Sunday, June 28, 2009
Stake Conference--A new Stake Presidency
We had our semi annual stake conference last night and this morning. It was sooo good and the Spirit was very strong. We received a new Stake President this morning also. Presidents Doyle Batt, and David Lyman and Robert Fulks had been in for nine years. Heber Andrus was sustained as President with Greg Manwaring and Robert Kite as his counselors. They have all been bishops. President Andrus served as a counselor to Gary Miekle when he was the president. They will be very good for they are spiritual and humble men. Elder Douglas Callister and Elder J. Craig Rowe were the Seventies who presided and called the new presidency in behalf of the Lord. They gave such good talks both last evening and this morning. Elder Callister told us that after picking up their son from his mission in Eastern Canada, they stopped in Upstate New York to see a prominent attorney and his family (Elder Callister was also an attorney by trade) who was a good friend and colleague. They had a meal with them. The wife reminded her husband that Brother Callister was a religious man was used to saying a prayer on the food before eating and asked if it would be all right if he did it then. The friend who was a staunch Jew told Elder Callister and his family that he would permit it but would not permit the name of Jesus to be uttered in their Jewish house. I was sitting there wondering how he would close it. He said that he said a nice blessing then closed it in “the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Amen” One of his children leaned over to him and whispered, “You did it, Dad!” We all had a nice chuckle over that. He also reminded us of what we committed to do as we raised our hands to the square and sustained this new presidency. He gave many examples from his service he and his family have done all over the world. He didn’t use a note at all. He’s a very humble and spiritual man. I could feel it while he was talking as well as when I shook his hand afterwards. He thanked me for my service as he noticed and read my name tag. It made me feel very humble and I almost got emotional then. It was a very good meeting.
The FHC yesterday
I had an experience at the FHC yesterday. Altho’ it has been closed this last week and will be the next week for deep cleaning, Elder Lyon gave permission for a family to hold some of their family reunion there. We were asked to go in as volunteers to help with it. we were asked to be there by 9:00. After we had stood around for more than 30 minutes we found that the people weren’t even going to be coming until after 10:00. Anyway, I started helping a woman who was looking for her grandfather after he divorced her grandmother. She said that he just dropped out of site. We looked on census, and ancestry.com family tree and everywhere else we could think of. After we had worked for about an hour and half or so looking of him, the only census we found him on was before the divorce, she asked a question about the ordinance work for her great-grand parents. She said she had checked FamilySearch.org and couldn’t find anything. So logged into new.FamilySearch.org and searched for him. He was there; his work had been done. She wanted to know who had done it. I went to FamilyTree in the labs.familysearch.org site. It just showed the dates and the temples that the work had been done in. It had nothing else. Sometimes it does. She asked me to check on her brother who had died four years ago. She had explained that her brother’s wife altho’ a member herself, was adamant about their son not being baptized and stated that she had had permission from her brother to do his work for him before he died. Anyway, since I was still in FamilyTree I just went to new Search and typed in his information. When I pulled up his folder and scrolled down it showed that his work had been done last year in the Columbia River Temple. She loudly exclaimed, “I’m so angry!!!” as she hit the desk with her hands that others wondered what was going on. After she stated two or three that she was soo angry, she started to just sob loudly as she was swearing, two or three different swear words, very loudly. I know everyone else was wondering what was going on. Fortunately, most of the people with the family reunion had left. (as I tho’t about it later, I’m even sure she was with those people because she didn’t interact with any of them. She seemed to just notice that the center was open so came in). She sobbed and sobbed. All of this was very loud. She said she wanted a copy of the work printed off. So I tried to do that. I was only able to get page one. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get page two. Brother Killian was there and had sat down at the computer on my right side, she was on my left, and tried to find out who had done the work. He has “support” powers so could find out things I couldn’t. He still wasn’t able to find out who had done it but he was able to print the page two. The woman apologized to me for swearing and explained that since her brother had given her permission to have his work done after he died, that she was going to approach the wife and hopefully she would say to do the son’s work too since he had died a couple of years ago. We couldn’t find any record of the son on the program which means none of his work had been done or we would have been able to find him. She stated that someone had ruined her family! She paid her dime for the printouts and left. I felt really drained. It reminded me of when I had to deal with difficult family members while I was at work. (e.g. a young woman with two small sons whose husband had died of cancer while I was the nurse and I guess she was in denial all along because she really carried on and cried hysterically and sat on his lap and refused to leave him. I finally had to call the doctor for a sedative for her. He said he couldn’t understand her acting that way because she knew he was close to death for a couple of weeks or more. I told him that she must have been in denial.)
