Yes, like many of you I was really bummed out by the election results. A lot of people say that "if Heavenly Father wants Mitt Romney to be president, he will be," but I beg to differ. In Helaman 5: 1-3 it says:
1 And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, aNephi bdelivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was cCezoram.
2 For as their laws and their governments were established by the avoice of the people, and they who bchose evil were cmore numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were dripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.
3 Yea, and this was not all; they were a astiff necked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.
Now I am not presuming to call everyone who did not vote for Mitt evil or stiff necked at all. But we are, as a nation, becoming more reliant on big government, which is not really the way God intended it to be.We are abusing substances that harm us. Grand Rapids changed their marijuana laws. Many are in favor of changing traditional marriage, many are for abortions, etc. Many do not believe in God. Satan is abroad in the land. The last days are here. To quote Elder Holland, "the Lord's work is hastening." We are seeing this in Michigan. We will, between now and May, open approximately 43 new areas here in Michigan alone. A year from now, it is expected that we will have 100,000 missionaries in the field. It is very challenging to the mission presidents to put all of these changes into actions. They are following the Spirit and it is wonderful to watch.
The people have spoken and we move on. We all have to work together to solve the problems facing our nation. We will pray for President Obama and the country.
The people have spoken and we move on. We all have to work together to solve the problems facing our nation. We will pray for President Obama and the country.
THAT SAID, I'LL MOVE ON.
Dear family members...I love you all so much and am so thrilled with the exciting things that are going on in your lives.
Sarah, thanks for the videos of the baby. He is perfect. We are so thankful for you and Mark and your wonderful family.
Kristin, we are thrilled with your new church calling. You will do a great job and influence many lives. We are glad you are enjoying your new home.
Paul & Carly, we are soooooo happy that you are doing so well. Carly, thanks for all you do for Paul. We love you. Paul...three wins???!!! First time it ever happened in the history of the law school??? Your hard work paid off and we are proud of you. I'm sorry, but I have to put this picture up.
Catherine, we are glad you are moved in with Kristin and think you are doing a wonderful job with your new work. I am sure you are doing a great job. They must really trust you to put you on such huge accounts. Good luck with your car shopping.
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| #3 was out getting Paul's name engraved on it. |
Jim Babcock always said that we need to go on a mission...that the Lord could bless the lives of our children more than we can. He was right. We pray for you constantly. You are joy of our lives.
We have had a busy week. That is good. We don't like to feel like we are wasting time.
Last Thursday we helped Janet Peckham pack and clean her apartment. She is moving to Hastings, the town Elder Bailey who served in Jerome is from. Actually she is gone now. It was a big job.
Then, Thursday night, we finally got the Clay family over here again. We were thrilled. Nick, the son of Lupe's boyfriend came with them. He is a nice boy. They got here before the elders did. They were glad to see us, and we played some UNO while waiting. I wish I could have captured the look and manner of Jake on film. He was like a kid waiting for Santa Claus to come...really. He wanted to see Elder Patterson in the worst way. He was attached to Elder Snow and had not met Elder Richardson yet. That transition went well and they were soon wrestling just like old times. We had a lesson on making choices and the consequences of choice. We had a big dinner. They love chocolate chip cookies. I had made a triple batch so there would be lots. I made Virginia's hot fudge recipe and we had hot cookie cake with ice cream and hot fudge. Yum. The elders wrestled around with them lots. Oh, I about forgot. Kiery was in California so we invited Garth over for dinner. There was method in our madness. He is the young men's president in the ward. He was here when the boys came and began at once to enlist them to "fatten up Elder Patterson ( who is lovingly referred to as Elder Fatterson at his own instigation.) and they loved it. All night they played tricks on him with Garth.
Last Thursday we helped Janet Peckham pack and clean her apartment. She is moving to Hastings, the town Elder Bailey who served in Jerome is from. Actually she is gone now. It was a big job.
