Gifts, big and small

Last Friday a man called to see if we still had some cars for sale. He told us of a family with two of their children on missions, the daughter in Peru. The mother was driving the daughter's car for some reason and there was an accident and the car was totaled. The mother felt terrible about ruining the daughter's car which the daughter intended taking to college when she comes home from her mission.

Today that man came into the office with a check for one of our mission cars. There were two cars in the parking lot and before we went out to look at them and decide which one to choose, he asked if we could have a prayer. The prayer he offered to ask the Lord that we make the decision that would help that family the most was a short but humble/thankful prayer that left tears in our eyes. We went out and looked over the cars and came back in and did some fancy paperwork shuffling. On Thursday night he will deliver the car to the family's driveway with a Merry Christmas note inside. They will never be able to find out who gave them the car.

Big wonderful gifts are a rare thing, and that's okay. Most people don't really need a big gift, they need someone who will be their friend and will listen to them and offer support and love. We just need to do our tiny part and that will usually be enough. One thing for sure however. Thinking about doing something won't help. As the hymn says, "Wake up and Do something more..."

This car reminds me to "Wake Up."

We love you!

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Santa or Jesus?

Our Good Friend took an internet comparison of Santa to Jesus and revised it to fit the truths of the restored Gospel. We thought this message might help you have the Spirit of Christ throughout the Christmas Season.

Santa lives at the North Pole, Jesus lives with our father in heaven.

Santa rides on a sleigh, Jesus walked on water.

Santa comes once a year, Jesus can be in our lives every day.

Santa comes down your chimney, Jesus lovingly stands at your door knocks, and enters your heart when he is invited.

Santa has you wait in line, Jesus is right there with you always.

Santa asks your name, Jesus knew your name before you were born, He knows your history and future, He knows your daily struggles.

Santa has a belly-bowl full of jelly, Jesus has a heart full of love.

Santa offers you a toy, Jesus offers salvation and eternal life.

Santa says, “you better not cry,” Jesus encircles you in the arms of his tender care while you are crying.

Santa's helpers make toys, Jesus’ helpers make themselves available to help others spiritually.

Santa puts your gifts under a tree once a year, Jesus’ atonement is our gift, He died for us on a cross made from a tree.

Santa wants you to believe in him, Jesus wants you to believe Him.

Santa is not real, he does not make us promises, Jesus and his promises are very real, they bring true joy.

Jesus Christ, our Savior and the Redeemer of the world, will bring us unimaginable blessings if we but:

Have Faith in Him

Repent

Be Baptized by immersion for the remission of sins

Receive the Holy Ghost

Keep his commandments

Endure to the end

Amish Countryside

Yesterday the office Elders asked us to go with them about an hour away to an Amish store, so they could buy cinnamon rolls. They are not to use a mission car for outings, so we got to drive our car. It was fun to get out into the country a little ways to where things open up a bit.

The Amish farm was a huge going business, with separate buildings for the furniture, bulk foods, and bakery. The buildings all had skylights for natural lighting and gas lamps for light when the sun is not out (since they avoid electricity as much as they can). There was a windmill for electricity for running such things as the cash registers and Visa credit card readers.

We tried to talk to an Amish girl at the checkout counter, but she either didn’t know what to say or was instructed not to visit.

At church today we both got to substitute for classes where a teacher was absent, but we knew about it yesterday so it was not a total surprise. We had the Rousch family over for Dinner after church and it was very good. We discussed Patriarchal blessings, which they had not heard of before. That discussion led to our heritage of pioneers who came across the plains in wagons and handcarts. They thought that was a Big Deal. You know what? It is!

Brother Rousch received the Priesthood last week, so he was on the stand today to help bless the Sacrament. BOY, He looked GOOD sitting up there! What a special little family. Javis Rousch, who is 5, now has a special bond with Elder Earl because they both have clip-on ties. His eyes were HUGE when he saw that!

Elder Earl is starting to pull in the cars we are going to sell. It is quite a bit of work to get them ready. We have an appointment tonight with a recent convert family so we better get going.

We Sure Love you all!

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Preparation Day Adventure

Extracts from my Journal:

This morning after I cleaned out the cave the creature said we (there’s that word again) need to go to Wally’s Cave for things we are out of. I didn’t note I was out of anything, everything I need is in the ice box. I go there regularly and everything I need is there. Some meat, some eggs, an occasional vegetable, a drink of cow nectar, life is good. She says if it were not for her, the ice box would go empty. That makes no sense. There will always be more. That’s what “more” means.

