Beautiful weather! Took dinner to the Blues, then walked on the beach for a while. It is a nice beach and only about half a mile from our place.
LOVE our ward here. Wonderful people that we are getting to know. We just learned that Sister Foster, the opera singer, just lost her husband three months ago (no details). Then we learned that he had been a member of the bishopric. Things like that can certainly pull a ward together. The Ashtons spoke in church today. They are the senior couple that is just leaving for a mission to South America. Lovely people.
INTERNET at home! Love it! Skyped Mother and Mauri's fam and Jared's fam. Waiting to Skype everyone else!!! hint hint hint
Sunday, April 29, 2012
April 16 - 27
President Castro invited us to dinner at the Mission Home to meet him and his family. What a lovely family! Such humble, sincere, down-to-earth people. There was a sweet spirit in that place. The children were very pleasant and polite. Joseph (17), is a junior in high school. He likes debate. He helped get food on and off the table and took care of leftovers while President and Sister Castro visited with us. Great kid! Samuel (12?) is home taught – rough middle school environment – and Hannah (9) goes to elementary school, but when she reaches middle school age, Sister Castro will teach her at home too. They have an older daughter who is married and lives back East. She is expecting her second child.
President and Sister Castro moved to Florida when their first daughter was little. They lived there for a while, then for several years in New York. He had been a professor at BYU-Idaho for four years when called to be Mission President. They loved Rexburg.
The Mission Home is located in Ventura and has been the Mission Home for many years, undoubtedly where Val and LaJean Clarke lived ten years ago when they served here.
President Castro reminded us then, and again in our visit with him on Wednesday at the office, that this is the Lord’s work, and that we will see His hand in it in many ways. Additionally, the temporal things that Elder Mecham will be involved with can make a huge difference in how effective the elders and sisters will be. He praised the Curtises for their work, but said now it is our turn – the new missionaries that come will not have known the Curtises, and it is us they will come to know and love. I liked that. Actually, the missionaries we’ve met, who knew and loved the Curtises, have been very welcoming to us.
Elder and Sister Blue, the other office couple, have been wonderful! They had us over for dinner the very first night we were here (Friday, April 13), then the next day, Saturday, picked us up and we went to IHOP for breakfast. Then they showed us around to the major shopping places, and we began to get what we would need for setting up a "furnished" Sr. missionary apartment. The Blues have been most pleasant and helpful at the office, and we think we are going to thoroughly enjoy working with them for the next nine months, at which time their 18 months will be up. We will have them over for dinner when we finish getting settled in. (We are getting there :)
We had to wait until the Curtises left on Tuesday to know exactly what they would be leaving for us before we purchased many things. Every day I write up a new list of what we still need to get.
We DO have a washer and dryer available here at the townhouse, but we share it with five other families, and it is coin operated. So we will just go to the laundromat around the corner. It is clean and close by, but not cheap!
We are in the Oxnard 2nd Ward. They were very friendly and receptive to us last Sunday. We were there only for Sacrament Meeting, then had to leave to receive training at the Mission Office. That evening, we were invited to have ice cream with Skip and Julie Johnson. Brother Johnson is the ward mission leader. While we were there, Bishop Sweet (our bishop) and his son Logan (16) dropped by. We had a very pleasant visit with them. Sister Johnson has some very evident medical problems, although I can’t say for sure what. Randy is going to be going with Brother Johnson to make home visits to some less active families in the ward.
The ward has some very talented music people. The sacrament meeting chorister is a trained opera singer :) And the pianist (yup, they lack an organist) also has a lovely voice – she rendered a musical number that day - "He Sent His Son," (primary song), accompanied on cello and piano - very pretty. And we hear there are others :) Nice!
Thursday, April 19. Happy Birthday Devin and Kendra!
Today Randy and Elder Blue had quite the experience at LAX. In the first place, traffic going there was horrible! They were taking an elder who was returning home to recuperate from mono. Elder Blue walked into the airport with the elder to make sure he got through security okay. And Randy stayed with the truck - which was running - a procedure which has been done many times in the past. He was standing outside the car. Well, some guy (one of three people who walked out of the airport to the car in front of Randy, which had been left unattended), walked up to Randy and told him he could not stay there and needed to move the vehicle immediately or someone would come tow it away. In hindsight, Randy thinks it was someone just being obnoxious because of his "name tag," but being caught off guard and not wanting be unChrist-like, he complied and drove away, thinking he would just make a loop and drive right back and get Elder Blue. But he could NOT get back to that level of the airport. He drove around three times and it was not possible without leaving the airport and then re-entering, to get back to the level from whence he came. Oh dear. Meanwhile, Elder Blue came out to get in the truck, and it was gone. So he called Randy, whose cell phone was dead (oops - gotta watch that one, since he is never to be separated from his phone :). Finally, Randy parked the car and walked to the level where Elder Blue was waiting (he had just called the office in Oxnard to see if Randy had called). Oh my. But they made it back to the office safe and sound some time later.
Sister Blue and I went to Subway for lunch. We had a nice visit. She told me it was nice to have someone to go to lunch with – she and Sister Curtis never, not once, went to lunch together. The relationship between the Blues and the Curtises was pretty strained. Sister Blue said she wished she could say she was sad to see the Curtises leave, but she wasn’t. Both she and Elder Blue have said more than once that they were happy to have us come to the mission. We don’t know the details (and that’s the way it should be), but we could see a little of the problem in the short time we had with the Curtises. That said, they left things in good order - just did not "share" their knowledge in a meaningful way with the Blues. We do, however, anticipate that the next nine months will go well and that we will have a great working relationship with the Blues. Plus, we intend to have some fun with them too.
I am going to insert the LAX incident as written by Elder Mecham:
The first week went by in a whirl and was pretty uneventful. Well, mostly uneventful except when I lost Elder Blue at LAX (that’s the Los Angeles airport for those of you in Idaho). But enough about that, let’s move on to other more interesting things.
Oh, all right. I’ll give you the details. You see, there was this elder who needed to go home for a while for medical reasons. President Castro told Elder Blue to drive him to LAX on Thursday and to take me along to show me the ropes. When we got to the terminal Elder Blue took the missionary inside and told me to wait with the vehicle. So there I was, standing by the truck, minding my own business. (You have probably noticed my complete innocence in this scenario.) Then this guy comes up to me and tells me I can’t park a vehicle and wait outside the terminal and if I don’t move it immediately it will be towed. Then he starts calling for a tow truck on his cell phone. So what would you have done? That’s exactly what I did, I moved the truck.
I figured I could just circle around the airport and pick Elder Blue up on the next round. It wasn’t that easy. I made one round and no Elder Blue. So I made a second round and somehow got detoured off through a parking garage before I got back to the terminal where again there was no Elder Blue. Along about in here I began conjuring up what I was going to tell Sister Blue. I wondered if she would buy the excuse that he had been translated. As I was leaving the terminal to make a third lap of the airport, I realized things didn’t appear just right. It dawned on me that there were two levels to the roadway. I had left Elder Blue on the upper level and I was on the bottom level. So on the third lap I looked for a way to get up one flight. It was not to be. I later found that you have to completely leave the airport and come back in to get on the upper level. So I drove into a parking garage, not the one I had made a lap through earlier, and walked up a flight and down the terminal to where Elder Blue was waiting. Oh, I might mention that I tried calling him, but my phone, the one they make me carry, had run the battery completely down. I never did like phones. In my whole life none of my friends have ever been a telephone.
You can see the predicament I was in and how none of it was of my own doing, except perhaps not charging my phone the night before and maybe not paying attention to which level we stopped at and I guess I could have drug my feet for a while before moving the truck or maybe have talked to the guy a while and tried to get him distracted or come up with a really great excuse or maybe . . . Well never mind, you can see how totally innocent I was.
I found Elder Blue at LAX and he had not been translated.
Actually some good came from the whole thing. I am now very familiar with LAX, and President Castro, always concerned for the preservation and well being of his elders, has not sent me back there since.
Fri - Sunday, April 20-22, 2012
Friday morning we and Elder and Sister Blue had a meeting with President Castro. He is such a kind and loving, yet effective and efficient administrator and leader. I have many things to learn and responsibilities to "conquer." It will happen - I need to be patient with myself. Elder Mecham has a lot to learn too. We will get there :)
Saturday we left early to complete our shopping. Whew! I think we have finally set up house. Knowing what I know now, I would have packed differently and brought more stuff, but, oh well. Honestly, we didn’t have room to bring more "stuff," so it’s just as well. One thing we purchased was an area rug for our living room. It has really "warmed up" that part of the house. We really like it. Also, we bought a half flat of strawberries. Oh, my! They are wonderful – so sweet and delicious! They grow them here locally 11 out of 12 months. Mmm mmm mmm! We froze several of them to use in smoothies. They are soooo good!
Sunday morning I made homemade pancakes (mostly to use up some expensive buttermilk Elder Mecham bought and hated, so that it doesn’t just go to waste [instead, it’s going to waist!]) They were delicious – then we topped them with vanilla yogurt and cut up strawberries! Most excellent!
We enjoyed our ward again this week. A young sister was sporting a new hairdo – shaved very close – as she is having brain surgery tomorrow to remove a tumor. At this point, they do not know if it is malignant or not. Very serious surgery – at least 5 hours. Her name is [something like] Mahda Jansens, and we are keeping her in our prayers. She and her mother appeared to have lived a pretty hard life. In our gospel essentials class, she shed tears as she spoke of how the Priesthood and the "elders" (missionaries) had blessed her life. It was sweet.
Tuesday, April 24: The elders who serve in our ward said they heard that Sister Jansens was doing good. That’s all they knew. Elder Garrett sprained his ankle playing basketball and was suffering quite a lot. He is from Provo, and Elder Wood, the other elder serving in our ward, is from Rigby, Idaho. Great missionaries! We will feed them dinner next month :)
Wednesday, April 25: Laundry day. I think I shall not take my washer and dryer for granted when I return in 18 months.
President Castro and the APs have been at the Mission Office a LOT this week – next week is transfers. So they are working things out and mixing things up. We are not involved with this. President Castro indicated that this is done with much thought, prayer, and fasting. Next week, we will be busy, that’s for sure. For one thing, we have to hold the mail from Friday to Wednesday (and there will be a lot of it!) so that the system can have all the updates made with the transfers and with new arrivals. So I should appreciate the fact that things are a bit slow this week, because that will all change Monday afternoon!
Thursday, April 26: Things are slow at the office this week for Sister Blue and me, but that will all change next week! Sister Blue is having surgery on her knee tomorrow to repair a previous surgery that didn’t do what it was supposed to do. She can only bend her leg 45 degrees, so hopefully that can be corrected tomorrow. Elder Mecham and Elder Blue gave her a blessing at the end of the work day.
Several elders were in today for interviews with the President. It’s fun to meet them and put faces with names. Of course, I’m still learning names as I sort mail. Some missionaries get a lot of mail, like almost every day – others not so much or next to none :( Met Elder Brodie from Ririe, another Idaho boy :)
We purchased a TV today, which we will take home (to Pocatello) with us to put downstairs. Saturday, Time Warner is supposed to come hook us up. Can’t wait to get the Internet at home. SKYPE! Yay! I can get email and look at fb at the office, but there are no pictures, nor can I download anything.
So, a couple days ago, we had lunch at a Taco Bell. A man came up to us and visited with us. His name was Anthony. We exchanged phone numbers so that we could "keep in touch." Tonight, the elders in our ward dropped by and Elder Mecham called Anthony, but he didn’t answer and hadn’t set up his voice mail. The elders stayed only about ten minutes. Just as they were ready to walk out the door, Elder Mecham’s phone rang. It was Anthony. They have set an appointment to go meet and talk with him tomorrow around noon. We will see how that goes and if he is serious about learning more about the gospel.
Friday, April 27: Even though Anthony had given "his" address, it turned out to be his work address, and he evidently was rather busy and couldn’t really visit freely. He didn’t completely close things off, though, and gave the elders his home address, where they will be contacting him again next week. Hopefully. He must have some curiosity, or we hope spiritual inklings, about the church. Time will tell.
Sister Blue had her surgery, which went well – they did put her out, she didn’t get real sick (like she has done in the past with anesthesia), they didn’t have to do orthoscopic surgery, just move the knee (crunch it), and she will start therapy tomorrow! I am taking in a little meal tomorrow, so we’ll visit more then. Love the Blues!
Went to Von’s grocery this evening after work. It was freezing cold in there. We were looking for uncooked tortillas - nope! - and decided to leave and do our shopping back at Ralph’s (which is just around the corner from us and not so freezing cold). We pushed our cart out the door and tried to return it to its place, and the darn thing locked up. As we were struggling with it, an employee came up and said that’s what happens when you leave w/out going through the check stand (we had not purchased anything). How weird! How does the cart know if you’ve been through the check stand? Crazy! Now, if we could just find a place that sells raw tortillas. You’d think in a place that is high percentage Hispanic . . . .
Made blonde brownies tonight. My first time baking here. Some for the Blues and some for the Hardisons, a member family that lives just up the street from us. Sister Hardison commented that now that we live on the street, it is no longer the "ghetto." She came by after church last week with a bag full of produce – melon, kiwi, avacados, tomatoes! And some nice kitchen hand soap. So sweet!
President and Sister Castro moved to Florida when their first daughter was little. They lived there for a while, then for several years in New York. He had been a professor at BYU-Idaho for four years when called to be Mission President. They loved Rexburg.
The Mission Home is located in Ventura and has been the Mission Home for many years, undoubtedly where Val and LaJean Clarke lived ten years ago when they served here.
President Castro reminded us then, and again in our visit with him on Wednesday at the office, that this is the Lord’s work, and that we will see His hand in it in many ways. Additionally, the temporal things that Elder Mecham will be involved with can make a huge difference in how effective the elders and sisters will be. He praised the Curtises for their work, but said now it is our turn – the new missionaries that come will not have known the Curtises, and it is us they will come to know and love. I liked that. Actually, the missionaries we’ve met, who knew and loved the Curtises, have been very welcoming to us.
Elder and Sister Blue, the other office couple, have been wonderful! They had us over for dinner the very first night we were here (Friday, April 13), then the next day, Saturday, picked us up and we went to IHOP for breakfast. Then they showed us around to the major shopping places, and we began to get what we would need for setting up a "furnished" Sr. missionary apartment. The Blues have been most pleasant and helpful at the office, and we think we are going to thoroughly enjoy working with them for the next nine months, at which time their 18 months will be up. We will have them over for dinner when we finish getting settled in. (We are getting there :)
We had to wait until the Curtises left on Tuesday to know exactly what they would be leaving for us before we purchased many things. Every day I write up a new list of what we still need to get.
We DO have a washer and dryer available here at the townhouse, but we share it with five other families, and it is coin operated. So we will just go to the laundromat around the corner. It is clean and close by, but not cheap!
