Marge and Richard Stucki Missionary Journal October 2001 -- February 2003 Compilation of letters written while serving in the Jackson Mississippi Mission
CALLED TO SERVE (click to listen) We the seniors who are getting older Left our canes and rocking chairs behind New responsibilities to shoulder Challenges of every kind We the seniors of a royal army Called to serve in lands both far and near Leaving homes and all our friends and family And a comfort zone so dear We the seniors of a noble birthright Here to represent our Lord and King As we labor with our heart and might Precious souls to Him we bring Chorus Seniors make a difference In the world here and now Seniors make a difference And we're here to show you how For decades we have labored And we've shed blood, sweat, and tears Youth of Zion-rise- Pay homage to the wisdom of our years!	Sister and Elder Stucki entered the Senior MTC on October 9, 2001

Mission Letters

October 13, 2001 top

We are half way through our training at the MTC; having arrived on Oct. 9, a Tues., we will leave for the mission field on Thursday morning, Oct. 18. This has been an inspiring, great learning experience, as expected. However, one of the most inspiring things never to be forgotten is the great faith of the people around us. What an experience to sit in the auditorium with 2,800 younger elders and sister missionaries, plus the Senior missionaries, singing "Called To Serve." Over 200 of the younger missionaries are sisters. Each week another 500 or so younger missionaries enter the MTC. The number of senior missionary couples and sisters has greatly increased lately. The last 4 weeks, including the 74 senior missionaries we arrived with, more senior missionaries came to the MTC than came the whole year 2000. Next week 109 Seniors will arrive. Why? Because at April conference when the brethren pleaded for Seniors to serve, a personal call was felt in the heart of many (as happened with Marjorie and I), and they heeded the call, no matter the obstacles. And there were many obstacles they had. I wondered once if we still had saints with the courage of the brethren who went on missions early in church history. But I don't wonder anymore. I met two widows from distant places who are now missionary partners, learning Russian, and going to Siberia. There, elders are beaten up, but the sisters haven't been hurt. An eighty-year-old couple who are going to the Eastern states and the little white-haired widow with painful arthritis at age 75, learning Spanish and going to Mexico, have inspired us. This kindly widow said "My hands will hurt at home just as much as they will on a mission, so why shouldn't I go?" The Hunts, a gentle couple from Blanding, who worked with us in the Temple, are going to Sudan, in the heart of Africa. Most everyone has children and grandchildren who are very hard to leave. We wouldn't do this for anyone but our Lord. Some carry heavy crosses, as the couple whose business recently failed and whose home may be gone when their mission ends. There is a former Methodist minister in our ranks, and others showing similar courage to those I've mentioned. We're hearing about the young couples with little children, who are starting a savings account for themselves as well as for their children's missions, so dad and mom can go on a mission, too, when they retire … in answer to the Lord's call through our prophets and apostles. I see clearly now why Pres. Hinckley, who travels everywhere among the Saints, has such a positive attitude. We are beginning to see and feel the things he does as we mix with courageous saints, both young and old.

Dad and Mom asked me to express their genuine thanks and love for each and everyone. They sincerely appreciate the help, love, and support they have and are receiving from all of you. Dad also requested that all of you receive a copy of his testimony:

Testimony of William Richard Stucki
12 Oct 2001

When I first heard the experience of Joseph Smith in the sacred grove from missionaries returning home and speaking at Sacrament Meetings in the Old Parley’s Ward, I felt a powerful conviction of it’s truth, which has magnified over the years as I have prayed for light, studied the scriptures, and much else, and served and taught others now for many years. I was about age 10 at the time. When I was a senior in high school, I had a close friend challenge all the concepts and beliefs of the restored church that differed from traditional Christianity, with a claim that the Bible said there could not be any further scripture, nor revelation, nor prophets or apostles. And, no man can see God. Also, that Joseph Smith was an evil imposter. It shook me to the core, and I plunged into a study of the scripture, pleading with God for light on what was true and what was false in all these matters. That hungering and thirsting for such knowledge has never left me, and I have spent time investigating every possible avenue of information on the subject. Before I left on my first mission, I knew from scriptures as well as frequent witness by the Holy Ghost, that the things I had been taught pertaining to the restoration were all true, that Joseph Smith was the prophet the Savior raised up and through whom the Savior restored all things. And, that the restoration brought to earth in the latter-days the only church and the only set of doctrines that fully matched the church and doctrines of the New Testament. Men had seen God, the New Testament taught that the spiritual gifts, revelation, apostles and prophets were to be necessary parts of the Savior’s church until the Saints were perfected and all men had knowledge of the Son of God. The Scriptures furthermore prophesied of the restoration, the falling away that proceeded it, and another sacred scripture that would come forth to testify of Christ’s divine mission, to witness of the truth of the Bible, and much more of great worth to those living today. I knew then, and I know now that these things are true.

