Two Weeks Ending March 1, 2014

Sunday (Feb 16) after Sacrament Meeting we drove to Tohlakai for seminary. We arrived during Sunday School and they had a full chapel. Relief Society was also very full. They are really growing. Seminary had three kids. The Englands did a wonderful job. They did some really basic things to help the kids understand the scriptures. It was a real blessing to have them take over the class.

When we returned home I checked my seminary class to make sure I had graded all the work that had been done. I will miss having the online class.

Monday (Feb 17)) we did things around the house then met with the senior missionaries for district meeting. We were bringing a turkey so I cooked that and make some gravy. One couple is going home so we all brought special food to have a sort of going away party. They have been good friends. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner. We had a brief visit, but it was sad to say our goodbyes.

Elder and Sister Haney--welfare missionaries, going home

Tuesday (Feb 18) we went to the church to teach our departing missionary another lesson for Temple Prep. Ted did most of the lesson and did a great job. This young woman is ready and anxious to leave.

We went to the senior center for visiting. I worked on a puzzle with the ladies and enjoyed it. They were supposed to pass out the care packages today, but they hadn’t packed them up yet. We offered to help them, but they always want to do things on their schedule.

I studied during the day. In the evening we went to the game at school—last season game for the boys JV team. We had to park way off to the side of the parking lot because all the lots were full. When we got inside we couldn’t find seats so we stood at the end of the floor. It was a pretty good vantage point, but I don’t think it’s the best place to be. After a short time a young lady came over and invited us to sit by them—front row seats at mid-court. The game was really tight. It was good and we enjoyed watching it. The team won but only by a few points. I really am not sure how it all happened because they made some real blunders, but they did win.

Elder and Sister Roeth at Gilbert Temple

Wednesday-Monday (Feb 19-24) we drove to Mesa, AZ to be with family members. While we were there we were able to visit the new Gilbert temple. It is beautiful. The grounds were closed, but the security guard let us walk around a bit and take some pictures. We visited with the guards a while then walked around the outside of the fence, pulling a few weeds along the way. The youth were practicing across the street for the Cultural Celebration to be held on Saturday March 1 before the dedication. There are 12,700 of them. They are wearing a variety of colors of T-shirts. It is a beautiful temple.

Youth heading to practice for Cultural Celebration--Gilbert Temple

Monday (Feb 24) on our way home from Mesa we had a tender mercy. I usually do some kind of handwork while we drive. I had mapped out our route and gave Ted instructions for the next turnoff. The next time I looked up I realized we had missed the turnoff, but we really weren’t sure how far we’d gone. Ted hadn’t seen any signs, but the roads are not well marked. We figured out where we were and took the next best way. That took us through Snowflake and added about 45 minutes to our trip. When we arrived in Holbrook we stopped to get a hamburger. While we were there one of my online students and her dad walked in. What a surprise! We had a brief visit with them while their food was prepared then they left. In the course of the conversation my student thanked me for the card I’d sent. Then I remembered it was her birthday so I wished her a happy birthday and asked if she had a date yet. (She was looking forward to turning 16 so she could date.) She will have her first date on Saturday. I was really happy to see her and grateful for our mistake on the road that had placed us at Carls Jr for the few minutes she was there.

We had a call from a counselor in the mission presidency just as we pulled up to the house. He wanted to make an appointment to come see us Wednesday night. We sent an email to Pres. Batt to tell him we were home. I also had an email from the online seminary coordinator asking if I was interested in teaching online seminary next year. Very interesting night.

Tuesday we did a few things around the house then went to the CES inservice at the stake center. We were a little disappointed that there was only one other teacher there. The supervisor had not sent out any reminders and I guess people forgot. It was a good meeting. He had attended a meeting in Las Vegas with the head of CES and shared some of the things he learned there. He demonstrated a way to analyze scriptures that was helpful and I think the kids will benefit from it.

Wednesday we had planned to go to the senior center for lunch. A friend stopped by around 9:30 and told us they were closed. She brought us boxes of food she had picked up for us last week. I’m not sure we can ever eat everything we have before we leave. I was cleaning so she stayed and visited while I dusted. One of our members had died earlier in the day. I’m sure that is best for him, but it will be very hard for his son. We also had a call from a friend asking if we could do the music at the funeral for another member on Thursday. It doesn’t seem to be a good week for people here.