We are in the Oxnard 2nd Ward. They were very friendly and receptive to us last Sunday. We were there only for Sacrament Meeting, then had to leave to receive training at the Mission Office. That evening, we were invited to have ice cream with Skip and Julie Johnson. Brother Johnson is the ward mission leader. While we were there, Bishop Sweet (our bishop) and his son Logan (16) dropped by. We had a very pleasant visit with them. Sister Johnson has some very evident medical problems, although I can’t say for sure what. Randy is going to be going with Brother Johnson to make home visits to some less active families in the ward.
The ward has some very talented music people. The sacrament meeting chorister is a trained opera singer :) And the pianist (yup, they lack an organist) also has a lovely voice – she rendered a musical number that day - "He Sent His Son," (primary song), accompanied on cello and piano - very pretty. And we hear there are others :) Nice!
Thursday, April 19. Happy Birthday Devin and Kendra!
Today Randy and Elder Blue had quite the experience at LAX. In the first place, traffic going there was horrible! They were taking an elder who was returning home to recuperate from mono. Elder Blue walked into the airport with the elder to make sure he got through security okay. And Randy stayed with the truck - which was running - a procedure which has been done many times in the past. He was standing outside the car. Well, some guy (one of three people who walked out of the airport to the car in front of Randy, which had been left unattended), walked up to Randy and told him he could not stay there and needed to move the vehicle immediately or someone would come tow it away. In hindsight, Randy thinks it was someone just being obnoxious because of his "name tag," but being caught off guard and not wanting be unChrist-like, he complied and drove away, thinking he would just make a loop and drive right back and get Elder Blue. But he could NOT get back to that level of the airport. He drove around three times and it was not possible without leaving the airport and then re-entering, to get back to the level from whence he came. Oh dear. Meanwhile, Elder Blue came out to get in the truck, and it was gone. So he called Randy, whose cell phone was dead (oops - gotta watch that one, since he is never to be separated from his phone :). Finally, Randy parked the car and walked to the level where Elder Blue was waiting (he had just called the office in Oxnard to see if Randy had called). Oh my. But they made it back to the office safe and sound some time later.
Sister Blue and I went to Subway for lunch. We had a nice visit. She told me it was nice to have someone to go to lunch with – she and Sister Curtis never, not once, went to lunch together. The relationship between the Blues and the Curtises was pretty strained. Sister Blue said she wished she could say she was sad to see the Curtises leave, but she wasn’t. Both she and Elder Blue have said more than once that they were happy to have us come to the mission. We don’t know the details (and that’s the way it should be), but we could see a little of the problem in the short time we had with the Curtises. That said, they left things in good order - just did not "share" their knowledge in a meaningful way with the Blues. We do, however, anticipate that the next nine months will go well and that we will have a great working relationship with the Blues. Plus, we intend to have some fun with them too.
I am going to insert the LAX incident as written by Elder Mecham:
The first week went by in a whirl and was pretty uneventful. Well, mostly uneventful except when I lost Elder Blue at LAX (that’s the Los Angeles airport for those of you in Idaho). But enough about that, let’s move on to other more interesting things.
Oh, all right. I’ll give you the details. You see, there was this elder who needed to go home for a while for medical reasons. President Castro told Elder Blue to drive him to LAX on Thursday and to take me along to show me the ropes. When we got to the terminal Elder Blue took the missionary inside and told me to wait with the vehicle. So there I was, standing by the truck, minding my own business. (You have probably noticed my complete innocence in this scenario.) Then this guy comes up to me and tells me I can’t park a vehicle and wait outside the terminal and if I don’t move it immediately it will be towed. Then he starts calling for a tow truck on his cell phone. So what would you have done? That’s exactly what I did, I moved the truck.
I figured I could just circle around the airport and pick Elder Blue up on the next round. It wasn’t that easy. I made one round and no Elder Blue. So I made a second round and somehow got detoured off through a parking garage before I got back to the terminal where again there was no Elder Blue. Along about in here I began conjuring up what I was going to tell Sister Blue. I wondered if she would buy the excuse that he had been translated. As I was leaving the terminal to make a third lap of the airport, I realized things didn’t appear just right. It dawned on me that there were two levels to the roadway. I had left Elder Blue on the upper level and I was on the bottom level. So on the third lap I looked for a way to get up one flight. It was not to be. I later found that you have to completely leave the airport and come back in to get on the upper level. So I drove into a parking garage, not the one I had made a lap through earlier, and walked up a flight and down the terminal to where Elder Blue was waiting. Oh, I might mention that I tried calling him, but my phone, the one they make me carry, had run the battery completely down. I never did like phones. In my whole life none of my friends have ever been a telephone.
You can see the predicament I was in and how none of it was of my own doing, except perhaps not charging my phone the night before and maybe not paying attention to which level we stopped at and I guess I could have drug my feet for a while before moving the truck or maybe have talked to the guy a while and tried to get him distracted or come up with a really great excuse or maybe . . . Well never mind, you can see how totally innocent I was.
I found Elder Blue at LAX and he had not been translated.
Actually some good came from the whole thing. I am now very familiar with LAX, and President Castro, always concerned for the preservation and well being of his elders, has not sent me back there since.
Fri - Sunday, April 20-22, 2012
Friday morning we and Elder and Sister Blue had a meeting with President Castro. He is such a kind and loving, yet effective and efficient administrator and leader. I have many things to learn and responsibilities to "conquer." It will happen - I need to be patient with myself. Elder Mecham has a lot to learn too. We will get there :)
Saturday we left early to complete our shopping. Whew! I think we have finally set up house. Knowing what I know now, I would have packed differently and brought more stuff, but, oh well. Honestly, we didn’t have room to bring more "stuff," so it’s just as well. One thing we purchased was an area rug for our living room. It has really "warmed up" that part of the house. We really like it. Also, we bought a half flat of strawberries. Oh, my! They are wonderful – so sweet and delicious! They grow them here locally 11 out of 12 months. Mmm mmm mmm! We froze several of them to use in smoothies. They are soooo good!
Sunday morning I made homemade pancakes (mostly to use up some expensive buttermilk Elder Mecham bought and hated, so that it doesn’t just go to waste [instead, it’s going to waist!]) They were delicious – then we topped them with vanilla yogurt and cut up strawberries! Most excellent!
We enjoyed our ward again this week. A young sister was sporting a new hairdo – shaved very close – as she is having brain surgery tomorrow to remove a tumor. At this point, they do not know if it is malignant or not. Very serious surgery – at least 5 hours. Her name is [something like] Mahda Jansens, and we are keeping her in our prayers. She and her mother appeared to have lived a pretty hard life. In our gospel essentials class, she shed tears as she spoke of how the Priesthood and the "elders" (missionaries) had blessed her life. It was sweet.
Tuesday, April 24: The elders who serve in our ward said they heard that Sister Jansens was doing good. That’s all they knew. Elder Garrett sprained his ankle playing basketball and was suffering quite a lot. He is from Provo, and Elder Wood, the other elder serving in our ward, is from Rigby, Idaho. Great missionaries! We will feed them dinner next month :)
Wednesday, April 25: Laundry day. I think I shall not take my washer and dryer for granted when I return in 18 months.
President Castro and the APs have been at the Mission Office a LOT this week – next week is transfers. So they are working things out and mixing things up. We are not involved with this. President Castro indicated that this is done with much thought, prayer, and fasting. Next week, we will be busy, that’s for sure. For one thing, we have to hold the mail from Friday to Wednesday (and there will be a lot of it!) so that the system can have all the updates made with the transfers and with new arrivals. So I should appreciate the fact that things are a bit slow this week, because that will all change Monday afternoon!
