Father's Day & More

As I was sitting in church yesterday, I began to think of all the wonderful men who've touched my life.  I will forever be grateful for their influence and love.  I first thought of my dad who was married in the temple to my mom.  He fell away from activity when I was very young, but he always made sure I went to church, and let me know there was no way to get married except in the temple.  Though there were many challenges in my home, I grew up feeling secure in his love for me. 

With the challenges in my own life, I've found solace in the gentle care and concern of brothers in my ward. I feel so appreciative of men who honor and uphold their priesthood.  They've been by my side so many times when I had a need or concern.  Whenever I've needed a helping hand they've been quick to respond.  I'll always be grateful for them, and the example they set for me of righteousness.

I also wish to express my love and gratitude to my sons, and sons-in-law!  They've always been by my side when I have questions or concerns; and available to fix or help with things I didn't know how to handle.  Being single and on my own has been a wonderful learning experience for me, but there are many things I've had questions about and needed personal advice.  I'm ever so grateful for their love and support!

Most of all, I wish to express gratitude to my Savior and Heavenly Father.  As I listened to the messages of yesterday's church meetings, I just kept reflecting on how amazing it is to know they are there and the "sure anchor" in everything I do.  I've experienced, on a daily basis, their presence and feel their love.  I cannot imagine a life without that knowledge and peace. This also make me think about the prophets, apostles, and my ancestors who went through so much so I could have these blessings.  I feel so small when I think of my efforts compared to their great leadership and devotion.   I hope that I too, can leave a legacy of love and testimony for my family and those around me.

I want to share a little more about Plano and the wonderful sister I'm living with here.  The city of Plano has four large high schools.  Marjean teaches Physics at East Plano High School which had a graduating class of 1500 students this year.  She received her master degree in teaching when she was 40 years old, and was in accounting until that time.   She also teaches online classes to 30 students in the summer, as well as many during the school year.  She has 2-3 students she tutors almost every evening during the school year.  She is now teaching summer school!  All of this on top of being the YW President!  She is a bundle of energy, and one of the sweetest people I know.  It has truly been a blessing to learn from her dedicated example.

I told her a few weeks ago that I'd love to see where she works, so she took us this week.  She's a bundle of energy, and one of the sweetest people I know.  It's truly been a blessing to learn from her dedicated example, and be able to stay in her home.  One of the big projects she has her students do each year is to build a guitar.  They are told it should have a theme i.e. a song or movie, but it has to be something she would know.  They are supposed to be able to play it on the guitar and give a presentation on why they chose this theme.  She asks them if she can keep the guitar's in her classroom until they graduate from high school.  Her classroom is so cute with all of them displayed on upper shelves around the room.  It's fun to look at them and guess what the theme was.

The following guitar had a special meaning to me and will to most of you.  This young man chose "I Am a Child of God" as his theme.  When he gave his presentation he told everyone that the pictures represent the hero's and things that are most important to him in his life.  Marjean said she was standing behind the kids when he was talking.  She said,  "His testimony was so strong that I was crying, and several of the kids in the class we tearing up too."

We met with the RS. Pres. again today and she gave us a list of sisters to visit in Plano 4th.  We've seen about 12 sisters this past week that the bishop wanted us to visit.  Many of them were in apartments and were not at home.  We will continue to do our best to help.

Two sisters we've visited have quickly become special to us.  One sister has been a member for 4 years now, but she rarely comes out to church.  She is suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder.  She suddenly lost her parents and an uncle to cancer a few years ago.  She then got cancer herself and had to go through all the chemo.  She has a son that does all her shopping for her.  When she does come to church it's only to Sacrament Meeting.  She comes in late and leaves early.  We could tell she was nervous when we stopped by, but she agreed to have us come each week and share the scriptures with her.  What a hard life for her!  She is receiving counseling and hopefully it will help.

Another sister, Marky Forrest, has been a long time member but only comes occasionally.  We became instant friends with her.  She lives in the cutest little house .... it reminded me a bit of my home in Redmond.  She is 70 years old, divorced, and has a son living with her.  We had such a good time talking with her.  She filled us in on all the site's in Texas we should see.  We were so thrilled when she came to church yesterday.  She sat with us during the all the meetings.

I just love having experiences like these!  It helps me feel the real purpose of serving in the church, and having this opportunity to be on a mission!

