Week Ending May 10, 2014

Sunday one of my students was 10 minutes early so we started ON TIME! I did a bit of review hoping the others would arrive but finally had to get into the lesson. The others actually arrived about ½ hour late. We talked about how the Lord helps us to overcome weaknesses and discerning between good and evil. We all have the Light of Christ so we can discern whether something invites us to follow Christ or entices us to do evil. Sure test every time. If we follow Christ we become closer to Him and the Light of Christ gets stronger in us and if we turn away from Christ and follow the enticing of Satan the Light of Christ gets weaker until it is gone.

Testimony Meeting was good. At one point three people stood up at the same time, so we had a little chuckle. One of the missionaries is being transferred, after waiting here 8 months for his visa to Brazil so he shared his testimony. A lady who has been here forever said she is moving at the end of the month so her daughter can go to school. That was a sad thing for the branch. A young man got his mission call to Salt Lake City and is really excited.

Elder Young (and Mom), called to Utah Salt Lake City Mission

I arranged to help people sew Tuesday afternoon. Several said they would come. Another lady is going to bring over a dress and slip to have me hem them. We talked about that a couple of months ago—I hope I can get it all done. One woman said she wants to get to the temple again so I invited her to go with us Wednesday. She was very grateful and it makes me happy to be able to help her.

I put together a quick meal before Ted had to leave to go home teaching. He started pulling things out of the cupboard, so we added corn bread and tapioca pudding to the fare. The chicken and broccoli ended up being sliced turkey and a little frozen broccoli. I cooked rice in vegetable broth to use that up. We are getting to the bottom of our food supplies.

Monday I tried my prioritized list of activities again. Something really fouled up because I got next to nothing done on my list. I went with Sister Tommy to exchange something. We bought each other bracelets that were next to the cash register. It was a fun trip. She also gave me an extra beading tray she had.

I took the extra blanket off the bed and packed it because the weather has been really warm. I’m beginning to feel like there is a lot to do and I’m hoping I can get it all done.

In the afternoon we went to Tohlakai for our meeting/dinner with the senior missionaries. Since two couples are leaving it was a real blowout. We had ribs and upside down pie and everything in between. We enjoyed a good visit with the other missionaries. A couple of ladies wanted some help with needlework so I did my best. It was really fun. Sister England gave both couples a potato bag for cooking in the microwave. Very sweet.

Sisters Olsen and England, making flowers

Tuesday one of the ladies going to the temple Wednesday was sick. I suggested the other lady invite another member since there would be room. The lady with the dress to be hemmed came with two dresses and two slips. I said I’d get them done as soon as I could and she said, “Oh, there’s no rush.” I did a few other odd jobs including working on seminary and my talk for Sunday. I’m really not sure what will happen with that.

Wednesday we went to the temple with the other senior couples in our district. There were eight couples and 6-8 others traveling with us. We took two ladies from the branch and had a good visit. One lady spoke of what a challenge she’d had, having to give up traditions that were part of her life. Her dad follows the Native way and has told her she is letting her people down, but she has a strong testimony and lives the gospel. Both ladies were on placement when they were younger and both of their families give them a hard time about their beliefs. It was very enlightening to visit with them. It was also a good experience being in the temple with the other missionaries.

After we left the temple we went to Chilis for lunch. Three couples had stayed at the temple a little longer so we were glad the others were still there when we arrived. We had a fun visit. After we had said our goodbyes, we ran some quick errands to get materials for ladies. The wind was really bad, so the air was dusty. I was really grateful, once again, to be home. I think that’s our last long trip till we go home. The Lord has been very good to us, keeping us safe and getting us home.

The weather turned cold again as soon as I started packing blankets. We took down the blankets we used as curtains so we could have extra blankets. It seems like we have these opportunities to gradually pack things up or change them out. When I took the curtains out to hang them up, I realized the blinds needed to be vacuumed. (Our windows are not tight and the dust is amazing.) I vacuumed the blinds and hung the curtains. I took the curtains down from two more windows. I didn’t have any more energy to vacuum, but it was headed in a positive direction.

