - a sign which he has had on his desk. It reads:   THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE      Those who Make things happen, Those who Watch things happen, & Those who Wonder what happened.

    He told about Vicki giving it to him in abt 1986 when he was Bishop of the Lovell 2nd Ward.  It was used as a teaching tool many times while on that desk.  After his release, it was moved to the office and now to his desk at home as a continued reminder of what the Lord expects His children to be.  Yes, ones who Make things happen – Doers of the Word and not hearers only ! !    At 2:00 we were off to the Family History Center,  Public Library closed for Veterans Day. The sister Missionaries came in to write letters & we had several patrons.  Was super!

    Wednesday was our day to work in the FHC during the day & also have a mtg with the NeVilles, FHC Directors.  It is always a good time.  Was an enjoyable one, with several patrons.  Bro Croft had the opportunity to work with a Young lady, who had seen the article in the newspaper last year,  & had decided then she wanted to do FH.   So exciting!  She was able to start from nothing and end up with several generations just doing searches in the data base!

    In the evening, we were in Cowley helping four MiaMaids & two leaders, they have a temple excursion in December & want to take their own names.  We are off to a great start.  Three & one leader found names, & the other, a frustrating time, recovering her user name & password, plus she had both a Family Search Account & an LDS Account. Took a long phone call, final support missionary was in Japan, mainly because it was evening in SLC & this was the one on line at the moment! What a world wide church we have!

    The United States government went back to work today after Congress and the President approved a continuing resolution as a temporary Budget for 2014. Al was glad to be back to work after 16 days off!

    We went out to the Lake to shore fish at Crooked Ck Bay catching a nice 3lb plus Sauger that makes two meals for us. A beautiful cool day, no wind and awesome reflections! See our blog for some photos! We had not been out there due to the shutdown for 3 weeks.

Fall reflections at Bighorn Lake

What a view!

   

    Again, today was another amazing one!  Our first assignment was to present the My Family Lesson to the High Council!  What a blessing that was!  The spirit is always so strong whenever this info is presented! One member of the HC came by the FHC after his meetings were over, but we were on our way home for dinner!  We are so grateful for the opportunities we have these last two weeks to share this with the Stake Leaders & for their support & inspiring thoughts.

    The rest of the day was inspiring with brothers & sisters to help, Bro Croft was about the building touching base with serveral bishops, scheduling some upcoming activities!   We love it! More youth family history consultants were called as well today!  They  love the work and really fire up the wards!

CTR   We love you all!!!!! 

Bro & Sis Croft

At 9:30 p.m. tonight our day came to an end on this amazing Sabbath day!

October 13, 2013

Dearest Family,

 

    At 9:30 p.m.  tonight our day came to an end on this amazing Sabbath day!  We left home this morning at 7:30 a.m. Came home twice, just long enough to eat lunch & supper, then leave again.  Attended Sacrament meeting in a ward where 3 high school youth were sustained as Family history Consultants, they then each talked about their experiences in FH, testifying of the amazing way it made them feel & how it had helped them be closer to their Heavenly Father. A returning missionary also talked of how it had helped in the mission he served in.  We then helped in a youth class in that same ward.

    From there we went to the Cowley wards, with lunch in between.  These were adult classes, all were excited about the work, each class was on a different lesson.  Thoughts & inspiration come when it is needed as we teach & help the brothers & sisters in these classes.

    Next it was a Ward Sacrament Meeting in Lovell, Bro Croft had been asked to speak about FH in todays Church! And guess who one of the other speakers was?   Ethan talked about his mission & they both did great.  After the meeting a young man, a return missionary, home for the weekend from NW College, came up to Bro Croft & ask,  I’m been thinking, I need to learn about FH & how to do it, can you help me?  So off to the the FHC we went, & spent about an hour with him.  As he prepared to leave he shared his thoughts – Every time I hear someone speak about FH,  I have such a good feeling.  I have felt the spirit here as I have worked. It is so great!   While he was there he reserved several names for temple ordinances which he will be able to do, since he is already endowed.

    Tonight, we opened the FHC at 6:00, there were patrons & other consultants there to help.  We had been asked to speak at the planning meeting for YM-YW Youth Conference Pioneer Trek at Martins Cove in June of 2014.  They have decided that in preparation for this they want to have  youth, learn about there ancestors, their stories, & take at least one ancestor to the temple.  As we have studied, prayed & prepared for this, we have been guided to those things that we should present. We feel so very blessed!

