Yes.....snow and more snow filled the week. It was weird that one of our missionaries wasn't able to come last week because she couldn't get out of her driveway.....In April??? I have worried about the flowering trees at such a tender stage. I hope that all will be well with them. The redbuds on The Square are gorgeous. Lots of people are starting to say they are tired of the snow, but I am not yet to that point. I know that it will be warm soon enough. I also am grateful to be here when I know it is beginning to warm up in Houston. Our employee called us on Friday afternoon when she was on her way home just to let us know that she had heard on the radio that it was 89 degrees in Houston. It was 34 and snowing in Salt Lake City. Yep....I'm okay with that!
We had a fun week. It began last Monday with a program that I was asked to provide for one of our Branch activities. My wonderful family came to my rescue and we provided 40 min of entertainment to a willing, fun crowd. They loved participating with us and singing some primary songs, particularly "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree". We passed out bubble wrap and everyone had a great time twisting the wrap to make the sound of popping corn, actually it was so loud it sounded more like firecrackers but it was so fun we had to do the song twice. It was a great evening thanks to my great family.
I have had an interesting and full week. Three things have stood out.
First: We lost a wonderful missionary Sister this week. Naomi Jergensen was out to dinner with a family member. She came out of the restaurant, sat down in the car and suffered a massive heart attack but it was like she just went to sleep. She worked in the training zone, sang in the Elijah choir, directed the Elijah choir on at least two different occasions. She was 80 years old and had the most beautiful clear soprano voice. She was very helpful to me when I first arrived and had my two weeks of training and also when I was asked to be a trainer. I'm sure she is so happy to be together again with her sweetheart who died 15 years ago. She has missed him a lot but dedicated herself to serving and has done so much good. I'm sure it was a sweet reunion for them and all those people for whom she did genealogy work. We will miss her association and her beautiful voice. Her funeral was a wonderful celebration by her children - all six of them spoke as well as her Bishop and good friend, L. Tom Perry. The Elijah Choir sang and it was a wonderful celebration.
Second: We had a great meeting on Wednesday with Osei Bonsu and Paul Adjei from Ghana. They are so excited about the work we are doing with the Oral Genealogies that they have been collecting. They were very receptive to some of the changes that we suggested for their field workers and clerks that will make our job much easier and hence get the orals up online much faster and in better condition.
Along with the Ghana people we had a Church employee from South Africa at the meeting also because he wants to see what the process is, etc. He was very impressed with the process that is working in Ghana and how we have standardized it so it will work anywhere in the world. He is very excited to get started on it there but realizes that it will take some time to get things going there. He wanted to know when Ed and I are finished with our mission here and if we were planning on another mission. When we answered he told us to let him know when we were ready to put in our papers, that he had a place for us! Ha! I would love to go back to South Africa!
Third: I appreciate all the prayers on my behalf over the last couple of weeks. I have had some strange pain that the doctors were sure was gall bladder but every test/scan/picture, etc. has reported that all my organs are fine so no one seems to know yet what the pain is. But because of prayers I believe that the pain has subsided a lot and it very tolerable now so.....as long as I know that everything inside seems to be working properly I will just carry on! I am hoping no more tests will be ordered. I am on a first name basis with the cute girl in the radiology department at the hospital who registers the outpatients. After my third visit last week I told her it was nothing personal but I hoped never to see her again. She laughed and said she heard that a lot. I did not like the nuclear test I went through. It was way to close to an MRI tube and I had to lie still for an hour. I just kept singing hymns in my head and repeating the words "steadfast and immovable, steadfast and immovable....". And this after it took them half an hour, two nurses and three tries to get a line in my veins. Oh well, we are all just doing the best we can, aren't we? I see the doctor again on Monday and we will move ahead from there. Again, thank you for your prayers.
Cute Sister Mapu's book was completed on Thursday afternoon at 2:45pm. She was so cute. We high fived each other over and over again. She cried, I cried, everyone cheered and we all laughed. Now she will take a week or two and go through the entire book from start to finish and note any corrections she finds so we can get it in the final stage and to the printer. She is so excited. I have absolutely loved getting to know this humble, sweet, Tongan woman and the faith that has held her up in her life.
The zone is getting packed up and ready to move. This is a big deal for us. Zones don't usually move around much so we are unique. Ed organized it very well so we will move a row of people each day, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then everyone will be set up and we will take a few days to clean out the old place and it will be done! I am very excited to be over in the JSMB to work since we start out there three days a week at choir! It will be especially nice to have windows! I will, however, miss our friends in the British Zone.
I do enjoy walking The Square, but I'm sure I will still be able to do that. I enjoy being able to walk into the Tabernacle with groups practicing. Last week I sat for a while and listened to a choir and orchestra practicing a special Easter program that was written by someone in Arizona. The vocalists were very good. People are able to walk in and out the back doors when rehearsals are going on. Just one more of the many cool things about being in this place.
Below are the latest picture of the flower beds on The Square.
Change is everywhere and I love being a part of it. I love learning more each day about how our Father In Heaven and our Savior are in the detail of moving forward their work through us. I know that there are little miracles each day, blessings that help us do what we are here to do and sometimes we miss them. I am trying to become more aware of those miracles in my life so I can enjoy those moments. This is such a happy time of life for us. I love being here with Ed and doing this work.
I know it is His work and I am humbled that we get to be here.
No comments:
Post a Comment