Thursday, April 26: Things are slow at the office this week for Sister Blue and me, but that will all change next week! Sister Blue is having surgery on her knee tomorrow to repair a previous surgery that didn’t do what it was supposed to do. She can only bend her leg 45 degrees, so hopefully that can be corrected tomorrow. Elder Mecham and Elder Blue gave her a blessing at the end of the work day.
Several elders were in today for interviews with the President. It’s fun to meet them and put faces with names. Of course, I’m still learning names as I sort mail. Some missionaries get a lot of mail, like almost every day – others not so much or next to none :( Met Elder Brodie from Ririe, another Idaho boy :)
We purchased a TV today, which we will take home (to Pocatello) with us to put downstairs. Saturday, Time Warner is supposed to come hook us up. Can’t wait to get the Internet at home. SKYPE! Yay! I can get email and look at fb at the office, but there are no pictures, nor can I download anything.
So, a couple days ago, we had lunch at a Taco Bell. A man came up to us and visited with us. His name was Anthony. We exchanged phone numbers so that we could "keep in touch." Tonight, the elders in our ward dropped by and Elder Mecham called Anthony, but he didn’t answer and hadn’t set up his voice mail. The elders stayed only about ten minutes. Just as they were ready to walk out the door, Elder Mecham’s phone rang. It was Anthony. They have set an appointment to go meet and talk with him tomorrow around noon. We will see how that goes and if he is serious about learning more about the gospel.
Friday, April 27: Even though Anthony had given "his" address, it turned out to be his work address, and he evidently was rather busy and couldn’t really visit freely. He didn’t completely close things off, though, and gave the elders his home address, where they will be contacting him again next week. Hopefully. He must have some curiosity, or we hope spiritual inklings, about the church. Time will tell.
Sister Blue had her surgery, which went well – they did put her out, she didn’t get real sick (like she has done in the past with anesthesia), they didn’t have to do orthoscopic surgery, just move the knee (crunch it), and she will start therapy tomorrow! I am taking in a little meal tomorrow, so we’ll visit more then. Love the Blues!
Went to Von’s grocery this evening after work. It was freezing cold in there. We were looking for uncooked tortillas - nope! - and decided to leave and do our shopping back at Ralph’s (which is just around the corner from us and not so freezing cold). We pushed our cart out the door and tried to return it to its place, and the darn thing locked up. As we were struggling with it, an employee came up and said that’s what happens when you leave w/out going through the check stand (we had not purchased anything). How weird! How does the cart know if you’ve been through the check stand? Crazy! Now, if we could just find a place that sells raw tortillas. You’d think in a place that is high percentage Hispanic . . . .
Made blonde brownies tonight. My first time baking here. Some for the Blues and some for the Hardisons, a member family that lives just up the street from us. Sister Hardison commented that now that we live on the street, it is no longer the "ghetto." She came by after church last week with a bag full of produce – melon, kiwi, avacados, tomatoes! And some nice kitchen hand soap. So sweet!
Second Week at MTC
Easter Sunday, April 8:
We had a wonderful and marvelous devotional with all the missionaries and leaders (again we saw and visited with the Stotts). Elder Boyd K. Packer 2was our speaker -- how awesome is that?! What a privilege to attend such a special meeting. It was awesome! Prior to the meeting, I turned to see the young missionaries entering the building from the upper level. It was so cool to see them streaming in two-by-two -- hundreds of them! The sacrament was served to this congregation of thousands! It was very organized. What a special experience that was, as we watched the sacrament being served first to President Packer! Loved it!
Elder Allan F. Packer of the Seventy (and President Packer's son) also was at this meeting and spoke to use. His message was that we focus not on the cross and death, but on the coming forth. He said having a testimony of the prophet is not enough -- we must "look up" to find out if something is true. We must study and learn the language of the Spirit. And teach it.
President Boyd K. Packer explained that his health problems stem from childhood polio, which he had when he was about 10. He said he is grateful it waited until he was 80 to manifest itself again, but wished it could have waited 20 more years. He counseled us to look to the Almighty for strength and power. "You have that even when you are alone." "The Book of Mormon teaches in simple terms, 'Why Christ?'" He unlocked the prison doors. There has to be a price paid -- repentence could not come to man except there be a punishment. There must be a price, a ransom, paid. How do you fix what is broken? You can't! But the Lord volunteered willingly to make the sacrifice so that the punishment can be suspended. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is a precious treasure! Learn to follow that. Come to know -- come to trust. Decorate your life with good deeds. [I love that!] Obedience -- it's worth it! He's seen concern and worry in the brethren for these troubled times and the future -- but never fear! ~~ What a spiritual giant he is!
After the devotional we attended a fast and testimony meeting. Elders and sisters from all over the world bore sweet testimonies! They were from: Brazil, Guatamala, Mexico City, Russia, Dominican Republic, Philippines, to name some.
We had dinner at the Wises. It was sooooo good-- salman grilled on a cedar plank (recipe to follow). We met Holly's "man," Parker (and at the time of my typing this, which is a couple weeks after we met him, they are now engaged! - Woohoo!) We noticed that he is already very much a part of this family :) He and Holly were so cute together. ~~
We ate and ran -- attended a Departure Fireside for those for whom it was their last Sunday at the MTC. My favorite part was the cello, violin and piano musical, O My Father -- it was gorgeous!
Here is some counsel we received at the Departure Fireside -- Things to Remember in the Mission Field:
1. You are a representative of Jesus Christ.
2. Your Mission President has been called of God. Honor and respect him.
3. Hard work is more important than intelect. Do NOT waste time.
4. Forget yourself in His service. Don't let anything get in the way.
5. Never permit contention in your companionship. (3 Nephi 11:29)
6. Keep your bodies clean and healthy, clothes clean and pressed, apartments clean and orderly (remember, this is being given to all 2200 of us :)
7. Learn to love and serve the people among whom you serve.
8. Study, ponder, and teach from the scriptures and Preach My Gospel.
9. Know that Lucifer will oppose you. "There's no such thing as a small thing when it comes to obedience." (D&C 128:122)
10. Remember the criticalness of your own personal testimony -- bear it often. Repetition is power.
Hymn 114 - "Come Unto Him" - is President Packer's favorite hymn. We were encouraged to learn it! President Brown said that President Packer is doing "fine" -- he wanted to come do the morning devotional. He reminded us that he is second in authority to President Monson. Said that his method of teaching is vastly different than it was even one year ago. (Not sure what he meant by that.)
Missionaries who serve with honor go home with no regrets!
We then attened a fantastic "Special Musical Fireside" presented by the BYU Men's Chorus. Sweet! I LOVED it! Huge choir -- beautiful music!
Okay, here's the salmon recipe:
Just get a cedar plank from Lowe's or Home Depot (untreated)
Get it very wet.
Wash and dry saomon and place on board.
Make a rub of sea salt, ground pepper, and olive oil & rub onto salmon.
Spread on that a bunch of freshly grated lemon zest and chopped garlic, I think he used four cloves.
Grill.
Keep spray bottle of water handy to keep the plank from burning up -- periodically spray sides and bottom of plank.
I don't know what temp David cooked this at, but let me tell you, it was fantastic beyond words!!!
Monday, April 9: First day of office training. It went good for us. We are fortunate to have a good compuer background -- it has helped a lot!
