January 30, 2013

Dear Family & Friends,

Time seems to fly by in many ways. Tomorrow marks a month since we entered the MTC, but when we think back on it, it seems a lot longer. So many things have happened; so many new experiences and new people that we have come to care about. I think of interesting things to include in the weekly letter, and then sometimes forget what they were. It's been about 10 days since the last installment. Here are some of the happenings with us.

Tuesday, Zone Conference in Milwaukee - This was our first experience with a zone conference. It was actually a combined conference with our zone, Milwaukee South, and the Milwaukee North Zone. There were 50-60 missionaries present. It was nice for us to have some other old folks to visit with, lunch with and relate to. Most of our interactions are with the young missionaries and the branch members. We are definitely the "branch grandpa and grandma." Our mission president started the conference with instructions, part of which had to do with making sure we are getting physical exercise. This we have not done since leaving Mesa. We can make the excuse of the weather making it difficult for us, but the fact is we just have not made it a priority. That changed on Monday of this week. We bundled up and went to the lake front area to a park and walked a good distance. It felt good and we are re-committed to stay with it. Back to the Z-conf. . . . It was -8 degrees at 6:30 am, when we headed out, an warmed up to a balmy -5 degrees by the time we came home at 5 pm. The conference warmed our hearts and spirits. We were reminded of safe driving practices for adverse weather. A Church safety video was used that showed a terrible car accident in which 4 young missionaries were killed. They left late for a meeting, were driving too fast, passed another car in a no pass zone, hit ice, lost control and crashed into an on coming vehicle. Three were killed immediately, the other died a day or so later. Their mission painfully described what had happened, and what he went through in contacting the parents. Just to listen to him and watch his pain was tough. He appeared to be one of my sealer colleagues from Phx. I am fairly certain it was him. Obviously he never mentioned the incident in the temple. It was enjoyable to be taught by the young assistants and zone leaders. Vicki and I could not help thinking about Jordan, a zone leader in his mission, and the similar training he must do. An Elder Nielson from Snowflake played the piano for the singing. Turned our to be Heath & Cedar's bishop's son. The concluding zone conf highlight was watching Elder Holland's MTC devotional address from Dec of 2011. It was amazing to be taught by an Apostle and feel the power of the Holy Spirit through him. Apparently the zone confs are scheduled quarterly, so we will get more of them. One of the office couples said the mission president has planned a seniors conference in Feb.

Wednesday, we made our weekly trip to Elkhorn to meet with la Hernandez family. We had a wonderful spirit-filled temple preparation lesson with them. Today we made that trip again in a blizzard. Fortunately we were driving our Pilot and able to follow a snowplow a good part of the way. Today we went over a list of what remains to be done to prepare to go to the temple before having our lesson. We invited them to set a date to go and have it ready for us for next week. We will set up a "temple calendar" for them to keep track of where there are and what remains to be done. It will likely be mid-March that they will select. Pretty wonderful stuff!! Vicki fixed supper for la familia LaRosa in Racine and we took it to them. Hna. LaRosa had surgery. We love mail from family. TY cards came from Maryn and Maddie. We read them. They made me cry a little. Sometimes I forget how precious our grandchildren are to us. We love them dearly. Maddie said, "I miss you all ready. How many more days till you get home? I wish I was with you." Nothing is so sweet as mail from family. Vicki checks the mailbox each day, just as she did at home.

Thursday we attended the first Boy Scout Court of Honor ever held in the branch. 7 boys received rank advancement. Most received their Tenderfoot. The troop has been operating for about 3 months. They have good adult leaders and have been having excellent Scouting activities. I have been asked to work with one of the older boys, Angel Maldonado, who has his Star rank. I will be a merit badge coach for him and try to help keep him on track towards his Life rank. He is 17 year old. His mom is a less active member. We will see how this goes. Vicki goes to the church with me and practices the piano and works on Spanish.

Friday we were asked by the elders to accompany them on three teaching visits. Their visits to single sisters require that a member accompany them. Generally during the day members are not available, so we have become the members of choice to accompany them. It has allowed us to have some very nice spirit-filled experiences with investigators being taught. We are always grateful to be invited and make the visits fit into our schedule. Vicki again fixed supper for la familia LaRosa. Hna. LaRosa is doing better.

Vicki made the comment that things haven't changed much for her here in the mission field from when at home. She irons lots of white shirts and fixes meals for people. I reminded her of the visits with the elders on their teaches, and she said that was way different and she enjoys it, even with the language difficulty.

Saturday we again accompanied the elders on some teaching visits. We worked on our primary lesson and sharing time.

Sunday we went to the Kenosha 1st Ward sacrament meeting at 11 am to meet an English-speaking investigator who had committed to be there. She did not show up. (It happens . . . .) We returned home and went back for the Kenosha 2nd Branch meetings at 1 pm. We both helped in Primary. I am teaching the older children and Vicki is doing the sharing time lesson. Hna. Flores, the Primary president does the music. I have three boys and one girl in the . . .class. They are awesome kids. All speak perfect English. They are reverent, ask great questions, bring their scriptures . . . . . In the evening we were invited to the branch president's home for supper. We a;te and visited and before we left he officially called us to Primary callings, me as a teacher, and Vicki as a counselor in the presidency with Hna. Flores.

