How we love General Conference!

   We look forward to General Conference every 6 months with great anticipation.  It is always a time of spiritual comfort and encouragement.  For years we listened as the individual conducting the sessions thanked the radio and TV stations for their help broadcasting it around the world.

 Then we went to the Philippines and Hong Kong and discovered it wasn't really broadcast around the world.  The best we could do then was get up in the middle of the night and try to stream it live on the internet.  It was at best spotty and intermittent.

While we were in Hong Kong the Church began installing satellite dishes at the Stake Centers in Asia.  We could then gather with the saints to hear a few of the sessions re-broadcast.

This last weekend we were able to see 5 of the six sessions of General Conference at the Rotterdam, Netherlands Stake Center.  It went something like this:)

Sat. Oct. 1, 2016, 2-4 PM  We watched a re-broadcast of the General Women's Meeting:

We watched it in English with the Dutch using headphones.  After the session the Stake Relief Society had "High Tea" for the sisters.  It was lovely and could have been in the Peninsula Hotel in Kow Loon!  I especially loved the large circles of chairs they arranged
around the hall.  I got to know a few more sisters in the Stake.  As usual, Joe helped clean up and put the chairs and tables away!  (as missonaries, where I go he goes and vice versa!)

6-8 PM we gathered in the chapel to watch the Saturday morning session of Conference, live.  

Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016.  11AM -1PM, We watched a re-broadcast of the General Priesthood session.

2-4 PM we watched a re-broadcast of the Saturday afternoon session.





We had lunch with the missionaries in our zone :)

Then gathered in the chapel from 6-8 PM to watch the Sunday morning session, broadcast live.

The weekend involved 4 hours of driving, 6 hours at the church on Saturday and 9 hours at the church on Sunday and packing food for 3 meals.  

It was so worth the effort!  We have been humbled, encouraged, lifted and our testimonies of the restored Gospel and the Book of Mormon strengthened.  We learned how to be better missionaries, parents and grandparents.  We are more grateful than ever for our family and their love and support....and we look forward to General Conference again in 6 months :) .