a Brick

Hello Friends!
I saw a news blurb yesterday about a hospital here in Cincinnati that is doing some renovating with donated money. Each person that donates a certain amount of money gets their name on one of the bricks in the new hallway to thank them for their support. Kinda neat, huh? They are getting some good help now.

Today we saw a somewhat similar crisis wherein an Elder’s wisdom teeth came in suddenly with a vengeance. The surgery has been on hold pending scheduling and he has been in big pain. He found out today that insurance will not cover the first $800.00 so we called his parents but they have no money. The doctor was about to put off the scheduled surgery. The mission doesn’t have any funding available for such expenses. President made a call to the home Stake President, who gave President his Visa Card number and said he would cover it. I bet nobody ever finds out about it. I wonder where his brick is?

We send our Love,

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A Major SCARE!

I have a funny story for you this week. The other night late two of our young sister missionaries call Elder Earl.

“Elder Earl, Elder Earl, we saw a mouse in our apartment. What shall we do?”

In typical dad-like fashion he told them, “Well, you could stand on a chair and scream.”

They replied, “We all ready did that!!!!”

We had a big laugh. He then told them they had scared the poor mouse enough for one night and to go to bed. The mouse wouldn’t harm them.

He instructed them to call the landlord in the morning and they would contact an exterminator and take care of the problem. They did and the problem was solved.

I though about the event for a while and then decided to ask Spring to draw a funny card of the sister’s standing on a chair so I could give the card to the sisters as a remembrance of this funny event. Spring created a great card and I wanted to share her talent with you.

Way cute!

The ward here has a Fall Harvest celebration the week before Halloween including food, fun, and games. It starts out with a Trunk Or Treat in the parking lot that has become pretty big with about 150 kids coming through, many of them non-members.

Sister Vandemeer is a very outgoing member in the area who involves every person she meets in a discussion about the church! She told us the other day that our Halloween goodies for Trunk Or Treat should be something out of the ordinary. She says that we should ensure that when the kids go home and dump out their loot, it needs to be obvious what came from the Mormons.

We struggled to come up with an "Original Idea." It was PAINFUL! Finally after much tribulation we hit an idea. We printed messages on 150 Avery mailing labels, colored the happy faces with highlighter, and ordered 5 pounds of mini Necco candy wafers.

We are making Chili and a Pie for the food contests. Mormons are indeed yummy and fun.

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Dear Ali, Marisa, Ben, Jaden, Grant, Makenna, Hyrum, Hannah, Nate the Great, Cristine, Brooklyn, Tanner Man, Sierra, and Miles:

Grandpa and I would like to share a busy two days with you. They include another baptism in our ward! I will tell you a little more about it in a minute.

Friday: went pretty smoothly in the office. President Robbins and his wife just left for Washington DC for a conference with other mission presidents. They are going to be instructed by one of the twelve apostles. President Robbins asked Grandpa and me to handle emergencies while they are gone for 4 days.

We planned on getting a jump on the crowd at the stores by getting our groceries right after work but the sister missionaries needed us to go with them to teach a family. The mother was supposed to still be in the hospital so the sisters wouldn’t be able to keep their appointment without us since just the dad and children would be there, so we went along.

As it happened the mom had just got out of the hospital and was there for the lesson. Both parents wanted to learn so badly. The mom read much in the New Testament while in the hospital. The dad had been reading his Book of Mormon. We had a good lesson and the dad asked lots of great questions. Asking questions is a good thing! That is how we all learn. One of his good questions was,” If Lehi was a prophet and God talked to him and gave him instructions for his family, why did God also give him a Liahona?” Pretty good question, huh?

Afterwards we ran to the store and got our errands done. We spent Friday night doing laundry, scrubbing our apartment down, and cooking because we wanted to go hiking on Saturday.

Saturday: morning we got up early, studied our scriptures, and got ready for the day. At 10:00 the office elders showed up and we all went down by the Ohio River and hiked the rolling hills in a Nature Preserve. (I think they were preserving all the poison oak and ivy for the east coast).

