June 2015

Monday we had our first service project at the Library helping young children sign-up for the summer reading program.  We met a young woman that was baptized and she saw our tags and told us she remembered some of the branch members, but because she was put in the foster care system when she was 9 she now belongs to another church and she is happy there.  We also met a family that knows the Newbold family from Elk Grove.  They have 8 children.  It breaks our hearts to know that wonderful people have rejected Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness for His children and that the members of this branch are not getting their support and love. We have tried to meet with Melissa this week, but she is too busy.

Deborah-the Head Librarian!

We met lots of other wonderful people and their young children.  It was a fun experience.  I know that Elder Pedersen would rather be reading to the children, but he enjoys visiting with the people that are signing-up for the program.

Our 45th anniversary! Ribs & Sweet Potato fries @ The Warehouse!  

The plumber put a water tank in until he finds time to repair our water line.   Hope it happens soon.

And we have running water again!!  Temporarily!

Zone Meeting-you could hear the excitement!!

Got our iPads!!! Slow internet with 24 missionaries online!!

First Friday in Coshocton!!

We were in the kids’ area in our customary missionary attire when a gentleman approached us.  He said we don’t see many people out here dressed like you.  He introduced himself and said he was a pastor of the Gideon Society and asked us if we were ministers.  We said “yes”.  We then had a discussion about Christian principles and he told us that he had read The Book of Mormon.  Sister Pedersen told him it was a second witness that Jesus is the Christ and that it is a history of the people that lived anciently here in Ohio.  She wanted to tell him to read it again and pray about it, but she decided not to.  He indicated that he thought the second coming would be soon and we talked about how people are not preparing for that event. He said he likes to know something about the religions that he discusses with people, but he doesn’t argue with them.  We were happy about that and definitely agreed with him on that point. Elder Pedersen said we like to discuss our common Christian principles. 

Festival of the Balloons Competition!

 In the early evening we went to check out the Balloon Festival. An annual competition event in hot air balloons. It was perfect timing as the balloons were just lifting off from the fairgrounds. One just come down right in front of us.

This one came down right in front of us!!

Finally getting around to cleaning the carpets! Just so you don't think this is all fun & games!!!

Senior Social at Chillicothe, OH!

Senior Couples Social in Chillicothe, OH visiting the burial mounds-earthworks by the ancient inhabitants/native Americans. All of the mound earthworks in the OHIO Area date back to 50 AD to 400 AD. The archaeologist consensus was that they had to be built during times of complete peace in order to move so many tons of earth to build dirt fences and many burial mounds for the Hopewell Indian sacred ceremonial areas of 3 circles and an adjacent square. All the regional ceremonial areas were exactly the same dimensions with the largest circle diameter precisely equal to the side measurement of the square. Many of the mound areas have been plowed over during the last two centuries but are still discernable from the air. Then these civilizations disappeared suddenly about 420 AD. The American Indians did not continue the Hopewell civilization culture. Hmmmmm… 

Instructions on Hopewell Indian Cultural and Earthworks!!

Our guides!

Alma 62:36

Casting a javelin

Lunch time!

Dr. & Sister Brower -Elder & Sister Hartung

Elder Hartung was just diagnosed with breast cancer.   He had a double mastectomy on Thursday of last week. Friday he was up and around at the office for a short time.

Hoagies, melons & fruit, chips, and lots of cookies!!

Largest burial mound in Chillicothe, but it has been plowed down over the years!!

Grove in the middle is a natural spring & lake!

Tour is over!! Fortunately no one contracted any poison ivy as it was everywhere!!
We picked up the antidote plant along the trail just to be safe!!

The Keene Grange Meeting!!!

The twin sisters that work with Elder Pedersen at Habitat invited us to a Grange dinner and meeting in Keene Hill. They have so much fun kidding with each other at Habitat and discussing Christian principles and questions they have about the LDS church. It was so gracious of them to ask us to come to their event. Maybe because the values they hold true are so closely aligned with the values we hold true. We loved the plentiful country home cooked food they had prepared, especially the rhubarb pie (Elder Pedersen). We enjoyed the country talk during dinner. Sister Pedersen sat with the women and Elder Pedersen sat at the men’s table. Too much competition for the men and quite differing conversation. After finishing a second helping, Elder Pedersen helped with gathering and rinsing the dishes. Elder Pedersen was the only man in the kitchen and eventually the women crowded him out so he sat down with the men. 

Carolyn & Marilyn-the twins!!

A powerpoint presentation was given by Casey, who studied abroad in London and Dresden, Germany. She told us about her experiences and travels around Europe while there. It was wonderful to hear of a young women not partaking of the customary National beverages of Europe, especially on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland. It was great to associate with people who trust in the Lord.

It was so heartwarming to see all the flags flying on Flag Day!!

We love attending a temple session
with the young elders & sisters!

District Meeting!

On our way to district meeting in Zanesville we
ran into this hydroplaning accident.  The elders got
out to see if they could help.

