Pictures of November Activities

November Activities

Servoss Saga –  2 December 2012

It is much easier to paste somethings in rather than start new, so we are adding this Saga from our newsletter:

It is already the 2^nd of December and we just had our first little taste of snow here.  Unfortunately it did not stay, so we still don’t know what the “real” winters here are like.  The winter season is just starting though, so we should be content with the good weather.  

Another busy month has slipped by.  We started out November with a surprise meeting with a visiting couple at church.  They asked if we were related to Trent Servoss, who is our eldest son.   We were happy to say that he was our son.  They told us that they are from the same Stake of the church in Layton and know Trent.  We ended up inviting them (Dennis & Barb Carver) to dinner and then invited them to stay with us.  Tropical Storm Sandy was bearing down on the east coast, so they were happy to be able to stay with us.  We enjoyed spending part of the week with them and sharing our knowledge of the many historical sites that we have here. 

The next week we went through the national Presidential Election.  Although we were disappointed with the outcome, we knew that for some reason the Lord did not feel it was time for a different president, let alone a Mormon President.  We know that much good came from the awareness that the country attained of a good man with good values.  It also showed the nation that the Mormon church is not so strange.   We pray that Pres. Obama realizes that he needs to rely more on God and think more about the people.  We have been promised that our country will survive, even if it may be a rough road.  We now pray for the president and congress to make better decisions.  

Back to missionary work:  We had a week of Zone Conferences with good training.  We are always very involved at those times.  Kae stays in the office and handles the office duties, while the other three of us go to the conference locations to inspect the fleet of cars.  I return after lunch to the office to join her.  Then on the last day, Saturday, we closed the office and all traveled to Buffalo.  There we did the usual inspections and then attended the training with the others.  Kae and I were surprised when we were asked to bear testimony, towards the last of the meeting, with those who will be returning home before the next Zone Conference.  That was a shocking reality.  We will not be here in mid February.  The present plan is that we should be released to leave here at the end of January.  

We also had some specialized training during the month.  They were meetings of two zones jointly and required that the office staff prepare the meal for 70.  It is always good to meet with the other senior couples and the young missionaries.  There is much excitement here with the new missionary ages.  We have just received the notification on four new younger Elders that will be coming to join our mission in February.   We expect many more of the younger missionaries next year.  The mission is expecting to receive 100 new missionaries by the end of next year.  Mission boundaries may also change.  

On Thanksgiving Day we visited an investigator and her member husband.  They are the ones that we met at WalMart in October.  Jenn is still taking lessons and progressing.  Tracey is still healing from a car accident.  They are really good people and the LDS Church can offer so much more for them.  We keep praying for them and fellowshipping them.  

That same evening we went to the Hill Cumorah Visitor Center basement, as we did last year, and joined with 18 other senior couples for a nice meal.  We soon realized that President and Sister Christianson, Elder & Sister Jensen, and the two of us were the only couples that were in attendance at this event last year.  We can now say that we will be finished here the end of next month.  It is so great serving here.  There are such great feelings that come from serving our fellowmen.  

A week ago we made a trip to Ithaca to visit our son-in-law, Matt Pierce’s, parents.  We had a great time getting to know them better and being able to see the campus of Cornell University.   Elly showed us a bridge that he had spent five months working on, welding hundreds of joints.  Vicki works in a surgical unit and keeps very busy.  It was a nice visit to Ithaca.  We also enjoyed seeing Cayuga Lake (the biggest of the Finger Lakes).  This is such beautiful country, we will miss living here.  We do look forward to being back with family.  That is really where our hearts are.  

A great capstone to November actually took place yesterday, December 1^st.  The two LDS Wards here, Pittsford, Fairport, hosted a choir concert at 4 pm.  The local United Church choir and the Presbyterian Church choirs joined with the two Ward choirs for a wonderful program.  There was also some narration.  There were two of our members who entered the darkened chapel dressed as Mary and Joseph.  They each sang wonderful solos as Mary held the little baby Jesus.  There was a strong spirit present and the music was great.  After the program all were invited into the cultural hall which was lined on two walls with small Nativity scenes.  Everyone was able to mingle and visit with members of any of the three religions present.  All present were very impressed with the program and expressed a desire to do this on an annual basis. 

