Looking Back

Looking back the past two weeks over the Christmas Holidays, we really did have a great time! Christmas Eve we went up to Kirtland for a dinner and to be together with the other missionaries. Elder Butterfield talked to us about his response to the story about the littlest bell that President Peterson had told at zone conference. Hopefully we can get a copy of his talk so we can share its importance and message that was shared. Afterward, we all went to the Kirtland Temple to share in the program the Community of Christ church was presenting. A few of the Senior couples have been practicing the Dulcimer for the past 6 weeks and they were to play the prelude music. They sounded pretty good! Then the Evangelist Minister took charge of the program. There were readings and music and a talk from the High Priest about Mary.

We left for Garrettsville later that evening and then on Christmas day we headed back up to Kirtland again for a Christmas brunch with all of the missionaries. We had many laughs and lots of togetherness. It was held in the Butterfield’s home.

New Year’s Eve we headed again up to Kirtland to eat soup and crackers and then enjoy snacking on all kinds of food along with a chocolate fountain that didn’t quit!, play games, enjoy a short program and enjoy each other’s company once again. Sister Stott called and asked if we had a dumb talent that we could share so we took her seriously and prepared. When we got there, we found that most of the couples declined the request and weren’t going to perform. Doyle did some of his numbers tricks and then passed the printed pages with answers out to everybody. They really enjoyed doing them. I tied a couple of balloon animals for my "talent”. I wanted to do a swan, a parrot and a flying mouse. The swan worked ok but trying to do the parrot, the balloon popped, then the flying mouse was a hit....Elder Pyrah caught it when it came flying at him. Some of the other crazy talents displayed were three of the sister missionaries who could not only curl their tongues but make them into three leaf clovers......Sister Fortie could stand on her toes and walk barefoot on them.....A couple of the sisters put on a little skit about “dislocated pinkies” and “broken arm”..........Of course we had a couple of the Elders act out “Who’s on base”.........Even Jake got in the act by showing how he could wiggle his ears and flare his nostrils at the same time. Some Community of Christ members also were there to share New Year’s Eve with us and a little girl about 9 years wanted to show us how she could move her head like an Egyptian.........We all had such a good time laughing. We played Phase 10 much of the evening and then rotated after each round to mix with others. The person with the least points was the winner and prizes were given out to first and second place and a boobie prize was given for the most points. I WAS THE WINNER! (of the boobie prize). We stayed over with Elder and Sister Christensen out at the Morley Farm and really enjoyed and appreciated their hospitality.

Newest Member

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote a blog page on how two Sister missionaries stopped at a red light and saw the shoe polish sign on a rear window of a car in the lane next to them. It read "Can anybody tell me about God's Son?" Sister Packer jumped out and said that they could answer his question and then she handed him a pass along card with a phone number to call for more infor-mation....Now, for the rest of the story.....

Jake received the missionary lessons and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday December 26th. We were wanting to go up to Kirtland to be there but had to work too late to make it in time. He is a great young man and we have been able to get acquainted with him at our Christmas and New Year's parties that the Missionaries had this past week.

Small World

This past week we were privileged to attend the Christmas Zone Conference for the missionaries. The presentations by the Elders were great and we learned much from this experience. When we arrived at the Stake Center in Kirtland, Sister Ensign, who works in the mission office, said that Sister Redd was looking for us. I had no idea who or why. Then we saw her! It is Myrna Redd from Logan. She and her husband Frank and their family were our neighbors many years ago on Inglewood! They lived in the house where Leo and Charlotte Hall now live. Frank is from Price so I knew his family while living there. We had a great visit during the lunch. She and Sister Ensign have been in the office for 14 months and will be leaving for home sometime in April.

Questions Answered

It seems like our mission here would be "missionary guides" for those who come to these historic places. Where is the proselyting as missionaries? Even though we don't go out as do the young Elders and Sisters, we have opportunities to teach those who come to visit.

We had an occasion such as that when a couple came to visit. He was baptized in 1995 but didn't progress in knowledge or commitment to the church doctrine. She is LDS with limited activity but was trying to activate him. They went to Kirtland and on a mistaken assumption that the visitor's center by the Temple was our visitor's center, they thought they had toured Kirtland. (This actually belongs to The Community of Christ church). After taking the tour there and going through the temple tour, they had a brochure mentioning the Johnson Farm and so they came here thinking that they had visited every place pertaining to church history in the area.

There was a lot of confusion in relating what was being said at the Johnson Home versus what they had heard at the Temple. Elder B had opportunity to answer their questions and help them understand basic doctrine, for example, she was deeply concerned about the vision Joseph had seeing Alvin in the Celestial Kingdom. She had assumed Alvin had preference because he was a Smith, so we had to talk about basic doctrine. Many other questions arose and each was answered to help clarify to both of them our church beliefs.

Our mission here is two fold:to fortify and strengthen church members who visit these historic sites; answer their questions and teach them of the doctrine, history and heritage of the church and to obtain from these members some referrals so the young missionaries can have these to work with; secondly, we have the opportunity to help the nonmembers to gain an appreciation for and an interest in the church and invite the fulltime proselyting missionaries to visit them It is a wonderful and unique opportunity and truely a blessing.

Follow the Prompting!

We had an interesting experience today. Elder & Sister Butterfield came out for some business and stayed to visit a bit with us. He was telling us of an experience that two of the sister missionaries had. They were stopped at a red light next to a fellow who had painted with shoe polish on the back of his window...Can anybody tell me about God's son?" Sister Packer, who was riding shotgun, jumped out of the car and banged on his window for him to open it. She told him that they could answer his question and gave him a pass along card and told him to call the number and then some missionaries would be contacting him.

The light turned and she hopped back in their car and they drove off. Well, the fellow did call Salt Lake (this is a self referral) and Salt Lake contacted the Cleveland Mission as his address said he lived in the area. The mission office then contacted the missionaries who are serving in that area to go visit him. Wouldn't you know it.....the two sister missionaries who gave him the pass along card are serving in that area and were asked to call on him. Sister Packer and Sister Norton recognized him when he answered the door. He also recognized them. They invited him to come to the visitor's center to watch the film and receive the first discussion. Since then, he is being fellowshipped by a newly called missionary from the Kirtland Stake who is awaiting his departure date to Paris, France.

Prayers are answered!

New Trick

This is slightly off the Mission track but I have a new trick!....Six months ago I had tubes put in my tear ducts to stop tearing every 3 minutes. I finally was able to have the tubes removed hence......my trick! How many of you can blow your nose and spray tears on your glasses? =o)

Well, now I can! I don't know how long it will last but when I blow my nose now, I have to shut my eyes real tight or run the risk of spraying my glasses and having to clean them. Watch the video and see my trick!!!
Any feedback? =o)

Newest Missionary!

We have a new missionary in our family! Way to go Kelle!!

Her Mom writes: "Kelle is amazing, she's been talking to her friend about the church and trying to answer her questions and today she is at Primary with Kelle. She told Kelle she wants Ron to baptize her and her dad has given permission. So today at church they are asking the bishop about her meeting with missionaries, etc. For some reason Kelle keeps finding the 1-2 girls in the whole school that aren't members."