                                             

New Opportunities to Serve

Last week we met with the Ward Correlation Committee in Plano 4th Ward, and they gave us a "starter" list of people to call on.  The bishop said we'll be needed here for a long time as they have  people who need extra love and support.  We've visited three at home in the past two days.  It will be hard to catch people as there are, at least, 22 large apartment communities in the ward.  People move in and out sometimes before they're even aware of them. 


Our baby Savannah will be eight months old before she goes home from the hospital.  Her parents have now agreed to do a tracheotomy on her and put in a g-tube.  She will have the surgery on the 24th of this month.  It's amazing to look at how chubby she is now, 15 pounds, when she was only one pound four ounces at birth.  She's always happy and bubbly when we come.  I caught her mother with her a few days ago and she was putting braids in her hair!  So cute...I just had to take a couple of pictures!  Look at those cute smiles!

When we were at the cemetery we noticed some beautiful buildings up on a hill.  We drove up to them and it was a Baptist University.  I'm added these few pictures.  The Baptist's here are very strong, and don't like us Mormons!  We're lucky we didn't get kicked out while taking these pictures.              

  

  

Last Monday evening we went to a concert in the park with Laneeda.  She has been gone for a few weeks visiting her daughter in England and her family in Utah.  We were so sad to see the change in her Alzheimer's in such a short time.  My heart aches for her family.  We are happy she is back as we enjoy our outings with her.  Bro. Lucero seems to have confidence in us as he calls us when he travels on business so we can check in on her.

The miracles and blessings of our mission are many.  In the past few weeks we've had several people tell us that we are here on our mission because it's an answer to their prayers.  I can't begin to tell you how those words touch my spirit!  I've heard, over the years from missionaries, that their missions were exactly where Heavenly Father needed them to be.  I can attest to that now.  He really does provide a way for us to love and touch those who need us in their lives.

Jeffrey R. Holland   "All Things are Possible to Him That Believeth" 

"Returning from the magnificent spiritual experience high on the Mount of Transfiguration where He was shrouded in glory and heard the voice of His Father say, “This is my beloved son: hear him” (Mark 9:7), Jesus was understandably dismayed when He came upon a group of His disciples and local scribes arguing and striving with one another in a hostile way.

Responding to the Savior's inquiry as to the cause of this contention, a man stepped forward, the father of an afflicted child who said that the self-­destructive spirit afflicting his son, an infirmity the boy had since childhood, was getting increasingly more dangerous. Initially the father had approached Jesus' disciples for a blessing, a cure of some kind, but they could not provide it—apparently prompting the shouting match now in full force. With the boy gnashing his teeth and foaming from the mouth as he wallowed on the ground before them, the father said to Jesus in something of a weary, last-resort tone of voice:

“If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.  Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:14–24).

Christ, ever the teacher, seizes on the man's very language and limited faith and turns it back on him and states  "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”  In that very instant, in the length of time it took  to hear His voice, or the majesty of His bearing, or simply the words He spoke....something touches this man spiritually and an inexorable change begins. Up to that moment he had thought that everything depended on others—doctors, soothsayers, priests, the disciples, or, here at the very last, Jesus. Only now, in this exchange, does he grasp that a great deal of the answer to his quest rests upon his own shoulders, or, more accurately, in his own ­soul.

This is one of the greatest New Testament accounts we have probing the complexity of faith and the degrees one experiences in its development. The man's initial faith, by his own admission, is limited. But he has some faith. He did, after all, approach the disciples but, of course, met disappointment there. With whatever remaining faith he has, he turns to Jesus and says, “If thou canst do any thing,” please help us, hoping perhaps Jesus might be able to succeed where all others have failed.

So here, almost before our very eyes, we see a man address the issue of faith and we see the seed of faith begin to grow. “Straightaway” the scripture says, not slowly or skeptically or cynically but “straightaway” the father of the child cries out and sheds parental tears. After all, this is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. This is as close to home as it can get. This is a father pleading for his son. This is new faith versus old fear in a fistfight, a fear perhaps only parents of struggling children can ever know. He cries, literally, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” And of course we know the miraculous blessing that then comes as a result of such an honest, earnest ­assertion.  

So often we think we need great faith in order to accomplish His will, but if we turn to Him, he gives us the strength to overcome our weakness.  Once again, it is the atonement making it possible for us to become as He is.  We are incapable of doing that on our own, so our faith, though small, bridges the gap."   (end quote)