Over the years the admonition Peter gave to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” has burned as fire in my soul. This accounts for the fact I have examined every possible test that can be given the Book of Mormon to verify its truth. The powerful evidence of the book’s truth found in each one of these tests, individually, is sufficient to convince me completely. The most important, however, has been the insights and value of that book in my quest to know Christ and understand His atonement. The Holy Ghost has given constant witness to me as I have discovered in the Book of Mormon limitless truth.

As sweet to me and powerful in my life as these things have been, nothing brought the peace, and hope, and joy that has come from discovering the marvelous qualities of the Savior and all the gracious, loving and merciful things He has done for me and my loved ones (than has the Book of Mormon). I cannot in any way repay Him, or properly thank Him. But this I can do, and seek with all my heart to do, and that is stand as a witness of the goodness of the father in giving us such a leader and friend as the Savior.

And further, stand as a witness that Christ is divine, has risen from the dead, and out of his love for us has overcome every barrier to our return to Heavenly Father, and enjoyment of the unspeakable joys of eternal life.

I know that His teachings are the only way to happiness and peace in this life, for individuals and nations, and to joy in the life to come.

All I do and say is in the hope that I might help His cause and help others come to Him for the right guidance in life, and the strength to do what’s right.

I know that through Christ, sins can be overcome and forgiven, and lives changed, and hope restored.

As I leave now on a mission with my eternal companion, I leave this testimony for my loved ones.

W. Richard Stucki

It's about time you heard from us. We've had a hard time being able to communicate. First, at the SMTC (Senior Missionary Training Center) they inundated us with so much information that we forgot everything we ever knew. We were so tired we "died" every night in exhaustion. Then we left and traveled hard each day making it by Saturday evening - 3 days rather than 4. Since we've been here we had to find an apartment and furnish it. Since the Elders arrived first, and in Relief Society they asked for tons of things for them, including a refrigerator and a washer and dryer, we didn't ask for anything. There are so few people here to contribute and they are generous to the point of buying for them (Elders). We stayed at the home of the branch president until Thursday October 25th and then got in the apartment telling our landlord that we would clean it rather than wait for the woman to get off work and come over and clean. We wanted to shampoo all the carpets Thursday night and then move in on Friday. So the branch president helped us load all our stuff in his truck and our car (he lives out of town, by the way, about 45 minutes away) and we moved. The Elders helped us carry it all up stairs (unfortunately it is upstairs). We bought many things as bed frame, mattress, computer desk, long folding tables, bookcase, etc. all the cheapest fake stuff at Wal-Mart. Dad has been putting it together from flat boxes. We bought a wood table with a pedestal and 3 chairs at a used furniture place for $65, a brass lamp, an ivy plant and some cushions for the chairs. It looks great and is beginning to feel like home. I cleaned everything meticulously then today the disposal quit and this terrible sludge churned up in the sink. The worst thing is we don't have a refrigerator and can't find a used one - but we'll keep looking.

Interspersed with all this we have been making visits to branch members homes, even had a missionary district meeting in Monroe a neighboring bigger city, talked in Church today, and tomorrow we are going to a Nursing Home where they have a devotional every week, that the Elders have been asked to speak at since the minister or pastor is too old to come to anymore. They just asked us at the last minute tonight and said I could give my talk I gave in Church today about the Atonement. My scriptures are all from the BofM or the DC and they said just don't tell them that. I hope that works. We each are to take 10 minutes. Wednesday we have a Zone Conference and will meet the Mission President. That will be in Monroe and Friday or Saturday we go to Jackson MS for a Senior Missionary Conference. You can now see why I haven't written to anyone. I was waiting for the computer to be setup and working, and it worked Robyn! Bless you for such good instructions.