We look forward to this wonderful month and the special season that helps us to focus on the birth of Jesus Christ and the gospel that brings peace to the world.  Along with the gift giving, may we all remember to keep Christ in Christmas.  Let us all enjoy contact with family and visits where possible.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, and a glorious New Year filled with hope and joy.

With much love, Elder & Sister Servoss (Kent & Kae, Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa)

Fall Pictures from Western New York

Report of our October Activities

NOVEMBER SAGA 2012

The big storm has missed us, extra rain and slight winds were all that we received here in Mendon.  The storm, Sandy, turned southwest and went across Pennsylvania.   We have read and watched video of the terrible things that happened on the east coast, including New York City.  Maybe it was the Lord’s way of reminding people that He is in charge.   We have not heard specific reports of LDS Church members or buildings that were affected, but there must have been some.  All of our missionaries were prepared and had been counseled to get to their apartments before 5 pm on Monday, and stay indoors until notified.  When Tuesday morning arrived and all was calm, President sent out the word to “Go back to work”.  We had been prepared to not go to the office.  We ended up just starting ½ hour late.  We just feel blessed that the storm missed us.

The cooler weather is here now, it was about 40 degrees today, and colder at night.  The feel in the air is more winter like.  The fall weather here was so beautiful, with intermittent rain.  We hear that this may be a more normal winter here, with lots of snow.  Last year was very mild.  

Last month we all were surprised with the new missionary age announcement.  The very next week our mission president was in a conference with 21 other area mission presidents and their wives.  They were instructed by some General Authorities about the impact of the new ages.  They really anticipate a huge amount of growth.  It surely is the Lord’s way of helping to hasten in His second coming.  President Christianson had to send his recommendation two weeks later.  He proposed a couple of plans.  We may receive many additional missionaries in the next two months and into the next year.   It is exciting and we will adjust to whatever is asked.  I could be adding about 20 new apartments to the list.  The eventual plan is to form many new missions in the USA in the next 12 months to accommodate the growth.  We heard that the number of missionary application a week ago jumped from about 700 to 4,000.  It is all very exciting.  The Lord is really hastening His work throughout the world.  The current 58,000 missionary force could increase dramatically.  Now is the time for us all to double our efforts. 

During October we were able to attend mission Specialized Training in Batavia and Canadaigua.  We were reminded about the lineage that most of us have from Abraham and that we also have made covenants and need to honor them and keep them.  That is one of the reasons that it is so important to attend the temple often and partake of the sacrament with the proper frame of mind.   We need to contemplate the meaning of the sacrament and every time we partake of it, we need to think of our Savior and His great sacrifice for us. 
 

On the 16^th we had transfers again.  It is always exciting to see the new companionships.  We have seen the Lord’s hand in pairing up unlikely combinations and then having them tell Pres. Christianson that they are happy and things are working out.  These young missionaries are wonderful and are so well prepared.  We hope that all eligible young Elders and Sisters will grasp the opportunity to serve.  It makes such a great difference in their lives and helps the Lord in His work at the same time.  

We had a wonderful experience recently that started at Walmart.  Sister Servoss saw a man approaching the front door from outside on crutches.  She turned to him and said, “Ouch”, as she looked at his leg (which had a large bandage on the front of it).  We walked into the store with them and the husband said, “I was baptized into your church when I was 11.”  We then mentioned to them where the church was located and that Palmyra was close by.  We gave them our card and said goodbye.  They went home and thought about things.  The wife is not a member of the LDS church.  On General Conference Sunday they decided to go the Hill Cumorah visitors center.  They had a great time and felt the spirit.  They filled out a self referral card and the next day were visited by sister missionaries.  They have taken several lessons and their two young children love Primary and have made friends there.  They are progressing well.  Yesterday Elders Servoss and Jensen were able to give the husband a blessing.  Today he said that he was able to skip his pain medication and is feeling much better.  We know that the Lord is blessing him and helping his family embrace the gospel.  Good things are happening.

May the Lord bless you and your families as you approach Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We know that Heavenly Father and the Savior are mindful of all of their children and the gospel is true. 

Much love, Elder & Sister Servoss (Kent & Kae)

Paula's Visit

Walking to the Hill Cumorah

Celia & Beverly

Bradfords and Bushmans

The Busy Month of September

Now the month of September has ended and it is again time to report about some of our activities here.  We had some very interesting times during the month.   We started out the month with the visit of more close friends, Richard & Karen Bradford with two of their daughters Charilyn and Julie.  We had a great time with them visiting the Palmyra sites.  In the early evening we returned to Mendon to greet Karen’s brother, Steven Bushman and his wife Jolyn.  

