"The Master's Hand"

Last Friday afternoon we had an appointment with Victoria.  It's the first time I've been able to talk with her since Savannah left the hospital.  She says she has been so busy with Savannah's care and the adjustments involved that she hadn't returned our phone calls.  We drove out to Anna where she lives.  It's about 40 minutes north of Plano.  When we got there Victoria wasn't at home.  There was a nurse with Savannah.  Victoria had left and had forgotten our appt.  I explained the situation to the nurse, and told her I am Savannah's grandmother so she let us in to see her.

What a thrill to see this little miracle again.  I've missed her so much! I only got one picture of her before my battery died.  To compare her photos, here she is at 4 months and 10 months.  We took her a Teddy Bear!  She is such a cute little doll, and I'm amazed that I had the blessing of being her substitute grandma for awhile.  She'll always hold a special place in my heart. I talked with Victoria on the phone before I left.  She felt bad about the missed appointment, but was happy we saw her  precious child!

One of the young sisters we used to pick up for district meetings was transferred to Anna a couple of weeks.  She called me a few days later to tell me we have a mutual friend.  They had followed a lead in the names the previous Elders had, and stopped by Victoria's home!  This week they called to tell me Victoria & Jay are having their first discussion tomorrow evening!  I look back on the many things this little one has been through, and can definitely see "The Master's Hand" working with her and her family. Someday they will all have an even greater understanding of the miracle's that came to them because of this baby!  Please remember them in your prayers.......   

We went back to see Helena the next morning after the scare we had about her.  She's doing better. We talked with her for awhile, and then when we were ready to leave I reached down to give her a hug.  I said "I love you" to her.  She looked into my eyes and said, "You can't even imagine how much I love you!"  A sudden feeling came to me that I had known her before.  It was a beautiful moment.......

Marcia Hicken is a sweet sister we're visiting now.  We were a little nervous when we called to see if we could stop by.  They used to be very active in the church, but fell away a few years ago.  Her husband is now quite antagonistic.  He answered the phone when we called and wasn't particularly warm.  We told him we are service missionaries so he let us come.  She has lots of health problems, is thin, and walks very slowly.  She is warm with us and we enjoy her a lot.

Also, I had mentioned visiting Sis. Upshaw whose husband is a non-member.  When I saw her on Sunday at church, I told her I was pleased and surprised that her husband had come in to visit with us, and had even asked us to leave a word of prayer in their home.  She said, "I was too, he has never come in to visit with anyone from the church that visits me, or asked them to pray!"  I keep seeing these miracles on my mission.  Heavenly Father really does use us to touch the lives of those around us.

Every other week, me and, my companion take turns preparing a spiritual message to leave with some of the sisters we visit.  This past week I prepared the following.  It is the subject of this blog and a story I loved.

The Concert

"When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.  Suddenly the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on the stage.  In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".  At that moment the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't stop, keep playing".  Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part.  Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato.  Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.  The audience was so mesmerized that they could hardly recall what else the great master played.  Only the classic, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Perhaps that's the way it is with God.  What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy.  We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music.  However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.  The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully.  You may hear the voice of the Master whispering in your ear, "Don't quit, keep playing!"

I was reading in Joseph Smith's History 25 this week, and I thought about all the persecutions he and the pioneers went through.  I thought about how awful it must have been for him, to not only suffer physical persecutions, but also the emotional trauma as he watched the church followers lose all their earthly possessions to the mobs.  Then I read his testimony:  "I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me; reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart:  Why persecute me for telling the truth?  I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen?  For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation."

It caused me to think about the restoration of the gospel to the earth, and how Heavenly Father knew the world is filled with people who would fight against His plan.  He knew he would need the strongest of his children to face that challenge.  He chose well, but even with that, the prophet and the pioneers could not have done what they were assigned to do, without being in "The Master's Hands".  

So it is with us.......