I love you all and miss you terribly if I think about it. I try not to think about it because every time I do I am reduced to tears. The MTC experience was partly to wean us from our families they said. We have one letter from Robyn which we got today. Our address is 502 Polk Apt. B, Winnsboro LA 71295, and our phone number is 318-412-9644 although it isn't working until this Wednesday.

Love to every one of you, you are the best family in the world! Thanks for all the money and help to get us here.

LOVE, Mom

November 3, 2001 top

Today we drove from our apartment in Winnsboro, Louisiana, to our Mission headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi. It's a 2-hour drive. There, in the Mission home, we had a conference for all the senior missionaries, 14 couples, and 4 single sisters. Part of the conference was a talk by a former, and prominent, Presbyterian Minister, Roger Keller, now doing public relations work for the Church. He gave us many good insights. Another inspiring event was meeting the other senior missionaries. I'll mention a few: One single sister was on her third mission. One elder, now blind, and his wife doing proselyting are having unusual success. The couple who are running the mission office will soon end their 2 yrs of service. She admitted that she had not wanted to go on a mission, but now she doesn't want to go home, as this has been the happiest time of her life. It has become obvious that the Lord keeps all of his promises. If we accept the call and go to work, the Lord makes us equal to the task. Also, that Love for the Lord is the greatest motivation in our lives.
Dad

Our Ancestors
Author Unknown

If you could see your ancestors
All standing in a row
Would you be proud of them or not
Or do you really know?

Some strange discoveries are made
In climbing family trees
And some of them you know, do not
Particularly please.

If you could see your ancestors
All standing in a row,
There might be some of them perhaps
You wouldn't care to know.

But there's another question, which
Requires a different view.
If you could meet your ancestors
Would they be proud of YOU?

Our mission president's wife had this poem
"pinned" to the refrigerator door of the
mission Home. We liked it. Dad

November 4, 2001 top

We have been so busy! We went to a Senior Missionary Conference in Jackson MS at the mission home Saturday. We crossed the Mississippi River for the first time in our lives. We met a lot of wonderful seniors and had a really good meeting. Tomorrow we go to the Nursing Home again and talk, and we are going to sing I Am A Child Of God with the elders and some members that work there. We printed off copies of the song and hope they will sing it with us. The leaders sang their songs last week, and they sing out whether they can sing or not. It really is different. Tomorrow night we go to another place for older people and have family night with them. This will be a first for us. Tuesday we have Relief Society from 9:00 past lunch and make bears for giving away, Wednesday we go to the Temple in Baton Rouge (a long ways away) and Thursday we have a District Meeting in Monroe, and it just goes on and on like this. We spent the whole day after Church with the Branch President and his wife trying to get information for member records and identifying on a map where everyone lives. We had them eat lunch with us (we fasted starting after lunch on Saturday) and even had another meal of leftovers with them.

We finally bought us a refrigerator at Lowe's and then when Pres. Steffensen went over to get it, he found one for the Elders, used and $225.000 that was better than ours. It was bigger and had an icemaker. Oh, but do I appreciate refrigerators! Now we are living. Today someone brought us two pea-green upholstered chairs for our living room because the Elders told them we didn't have any. I made a batch of granola the other day and burned it at 300-degree setting because I found when I bought a thermometer it was really 450-degrees. We asked the landlord to fix it but he hasn't called back.

We got our phone hooked up finally on last Wednesday but we don't have a phone book. It is supposed to come in the mail in a week. They put a block on long distance until we pay a $100 deposit only payable by mailing a check. We wanted to call Brent to tell him something Dad wanted him to know, and I wanted to call Robyn and get the amounts rather than the weights for Macaroons. Remember Robyn? We can call you once in awhile. They want us to be happy and content so we are not held to the same standards as the missionaries. We are to help the branch in any way we can. We found there is a lot of work to be done, as people are not really converted.

