What a beautiful day it was today!

Dearest Family! 

    Happy Birthday, Wednesday, July 6, to Aunt Marlene!    Happy Birthday, Friday, July 8, to Amber!

    What a beautiful day it was today!  We traveled to Colstrip, Montana, 213 miles from home.  The weather was beautiful this morning, several very large flags waving in the gentle breeze, just many thoughts of this amazing land we live in, since the 4th of July is very close. It was new country to both Dad & I, even tho there are Sessions family who live there.  Bishop Wesley Session is Mike  & Judy Sessions son who is Thurman & Ethel's son. Thurman is Gdpa Alvins younger brother. So three generations of this family life and work there. We met with the ward council during Sunday School time them during Relief Society/Priesthood we met with all the adults, a first Sundaycombined lesson! Like all the other wards, the brothers & sisters are so excited to find names to take to the temple.  This is a small ward with about 70 in attendance in Sac Mtg. The trip home was wonderful, except for an horrendous rain storm between Laurel & Fromberg. If it would have been snow instead of rain it would have been a super duper blizzard!  We were blessed to not have hail during it!

    We went boat fishing twice this week at Bighorn Lake having a great time and catching sauger and catfish in Crooked Creek bay. The lake is 5 ft from full and filling slowly . . . .may never get all the way this summer. Our garden and new raspberries are growing  nicely but dad has to water everything 2 to 3 times a week with such above normal hot weather for June. We attended  the funeral on Friday of an older lady who was a FH Consultant for years in the Lovell 3rd ward. Her husband is in poor health too and uses a scooter to get around.

   

    Tuesday we had a great day in Billings!  Went to the temple first & after doing some temple ordinances, we visited with Brett Morrison, temple recorder & Tammy (Savage) Wheeler who also works there, helping them understand the apps.  Dad was very patient while I shopped for fabric. We went to the Billings FHC & then in the evening, met in the home of a Stake President, his councilors, & their families.  It was a successful FHE with all finding names for the temples.  The Stake President, his wife & family had already been taught by a member of the High Council so we assisted them in teaching the other people who were there. This family live next to Lake Elmo and the Lake Hills golf course in Billings Heights, a very pretty area! Pres told dad he has only golfed on the course once in many years.   So very enjoyable, but a l-a-t-e night getting home. 

    We have been able to do skype training with a Bishop & his two sons, also a high priest group leader.  It was so special to have a sister call just to say Thank You!  So Sweet!  Saturday we had a very special surprise, Josh Fink & a friend stopped by to visit!  He is doing great, living in Logan & working there as an electrician .   It was so good to see him & meet his special friend who has her degree and now getting a second one in speech therapy!

  

We love all of you,  have a great week,    Mom & Dad

Happy Birthday,

Dearest Family,   

    Happy Birthday, Ryan, on Friday, July 1  & to Chris on Sunday, July 3!   Hope you both have a great day!!!!

    I  am a little slow getting this done, by last evening there was no concentration or think left in my brain, so now it is Monday afternoon!  We have had two great Monday morning’s on the lake. Last week we fished in Horseshoe Bend & brought home two nice catfish.  Today we fished in Crooked Creek Bay & finally caught one sauger! It was so beautiful both days!

    We have had a great time skyping with three people this week! It is super to share with people! We have also had several in home visits & a trip to the Big Horns to begin getting acclimatized for Big Sky!

    This week was Mustang Days so many activities were going on!   We enjoyed several of them.   I went to the Follies with Darece & family one evening. Bob & I enjoyed Queen Bee Gardens free barbeque, was nice to visit with the people.  We also helped serve food at the Family Fun Night!  Another opportunity to visit!   Had nice phone visits with Joy & Ryan this week!  

    On Saturday, Allen, Melvin, Leanne, & Camille were here for a little while to pick up some things.  We had a barbeque with the Grants at noon on Saturday.   Kirsten, Landie, Makala, & Nakota Bird were here visiting for several days so we enjoyed visiting with them!

    Sunday was also a special day in three different wards!  On this day we were sharing and discussing several videos of General Authorities who testify of the sacred nature of Family History, how it blesses lives & give some instruction on what leaders need to do. The spirit was there in rich abundance and several shared some very special experiences!