Grampa said it was a Hard Hike!




We had a great time looking at all the interesting plants and trees dressed in their autumn colors. We found tons of wild mushrooms/fungus looking things on trees. We took lots of pictures for you. Grandpa and I stayed out of the water and obeyed the mission rules. We are trying to be good.

We then drove to a city up north to find some baptismal clothes for a lady who was getting baptized that night. Saturday evening we attended Linda’s baptism. She is the blind lady the elders have been teaching. She was so happy and couldn’t thank everyone enough for caring about her. Here in Ohio there are more grownups getting baptized than 8 year-old kids.

We had Eugene and Trisia’s family at the baptism and also the new family we had taught with the sisters. Another set of missionaries brought their investigators along too. All of the investigators wanted to witness a baptism because there are going to be baptized soon. The spirit was very strong and I am sure they felt it.

We headed home and changed into our comfortable clothes to settle down for the night and just relax and read. We no sooner had changed than the phone rang and the assistants (the elders that work directly with the mission president) called and said, “Do you remember, you are going out with us tonight?” NOPE! So we said, “O-Ya! We will be right there!” So we threw on our church clothes and met them at a recent convert’s home.

Stephanie has been a member for about 4 months and is struggling with being the only member of her family. Her kids hate going to church and her husband just leaves her for weeks at a time without saying a word. Crazy!

The elders’ lesson was on being consistent with reading your scriptures and praying everyday for God’s help in your life. The elders wanted us to be there to share our testimony of never giving up. As we talked to Stephanie it reminded me of sitting down with one of my daughters and just listening. Listening to her concerns and just saying, “You are doing just fine! You can do this!” Then giving her a hug and a few suggestions on parenting.

How we love these people! We are all the same everywhere. We need to be taught of God and his plan for us, practice living the commandments, stub our toe trying, have someone pick us up and give us a hug and say, “Try, try again. You can do this.” Then cheer for us when we do well because we need friends that care in this life.

Grandpa and I love you all so much. We miss playing with you and getting your great hugs, but Heavenly Father needs us to help little families here that are struggling and don’t have a knowledge of God in their lives or parents or grandparents in their children’s lives. Heavenly Father needs us here for a season. Always remember you are the best grand children and your mom and dad are the best children in the world. We are proud of all the good choices you make and the incredible youth are becoming.

Love each other and look for ways to obey Heavenly Father and your parents and give service to your brothers and sisters and especially your mom and dad.

Love you all,

Grandma April and Grandpa Scott

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2 New Things I Learned this week

October 3, 2009

Dear Family,

This past week I learned about “Enduring to the end” and “How to teach like the Savior.”

Friday an older gentleman came into the office looking for the referral secretary. He had names of several nurses he wanted the missionaries to contact and teach.

This man’s wife had had a terminal illness and the nurses from hospice had cared for his wife up till the end. He said during his wife’s illness he had taught the nurses many things from the Book of Mormon and told them he was going to send them a copy of their own to read. That was why he was seeking the missionaries’ help.

Your dad had a delightful visit with him and then asked him when his wife had passed away. The man replied, “Wednesday. I came here Thursday but no one was here.” Here this sweet grandpa was out thinking of others and furthering the Lord’s work when he had just gone through such personal loss two days before—Amazing! He is a true example of enduring to the end. Not just making it through one crisis after another, but putting the Lord first and being out and about doing good. A truly amazing man!

This last week we had 3 Zone Conferences in East Cincinnati, South Cincinnati, and West Virginia. We decided to get up early and drive to West Virginia instead of staying overnight in a hotel like last time. We had not reckoned on all the ground fog so travel was a little stressful with the winding roads. When we crossed the Ohio River bridges you could only see white clouds below—no water.

In West Virginia the elders drive pickups because the roads are so bad. There are lots of dirt roads and potholes. We had Dr. Aldous from the church come and speak on health habits that will keep you well and he answered many questions.

The mission president had the elders bring sack lunches so the doctor could judge if they were eating good food. The majority of the elders passed. It was a real good test. The training at the conferences was very good, and dad got to show his new video he made of the sacred grove. Here it is in tiny form.

