Sweet is the Work

This past week Joyce and I both had opportunities to work with our missionaries. On Friday Joyce spent the day with Sisters Vance, Reed and McKinnon -- teaching lessons and knocking on doors! Sister McKinnon goes home in two weeks. She has been a wonderful missionary.
I am often with my two Assistants, Elder Bosshardt and Elder Folz. Last night we spent 3 hours together as we discussed the needs of the mission. These two elders are blessed with great faith, incisive minds and warm, loving personalities. Elder Folz goes home in two weeks will be greatly missed.

Hymn #147 - Sweet is the Work

Sweet is the work, my God, my King,
To praise thy name, give thanks and sing,
To show thy love by morning light,
And talk of all thy truths at night.

Sweet is the day of sacred rest.
No mortal care shall seize thy breast.
Oh, may my heart in tune be found,
Like David's harp of solemn sound!

My heart shall triumph in my Lord
And bless his works and bless his word.
Thy works of grace, how bright they shine!
How deep thy counsels, how divine!

But, oh, what triumph shall I raise
To thy dear name through endless days,
When in the realms of joy I see
Thy face in full felicity!

Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

White Glove Inspections

During every six week transfer cycle we are required to physically inspect each of the 60+ apartments that the mission maintains. These apartments run the gamut from attractive 1 bedroom apartments in large, well maintained apartment complexes to, well, everything else including small "row homes" in the inner city areas.

These apartment inspections are the responsibility of our fulltime "service elders". They have a detailed inspection form for each apartment. One copy of their completed inspection form stays with the apartment and one copy comes back to the mission office. If an apartment is especially messy or dirty, the missionaries who live there will receive a "Red Alert". This is bad news! A Red Alert means that they are required to immediately bring their apartment cleanliness and order up to mission standards immediately.


Occasionally Joyce will accompany the service elders on their inspection trips. These photos give you an example of the good, the bad and the ugly of what she found on her most recent trip. In general our missionaries keep their apartments very clean and orderly. This is especially important in our many inner-city areas where dirty dishes and dirty bathrooms can become nesting and resting areas for cockroaches, mice and rats!