Week 28 - Bitter sweet completion of our service
Dear family and friends
Grandma and I are sitting here listening to the rain as we start our last Sabbath day in Zion's Camp and starting our blogs because it is going to be a busy day and we won't have lots of time tonight except to finish them. Actually, the rain and pre-dawn darkness fit the mood of melancholy. We have been saying good by all week and the emotions are quite full and now we get to say good-bye to our branch. Grandma and I have written notes to our friends and that has made it even more plain we are leaving and leaving part of our hearts behind. When you serve with all your heart you leave a piece of it with everyone you serve. That is the hallmark of Christ like service because he feels that way towards each of us because of His sacrifice.
The Spirit was present in the Temple in the gift of administration in figuring out how our small crew could be in several places at one time in order to serve the patrons. All week we had many more patrons than expected and we are grateful.
We visited Muddy Waters for a farewell lunch with the Athertons who left Tuesday.
Impromptu we sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" to Donna, the owner who opened up specially for us. She and some of us cried. (Grandma is tired of crying, she has been doing it all week, if you can believe it.)
That night we had a dinner with the Temple Presidency and we gave them embroidered temple packets and they gave us presents. It was a lot of fun.
Tuesday the Athertons left. Before they could go, however, they had to retract the stabilizers, and one wouldn't. As we were working on it (six guys with tools and lots of experience), I felt impressed to suggest we pray to John Atherton. After a few more fruitless minutes we did. And the instrument panel died. Not exactly what we expected. John Cox began fiddling with the fuses and suddenly the stabilizer worked!
That's one way the Spirit can point us in the right direction. Then they were off.
Wednesday was emotional as we said good bye to local workers. Thursday we went as a group to a temple session. Sixteen couples in the prayer circle in a small temple takes up lots of room. President Schwendiman officiated with Sister Schwendiman as follower and President and Sister Miner with us as patrons. We then sealed two large families for one of the couples, the families were there.
That night we had a "pot luck" that was to clean out left-overs. Twelve former relief society presidents bringing left-overs? You decide on the odds of that one.
The food was great and some of the other missionaries gave individual gifts. When we came home Sandy put one on the table and it disappeared which upset her.
After looking all over, including the trash three times, I prayed and had the impression to look at the crock pot that I had put away in a cupboard. It was stuck to a leg. Heavenly Father is even concerned about the little things like that.
Woke up Friday morning and received the following as I did:
When we ascend the hill of the Lord we should not dictate to Him what He must reveal to us.
We only have two choices:
We can decide whether to climb the hill; and
We can decide whether to accept what HE wants to reveal to us.
We then walked on the Hill Cumorah for the last time during this mission. Beautiful.
My beautiful companion
North end of Hill
South end of Hill
Middle behind costume building
The angel statue over the trees.
I like this picture better, though.
This one shows the Pageant area
Seeing the angel through the trees is much like the Gospel in general. We see glimmers and keep pushing on.
We go along for awhile not seeing anything.
But the light is blinding when we do see it.
We go forward in faith,
and get closer
and see it more clearly
And sometimes we rest on the path.
Friday at the Temple I had the opportunity to be baptistry coordinator. We had an older sister come to observe, she is terrified of the water. A missionary and another brother performed ordinances. I talked to her quite awhile about the temple ordinances and bringing families together. She is excited to have her father and mother's work done. I told her there are people in the ward who can help. The Spirit was there and I knew I was supposed to be the one to speak with her.
The remaining missionaries went out to eat as a group with the Miners and Schwendimans. At a casino for the buffet, if you can believe it. My kids will remember doing that going to and from Disneyland. The buffet was about the level of Golden Corral on average; very good prime rib, however.
Saturday we were living sealing guides for a young couple about to have their first child. They were very cute. We were thrilled to help them start their family the right way, under the covenant. The wife is very strong, especially. She is the only member of her family.
I followed the next to last session of the day just as I followed the second session of our shift on our first day. I didn't faint this time, however. Said good byes and almost, ALMOST, cried.
Sunday we taught our last Sunday School lesson about charity, the pure love of Christ, and loved the class.
The branch threw a good bye and good riddance party after Church for us and the Lees. It was a ton of fun. Looks like a family picture at Christmas, doesn't it?
One more ice scream social tonight and we are off tomorrow morning. (It is called "morning" because we are sad to get up.)
Love,
Grandad
Grandma and I are sitting here listening to the rain as we start our last Sabbath day in Zion's Camp and starting our blogs because it is going to be a busy day and we won't have lots of time tonight except to finish them. Actually, the rain and pre-dawn darkness fit the mood of melancholy. We have been saying good by all week and the emotions are quite full and now we get to say good-bye to our branch. Grandma and I have written notes to our friends and that has made it even more plain we are leaving and leaving part of our hearts behind. When you serve with all your heart you leave a piece of it with everyone you serve. That is the hallmark of Christ like service because he feels that way towards each of us because of His sacrifice.
The Spirit was present in the Temple in the gift of administration in figuring out how our small crew could be in several places at one time in order to serve the patrons. All week we had many more patrons than expected and we are grateful.
We visited Muddy Waters for a farewell lunch with the Athertons who left Tuesday.
That night we had a dinner with the Temple Presidency and we gave them embroidered temple packets and they gave us presents. It was a lot of fun.
That's one way the Spirit can point us in the right direction. Then they were off.
That night we had a "pot luck" that was to clean out left-overs. Twelve former relief society presidents bringing left-overs? You decide on the odds of that one.
The food was great and some of the other missionaries gave individual gifts. When we came home Sandy put one on the table and it disappeared which upset her.
After looking all over, including the trash three times, I prayed and had the impression to look at the crock pot that I had put away in a cupboard. It was stuck to a leg. Heavenly Father is even concerned about the little things like that.
Woke up Friday morning and received the following as I did:
When we ascend the hill of the Lord we should not dictate to Him what He must reveal to us.
We only have two choices:
We can decide whether to climb the hill; and
We can decide whether to accept what HE wants to reveal to us.
We then walked on the Hill Cumorah for the last time during this mission. Beautiful.
Friday at the Temple I had the opportunity to be baptistry coordinator. We had an older sister come to observe, she is terrified of the water. A missionary and another brother performed ordinances. I talked to her quite awhile about the temple ordinances and bringing families together. She is excited to have her father and mother's work done. I told her there are people in the ward who can help. The Spirit was there and I knew I was supposed to be the one to speak with her.
The remaining missionaries went out to eat as a group with the Miners and Schwendimans. At a casino for the buffet, if you can believe it. My kids will remember doing that going to and from Disneyland. The buffet was about the level of Golden Corral on average; very good prime rib, however.
Saturday we were living sealing guides for a young couple about to have their first child. They were very cute. We were thrilled to help them start their family the right way, under the covenant. The wife is very strong, especially. She is the only member of her family.
I followed the next to last session of the day just as I followed the second session of our shift on our first day. I didn't faint this time, however. Said good byes and almost, ALMOST, cried.
Sunday we taught our last Sunday School lesson about charity, the pure love of Christ, and loved the class.
The branch threw a good bye and good riddance party after Church for us and the Lees. It was a ton of fun. Looks like a family picture at Christmas, doesn't it?
Love,
Grandad
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