    The past week we also had the blessing of attending the monthly Bishops/Stake Prescy mtg sharing info about the “To Turn the Hearts” program & the “My Family Stories” lesson which the Bishops are to present to their wards.  Again we witnessed many miracles happen as the Holy Ghost is bearing witness to this great work!

 

Each day we pray that the farmers and ranchers will be able to harvest their crops as the rain and snow continues to come down nearly every day. The weather this year was so dry then the rain/snow hit and has been with us for over a month now. Here at the house over 3.5” of moisture so far, the ground is soft every where. The mountains and foothills are white in all directions around the valley again today!

 

We attended the LHS homecoming pep rally on Thursday evening to support all the youth we work with in FH! It helps us stay in touch with them and know we enjoy what they are doing! Anytime we are at a public activity we have people ask us about helping them with FH. The football game was on Friday evening and we watched Lovell play a hard fought game against Thermop and win in the end. (on TV from the comforts of our warm home)

 

The FH work is being hastened so much by the Lord in our stake it’s hard to keep up with all we need to do to help those desiring help. We have many wonderful FH consultants including the new youth ones to help! We’re grateful so many of the ward leaders, including the HP Grp leaders have also been trained and can be helpers as well! For example on Wednesday evening we had two youth groups from the Lovell First and Second wards doing FH. There was 9 YM in one room and 12 YW in the other room being helped by FH consultants, youth leaders and youth consultants as they enjoyed doing family search and indexing!

 

Each week we say to each other can it get any better than this? And the next week is even a more awesome spiritual adventure! ! !

 

We Love you all, may God bless

CTR

Bro and Sister Croft

 

This week has been a feast of new & exciting information!

October 6, 2013

 

Dearest family,

    This week has been a feast of new & exciting information!  Wednesday was our FH consultant meeting. The topic was Indexing, given by one of the Stake indexing coordinators, then we extended the meeting and presented info to the group on the Family History- Family Stories lesson which we shared with all of you in our letter last week!  We now have three Youth Consultants in one of our wards in the Stake & they were able to come. It was an enjoyable evening.

    Our Friday was an at home day, It was a 4 hour Webinar from SLC about Indexing & changes coming in the next months.  It was great to hear the exciting things coming which will only make it better.  Both family search and indexing will be browser based by mid 2014. Family search is already that way. This means that all computers and tablets will be able to be used but not smart phones. Their format is just too small for effective use.  Also in the future there will be only an A reader and a reviewer not a A and B reader plus an arbitrator like now. This will increase the amount of names indexed by 50%. There was a panel discussion by 2 HC men and 2 Stake Indexing Coordinators (all from different stakes) of their successful indexing projects. Their stakes did from  3 to 6 million names this last year.

    We love General conference! Saturday started with a funeral at 9am, then General Conference. We had Ben Martins over for Chicken & noodles on Saturday evening &  then listened to the General Priesthood Meeting.  And guess what? It was a first for me!   We all enjoyed it so much!   Sunday was wonderful, also!   Allen & Amber called this A.M. to see if we minded if they came over.  Their van is in the shop, Allen is forloughed because of the Govt shutdown. Hope it gets resolved shortly. They squished into their pickup, brought their roast, we added a few things  & had a wonderful day together.  Hadn’t seen them since Big Sky!

    It has been a rainy, blustery week, went to Powell one day to do a little shopping, get adjusted, spend time at the Fike’s,  & see Symphony’s volleyball game.  They had lots of bugs at their house & it was snowy & miserable so we came home, maybe another day. Well our first killing frost hit on Friday night 20’F such a long fall this year! We did our final lawn mowing this week when we had some apts cancel. We also got another inch of rain vs all the snow around us. The mtns are very white with up to 30” in the higher elevations. Bighorn lake has risen almost 4 ft in the past 3 wks with all the runoff.

    Our visits in homes was great &  we had several people at the Public Library. Our time in the FHC was busy & productive. This evening we were able to meet with the new Youth Consultants also. Each week is different & we are so grateful for the Lord’s help in all we do!

 

We love you all, thanks for your prayers & CTR, 

  Bro & Sis Croft