I am not sure I have mentioned our Gospel Essential Class? Our instructor, Sister Skinner, is a convert of 20 years and is a fireball. She has such a way of making everyone feel welcome and explains the gospel so simply. She radiates excitement and love for the Lord and living the gospel.

She loves to tease the missionaries and knows everyone’s name by the end of class and can remember the names clear till the following week—amazing. We meet in a large classroom but it still isn’t big enough. We are wall-to-wall bodies. Everyone loves the class. With an instructor like her you have no fear of bring investigators to class. I guess what I learn from her example is that I need to stick to the gospel basics when I teach, live worthy of the Holy Ghost’s influence so he can teach through me, and show my sincere love for everyone no matter their station in life.

Your dad and I love being missionaries and serving the Lord in this part of his vineyard. We love seeing how the gospel changes lives for the better. We miss you all more than you can imagine, but feel peace knowing our family will be blessed to the third and forth generation if we are valiant. Watch out for each other and follow the prophet’s counsel and then you will be safe and prepared for what life throws at you. We are so grateful for “you all.” Thanks again for email, pictures, and phone calls. You are the ray of light at the end of a busy day.

Love ya,

MOM and DAD

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Blame it on the Rain, yeah yeah

Blame it on the rain that was falling, falling

Blame it on the stars that didn’t shine that night

Whatever you do don't put the blame on you

Blame it on the rain, yeah yeah

Hey, when it rains in Ohio, IT RAINS! None of this piffle piffle stuff, it DUMPS! We have been taking our umbrella this week. Even going from the car to the door, you can get drenched. Here is what the rain pattern looks like right now. This one just missed us.

The whole area is designed to handle the rains, thus the roads have high crowns to let the rain run off to the sides. Then instead of shoulders on the roads, there are deep ditches to take the water. Great for runoff, but what do you do if you have car trouble or a flat tire? There is absolutely no place to go to get off the road. Thus when driving through the dense woods (which means almost all the time) you must be constantly ready to hit the brakes as you top the next hill since there might be stopped cars just on the other side. Whoa!

The mission president has a deep dense wooded area right behind his home. There is a wire fence around the yard. His wife, Sister Robbins, told us that sometimes when it rains the box turtles come into the backyard for grass, and when going back into the forest they sometimes get stuck in the fence and she has to liberate them. We asked her if they were one hinge or two hinge box turtles. She was puzzled. We explained that box turtles have either one hinge on their lower carapace (shell) which has a flexible attachment to the upper shell, or they have two hinges about an inch apart. In either case, the shell can be completely closed at both the front and the back to keep predators from getting at them. She said she would check next time. We figured it probably wouldn’t happen again, but she sent us these pictures this week.

Ta-Dah! Single hinge! Big turtle too and REALLY colorful. How Cool!

More later!

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Obey All TEN Commandments?

If you asked anyone who is not a member of the church if they keep the 10 commandments, they would most likely tell you that yes, they do. They would not be lying or even stretching the truth. They would think to themselves, “Well, I don’t kill people, I haven’t robbed a bank, I don’t practice adultery, I think I am a good person, so, yes I think I keep the 10 commandments.” If asked about the Sabbath day, they would say, well I haven’t really thought about it, but I go to church, so I guess I do.” Isn’t it interesting what the world has done to the age-old commandment to actually keep the Sabbath Day Holy. Even as members we sometimes get caught up in watching sports on TV or other such seemingly innocent practices that, if we really put them to the test, don’t measure up.

So now imagine how an investigator is surprised when they are told the true meaning of the Sabbath day, how the Lord set it apart and “Hallowed it.”

This week we got to help teach the Sabbath Day to the special little family we keep talking about. As we came to each thing we should or shouldn’t do it was amazing to see them accept each principle. He asked “Can I mow the Lawn?” “The Elders asked, “What do you think?” He replied, “Well, I would say No.” He had the same reply to each thing that came up. When he realized that we should not purchase on the Sabbath since it causes others to work, “in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle…” he said now he understood why he never sees church members in the restaurant where he works on Sunday.

