From Mom 9/27
Dear Family,
It definitely looks and feels like fall. Today it has rained nearly all day and that really brings the leaves down. Each day there are more colors appearing in all the trees. It is beautiful. We are both feeling a bit under the weather and we’re blaming it on to just that---the weather. It seems like such a short time ago that it was light when we finished with FHE or our institute class and now by 7 o’clock it is really dark. I like the light! This is not my favorite time of the year..
We’ve had some interesting experiences this week or should I say different experiences. I’ve mentioned Stephanie many times. She is the one who was in a mental hospital then she got married in May and they seem to be doing pretty good. She still has some funny ideas though. Last week when we went to visit them she gave Dad her Patriarchal blessing. She had crossed a lot of things out of it and had written some things in the margins and at the top and bottom of the page. She said she wanted a new blessing. The things she had crossed out were things she didn’t want and she had written in things she did want in her new blessing. She wanted Dad to translate it and give it to the bishop before she went in to talk to him about getting a new blessing. That seemed very strange to us. Dad has given her several blessings and sometimes before he starts, she tells him what she wants him to say and if he doesn’t say it, she lets him know it! It’s such a challenge teaching some of these people that are new in the church how things are done like understanding what priesthood blessings are and that they are given under the guidance of the spirit.
Wednesday we had an appointment with Ron Peterson. He is the one whose wife went off on us several months ago and I tried to get Dad out of the house and vowed I would NEVER go back. But Ron really wants to learn more about the church. For a few months Dad called him every Tuesday morning and they talked about the church for nearly an hour and even had prayer together over the phone. Then he told Dad that he wanted us to come out again. The first couple of times she wasn’t there, much to my relief. Last week when we were there she sat in the room where we were but not at the table with us. She very rudely corrected something Dad was saying about some of the books in the Bible and some of the language these books had been written in. I was so glad when that meeting was over. When we got there Wednesday, Ron met us at the door and as we walked into the house she stood in the way and said she was going to watch TV and we’ve have to meet out in the porch. That kind of gave us a funny feeling. Nothing like not being wanted in someone’s house!! The porch is all enclosed and is nice and when it is warm, it is really a nice place to be but yesterday was cold and we about froze but we met with Ron for about an hour. He asked about general conference and said he would like to come to at least one of the sessions. We see a real softening of his heart. I don’t know how he stands that ornery woman! I’m a nervous wreck whenever she’s around. When we meet with just him we have such a good conversation. He is so eager to learn the gospel. He grew up in the church but when he came to Germany with the Army he became inactive. His wife hates Mormons. Ron gave us about four pages of “anti-Mormon” information she had found for him. It’s all in German and Dad is reading it right now and has commented several times on untruths that are being taught about the church. What a number Satan is doing. In some of the material I read this week for institute, I read this statement by Brigham Young: “Every person who desires and strives to be a Saint is closely watched by fallen spirits that came here when Lucifer fell, and by the spirits of wicked persons who have been here in tabernacles and departed from them. Those spirits are never idle; they are watching every person who wishes to do right, and are continually prompting them to do wrong.” We sure see that as we work to help people understand the gospel. This is just plain hard work but we know that it is the Lord’s work and that He will help us accomplish what we are supposed to do. How very important it is for all of us to ask for His guidance and direction each and every day in everything we are trying to do.
The Young Single Adults from our ward are sponsoring a ward dance tomorrow night. Last night we stayed after institute class and helped them decorate. They’ve invited people from other wards in the stake and are hoping for a lot of people to come. I hope it is successful for them. They have gone to a lot of work. They are just a delight to be around. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to work with them.
The other night we stopped by Thomas Mueller’s parents to just talk to them about how Thomas is doing in California. They invited us in but they were expecting dinner guests in a short time but were very friendly and happy to talk about Thomas. His Dad went with him to help him get settled in school and in the area and he attended church with Thomas a couple of times while he was there. He commented to us that he is in a really good ward and that he’s glad Thomas is a member of the church. They have invited us to dinner in a couple of weeks. They are such nice people. Thomas is so hoping they will have some interest in the church.
We have two new Elders in our district. One has been out about 3 months and the other is brand new. He had a hard time controlling his emotions. He speaks perfect German. His grandparents are from Germany and his parents both grew up here but they now live in Salt Lake. The family speaks German in there home all the time. He was only in the MTC 3 weeks because he didn’t need the language training. Missionary life is a big shock to him even though the language is no problem. My heart went out to him. I know just how he feels! I just hope he will hang on. He has a wonderful companion. His companion is the district leader and is so kind and patient.