Gorgeous day! Unseasonably warm. We had our picture taken by a dogwood tree which had huge beautiful blooms on it. I've never seen one before -- so pretty. The grounds here remind me of temple grounds -- they are beautiful.
Today we saw Elder Belnap from Pocatello (I forget where he is going). We ran into him and his mother shopping in Penney's in Pocatello. We tipped them on shopping at Mens Warehouse in Logan. He thanked us for that today.
Tuesday, April 10: I cannot believe how fast the past week has flown by! This evening I'm sitting outside -- it's 6 p.m. and beautiful and warm. (That's supposed to change by tomorrow evening :( just in time for us to pack and travel.) The nice wather reminds me that prior to the start of the evening devotional on Sunday, they announced that the elders could remove their suit coats, quietly. Oh my - there was quite the rustling, along with quiet sounds of joy. Then after the fireside they announed that beginning the following day, the elders no longer had to wear their suit jackets. Quite the excitement over this was heard! So Monday and Tuesday we have seen a lot of white shirts. ~~ So today, Elder Mecham decided to "join the ranks." As we were walking towards the MTC entrance this morning, i really looked at him and realized he had no tie on! (He LOVES wearing ties, right? NOT!) So - back to the car, and luckily he had a tie in the car, and we didn't have to return to the hotel to get one.
When we were walking from our classroom to the lunch building, Elder Mecham held the door (as he always does) for any following elders and sisters. About three sisters entered, then two elders. As I was the first to enter his held door, I just stood there watching, then suddenly realized one of thse two elders was Elder David Archuletta :) Not having prepared myself for such an incident, I pretty much made a fool of myself and said something pretty stupid. I don't even remember exactly what I said. "Oh, how nice he gets to hold the door for you!" of some such ridiculous remark. Then I said I was proud of him. And his companion. And Elder Mecham said, "and everyone." Oh dear! I bet Elder A hates the notoriety. He really is such a cute young elder :)
It has been interesting being at the MTC with David Archuletta. Sister Conover from Brigham City sat by me at breakfast Wednesday. We were discussing Elder A, and she told me she had seen him previously and asked if she could take his picture, and he politely told her no, but he bumped elbows with her (no hand shaking allowed, due to flu). Well, then we saw him browsing around deciding what to get for breakfast. Sister Conover told me to keep my eye on him - "Don't lose him!" - while she ran and got her phone (with camera). She DID take his picture, unbeknownst to him and against her husbands wishes. She was pretty cute. Since I was finished with breakfast, I then walked right past Elder A. He smiled so cute, and I told him, "You are loved, you know." Big smile from him. (Dang -- wish I'd gotten a picture of him!)
Tuesday night devotional was Keith B. McMullin, recently released as a member of the Presiding Bishopric. He gave a powerful talk on God our Heavenly Father. He reminded us that our job, as missionaries, will become routine to us, but never to the people we meet! They will feel something tangible. Heavenly Father has been preparing those we meet and teach. We should pray that the honest in heart will find us, not just that we will find them. He has been teaching them already as best He can and as they have allowed. Investigators must understand WHO God is and what the Godhead is. Invite them to pray -- make sure they know they are praying to God, and no one is between them and Him and that they are His offspring. He will hear their prayers, even if they don't know how to pray. We were reminded to be bold and frequent in the bearing of testimony of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday night, April 11. We are mostly packed and ready. Can't believe how FAST this time at the MTC has gone. It's been so wonderful! The Lord is surely blessing what takes place here. Improvements continue to be made in the program and processes. It is amazing, marvelous, and wonderful! The Lord oversees it all!
Thursday, April 12. Last day at the MTC! We feel good about what we've learned. Having had many classes on computers was extremely helpful. Poor Sister rothman was really struggling -- but she is plucky and determined and has much faith. She will be blessed! We LOVED sister Rothman! She is a single sister going to the office in Columbia South Carolina -- not what she desired, but she is willing to learn. She is 76 years young :) She has had a colorful life and is a recent widow. Her husband was a Jewish convert who wrote, "So How Come a Nice Jewish Boy Became a Mormon." We want to see if we can get that. (Norman Rothman)
Got our bikes from Mary Lou's on our lunch break - barely made it back to class on time.
On the road shortly after 3:30. Rain, wind, sleet, hail! Finally clear skies. Stayed the night in East Las Vegas at a Comfort Inn.
Friday, April 13. On the road to Oxnard! Oh man! It rained on us a lot the last half of the journey. Where's the sunny skies we were expecting in "sunny" California?
We made it! Nothing in our apartment except a bed :) We did not turn our heat on in the apartment the first night, and it was pretty chilly -- didn't get bedding until the next day. Well, here we are, ready to serve the mission president and missionaries in this part of the Lord's vineyard!
We had a wonderful and marvelous devotional with all the missionaries and leaders (again we saw and visited with the Stotts). Elder Boyd K. Packer 2was our speaker -- how awesome is that?! What a privilege to attend such a special meeting. It was awesome! Prior to the meeting, I turned to see the young missionaries entering the building from the upper level. It was so cool to see them streaming in two-by-two -- hundreds of them! The sacrament was served to this congregation of thousands! It was very organized. What a special experience that was, as we watched the sacrament being served first to President Packer! Loved it!
Elder Allan F. Packer of the Seventy (and President Packer's son) also was at this meeting and spoke to use. His message was that we focus not on the cross and death, but on the coming forth. He said having a testimony of the prophet is not enough -- we must "look up" to find out if something is true. We must study and learn the language of the Spirit. And teach it.
President Boyd K. Packer explained that his health problems stem from childhood polio, which he had when he was about 10. He said he is grateful it waited until he was 80 to manifest itself again, but wished it could have waited 20 more years. He counseled us to look to the Almighty for strength and power. "You have that even when you are alone." "The Book of Mormon teaches in simple terms, 'Why Christ?'" He unlocked the prison doors. There has to be a price paid -- repentence could not come to man except there be a punishment. There must be a price, a ransom, paid. How do you fix what is broken? You can't! But the Lord volunteered willingly to make the sacrifice so that the punishment can be suspended. The Gift of the Holy Ghost is a precious treasure! Learn to follow that. Come to know -- come to trust. Decorate your life with good deeds. [I love that!] Obedience -- it's worth it! He's seen concern and worry in the brethren for these troubled times and the future -- but never fear! ~~ What a spiritual giant he is!
After the devotional we attended a fast and testimony meeting. Elders and sisters from all over the world bore sweet testimonies! They were from: Brazil, Guatamala, Mexico City, Russia, Dominican Republic, Philippines, to name some.
We had dinner at the Wises. It was sooooo good-- salman grilled on a cedar plank (recipe to follow). We met Holly's "man," Parker (and at the time of my typing this, which is a couple weeks after we met him, they are now engaged! - Woohoo!) We noticed that he is already very much a part of this family :) He and Holly were so cute together. ~~
We ate and ran -- attended a Departure Fireside for those for whom it was their last Sunday at the MTC. My favorite part was the cello, violin and piano musical, O My Father -- it was gorgeous!