The ironic thing is that exactly two weeks ago a woman came in just 20 minutes before we were to close and angrily stated that she was holding the cards and she had just found out on new.familysearch.org that her grandmothers work had been done and she was holding the cards!!! She was very upset. She had been holding the cards for two years. She explained she was waiting for her mother’s health to improve so she could do the initiatory work for her mother. Anyway, she also got very upset and swore. At least neither of them took the name of the Lord in vain for which I am very thankful. I told Brother Killian about it and stated I don’t know why I have lucked out so…..Sister Hendricks stated that people just don’t seem to understand that it is our ancestor, not my ancestor. The thing is tho’ is that both of these people were born after 1900. The grandmother was born in 1909 and the brother was born in 1947 and President Hinckley has stated that anyone born since 1900 should be reserved for their ancestors to do or to get permission before doing the work. And the people who did that work did not follow that because the ladies I was talking to had no other immediate families who would have done the work. The lady yesterday kept asking why the Church didn’t stop them from doing it. I just stated that it couldn’t, As I have tho’t about it since, I have come to realize that the prophet has given us guidelines and we as a people have our agency whether or not to follow it. That is what it all comes down to. Both of these women were too close to the situation to realize that the work was done and that is what was important.
The ironic thing is that exactly two weeks ago a woman came in just 20 minutes before we were to close and angrily stated that she was holding the cards and she had just found out on new.familysearch.org that her grandmothers work had been done and she was holding the cards!!! She was very upset. She had been holding the cards for two years. She explained she was waiting for her mother’s health to improve so she could do the initiatory work for her mother. Anyway, she also got very upset and swore. At least neither of them took the name of the Lord in vain for which I am very thankful. I told Brother Killian about it and stated I don’t know why I have lucked out so…..Sister Hendricks stated that people just don’t seem to understand that it is our ancestor, not my ancestor. The thing is tho’ is that both of these people were born after 1900. The grandmother was born in 1909 and the brother was born in 1947 and President Hinckley has stated that anyone born since 1900 should be reserved for their ancestors to do or to get permission before doing the work. And the people who did that work did not follow that because the ladies I was talking to had no other immediate families who would have done the work. The lady yesterday kept asking why the Church didn’t stop them from doing it. I just stated that it couldn’t, As I have tho’t about it since, I have come to realize that the prophet has given us guidelines and we as a people have our agency whether or not to follow it. That is what it all comes down to. Both of these women were too close to the situation to realize that the work was done and that is what was important.
Our Reunion
I can’t believe that it has been four weeks since I’ve written here. It has been an eventful at least last two weeks. A week ago Thursday, we left IF after my hair appointment and stopped in Blackfoot at Karen’s and picked up Bryan and Jessica and headed for Utah. Karl drove and Bryan sat in the front seat with him. Jessica and I sat in the back. It was a joy to be able to visit and talk with her. I heard many of her mission experiences that I wouldn’t have heard otherwise. I was able to share some of my experiences also at the FHC. We arrived at Mama’s in American Fork about 4:00 PM. we stayed and visited with her until about 5:45. I had called into Papa Murphy’s in Orem for two pizza’s that we stopped and picked up on the way to the Kims’. We had a delightful visit with them and their two sons. Grace was in IF visiting with her other Grandma . We left there about 8:30 to head back to Michael’s to spend the night. Jess slept on the hide-a-bed and Bryan slept on the living room floor. Karl & I slept were we usually did. I was able to show Tanya and Michael the new.FamilySearch and check out some names for her. It was very interesting. If we hadn’t had to get up so early to leave for Manti the next morning we would have stayed up later.
