Week 3 from Grandma
My dearest children, grandchildren and friends!!
Our week began on a glorious Monday morning at the temple.
It was so wonderful being there with the other 6-month missionaries. We are the only ones that work on Monday mornings so we had a chance to learn together and serve together. It was so sweet!!! The only blight on the day was that at the end of the session that Richard was officiating and I was first follower, he passed out. It was very scary!! Being trained in first aid and procedures at the temple, I know what to do but I FROZE!! I caught him as he fell but couldn't do anything else. He came to moments later but was shaky. The temple presidency counselor finished officiating the session. We figure that his circulation was cut off as he was kneeling and, combined with dehydration and low blood sugar, it caused a perfect storm. He had had trouble with wooziness the day before when he was fasting so we are going to be more careful about his eating and drinking while he is working at the temple.
We don't work on Tuesdays but are using that as our get-the-work-done day. We were finally able to even up our little house by putting some boards under two of the wheels...yay!! We took some time out to hike up to the top of the Hill Cumorah again...we take the back way which is about a mile and a half round trip. As we sat at the top taking a breather before going back down, I looked out over the landscape and marveled that this place was the scene of the death of one great civilization and the birth of the last dispensation that would usher in the reign of our Lord and Savior. I am so humbled to be able to serve here!! I have thought a lot about the Book of Mormon lately as I have started reading it again. One lesson that has particularly impressed itself upon my mind as I have thought about my grandchildren was talked about in our Regional Conference today. Sister Bonnie H. Cordon was talking about having our OWN lights, in reference to our relationship with and testimony of the Savior. She talked about the people at the time of King Benjamin and how all but the littlest children entered into a covenant with the Lord. Then, years later "the rising generation...could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers." How tragic! Sister Cardon said that these children needed their own light. She went on to talk about our own children and the WE need to kindle their light within them...it is OUR responsibility! We need to intentionally teach them, not just assume that they will sometime get it or that they can rely upon our light. She said that it is they who will usher in the coming of the Savior. Elder Oaks later said that the rising generation needs our BEST teaching, guidance and love. He said that this generation is the strength of the church. I sense an urgency that we MUST teach our children and grandchildren to love the Lord and make sacred covenants with Him. We must do that with words and deeds....it is our sacred responsibility! Elder Anthony D Perkins told us that the Book of Mormon was "written for our day" and indeed it was!!
On Wednesday, we were able to serve once again at the temple. There is a couple, 1-year temple missionaries, who are serving together with their 32-year-old Down's Syndrome son, Ford. This is their 4th mission with him. They are such amazing people and Ford, or Brother Rumsey as he insists on being called, is the sweetest, most child-like, man I have encountered. He is not an ordinance worker but is called as a volunteer at the temple. He serves in the baptistry, as a patron, and in miscellaneous other capacities on the days that his parents work. He is always so happy and fun-loving. He was so cute today in our Regional Conference. He came up to me to shake my hand but couldn't remember my name. He very carefully read my name from my tag and then got a huge smile on his face. I feel so greatly blessed to be able to know him and his amazing parents. What a blessing to be able to serve with them!
We had our first Activity Day outing this week to the Peter Whitmer Farm in Fayette and then to Sauders Store, which is an Amish market and cafe. It was great but a little cold!!
Here are some of our group of missionaries.
Here are two pics of Sauders Store...it is huge!! The first pic gives you a good idea of the size of the food market that contains a bakery, a Swiss deli, a cheese shop, a candy shop, a dairy and a general grocery section as well as the cafe. The second pic shows you the other part that is a furniture store and gift shop.
I've been really intrigued by the houses around here. They are really interesting. Some are larger than others, but they seem to have pretty much the same floor plan.
This is a typical street in Palmyra....or any of the other small towns around here.
Here are some more examples of the interesting ways they paint them. Sorry about the blurred last one....I took it as we were driving down the highway...no place to stop. I don't think they believe in putting shoulders on the little roads...and minor highways...back east!!!
It has been so rainy here!! Here are some picture we took today.
The first is a "creek" that is almost to the level of the freeway.
The second has the creek in the background and it has flooded the tree area in the foreground.
This is a little hard to see...it is right off the freeway and the tree area is flooded.
We are kind of at the low spot in Zion's camp.
Atherton Lake (between the Athertons and us)
Coxson Pond (right outside our door)
The very sad thing is that there are plowed and unplowed fields all around that cannot be planted because of the wet conditions. The farmers are in a panic because the time for planting is fleeing!! Our prayers are with them. We will have a few days of drier weather the first part of next week but will then be back into the wet cycle.
Well, dear ones, if you are still with me at this point, I say goodbye for another week. I think of you all daily!!!
Love always and much,
Mom/Grandma/Friend
Our week began on a glorious Monday morning at the temple.
