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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A rather remarkable event

Dear Family,
Something rather unusual happened about 2 weeks ago that I am still pondering. I don’t know really how to tell it so you might get the feeling for what happened, so I will just tell it and I guess either you will feel it or you won’t.

I was working at my computer and a couple of missionaries came into the office that were going home the next day. I had spoken with them on the phone about mission car business, but other than that I didn’t know either of them, nor did I know anything about them. At the moment I was completely involved in my computer program (you have probably seen me like that, I become oblivious to anything around me when I am focused on something). One of them walked over to my desk and said “Hello Elder Earl, good to finally meet you” and he sat down in a chair facing me. I awoke from my trance and turned to face him, and immediately tears started to run down my cheeks. I said hello and we talked just very briefly and he got up to take care of his business. I looked down and I had lines of water down my shirt.

Over the past few years I have become much more emotional that before, I think I would cry now if I stepped on an ant. But this was something really different. I have sat across the desk from Thomas S. Monson (many years ago) and just last Wednesday April & I were interviewed by Elder Allen F. Packer in the mission office, and I didn’t “loose it” then. So what happened?

Don’t ask me, I don’t know. Something is very unusual about Elder Northcott.




Here we are at Stake Conference last night.
Did we already say that everything here is GREEN?
Pa

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To Zone Conference and back

Well, we have had quite a week. We traveled across the state and then south to Huntington, West Virginia on Monday evening. The drive was quite an experience. We saw lots of Corn on the way.
You have heard of 8 foot tall corn, maybe even 9, but 12? Click the picture.


In Huntington we held a Zone Conference on Tuesday. We had a visiting authority, Allen F. Packer, son of Boyd K. Packer. His wife came too and they were very good with their training. We inspected all the cars, (since it is a back woods type roads they all drive Chevy Colorado 4 door pickups) and did some safety training too. Then traveled back to Cincinnati and did it all over again for the missionaries in the Cincinnati area. Here are a few pictures of the vehicle inspections. The missionaries are checking tire pressure, measuring tread depth, checking all the fluid levels, checking to cleanliness inside and out, and verifying the cars are waxed. A form gets filled out for each car, and the little short fat guy checks it all out.




This is how we bring the commissary supplies (Books of Mormon, Bibles, DVDs for referrals, etc. to the conferences. There are 20 of these containers, each with what the district ordered, and we haul them in the Van with the seats removed. Taped on the cover is the list of who gets what for that district. Good idea, eh?

Great experience!
More later!
Dad

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Just a Coincidence

August 23, 2009

This is Jane and Jamie Wolf. They are both schoolteachers. Jane teaches second grade, and Jamie is starting her first year of teaching in Tennessee by doing preschool. We just sold Jamie this car and she is really excited! Jane’s husband, John, is an airline pilot for Delta who saw the ad in Craig’s List and checked out the car for his daughter. They are a neat family.



This is the member family, the Nelsons. They live two doors down from the Wolf’s! John Wolf spoke highly of them as neighbors and Jamie went to school with the Nelson daughter who is currently on a mission in Austria. John Wolf was the Nelson girl’s soccer coach a few years ago. We asked the Nelson’s if we could teach the Wolf’s in their home and they were agreeable.

Now, do you think it is just a coincidence that we put the car for sale in Craig’s List and that John Wolf just happened to see the ad and call about it?
DAD.



Mom says,
Last night we went out with the Elders on two appointments. They taught a lesson to David on keeping the 10 Commandments and Kathleen a lesson on temptation.

Two things were greatly different about our lessons last night than from other times we had gone with them.

First the elders shared with us what they planned on teaching: scriptures, lesson plan, etc… and then gave us a chance to read the scriptures and plan out what experiences we would like to share. It was so exciting to be prepared and be able to share things we had read from the Ensign or from the lives of those in the scriptures who had experienced the same things they (David & Kathleen) were going through.

The second remarkable experience was to see how the spirit had been working on both of them. They each had been pondering over things they were reading in the Book of Mormon and Bible and thinking about changes they needed to make in their lives.

Kathleen did great the first couple of days leaving her cigarettes alone then the temptation became so strong she had to smoke a few cigarettes between last Sunday and last night when we visited with her. She voiced her concern that temptation’s power had become stronger in the last week than when she first gave up smoking years ago. She couldn’t understand why it was so hard this time.

The elders read with her scriptures and taught her how the Lord will not allow someone to be temped beyond what they could stand. I shared the story of Jesus being tempted by Satan and how he experienced bodily cravings just like she was going through. You could see the light come on in her eyes. She connected the little voice in her mind telling her to “have just one” to being Satan’s voice. She also said it was getting harder and harder to pray because her mind wandered while saying prayers. I suggested she start praying aloud like Joseph Smith did in the grove.

She had just watched the video of Joseph and she instantly related to what he had gone through. She got excited and said she would. She also gave the closing prayer before we left. What a heart felt prayer. There was no repetitious words or contrite phrases to that prayer. It was straight from a daughter of Heavenly Father asking for his help and expecting through faith to get some. WOW! We all left her home very humbled to be allowed to teach one of Father’s elect.