Temple Blessings

Last week we took Sister Hunter to the temple and out to lunch.  She was baptized five months ago along with her two teenage boys.  She has no car, no job, and consequently doesn't get around much.  She had not see the Dallas Temple so we took her for a visit.  We walked around the gardens, and then went into the foyer and sat down on a sofa there.  The foyer in the Dallas Temple is just beautiful!  The minute we walked in the door there was that quiet peaceful feeling of the spirit.  We spent about an hour just listening to the quiet, and occasionally talking softly about the blessings that come from being in the House of the Lord.  We had given her a brochure about the temple a few weeks before we went, and Sis. Hulse also bought her a Temple Ensign.  

I was impressed by the way I felt just sitting there in the quiet.  Sometimes, when we go to the temple, we are just hurrying to make a session and don't slow down for awhile.  It seems to take us a minute to release the ways of the world and commune with the spirit.   I really enjoyed the time to sit, and center my feelings on the Savior.  After awhile I asked her if she was ready to leave yet.  She said, "No, I'd like to stay a little longer."

That beautiful experience has left me thinking about her statement.  Yes, when we truly feel the spirit touch us, we yearn to "stay a little longer".  Being within the walls of the Lord's house is being in the most sacred place on the earth.  How amazing it is that we are so blessed!

Yesterday we did our planning for the coming week.  We have several sisters we visit on a weekly basis, and others we see less often.  Today we were busy visiting six sisters.  

Our first stop was to see Sis. Helena Lawson. We found her on a new move-in list in Plano 4th Ward and visit her twice a week.  When we first saw her we discovered she had been in the ward for six months, but had not been seen by any ward members.  Since then the young missionary's have started going in, someone is taking her the sacrament, and the Relief Society is visiting.  I just love how the church members work together to lift and carry each other.  She is very frail and weak.  Often she is very sleepy and doesn't say much, but we've had a few visits when she was able to talk.  She was so excited when we visited her the first time.  I told her we were from the church and she perked up and said, "That's my church!"  She has children, but none of them have visited her for about three months.

Today when we arrived, they told us she had been put on oxygen yesterday and wasn't feeling well.  We went into her room and reached down to take her hand.  I told her who we were, and she opened her eyes and tried to respond a little, but was very weak.  We stayed with her for a few minutes.  She mentioned the name, Ron a couple of times, but other than that she remained still.  It was so hard to leave as we felt she may be getting ready to return to her heavenly home.  How great our love has grown for this dear sister in such a short time. 

We also visited two other sisters in a nursing home.  Sis. Teresa Alarcon was more alert today and responded to the children's book we read.  She enjoys the pictures, and seems to like our visits.  Sis. Adams is always flat in bed.  She can't even sit for more than a few minutes and sleeps a lot.  We have to wake her when we come.  However, this sweet lady has such a strong testimony of the gospel, and has such a positive attitude about her life.  I am always amazed at how well she handles going through this difficult time.

We took Diana York to lunch today.  She is a sweet sister in the ward that is living with her daughter and husband.  She has a wooden leg, and it's a little hard for her to get around, but she helps in the house all she can, and enjoys her twin granddaughters.  Her wooden leg is very old, and she needs a new one badly, but doesn't have the money to get one.  My heart aches for her.

Another assisted living place we visited today was to see Sis. Berniece Rabe Tryand.  She is an author of children's books so the name Rabe may be one some some people know.  She and her husband just moved from their home.  She suffers from dementia and struggles with feelings of anger and bitterness.  Apparently that is often the case with dementia. She likes us to read children's books to her, but today I gave her a spiritual thought.  It was about being encircled by  "The Master's Hands."  She was touched and said she had needed that message today.

Our next stop was to see Sis. Vivian Page.  She is an older sister who comes faithfully to church when she is well enough to do so.  Her husband is inactive, as well as her children.  She is tearful and sad about the circumstances of her life, but holds tightly to the hope that her family will come back to the church someday. 

Our last visit was a good uplift for the two of us.  Sis. Kathy Upshaw is an active member of the ward that we became friends with when we first got here.  Her husband has been active in scouting in the ward for many years, but refuses to be baptized.  They have just remodeled their home so we called to see if we could come by to see it.  It was so much fun visiting with her.  She is outspoken but in a cute way.  Her husband became ill a few weeks ago, and she bluntly told him, "You absolutely cannot die, you have to take me to the temple first!" 