On Monday the 3^rd we went to the Mendon sites then on to Fayette.  From there we separated and the Bradfords headed for Michigan.  We went to Palmyra with the Bushmans.  We feel that part of our mission here is to share our knowledge of these sacred sites with others.  It has been our great privilege to share.  Any of you in the same circumstance would do the same thing.  It is such a blessing to live here at this time.    

We had a surprise visit from a senior couple who had lived in the John Young home in 2003 to 2005.  We had fun comparing notes and sharing a few experiences.  They told us that they moved into the home after the FM Group had finished some renovations of the home. 

 

We also had friends Celia Mode and Beverly Eister visit us.  They came on a Friday night, so we were able to do many things with them over the weekend, including attending the temple.  We then went into downtown Palmyra to the Book of Mormon Publication site.  While there the city was hosting an antique auto show along Main Street.  It was fun seeing some very old cars from the 30’s, to the 70’s.  

On Monday the 17^th and Tuesday the 18^th we attended Specialized Training for the Zones.  Elder Anthony Perkins of the First Quorum of Seventy was our visiting authority.  He shared some great insights with us.  He told us about having been involved in the new missionary selection process with Elder Scott.  He testified that the selections are made through revelation as the names appear on the screen.  It was fascinating learning about it.  We are truly convinced that the Lord does choose where all missionaries serve.   The Lord must have a wonderful “super computer” to be able to know where people are and who needs to go where to meet them and bring them the gospel.  Elder Perkins also told us that if we are truly converted to the Lord, we will never falter.  

We participated in a special walk to the Hill Cumorah from the Smith Farm on the 22^nd.  We were doing it in commemoration of the day that Joseph walked to the Hill to see the plates 189 years ago.  It had been a rainy morning, but after Elder Jensen said a prayer for the weather and our safety, the rain ceased and we made the four mile walk and stayed dry.  We had to walk an extra mile because of the route we took to avoid heavy traffic.  We then walked along the trails on the Hill Cumorah.  We had such a great experience learning more about sites that Joseph probably saw so many years ago.  He was shown the place in vision where he would find the plates.  There is such a feeling of reverence when we visit those special, out of the way, places. 

Our last special visitor, Paula Johnson, came on the 27^th.  It was great to have her here with us.  She and Kae had a great time visiting an antique store and other places.  Paula went with us to Staff Meeting and an ASL class, among other things.  We kept her running.  We love it here and it is so great to be able to serve here on a mission.  We meet wonderful people every day, it is fun to share a quick gospel thought with many.  We find the pass along cards to be very useful.  

May the Lord bless each of you in your lives and your endeavors, Elder Kent & Sister Kae Servoss

August Pictures

A Very Active August in the Mendon-Palmyra Areas

August in Western New York was another full month.  As happens, some
months seem to start early.  On the 30th of July we hosted a Family
Home Evening for all of the Temple Missionary couples.  Most of them
had never been to the John Young home, or knew much about the history
of the Saints from this area.  I spoke to the group for about 20
minutes about the beginnings of the Church in the Mendon area.  We
then had some cake and visited.  Elder Jensen and I split the group
into two and I went to the Tomlinson Inn with half, he went to the
Brigham Young baptismal site.  We then switched groups.  It was a nice
way to culminate July and get ready for August.

On Friday the 3rd of August our foster son, Robyn Steenstra, and
family arrived from Florida.  It was very nice to see them again.  We
enjoyed the next four days with them.  Robyn was 14 months old when my
companion and I tracted off his family's apartment in Haarlem,
Netherlands in 1966.  That was the start of any amazing conversion
story that resulted not only in the baptism of his parents, but the
sealing of the family in the temple, and their two sons serving
missions, getting married in the temple and sending their own sons on
missions.  Robyn actually lived with us in Centerville, Utah in 1983,
went to BYU and then left on his mission from Centerville to
Philadelphia.  He has a wonderful family.  They really enjoyed seeing
all of the Mendon and Palmyra sites.  It is actually much better for
family to come after Pageant so they can enjoy the sites when they are
much less crowded.

