April 26, 2015

Dear Family,

We have just returned from the general session of the Liberty, Missouri Stake conference.  It was held in an outdoor amphitheater in Kearney and was very well attended.  So many of the stake members travel long distances for church meeting.  We left (for instance) at 8:00 this morning and returned home at about 2:00 this afternoon.  The stake president, Jeremiah Joseph Morgan, presided.  He is a highly respected leader, having been converted from the Reorganized L.D.S. faith when he was 18 years old.  He is an attorney and serves as the Assistant Solicitor General for the state of Missouri.  The temple president and his wife spoke also.  She told of a chauffeur who came upon a tragic accident that resulted in the death of an individual.  For the balance of the day he felt an oppressive melancholy that persisted until later that evening as he circled the temple several times in his car (outside the locked fence).  Soon after this experience he was travelling down the same freeway while carrying two Jewish Rabbis.  He asked them if they knew what the building was.  They replied that it was the “Mormon Temple” and that the church had missionaries who could tell him more.  He called them, was taught, baptized, and (more recently) was in the Kansas City Temple participating in proxy baptisms.

The stake has fourteen units and a little over 4800 members, having grown by over 1000 in the last 5 ½ years.  This morning’s session was the first time the entire stake has met at one location in those years.  The setting was beautiful.  Fortunately no rain fell although it was very chilly.  Even the organist had a hooded winter coat and gloves on.  We will try to include a picture or two of the setting.

The entire week was very full of activities.  Saturday began early with a community project in Jameson which lies immediately west of the Adam-ondi-Ahman property.  We helped clean the streets of litter.  With nearly all of the twelve missionary couples participating the job was finished quickly.  We then cleaned up in preparation for the trip to Liberty to attend a Temple session, which was followed by a quick bite to eat and attendance at the Saturday evening Adult Session of Stake Conference.  While at the temple we met one of our former missionaries (during our time in Nevada), and while at the Stake Center a young couple we had met while on assignment at BYU Idaho and, later, a couple (Bishop and Sister Fager) who had moved here recently from the Idaho Falls South Stake.  It was a nice day of reunions.

Another community service in which Marilyn will occasionally participate, is performed at the Seventh Day Adventist’s thrift store.   Wednesday all the volunteers and their husbands were invited to a luncheon and orientation session.  It is similar, in principle, to our Deseret Industries.  They open to the public one day a week but have volunteers accepting donations, sorting, cleaning, and preparing the items for either sale or further donation on other days.  We certainly do not have a monopoly on goodness.  These kind and generous people are doing a tremendous amount of good in their little community.  It was nice to become acquainted with them.

Nearly all other days of the week I was spraying weeds along roadways, pathways, and drainage channels.  I think I have now gone through more than nine gallons of Killzall and 2 4d concentrate.  That amounts to over well over 1,000 gallons of mixed material.  There remain many other areas to spray, not even counting the many acres of mowed grass being invaded with lots of dandelions.  I think it will be a never ending job, as will be Marilyn’s involvement in indexing. 

Often, while about the property, we are approached by visitors who ask directions or other questions.  I believe it was Thursday evening, while cleaning some weeds from two flower beds we are asked to care for this summer, that a couple asked if we were aware of a trailer park nearby where they could spend the night.  We led them to our apartment to find a brochure from Jamesport that we thought might have a suggestion.  This couple was on their way to visit children in Idaho Falls and Rigby.  While on our way we noticed a parked vehicle with a 4B license plate.  As we stopped to say hello a flat tire was noticed on their car and so we offered to return to help.  While visiting (upon our return) we learned that they were the Palmers from Goshen.  He had grown up next door to Grandpa and Grandma Speas in Woodville.  Fifty years ago he had served in the Central American Mission and had visited this place (much less developed) then.  They were so pleasant.  When I said I was sorry for their difficulty, he responded that they had been on the road for over 3700 miles and that this was the first hiccup.  The world is a small place.