I told Dad the other night as we were driving home from an appointment that I look at a mission much like our life is. Before our mission we are with our family and people we love and who love us and we try to learn and live the gospel like we did in our pre-earth life. Then we come on a mission and leave the comfort of loved ones and go out into “the dark and dreary world” and learn through experience----some of them very difficult, like real life is. Then when our mission is over, we return to our loved ones at home again just like we are working to be able to return and live with our Heavenly Father again. I’m sure every person who serves a mission has different experiences and I’m also sure they are experiences they never dreamed they would have. I’m not complaining. I guess I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed with the many different situations we run into each week and the physical and emotional strength it takes to just keep up.
I’ll try to end on a lighter note. This is a little story one of the young adults gave in his lesson at FHE Monday night. We got a kick out of it. Hope you do to. It’s called “Close to, Round about, Near by”
One Sunday, the minister was talking on baptism and in the course of his sermon he was illustrating that baptism should be performed by sprinkling and not by immersion by pointing out some instances from the Bible.
He said, “In the Bible where it says that John baptized Christ “in” the River Jordan, it didn’t mean “in” but meant close to, round about, or near by. Then again where it tells us that Phillip baptized the eunuch in the river, it didn’t mean “in” but close to, round about, or near by.”
After the service, as the people were filing out, one old fellow stopped by the minister and said, “Reverend, that was the best sermon I ever heard and it uncovered many of the mysteries of the Bible to me. For example, it tells us in the Old Testament that Jonah was not “in” the whale, but that he was close to, round about, or near by swimming in the water.
Then there is the story about the three young Hebrew boys who were thrown “into” the fiery furnace but not burned. Well it seemed impossible but now I see they were not “in” the furnace, but were close by, round about, or near by just keeping warm. But the hardest to believe was where Daniel was thrown “in” the Lion’s den but he too was close to, round about, or just near by….like at the zoo.”
The revealing of these mysteries was very rewarding to me, but the greatest comfort of your sermon was because I am a wicked man who sinned much and it tells us in the Bible that the wicked will be cast into Hell. But now I see that I won’t be cast “into” Hell but close to, round about or near by.”
And next Sunday, I won’t have to be “in” church. I can just be close to, round about, or near by. Thanks for the great sermon. You have really put my mind at ease.”
With that spiritual thought, I’ll close for this week. Know that we love you dearly. You’re always in our thoughts and prayers. We feel your support and your prayers in our behalf. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Much love always,
Mom
It definitely looks and feels like fall. Today it has rained nearly all day and that really brings the leaves down. Each day there are more colors appearing in all the trees. It is beautiful. We are both feeling a bit under the weather and we’re blaming it on to just that---the weather. It seems like such a short time ago that it was light when we finished with FHE or our institute class and now by 7 o’clock it is really dark. I like the light! This is not my favorite time of the year..
We’ve had some interesting experiences this week or should I say different experiences. I’ve mentioned Stephanie many times. She is the one who was in a mental hospital then she got married in May and they seem to be doing pretty good. She still has some funny ideas though. Last week when we went to visit them she gave Dad her Patriarchal blessing. She had crossed a lot of things out of it and had written some things in the margins and at the top and bottom of the page. She said she wanted a new blessing. The things she had crossed out were things she didn’t want and she had written in things she did want in her new blessing. She wanted Dad to translate it and give it to the bishop before she went in to talk to him about getting a new blessing. That seemed very strange to us. Dad has given her several blessings and sometimes before he starts, she tells him what she wants him to say and if he doesn’t say it, she lets him know it! It’s such a challenge teaching some of these people that are new in the church how things are done like understanding what priesthood blessings are and that they are given under the guidance of the spirit.
Wednesday we had an appointment with Ron Peterson. He is the one whose wife went off on us several months ago and I tried to get Dad out of the house and vowed I would NEVER go back. But Ron really wants to learn more about the church. For a few months Dad called him every Tuesday morning and they talked about the church for nearly an hour and even had prayer together over the phone. Then he told Dad that he wanted us to come out again. The first couple of times she wasn’t there, much to my relief. Last week when we were there she sat in the room where we were but not at the table with us. She very rudely corrected something Dad was saying about some of the books in the Bible and some of the language these books had been written in. I was so glad when that meeting was over. When we got there Wednesday, Ron met us at the door and as we walked into the house she stood in the way and said she was going to watch TV and we’ve have to meet out in the porch. That kind of gave us a funny feeling. Nothing like not being wanted in someone’s house!! The porch is all enclosed and is nice and when it is warm, it is really a nice place to be but yesterday was cold and we about froze but we met with Ron for about an hour. He asked about general conference and said he would like to come to at least one of the sessions. We see a real softening of his heart. I don’t know how he stands that ornery woman! I’m a nervous wreck whenever she’s around. When we meet with just him we have such a good conversation. He is so eager to learn the gospel. He grew up in the church but when he came to Germany with the Army he became inactive. His wife hates Mormons. Ron gave us about four pages of “anti-Mormon” information she had found for him. It’s all in German and Dad is reading it right now and has commented several times on untruths that are being taught about the church. What a number Satan is doing. In some of the material I read this week for institute, I read this statement by Brigham Young: “Every person who desires and strives to be a Saint is closely watched by fallen spirits that came here when Lucifer fell, and by the spirits of wicked persons who have been here in tabernacles and departed from them. Those spirits are never idle; they are watching every person who wishes to do right, and are continually prompting them to do wrong.” We sure see that as we work to help people understand the gospel. This is just plain hard work but we know that it is the Lord’s work and that He will help us accomplish what we are supposed to do. How very important it is for all of us to ask for His guidance and direction each and every day in everything we are trying to do.
