Chasing "Grandpa"

In my “blast from the past” baking 

My cooking entertainment--fun childhood jabber from cassette tapes

I laughed to hear my brother and cousin quip “Hey chicky-wicky, how ‘bout a date?”

We have learned from the younger missionaries that President Palmer is religious about date night.

We are working at it. Last Monday, a creative, handsome husband followed missionary suggestions to meander a few miles to Frank Raines Regional Park.  

Along the way, I noticed that grasses seem to have been sheered along the mountainsides.  Still wondering if and why and how that happens.   

I traveled Tuesday, to Turlock, a larger neighboring town, with our branch family history specialist to receive training from our stake.  In a short period of time, Sister Bjarnason had helped Hermana Melendez connect ancestry "dots" to the late 1600s, with maybe six generations.  Martha’s mother and sister had input some of the names, but many were on the Catholic registries (that this year has collaborated with FamilySearch in making public, records from parishes and churches dotting villages and towns throughout Mexico, Europe, United States and everywhere.) Young, talented fingers have indexed and reduced laborious microfilm searching to a few computer keystrokes.  If you do indexing, we love you!!

And by your good fruits, we are learning who we are!

Sometimes, we wonder!

The time was uplifting and useful in preparing me to teach others to experiment with FamilySearch on their phones (tablets, computers...)  She also invited us to share that LDS FamilySearch centers offer use of Ancestry premium subscription  free of charge.   We learned about getting past User name and password issues, and reviewed tips with record hints (top right) on the FamilySearch screen to find and attach sources to individual family members.  

Amid Fiesta preparations we spent time in Patterson, Grayson and Vernalis, visiting active and less active families.  The son of our last week’s friend (who shared their Costco treasure) introduced us to his bobtail truck he drives as a business (occupation popular in this area.) He also explained to us about the planting of trees.  In this area, farmers plant spacious fields of almonds, apricots and nectarines, as this “California Central Valley” produces a good portion of the country’s fruits, vegetables and nuts. 

Bean Bag throws
before becoming "Grandpa/Grandma"

Before and after District meeting, Thursday, Sister Westmoreland met with us to share supportive materials, which Friday, I decorated after scouring clipart sites to find ideas to disguise the game.

After

(How will they come to the booth without something to draw them?) 

Sister Melendez offered old-fashioned cloth to zip around for our tablecloth and helped nieces and nephews create a family tree.

Saturday's  Fiesta: 

(written by Val): “The Apricot Festival had an interesting feel.  It was clean, well-organized, and moderately attended.  The Crows Landing Branch and Ward sponsored a booth extolling the importance of the Family and finding our ancestors.  We think it added a positive twist to a 48-year tradition. We were pleased to help a little and conversed with a number of individuals and families about the excitement of finding their ancestors.”

  

 

Sunday, we found a neighbor home we had tried all week to see.  Heaven does open doors.  We just have to be out and walking…A fun experience, on our Sunday walk, we passed a yard that had just been replanted (ours has many big spots, concerning to handsome husband.)  In receiving grass seed, we also were laden with cherries, garlic, and two aloe plants.  (Ask, and ye shall receive!)

We loved the talk from President and Sister Nelson to the youth:  the field is white.

We made promises before we came.  What will we do today to keep them?

"They will be my people. I will be their God."  (Ezekiel 37:27)

We began temple preparation classes with young adult sister A., who readies for a mission.  

We appreciate things we learn in our time with missionaries: 

Elder R.  taught us last week in district meeting that one of the best ways to become a better person and allow “the Lord to be our God” would be making and keeping promises. 

Elder H.  taught about a time in his life when he was feeling very far away.  As he was laying on his bed one night, a still small voice whispered, “Read your scriptures.  You will feel better.”  He did, and he did (feel better.)

The next night, the same thing happened.

And again.

Soon, he was led to open the Book of Mormon.  And make better choices.  Now, he is helping others make better choices.  He is one of our leaders. 

Elder R. reminded us we are looking forward to Elder Cooke coming in nearly two weeks for a stake conference. 

The sisters, a threesome, beam!  One is from Kaysville!  One, from Utah, has two different color of eyes.  Another plays the piano proficiently.  A Turlock Elder likes piano.  Another likes leather working.  

We also appreciate our visits with branch members, neighbors, and others.

 Did you know:

 

 We have met been welcomed by Chiuahuas and met Thomas the Tank.  

And sung along with four-year-old children a favorite song:  

Don't forget it!!

​A P.S.

 I am dedicating this letter to Uncle Johnny Custer, husband to my mother's sister, who passed away yesterday morning.  Invariable, after sending out a family letter, 
I would hear encouraging words from Uncle Johnny.

Sympathy, love and appreciation to Aunt Aloma, to her siblings who traveled thousands of miles to celebrate Aloma & Johnny's 50th wedding anniversary last month.

  We love you, Aloma.  Prayers and love to your family, missing a wonderful, joyous light!

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?  Got ideas?  Send yours our way (how to spark joy in climbing a family tree!) 

More Monday…Celebrating messages with and without paper!!

