Improve the Shining Moments

Improve the Shining Moments

Improve the shining moments; Don't let them pass you by,
Work while the sun is radiant; Work, for the night draws nigh.
We cannot bid the sunbeams To lengthen out their stay,
Nor can we ask the shadow To ever stay away.

Time flies on wings of lightning; We cannot call it back.
It comes, then passes forward Along its onward track.
And if we are not mindful, The chance will fade away,
For life is quick in passing, 'Tis as a single day.

Improve each shining moment. In this you are secure,
For promptness bringeth safety And blessings rich and pure.
Let prudence guide your actions; Be honest in your heart;
And God will love and bless you And help to you impart.

I started this post a week ago, but I can see that time is flying on wings of lightning and if we are not mindful, the shining moments may not be enjoyed and recorded and the chance will fade away. So, I am going to try to be prompt and post some final photos and thoughts in these last brief shining moments in Canada.

Mail is always a shining moment for missionaries. Having these sisters in the office is a shining moment for us.

Reward for a clean apartment for Sisters Howell and Pizzey

Sisters Vera and Christiansen at the office on their way to the French temple session. We loved joining them. Elder H. understands, I use the headset.

Sister Sandra Harding arrives to take over the front desk and the most comfortable desk chair ever! So glad to have her and Elder Harding here. 

Our beloved Delly Trembley visiting the office and falling in love with a French copy of Gospel Principles

Our district meetings got moved to the office to we can attend! Before transfers, our district included Sisters Brown, Sandberg, Howell, & Pizzey and Elders Clark, Steimle, Watson, & Widdup. 

Joann Chatham makes many shining moments in the mission with her cheerful assistance with meals at the mission home and keeping the office and the mission home "shining" clean. We love her. 

A fun evening watching the General Women's Meeting rebroadcast with sisters from Dartmouth and Cole Harbour wards. Many more we love here who didn't get in the photo. We also watched the original broadcast with the metro Sisters and the Leavitts at the Mission Home. 

Sharon and Helen sang with our ward choir the last Sunday in September. It's easy to see they are related to their sister, Laurie Rice, from our Hunter 12th Ward in Utah. 

Sisters' dinner appointment. We did allow Elder H. to eat with us and take photos. Sister Leavitt and I are going to Skype with Sister Wiebe and all wear our adorable aprons. 

The MPW (Mission President's Wife), our much-beloved Sister Leavitt. 

Sisters Turner and Creager with the roll dough that flopped. The next batch resulted in some beautiful cinnamon buns for all the Halifax Sisters. 

Technology allows us to enjoy the shining moments of conference on the "small screen" in our apartment.

We watched one session of conference at the church with members such as the MacLean's.

This wasn't taken on conference weekend, but it was a rainy Saturday when we went to the market before conference.  We found wonderful produce and fresh bread and some very cute earrings. (The first session here doesn't start until 1 p.m.)

Out of sequence, but this is the picture taken after the transfer temple session and dinner in September. We got to hear Sisters Echols and Lee sing. They are the owners of Chelsi and Violet, two of the String Sisters who rode out with us. This is our last transfer.....unbelievable.

If anyone is counting or wondering, we will be driving home the last week in October and speaking in church on Nov. 9.  Watch for more photos of our last shining moments here as we head for home. We have loved the people and the beauty of Eastern Canada, but the brightest moments have been feeling the Savior's love and sharing it with others.

Love, Elder & Sister Hendrickson

The Time is Far Spent

The time is far spent; there is little remaining
To publish glad tidings by sea and by land.
Then hasten, ye heralds; go forward proclaiming:
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven's at hand.

We now realize each day how little time is remaining to do all we have been called to do and want to do. Elder & Sister Wiebe flew home September 6 after 23 months of faithful service in the office.

Sister Wiebe has spearheaded ordering supplies and making memory books for each returning missionary. Elder Wiebe has done all the finances for all the missionaries and the mission. They will be missed!

Elder & Sister Ranglack left Sackville to serve in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Their loving service will still bless many.

In the little time remaining, we managed to see some of Laurie Rice's relatives at the Labour Day picnic with Dartmouth and Cole Harbour wards.

Gail Dietz-Sola and Linda Tremblay - two of the first members we met who became my visiting teachers.

A short conversation started an ongoing connection with Brandy Eele and her family as she has returned to church activity.

Many other ward members who enjoyed the sea and the land.  

