40th Post Mon May 10 - Sunday May 16, 2010

The week started out in a rather dark manner - the power went off while we were getting ready this morning. We got dressed and went early and finished getting ready at the mission office. Leona took a break and went with me to deliver a check to an apartment about 20 minutes away. It is nice to be able to spend a few minutes together during the day. We went over to the Chesnuts for family home evening. We enjoy visiting with the other senior missionaries. It is really nice that most of us live right here in the same apartment complex and in fact in adjacent buildings. Jessica and her family are in Utah staying with the Vances. They all went up to Marvins to a family party this evening so while they were there they called us on the webcam. It was fun to see those that were there and to say hello.

This morning I drove down to the Katy area to check out an apartment we moved out of last week. The Sisters who lived there really did a nice job of leaving the place clean. I will have to arrange with the elders to move the rest of the furniture out. Stopped on the way back to the office to talk to an apartment manager where we gave notice that we were moving out. Turns out we are now going to stay, but we will move into a cheaper apartment (smaller) in the same complex. We agreed on the date and I signed the papers, etc for the new apartment. Worked on paper work this afternoon and fixed another vacuum and got it running. This evening Leona went over to the senior sisters' apartment to do some sewing. They all try to get together one evening a week to work on sewing projects.

Wednesday I worked on the July arrivals photos and got the tracking board and mission office board photo templates ready. I ran some apartment errands and fixed another vacuum (I have a second job to fall back on when we get released!). It gets a bit warmer and more humid it seems each day now.

I met 4 elders at the Katy apartment that we needed to move the furniture out of this Thursday morning. They loaded up beds, kitchen table and chairs, a desk, easy chairs, dresser, book case and washer and dryer. The missionaries are sure good to help me when I ask. I stopped on the way back to drop a bed off at one of the sister's apartment as one of their beds was in poor condition. They also had extra furniture and several boxes of kitchen stuff to send back to the mission office. I had a real load of stuff when I got back. Elders Whitaker and Martin just happened to come into the office so I got them to unload the furniture for me. Thank goodness they were in the area.

This evening I taught the stake and ward employment specialists at the employment office. I remembered not to look into the projector light this time so all went real well. I believe this will be my last time with that assignment as Elder and Sister Thomas were there so they will take over next month.

We always enjoy our staff meeting with President and Sister Hansen on Friday mornings. He is very close to the Spirit and you feel that whenever you are around him. He talked a bit about the new "Leadership Emphasis Training" with the focus now on the "Gathering", and how that will encompass redeem the dead, proclaim the gospel, and perfect the saints. "Care for the poor and needy" has also be added to the emphasis. All this makes so much sense as we prepare on both sides of the veil for the second coming. What a blessing to have inspired prophets and apostles on the earth today.

Sister Hansen told of an experience their daughter Jessica had. She and has been with her folks for the past few weeks because she came to Houston to have knee surgery. When it was time to return to Provo she was going to leave on Wednesday but told her dad (President Hansen) that she felt that she should leave on Thursday instead so arrangements were made. At the airport, she was allowed to pre-board the plane because of her disability and quickly made herself comfortable with her immobilized knee. After a layover in Arizona, a blind man boarded early and sat next to her with his seeing-eye dog. He was very warm and friendly and didn't hold back at all, making it easy for Jessica to respond in the same way. He told her that he didn't mind being blind because it made his hearing more acute and he could tell a person's countenance by their voice. He also said he could sense her sincerity from her voice. She learned that he was 35 years old, had three children and that he was on his way to Salt Lake City for a Goalball Competition. He asked about her and she explained that she had been to Houston for surgery on her knee and when asked why she went all the way to Houston for that, she explained that her parents were serving a mission there for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that her dad was the mission president. When the plane landed someone was supposed to be there to help him get to baggage but they were not, so Jessica said, "come with me." (Sister Hansen said, "it must of been quite a sight - the lame leading the blind." He invited her to come to the competition and Jessica did the next night. After the game he asked questions about her beliefs and Jessica asked him if she could send two missionaries to visit with him and his family when he returned home to Arizona. He didn't hesitate, "of course, I would love to talk to them!"

We must love others and not be afraid to open our mouth and share our testimonies of the gosple with them. As President Hansen says "We must pray, prepare, and proclaim".

The Vances called us on the webcam this evening so we got to see the Ennis and the Utah Walkers. It was fun to talk to grandchildren and to see how they are growing, little Braydon is not so little any more.

Saturday we did our preparation day activities of cleaning, washing, and shopping. We went down to the Willowbrook mall, which is about six miles away, to get some new running shoes. It took just over an hour to get there. The traffic was backed up for about 4 miles with a broken stop light. But we got what we went for and enjoyed our time together. While we were stuck in traffic we talked about the blessing of modern inventions like the webcam and being able to see some of the kids and grandchildren last evening. We were so thankful to be able to do that. It made us laugh as we talked about Michael holding Brayden in the air and his legs were still "jumbing", what a jumper he is!

We attended Stake Conference at the Hafer Road building. Elder Gibbon of the 70 was the visiting authority. The choir was very good and the talks were all so inspiring. President Hansen told of a member who came to see him a couple of days ago with a story to share. The man was in a fast food place waiting in line. At the head of the line where two African American men who looked at him with real interest and then whispered something and then look at him again. He wondered what he had done. It was so noticeable that others in the line were also wondering what was going on. One of the men motioned for him to join them at the head of the line, which he was reluctant to do but did anyway as the others in the line did not seem to mind. One of the men told the member that he had seen him in a dream, in fact had seen him in two dreams and that the member had something this man needed to know. So he said "what is it"? The member said I told them about my job, "no that is not it", he told them about his hobbies, "no that was not it". He then said that he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had studied and given seminars on black family history and that he had spoken with black congregations on that subject. The men in line told him they were ministers in their congregations and to "tell us more", which he did. By the time he left the restaurant they had invited him to speak at both their congregations and by the next day had received several phone calls from other black ministers to speak in their church's. What a powerful spirit that story brought to the meeting. Heavenly Father really does care for the one and is always looking out for His children.

We are so thankful to be missionaries, we have been blessed in so many ways. We love you and are grateful you are part of our lives.

Love,

Dad and Mom