Marilyn is busy downloading photos on to her computer as I write this note.  All of the sisters share selected pictures taken to a database from which all can, then, draw.  Perhaps some of these can be shared with you at some time along with those we are taking.  She always keeps busy at projects.  Besides household chores this week she tried some new recipes and made a batch of strawberry jam.  She has spent lots of time on the assignment she received to plan the plantings in all the flower beds that will be planted and cared for by the various sisters.  We celebrated her birthday Monday.  She was sung to by the Sisters, by the Fieldings from St. George (over the phone) and by our family home evening group.  And she was so happy to receive lots of cards and messages and phone calls from family and friends. 

We have appreciated telephone contact with several of you during the week.  Thanks for these, we always are pleased to hear from you.  We are glad that Grandma Wilding is now in her home, and grateful that LaNona has been there to help in the transition.  We wish that we could be of more help; and we appreciate so sincerely all that has and will be done for her by those closer to home. 

This coming week will be (as each has been) very busy.  It appears from the forecast that the weather is going to be nice, with sunshine several days.  We have lots of projects underway.  The greenhouse that we ordered is now in transit.  Hopefully it will arrive Monday or Tuesday.  I don’t know just where its construction lies on the list of priorities.  Some groundwork must be done first, along with lots of mowing, road grading, fence post scrubbing and painting, a large shop door to install, new tile in the public restrooms,  etc., etc..  We can more fully understand why twelve couples are here during the summer months.

We are very grateful for the blessing given to be here.  The surroundings are beautiful and the spirit so very special.  We are hopeful that we can serve faithfully.  And we appreciate all of you and are grateful for your support and encouragement.  Please keep in touch.

Love all of you.

Marilyn & Kevin, Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa

April 19, 2015

Dear Family,

We hope you have all had an enjoyable week.  We have appreciated the telephone contact had with you since being here.  It is nice to keep in touch; always uplifting and encouraging to us.  We are glad that you are doing well.

Arthur sent us a picture by text of his patio blanketed with fresh snow.  We have evidently both experienced unstable weather conditions.  Rain fall came intermittently during our week, which altered our work plans to a certain degree.  It seemed a little warmer on average, and considerably more humid.  Buds on trees and underbrush have really opened up during the last few days.  Everything is so green and fresh in appearance.  New calves and colts follow larger animals in the fields.  All has a sense of refreshing newness.

The acres of lawn which seemed only verdant green are beginning to be spotted with a plentitude of bright yellow flowers and other plants encroaching upon unplanned for territory.  This is going to change my work assignments for some time.  After a little time on a mower Monday morning, my seat assignment was changed from a riding lawn mower to a larger tractor hoisting a large tank sprayer filled with herbicide intended to kill the grass and weeds that were spreading into the graveled roadways.  For the rest of that day and nearly all of Tuesday I stayed with that job, making slow but steady progress.  You can’t travel very fast and coat the weeds with enough poison from the small hand nozzle I was equipped with.

We both were asked to take a break from our assignments Tuesday morning for a brief interview with Elder and Sister Child who had arrived late the evening before.  It was so nice to become better acquainted with them.  During that time together (as well as during all interactions later) they were very kind and pleasant.  After hours we gathered with them and all the assigned missionaries at the work center for a dinner and instruction.  Sister Child quoted President Uchdorf’s teaching about creativity and compassion, using very interesting stories.  Elder Child spoke of some of the history of Adam-ondi-Ahman found in the History of the Church writings.   The sisters had prepared a real feast.  We are certainly well fed by very good cooks.  Unfortunately the bathroom scales are beginning to show ample, but not welcome evidence.  We both need to work on self and portion control.