JJ Choo,  my new friend and hair stylist.

Elder Hendrickson enjoying the land by the sea.

Tammy Macmichael and The Ehlers are families we home teach.

The amazing Bishop Quist who takes his duty of watching over the ward seriously.

Sister Brown demonstrating the game I'm going to copy that Brother Lawless made. 

We celebrated our anniversary by sea and by land at the Wooden Monkey by Aldernay Landing and later making it to Lunenberg to see Blue Nose II and enjoy a seafood dinner.

Shrink not from your duty, however unpleasant,

but follow the Savior, your pattern and friend.

Our little afflictions, tho painful at present,

Ere long with the righteous, in glory will end.

We find the members and missionaries in Dartmouth do NOT shrink from their duty, but follow the Savior in loving and serving everyone in our ward family and those who visit or investigate.

Thelma and Aubrey Fielden use their time remaining to follow the Savior by feeding the missionaries (every week for 61 years and counting), attending every temple session, doing family history research, and sharing the gospel and the Savior's love with everyone they meet. We loved our recent dinner appointment and visit with them.

It was only a little affliction to be here when our little angel, Sophie Veone Brown, was born on August 18, the day before Grandma Veone's birthday (and our anniversary). 

Be fixed in your purpose, for Satan will try you;
The weight of your calling he perfectly knows.
Your path may be thorny, but Jesus is nigh you;
His arm is sufficient, tho demons oppose.

Because those who served before us were fixed in their purpose, they didn't take time to upgrade this desk. 

The weight of our calling was made lighter by the addition of a new desk & chair. 

The missionaries are certainly fixed in their purpose as demonstrated in their tug of war contest. 

We hope to be fixed in our purpose and not allow Satan to slow down our efforts to serve and share the Gospel as we sprint to the finish. We know Jesus is nigh and His arm is sufficient to bless us in the time remaining. 

May you know that His arm is sufficient to carry you through all the journeys of life.

Love,

Elder & Sister Hendrickson

I Love to See the Temple

I love to see the temple.
I'm going there someday
To feel the Holy Spirit.
To listen and to pray.

The last ten days have been overflowing with events of eternal significance. We lost a dear friend, rejoiced at the temple sealing of Jared and Julie, reconnected with many Fredericton friends at their wedding reception, and welcomed and said farewell to the largest group of missionaries ever. This primary song seems to tie everything together.

I love the temple and have for as long as I can remember. We grew up in the shadow of the Manti temple and were sealed there 42 years ago this month. We were blessed to serve as temple workers before we came on our mission.

We received word that the funeral for our dear friend and fellow temple worker, Sister Helen Dahl, was held just the day before the temple sealing we have waited to attend for nearly a year. Our beautiful "Dahl" was such an example of feeling the Spirit, listening and praying. She is surely hard at work on the other side.

For the temple is a house of God,
A place of love and beauty.
I'll prepare myself while I am young;
This is my sacred duty.

The Halifax Temple was certainly a place of love and beauty for these young missionaries. Many had just arrived and nearly as many were headed home. All received great counsel here about the sacred duties that lie ahead for them. There are no words to describe the sacred experience of attending a session overflowing with these beloved young friends. 

This was our senior conference in July. We also had a wonderful temple session together for those of us who are the young-at-heart missionaries. We also had training and shared ideas and lots of good food and fun. 

I love to see the temple,
I'll go inside someday.
I'll cov'nant with my Father;
I'll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place
Where we are sealed together.
As a child of God, I've learned this truth:
A fam'ly is forever.

Jared & Julie Hunt chose to wait nearly a year after their engagement to be sealed for time and eternity. How blessed we were to sit beside them during the temple session and then witness their sealing. We learned earlier that our son Lucas served in the Belgium Brussels Mission with Sister Bush, daughter of a couple from Fredericton. Brother Bush serves in the temple presidency here and was their sealer.

The newlyweds and the oldlyweds.

The happy couple with her saintly parents, Anne-Marie and Jean-Marie Goguen. They have been so supportive and worked tirelessly to make this a day to remember always.

Bonus temple blessing: The best man and the maid of honor, Ben and Marni Ray,  joined them at the temple to do some sacred work for themselves and their family.

Here are the missionaries the night before they headed for home. This Canada Halifax Mission family is forever too.

We send our love to you, our family and friends, who are also forever in our hearts.

Elder & Sister Hendrickson