So off we go (that word again). She makes lists of things she needs and I am supposed to go find some of them. She keeps the list however, so I have to find her often to see what is on the list. I seem to get distracted somehow, maybe it is all the pretty colors and containers. I find the body powder but I am standing a few feet away talking to missionaries, on the portable talk thing, who have a flat tire. She has located a cave worker who brings her to the body powder section and she thanks the cave worker, picks up two containers of the stuff and walks away. I think it is odd since I have a push-along thing to place items in and I think she should put them in the push thing, but off she goes, all the same.

When I finish giving the missionaries instructions, I get going again, but she is not to be found. Not a problem, since I remember that an item on the list is socks. I head for the sock area, but find some nice clip-on ties along the way. They are pretty. I put some in the push-along thingie. When I find the socks, there are too many. There should just be black and white, boys and girls, but NO there are TONS of socks, some a short, some are long, some are colored, some are almost clear and have your underpants connected to them! I stand there a long time, and my portable talk thing rings. I answer, and it is she. She wonders where I am. That’s dumb, I’m right by the next thing on the list, Socks. Turns out she was by the next next thing on the list, a squeegee, waiting for me to show up. I don’t remember THAT on the list.

She takes me to the area with meats. I like that area. She puts some in the push-along and when the push-along starts to get pretty heavy, we go to the front of the cave where the cave worker is who pretends to be friendly and takes my money. That seems rude, but we leave and go back to our cave and she puts the cold meats in the top of the ice box where things get EXtra Cold. Says whey will keep there longer. Well of course they will. They get hard in there and you can’t eat them! We will have to go back to the Wally’s Cave again soon I fear.

Extracts from Her Journal:

Saturday! I like Saturdays. It feels good to clean our apartment and get organized for the week. Scottie and I sit down at breakfast and plan out our grocery list and what errands we need to get done. I throw another batch of laundry in the washing machine and we are out the door.

Once inside Eastgate’s Wally’s World we find they have placed items in different locations than Ammon’s Wally’s World, but no problem. I ask a nice checker for assistance. I encourage Scottie to stay put and I will be back in a moment. This should save his aching feet from doing any extra walking. I am such a thoughtful wife!

The nice checker finds what I need. I grab two, one for storage, one for now and I rush back to Scottie so as not to keep him waiting. No Scottie! I look and look and back track and then say to my self, “Self, where is that man?” He gets distracted so easily and hates to wait. He has no idea how fast I am and he doesn’t know the meaning of “waiting for a woman.” I try to imagine how a man’s mind works and it leads me to think of three places he could be. Tools, electronics, and food. He is not in the tools, electronics is out of the question for another year and that leads me to food. I wander around aimlessly for a long time and now MY feet are hurting.

I am ready to call store security when I remember my cell phone. I call and a cute little voice answers, “ Where are you?” Duh!!**!! I reply sweetly, “Looking for you sweetheart.”

I find him lost in the sock section smiling shyly. He can’t seem to find the soft warm fuzzy socks he likes best. We locate his favorite socks just to the left of his hip.

We gather the last of our supplies, making sure the whole time to keep Scottie in front of me so as not to lose him again. Memories of shopping with 2 year old twins spring into my head at this point.

As we drive home I make a mental note not to forget to put treats in my purse for next Saturday. I really must get that man out more often. Sometimes I worry he lives in the dark ages.

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I Changed My Mind

As you go along through life, sometimes you change your mind about this or that on account of experiences. Sometimes it is a fairly major experience that changes your mind, but more often you accumulate small experiences and they cause you to reflect—and voila, you now have a new opinion. Too bad no one wants to hear it, eh?

So, a few weeks ago we went with the Sister Missionaries to teach a family. The father was ahead of the mother in terms of being ready for baptism. When the Sister Missionaries told us a few weeks later they had scheduled a baptism for the father and the son but not the mother yet, I sorta felt maybe they should wait and do it all together. Well, I was wrong wrong wrong. (I am getting used to that.) We went to the baptism and it was great. After the baptism, the mother went up to the Sister Missionaries, and said, “Okay, that was it. Now I know.” Tomorrow evening we are going to HER baptism. She was waiting for some kind of a witness, and she got it at her husband and son’s baptism. If they had waited for her to be ready, they would still be waiting.