We got a letter from Kim today sent to the Steffensen's and I'll answer her questions. It was a long drive and very boring through most of it until we got to Louisiana. Then it was green and trees. The big cities we passed by were nightmares because there was roadwork, and it was really hard being in the right lane to go the right way. We goofed a few times. Yes we will get E-mail when we get a phonebook and can talk to somebody. We also want to be on the Internet to get Church talks, etc. We want to get Dish Network and a new TV so we can record talks and take to old people who need inspiring and can't get out. We should have rented a truck as Brent said and brought everything with us. It's late so I'll end this. We love you all very much and hope all is well with you. Thanks for the letters and drawings McKay, Max and Ben. I'll write you separately.

LOVE, Mom

November 5, 2001 top

Dear Family,

Before we had planned to go on a mission, Dad talked to a relative of his and arranged to get 35 copies of Grandpa John Stucki's book. It is the original book as it was written by him. She was having them reprinted and this may be the last chance to get any. The order has arrived Brent told us and also a bill for $222.00 which we really can't afford right now to give you all as gifts. So we are thinking that if any of the children want their own copies, or any of you don't have copies, now would be a good time to get them. Each book costs just $6.24 each. I would urge the children to pay for their own so they will appreciate them. Or parents could give them one for Christmas. Consider whether your children are old enough now to appreciate the book, or save it until they are. This has been an important book in our children's lives and I would think the next generation should have a copy. Send your money and requests to Brent and Debbie, as the books are there at the farm. We love you all and miss you.

Love,
Mom and Dad

<the following note was handwritten at the bottom of the letter>

Mat-

Here it is Sunday night again and time to write to the family and report the happenings in Winnsboro. I don't feel like I'm so far a way this week. We finally got the phone, the phone book, the block taken off for long distance calls (because they received our $100 deposit). All this took until late Friday, before I was able to call anyone. I called Robyn because I had a question about the computer and the Internet. She wasn't there. This really deflated me because I had waited so long to talk to anyone in the family. So I called Kim and almost gave up on her, but she just got home in time to answer. I didn't know if I'd be able to talk to any of you because I get so emotional when I even think about you. I guess you call it homesickness. I had a good talk with Kim, however, and she caught me up on a lot of news. I had left a message on Robyn's answering machine so she called me later. Friday is our p-day and it's okay to talk to our family once in a while if we don't get too involved so it distracts us. We heard about Gregg's accident on a motorbike and the broken ribs and because it was his birthday we called him. The rest we will call in the next little while.

We just returned from going to the hospital with the Elders to visit a member there. They gave her the sacrament and Dad and them gave her a blessing. She was a sweet old lady that worked at a nursing home and then checked herself in there when she no longer could work. We went to the Temple Wednesday at Baton Rouge. It is a small temple but bigger than Monticello. It was a very long drive and took all day. We left at 6:00 AM and got home after dark. We stopped on the way back and visited a black lady that had come back to take care of her mother over a year ago. We traveled with Pres. And Sister Steffensen and found the lady (who is an endowed member) and Dad read from the Bible to the Mother who is not a member. We visited with the sister and found out she was a widow. Her husband had been injured by a crane. He lived in terrible pain for a few years and then died in the Doctor's office on a visit with her. She needs some help with her Mobil home and driveway and the Elders are planning a work project.

On Monday of this week we went to the nursing home on Monday morning and gave our hour devotional I told them the story called The Visitor and we sang I Am a Child of God with some of the staff and passed out copies. It went well. Then Monday night we had Family Home Evening with some ward members that live in a Senior Living Complex and Bro. Bennett, the branch mission leader, conducted that and the ladies brought food which turned out to be supper but we had already eaten. We vacuumed up their meeting room, which was full of dead cockroaches especially under the couch. Dad wants to do a real clean-up job there next month. We only meet once a month with them. Cockroaches are a curse here. It doesn't get cold enough to kill them. We haven't seen any in our apartment yet, but we will they say.

Then on Tuesday I went to Relief Society for the Enrichment Mtg. We started at 9:00AM and worked on bitsy bears for the hospital, had lunch and left at 2 PM. When we left I noticed across the street from the Church a green washer and dryer sitting out on the curb with a for sale sign on them. Dad had come to take me home so we went and looked and bought for $125.00 We had the car full of wash to do that afternoon at the wash place we had gone once before where the woman smoked continuously and the TV program was sick, so I would have bought anything to avoid going there again. He even delivered them for us, so after the missionaries got home they brought them up the stairs and hooked them up for us and they all worked!