  Brother Croft had noticed a Bishop very much in tune with the presentation, he had just received inspiration about four names of young people in his ward whom they were to call as Youth Consultants. Right then he had texted the info to his counselors.

    ---A RS President & mother of children still at home, said, “I am so excited, I want those promises for my children!   I can’t afford not to have them!”

    ---A  HP Group leader was there & as people asked questions he would answer & say “oh, I know how to do that”   He later explained that several months ago he was given the “To Turn the Hearts” guide which is a supplement to Handbook 2 about FH.  In it he had read that he was to train the FH Consultants & others in his ward.   He decided he had better learn how to do it if he was to train people. He had really been studying!

    ---A FH consultant commented about convert retention & Elder Renlund’s promised blessings.  She shared that she had been helping an older man who had recently been baptized.  He had not had contact with his parents or siblings for some time. It was found that his father had passed away two years ago, (a sad part) but he had his recommend to go the the temple & do his baptism. The consultant had also located his mother, called her, & after several days she had responded that she would like him to call her. The consultant planned to share this with the man, so he could call his mother.  They had also found one of his brothers.  FH has the power to, “turn the hearts of your family together and heal that which needs healing.” Elder Renlund.

    ---Another Bishop, & father of children 1 to 14, returned a call from us after 9:00 p.m. He had just arrived home from the church,  & had been so excited all day about all he had heard! We will do a couple of Skype trainings with them at their home soon. Love you all Mom & Dad

Friday evening Courtney, Sheila’s daughter, from Jackson, called

Dearest Family!   

    Happy 2nd Birthday, Emerson!  Wish we were all there to help you celebrate!!!

    Monday was a nice day at home – had great visits with Joy & Cheryl!  Plus everyday we do some prep for activities coming up, today it was for the Worland Stake activity which was Wednesday evening.  We went early to Worland so we could celebrate with Allen & Family,  Amber’s folks & us, barbeque & 3 milk cake, his favorite!!!!  Our Worland Stake Activity was teaching the Stake Council how to u the apps!  Melvin, Ira & 4-5 others helped  & many found names!  We hope each feels the spirit & teaches & shares it with someone else.  It was wonderful to be a part of the birthday party & also have a successful activity too!

    Friday evening Courtney, Sheila’s daughter, from Jackson, called & was here in town. She had a step daughter at Powell at Girl’s State & her father was going to parts of that with her.  They were on their way to the Flathead lake to vacation for a week & also taking several young people there to attend a Cross Country Camp. Thanks to Darece, Ken, & Family, Courtney & 5 kids went to the lake in the morning.  4 of the kids rode the tubes & we took a ride to Devils Canyon overlook. It was a great morning & we all enjoyed it!  On Friday, Dad & I had been at the lake & caught two nice catfish! Beautiful morning.

    Then today, to Billings again!   We did a hands on lesson in three wards!  We enjoy this so muchs!  Some of the comments:   from several young mothers, “I have always felt I should do this, but didn’t have the blocks of time, with the apps, now I can do it in smaller, bits of time here & there.  A RS President, so wanting to get her sisters involved, a HP assistant realizing that several people passing out the names to ward members just wasn’t  the right thing to do – they are giving them a fish, not teaching them to fish!  A Bishop  & several Mission leaders seeing the vision of what it can do for their wards.  A young High Priest Group leader saw Dad in the hall later, after his priesthood meeting & shared how FH was what they had talked about in their meeting immediately after our training & how he was going to implement some FH in his quorum on a weekly basis. Then we also met with a newly called High Councilman over FH in his stake.  That morning, before our meeting he had been into the app & reserved his first name ever for the temple!  He is excited & ready to go!  While traveling home tonight, we reviewed the day, then this evening Dad called several whom we wish to do more training with!   It has been a wonderful day!

    It was great to have Rob & Michelle stop by on Saturday evening for a visit!  We also enjoyed Ken, Darece, Whitney, Kaitlyn & Talon visit tonight!