Today he came in to visit with us.  I had not had the opportunity to talk to him before.  He is delightful and outspoken like she is.  We had such a fun visit with them.  He surprised us when we were ready to leave by asking us to leave a word of prayer in their home.  I truly hope she'll get her wish someday be sealed to in the temple.

Well, this is a fairly good example of our day in the mission field.  We also did an hour of volunteer work at  Sis. Tryand's assisted living center.  We go in once or twice a week to assist the activities person.  We were going to help at the bishop's storehouse at the end of the day, but they told us they had all the help they needed.   Now a few moments to rest....

Six Month Mark!

It's hard to believe it's been six months since I started my mission!  Now I understand why all the missionary's say it went by fast.  It has been such an amazing experience to be here in Plano. 

When I was Relief Society Pres. I knew of some of the challenges people faced in the ward, but it seems that there are even more now, and here.  My heart aches for the sorrow and pain so many have to bare.  I am so grateful that I can be here to lift their burdens, and do what I can to give them hope and encouragement.  It causes me to reflect back on so many experiences I've had that prepared me for this calling.  Heavenly Father directs our lives far more than any of us realize.  I think I've become more aware of that over the past 12 years than ever before; and here on my mission I have daily experiences that verify that awareness. 

Today we were on our way home from a trip we made to Irving, TX.  When we got closer to home I suggested to Sis. Hulse that we stop and buy a candy bar for a young single adult we were going to visit.  We pulled into a service station.  I went in to get the candy bar and met a sweet girl from India at the counter.  She asked about my name tag.  I told her about my mission, and she said.  "Can you take me to church?  I really want to start going and take my daughter."  Wow,  I was wonderfully surprised!  She gave me her name, address and phone number.  Said she had to work this coming Sunday, but would like to go the next week.  I gave her a "pass-along-card" with the church web page on it, and suggested she read about the church on line.  We will be calling her next week.  Daily miracles!

I have a new companion.  RaNae Hulse from Blackfoot, Idaho and is one of the sisters we met at the MTC.  She and Sis. Shell have been serving in Irving, TX, and we've gotten together with them a few time since we've been here.  Pres. Durrant called last week and decided to switch Sis. Hulse and Sis. Campbell, so we l be getting to know each other even better now.  We've been together for a week, and I love her already!  She's a very sweet sister and I feel like we'll work well together.  I'm very thankful for the blessing of serving with her. She's a retired school teacher and served a Family History Mission a couple of years ago in Salt Lake City.

Deni Schwendiman is a sweet sister in the ward who gave us tickets to a quilt show.  We took Laneeda out to lunch and then took her with us.  I was very surprised at how big it was, and we really enjoyed seeing how amazingly talented people are.  We saw Joyce Richmond, another sweet sister in our ward there.  She has had us in her home for dinner on several occasions.  We saw Joyce Richmond while we were there also.



I've been reading in the Book of Mormon this past few days, about the Savior's appearance to the Nephite people after his crucifixion.  It is one of my favorite scripture stories.  In 3 Nephi 19,  I was touched when the Savior taught his disciples that they should "pray unto the Father in His name".  The disciples prayed that they could have the Holy Ghost to be with them.  The spirit was so strong that angels came down to minister to them.  The Savior then appeared to them again and told the multitude to kneel down and pray.  When they did so, he left them for a moment so that he could pray.  The prayer he offered to Heavenly Father is a beautiful prayer of gratitude for the love that the multitude has for Him and His for the Father.

3 Nephi 19:  20-23

Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen, and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world.  Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words.  Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me, and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them.  And now, Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.

It gives me so much joy to see how the Father and the Son work as one together, and helps me realize how great their love is for each one of us.  How wonderful it is to know that we can speak to them through prayer and we are heard.  We're heard because each of us belong to them both spiritually and as mortals on earth.  They are "in tune" with every need, desire, or concern we may have.  They are drawn to us when we seek help for others of their children.  We can truly be "Instruments in Their Hands" for our own needs as well as for those whom we serve.  Prayer is truly a great miracle in our lives!  Even the Savior felt the need to pray!  What great love they have for one another, and what a testimony to us of the Savior's will to be submissive to His Father.