Thursday we got up very early again and went to Monroe for A District Meeting that lasted most of the day. We bought us a TV and VCR combo and this week we hope to have Dish TV. I want to record talks for people here to listen to. Many are old and don't get out and need the spiritual uplift this could bring. So you can see we are very busy. I hardly have time to wash my hair and curl it without sleeping on rollers. I haven't even finished cleaning this place yet. We will take pictures and show you where we live. I need to clear up something I said in my last letter. I didn't mean we were living with cardboard boxes for furniture, I meant we bought everything cheap and in boxes which Dad had to assemble.

We appreciate the letters and pictures the children have sent us and urge all of you to keep us informed of what is going on in your lives. I would like all of you to send snapshots of your families. We didn't take any pictures because most of them weren't current enough. Don't spend a lot of money on professional pictures just small pictures that you take yourselves would be fine. Also, send us any really good recipes you come across that would be easy but delicious, I didn't bring enough. Also send stories and talks that would help us we need many every week and didn't bring much or many books. We could have brought anything except we wouldn't have had room.

The weather is beautiful here, pleasant, not hot. Only one rain storm so far. We don't know what is going on in the world but will after we get TV. Please excuse my sentence structure and punctuation I'm sure it is atrocious. I try to write this very fast and just as it comes off my brain so it isn't very organized.

I love you all and miss you so much. This is really different working full time for the Lord. I can't believe I am still so busy since I'm not doing a lot of the things that used to fill my time. Watch out for each other and keep in touch with each other. Know that we pray for you many times a day for God to keep you well and safe.

Love you,
Mom

It's that time again to write my weekly letter. Only tonight I'm home alone. President Steffensen has a companion now, but I don't. Oh well, I'm used to that. And I'm glad I don't hold the priesthood and have to go to all of the meetings the men do. They left at 2:00 this afternoon for 3 meetings in Monroe. It's now 7:00 and maybe their last meeting is ending. Well, as you might have guessed, Dad was called to be a councilor to Pres. Steffensen. I was called this morning by Sister Steffensen to teach a lesson in Relief Society because the teacher was sick. I didn't have much time to prepare. When I got to Church I was called to be a Relief Society teacher. I like this calling. Teaching is a real learning experience for me.

Well we got hooked up to Dish Network this week so we can now find out what is going on in the world and listen to BYU-TV. We visited senior sisters and got them to let us come and teach them the Temple preparation lessons even though they don't think they can ever go. We told them they needed a temple recommend anyway. So on Mondays we go to the Nursing Home with the Elders every week and then on Monday night we teach one sister the lessons and have Family Home Evening with her. Then on Tuesday afternoon we teach another sister. There are 2 sisters now in a nursing home and when all the old people in this branch die, there won't be many left that are really converted. I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner for Thursday and have found only one sister that will be alone on that day. So we are going to her apartment to have it with her. There are a few others I need to check with.

People are sort of strange here. There is a lady that comes to Church pretty regularly, married to a member that works a 12-hour shift on Sunday. She's not a member but supports everything like as if she were. We went to her house for dinner Thurs. and Dad gave her a lesson. The Elders have given her 2 discussions. But she's not ready to be baptized. This has been going on for some time. I don't know what it will take to change her status. They are a hers, his and ours kind of family and have 4 teenagers all about 15 from previous marriages. Some members, some not. This is typical, believe it or not. I don't think there is hardly one family that isn't a divorced and married before 2 or 3 times kind of family. There are 3 families that are good, active members and they have all gone to Monroe to be part of a ward there. We haven't met them yet, but are planning to drive out to where they live as soon as we can. Then there is a man who is very active, but he himself is not a member. We visited them this week one night, and he let us know he doesn't want anything from us (like a video we brought). He has a hard shell around him. His one son was there and he has recently lost his job, as Mathew, and is a member of the Stake Pres. This is very baffling to me.