Tuesday afternoon we all witnessed the big burn of the season.  One eleven acre parcel near the east-end valley overlook remains in native prairie grass and had been left un-bailed.  Winter storms left it matted down.  It was dry enough to burn (with neighboring fields green enough not to) and the wind was coming from the right direction.  All the men were around the perimeter with shovels ready, two water trucks loaded as back-up when two of the Elders started running in opposite directions with torches.  The ladies, director, and the Childs looked on from a safe distance.  All had cameras available to document the event.  Soon the field was in flames.  In less than 6 minutes all the area was blackened to the ground.  The heat was intense and scorched a little of lawn close by which is now beginning to green up again.  The next morning revealed one hollowed out tree that evidently caught a spark which ate away at the core until it topped sometime during the night.  I don’t think one could have ran fast enough to escape such a rapidly progressing rage.

Each day Marilyn is feeling more comfortable with her indexing work.  She looks forward to each new session and has continued working on obituary records.  She has already submitted over 4000 names.  I was amazed at the number of names that are often drawn from each obituary.  Not only is the deceased person’s name recorded but also all whose names are listed as related or associated in any way.  Although her work goes on, regardless of conditions outside, mine is determined by the daily weather conditions.  And so Wednesday, because of the forecast, I moved from the tractor to the trenches, helping Elder Urie extend a drain line from the shoulder of the road to an existing line further out in the field.  It has been interesting to be exposed to different types of work.  I haven’t tried the larger back-hoe yet but did operate the smaller one for a few minutes Wednesday to push the burn pile together a bit better.

Two of the missionaries with whom we work were assigned to lead a Church History tour for the rest of us and the Childs Thursday.  After meeting at our usual morning-prayer meeting, we carpooled first to the site of the preserved cornerstones of the planned but uncompleted Far West Temple. The Spanglers had prepared well, even giving us each printed material to read between stops.  The explanations were very informative and inspiring.  The background material they included set each monument, etc. within a context that brought all alive.  Although we had seen some of the sites before, their explanations were certainly helpful in learning much more.  From Far West we travelled to Liberty Jail for a tour given by the missionaries assigned there.  We gained an even greater appreciation for the Prophet Joseph as we learned how, even within such inhumane and abusive conditions, he maintained the worthiness that brought sweet and powerful revelation and reassurance even when incarcerated.  The Sister Missionary guides spoke of the surroundings as a prison – temple. 

We then visited the monument (also in Liberty, Missouri) erected to remember the eight witness to the Book of Mormon.  While there we heard of non-member families who had permitted Saints to live in their midst when expelled from Jackson county.  I was pleased to have read that one of such families are among our ancestors, who (exposed to the influence of the Saints) were soon impressed, taught and baptized.  The next and final stop of the tour was at the Independence Visitors Center.  This was a choice and tender experience, one enjoyed last fall too but that we will hopefully enjoy with all of you who can come this way.  Elder and Sister Child were then off to the airport for their return to Salt Lake City and the rest to dinner and to needed shopping and the return to our homes.  A great day with great friends.

Friday we were back to normal duties, I to more spraying and Marilyn to her history keeping assignment which is done on Friday mornings.  Men return a bit earlier than usual to the shop, and the ladies to the indexing center, for what is called “Tidy-Friday” for a little deeper cleaning, mopping, etc.  Late that evening we went to each flowerbed to see what plants were needed and what work was needed to get them ready. 

Saturday morning we got up early for a stroll which ended up being a four mile hike.  We saw lots of wildlife and enjoyed beautiful vistas.  Marilyn encouraged me to try to get a close-up photo of a skunk walking ahead of us on the trail which I resisted for understandable reasons.  Farmers are now in the fields all around.  The soil is dark and productive.  Soon crops will begin to emerge and the circle of life resume.  While searching for some hardwood and visiting a greenhouse operation where bedding plants will be purchased we took a side trip that led to a creamery owned by a Mennonite family and through beautiful rolling hills.  We saw many horse-drawn carriages driven by Amish people and others at work hand planting in the fields – all so very picturesque and orderly.

Today we attended church services in the Far West Ward.  We are enjoying getting acquainted with more of the members there.  One of the couple missionaries spoke and we were all advised that soon we may also have a turn at that and to receive callings.  This evening we are invited to a fireside.  The week ahead is very full of activities, culminating next Sunday at a Stake Conference which is to be held at an outdoor amphitheater (weather permitting). 