Here is some counsel we received at the Departure Fireside -- Things to Remember in the Mission Field:
1. You are a representative of Jesus Christ.
2. Your Mission President has been called of God. Honor and respect him.
3. Hard work is more important than intelect. Do NOT waste time.
4. Forget yourself in His service. Don't let anything get in the way.
5. Never permit contention in your companionship. (3 Nephi 11:29)
6. Keep your bodies clean and healthy, clothes clean and pressed, apartments clean and orderly (remember, this is being given to all 2200 of us :)
7. Learn to love and serve the people among whom you serve.
8. Study, ponder, and teach from the scriptures and Preach My Gospel.
9. Know that Lucifer will oppose you. "There's no such thing as a small thing when it comes to obedience." (D&C 128:122)
10. Remember the criticalness of your own personal testimony -- bear it often. Repetition is power.
Hymn 114 - "Come Unto Him" - is President Packer's favorite hymn. We were encouraged to learn it! President Brown said that President Packer is doing "fine" -- he wanted to come do the morning devotional. He reminded us that he is second in authority to President Monson. Said that his method of teaching is vastly different than it was even one year ago. (Not sure what he meant by that.)
Missionaries who serve with honor go home with no regrets!
We then attened a fantastic "Special Musical Fireside" presented by the BYU Men's Chorus. Sweet! I LOVED it! Huge choir -- beautiful music!
Okay, here's the salmon recipe:
Just get a cedar plank from Lowe's or Home Depot (untreated)
Get it very wet.
Wash and dry saomon and place on board.
Make a rub of sea salt, ground pepper, and olive oil & rub onto salmon.
Spread on that a bunch of freshly grated lemon zest and chopped garlic, I think he used four cloves.
Grill.
Keep spray bottle of water handy to keep the plank from burning up -- periodically spray sides and bottom of plank.
I don't know what temp David cooked this at, but let me tell you, it was fantastic beyond words!!!
Monday, April 9: First day of office training. It went good for us. We are fortunate to have a good compuer background -- it has helped a lot!
Gorgeous day! Unseasonably warm. We had our picture taken by a dogwood tree which had huge beautiful blooms on it. I've never seen one before -- so pretty. The grounds here remind me of temple grounds -- they are beautiful.
Today we saw Elder Belnap from Pocatello (I forget where he is going). We ran into him and his mother shopping in Penney's in Pocatello. We tipped them on shopping at Mens Warehouse in Logan. He thanked us for that today.
Tuesday, April 10: I cannot believe how fast the past week has flown by! This evening I'm sitting outside -- it's 6 p.m. and beautiful and warm. (That's supposed to change by tomorrow evening :( just in time for us to pack and travel.) The nice wather reminds me that prior to the start of the evening devotional on Sunday, they announced that the elders could remove their suit coats, quietly. Oh my - there was quite the rustling, along with quiet sounds of joy. Then after the fireside they announed that beginning the following day, the elders no longer had to wear their suit jackets. Quite the excitement over this was heard! So Monday and Tuesday we have seen a lot of white shirts. ~~ So today, Elder Mecham decided to "join the ranks." As we were walking towards the MTC entrance this morning, i really looked at him and realized he had no tie on! (He LOVES wearing ties, right? NOT!) So - back to the car, and luckily he had a tie in the car, and we didn't have to return to the hotel to get one.
When we were walking from our classroom to the lunch building, Elder Mecham held the door (as he always does) for any following elders and sisters. About three sisters entered, then two elders. As I was the first to enter his held door, I just stood there watching, then suddenly realized one of thse two elders was Elder David Archuletta :) Not having prepared myself for such an incident, I pretty much made a fool of myself and said something pretty stupid. I don't even remember exactly what I said. "Oh, how nice he gets to hold the door for you!" of some such ridiculous remark. Then I said I was proud of him. And his companion. And Elder Mecham said, "and everyone." Oh dear! I bet Elder A hates the notoriety. He really is such a cute young elder :)
It has been interesting being at the MTC with David Archuletta. Sister Conover from Brigham City sat by me at breakfast Wednesday. We were discussing Elder A, and she told me she had seen him previously and asked if she could take his picture, and he politely told her no, but he bumped elbows with her (no hand shaking allowed, due to flu). Well, then we saw him browsing around deciding what to get for breakfast. Sister Conover told me to keep my eye on him - "Don't lose him!" - while she ran and got her phone (with camera). She DID take his picture, unbeknownst to him and against her husbands wishes. She was pretty cute. Since I was finished with breakfast, I then walked right past Elder A. He smiled so cute, and I told him, "You are loved, you know." Big smile from him. (Dang -- wish I'd gotten a picture of him!)
Tuesday night devotional was Keith B. McMullin, recently released as a member of the Presiding Bishopric. He gave a powerful talk on God our Heavenly Father. He reminded us that our job, as missionaries, will become routine to us, but never to the people we meet! They will feel something tangible. Heavenly Father has been preparing those we meet and teach. We should pray that the honest in heart will find us, not just that we will find them. He has been teaching them already as best He can and as they have allowed. Investigators must understand WHO God is and what the Godhead is. Invite them to pray -- make sure they know they are praying to God, and no one is between them and Him and that they are His offspring. He will hear their prayers, even if they don't know how to pray. We were reminded to be bold and frequent in the bearing of testimony of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday night, April 11. We are mostly packed and ready. Can't believe how FAST this time at the MTC has gone. It's been so wonderful! The Lord is surely blessing what takes place here. Improvements continue to be made in the program and processes. It is amazing, marvelous, and wonderful! The Lord oversees it all!
Thursday, April 12. Last day at the MTC! We feel good about what we've learned. Having had many classes on computers was extremely helpful. Poor Sister rothman was really struggling -- but she is plucky and determined and has much faith. She will be blessed! We LOVED sister Rothman! She is a single sister going to the office in Columbia South Carolina -- not what she desired, but she is willing to learn. She is 76 years young :) She has had a colorful life and is a recent widow. Her husband was a Jewish convert who wrote, "So How Come a Nice Jewish Boy Became a Mormon." We want to see if we can get that. (Norman Rothman)
Got our bikes from Mary Lou's on our lunch break - barely made it back to class on time.
On the road shortly after 3:30. Rain, wind, sleet, hail! Finally clear skies. Stayed the night in East Las Vegas at a Comfort Inn.
Friday, April 13. On the road to Oxnard! Oh man! It rained on us a lot the last half of the journey. Where's the sunny skies we were expecting in "sunny" California?
We made it! Nothing in our apartment except a bed :) We did not turn our heat on in the apartment the first night, and it was pretty chilly -- didn't get bedding until the next day. Well, here we are, ready to serve the mission president and missionaries in this part of the Lord's vineyard!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
MTC Experiences
Ok, I'm going to backtrack. I'm copying my notes, which are not always complete sentences. Oh, well - here goes:
Monday, April 2, 2012 - First day at the MTC
This was a wonderful and long day -- yet the ones to follow will be longer. What a wonderful spirit abides at the MTC -- we felt it immediately.
Everything was organized and executed speedily and efficiently. We spotted the Abbotts from Brent's ward and visited with them briefly; also, Larry and Dorothy's friends, the Kindreds from Preston. Everyone was very friendly and nice.
We are staying at The Marriott Hotel in Provo -- nice accommodations -- as they did not have enough room for all the senior couples at the MTC. Also, the food here (at the MTC) is definitely many steps up from that at Quantico (where we went several times for training with the FBI). The whole cafeteria thing at the MTC is quite amazing! Imagine feeding 2200+ missionaries three meals a day! They present a nice variety, and nearly everything we selected was very tastey and nutritious. Of course, we got to choose :) - and we tried to choose wisely (most of the time). It was fun to see what some of the elders would pile onto their plates.
