A truck arrived with a donation of water bottles...
Debbie informed us that someone
had not picked up their food for their area that day and ask if we wanted it.
Of course, we ONCE again started
loading up Sister Snyder's poor abused car
(sorry not missionaries now so I may just say
“Veva”).
We also connected our very
helpful Energized Bunny member, Sister Foreman to let her know and then we
got with her so she could take the food to the church that night.
On Sunday the ward members were
delighted to take tomatoes, raw gozamba beans. (which if raw is very good, like
a pea)
We had eggplant, sweet peppers, green
beans and juice.
At the YMCA there were so many
donations that they had to tell people to stop bringing stuff, but to take them
to charitable places instead. The Goodwill and places like that have stopped
taking donations because they are out of room as well.
Our little tender mercy was when
we arrived at the YMCA we got a phone call. It was the case worker of Don
Laughlin who we had minister to in the care center.
I had worried for several weeks about if we
should go check on him. We wanted to know how he was doing but the last few
visits he was crazy and out of it. He had lots of demands. The question was, “Do we want to start that again or just check in with the Care Center and
see if he was okay”?
This call was a case worker
telling us that Don had been moved, and he had asked her to contact us to go get
his stuff back from the other Care Center.
We were grateful that we were
both there to take the call and that we weren’t too busy to talk to her; That
we weren’t home in Utah and Nevada wondering what we should do about this. We
now knew what to do and that was to try and track down his belongings.
The Case Worker also informed us
that there would be a meeting on Tuesday about Don if we were interested. We
said, “Yes”! we would be there.
(We had set in on a couple of
Mary Ann’s meeting at her Care Center. These people have no other person
connected to them except for us in the church).
We then were able to attend the
English class for the Farcie people.
Sister Wright and Sister Smith had started
helping the Elders that were teaching English to the Farcie people, there were
members and nonmembers there. It was for whoever wanted to come. We then went over
to the class and enjoyed it so much. What beautiful people they are, and they
have been through a lot.
We ended the day by attending the
temple and were able to see two members from our ward working in the temple and
a friend from the past (Betty) coming to work at the temple.
Saturday we were able to attend
the temple once more then follow up on Don’s things, visit our sweet Sister
Potter who was in a care center. We found out what she was in need of and then
we did some shopping.
Sunday was the most wonderful day
to be able to see old friends and hug people we hadn’t seen for months. The
talks were great. One was from an older sister that we had admired from the
very beginning. It was special to hear her words of wisdom once again.
Johnny knew we were coming so he put on his best socks! He sits on the stand to lead the music and then crosses his legs so everyone can see his colorful socks!
When I served here, I was asked
to sit with a young mother that had a toddler and a newborn. When they came
into church, I was able to go sit by them and it seemed as though I had never
left them.
Our fun and exciting other news
that as we drove down here our friend, Bart called. He is collecting some temple
work for us all to do together.
When we were serving Gudrun had us coming in as she did her father and brothers baptism and confirmations. But while we were gone a group of our friends did sealings together and had a most wonderful time.
We have (left) Cameron Babcock and Bart in the back
2nd row on (left) is Gudrun, Sister Smith, Johnny Mask and Sister Wright.
If you remember Bart is the one
that left the church to live his gay life style and has now come back and is on
fire. He is loved by so many. He teaches seminary here and goes over and beyond
on his lessons.
Sister Wright and Sister Smith
just asked him to make little zip lock care packages for the homeless. What is
needed is the toiletries! He said all the stores have their toiletries like
razor blades, little Kleenexes and toothpaste under lock and key because they
are such a luxury for the homeless.
At one time Bart worked for the
actor, comedian Leslie Jordan.
(Who died in a car crash a few months before we got here.)
He loved Leslie and loved being his friend and
assistant. Leslie and Bart had a lot in common with their lifestyle choices. While
Bart worked with Leslie, Leslie would often go to a new church and get
baptized. He would then ask Bart if he thought it took!
After Leslie’s death Bart reached out to Leslie’s sister and finally got permission to let Bart be proxy for
Leslie’s baptism. Bart was thrilled and he said, “Leslie, this time it took”!
Bart has got permission now to do
a lot more of his family's work. Friday Bart and Gudrun will do
the initiatory and the endowments and on Saturday we will ALL get to go
in and do the sealings for Leslie Jordan’s family. Bart says, “I’m still
working for him”. We are all so excited to be part of this work that Bart wants
so badly to do for his good friend.
This week we went out to the Care
Center once again to check on Don’s stuff. Then we visited Don. He looks
thinner and still not quite in his right mind. He said they had tried to put
him in a nut house, but he fought them like crazy.
It sure will be interesting to see what they
have planned for him on Tuesday.
Don says he is going back to that
old Care Center, but the case worker said they won’t take him back.
Don told us
he is homeless. (I wasn’t sure if I should cry or laugh).
Crazy, Crazy!
We have Farci class on Tuesday
and Fridays,
Temple on our own and with Bart
and Gudrun on Saturday,
One more day at least this week at the YMCA
And Zone Conference meal to fix and put on
Thursday.
We were able to order bags for
the YMCA that they so badly needed and Lozenges for Sister Potter which we were
so happy to help them both out.
Our last special time was Sunday
night when we got to attend the,
“New Member
Devotional”. We just love these!
Once a month, a devotional is held at the Visitors Center. They are the last Sunday of the
month, and we just made it for this one.
They always have two speakers who
were recently baptized into the church. They will also have musical numbers by
the missionaries. It is a very spiritual time.
This devotional had a person
speaking who was from our Hollywood 4th ward. What a surprise for us!
We remember him getting baptized
in July when we were here. In fact, Bart baptized him!
This new member is from Turkey.
An older ward member, George and another member from our ward was there with
him. The two talks or testimonies were beautiful.
(George works every Saturday in
the temple so he is one of the people we got to see in the temple on Saturday.
George is from a country that is not on good terms with Turkey but George still
fellowshipped this man.)
It was a special evening!
Then there was a musical number
song by a Senior Missionary.
Our Mission Pres. President Lloyd
Newell has written hundreds of, “Spoken Words” for the Choir but once, years ag,o
he got an idea for a song. It took him a couple of days to get it right then it
took a couple of years for him to ask his friend Mark Wilberg to put it to
music.
This night a Senior Missionary
surprised us all and sang the song titled,
“May We Be More like Thee”!
Pres.
Newell said the choir has song it many times, but it had been a while since he’s
heard it sung. Pres. Newell was so surprised!!!!
Oh what a treat that was as
well…..We will now sign off and hope you are all well. We just wanted to let you know where we were once again and how it is going.
Love you all...
We will leave you with our special picture of the folks or our friends at Christmas time at the YMCA. They are such fun people.
Sister Wright on the left then Bart, then a cute volunteer and our sweet Avi! Just got to love these good people...
