Thursday, July 5, 2018
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
The Keeper of the Gate--the Lord of the Harvest
As our amazing “double mint” granddaughters are learning to become
mobile, and every day we ponder about which “walls” we will work to transcend,
I am studying an article from Brigham Young University our daughter K.
sent us about moving forward:
"We may think that
we or some other mortal opens the necessary doors to our future, but this
conclusion is an error: We ourselves do not open these doors; only the Lord
does. We give him our obedience, our diligence, our cooperation, but he opens
and closes the doors. We can only make right choices; he controls the
consequences of our choices…
…But even though
someone in authority thinks he opens doors, there is really only one Keeper of
the Gate (see 2 Nephi 9:41)."
One gate closed Saturday evening at midnight. Our Modesto mission is reorganized and we presently serve in what they call the California Fresno mission. All the missionaries who have worked with us in our district (and southern half of the Modesto mission) continue to work with us. Northern districts and zones are reorganized in more northern mission.
 |
| Goodbye to Modesto mission office |
In the process of the change, our president deployed seven missionaries,
with furniture from closing an apartment from a departing senior couple. We will miss friendly faces we have
come to appreciate and love! This couple has showered us with blankets, extra sheets, and wonderful things like rubber bands, rubber
maid, hot pads, muffin tins, thumb tacks and clothes, and cloth bags. Friday felt like Christmas—new furniture--happy new tools!
Last Tuesday to celebrate a twenty-fifth anniversary, I posted
pictures remembering part of them.
Upon arriving at a piano lesson later that evening, friends and
class members entered toting chocolate chip ice cream in gallon tub, Oreo
cookie cake, sparkling cider with goblets, and red helium balloon saying “I Love
You!”
As lights flash, an unabashed participant counsels his posterity--you can do this too,
every 25 years!
Notwithstanding it being after 6 p.m. and the ingredients being as fore stated, we humbly partook, smiles glowing, camera flashing, grateful for years, friends, and beautiful moments to remember! Sunday brought a surprise, when we arrived to find new friends and old that brought themselves,
tripling sparse numbers from former “domingos.” (Sunday in Spanish is spelled like dominoes...perhaps when one comes, everything falls into place!) Convivio (with life!) is another word for potluck or "Linger Longer."
Like palms on Las Palmas Avenue, it is inspiring to be welcomed!
This came on the heels of Sunday past, celebrating with
a family of one of our piano class students, a remarkable Young Women in Excellence. Praise is due for progress!
A motivated grandpa proposed for our date this Monday that we investigate water places to invite grandchildren (if we find it--they will come!)
We rejoice in acknowledging heaven’s hand helping us to see good fruits everywhere
(as we approach melon and peach and fig season!)
and recognize that in truth,
the field is white and ready to harvest… 
as hearts (including ours) are preparing to be touched daily.
Grateful to find good fruit!
Happy Independence Day!
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Twenty-five and Counting!
Dear family and dear friends—
Happy 25 to “mi amor y yo--” my love and I--(this is a treasured Spanish nickname of endearment—especially for spouse--Sister Duarte, our Honduranian friend explained to me that her husband is “mis cielos” or “my Heavens”--this could be why my companion is so tall!)
Twenty-five years ago,
we walked together through doors to entered beautiful stone walls of a more than 100 year old Logan Utah temple—where my parents, grandparents, sister and daughter chose to be married.
Now, as then, we appreciate parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, and friends who help us celebrate and work daily to remember that some things last. A quarter of a century and more!!
Since then, we have had amazing adventures with friends near and far...
loving seven children, and watching more light be welcomed to our circle!
And then MORE and more!!
Saturday, this week, one of our sweet students, wife to a counselor in our branch presidency, drove with me to Turlock and spent two hours inputting names of her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents into FamilySearch. With this information she was able to print out seven cards to bring with us to the temple on our upcoming monthly temple trip to the Sacramento temple. 
Because he was newly sustained in April’s conference, in our stake conference he was accompanied by Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the quorum of the Twelve apostles—as a training experience for Elder Carpenter, but a great privilege for the people of our stake, as in a church of over 3,000 stakes in a worldwide church of over 16 million, apostles usually only visit large regional gatherings transmitted via satellite to surrounding groups.
These meetings, June 16th and 17th provided a much more intimate, one on one setting, with question and answer sessions about a new means of “ministering” one to another--to allow leaders more time for their families and one on one time with youth.
The proceedings were rich, with lovely organ preludes, a stake choir, and tender musical numbers. Elder Cook shared a poignant testimony of the Savior, with encouragement for each of us to build Zion--peace in our hearts and in our homes, by remembering plain and simple things—kind words, prayers, time for family in gathering weekly in our homes and chapels, remembering Him on the Sabbath day, and seeking to know the Lord better through carving out time to study and to serve.
I appreciated a message from a departing president’s counselor—Remember who you are, counsel, and live in the present! Our “present” this past week included training for “mis cielos” as a new branch mission leader, an appreciated branch council, and a special visit to thank the previous leader who served for 12 years! We were blessed to receive apricots and plums (and other good fruits) from piano students who are blossoming in preparing music for a talent show to be held August 11th. We are looking forward a “convivio” (potluck) this coming Sunday, and celebrating a wonderful blessing of meeting three families we have not encountered before, with talents that we have been missing! Thank you for being part of our twenty-five years and counting. We love you!
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