It was so wonderful being there with the other 6-month missionaries. We are the only ones that work on Monday mornings so we had a chance to learn together and serve together. It was so sweet!!! The only blight on the day was that at the end of the session that Richard was officiating and I was first follower, he passed out. It was very scary!! Being trained in first aid and procedures at the temple, I know what to do but I FROZE!! I caught him as he fell but couldn't do anything else. He came to moments later but was shaky. The temple presidency counselor finished officiating the session. We figure that his circulation was cut off as he was kneeling and, combined with dehydration and low blood sugar, it caused a perfect storm. He had had trouble with wooziness the day before when he was fasting so we are going to be more careful about his eating and drinking while he is working at the temple.
We don't work on Tuesdays but are using that as our get-the-work-done day. We were finally able to even up our little house by putting some boards under two of the wheels...yay!! We took some time out to hike up to the top of the Hill Cumorah again...we take the back way which is about a mile and a half round trip. As we sat at the top taking a breather before going back down, I looked out over the landscape and marveled that this place was the scene of the death of one great civilization and the birth of the last dispensation that would usher in the reign of our Lord and Savior. I am so humbled to be able to serve here!! I have thought a lot about the Book of Mormon lately as I have started reading it again. One lesson that has particularly impressed itself upon my mind as I have thought about my grandchildren was talked about in our Regional Conference today. Sister Bonnie H. Cordon was talking about having our OWN lights, in reference to our relationship with and testimony of the Savior. She talked about the people at the time of King Benjamin and how all but the littlest children entered into a covenant with the Lord. Then, years later "the rising generation...could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers." How tragic! Sister Cardon said that these children needed their own light. She went on to talk about our own children and the WE need to kindle their light within them...it is OUR responsibility! We need to intentionally teach them, not just assume that they will sometime get it or that they can rely upon our light. She said that it is they who will usher in the coming of the Savior. Elder Oaks later said that the rising generation needs our BEST teaching, guidance and love. He said that this generation is the strength of the church. I sense an urgency that we MUST teach our children and grandchildren to love the Lord and make sacred covenants with Him. We must do that with words and deeds....it is our sacred responsibility! Elder Anthony D Perkins told us that the Book of Mormon was "written for our day" and indeed it was!!
On Wednesday, we were able to serve once again at the temple. There is a couple, 1-year temple missionaries, who are serving together with their 32-year-old Down's Syndrome son, Ford. This is their 4th mission with him. They are such amazing people and Ford, or Brother Rumsey as he insists on being called, is the sweetest, most child-like, man I have encountered. He is not an ordinance worker but is called as a volunteer at the temple. He serves in the baptistry, as a patron, and in miscellaneous other capacities on the days that his parents work. He is always so happy and fun-loving. He was so cute today in our Regional Conference. He came up to me to shake my hand but couldn't remember my name. He very carefully read my name from my tag and then got a huge smile on his face. I feel so greatly blessed to be able to know him and his amazing parents. What a blessing to be able to serve with them!
We had our first Activity Day outing this week to the Peter Whitmer Farm in Fayette and then to Sauders Store, which is an Amish market and cafe. It was great but a little cold!!
Here are some of our group of missionaries.
Here are two pics of Sauders Store...it is huge!! The first pic gives you a good idea of the size of the food market that contains a bakery, a Swiss deli, a cheese shop, a candy shop, a dairy and a general grocery section as well as the cafe. The second pic shows you the other part that is a furniture store and gift shop.
I've been really intrigued by the houses around here. They are really interesting. Some are larger than others, but they seem to have pretty much the same floor plan.
This is a typical street in Palmyra....or any of the other small towns around here.
Here are some more examples of the interesting ways they paint them. Sorry about the blurred last one....I took it as we were driving down the highway...no place to stop. I don't think they believe in putting shoulders on the little roads...and minor highways...back east!!!
It has been so rainy here!! Here are some picture we took today.
The first is a "creek" that is almost to the level of the freeway.
The second has the creek in the background and it has flooded the tree area in the foreground.
This is a little hard to see...it is right off the freeway and the tree area is flooded.
We are kind of at the low spot in Zion's camp.
Atherton Lake (between the Athertons and us)
Coxson Pond (right outside our door)
The very sad thing is that there are plowed and unplowed fields all around that cannot be planted because of the wet conditions. The farmers are in a panic because the time for planting is fleeing!! Our prayers are with them. We will have a few days of drier weather the first part of next week but will then be back into the wet cycle.
Well, dear ones, if you are still with me at this point, I say goodbye for another week. I think of you all daily!!!
Love always and much,
Mom/Grandma/Friend
Atherton Lake LOL, love it, love the Hicken's
ReplyDeleteThat lake looks like the "Mountains" back east..
ReplyDelete