Love,

The Starkeys

P.S. Note from Dad/Val:

We received a new assignment to teach about the temple, and a

desire to care for eternal family relationships.  We are excited to do that in this branch.  Some understand, many do not.

Won't You Be Our Neighbor? (Patterson Style)

By their fruits ye shall know them!  

Happy Monday! We met our month mark last week.  Our kind and interested neighbor at home in Spencer Ward, then daughter number six, asked this week,  “What is it that you DO?”

 

The couple (in another area) returning home this month said that her training came in a literal blink of an eye.  No training.  Be creative!  She joined a quilting group.  Another couple near Yosemite National Park volunteers with reading in elementary schools.  They teach classes, visit members, encourage local leaders. 

  (In case you are interested, there are only about 225 knitting days until Christmas--and this was Tuesday!)

Upon our arrival, and throughout the past few weeks, our first priority was to greet and meet as many of the branch leaders and families as possible.  Interspersed, have been Sunday meetings, Thursday district meetings, invitation for dinners with a Relief Society president and the Branch President along with a three-zone meeting and new missionary training, where our mission president, President Brent Palmer shared some of the precious time he is carefully allocating upon the reorganization of three missions (Sacramento, Modesto, Fresno) to two missions (Sacramento, Fresno.)

Our house is located in the south western area of the Modesto mission.  Thus, California Fresno, with President Bart. P. MacKay, will be our assigned mission beginning July 2018.

Since focus for the past four weeks has been a Mister Rogers style event (“Won’t you Be my Neighbor?”) I will share a bit about some of our neighbors:

Around the little house where we hang our hats, through home-made bread, Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego (no sugar) cookies and muffins, we are meeting interesting, likeable families:

A director of surgical nursing. A server at a semi-local restaurant.

Electrician for Google and other hi-tech Bay area companies. 

An insurance provider to high risk motorcycle and race car drivers, a couple of workers at Fed-Ex and Amazon-like company (several large complexes of this sort here,) a few stay at home moms, one stay at home dad, hamburger plant manager, a city clerk at a Bay Area city (commuting daily three to four hours) concrete and construction manager and internet installer, trombone player—are a few neighbors we have met.

Also a nice "fix-it-guy," former emergency medical technician, who answered our question, "Do you have a mechanic you trust?" with

“Well, when I wake up in the morning, sometimes I don’t trust myself!”  (Joke translated:  I do all my car work!) 

In the Crows Landing Spanish branch we work to serve and support we are learning to know and appreciate:

The owner of a nut growing company, master of nursing student, dog groomer, handy man, driver of farm machinery, three tow truck drivers, a friendly cook’s helper, crop gathering assistants, repairer of swimming pools, painter, construction manager, mobile 3D mammogram technician, retired apartment manager, gas station attendant, dairy driver, worker and manager of our Church’s nearby Patterson West side wheat and alfalfa farm, and left offense select soccer player. 

In the process, as documented in last week’s letter, we have met rabbits, goats, ducks, dogs and kittens.

Who let the cat out of the bag?

Saturday, Val and I 

joined in Love Turlock, a neighboring city, to help groom Chatom Middle School playground.   

My favorite part was painting the fire hydrant bright…also feeling energy of young people sprucing up their campus.  

And Val, in addition to preparing a curb to paint, enjoyed career talk with a young future aerospace engineer.

                        

Last Tuesday, we scoured our city to gather ideas from nearby community and senior centers. 

Still wondering whether to sign up as readers on Dr. Seuss night, callers for Spanish bingo, or  swim instructors!  (What would YOU do?)

Received a go ahead to organize music instruction in Crows Landing Branch--challenging with rewards.  Laurene is holding a happy heart with caution.  Prayers invited to directly assemble and organize materials, minds and music!

Dad’s addition:

“Two highlights of last week:  we were given permission to leave the mission and attend our nephew Michael Sorensen’s, ordination and setting apart to serve as counselor in his new ward.  

So, I had the privilege of ordaining him a high priest.  We also were able to attend the Sacramento temple—beautiful, peaceful, a place we love to be and treasure!

Another miracle from Val:

"My tablet battery apparently died this week.  Is it worth a change?  Change can be good--also hard.  What does one expect after 5 years of use? The screen went black…. Charging did not work…. Reading online brought 2 ideas to the table… They did not work… So looking at YouTube--I can do this! And $17 and 5 days later… Wow! In our personal mail box….. a small package.  The next day I opened it and proceeded to remove and replace, with a very small screw driver, and quite a bit of difficulty, removing the battery connector, replacing the battery.  More difficulty replacing the connector….I tried it.   Ugh!  Nothing…. Maybe it is more than the battery?  But exercising more faith unto experimenting again…disconnect…then reconnect.  This time I tried it, before fully assembling the housing…it worked!  That was worth the effort, the time, the $17.  I learned once more:  If at first you don't succeed, TRY, TRY AGAIN.

(I hope Laurene shows the mug of Hitler, the cute cat, who we met at Ignacio’s house.)

Won't YOU be our neighbor???