We spent Friday and Saturday nights (March 31 and April 1) with my dear mother. Mauri hosted a dinner on Sunday (thanks, Mauri!) -- Tawn and Devin's families came, and Mother and George. It was quite cold, but the cousins had a blast together. Very enjoyable! It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, especially to my sweet mother. But I know the Lord will bless everyone, as President Keller promised in his setting apart blessing. I know it will be so.
Spent sunday night at Randy's Mary Lou and David's and had an enjoyable late-night visit.
I'm so grateful for the loving support of all our family! How blessed we are!
Tuesday, April 3:
Learning to teach out of Preach My Gospel. Our instructor is a young 22-year-old RM who served in Malta (Italy). I'm a bit out of my comfort zone, but I can do this! Tomorrow -- we'll be teaching an "investigator." (People from the area come in to the MTC to help with this. Most are members, some are not.)
This was a long day. We attended a great devotional presented by Elder Lance B. Wickman. He spoke on being devoted and obedient, telling us the WE are the message. He commented that we have all given up something good for something better, and said he didn't know what each of our particular sacrifices was, but he said, "You're here not, so GO FOR BROKE! GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT!" So that's what we intend to do. He counseled that if we will learn to love others more than we love ourselves, we will be great missionaries.
It was so awesome to sing Called To Serve with 2200+ young elders and sisters!
There is such a beautiful atmosphere inside and out at the MTC. The trees are in bloom everywhere. There are blossoms and flowers everywhere. Love it!
We saw Gary and Katherine Stott (Lisa's parents) this afternoon. They were there for dinner with Elder Wickman and the Devotional. It was great to see them. Evidently they and their family are friends with the MTC President and his wife, The Browns, as they introduced us to them as Lisa's in-laws :)
Wednesday, April 4:
Our District consists of four couples: Us; The Despains from Montana (formerly from Mammoth in Yellowstone Park - going to Freiberg, Germany, Temple Mission; The Goodmans from Stafford, Arizona, going to Arkansas Little Rock Member & Leadership Support; The Bosches from Long Beach, California, going to Toronto, Canada, member & Leadership support. All wonderful couples!
We taught our "first discussion" this morning -- and we all lived through it :) Some things went well and others could have gone better. Our "investigator" did a great job -- he and his "member friend" were kind to us. Tomorrow we will get to do this again - preparing to teach The Plan of Salvation. Main thing to remember is -- we teach PEOPLE, not lessons.
There are couples going all over the world in our group -- Estonia, India, Mexico, Spain, Germany - amazing. We also met a couple going to Tahiti too, from Brighton, Colorado. They know an elder in our mission in Ventura -- Elder Smith. We will have to watch for him!
Thursday, April 5:
Seems like we do a great deal of eating! We do - and it's good! We are trying to be a little good, but yesterday we had ice cream from the university creamery, and I indulged. So fine!
Today we had another teaching experience -- supposedly a follow-up from a younger set of missionaries who taught the Restoration, then were transferred. We taught Winnie, a Vietnamese girl. She was full of questions, and sort of led the discussion. We never did get to ANY of the Plan of Salvation, but discussed various things: Patriarchal blessings, feeling the Spirit, General Conference (among others). We could have done better, but it was a good experience! She told uas at the end that she had been a member for only four months. ~~ Then we did some role playing with the Despains and had quite a sweet experience (recorded in my hand-written journal).
Today Randy shared the story of Brother Schmidt and his conversion and Randy's experience with him as a Seventy in Soda Springs. How Brother Schmidt expected a vision or something spectacular, but felt "nothing." Randy got all choked up when relating this experience. It really brought the Spirit into our room. We have developed something quite special with these three other couples in our District. It's been sweet!
Friday, April 6:
We were given a challenge, which I need to going on! Each week we share a missionary experience with our family and encourage them to print it and share it and read it as a family. And share our testimony.
It snowed this morning -- big, wet flakes! It really put it down. The trees and bushes were laden, and it was really beautiful. Sister Despain said that when she would look out of her window at home, before any footprints or tire tracks were made in such a snow, she would say, "We've been celestialized!" :) By noon the snow was gone.
Today we met "new" couples (not in our district) and role played again, using the same situations as yesterday. "Our" missionaries, The Cheffs, also decided to teach us about families. Elder Cheff beautifully taught about the eternal nature of families. The Cheffs are from Montana. Sister Cheff is originally from Spain and met her husband in Venezuala when they were both there with their parents, who were working there. They were young. She didn't speak English; he didn't speak Spanish. But they danced together at a dance. He took his maid with him to interrpret and proposed to her. She moved to the states without knowing the language. (She now speaks with only a slight accent). She was very lonely, but was converted to the gospel. And now they are going to Spain on their mission together! Cool!
We were missionaries to The Oshimas. We got more "true" stories from them than role playing. But it was very sweet. They are (at least he is - it's hard to tell about Asian women :) in his 70s and now serving his 8th mission. He is from Hawaii, and Sister Oshima is from Japan. This is a second marriage for them, and this is their 6th mission together. Wow! They met in the temple. Sister Oshima, although a member for some time, became truly converted when her father was miraculously healed by the Priesthood. Elder Oshima was baptized in the ocean when he was 12 years old. His older brothers set it up. He was at an overnight scout camp, and his brothers told him he would be baptized. When he saw the missionaries in white coming toward him, he thought they looked like angels. He was baptized when a wave came in, then he went off to swim, not even understanding which church he was a member of. We never did hear how he became "converted."
Randy has met a 3rd cousin, Sister Blake, from St. Anthony, Idaho. Her maiden name was Mecham, so she was asking about Randy's genealogy. Interestingly, they figured out they are related through Randy's mother, both descending from Judson Tolman. They never did figure out how they were related through the Mechams.
This was a sweet day of goodbyes. The member support missionaries are heading out to their various missions now. That includes the Abbots -- the couple from Brent's ward in California. We had a couple of very nice visits with them. They had nothing but good and nice things to say about Brent, Diane, and their children :) The Woods (and I can't remember where they are going) are from Coeur d'Alene and know The Wises (David's family). They also know Jess and Vola Evans (both couples are snow birds to Mesa and were in the same ward there). The Evans, who are missionaries at the Heber Valley Camp, were at our hotel tonight when we walked in - coming to visit the Woods. We had a nice chat with The Evans :)
Tonight we went to dinner with David and Mary Lou. They picked us up and we went to a nice Japanese restaurant. Nice food, nice company!
Saturday, April 7:
We slept in a little. Worked out at the hotel exercise room. Did a sealing session at the Provo Temple. The sealer shared this experience. He was formerly a bishop in Texas. They had a large group of 8-year-old children to be baptized one time (not sure if ward or stake). After the baptisms there was quite a commotion at the back of the room from a handicapped 12-year-old girl. The bishop asked what she was so excited about. She told him, "He lives! He truly lives!" When he pressed her further, she told him she had seen Jesus standing above the font and that he was very happy about the baptisms of the children. Amazing how close some of the special spirits are to the "other side."
Had lunch at an Indian restaurant just across the street from the hotel. Tasty.
Spent the afternoon at the Wises. Did laundry there and helped a little with some yard work. They have such a beautiful yard and home!
Monday, April 2, 2012 - First day at the MTC
This was a wonderful and long day -- yet the ones to follow will be longer. What a wonderful spirit abides at the MTC -- we felt it immediately.
Everything was organized and executed speedily and efficiently. We spotted the Abbotts from Brent's ward and visited with them briefly; also, Larry and Dorothy's friends, the Kindreds from Preston. Everyone was very friendly and nice.
