I Love the Mountains: Sharing Paper (and Non Paper) Connections

Last Monday, we made 15 loaves of homemade whole wheat bread to share with neighbors and four exiting elders on day before Change Day (actually only three exited.) The fourth missionary was joined by two more in a tiny nearby duplex. I loved what I found on their walls when we visited.

Also, they laughed at our toilet paper story:

A companion couple at the missionary training center, the Hallidays, shared with us a story about one of Sister Halliday’s brothers. I have a scribbled list of several missions her brother and his wife had served, from Indonesia, Singapore, Germany, Russiam (Moscow, Kiev) and Utah, when they were between missions abroad. (Who’s counting, he says? No one counts your church callings!) Sister Halliday told us every time it was time for her brother to go on another mission, he would get a kidney stone. (Painful, but something impossible to ignore.)

So, last Sunday, returning home from Sacramento, shotgun copilot to our driver got a right leg charley horse cramp. Upon drinking ginger water, then stopping to walk off the cramp (yes, nicer than a kidney stone!) we noticed we had detoured to an area twenty minutes north of our home, where a member family lived, that would not be easy to visit on a normal day. Pay attention to your detours. Some might be fortuitous.

After meeting a neighbor, seeing a grown palm tree he had planted from seedling, we met father to a family, who shared the story of his hope to raise a family away from city hustle and bustle, and teach values to his children. As we started to exit, I remembered having traveled over 90 minutes, wondering if we could employ their humble home as a rest stop. Yes.

During this time, our new friend brought Val into the animal yard, to meet Hitler kitten (last post) and we met every one of the children and his wife, who expressed interest in piano lessons. (For which, by the way, instruction materials came Saturday! We rejoice and have started encouraging youth and their parents in strengthening finger numbers four and five, drumming those fingers on the table: “one, two, three, four, five, four, five, four, five, four, three, two one!”)

Our mission policy is to spell out all acronyms, except one: TSP, standing for Truthful, Specific, Positive: A truthful, specific, positive, to share with this special family was to admire the glitter cement on the floor of their bathroom sink, and the ample paper (compared to Central American style, which is very narrow). As we began to leave, the family wanted to share with me a roll. It is from Costco—we have plenty…let us share! When we share, we feel love! Of course, we graciously accepted (and appreciate the memory) with a smile. Guatemala office missionaries remember that Sister Starkey is never averse to using any type of paper to record middle of the night, great thoughts (per President Nelson, write them down!)

Tuesday's typing up a Sacramento Sunday and practicing, to polish rusty fingers and organ shoes, brought us to Wednesday, where I got an overdue haircut from a sweet beautician who just lost her father. We cried together. And I shall celebrate my dad's upcoming birthday all week!

One of our duties is to visit members in their homes. Upon looking for one nearly next door, we met Charlotte and her happy four legged companion,

reminding us with porch ornaments, where our treasure is:

Later, after preparing an application to enter Patterson’s June Apricot Fiesta, we visited our church’s Wheat Farm in Crows Landing and visited with the current manager (and our neighboring congregation’s new leader, a native of Eastern Utah, cowboy.)

A race is on to prepare...Four working days! Sister Morphy, assistant director to the Regional Coordinating Council for Public Affairs for our church, shared her encouragement to simply "get out there" to be with our neighbors, to be who they are, to love them.

Praying for hearts to be invited to learn more about Who’s your Grandpa?