Then, Thursday night, we finally got the Clay family over here again. We were thrilled. Nick, the son of Lupe's boyfriend came with them. He is a nice boy. They got here before the elders did. They were glad to see us, and we played some UNO while waiting. I wish I could have captured the look and manner of Jake on film. He was like a kid waiting for Santa Claus to come...really. He wanted to see Elder Patterson in the worst way. He was attached to Elder Snow and had not met Elder Richardson yet. That transition went well and they were soon wrestling just like old times. We had a lesson on making choices and the consequences of choice. We had a big dinner. They love chocolate chip cookies. I had made a triple batch so there would be lots. I made Virginia's hot fudge recipe and we had hot cookie cake with ice cream and hot fudge. Yum. The elders wrestled around with them lots. Oh, I about forgot. Kiery was in California so we invited Garth over for dinner. There was method in our madness. He is the young men's president in the ward. He was here when the boys came and began at once to enlist them to "fatten up Elder Patterson ( who is lovingly referred to as Elder Fatterson at his own instigation.) and they loved it. All night they played tricks on him with Garth.
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| Elder Richardson, Jake, Zach |
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| Nick, Sam, Garth, Elder Patterson |
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| Elder H came out with Sam's jacket on. He was a HUGE hit. |
On Friday Elder H went to get some work done on the car and I went to Mary Jo's house. Karen Lewis came and I showed them how to crotchet hot pads. Mary Jo is quitting smoking. She is going to do this to keep her hands busy. It has really helped and has cut her smoking in half. YEA!!! We really love her.
We went out in the country and had a nice visit with Tammy Schaffer.
That night we had family home evening with the Michaud family. The kids really loved "Don't eat Pete!" Morgan had tubes put in her ears this summer and it has made her a different child. She was happy as can be.
On Saturday we took Joe Cooper to Marshall to take a test to get his driver's license. Unfortunately, he did not pass. It was interesting. Before one takes the driving test they take the "skills test" beginning with backing up and then moving on to parallel parking. I would never pass the backing test. You have to make this huge back up and turn into a parking place. You cannot stop and move forward and back. You have to make it in one move. If you mess up there, you don't get to take the rest of the test. They keep your $50.00 for five minutes work. He was pretty sad. It costs $50 to take the test and this is the 2nd time he has not passed. $50 is HUGE to them. We are going out tomorrow to practice with him.
We went home and baked and baked for the baptisms that we had for Saturday.
We had one at 4:00. Helena Jankowski is a college freshman who was introduced to the gospel by her friend, Ethan Fletcher. At 7:00 we had the baptism of JJ Gibbs. The really neat part of that one is that his dad was baptized a couple of months ago. He has the aaronic priesthood and was able to baptism JJ. It was really touching. The elders did all the work for these baptisms. We were just there for support (and cookies and piano)
On Sunday the ward had it's first linger longer/break the fast dinner. Sandy Cooper was in charge of it...her first church calling!!! Lots of people stayed and it was nice.
We came back to the apartment and finished preparing for the youth missionary fireside put on by the Young Men. It was a wonderful activity. The elders talked about getting their mission calls. Then each young person received a call and a companion. I had made name tags for each of them. Then they went upstairs where then had three ten minute classes that they rotated to. We taught sewing on buttons. Garth and Kiery taught ironing your own shirt. The elders taught them a lesson using Preach My Gospel...role playing. Going back downstairs the Laubenguyers told about how they feel about the elders who taught them the gospel. Jake McNees, who came home from a mission this week, talked about what a mission did for him.
On Monday I took Carol Miranda to the doctor. It was good news. The doctor did not find anything else wrong.
Since it was our prep day we worked around the apartment and rested.
Our Tuesday was filled with wondering about the election as we went on with our regular schedule. We have several people whom we always see on Tuesdays. That night we went over to the Demarees with Brother Letters and also had our missionary correlation meeting. Our meeting went well and we really like our new ward mission leader.
Today we had a great district conference in KZoo. It was our last before transfers. So, we took pictures.
In the afternoon we went way way out in the country to Ceresco to see Betty Cary. We had a nice visit with her. We continued on to Fulton. We were looking for a couple whose address we just received. On the way there we realized that we were close to Bro. Leslie's house. We stopped in there for a visit and were glad we did. His wife passed away a year ago and he had a car accident last month. He is pretty lonely. We were glad to see cars in the drive way of the house where we were going. The people who we were looking for do not live there, but the people there knew them and that they have moved to Coopersville. We were fortunate to find a man at home who we have searched and searched for. He is a member of another church and is not interested. We were glad to know where he stands. After that we found another person who we have searched for. He also joined his wife's church and is not interested. We liked him a lot. So, we may not have talked them into coming to church, but at least we know they are at the addresses we came up with and we know what their wishes are.