After my shower the next morning, I came down stairs and Jess was sitting on the floor with Kendra and Abbie sewing on the sewing cards. Abbie said to me, “Just why are you here, Grandma?” I answered that we had just come to spend the night. She then asked, “Where is your husband?” not where is Grandpa….it sounded so mature for a three year old. We left Michael & Tanya’s shortly after 7:00 AM. We had a very pleasant ride with more visiting. We took I-15 to Nephi and beyond because Manti and Ephraim aren’t well marked that way. We went about 14 miles further than we needed to and took the emergency vehicle turn around and headed back to Nephi. The turn-off was very well marked from that direction. We got to Manti about 9:15. Deborah and Jake’s sealing didn’t start until 10:30. We planned on being there 30 minutes early. We found the house that we lived in when Bryan was a baby and when Michael was born. It looked the same but different. If it hadn’t been across from the park we wouldn’t have been able to find it. There is quite a hill from the parking lot to the temple. I didn’t remember it’s being so steep. Of course I was much younger when we were married there. 46+ years ago. Just as we were approaching the temple we came across an older man with four younger men. They said that they were just killing time waiting for the sealing they had come for started. Jessica had noticed they were from Texas and mentioned it. So I asked which wedding they were there for. It was Jake & Deborah’s and he was Jake’s grandfather. Jake was the fifth generation to be married in that temple. That is why they had all come from Texas for the wedding. I decided that Idaho wasn’t really that far after all. As I first went into the temple I saw Mildred’s David standing there. I hadn’t seen him since before his mission…a few years before. I met a Sister Bailey who mentioned she was from the IF area. She said the IF temple was her “home temple.” It was delightful talking to her. I found out that she was Susan Wichham Butikofer’s sister, whom I went to nursing school with. (I saw Susan today after Stake Conference and told her I had met her sister in Manti temple.) We waited and visited in the bride’s waiting room for about 35 minutes before they took us up stairs to the sealing room. The sealer commented that one mother was here and the other was with us. I knew Mildred would be there and probably Daddy too but I couldn’t feel either one of them. Deborah said she could for which I was happy. She said she really appreciated our being there. I was the only one of my and Mildred’s siblings who was able to attend. It was very special. I’m thankful that Bryan offered to drive us down and back to Blackfoot. It worded out so well that way. We left the temple after our picture was taken as part of the group and the bride’s family and went to a hamburger place and ate lunch then headed for Blackfoot. We stopped in Provo on ninth North and ninth East at what used to be Carson’s market and is now BYU Creamery on Ninth and met a young woman who had served in Jess’s mission. We had some of the creamery ice cream (couldn’t pass that up because we don’t have the chance to have it that often) it was fresh strawberry and very good. We had a delightful time getting acquainted with another Jessica. We stopped at the rest stop at Brigham City and got to Blackfoot about 7:45 that evening. It turned out that Karen had been violently ill (Shani was too; they had eaten at the same place the day before) starting Thursday afternoon. She was feeling much better but very weak. Sandy did all the chasing and buying and getting ready for the reunion the next day.
The Kims got there about 9:30 that night. I’m thankful that they came. It was their 16th wedding anniversary that day. Kimberly’s mother & dad brought Grace down the next day. Grandma Robinson was there when we got there. Kent had picked her up (Karen was supposed to but was too sick) Friday morning. It was good to have her there too. My mother, Grandma Wendel would have loved to have been there but felt like she needed to be there to support Deborah and Jake and go to the reception the night before. I totally understand that. I hope she lives long enough to come to another one. Michael & Tanya and girls got there about 10:10 the next morning. Richard got there about 1:30 that afternoon. All of our children were there. Which was wonderful. But there were still nine missing. Richard’s wife, Téa, and his six children couldn’t come. Michael’s Collin was working at scout camp and couldn’t come (Bryan and Michael both missed family reunions when they were working at scout camp so I understand that.) And Bryan’s Chris who is on a mission in Chile also wasn’t there. It has been rainy all month long. It had rained all the days in June except for about three. It rained intermittently that day too. We were hoping that it wouldn’t rain while we ate because there were too many to eat in the house. We could have eaten in the shop but it was a long ways to carry everything. Kim’s nine-year-old Alex, when it started to rain and had rained for awhile, suggested a prayer. He offered it. It stopped raining and didn’t start again until after we were thro’ eating. Oh the faith of a child. It was cool but with sweaters and jackets we got along OK. There were five generations there with Great-great grandma Robinson there and Shani’s children. And yes, we did get a couple pictures of them as well as of all the other families. It went very well. Karen despite being sick and Sandy’s organization pulled it off very well. I appreciate all of my children and love them very much. They are good people and are teaching their children to walk uprightly before the Lord. And Shani and Brittany and their husbands are inturn teaching their children, our great grandchildren too.