We attended a Stake Missionary meeting this week in Monroe and visited a man in the hospital that has had juvenile diabetes all his life and is losing his feet bit by bit. He was in so much pain, his wife has left him. He's about 40. We loaned him our Book of Mormon tapes when he expressed an interest in listening to them. Hope things are going better for you'all. See, I am getting that Southern accent.
I didn't want to start another page - because then I would have to fill it up. But here goes. I did get an appointment with a Dr. for a cortisone shot in my knee on the 29th. I really hurt! When I get up at night and in the mornings I have arthritis so bad. My hands and legs are in pain and useless. But I take an Advil and it gradually wears off and I get along pretty well until night again. I sure hope it helps me as much as the first one I had.

We have been taking pictures of the apartment and I will send them when I finish the roll. We got a letter from Mat and a Newsletter from Sheena this week. I'm planning to get hooked up to the Internet as soon as we can afford it. I called someone and they said I would have to have the CD thing fixed to be able to install the Internet. He said he would do it for $50. There will be a $44 set up fee and then $49.99 for 3 months. Then $19.95 per month. There are a few other places to call and check them out. We're too busy to handle this right now.

I'll be glad when Mat has a job and settled in at Elaine's. Also, it will be good news to hear when Robyn gets to move in her house. Jeff write us a letter and let us know what is going on with you! Also, how is Danay coming on his preparation? Dec. 12 is coming fast. Our Elder Smith got on fire the other day. They were out tracting on their bikes and saw a man shoveling dirt out of a truck. They asked him if he needed help and spent the afternoon shoveling, teaching and came home on cloud 9 with blisters on their hands. He said he wanted to speak in Church. He said his family would faint if they heard that. He only spoke for 30 seconds once and not much longer at his farewell. They are great young men and our only hope for new converts right now.

Well, I better end this for tonight. I love all of you so much. I feel the Lord is guiding us and had been preparing us for some time. Why would I have a talk I got off the Internet once just because it was Robert Millet's and needed so badly today to teach them about Fathers in the Home, and the patriarchal order? And today when they sustained us and called on us to talk, out of the blue, I had in my purse a talk by Merrill Bateman about Dr. Virginia Cutler, my wonderful teacher and head of the Homemaking Dept. at the Univ. of Utah and an experience in her life about laying hold upon one more good thing, and a temple experience she had in pursuing her goal of 2,500 endowments for the dead. I'm so glad He is helping me along to do His work. Please stay healthy and safe and close to the Lord and you will weather the storm out there.

I love you so much!
Mom

November 23, 2001 top

Here is a copy of pages 6-7-8-9 from my journal. I'm trying to limit my entries to those "of spiritual worth to my posterity" as the Book of Mormon writers did.

Thank you for copying these, and Marjorie's letters and sending them out to all the family.

Love "you all,"
Dad

November 15, 2001

Last Thurs, we went with the Elders to teach a discussion to a non-member lady who has been coming to church, Penny Earl. She has been reading the Book of Mormon but hasn't had a witness yet. So, the elders wanted me to prepare a special discussion for tonight: I thought over a number of principles, but when I considered pointing out the Bible scriptures on the Book of Mormon, I felt it was the right subject. After our discussion she said how grateful she was to have discussed that, since she had been praying for Bible evidences of the Book of Mormon, rather than other kinds of support. The experience points out again how critical it is to have the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our work.

November 18, 2001

It is Sunday, and at the branch meetings I was sustained as 1st councilor to Pres. Walter Steffensen, in the Winnsboro branch. I was set apart after church by the 2nd councilor in the stake presidency, Jeff L. Johnson. I then set Marjorie apart as a Relief Society teacher.

November 22, 2001

Thanksgiving Day. A few days ago we decided to find any widows who would be alone on Thanksgiving Day. We have eight elderly sisters in the branch. Two are in rest homes. We took them a lovely pink rose in a slender vase and a thank you card, as below. Of course our visit meant the most.

You are so very important in the great plan of the Lord. God our Eternal Father loves you, His wonderful daughters. The Savior loves you. The women in His life were so very important. And we love you for the great good you do. - Gordon B. Hinckley

Thank-you for being anxiously and cheerfully engaged in the Savior's work and remaining loyal to Him throughout your life.