 

Our love to all of  you,     Mom & Dad  / Grandpa & Grandma

It is hard to believe it has been just one week since I last wrote – so many things have happened!

Dearest Family!   

    Happy Birthday, today to Kaitlyn, she is 17!   Happy Birthday to Allen on Wednesday!  Happy 22nd Anniversary to Dak & Joy on Friday!

    As you can see, I am a little slow with a letter this week!  Sunday was a wonderful day but a long one!  When we arrived home last evening we both crawled right into bed!

    It is hard to believe it has been just one week since I last wrote – so many things have happened!  Things like going Visiting Teaching, having Visiting Teachers, a two wonderful mornings on the lake, it was like glass & we even caught a catfish big enough to eat! We had a wonderful FHE on Skype last Monday with a HP group leader & his wife, a Primary President!  They are so excited about FH & finding their own names for the temple.  They have a vision of what it can do for their family & in their callings for others!  Also skyped with a sister whom I met at the temple & she has wanted some help!  We also received calls from several people this week, ones in leadership positions which we have been trying to reach!  Prayers are answered!

    Many of you know Myra Sessions  visit with her family & to go to her funeral on Tuesday!  Then Tuesday afternoon some of us hosted a Surprise Birthday Party for Janet Nazer!  It was wonderful!  She was so completely surprised & we had an amazing group of over 30 people!  Janet is a dear sister who doesn’t have any close family, but she does have so many friends & it was so special.  She says she is still on a high even this long after the party  & we are all so glad!  This morning at 7:30 a.m. she called to tell us about all the things she is doing on her new Fire Tablet! Several of us went together to give her one.

    Friday Bill & Kathy came – it is always nice to have them here!  Saturday was Betty’s funeral, we feel blessed to have known her & what an example she is to all of us! A very sharing person!  It was special time together with family. Dad has posted many things in Family Search, you might enjoy looking there!

    Sunday was a truly amazing day!   It was the first in the wards of the Billings East Stake!  They have a High Councilman, Bro LC, over FH, who has caught the vision & is really magnifying his calling!  We arrived at the chapel at about 8:50am, just in time to attend the sacrament meeting at 9:00. A sister in the Restroom noticed my name tag & said, “ Oh, you’re Sis Croft,  Bro LC taught all of us on the Stake Council today how to find names using the apps.   I am so excited & motivated to get started again!!!”  After Sacrament meeting we visited with the Ward council in that ward & Bro LC came to that meeting with us!  It was the first time we had actually met him in person, we have always skyped with him & his family!  He shared his testimony of the work & how it was such an exciting thing in his home. That week he had went to the temple to baptize his daughter who had just turned 12 & had found her own names. Their family is teaching every one they come in contact with!

        Then an hour later in the next ward that meets in this same building, we again met with their ward council.  Today, in all of these wards we were teaching the spiritual blessings of the work, also sharing the info about how if new converts attend the temple to do baptisms during the first two months after their baptism, the retention rate is 80%.  When the meeting ended, the RS President, lingered & Dad felt inspired to sit down beside her.  She shared her experience.  She was baptized as a teenager & a wonderful family fellowshipped & nurtured her.  She said that was exactly how it had happened to her! She had went to the temple, doing baptisms as a youth. She was a textbook case. It was a very spiritual time as she shared this!  We hope as we return to this ward next week to do hands on, that she will be inspired to share her testimony!

     Then in the last ward which we met with, the stake president visited our meeting. (I think this is his home ward.) Bro LC has taught him and his family & they are finding their own names.  President shared his testimony & commented as we taught! This is a ward where one sister is providing all the names for the members to do. When we think about Elder Renlund’s challenge, “to find as many names as ordinances we do” & the blessings he promised, many people are being denied some very special blessings in this situation. His present & testimony were  so very special & just what the Lord wanted!