Thursday when we washed curtains, one set began to fall apart and needed to be mended. I went to the sewing class at church. The burrito lady finished her quilt top. It is really beautiful. She pressed it so it is ready to put the back on. A lady I bought lace for came over to see what I’d bought. I didn’t have it with me so I drove home to get it. I told her I had got 40% off the original price so it was about $7. She liked the lace but told me to keep it until next week when we come to the senior center and she’d pay me then. Otherwise, I’d have to track her down. One of the senior couples came by to look at the fabric and yarn and took a couple of bags full of stuff. They will help the ladies in their areas make things so it will be well used.

At home I worked on my seminary lesson for a bit. About 4:30 there was a knock at the door. It was our grandma. She thought we were going to be at the church. I told her I was waiting for them to come—they were supposed to stop by our home so we knew when they got here. I expected them after 2 so I was glad I wasn’t waiting at the church all that time. She had a picture frame in her hands that she handed to us and said it was a little gift from them. It was a display of all the natural plants that are used to make the dye for the yarns. I had seen this in a poster form, but I was amazed that they had given us this with real plants and yarns. It was her husband’s idea. He had asked her how I would get the yarns when I was gone and she had told him she would send them to me. Very sweet.

Finished quilt top!

We all went to the church. She finished sewing her quilt top and found some fabric for the back. Her niece finished arranging her pieces and sewed most of them into rows. Her sister finished cutting her blocks, we arranged them for the top, and she pinned the rows together. We are making some good progress with several people working on projects. It’s ironic that we are leaving just when people are catching the vision of doing things. I spent some of my time mending the curtains. 

Pres. Joe making quilt squares

The branch president and his wife came. The wife began working on a quilt she started months ago. We found some different material for part of it and changed the layout. The president is making a quilt out of some Giants jerseys he has so he worked on cutting out the pieces. The two daughters ran around a lot. One wanted to know about sewing machines so we tried to explain it. Then she wanted to sew, so I let her sew on the burp cloth I was working on. She went to the cupboard and got a piece of fabric to make a burp cloth for her new cousin. I helped her find a better piece of fabric and helped her and her sister sew it into a burp cloth. They were very proud of themselves and they did an adequate job for a first time, but it was challenging to try to keep their attention on what they were doing. It was almost 9 pm when we left. I was grateful to get home. 

Malina and Tiffany Joe with burp cloth they made

Friday I was able to spend some time working on my lesson. There is so much to cover in this lesson and I am very concerned about passing too lightly over the last chapters of the Book of Mormon. It is basically the culmination of the year of study and the challenge to get a personal testimony of the book. I really hope the students can understand the power of the testimony in their lives and give it the serious attention it requires and deserves. The promise of the Book of Mormon is strong, that the Lord will tell them, or anyone, of its truthfulness if they ask with real intent. It is not an empty promise. It is true and God will tell them it is true if they want to know.

Saturday I worked on my lesson and made a few changes. I then worked on my talk and made several changes, cutting out a couple of minutes. It is still about 22 minutes long. I really don’t know what more to cut. I think the message is what I want to say, so I’ll just have to see what happens Sunday.

I made some cookies for my seminary kids. We joke about all the things we are finishing up, but we have to be creative in using things. I did more cleaning. I’m really not sure things are clean, but they are cleaner. Ted thinks we should leave the next couple a note telling them we cleaned in case they can’t tell. It gets so dusty again very quickly.

I had started a project when there was a knock on the door. The branch president’s wife was there. They were at the church sewing and the bobbin on the machine ran out of thread so they needed help winding the bobbin. I went to help. It took a while to figure out how to wind the bobbin then I had a terrible time trying to get it to stay in. There is a knack and I don’t have it. The branch president wanted to find some material for his quilt, so I helped with that.

Back home I finally finished the project I was working on. Yeah! Something is done!