David was waiting on his front porch for us when we showed up for our appointment. His wife stayed inside. She is not too thrilled about having the elders teach her husband. That is another story.

Anyway, the best is yet to be told. We each took turns reading the 10 commandments and just as all daylight disappeared and we couldn’t see one more word in our scriptures we finished reading about honoring our parents. David said he had been thinking about that commandment for some time and had past issues against his mother. Elder Allred shared something our mission president had taught him. It was new to me and so profound. When I heard it I knew it was true and it brought peace to David’s mind. It is this:

Most people think the commandment: “Honor thy father and mother” means to just do what your parents say and be obedient.

Elder Allred said if a father told his son to steal and the son did that, he would be obedient but no honor would be brought to their name because the son would have broken the law. When someone lives a good virtuous life and raises a righteous family then they honor their parents because they bring honor to their family name.

David just sat there nodding his head because he realized he had brought up 3 very good sons and by doing so had honored his parents. It was amazing to see the Savior’s Atonement bring peace and closure to his mind. He was a happy man after so many years.

Missionary work is a high for sure. We just love these good people. We miss our family and our dear parents but pray we can bring honor to them. Till next time. Love MOM.

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Office work is smoothing out

August 20th 2009

Dear Family,
We noticed this week in the mission office was still very busy but we seemed to remember more steps and we didn’t have that panicky feeling like we were forgetting something.

I have been putting together next year’s calendar and plugging information and meetings into the squares. I color coded a 2010 paper calendar and then transferred all the information onto the computer calendar. When I got done I realized our mission president had a meeting or interview every day of the month. My eyes are opening up to the workings behind a mission and the sacrifices involved. I have a great respect for any president and his wife and family. When our president arrived out in Cincinnati they met the old president and were shown the office and a few things and then the old president and his wife left. They were together for 4 hours. Yikes! And I thought just 2 weeks of training was tight.

Here is the office staff:


Our investigator update:
Kathleen is progressing. She gave up smoking last week and is doing well. She likes attending church and has set her baptism for September. She keeps her purse chuck full of lifesavers and candy for when she gets jittery. Needless to say, it is nice to sit next to her in church. She likes to share with me; maybe I look jittery to her!

Eugene and Trisha are paying tithing, have given up sweet tea, and coke. They are getting closer and closer to setting their baptismal date. Trisha gives me a hug every Sunday and lets me hold her little black-eyed baby boy. He is 6 months old and so cute. I listen to her mommy stories and tell her she is doing a great job because she is! I always tell her I love her and she hugs me and tells me she loves me too. What a sweet little daughter. Her oldest is 5 and entering Kindergarten this year. She is having mixed emotions about letting him go. I think all mothers can relate to that feeling.

David (in his late 50s) came for dinner last Sunday and we had a great time talking about the gospel. His baptism is scheduled for next month.

Linda is a blind sister that faithfully attends church. Her daughter and granddaughter attended with her Sunday. She is quit remarkable. If you say, “Hello, Linda. How are you to day?” She instantly knows you by your voice. She is about 65 and has her baptism scheduled for September.

A cute thing happened in Gospel Essentials Class a few weeks ago. When our instructor asked for a volunteer for prayer your dad waved his arm and said, “Me, me, me!” Then he shared an Idaho story about a family he ate dinner with that had 10 children. The father of the family asked for a volunteer to bless the food and all hands went up at once around the table. Your dad explained to the class he learned that to pray to Heavenly Father was a privilege and we should want to talk to him. Well, every since that Sunday all class members race to have their hands up first. We had a stake visitor this last Sunday probably because he had heard rumors about our incredible Gospel Essentials class and how many investigators we have so he came to see for himself. He was amazed to see the hands shoot up even before our teacher could get the word “volunteer” out of her mouth. It is a fun group for sure. We had 8 investigators Sunday. Wow!

Our cable has been down for the last 3 days so we apologize for not emailing you or if you tried to call and didn’t get us. We should be up and running tonight. If you got this email we are online.

We send our love. MOM

A few snapshots of weird stuff.

Hi All! Everything is going good here. I sold another car today, so that is all till this fall. Now if we can just keep the 44 other ones all working.

Last Sunday we gave an investigator a ride to church and back. After dropping her at her home we went on a search for several inactive members. That took us to New Richmond, and interesting town right on the Ohio river. The river is in a valley so the roads and towns are down in the valley but above flood stage.

Here is a most interesting home on a river front street in New Richmond, a few miles east of Cincinnati. Click on the picture to make it bigger and look at the details, including the street sign. Way cool!


This is a floating cafe (this is not your average cafe) and boat dock/marina. There was live music coming from inside (as opposed to Dead music) but it was pretty different. Sounded maybe Cajun?


Ok, enough of that.

Today was baking day. Here is our pantry with our 30 minute food storage.


Here is what our dishes look like, the matching ones in purple are thanks to Spring! Nothing else matches, but you can eat with it!


Here is what April used as a rolling pin. Works just fine!


Ah, Chicken Pot Pie! YUMMY!



Chaun keeps asking what I am using for tools. This is my tool chest. I can fix most stuff with my assortment of a hitter, a squeezer, and a turner.
Love You!

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