The Zanesville Sisters trained on the importance of purposeful prayer. Every good thing has happened because someone prayed for direction. If we want the Spirit to direct our teaching we need to pray for it and we need to encourage our investigators to pray as well.

Elder Pedersen gave training on the atonement. The Savior suffered for our sins, which meant that He had to feel every feeling and thought that we felt from sin. He felt our grief, sorrow, pain and all the guilt of all mortals. Our Savior was perfect and never knew what guilt felt like, so when He took upon Him our sins He also took upon Him our guilt which brought on the thought, "let this cup pass from me". But even more devastating was His final plea, "Father why hast thou forsaken me"? With our sins upon Him, He was no longer worthy of being in the presence of the Father so the Father withdrew Himself from the Son. For the Savior to succor us He had to personally feel every feeling we have felt when we sin. The Savior is so pleased when we repent of our sins because He does not have to remember our sins anymore. You would be grateful too if you didn't have to remember someone else's sins.

Enjoying treats at district meeting!!!

3rd Friday Italian Dinner/Game night!!

Elder Pedersen with his favorite people!!

And we have a winner!!!

Celebrating Fathers!!!

Elder Pedersen's favorites-almond joy and fresh cherries!!

Loved this card from Kristin's family!!

Elder Pedersen said there aren't enough attributes listed or spaces
to write them in!! LOL!!

Betsy Ross at work!!!
American flags are made right here in
Coshocton by Annin!!!

Mindy-one of our favorite people in Coshocton

Newark Earthworks

Our Institute class went to the Newark, Ohio Hopewell Indian (culture known to have existed from 600 BC to 400 AD) earthwork mounds-about 50 minutes away. We had been to the multiple Chillicothe, Ohio Hopewell Indian earthwork mounds 3 weeks prior. One of our investigators met us there and the Institute class read from the 49^th and 50^th war chapters of Alma at the Museum map. We read how they dug ditches and heaped the dirt up so the mound was twice as high. They then put contiguous large posts the height of a man in the ground and then pickets on top of the

post fence with towers at the entrances.

Largest Earthworks in the world!!!

With Heavenly Father’s divine intervention, while we were discussing these Nephite defenses Elder Pedersen noticed a man standing beside him. We were discussing the Holy Stones (five of them) found in various Indian Mounds in the Newark area. We were passing around pictures of the various 5 stones so he just passed them on to him. One of the stones has been lost.  It is said that part of the inscription says, “I am a Nephite”. The two most valued stones are in the Muskeum/Johnson House Museum in Coshocton’s Roscoe Village. These Stones have Hebrew inscriptions on them which are described by the major University ancient languages scholars as Reformed Egyptian text which was prevalent in Old Testament times of the Prophets Lehi, Jeremiah, and Isaiah (all contemporaries around 600 BC). The prophet Moses is engraved on the most valued stone holding the Ten Commandment Tablets in his arms.

 We introduced ourselves to him and found out that he was one of the governing board members of the Newark Hopewell Indian mounds and head Instructor at the Flint Ridge Indian State Park. We invited him to instruct us further on the mounds and the Hopewell Indians culture. He was very familiar with the LDS Book of Mormon tours that come here and the BYU Professors that sponsor the tours. His BYU professor friends have him start out the tours for them. His insights greatly added to the importance of these earthworks. The Archeologist carbon date these earthworks and the artifacts of the cultures that lived here from 50 AD to 400 AD and then they mysteriously suddenly disappeared. They say that they had to have built these earthworks in a time of complete peace because there are over 750 million tons of dirt that had been built up in just the Newark Earthwork mounds alone. There were over 20 of these in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Now Flint Ridge is 11 miles away and is the most valued flint in the world. The flint from this quarry is highly valued by many cultures all over the world for its beauty, strength and quality for arrowheads and spear heads and other uses. This flint has been found in many ancient skilled seafaring cultures around the world. He said how much he enjoyed the LDS tours and that he tells each group you have 1 hour and 20 minutes to try to convert me. Sister Pedersen (as he starts to walk away) then asks, “Can we have the same opportunity now?” To which he replies, “No, because I am leaving.” We thanked him most graciously. It was great!!!! He also shared with us that this is the largest earthworks in the world and will be so designated in 2018.

In “Power to Become” Elder Bednar reminds us “as we strive to endure valiantly to the end, the lessons that can be learned from repeated study of the war chapters in the Book of Mormon have great value and applicability for us.” In them is highlighted this “truth that accurate awareness of an enemy’s intent leads to appropriate preparations for battle.”  If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear. Let not your heart be troubled.  Do not fail to prepare.  Satan wants us to be miserable like unto himself. Put on the WHOLE armor of God!

Branch FHE 

Reviewed how a new apostle is called.  Played a fun church terms game and had garlic bread for a treat.

Brooklyn likes to beep Elder Pedersen's nose!!!