Then he said this. “Boy, you guys are Brutal. That’s good, that’s the way I like it, cut straight to the chase.” Then they accepted the commitment to obey the Sabbath Day from this time forth, just like that.

Wow, I don’t know about you, but I need to be so much more like these investigators. I guess you might say, “…and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”

That’s all I really learned this week. Hey! That’s a BUNCH! Hope I can do it!
We sure do love and miss you all!

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Day Life vs Night Life

The picture is our Day Life. Then the video clip (actually a sound clip) tells you about our Night Life!

The missionaries have an inner sense that tells them when they are going to be split up with a transfer. That will happen next week, so today was our last District Meeting together. We took a few pictures after our training sessions and everyone is both excited and apprehensive at the same time. We know we are not going anywhere, but Changes Are Coming.


Click Here to enlarge the missionaries in our District







Click here to hear the Night Life!

A Red Letter Day

Dear Family & Friends,

It has been a very pleasant week in the Ohio. The temperatures are lower and you can smell fall in the air. The leaves here start to turn when we have a few mornings in a row in the low 60’s. They don’t need a frost to start turning like they do at home. We were driving to work and noticed several trees; half of one side was turning yellow and the other side was solid green. Interesting for sure.

We had an incredible thunder and lighting storm last week. It sounded just like someone was out side your front door banging on a piece of sheet metal as hard as they could several times in a row. The booms when the lighting would hit just shook our apartment. This lasted from early evening throughout the night. Heavy rain followed by the buckets full. Pretty exciting.

Yesterday our investigator, David, was baptized. We had such a good turnout of ward members supporting him. He gave such a sincere and sweet testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon afterwards. Our good Bishop told David he now had another family, a ward family. You could see how pleased David was.
The sister missionaries tracted David out and started teaching him. After he attended church a couple times, they found out his house was in a different ward boundary, so they turned him over to the Elders.
Elders Swensen and Allred did most of his teaching and used members and us too to get him involved in the ward.

Something new I learned this week (from a talk at the baptism) I would like to share with you. The speaker read from Ephesians 1:13-14 where Peter is telling the saints the Lord has bought them. We belong to him and can return to him if we keep the commandments and serve others. The “earnest money” Christ put down on us is the gift of the Holy Ghost he has given each of us at baptism. The speaker likened the earnest money to “earnest money” you put down on a house when you are interested in buying one. He completes the purchase when we return, cleansed, to live with him forever. To think we have such a loving older brother who keeps his word; it gives one hope to keep trying and never give up.

We have been watching our little investigator family struggling for some time now. They are a golden couple and love everything they learn. The commandments are no problem. Their struggle has been with Eugene’s mother and her “new husband” that moved in and set up their tent in their back yard — literally. The mom was evicted out of her home and didn’t know where to go so they moved in with Eugene and Trisia. They couldn’t move into their house because Eugene’s two sisters were already living with them. It is a long story! Let’s just say Eugene has a heart of gold and family and friends flock to him for stability.

Once the parents set up camp in the backyard things started getting complicated. Every day the mom and “her husband” would search the Internet looking for anti-Mormon information to read to them. So here is Eugene and Trisia holding FHE with the missionaries and us and being taught the gospel and the mom throws garbage on them right after we leave. Well it all came to a head the other night when they were very unkind to Trisia’s 6 yr. old son and Trisia kicked them out of the house. Eugene came home and was thrilled. After a few days of living in a campground the mom went back to Trisia and said she couldn’t live in a campground and they really didn’t mean what they said. She just wanted Trisia to teach her little boy to stay out of their way and give them space. Trisia with all her 4 foot 10 inches stood up to her mother-in-law and said, “No!” Like Grammpa Alma used to say, “You made your bed, you sleep in it!”