The Kims left that night, Nathaniel had to give a talk in sacrament meeting the next day. Michael & Tanya and girls left after lunch after church. We were thinking of leaving for IF with Richard coming home with us for the night and Mom coming with us too because Karen & Kent were supposed to be over to Kent’s parents for that evening for father’s day. Kent’s father had been in the hospital the week before. About 4:15 we were in the kitchen and heard this sound, we rushed to the living room and rain was coming down in torrents and horizontally besides. The rain was pouring out of the rain gutters as if they weren’t even there. Then it started to hail really bad with almost dime sized hail. It came down for awhile; we were about an hour late in leaving for IF. We had a quiet evening. We watched Emma, my Story, neither Mom nor Richard had seen it. Karen & Kent came and got Mom and took her back to Blackfoot for the night then Karen would take her back to Pocatello to meet Paul & ElDene for her to go back home.
Richard left about 9:15-9:30 the next morning. He was driving a Suburban that Téa’s father had given them back to Buckeye. It was soo wonderful having him here. He seemed to enjoy being here too. He went from room to room looking at the pictures and looking at the changes. As I said before I am so thankful for my children and the people they have become.
After my shower the next morning, I came down stairs and Jess was sitting on the floor with Kendra and Abbie sewing on the sewing cards. Abbie said to me, “Just why are you here, Grandma?” I answered that we had just come to spend the night. She then asked, “Where is your husband?” not where is Grandpa….it sounded so mature for a three year old. We left Michael & Tanya’s shortly after 7:00 AM. We had a very pleasant ride with more visiting. We took I-15 to Nephi and beyond because Manti and Ephraim aren’t well marked that way. We went about 14 miles further than we needed to and took the emergency vehicle turn around and headed back to Nephi. The turn-off was very well marked from that direction. We got to Manti about 9:15. Deborah and Jake’s sealing didn’t start until 10:30. We planned on being there 30 minutes early. We found the house that we lived in when Bryan was a baby and when Michael was born. It looked the same but different. If it hadn’t been across from the park we wouldn’t have been able to find it. There is quite a hill from the parking lot to the temple. I didn’t remember it’s being so steep. Of course I was much younger when we were married there. 46+ years ago. Just as we were approaching the temple we came across an older man with four younger men. They said that they were just killing time waiting for the sealing they had come for started. Jessica had noticed they were from Texas and mentioned it. So I asked which wedding they were there for. It was Jake & Deborah’s and he was Jake’s grandfather. Jake was the fifth generation to be married in that temple. That is why they had all come from Texas for the wedding. I decided that Idaho wasn’t really that far after all. As I first went into the temple I saw Mildred’s David standing there. I hadn’t seen him since before his mission…a few years before. I met a Sister Bailey who mentioned she was from the IF area. She said the IF temple was her “home temple.” It was delightful talking to her. I found out that she was Susan Wichham Butikofer’s sister, whom I went to nursing school with. (I saw Susan today after Stake Conference and told her I had met her sister in Manti temple.) We waited and visited in the bride’s waiting room for about 35 minutes before they took us up stairs to the sealing room. The sealer commented that one mother was here and the other was with us. I knew Mildred would be there and probably Daddy too but I couldn’t feel either one of them. Deborah said she could for which I was happy. She said she really appreciated our being there. I was the only one of my and Mildred’s siblings who was able to attend. It was very special. I’m thankful that Bryan offered to drive us down and back to Blackfoot. It worded out so well that way. We left the temple after our picture was taken as part of the group and the bride’s family and went to a hamburger place and ate lunch then headed for Blackfoot. We stopped in Provo on ninth North and ninth East at what used to be Carson’s market and is now BYU Creamery on Ninth and met a young woman who had served in Jess’s mission. We had some of the creamery ice cream (couldn’t pass that up because we don’t have the chance to have it that often) it was fresh strawberry and very good. We had a delightful time getting acquainted with another Jessica. We stopped at the rest stop at Brigham City and got to Blackfoot about 7:45 that evening. It turned out that Karen had been violently ill (Shani was too; they had eaten at the same place the day before) starting Thursday afternoon. She was feeling much better but very weak. Sandy did all the chasing and buying and getting ready for the reunion the next day.