We were privileged to be able to attend a "morningside" at the Hill
Cumorah Visitors Center on the 11th with Elder Gordon H. Smith, our
new Area Seventy.  He lives in Maryland and was a former US Senator
from Oregon.  He told us about an amazing experience that he and then
Elder Uchtdorf had in Italy a few years ago.  The Church had been
trying to get full legal religious recognition in Italy, and needed
some diplomatic help.  Elder Smith was able to meet with the Italian
Ambassador in D.C. where he arranged a meeting in Italy with some high
government officials.  He and Elder Uchtdorf flew to Rome and met with
the officials.  They explained the concerns of the Church and the
desire to have the same religious recognition in Italy as other
non-Catholic churches.  The one official told them that he had quietly
made a trip to Salt Lake City the previous year, without his
governmental leaders or our Church officials knowledge.   When he and
his family arrived on Temple Square, they mentioned that they were
from Italy.  Within minutes two young sister missionaries from Italy
were by their sides offering a tour.  They were able to take the tour
of those sacred grounds and were instructed in their own language.
They were very impressed that two of their countrymen were so kind and
such wonderful examples.  They had an amazing experience in Utah.  Now
back in Rome, the official told his Church visitors that he was so
impressed with the fine young people from his country, that he wanted
his country to have more such good young people.  He commented that he
also loved the beautiful temple in Salt Lake and then asked, "Do you
think we could have such a beautiful temple here in Italy?"  Elder
Uchtdorf replied, "-- I will start working on that tomorrow."  So,
after all of the years of official contact and prayers, it was the
goodness and testimony of two young missionaries that sealed the deal.
 Soon a beautiful temple will grace the skyline of Italy.

We had four Zone Conferences during the month that kept us very busy.
Kae manned the office by herself for three of those days.  She had
previously arranged for meals to be provided by the Relief Societies
each day.  My help is always needed to inspect the mission cars in the
church parking lots as the conferences begins inside.  Most of the
young missionaries work in large areas, where bikes are not practical
and the Western New York weather is not too hospitable.  They do take
good care of the cars and the Church has a great system of buying new
cars, and having them driven about 50,000 miles before being sold.
That way reliable vehicles are used.

On the 23rd we hosted a specialized training session for the senior
Member and Leadership Support (MLS) missionaries at the John Young
home.
We borrowed chairs from the church and set up space for 34 of us in
the living room. We had some great training and then took our chairs
outside to the tables that were set up for dinner.  Kae, and Sister
Jensen organized and helped prepare the wonderful meal.  We enjoyed
the camaraderie and fun time visiting.  I then took them on a tour of
the Mendon sites.  After they departed, we also hosted the
sister-in-law of our son Garin, Corie and Scott Samuelsen, their
daughter Shalece and son Colton.  They spent the night with us.  They
had enjoyed the Palmyra sites that day.

The next day we had breakfast with them, then showed them the Mendon
sites.  They were soon on their way to other parts of New York.  I
made it to the office at 10:30.  After noon our friends, Steve & Lana
Barlow, from Bountiful, Utah arrived.  We took them to Pittsford
landing where we met other senior missionaries and boarded a canal
boat for a tour.  The next 1 1/2 hours were spent boating along the
canal and going through one of the locks.  The Erie Canal stretches
from the Hudson River in Albany all the way west to Lake Erie at
Buffalo.  It is about a 400 mile route that is still in existence.
These days, mostly pleasure boats use it.  We enjoyed time with the
Barlows in Mendon and Palmyra on Saturday.  Steve is a great great
great grandson of Israel Barlow, who joined the church here in Mendon.
 It was fascinating for him to learn more about this area and to see
the possible sites where Israel had lived.

On Monday, the 27th, we met a dozen young missionaries at the mission
office location and began our move to our new office in the Kreag Road
church.  It was a long hard day getting moved in.  We were able to use
a former Stake office suite in the building.  It took a week to get
settled and get things working right.  The longest delay was getting
our main telephone number switched over, but it is all good now.  We
are very happy to have the office right there in the church.  It is
still about 7 miles from where we live, but that is manageable.

It has been such a great, busy month and has brought us a lot of joy.
We really love being here to serve the Lord.  Our prayer is that all
of you that are able to will might be able to experience similar
mission opportunities.  May the Lord bless you and your families.