We miss you all; and we appreciate any and all contact and communication.  Please know of our love and that our prayers include you each morning and evening. 

Until next week.

Love,

Kevin & Marilyn, Mom & Dad, and Grandpa & Grandpa

April 12, 2015

Dear Family,

This past week has been busy for us both.  Daily tasks are assigned, usually dependent on weather conditions, at our morning planning meeting.  Many of the tasks require the involvement of several missionaries.  When operating some equipment (such as chainsaws and the wood splitter) we are required to work in pairs for safety reasons.  And of course, as new as we both are to our assignments, it is nice to be at the side of someone more experienced.

During this morning planning meeting, a hymn is sung and a spiritual thought is presented.  This is a great way to start the day.  The brothers meet separately from the sisters and the meetings are slightly different.  From our room it is easily determined that they have better voices; and I am told that their thoughts are presented with nice handouts and with more discussion.  But both groups are reminded of calendared events and map out their days in a way that brings together resources and talents needed for the tasks at hand.  And we are reminded each day of specific assignments given to us for the day and/or week.

A few days ago a project was started in the field to repair a section of drain pipe.  Rain had delayed its completion, even requiring that the back-hoe be left in the field.  And so Monday, weather now permitting for what seemed a short window, three of us were dispatched to that site to finish the job.  There was about three feet of fairly good topsoil over a gummy plate of clay.  We threw a couple of planks in for footing and then jumped in and went to work.  Soon we were covered with mud and I was off the plank and stuck in the mud.  The two of us would have been actors in a real comedy, me prying under my rubber boot with a shovel and my trench-mate pulling on the top of the boot until he was then stuck also.  But in time the pipe was repaired and the trench filled in, and we were off to a section of fence line removing and replacing rotted fence posts.

Marilyn has, perhaps, a little less variety of tasks.  She spends the mornings in the indexing room.  She is becoming more familiar with the program and procedures.  During the week she found that her work has been monitored and that she had been graded at the 95% level.  I think that is really good.  She also has lots of assignments to prepare food for different events.  We all know how good she is at that; and she is getting lots of practice as we seem to eat along with every event.

At Tuesday morning’s meeting I was assigned to drive to Rosemary Hill Tree Farm to pick up two Redbud trees previously ordered for digging.  It had rained during the night and it was so muddy there too.  But we got the newly harvested and balled trees loaded in the pickup and paid for, and I was on my way back.  I had been asked to stop by Jamesport Lumber also and have a tax form they had submitted be corrected.  It was an Amish establishment with no electric lights (only propane lights with mantles), the bookkeeper away until the next day who had no phone for contact.  Another trip was required to complete the form the following day. 

We read during the week of the customs of these Amish communities.  They are a fine and very strict people.  They do not open their businesses on either Thursdays or Sundays.  Thursdays are reserved for weddings and Sundays for church services which are held in a group settings in alternating members’ homes.  Interestingly they meet only every other Sunday and visit with family and friends the off week.  They are not connected to public grids for electricity or telephone service.  Their properties are orderly and clean.  They are friendly and courteous but do not like photos taken of them.  We have become acquainted with one young father who we hope will visit our home evening to tell us more of their ways.  He will have to be picked up as it takes him too long to get here with his horse and buggy.

I was on the road crew one day, filling gravel into pot holes.  One section of county road goes through the property which the church maintains on a contractual basis for a yearly fee of so much per mile.  Of course, as you will have noted from photographs sent, it is well manicured and lined with painted white posts.  Some of the fence line keeps cattle in, other sections there only for appearance.  We are nearly done with the post replacements and will soon be busy pressure washing each and then repainting when they are dry enough.