We are staying at The Marriott Hotel in Provo -- nice accommodations -- as they did not have enough room for all the senior couples at the MTC. Also, the food here (at the MTC) is definitely many steps up from that at Quantico (where we went several times for training with the FBI). The whole cafeteria thing at the MTC is quite amazing! Imagine feeding 2200+ missionaries three meals a day! They present a nice variety, and nearly everything we selected was very tastey and nutritious. Of course, we got to choose :) - and we tried to choose wisely (most of the time). It was fun to see what some of the elders would pile onto their plates.
We spent Friday and Saturday nights (March 31 and April 1) with my dear mother. Mauri hosted a dinner on Sunday (thanks, Mauri!) -- Tawn and Devin's families came, and Mother and George. It was quite cold, but the cousins had a blast together. Very enjoyable! It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, especially to my sweet mother. But I know the Lord will bless everyone, as President Keller promised in his setting apart blessing. I know it will be so.
Spent sunday night at Randy's Mary Lou and David's and had an enjoyable late-night visit.
I'm so grateful for the loving support of all our family! How blessed we are!
Tuesday, April 3:
Learning to teach out of Preach My Gospel. Our instructor is a young 22-year-old RM who served in Malta (Italy). I'm a bit out of my comfort zone, but I can do this! Tomorrow -- we'll be teaching an "investigator." (People from the area come in to the MTC to help with this. Most are members, some are not.)
This was a long day. We attended a great devotional presented by Elder Lance B. Wickman. He spoke on being devoted and obedient, telling us the WE are the message. He commented that we have all given up something good for something better, and said he didn't know what each of our particular sacrifices was, but he said, "You're here not, so GO FOR BROKE! GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT!" So that's what we intend to do. He counseled that if we will learn to love others more than we love ourselves, we will be great missionaries.
It was so awesome to sing Called To Serve with 2200+ young elders and sisters!
We saw Gary and Katherine Stott (Lisa's parents) this afternoon. They were there for dinner with Elder Wickman and the Devotional. It was great to see them. Evidently they and their family are friends with the MTC President and his wife, The Browns, as they introduced us to them as Lisa's in-laws :)
Wednesday, April 4:
Our District consists of four couples: Us; The Despains from Montana (formerly from Mammoth in Yellowstone Park - going to Freiberg, Germany, Temple Mission; The Goodmans from Stafford, Arizona, going to Arkansas Little Rock Member & Leadership Support; The Bosches from Long Beach, California, going to Toronto, Canada, member & Leadership support. All wonderful couples!
We taught our "first discussion" this morning -- and we all lived through it :) Some things went well and others could have gone better. Our "investigator" did a great job -- he and his "member friend" were kind to us. Tomorrow we will get to do this again - preparing to teach The Plan of Salvation. Main thing to remember is -- we teach PEOPLE, not lessons.
There are couples going all over the world in our group -- Estonia, India, Mexico, Spain, Germany - amazing. We also met a couple going to Tahiti too, from Brighton, Colorado. They know an elder in our mission in Ventura -- Elder Smith. We will have to watch for him!
Thursday, April 5:
Seems like we do a great deal of eating! We do - and it's good! We are trying to be a little good, but yesterday we had ice cream from the university creamery, and I indulged. So fine!
Today we had another teaching experience -- supposedly a follow-up from a younger set of missionaries who taught the Restoration, then were transferred. We taught Winnie, a Vietnamese girl. She was full of questions, and sort of led the discussion. We never did get to ANY of the Plan of Salvation, but discussed various things: Patriarchal blessings, feeling the Spirit, General Conference (among others). We could have done better, but it was a good experience! She told uas at the end that she had been a member for only four months. ~~ Then we did some role playing with the Despains and had quite a sweet experience (recorded in my hand-written journal).
Today Randy shared the story of Brother Schmidt and his conversion and Randy's experience with him as a Seventy in Soda Springs. How Brother Schmidt expected a vision or something spectacular, but felt "nothing." Randy got all choked up when relating this experience. It really brought the Spirit into our room. We have developed something quite special with these three other couples in our District. It's been sweet!
Friday, April 6:
We were given a challenge, which I need to going on! Each week we share a missionary experience with our family and encourage them to print it and share it and read it as a family. And share our testimony.
It snowed this morning -- big, wet flakes! It really put it down. The trees and bushes were laden, and it was really beautiful. Sister Despain said that when she would look out of her window at home, before any footprints or tire tracks were made in such a snow, she would say, "We've been celestialized!" :) By noon the snow was gone.
Today we met "new" couples (not in our district) and role played again, using the same situations as yesterday. "Our" missionaries, The Cheffs, also decided to teach us about families. Elder Cheff beautifully taught about the eternal nature of families. The Cheffs are from Montana. Sister Cheff is originally from Spain and met her husband in Venezuala when they were both there with their parents, who were working there. They were young. She didn't speak English; he didn't speak Spanish. But they danced together at a dance. He took his maid with him to interrpret and proposed to her. She moved to the states without knowing the language. (She now speaks with only a slight accent). She was very lonely, but was converted to the gospel. And now they are going to Spain on their mission together! Cool!
We were missionaries to The Oshimas. We got more "true" stories from them than role playing. But it was very sweet. They are (at least he is - it's hard to tell about Asian women :) in his 70s and now serving his 8th mission. He is from Hawaii, and Sister Oshima is from Japan. This is a second marriage for them, and this is their 6th mission together. Wow! They met in the temple. Sister Oshima, although a member for some time, became truly converted when her father was miraculously healed by the Priesthood. Elder Oshima was baptized in the ocean when he was 12 years old. His older brothers set it up. He was at an overnight scout camp, and his brothers told him he would be baptized. When he saw the missionaries in white coming toward him, he thought they looked like angels. He was baptized when a wave came in, then he went off to swim, not even understanding which church he was a member of. We never did hear how he became "converted."
Randy has met a 3rd cousin, Sister Blake, from St. Anthony, Idaho. Her maiden name was Mecham, so she was asking about Randy's genealogy. Interestingly, they figured out they are related through Randy's mother, both descending from Judson Tolman. They never did figure out how they were related through the Mechams.
This was a sweet day of goodbyes. The member support missionaries are heading out to their various missions now. That includes the Abbots -- the couple from Brent's ward in California. We had a couple of very nice visits with them. They had nothing but good and nice things to say about Brent, Diane, and their children :) The Woods (and I can't remember where they are going) are from Coeur d'Alene and know The Wises (David's family). They also know Jess and Vola Evans (both couples are snow birds to Mesa and were in the same ward there). The Evans, who are missionaries at the Heber Valley Camp, were at our hotel tonight when we walked in - coming to visit the Woods. We had a nice chat with The Evans :)
Tonight we went to dinner with David and Mary Lou. They picked us up and we went to a nice Japanese restaurant. Nice food, nice company!
Saturday, April 7:
We slept in a little. Worked out at the hotel exercise room. Did a sealing session at the Provo Temple. The sealer shared this experience. He was formerly a bishop in Texas. They had a large group of 8-year-old children to be baptized one time (not sure if ward or stake). After the baptisms there was quite a commotion at the back of the room from a handicapped 12-year-old girl. The bishop asked what she was so excited about. She told him, "He lives! He truly lives!" When he pressed her further, she told him she had seen Jesus standing above the font and that he was very happy about the baptisms of the children. Amazing how close some of the special spirits are to the "other side."
Had lunch at an Indian restaurant just across the street from the hotel. Tasty.
Spent the afternoon at the Wises. Did laundry there and helped a little with some yard work. They have such a beautiful yard and home!
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