We have been sick for a solid week and did not dare go around other people for fear it might be contagious. We worked at the office in the evenings or during zone conference days so no one would be there, and we disinfected behind us as we worked. We didn’t go out and teach or visit in the evenings so it was pretty boring. Now we are feeling better and we are happy to get back to a busier schedule. As Suzanne would say, we have been strengthened a bit by the tempering process.

A few days ago we drove a few miles to Edington Mound. It is a leftover from the Adena and Hopewell Cultures who lived in the area between 1000 B.C. and 400 A.D. Interesting dates, eh? The mound is 133 ft Diameter and 16’ high. It was much steeper sided and higher before it eroded for 2000 years. Neat place.

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A Pretty Covered Bridge

There is a covered bridge here in Cleremont County, OH. It was built back in 1878. We plugged in the GPS coordinates and found it yesterday. It looks pretty neat, but what caught my attention was the structural design of the bridge.

It is a 12 panel Howe Truss spanning 140 feet. Howe patented this truss design in 1840, which consists of crossed wooden members with vertical iron rods. You can see it pretty clearly here. At first I was surprised that the members are mostly in compression. A steel bridge truss has most members in tension. Then as I thought about the joints, it made sense. Joints of wood in tension will pull apart, whereas in compression, the joints are held together. The vertical iron rods hold things tight and seem to be the only components in tension.

Click the pictures to make them BIG!

As you drive across the bridge (one car at a time) cars approaching the other end honk to let you know they are in your way since they stop right in the middle of the narrow road right at the entrance and you can't get past them until they back up.

Here the creeks are called Licks and Runs instead of Creeks. I have no idea why.

We sure love you all!

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God Bless the little ones.

A small girl, about 7 years old, went to the stand today during Fast and Testimony meeting and said, (as best I can remember)

“Last Sunday I was outside picking up some nuts that had fallen. I think it is like everyone in the whole world, people who make mistakes and sin and fall down on the ground. Then Jesus comes along and scoops them up if they repent and makes it all better. We talked this out and we decided it is like a squirrel who gathers the nuts and makes them His. I just wanted to tell you about it, in the name of Jesus, Amen.”

Well, you get a talk like that once in a lifetime or so, but then at the very end of the meeting a man went up front with a questioning look on his face since it was time for the meeting to end. He looked at the Bishop and got a very warm encouraging smile, so he came on up, but then found he couldn’t speak. He stood there, then shuffled around, started to return to his seat, then came back, looked at the bishop again, stammered a couple words, and stopped. Then a little girl of about 5 years, his daughter, came up on the stand and stood next to him and held his hand, and just stood smiling at him. Then he could start. He thanked the ward for their support. He petted the little girl’s head as he calmly explained that for the past few weeks their little newborn had struggled and finally died the day before yesterday. He explained that they had been praying for the wrong thing, that the baby would be healed. They were at peace and the Lord was at the helm. He calmly thanked the ward for their support and, closing in the name of Christ, returned to his seat. This man is an investigator, not yet a member.

The faith of the children can accomplish miracles. These are the ones that Christ tarried with when he visited the Nephites of old, and He will do it again when He returns. Maybe we can learn to be more like these children if we really try hard. Neither of the above events could have happened if children were discouraged from getting up in our Fast and Testimony meetings and telling us what they feel.

God Bless the little ones.

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Autumn Leaves

Dear family,

After church last week we took a drive out in the countryside to see all the changing colors and visit a few ward members. We found a really great High Councilman and had a good visit with him. He gave us some grand ideas of who would make good fellowshippers for our recent converts. He had been a member of the ward a long time and knew everyone and their circumstances. At our missionary correlation meeting Thursday we made these suggestions and our mission leader loved it. It sure helps to put heads together instead of working on your own limited brainpower.

Click any of these to make them bigger.

Here is a movie clip going up a steep hill onto a rare open place.

At our office staff meeting Scott and Pres. Robbins were discussing all the driving problems we were having with the missionaries. The church has made some really great instructional driving movies for training in the mission field but none of them addressed our problems. Pres. said, “Maybe you will have to make your own film.” DUH!?!! So Saturday Scott wrote, directed, and burned a video using the assistants simulating our driving problems. It turned out great. We will use it at zone conference in two weeks. Problem solved!