    At 5:30 p.m.  we arrived at the other Stake President’s home where he had invited members of his stake presidency, his own family, & several others to learn about finding names.  Again there were some special miracles which happened!  While all were attaching hints, one sister came to me, “look at this,” It was a baptism in Norway, a sister to her great grandfather & his parents whom she didn’t know.   A very special moment for her! And she continued to find other things.    Another sister, said “oh, I so want to find a name” but absolutely no references to temple ordinances were showing up on her tablet. Finally I realized that something was not right when an occasional error message would show up saying that a membership number had not been added to her account, thus no ordinances would show up, it was a public account! She couldn’t remember her password when she tried to sign in to add it.   In the end, we called SLC & she had two accounts!  Finally we solved the problem!   Now she is finding family who need their temple work done!  So thankful for inspiration & guidance!

    We are so very blessed & acknowledge the Lord’s hand in all we do!   What blessings there are!!!!! Love you all         Mom and Dad

Happy Birthday Bruce on Thursday, June 9th! 82 great years!

Dearest Family

    Happy Birthday Bruce on Thursday, June 9th!  82 great years!

    Our love & prayers to Kirsten & her family.  Saturday morning Aunt Betty passed away.   It is a sweet sorrow!  There will be a viewing in Mountain View on Thursday, June 9th, then a funeral in Powell on Saturday, June 11,  11:00 a.m. with burial in the Byron Cemetery next to Grandpa & Grandma Croft.  Some of you know Larry & Myra Sessions, relatives & Dad served in the Stake Presidency with him.  He was also our Bishop back in the late 70’s I think.   His wife Myra also passed away this week!

      We had a great party on Monday evening for Dad’s birthday!  It was great to get together to roast hot dogs & fry a few burgers over the fire down by the pond!   Weather had been off & on all day, but was great in the evening.  Dad & Allen built a great fire & the coals were perfect when it came time to cook.  Thanks to all who came & for the goodies you brought!  We also went to a barbeque for Bo on Thursday evening, enjoyable also!!!!! 

  

    I got a new hair cut on Thursday, feels really good!   Friday we floated around out to the lake, beautiful day, the first really sunny one all week!  And my skin felt it, I’ll remember the sun Screen next week! We had several bites and caught a small catfish. . . . the catching has been slow this spring for everyone, it will get better! Saturday, Dad helped Rob on a project, then he came out for lunch.

    We have had some special times this week helping people. We taught a young mother and her 7 yr old son on FS. Dad had the boy tell stories and record them in the FS memories app while I helped his mom process hints and new people. This young man wasn’t so sure he even wanted to be there when we came, but He had a really cool time with Dad. We enjoy do this & feeling the Lord’s hand in this work.

    And today, it was another marathon 7am to 7pm!  We were doing hand’s on, at a 4 ward meeting house in Billings. We were teaching their WC people to use the FS Tree app and many found names for the temple for the first time!  

    We were also invited by the Billings Stake Pres to come to his home next Sunday afternoon to teach a group of members they are inviting to learn FS Tree app. He is  being a good example as a leader doing the FS - Find Take Teach process! The Work continues to hasten at a faster pace each week . . . . many new updates to the FS process to make Find Take Teach even easier for everyone!

Love You all CTR Mom & Dad

Of course, Monday is Dad’s birthday, 73 great years!

Dearest Family,

    Of course, Monday is Dad’s birthday, 73 great years!  We are roasting hot dogs & frying burgers out to the pond! Haven’t done that for a while!

On Thursday, June 2, Bo celebrates his birthday! Happy Birthday, Bo!!!

    We understand that Mila arrived home safely.  Tuesday was a special day, I traveled to Billings with  Darece, it was her day to work in the temple laundry & I enjoyed helping – it is much more fun to fold clothes there than at home. Dad had a nice time fly fishing with Rob at Deaver Reservoir and helping patrons on the phone/computer with FH. One of the California quail pairs have 5 eggs now so that's exciting to await them hatching.

    It has been great to help people this week, each one is excited to learn, find names & make the tree better.  We have enjoyed helping on the phone & Skyping.   Liz, the consultant from the Billings YSA ward called & she wanted us to help with her 5th Sunday lesson.  We were already doing 2, one in Laurel & one in Billings.  The times for each one just wouldn’t allow us to get to all three.  We are blessed to have met the Tech person in that Stake & we ask him to help her get better wifi internet in the cultural hall of that ward's building.  We also taught her on Skype & sent her the  FS app screen clips – we are anxious to hear how the day went.  We taught 5th Sunday combined lessons in two wards, one in Laurel & one in Billings.    In both of these wards we see lots of people with Lovell roots!