We had a nice dinner at the Fales home. Their friends, the Carters, were there. Brother Carter was once a bishop here in BC. They do not live here any more, but he had helpful suggestions on some of these people. We went out in the country and had a nice visit with Tammy Schaffer.
That night we had family home evening with the Michaud family. The kids really loved "Don't eat Pete!" Morgan had tubes put in her ears this summer and it has made her a different child. She was happy as can be.
On Saturday we took Joe Cooper to Marshall to take a test to get his driver's license. Unfortunately, he did not pass. It was interesting. Before one takes the driving test they take the "skills test" beginning with backing up and then moving on to parallel parking. I would never pass the backing test. You have to make this huge back up and turn into a parking place. You cannot stop and move forward and back. You have to make it in one move. If you mess up there, you don't get to take the rest of the test. They keep your $50.00 for five minutes work. He was pretty sad. It costs $50 to take the test and this is the 2nd time he has not passed. $50 is HUGE to them. We are going out tomorrow to practice with him.
We went home and baked and baked for the baptisms that we had for Saturday.
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| Ethan & Helena |
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| the backs of the Gibbs. ( didn't get a good one.) |
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| Brother John Taylor & Truman |
On Sunday the ward had it's first linger longer/break the fast dinner. Sandy Cooper was in charge of it...her first church calling!!! Lots of people stayed and it was nice.
We came back to the apartment and finished preparing for the youth missionary fireside put on by the Young Men. It was a wonderful activity. The elders talked about getting their mission calls. Then each young person received a call and a companion. I had made name tags for each of them. Then they went upstairs where then had three ten minute classes that they rotated to. We taught sewing on buttons. Garth and Kiery taught ironing your own shirt. The elders taught them a lesson using Preach My Gospel...role playing. Going back downstairs the Laubenguyers told about how they feel about the elders who taught them the gospel. Jake McNees, who came home from a mission this week, talked about what a mission did for him.
On Monday I took Carol Miranda to the doctor. It was good news. The doctor did not find anything else wrong.
Since it was our prep day we worked around the apartment and rested.
Our Tuesday was filled with wondering about the election as we went on with our regular schedule. We have several people whom we always see on Tuesdays. That night we went over to the Demarees with Brother Letters and also had our missionary correlation meeting. Our meeting went well and we really like our new ward mission leader.
Today we had a great district conference in KZoo. It was our last before transfers. So, we took pictures.
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| front row: Richardson, Birkett, Van Dyke (district leader) back row: Thackory, Wirig, Farris, Leavitt (from Blackfoot, Idaho), Patterson |
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| The elders are on bikes this week. (They took their bikes out to Konkright's for Stan to work them over. They were in really bad condition. They went out and bought them these brand new ones. How generous!!!) |
In the afternoon we went way way out in the country to Ceresco to see Betty Cary. We had a nice visit with her. We continued on to Fulton. We were looking for a couple whose address we just received. On the way there we realized that we were close to Bro. Leslie's house. We stopped in there for a visit and were glad we did. His wife passed away a year ago and he had a car accident last month. He is pretty lonely. We were glad to see cars in the drive way of the house where we were going. The people who we were looking for do not live there, but the people there knew them and that they have moved to Coopersville. We were fortunate to find a man at home who we have searched and searched for. He is a member of another church and is not interested. We were glad to know where he stands. After that we found another person who we have searched for. He also joined his wife's church and is not interested. We liked him a lot. So, we may not have talked them into coming to church, but at least we know they are at the addresses we came up with and we know what their wishes are.
Elder H is already in bed as we are leaving at 5:20 to go out to Schaffers to stay with their kids while Tammy goes in for catarach surgery. I have to quit this and go make a stew. I want to pop it in their fridge for them to eat for dinner tomorrow night. Elder H will give her a blessing in the morning.
We love you all! Have a great week.
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