The Kims got there about 9:30 that night. I’m thankful that they came. It was their 16th wedding anniversary that day. Kimberly’s mother & dad brought Grace down the next day. Grandma Robinson was there when we got there. Kent had picked her up (Karen was supposed to but was too sick) Friday morning. It was good to have her there too. My mother, Grandma Wendel would have loved to have been there but felt like she needed to be there to support Deborah and Jake and go to the reception the night before. I totally understand that. I hope she lives long enough to come to another one. Michael & Tanya and girls got there about 10:10 the next morning. Richard got there about 1:30 that afternoon. All of our children were there. Which was wonderful. But there were still nine missing. Richard’s wife, Téa, and his six children couldn’t come. Michael’s Collin was working at scout camp and couldn’t come (Bryan and Michael both missed family reunions when they were working at scout camp so I understand that.) And Bryan’s Chris who is on a mission in Chile also wasn’t there. It has been rainy all month long. It had rained all the days in June except for about three. It rained intermittently that day too. We were hoping that it wouldn’t rain while we ate because there were too many to eat in the house. We could have eaten in the shop but it was a long ways to carry everything. Kim’s nine-year-old Alex, when it started to rain and had rained for awhile, suggested a prayer. He offered it. It stopped raining and didn’t start again until after we were thro’ eating. Oh the faith of a child. It was cool but with sweaters and jackets we got along OK. There were five generations there with Great-great grandma Robinson there and Shani’s children. And yes, we did get a couple pictures of them as well as of all the other families. It went very well. Karen despite being sick and Sandy’s organization pulled it off very well. I appreciate all of my children and love them very much. They are good people and are teaching their children to walk uprightly before the Lord. And Shani and Brittany and their husbands are inturn teaching their children, our great grandchildren too.
The Kims left that night, Nathaniel had to give a talk in sacrament meeting the next day. Michael & Tanya and girls left after lunch after church. We were thinking of leaving for IF with Richard coming home with us for the night and Mom coming with us too because Karen & Kent were supposed to be over to Kent’s parents for that evening for father’s day. Kent’s father had been in the hospital the week before. About 4:15 we were in the kitchen and heard this sound, we rushed to the living room and rain was coming down in torrents and horizontally besides. The rain was pouring out of the rain gutters as if they weren’t even there. Then it started to hail really bad with almost dime sized hail. It came down for awhile; we were about an hour late in leaving for IF. We had a quiet evening. We watched Emma, my Story, neither Mom nor Richard had seen it. Karen & Kent came and got Mom and took her back to Blackfoot for the night then Karen would take her back to Pocatello to meet Paul & ElDene for her to go back home.
Richard left about 9:15-9:30 the next morning. He was driving a Suburban that Téa’s father had given them back to Buckeye. It was soo wonderful having him here. He seemed to enjoy being here too. He went from room to room looking at the pictures and looking at the changes. As I said before I am so thankful for my children and the people they have become.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Going with the Sister Missionaries
I had quite a different experience last Friday evening. We had spent pretty much all day cleaning the house especially the big room, because the sister missionaries were coming for dinner at 5:00 pm. We got it looking much better than it had been. I had started on picking things up and clearing off the table etc. the day before. I hope we can keep it straight for a while. I need to do something in the living room too. We did start on it but ran out of time. I was soo tired that I just crashed for about an hour, then had to make a cake and change my clothes because I was going with them to teach a lesson to a young single man with two small daughters. I felt so much better after I slept about 45 minutes and was able to complete the evening. We had a delite gourmet chicken garlic pizza and salad with the cherry chocolate cake for dessert. It is very easy to make and sooo delicious. They both wanted the recipe.