Monday was our p-day. Actually any day is our p-day if we want it to be. But we try to keep the routine things that need doing to Monday. We stopped by the Copy Center in old town Kenosha close to the harbor to pick up some copies. Judy Rossow is the owner, now in her mid to late 70s. She served as Rotary Club president in 1994-95. Last week when we stopped by with our work to be copied, we met Judy and talked a little about the amazing service one by Rotary around the world. I told her about Steve and Marlene's work in Rotary, and about their recent visit to Cuba on a humanitarian trip. Judy was very interested. She let us know that a member of the club is LDS. She also said she has a Skinner friend who helps build scenery for their Little Theater group. Anyway, on Monday, we picked up our conversation almost where it had ended the previous Friday. I took her picture and a picture of the charcoal on the wall honoring her for her Rotary service. As we left, she invited us to accompany her to the Rotary luncheon meeting. We will take her up on that in the future. Very nice lady. She is a walking encyclopedia about Kenosha. I am sure we will have more visits with Judy.

On Monday evenings we try to schedule with members to join them for FHE; we bring the lesson and the treats. We scheduled with la familia Cruz this time. We were to be there at 7 pm. Vicki baked choc. chip cookies and we took choc. milk to go with. When we walked in there were three families from the branch present, plus an investigator sister. The elders came a little late. Hno. Cruz said the elders are never late when they come to eat. But this night they were finishing a teach with an investigator man. For the lesson, we planned to do the Restoration lesson from PMG. It is wonderful!! It is the first lesson taught to an investigator. There are 8 principles taught: God is our loving Heavenly Father; the Gospel blesses families; Heavenly Father reveals His gospel in every dispensation (prophets); the Savior's ministry; the Great Apostasy; the Restoration through the prophet Joseph Smith; the Book of Mormon; pray to know the truth through the Holy Ghost. After singing a hymn and having a prayer, Hno. Cruz asked us to give the lesson. We had copies of the Restoration pamphlet for those present. We had them help us by reading the principle and then briefly talking about it. Mostly asking them to explain it. They did great. Where needed I added to or clarified what was said. The Spirit was there with us. At the end we had the elders read Moroni's promise regarding the Book of Mormon and bear their testimony. Vicki gave her testimony. She always does. All the lesson was in Spanish of course. Mom's testimony was in English. Most understood her. All of them felt the Spirit of what she said. We sang another hymn, had a prayer and ate the refreshments. Others had brought food as well. An amazing FHE.

Tuesday we got a call in the morning from the elders asking if we would accompany them to a teach with the sister investigator who had been at the FHE the night before. We were pleased to go with them. The elders reviewed what was taught at the FHE and how she felt about it. She said she had felt the Spirit and really was thankful to have been there. Then the elders told her they had been praying to know what would be a good baptismal date for her. They said they felt that March 16th would be the right. She smiled and said that after last night she had prayed again about being baptized. She said that was the date she was thinking of. The Spirit was present in a powerful way. We were able to answer some questions that had come to her via a Jehovah's Witness friend. The elders asked me to handle them. Basically I was able to teach her how important it is for us to have a living prophet to help us understand and interpret scriptures. Without him, many false and perverted teachings come. We went on our way rejoicing for having seen Heavenly Father's hand in His work. It always is there!

The weather is so interesting to us. From the -8 degrees last week on Tuesday, it set a record high of 60 degrees yesterday. Tomorrow it will be 6 degrees. Sunday snow fell heavily. Monday was pleasant, allowing us to walk on the lakefront, then came the rain to melt all the snow, then a day of actual sunshine, then more rain for a couple of days, then back to snow today. If you don't like the weather, just wait a day or so and see what comes.

On Monday, 1.28.2013, I finished another reading of the Book of Mormon. What a precious treasure. Heavenly Father has provided physical evidence, proof, to hold in our hands, that He really has restored His wonderful plan for his children to come back to His presence, and that Joseph Smith really is His prophet for that restoration. How thankful I am for the Book of Mormon. It is like a wonderful old friend to me. I relish each reading. I started another reading of it yesterday. I know it is His sacred word. It is true. I invite each of you to read each day in the Book of Mormon. Pray to know for yourself that it is his sacred word. If you will do it, you will know for yourself, and you will want more than ever to be good boys and girls, keeping the commandments to the best of your ability. That's what it makes me want to do.

We are so thankful to be here in Kenosha (means "pike," as in fish) WI. We are thankful to be able to serve together in His work. We don't have it all figured out yet, but we will keep working on it together. I have the best companion ever. She does and says amazing things. Father in Heaven is showing us more of what we need to do here. People are good here. They deserve to know Heavenly Father's true plan for all His children. We are glad to be a little part of that process.

Love to all of our family! You are the very best!!! We think about you every day. We pray you will choose the right. Love to our brothers and sisters in Heavenly Father's family. We pray for you each day as well. Blessings on us all!

Charles & Vicki