As Trisia was telling me about it a thought came to me that this had been a real blessing in disguise. Because the parents opposed them like they did, it caused Eugene and Trisia to realize that they wanted a better way of life for their family and the gospel of Jesus Christ was the way. Amazing how Heavenly Father can turn a sticky situation into a positive learning experience for good!

Keep Trisia and Eugene in your prayers. You would like this couple. I feel like I have another son and daughter.

We send our love and keep you all in our prayers and hearts.
Mom & Dad

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Wow, The "Fry" family!

Dear Family,

I don’t remember if I told you about the elders and sisters in our mission. They love to teach! When they prepare an investigator for baptism they teach them up to the waters of baptism and then turn the investigator over to a ward member to do the baptism.

The missionaries take different ward members with them the whole time they are teaching so the investigator is surrounded by future friends in the ward that have common interests. The “newly baptized member” will be surrounded by friends long after the missionary is transferred or goes home. One of the new friends will have baptized him or her. What a remarkable way to involve the members in the lives of their new friends!

It is amazing to see how humble the sisters/elders are and how they are so focused on teaching the investigators about Christ and his restored gospel.

Last night we went and visited the "Fry" family, one of the families Dad sold a car to. They live on a tree-covered hill with a view of a forest and an airport in the distant. What a beautiful place. But then Ohio is completely tree covered with rolling hills and at the bottom of all hills is a dry gulch except when it rains.

We were a little bit timid about how to proceed but we had faith in Heavenly Father that he would help us; we just needed to open our mouths. We had a wonderful time. Arthur and Ann were so friendly and open about learning. Arthur knew quite a bit about the Mormon faith due to visiting Temple Square along time ago. What a memory he had of lots of the details. He even has his own Book of Mormon. When your dad explained that the new/old testaments are witnesses of Jesus Christ and that the Book of Mormon is another Witness of Christ, you could see Arthur really perk up. Your dad went on to explain we don’t take anything away from what they already have, we just add to it. We then explained the people in the Book of Mormon were Israelites from Jerusalem that came across the ocean to the Americas. The family divided and one group became wicked and rejected their faith and the other group remained faithful to God. There was fighting back and forth for many years and then the Savior appears to them shortly after his crucifixion and resurrection. The Book of Mormon records the visit of Christ and what he taught them, Christ’s selecting of 12 apostles and establishing his church over here in America, what he taught the people including the sermon on the mount, and his blessing the children. Arthur said he had no idea that was what the book was about. He wanted a book for his daughter so we gave him one. He wanted to know where the visit of Christ was in the book. Your dad turned right to the spot and Arthur put his thumb in the book and didn’t take it out the rest of our visit. You could tell he really wanted to read it. We committed him to reading and told him we would check back to answer questions and hear what his thoughts were. Both agreed and want us to visit again. Yahoo! We will return and report.

The rest of last night we went around and visited ward member and got acquainted. We have lots of young couples where the husbands are doing internships in Cincinnati hospitals. They are a real strength to the ward. They hold a lot of the leadership positions and bring excitement and commitment to the Lord with them. The Ohio members love them.

Your dad and I are laughing right now because he runs the mouse while I type. He corrects my spelling and grammar while I compose my thoughts. We are practicing teamwork when in the future we both only have one arm apiece that works and we need to type a letter to our children. Ha Ha


Here is the Roush Family (Trisia, Eugene & baby Tracin). We were invited to join them for their 2nd FHE with the elders. The Roushs had the game, elders the lesson, and us the refreshment. The game was a hit! Everyone had a plate and straw. We rolled dice and if you got a double you got to suck an M&M up and put it on your plate. You could keep going until someone else rolled a double. It was wild. We were all kneeling around their coffee table going as fast as we could. Those with good lungpower could really collect the M&Ms. Needless to say the girls didn’t do as well as the boys but we all had a great laugh. They had learned the game from the family that had invited them to FHE the week before. They loved teaching us the game. It was so cute.

Eugene announced he was attending church this coming week. We asked how he got time off of work. He said he just told his boss he wasn’t going to be there Sunday. The boss asked why and he said because he was taking his family to church. We all applauded. They are doing so well. We can see them in white now!





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