During the week lawn mowing began in earnest, with one rainy spell sending me to the woodshed to split and chop wood.  The last three days of the week were spent on a mower.  I was assigned to mow around our fourplex, the area where the General Authorities stay when here, the Missionary Grove, the Pecan Grove, and at the area surrounding the Water Plant and Tornado Shelter.  Each area has lots of trees to maneuver about with plenty of bumps and low spots where one could bog down.  By the end of the week (with all the vibration and tight grip to the controls) my hands were numb and weak.  I will need to toughen up. 

Friday included a picnic sponsored by the Church for the farmers who lease parts of the property.  Marilyn prepared part of the food and I was asked to do some of the grilling.  It was a nice meal; and it was great to meet these hard working people.  They were very pleasant.  There are two general families (with multiple members) who have leases – the Suttons and the Coxes.  Neither knew of any relations in our part of the country.   Later that day our mentors the Whipples travelled with us to St. Joseph for grocery shopping (etc.) and dinner out.  We had a wonderful time with them.

Saturday was spent at household tasks.  Marilyn does much more during the week in that regard and so I try to help on Saturdays.  We built a little stand for a decoration from a piece of walnut scrap found in the discard pile at the shop.  That is hard, slow sanding, wood; very dark.  Several of the men do projects in the wood shop, some using wood grown and kilned on site.  I am looking forward to learning how to use the tools there and join them.  Marilyn is making good friends with the ladies, all are so nice.  Most are good cooks (although none as good as her) and so I think we are going to need to watch our portion sizes and exercise both our will power and our muscles more.  Otherwise we will need two cars for the travel home. 

Part of the shopping included a stop at a craft store to pick up some supplies for Marilyn’s assignment to make cards for birthdays and anniversaries of the missionaries.  She will be at work on the committee of ladies who plan and plant the flower beds around the property too.  And we hope that the greenhouse we are to build will be ordered this week and the ground preparation begun soon for its construction.  We will soon be planting a garden in the plot we prepared too.

We attended the block of meetings in the Far West ward again today and are getting more familiar with some of the members there.  Stake Conference sessions were announced for two weeks from yesterday and today, in Liberty if weather permits as the general session is scheduled for an outside amphitheater.  If it is stormy that session will be transmitted to local meetinghouses. 

The week ahead is very busy, with Elder and Sister Sheldon Childs arriving Monday evening.  It will be nice to become acquainted with them.  We have not met them personally before although I did receive a phone call from him several years ago.  Prior to his calling he was the president of the R.C. Wiley furniture company.  We will have interviews, training meetings, meals and a church history tour with them during the week.

We hope you all have a great week.  We think of you (each and all) often, always with love and appreciation.  Please keep in close touch.

Love,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Marilyn & Kevin

April 4, 2015

Dear Family,

Since the last letter of March 22^nd we have been so very busy with assignments, projects, and activities.  I will try to list, at least, a sampling of them.  If I can get the printer to cooperate and can figure out how to download photos from the computer, perhaps even some photos can be included.  We have had a little trouble trying to figure out technologies without out kids here to help us out.  The printer we had used at home wasn’t working well and so we determined to buy a new one and have it shipped directly here.  After a day or two of use it went crazy too and so the manufacturer shipped another in its place and just asked us to discard the first.  Finally, I hope, we’re set up again.

On Monday the 23^rd of March Elder Joe J. Christensen arrived.  Much of the week’s activities included time with him and with his wife Barbara.  It was nice to be with them again to renew the association enjoyed earlier in the summer.  Tuesday evening we all gathered for a dinner with them at the work center.  After the meal they both spoke, he speaking mostly of the temple.  The next day we were assigned to provide lunch for them at our apartment.  Again, we enjoyed the time with them, visiting for over an hour and a half.  They are very warm, wonderful people.  Thursday was again spent with them during a trip to the temple in Kansas City.  He had requested we arrive with family names that were in need of sealing ordinances.  A question and answer period followed that was very enlightening.  From the temple, we went to a local restaurant for a late lunch; and the Christensens met with Church leaders at the visitor’s center in Independence and were then off to catch a plane back to Salt Lake City.