After supper we helped a young man who now has his mission call to Ohio get updated on the FS apps and how to use FH on his mission. He found, reserved and printed the temple card in less than 5 minutes too ! ! ! He and dad were home teachers together for several years plus Dad helped teach he and his brother the Gospel, his mom just joined the church recently too. Now their whole family is in the church and working toward their family being sealed forever! As it turns out his Dad's side of the family is from Ohio, then came out west . . . so he will get to see where his roots are from and likely meet some cousins on his mission.

    It was fun to have Kaitlyn & friends come for a fishing date at the pond. They were also impressed when Dad showed them his worm digger. (the electric rod which causes them to rise right out of the ground!)

  On Saturday, Allen & Amber went to Billings to the temple & stopped by on their way home for dinner. The kids had stayed at Darece’s & they took Niel with them.  We sure enjoyed playing with him, he changes every time we see him – what a happy boy he is!!!! We will get more time to visit on Monday afternoon when all the kids will be here.

    Have a great week – CTR   Love you all Mom & Dad

Each day this week, there have been people to help.

Dearest Family,

    Happy Birthday to my Sweetheart – one week from tomorrow!  Our love & prayers go out to Betty, she has been very ill, but is improving.

     What a wonderful day it has been – serving . . . . We left home at 7:00 a.m.  and returned home at 7:00 p.m. Spent the day in the Billings Stake center in Billings which has 4 wards meeting in it!  There were more familiar faces of folks from the Bighorn Basin now living in Billings. We attended Sunday School in each ward, Sacrament, Phd/RS in another, teaching the principles & blessings of Family History, & of finding names, again I just love the Lord's promises given by Elder Renlund & know that they are true, if we will do our part, we will be blessed in so many ways. We feel so blessed to have this opportunity to testify of His great promises.

    “You’ll find not only protection from the temptation & ills of this world, but you will also find personal power, power to change, power to repent, power to learn, power to be sanctified & power to turn the hearts of your family together, & heal that which needs healing.”

    Each day this week, there have been people to help.  Thru our time in the Public Library we have made some wonderful friends from our community, whom we continue to help on a weekly basis. At some time, we pray that they will embrace the Gospel. They do recognize that they feel something very special when they do this work.  (the spirit of Elijah)  I was also able to help a sister with a longer history she is writing in a word processing program. Another library patron offered help also on several features of the program. (We still don’t know who she was) Help is sent in many ways! Dad enjoyed Skyping with Marlene one evening doing family history.

    It has been a great week – doing so many different things.   I was able to finish the quilt for Mila, then on Thursday evening, Darece, Kaitlyn, Whitney, Talon & Mila came out to fish, she has wanted to fish in the pond since she first saw it!  It was a fun evening, fishing in the rain, then hot chocolate & giving her the quilt!  She leaves this Monday, & yes, we will all miss her happy, smiling countenance!

    There was that special experience we all have every 2 years! It is always great to renew temple recommends, what a choice time to ponder upon my progress & the direction I am going.

Even during these, the Lord opened the away & we were able to share sacred principles – we never cease to be amazed at the Lord’s hand in all things. It's so easy to teach others how to use the FS mobile apps or update them on new features.

    Had a beautiful morning at Bighorn lake on Friday!  It was fishing, not catching! Saturday morning Dad went fat tire biking with Rob near Cottonwood canyon, seeing many animals, old pioneer homesteads and beautiful scenery ! I had an enjoyable morning here at home! We were also able to plant a few tomato plants, green peppers & a few flowers!  Our new raspberries are doing great too. It is fun to watch several families of bunnies here by the house!  The squirrels keep destroying the bird nests in the trees so that's disgusting.  Dad's quail have not laid any eggs yet, wild ones show up every few days to check out the captive ones. The Barretts brought the sheep down to help us harvest grass and weeds for the summer.

    We love you all,  hope your week has been a great one!  Keep the faith! 

  Love Mother & Dad