April 17, 2012

Dear Family and Friends!
First things first. IT'S A BOY!!! Sarah and Mark are having our first grandson. Addison was correct. She has been insisting all along that she is having a brother. AND, Kristin is buying her first home. Paul is about to start finals ending his first year in law school. He will be doing an internship with a judge in Lewiston this summer.  Catherine is living in Utah and doing extremely well with her new job. We are thankful for  you and the great things you're accomplishing. Dad's sight continues to improve with the shots. Miracles do happen.
Another example of a miracle is TOMMY DOAN CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY.
We have been busy all week searching for members. We are finding that  a lot of folks have moved. There are lots of apartments and some people move in and out of different complexes. We look online for different addresses. We have up to fourteen addresses for some members now. It takes a lot of time, but every so often we find someone. Today was one example of that. We were searching way out in the county for a man. We had, even with Maggie, our gps, a hard time finding the place. When we got there, the house was empty, and there was a "for sale" sign on the lawn. We pulled up beside the sign to write down the phone number. We looked through our list, deciding where to go next. As we sat there, the owner of the house drove in. Elder H got out and went to ask if he knows the man we are searching for. (Usually, the person is long gone.) It was the man. He has not lived in the house for seven years. He lives in another town. He just decided today to come check on the  property. He has not been to church in at least twenty years, but his first marriage was in the temple. He has been married to his second wife, who is not a member, for over twenty years. He said he would talk with her about learning more. Of course, that will happen in the Hastings Branch.  But, they had a great visit and we found out what we needed to know. That saved hours and hours of searching online and then checking out what we find. Tender mercies abound. (He is a very nice man. I hope he does go back. Hopefully, the new branch will visit when they get his records. There are many people out there who are really only waiting for an invitation to come back. Our leaders always say that. I smile and think that applies to everyone else. However, now I know that it is true. I also know that anyone can invite them back. It doesn't have to be a missionary.

I took the picture of  Dad and the man with the camera in front of me, pointed backwards, so it is not too great. I was just seeing if I could do it.  I am also posting a photo of a country church and a country store in that same area. I liked how they looked.
Last Thursday we met the elders at the Clay home.  There are three boys in the family, and the son of Sis. Clay's boyfriend, who we are trying to get set up to take the lessons with the elders. None of them have been baptized. We have been going there every week since we got here. They have been consistently at church for at least four months now.  Lupe goes to school full time and is also in college as a full time student. We love and admire for what she is doing. She is busy with everything, including hours of homework and migraine headaches that put her in the hospital, and so has put the lessons off. She was thinking summer, but Sam is signed up to go to the stake youth conference in Nauvoo this summer. They will be doing baptisms in the temple. We are hoping that he can go do that, too.  We hope to find out tomorrow if Sam is going to take the lessons. The younger boys do not get to choose, their mom says, but Sam is older. He wanted to talk to his grandparents about it. We took the elders there to get them acquainted with the boys, thinking that might help.

Lupe, Chloe, and Boo

Elder Jones, Elder Bridgewater, and Sam

We went to one place this week where they had eight dogs. We sat down on the couch and instantly had dogs standing on our shoulders, more behind us on the back of the couch, licking our heads, others in our laps, with more licking our legs. Not one word was said by the owners. Sometimes I feel like a lollypop! These people have had a very hard life. One of the sons has extreme mental illness as he was involved with a serial killer as a sixteen year old boy. (He is fifty one now.)  The things he saw did permanent damage. This was in Wisconsin. They moved here to get away from all of that. There have been three movies made about it. They are still living on royalties from the movies. The charactor of Hannibal in Silence of the Lambs was based on the charactor of this killer, but not the story. The sister told me the name of the man. I looked it up on line, just glanced through it to see if what I had heard was true, and was seriously disturbed for two days. I didn't even read it carefully. I could not. And so, I am not going to name the name. We don't need those things in our heads. In addition to this problem, she had a daughter who was teaching a man to drive. He took drugs, and then ran the two of them into a tree, killing them both. He left a note. It was on purpose. These are only a couple of the problems they have experienced. She has seizures now and cannot come out, but is lonely for the sisters of the church.
All of these things make me very grateful for my quiet, Idaho upbringing. Thanks, Mom & Dad!!!

 Elders Harndon, Holt, Hendrickson, Jones, & Bridgewater (Isn't that elder in the middle cute?)

Elder Jones

Elder Bridgewater, district leader & wonderful missionary

I took photos at our district meeting this week. We are now a small district, combining with the Marshall elders. We really love these young men.

Near the post office downtown


We spent time this week finishing up taxes long distance.

Today marks the end of the first week I have been sugar and chocolate free. So, of course, Sister Miller, coming home from spending the winter is Salt Lake, brought us a large box of See's Chocolates. Elder H will enjoy the entire box. (We love Sister Miller, even without the chocolates!!! She is really kind to us.)

We are happy to be here and to be serving the Lord. I've said it before, and will probably say it again, we would never be away from our family for so long for any reason other than to serve our Heavenly Father. We know we have been called to Michigan, in Battle Creek. As we see families and individuals come back, and the ward reaching out to them, our hearts are full of love. We are learning things we could never learn any other way. As we going into situations so very different from our own, our hearts are expanding and we are learning compassion for all. We love being together. We love serving together. We have been deeply involved in our ward and stake at home, but we have never served together like this. It is great. I recommend it heartily.

We loved the talk in conference about the "gospel" and the "church." The gospel is true. The Savior's authorized church is here upon the earth today. We have true prophets. We have ordinances that bind us to Heavenly Father and to each other. How blessed we all are.

We love you and pray for you constantly. Have a great week.