Friday we were back at our assignments here on the property.  Wednesday had been a work day for us both - Mom at the indexing center and me with all the newly arrived missionaries and Elder Christensen chopping and stacking firewood.  Friday it was more of the same for me.  Elder Nilson (from Hailey) and I were sent to the woodshed again and had a good morning there.  It has been nice to get acquainted with him and all the other men here.  Friday afternoons and Saturdays are left open for personal needs, shopping, etc..  Our directors (and mentors), the Whipples, have taken us under their wings – showing us around the property and neighboring areas.  Over the weekend they spent several hours helping us in that way.  We washed the car and the truck provided (although by the time we travelled over the dusty roads back to the apartment they looked just like they did before. 

Mom attended the General Women”s meeting in Gallatin Saturday night.  I went fishing in a couple of the ponds on the property with some of the other missionaries while she was away.  I didn’t do any catching, just “line untangling”, but a couple of the men hooked some nice bass.  Sunday we were off to Cameron for our first meetings with the Far West Ward that we have been assigned to.  We were surprised at the size of the ward.  People filled both the chapel and a large overflow.  A new Bishop had been sustained the previous week and so the sacrament meeting was devoted to messages from the newly called and their wives.  The entire block was well attended.  It was nice to meet some of the faithful saints here.  We met people from Osgood and Sunnydale who now live in Missouri.

Monday work projects began again.  Mom is doing really well with her indexing – feeling more comfortable with it every day.  She has been assigned to the flower planting committee and to make cards for birthdays and anniversaries.  She is developing fond relationships with all the ladies.  My schedule has included preparing for the building of a greenhouse, visiting a local tree farm with Elder Whipple to arrange for pickup of some trees needed to replace damaged or dead ones here, and (mostly) removing rotted-off fence posts and replacing them.  We painted and sharpened the new ones and then remove staples, pull the old post, and drive in the new one with a backhoe and finally re-stapling.  It has all gone smoothly, with the exception of yesterday when it was too wet from the rainfall to get close enough to many with the machinery.  Monday and Tuesday are to be drier (we hope) to allow getting back to the project.  I walked another mile and a half of fence line to mark bad posts yesterday, but found just a few bad ones.  All in all, I imagine we will replace about 125 or so.  Next big projects are to pressure wash around 4000 other posts and spray-paint them bright white.  Lawns are really greening up now and so the summer will be full with weekly (or more frequent) mowing.  We were all trained on that but yet don’t know who will be assigned to the mowers and tractors.  Weed spraying (it seems) is going to be my responsibility also. 

Twice during the week (Tuesday and Thursday nights) we gathered for study class.  We are now in the 93^rd Section of the Doctrine and Covenants.  Good instructors and lots of discussion – only 20 verses covered so far, along with supporting teachings from the institute manual.  Very interesting.

Today and tomorrow we will be enjoying General Conference sessions.  With the exception of General Priesthood meeting tonight in Gallatin, all other meetings will be transmitted from Salt Lake City to a small chapel here at Adam-ondi-Ahman where we will gather together.  Monday will take us back to a normal week’s schedule.  We will be involved in part of the family home evening as well as providing thoughts in our morning prayer and planning meetings at the work center.  Later in the week we will have a barbeque with the farmers who lease the land.  It will be nice meet them.  And then the next week the other General Authority (Elder Childs) will be here to check up on things and instruct us.  His time here will include a trip back to Kansas City- this time for a tour of Church history sites in that general area.

We are really enjoying this special assignment in a very sacred place.  The spirit is very special here.  A man, originally from Italy but now living in Wales, asked a few questions and then quietly reflected at the overlook of the valley while I was working there.  You could sense the feelings he was experiencing.  Likewise special thoughts came while in the Temple, verifying the truthfulness of the gospel and value of the work proceeding here.

We miss you all a lot, but hope that you are well and happy, and busy in good.  Please keep in touch.  I will try to include a selection of pictures.

Love,

Dad & Mom, Grandpa & Grandma, Kevin & Marilyn