Things have been way too slow for me this past 10 days, but today we found out that all is clear for us to start work in another ward. We'll be working with Plano 4th Ward, and will be meeting with the bishop and RS Pres. this week. Pres. Wilding, our stake president, feels that there are a lot of needs there also, so hopefully we'll fill our time up again. We've drawn close to in Plano 3rd Ward. They've been so helpful to us as we've tried to discover our mission calling. Pres. Durrant had just turned us loose, so we have tried to apply the teachings we've received over the years to help others. It has been so rewarding! There have been many needs and are still many who need love and support. We'll continue to work with them also.
Friday evening we had a 3rd ward party and we took our chairs to sit at the park. We were among the first to arrive as we were helping with set up. We put our chairs up and sat down. Before long we were in a circle with many ward members who had joined us. It was typical of the way they've received us into their fold.
There's some situations that have been hard. We have two sisters in a nursing home Sister Alarcon and Sis. Adams. It is a state funded home so it has lots of people there. It is "heart rendering" to walk down the halls. These are people that will only leave when they return home to Heavenly Father. We read to the two members we visit, and have picked up another girl that was in a wheelchair in the hallway. She has MS and is severely crippled. She is probably only 35-40 years old! She loves chocolate, so we take her a Hershey bar when we go. We could spend all of our mission just giving service to this one nursing home, and the sweet people there!
Tuesday of this week, after we had gone there, we felt a need for some cheering up, so we decided to see if we could find a lake in Plano. Seems unlikely to find one in a place that is so flat, but we have been told there are several. After looking at a map we discovered there was one only 10 miles away so we drove out into the country. It was so beautiful and green on the drive. We stopped at one point to ask someone where the lake was. It just happened that the woman we talked to had only been here one year, and was from Washington. She proceeded to tell us that the water in the lakes here are gray. Nothing like the beautiful lakes of Washington! We got our directions and proceeded to Lake Lavon. It is a huge lake and we were at the south end which was in Wylie, TX.
After seeing the lake we went into the town of Wylie. It's an old town and had a cute main street that reminded me of my home in Preston, ID. However, we found that there is a larger, newer section that is evidence of how dramatic the growth is out there. There were cute little farms in places, and large expensive developments in others. Since I have a fondness of farms and old houses, those are the pictures I took.
We walked around this beautiful Victorian Mansion in the town. It was built and owned by Thomas & Mattie Brown, and has been restored. We didn't get to see the inside, though I really wanted too. We talked to a man who said it is rented out as offices for the school district. It even has a wishing well! This is my dream home!
This farm was so beautiful, and there was a "B" on the entry gate so I think it should be mine. There is even a swan and her goslings by the water. My brother Tracy will enjoy seeing this. Sorry Tracy, I didn't get a picture of the cattle, but they were there.....
I love Mother's Day! It's a time when I think of my wonderful mother and grandma. I learned so much from their example in teaching me to be a nurturing and caring mom. My kids are all wonderful, and I miss them so much! They sent me sweet blessings for Mother's Day. Being their mother is my greatest joy!
Today was ward conference here in Plano 3rd. Pres. Wilding, the stake president, talked about the Plan of Salvation and shared a wonderful testimony with us. Bishop Hoki gave a talk that was also outstanding! He is an amazing bishop who really thinks out what he wants to share with the congregation. He shared with us that he had once been in a business deal with other ward members, that didn't work out. He was the bishop in that ward also, and there was room for very hard feelings with them. He said it took him years to pay off the money he had lost. As the bishop in the ward, he prayerfully prayed for guidance in working through this without being bitter and angry. He choose to move forward and continue to love and serve them. He talked about how much different his life would have been had he let angry feelings get in the way of who he really was. His choice to forgive took away the possible bitter feelings that would have eaten away at him all these years. The choices we make in this life are not something we should put off making. We will still have to make many of those choices in the eternities, and it will not be easier.
Each one of us have times in our lives where we just want to "bury our heads in the sand", hoping that the need to move forward will just go away! I've seen that with a few people here in the ward. They've gone to church for years, and have families that yearn for the blessings of the temple, but they won't take the step of baptism. One sweet woman has been working with the missionary's for 19 years! She loves the church, has experienced miracles with priesthood blessings, but just can't move forward to baptism. She loves having us over, and loves the social interaction.....my heart aches for her resistance to make a choice that will bring eternal blessings.
It is critical for us to continue seeking the blessings of eternity, and help others to do the same. I'm grateful for the opportunities the gospel provides so we can continue to grow and change. I'm so thankful to have the gospel in my life. I hope my friends and family will be lifted by something I've written or shared, for that is the purpose of my life and my mission.
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