Hello Everybody,
Summer
vacation is a misnomer with missionaries including senior ones! We
believe this summer was more busy and thus went a lot faster than last
year. And today is the calm before the storm as we look at our calendar
for the next 4 weeks. We're wondering how to fit it all in to the days
we have left and in our old people speed, but it will all work out. We
expect you all are feeling the same way with school starting and life
flying by. School starting again? How can it be that we've missed
Krispy Kreeme and chocolate milk for the first day of school two years
in a row?! Maybe we'll find another reason to bring them over if we can
remember where the Krispy Kreme shop is! So anyway, you've all been in
our thoughts this week as lots of new and challenging things are
happening and we know Heavenly Father listens to our prayers when we ask
for His blessings to be with you. And He'll listen to yours!!
So here's our week.....and maybe a contemplation on each event:
1.
Monday missionary transfer breakfast. Six missionaries and us (mostly 6
elders and sisters) went through 3 lbs. of bacon, two dozen scrambled
eggs, a billion waffles, hash browns, a gallon of chocolate milk and
most of the same of OJ. Breakfast is one thing that's pretty lacking in
the missionary diet and they love eating! We think it's not only a
time to nourish them physically but emotionally as well. They feel like
our grandkids and we have to be careful not to spoil them beyond
missionary guidelines. So, after breakfast I went over to do laundry
and when I came back two hours later, they were still there......just
chillin' with Elder Jolley. It was P-day so it was legal!
2.
CES training in Owego with the Seminary teachers.....oh they are good!
They love their students, they love teaching gospel principles, they
don't love early mornings just like their kids but they do it because
their service blesses the lives of these kids who come usually at 6:00
a.m.. and they love those sometimes grumpy teenagers!
3.
Transfer Day....our official goodbye to the mission as we will be on
the road for the next transfer meeting. We were so fortunate in that
many of "our" missionaries that we've worked with and loved over the
last almost 18 months were there either being transferred, a couple
going home, or just there to help drive. They all want to have a mini
missionary reunion in our back yard or basement someday. We tell them
that once they get home and life moves on, they won't even remember who
we are. Love these faithful, hardworking, brave young people!
4.
Last summer institute and Teachings of the Living Prophets. How can it
be that we learn more than our students!? We're starting a new course
from the Cornerstone series of lessons called Foundations of the
Restored Gospel.....it's 28 classes from lesson 1 "A Marvelous Work and a
Wonder" to lesson 28 "Preparing for the Second Coming" and everything
in-between....such as The Vision and the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
After we quite teaching we plan on finishing out the lessons ourselves.
5.
Temple trip.....just us! Needed the peace and strength that comes from
the temple to have the physical and mental energy to make it through
these last few weeks. We will miss our wanderings through the Sacred
Grove which is always a part of our temple trips no matter what we come
for or who we bring. And.....here's an exciting experience from our
drive home from the temple. We planned to drive through Auburn (sort of
on the way) to see if we could track down a family that Grandpa Lyon
knew as a young missionary there in 1943. This family was called "the
glue of the Church gang" because the Church and the missionary work
revolved around the help and service of the Durfee family. We had a
name and an address but that was all and the address proved to not be
the right one. Ah technology.....a couple of quick phone calls,
tracking down someone who found someone else who told us where to go but
warned us that the only remaining Durfee family member here in New York
had left the Church and was very anti-Mormon and could easily be
offensive. We knocked on the door, waited, knocked on the door, waited,
etc. etc. and finally a cute little lady answered the door and I
introduced myself and who I was in relation to Grandpa and she said
excitedly "Oh I remember Elder Lyon!" Imagine that! She was 15 years
old when Grandpa was there and she still remembered him! Anyway, we had
a great visit and took pictures of us and her and took pictures of her
family pictures she had hanging on the wall. We met her husband who was
in England the same time Grandpa was there in World War II. In fact,
he was the mechanic that worked on the B-17's that Grandpa flew in.
They're active, practicing Catholics but for a few minutes the
connection between missionaries and members over 72 years ago came back
around full circle and it was GOOD!
Well,
three more of these letters and then we'll have to figure out something
else to do on Sunday afternoon! Maybe we'll write backwards to our
friends here, especially Charley and Tom and Olga and Ceasar and Janina
and Keeley and Bonnie and Hector and Monica and Leonard and the Browns
and theTuros and the Swigerts and all the great people here in Ithaca
from the ward and branch and other places all over this part of upstate
New York that we love.
But.....in
odd moments, we sense an anticipation....almost a "Christmas is nearly
here" feeling and we know that when it's time to leave, it will be time
to leave and come be with you all and do the things we've so much missed
being part of these last 17 months. Gotta be careful not to get
"trunky!"
Love you all! Be good this week!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment