It is so nice to receive your phone
calls, letters, & texts. We look forward to hearing from you each week
and of the various activities you are involved in. School is out!!! I bet the kiddos are excited for summer
vacation!
We have had a busy week with our usual assignments. Kevin was moving lawns when it wasn’t raining
and chopping wood when it rained. He
figures they have over 100 cords of wood chopped and stacked in the wood
shed. Most of this wood is used for needy
families in the area, and to heat the shop at the Work Center in the winter.
I worked on weeding the garden and flower beds at
Tower
Hill. Kevin bought me a pair of high
Rubber boots to protect me from the chiggers, wood ticks, snakes, rabbits, etc, etc,
I love them!
I have been indexing obituaries, but mostly school and photo
lists this past week. It is so
interesting to read the obituaries. A
coupe of quotes from ones I indexed: “She was a lady, not that she was
standoffish, but always appropriate.” Another one was from a wife of a Pastor,
she wrote: “ He asked for Corn Bread and I fixed it, he asked for Popcorn and I
popped it, he wanted Ice Cream with Chocolate topping and I scooped it. I knew the end was near.”
This last weekend we traveled to the Kanesville
Tabernacle where Brigham Young was sustained as the second President of the
church. While there we saw members of
the General R.S., Primary, and Young Women Presidency, got hugs, hand shakes
and visited them for a few minutes. We
then went on to the Winter Quarters Visitor’s Center. It was so nice to feel
the spirit that is there and see the many displays.
Kevin was able to find a map showing
where some of his ancestors had lived as well as the ancestors of Elder
Whipple, the director of AOA, (our
mentor and my shopping buddy). Kevin was
so happy to know those relatives may have been acquainted so we had to take a
picture (Reminded me of the Missionary Board at the MTC.
I was so blessed to have a wonderful “tender
mercy”. Amanda Brower, a girl that worked for us at Sunnyside Gardens for three
summers (as well as her father after returning from his mission, her mother,
and now her little sister) was called to serve a mission at the Winter Quarters
Visitors Center as well as surrounding areas.
Last September when we were visiting at
Winter Quarters she was not working so I left her a note. I had a little prayer in my heart that I
would get to see her this time. We went
in and she was not scheduled to work until the next afternoon at 3:00 p.m. We were going to the temple the next morning
and leaving at noon to drive home so I knew I wouldn’t get to see her. I felt sooooo disappointed, but again left
her another note. Kevin was in the
Visitor’s Center looking up some of his ancestors and I went outside. Everyone except another couple had gone over
to the temple grounds to look around and who should come up but Sister
Brower!!! (She is the one in the purple)
She
had been to a Zone meeting and was dropping some sisters off. While in the parking lot she saw a car with
an 8B license plate and decided to go in the building and see if it were
someone from I.F. she knew. If we had
not driven, she would not have seen the
license plate; if I had been at the
temple grounds with the other missionaries, a few mins. later, etc. etc. etc. Sister Brower is a wonderful
missionary. You can just feel her sweet
spirit and love for the gospel. Totally a tender mercy I was so thankful
for. I felt my Heavenly Father had
answered my simple prayer.
After dinner that evening we drove to see
the Bronze Statues at the downtown City Park.
Statues surround a whole block that are 1 ½ time actual size of Wagon Trains, Pioneers,
Buffalo, etc. Kevin got a little too
close to one of the Buffalo…..
After attending a temple session Saturday
morning, and a little shopping in St. Joseph we returned back to AOA.
This
afternoon we have had two siren warnings for heavy rains and flooding this
evening. The farmers have been hoping
for the last few weeks to get their Soy Beans planted. If the Soy Beans are not planted by the 15th
the farmers are not covered by their flood insurance.
In R.S. today they talked about Sis.
Reeves ( from the General R.S. presidency) message last evening to the sisters
in Kansas City. She said, “Slow down and
listen to the spirit. Don’t be driven
by your agenda, but by the spirit. When you don’t feel like your prayers are
getting answered, look around and count your blessings. Life never goes according to our plans. The Lord has his own timetable. We are strengthened by our trials. Sometimes Plan B gets us to Plan A”.
I know the gospel is true. Our Heavenly Fathers loves us and is in
charge of his Eternal Plan!
We love you and pray for you each day. Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Kevin,
Marilyn, Dad, Mom, Grandma & Grandpa
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