We left about 5:45 to go meet Josh and his little girls. He wasn’t there yet so we went to another place where they left a sticky note and then back to Josh’s. He came about five minutes later. He had taken his daughters to the zoo.
It was exchange day in the district. They have it once a transfer where they exchange companions with another companionship in the area. The two sisters I went with evidently just met that day---at least had never worked together before. I sat there amazed as one would start a tho’t and the other would finish it like they had practiced and practiced. The Spirit bore testimony to me that it was thro’ the Spirit they were able to do this. It was a very neat experience and I will go again when given the opportunity. I told them I could go most any evening other than Wednesday since I’m at the FHC then.
Also I have been attending a special class at the FHC for only those they have invited to learn more about the new.FamilySearch.org and also about Family Tree which is on the labs.familysearch.org. I had one two weeks ago then another today and one next Monday. I’m not sure if they will have any more of them or not. I found it very interesting. I had Sister F, one of our support people to help me straighten out my Rufener lines on newFamilySearch.org because I three totally different lines and someone has totally messed them up and married and sealed them to the wrong people. We got it all straightened out and then I went to Wendy’s (where they give missionaries a 50% discount) and got my lunch and went back to the FHC to eat it. After that I went in and on one of the computers to add the dates I had on them via Family Tree in labs.familysearch.org. It was all messed up again!! It didn’t stay. I was sooo disappointed. I went in and told Sister F and she said that since the work for them was all done, then just don’t stress over it. Maybe sometime I will be able to straighten it all up. And I still can’t register for the new.FamilySearch.org. So now I have two things to be disappointed about. However, there is a silver lining. Since my sweetheart can register and we are in the same household so people could contact me if they wanted to, I can use his, so I have been able to get on and just search for my people and make some of the changes I need to and want to.
I also stayed for a class at 3:00 on advanced computer techniques. I thoroughly enjoyed that too. I learned a lot. I got home about 5:30 pm after leaving at 10:15 am. It was a long day but a fruitful one.
We left about 5:45 to go meet Josh and his little girls. He wasn’t there yet so we went to another place where they left a sticky note and then back to Josh’s. He came about five minutes later. He had taken his daughters to the zoo.
It was exchange day in the district. They have it once a transfer where they exchange companions with another companionship in the area. The two sisters I went with evidently just met that day---at least had never worked together before. I sat there amazed as one would start a tho’t and the other would finish it like they had practiced and practiced. The Spirit bore testimony to me that it was thro’ the Spirit they were able to do this. It was a very neat experience and I will go again when given the opportunity. I told them I could go most any evening other than Wednesday since I’m at the FHC then.
Also I have been attending a special class at the FHC for only those they have invited to learn more about the new.FamilySearch.org and also about Family Tree which is on the labs.familysearch.org. I had one two weeks ago then another today and one next Monday. I’m not sure if they will have any more of them or not. I found it very interesting. I had Sister F, one of our support people to help me straighten out my Rufener lines on newFamilySearch.org because I three totally different lines and someone has totally messed them up and married and sealed them to the wrong people. We got it all straightened out and then I went to Wendy’s (where they give missionaries a 50% discount) and got my lunch and went back to the FHC to eat it. After that I went in and on one of the computers to add the dates I had on them via Family Tree in labs.familysearch.org. It was all messed up again!! It didn’t stay. I was sooo disappointed. I went in and told Sister F and she said that since the work for them was all done, then just don’t stress over it. Maybe sometime I will be able to straighten it all up. And I still can’t register for the new.FamilySearch.org. So now I have two things to be disappointed about. However, there is a silver lining. Since my sweetheart can register and we are in the same household so people could contact me if they wanted to, I can use his, so I have been able to get on and just search for my people and make some of the changes I need to and want to.
I also stayed for a class at 3:00 on advanced computer techniques. I thoroughly enjoyed that too. I learned a lot. I got home about 5:30 pm after leaving at 10:15 am. It was a long day but a fruitful one.
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