In the evening we were visited by Pres. Nielsen of the mission presidency. He is supposed to do a quarterly interview with the senior couples. I’m not sure when these started because this is our first one. We visited with him for about an hour, letting him know what we do besides CES. He had to leave to get back to Holbrook, but it was a good visit.

Thursday we had the quilting class. One lady came and we had a good visit. The other lady didn’t come—I’m not sure what happened. Apparently, last week when the president was going to open the building she decided to go somewhere else. I had told this lady she was coming so to be sure to wait for her, so I’m guessing she waited for quite some time before giving up. I picked out some fabric and cut squares for another small quilt. I didn’t get everything done, but I made some good progress. We ate a bit early then went home.

A friend was going to the funeral with us, but she had not worn a dress. She wanted to stop at Goodwill and pick up a dress to wear. We left early enough to stop and get her dress then we drove to the funeral home. It was a little strange. We were seated in the hallway by the front of the room. When it was time to sing we would walk in and lead the singing and play the piano then leave again. The people in the mortuary were quite noisy in the hallway during the service and I found it very distracting. I hope the people in the funeral weren’t as bothered as I was. During the songs I’m pretty sure there were maybe three people singing with me—I couldn’t really hear anyone but I could see a few people holding the song sheets and moving their mouths.

The family had arranged to have a military ceremony at the cemetery and that had to happen before a certain time. The funeral director was trying to help them make sure that the funeral didn’t last too long so they would miss it and he estimated about 1½ hours for the service. We cut the opening song to one verse to shorten it. As it was, the service was over in about 25 minutes and that included singing all three verses of the closing song (solo, I think).

After the funeral we visited with the man who had said the closing prayer. He was the missionary that had served in this area probably about 50 years ago—he had blessed one of the daughters of the 98 year old deceased man. I was impressed that the man’s wife of 55 years was there—she is 20 years younger than he was, but that still doesn’t make her young. Some of the children were there, but at least one daughter was at the reception getting things ready.

Friday we worked at home. We went to Gallup a little early to get some dinner and do a quick errand before going to the CES Fireside with Elder Neil Andersen. We were not absolutely sure we would have the broadcast set up because they have changed the way that is managed. It was all there and the fireside was excellent.

Jeffrey Young baptizing Byron McCray

Saturday it rained and snowed off and on all day. We went to Gallup for the baptism of our neighbor. Ted had been asked to speak on baptism and I was to lead the singing. When we got there and looked at the program Ted was slated to give the talk on the Holy Ghost. He talked with the man to make sure which talk he was supposed to give. Fortunately, he still had his talk on the Holy Ghost in his notebook from the last baptism so he was able to pull it together well. A young man that is preparing for a mission was asked to baptize him. There is a fair difference in size so it was a concern whether he could get the man down and up again. It took two tries to do it right, but it was done. The man’s family is all members and they were there. He is such a good man—I am really happy for him.

Strange cloud over Gallup

After the baptism we went to visit a family to give them some oranges and lemons we had brought back from Arizona. I was a little worried about driving into their house because of the rain, but the roads were not any worse than usual except for a couple of places where the water had pooled. The father was the only one home when we arrived. He was out diverting rain water into his collection ponds. When the family got home, his daughter and I exchanged crochet patterns. I taught her the two sided crocheted scarf and she taught me the 3-D blanket. I hope I got it—I only chained 15 stitches so I had the two edge rows and one pattern repeat.

The mom put some dinner in the oven and invited us to stay. We had a good visit then enjoyed a meal of salmon, rice, and yummy green beans and sweet pea pods cooked in a wok with butter and garlic. It was really good. Just as we finished eating the elders arrived so they fixed them some corn dogs. I’m glad we got there first. They showed us the basement they are finishing up. They have a trickle of water that runs under their house, so they have diverted that to a pipe. They are making a family room and they have a huge storage area where they have lots of food and survival supplies. It was really amazing. As we left they thanked us for hanging out with their family. I really enjoyed the afternoon and the visit. I was glad to be able to get out but the roads weren’t too bad. The worst part was near the beginning where it had become washboarded so we had to take it really slow.