This is the corner by my desk
Note the farm picture and picture of my family

I am posting this announcement right at the top although I didn't learn about Daniel's mission call until early Saturday morning.  He received his mission letter on Friday while he was at work and his dad took it to him at Chic-Fil-A.  He opened it there but he worked til closing so it was too late to call me when he got home.  Daniel Deon Winkie, son of Robb and Theresa Winkie is going to serve in the Provo, Utah Mission.  Isn't that cool.  He will not be too far from gramma.  I am so proud of him.  He will serve for two years and it will be a great adventure for him.  I guess the Lord wanted us Winkies in Utah.  Robb served his mission in the Salt Lake City North Mission.  Congratulations Daniel.

June 4th ---I am going to try something different for this blog and see how it works.  When something special or interesting occurs I will blog about it that day.  Today I walked part way to work with a Sister McKay who lives near me and works on the same floor I do in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  As we walked I got to know a little about Sister McKay.  She said she walks slow but she gets there.  She has been out on her mission for 20 months and doesn't go home until February of 2014.  She has extended a couple of times.  Sounds dedicated doesn't it?  When that is just the tip of the ice berg.  This is her 6th mission.  She served 3 with her husband of 60 years.  He died of a terrible cancer in 2000.  One of the missions was in Singapore.  She does live about an hour from here and her children come for her and bring her back so she can spend weekends at home.  Remarkable, huh?  Lastly, I asked her how old she was.  I was shocked to hear she was 86 years old.  I should look and do so good at 86.  I am proud to know her.  What an example!  My hat is off to you, Sister McKay.

Tomorrow we are having a special noon devotional with Elders Richard G. Scott and David Bednar.  They are the apostles over Family History.  They will speak to all the missionaries in my mission in our Chapel.  They then will introduce us to our incoming mission presidency.  President Peterson and his counselors leave next month.  We are all excited to learn who they will be and how the change will affect us.

I am going to the temple tomorrow night to a sealing session.  Our mission does the 5:00 Sealing session every Wednesday.  We usually have enough for three sealing rooms.  I have been many times since I came to Salt Lake City.  So you can see that tomorrow will be a full day.  On top of that I will work about 7 hours at my computer.

June 5th ---Special noon devotional in the Chapel at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  Elder Richard G Scott was presiding and mission President Wayne Peterson was conducting.  Also present were David A Bednar (Apostle), Paul E Koelliker, Marcus B Nash, Allan F Packer (all three from the First Quorum of the Seventy) and Bradley D Foster (2nd Quorum of the Seventy). These very busy brethren were present as they hold church assignments to Church and Family History.  I had a perfect view to see all the general authorities as I sat in the 3rd row on the left side of the chapel.  We opened by singing "Because I've Been Given Much" and all the general authorities sang from memory.  Elder Allan Packer conducted the business of telling us who our new mission presidency were.  He said we are making history here today and it was filmed.  Our new Mission President is a 70 and is H. Ross Workman and his wife Kathleen.  He presided over the Hawaii Temple from 2007-2012 and also was a former mission president in Hawaii.  His new counselors are: Dale Dewey and Glenn Johns.  I know the Deweys as they are in my activity group.  We were informed that as of today we had 1157 missionaries in our mission.  President and Sister Peterson spoke to us and then President and Sister Workman each bore their testimonies.  We then were privileged to hear from Elder Bednar who stressed that everything about our Church is Heart and Ordinances. He said this at least 4 times.  "Hearts that are changed...mighty changes as it turns to the fathers."  He told us that since the October announcement that lowered the age for young people to serve missions they have processed/assigned 40,000 young missionaries.  Elder Bednar quoted the following: "When the dark is the darkest the light shines the brightest."

Elder Scott then spoke to us.  He began with the following:  "I'd like to tell you a secret."  If you want to wake up every morning with a smile on your face before you go to been put a coat hanger in your mouth."  Everyone roared.  We all love him so much.  What a sweet man.  He thanked us for our willingness for "this essential work of the Lord Jesus Christ."  "This is a particularly important part of the Lord's work.  This is fundamental to His work.  Elder Scott then invoked an Apostolic Blessing on us that as we pray, study and learn we will have what we need.  Thank you and we love you."  Then President Sessions of the old mission presidency said the closing prayer and it was over except for the warm feelings we all had.  Back to work we all went knowing that the work we all do is important to the Lord and His plan.

In the evening I attended a temple session with friends from my branch.  It was a very nice sealing session.

6th June.  I went to prayer meeting as usual and worked a full day.  It is a beautiful day and the walk home was nice.  Many, many people on Temple Square today.

7th June   Today was 1/2 day for all missionaries in my zone.  Three friends and I went to see the new movie, "Ephraim's Rescue"  by the same director/producer who did "17 Miracles."  I loved 17 Miracles but Brother Christiansen really outdid himself with "Ephraim's Rescue."  It is a tear jerker and you will need kleenex but it is so worth the tears.  It is a true story of the rescue of the Martin Handcart pioneers and the heros and heroines who were on this trek.  I will certainly buy the DVD when it comes out.  After the movie the other sisters and I went out to eat to celebrate two of them having a birthday.  We elected to sit outside in the pedestrian mall of a outdoor shopping area.  We weren't seated 10 minutes when one of the sisters spied a couple she knew from home.  She jumped up and ran to them and was so happy to see them.  eventually they came to our table and we were introduced.  The man is her Bishop from back home.  They were in Salt Lake City for only two days (came from Southern California) and she got to visit with them.  This is a wonderful example of a tender mercy.  If we had dined inside or choose another restaurant or whatever she would have not spied them.  Even is she had chosen a different chair she wouldn't have seen them.   The Lord knows are every need and He really knows how to plan ahead.  What a wonderful birthday present for Sister Binkhurst.  By the way, Brother T C Christiansen is speaking at a noon devotional next thursday.  You can be sure I will be attending.  So many amazing opportunities here in Salt Lake City!

8th June   Of course today was a Saturday so I was at the laundry room at 7:05 AM to do my  loads of laundry and there was only one free washer.  The sign says not to use facility until  7:00 but I guess others were in a hurry.  About 2.5 hours later I was finished with that chore for another week.  I did some clean up at the apartment and then two other sisters and I went to Walmart and Winco.  Winco is a great huge store that sells products at a great price.  They also have great produce and bulk items.  We did our weekly grocery shopping.  We each went home to put away things and eat supper and then reconvened at my apartment for one of the sisters to cut our hair.

9th of June  Sunday   Church was awesome today. the teachers for Relief Society really taught great lessons.  I had prepared to be spiritually fed by reading my lessons ahead of time and it was well worth the effort.  For Sacrament Meeting our outgoing Mission President and his wife spoke.  They both spoke some about their experience of being the Temple President and Matron of the Nauvoo Temple.  President Peterson told of the history of the first Nauvoo Temple and how it was  destroyed by early persecutors of the church.  He then gave a very interesting timeline and process that led to the rebuilding the Nauvoo Temple.  I was fascinated.  I learn a lot I didn't know.  I was especially interested in this temple as I worked as a volunteer two days during the open house.

I was asked to attend a Fireside/play tonight in West Jordan at the Hale Theater.  It is theater in the round.  There were four of us that went together.  The play was funny, entertaining and a learning experience.  It was called "Are there Meadowlarks Still Singing?"  It was a very enjoyable evening and now I am ending my day and week finishing up my blog.  I hope and pray you all have had a wonderful and interesting week.  Please write and tell me how your doing.  I pray for you all and miss you but I love my mission and that this is where the Lord needs me at this time.

This is my home away from home here on my Mission
photo on the easel is Alex winking at me!