The Young Single Adults from our ward are sponsoring a ward dance tomorrow night. Last night we stayed after institute class and helped them decorate. They’ve invited people from other wards in the stake and are hoping for a lot of people to come. I hope it is successful for them. They have gone to a lot of work. They are just a delight to be around. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to work with them.
The other night we stopped by Thomas Mueller’s parents to just talk to them about how Thomas is doing in California. They invited us in but they were expecting dinner guests in a short time but were very friendly and happy to talk about Thomas. His Dad went with him to help him get settled in school and in the area and he attended church with Thomas a couple of times while he was there. He commented to us that he is in a really good ward and that he’s glad Thomas is a member of the church. They have invited us to dinner in a couple of weeks. They are such nice people. Thomas is so hoping they will have some interest in the church.
We have two new Elders in our district. One has been out about 3 months and the other is brand new. He had a hard time controlling his emotions. He speaks perfect German. His grandparents are from Germany and his parents both grew up here but they now live in Salt Lake. The family speaks German in there home all the time. He was only in the MTC 3 weeks because he didn’t need the language training. Missionary life is a big shock to him even though the language is no problem. My heart went out to him. I know just how he feels! I just hope he will hang on. He has a wonderful companion. His companion is the district leader and is so kind and patient.
I told Dad the other night as we were driving home from an appointment that I look at a mission much like our life is. Before our mission we are with our family and people we love and who love us and we try to learn and live the gospel like we did in our pre-earth life. Then we come on a mission and leave the comfort of loved ones and go out into “the dark and dreary world” and learn through experience----some of them very difficult, like real life is. Then when our mission is over, we return to our loved ones at home again just like we are working to be able to return and live with our Heavenly Father again. I’m sure every person who serves a mission has different experiences and I’m also sure they are experiences they never dreamed they would have. I’m not complaining. I guess I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed with the many different situations we run into each week and the physical and emotional strength it takes to just keep up.
I’ll try to end on a lighter note. This is a little story one of the young adults gave in his lesson at FHE Monday night. We got a kick out of it. Hope you do to. It’s called “Close to, Round about, Near by”
One Sunday, the minister was talking on baptism and in the course of his sermon he was illustrating that baptism should be performed by sprinkling and not by immersion by pointing out some instances from the Bible.
He said, “In the Bible where it says that John baptized Christ “in” the River Jordan, it didn’t mean “in” but meant close to, round about, or near by. Then again where it tells us that Phillip baptized the eunuch in the river, it didn’t mean “in” but close to, round about, or near by.”
After the service, as the people were filing out, one old fellow stopped by the minister and said, “Reverend, that was the best sermon I ever heard and it uncovered many of the mysteries of the Bible to me. For example, it tells us in the Old Testament that Jonah was not “in” the whale, but that he was close to, round about, or near by swimming in the water.
Then there is the story about the three young Hebrew boys who were thrown “into” the fiery furnace but not burned. Well it seemed impossible but now I see they were not “in” the furnace, but were close by, round about, or near by just keeping warm. But the hardest to believe was where Daniel was thrown “in” the Lion’s den but he too was close to, round about, or just near by….like at the zoo.”
The revealing of these mysteries was very rewarding to me, but the greatest comfort of your sermon was because I am a wicked man who sinned much and it tells us in the Bible that the wicked will be cast into Hell. But now I see that I won’t be cast “into” Hell but close to, round about or near by.”
And next Sunday, I won’t have to be “in” church. I can just be close to, round about, or near by. Thanks for the great sermon. You have really put my mind at ease.”
With that spiritual thought, I’ll close for this week. Know that we love you dearly. You’re always in our thoughts and prayers. We feel your support and your prayers in our behalf. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Much love always,
Mom
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home