Saturday night the Eastgate Ward held a baptism for four individuals. Two of them were the father and son we had once helped the sisters teach. What a beautiful testimony Jesse, the father, gave. It was very short but powerful. He told how his wife asked him, “Why this church?” He responded, “ Because of a scripture I read. By their fruits ye shall know them.” He said he didn’t understand all things but because of the friendship and concerns for him and his family by total strangers he knew this was the Lord’s church. He stated that he had seen many churches speak of their beliefs, but not many that actually practiced them. He was so taken back to be invited into someone’s home for Sunday dinner one of the first times they came to church. Oh—the power of opening our homes and extending a hand of friendship. The teachings of Christ are so simple and powerful.

This coming week will be a full week for sure. We have four new missionaries arriving Monday and two going home on Wednesday.

Thanks for all your fun Halloween pictures and emails. We sure love you all and pray for your health and safety. Be good kids and invite someone to dinner and share your testimony with them.

Love, ma and pa

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A Great Baptism!

Last night Eugene and Trisha Rousch were baptized. It was the most special thing I think I ever saw. I don't have words to describe it. I can't think how to start.

Members who have been involved in teaching the family conducted the meeting, gave the talks, and performed the baptism and will do the confirming on Sunday. The missionaries were so willing to just be there and to witness the special event. The main talk was by Br. Skidmore, a local type guy in relaxed attire who was nervous enough that he wrote his talk and read it. He had helped teach the Rouschs and they really like him. I think he was reading his talk mostly to keep from getting emotional. It didn't work. He had to stop a couple times, like when describing how the Atonement makes it so that Christ enters your life and changes you. His talk was excellent, right from the scriptures and full of simple yet profound doctrine.

After the baptism, two of the sister missionaries played an amazing piano and violin version of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." It was perfect. Then Br. and Sister Rousch bore their testimonies. This is the part I can't put into words. Sitting in the audience were Br. Rousch's sister, mother, and stepfather as well as Sister Rousch's brother, some of whom have been opposed to their baptism right from the start and had been bringing anti-Mormon articles to them. Eugene spoke right to them and told them of how he and his family were committed to doing the right thing. He spoke of how pure the message is, how pure the missionaries are, how pure the gospel is. He was very emotional, but not so much in a teary way. He was bold and strong and told how he really felt about finding the true Church of Jesus Christ, all the while struggling to keep his composure. He was exceptional! His beautiful wife just beamed at him. When she took her turn she was so thankful to all who have helped and taught them. She was struggling a little too to keep in control but did great. I am telling you, you would have guessed they had been members for years.

All the while their 6 year old, Javis, was watching and wondering, and little 9 month old Tracin was beaming and smiling at everyone as if to say, "Thank You for helping my family be together forever!"

The Relief Society president welcomed Trisha into that organization, and the Elder's Quorum president did the same for Eugene. The bishop said there wasn't much left to say, so he said just a little.

I am reminded of several of the Book of Mormon prophets who said they couldn't record on the gold plates what they really felt, and that is sure the case here.

What a special ordinance for a very special family.

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He is in the Details?

We first met Esteban at the church where a friend was being baptized. We don’t see him often because he is in the other ward. We did meet him on two other occasions, one time we talked with him (with the sisters interpreting) about his life and interests as we were waiting outside the church for a meeting. Although we didn’t understand the words, we could tell he was a pretty special man. Turns out that Esteban has been taught by the sister missionaries for the past 7 months and is an amazing humble fellow. He appears to be about 50 years old, but his hard life in the outdoors makes it hard to tell. He left Mexico many years ago to try to make a better life for himself. He came alone, and never married. In his loneliness he began drinking and this has been his obstacle in getting ready for baptism.

As the sisters were teaching him, his roommate became interested, and it is this roommate whose baptism we attended two weeks ago. Esteban gradually turned a new leaf. He changed his habits and started learning to read and change his life style. Finally this week Esteban was ready. He had left his crutch and his old life behind him. Much like King Lamoni's father who said, "O God…wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee….”

On Wednesday evening Esteban met with the district leader at the church and had his baptismal interview. It went well and Esteban was very happy that he was going to be baptized on Friday.

Yesterday, Thursday, Esteban was walking past a store when a woman in the parking lot missed her brake and hit the gas instead, going up onto the sidewalk and smashing into Esteban and pushing him through the plate glass window. His leg was crushed and he lost most of his blood. They life-flighted him to the hospital but he has not regained consciousness and is not expected to live.

The ward mission leader (a previous mission president) and the bishop gave him a blessing last night of forgiveness of his sins on behalf of the church and thus sealing him up.

The Lord has such interesting ways of fulfilling his promises He made to us as He sent us here to this earth. He is in the details of our lives, oh if we only recognized it. God bless Esteban.

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