Elder and Sister Stucki Thanksgiving 2001

Five of these elderly widows would be with families, but one would be all alone. We sent the five a Thank You card in the mail. The sister who would be alone, we cooked a typical Thanksgiving dinner for her, took it to her apartment, and had dinner with her there. It was a special experience. When we left, she said a tearful thank you. She said her son who passed away a year ago looked after her, but now he was gone, and our caring was much appreciated. It made our day also. She got a thank you card, too.

We came back to our apartment just in time for me to drive the two elders out to a black widow's place, out in the country, where she was caring for her mother. About 40 of her relatives were there to have Thanksgiving together and celebrate her mother's 84th birthday. We three white strangers there were treated cordially. She wanted us to meet her relatives. We were glad for this opportunity. I was drawn to a man eating at a table outside, whom I found was a minister trying to get a church going in Houston, Texas. His name was Samuel Coleman. I felt he was a sincere, good Christian. That's why our conversation was congenial. I had opportunity to explain about the Book of Mormon. I told him I would send him a Book of Mormon and some Bible scriptures telling of the coming forth of the B of M. This I will do shortly, with a letter. I'll mark several passages in the Book of Mormon for him.

As we study the gifts of the spirit, about which much is written in scripture, we learn that charity, a Christ-like love, is a gift of God. I started feeling that charity when Marjorie and I moved into our first house in S.L.C., and began attending the Evergreen Ward. I was assigned to home teach some special black people living on a certain street in an old residential area of the ward. I began to have a real love for them. That love swelled in me when I heard that the blacks could now hold the priesthood, and each time I met one or two of them in the temple. A strong confirmation in my mind and heart, of the correctness of this new "change" in the church was also received on these occasions. As is always the case, our experiences prepare us for callings that come to us in due time in the Savior's work. Now, I'm working among many black people for whom I feel such love.

The Towel top

At first glance, one looks at a kitchen towel and thinks, "Wow, a towel… I needed a new one" or "Wow… a new towel, the old one's are getting stained and worn." But have you ever stopped to think that for years, even thousands of years, the towel has NOT just been used in the kitchen.
Take for example the mother who wipes the tears of a little child to soother the physical and emotional hurt; the physician who binds the wounds of a bleeding patient; the woman in her home wiping her hands as she moves from task to task; the weary traveler who wipes his sweated brow. Some other examples would be the manager of a boxer who "throws in the towel" to save the life of his protégé, or the young man wiping the grease from his hands as he fixes the old jalopy.
Not withstanding all of the above examples, perhaps the most significant use of the towel was about two thousand years ago when our loving brother took an ordinary towel in his hands to dry the feet of his disciples only hours before his crucifixion. Surely, the towel is a handy item with a myriad of uses, but it also has deep symbolic meaning when seen in the hands of the Savior of the world, performing an act of kindness for his fellow men.
So take this towel, knowing it is given with love, and do works of goodness with it, as the Savior worked goodness with his, so many years ago.

The letter you wrote on 9-15-01 to us at the MTC arrived by mail today! I guess it missed us, and was held up "here or there" getting forwarded on to us, for 9 weeks! Utah!

It was inspiring and worth waiting for! Thanks! Also, it is getting sweater weather here some evenings and mornings. Thank you for the sweater, umbrella, and camera sent by the "Payson/Orem Crew."

We love you,
Dad

We got through talking to Danay, and we are so excited for him and the great experience he is about to have. What a joy to have a grandson like him! He is one you can all look to as a role model as is Levi. All you younger grandsons watch these young men and follow in their footsteps. And all you young granddaughters find husbands just like them to have as eternal companions.

We talked with some of you this week on Thanksgiving. It was great to share that day with you. I missed you so much! I cooked dinner working Wednesday and Thursday morning with Dad's help and had it done by 1:00PM and the turkey was cooked and we hauled it over to a sister's home and the three of us enjoyed it together. She really liked it. I was worried whether she would like our traditional dinner, because they really eat different here. We could barely find a can of pumpkin here. The stores sell Sweet Potato Pie. But she loved everything. We left her enough for another meal or more and then fed the Elders the next day. They had 2 dinners on Thanksgiving. We thought there would be more sisters not with family on Thanksgiving, but ended up they were all taken care of by their families.

I am looking forward to Thursday this week because I have an appointment with an Orthopedic Dr. to get a cortisone shot. My arthritis is really bad, especially at night and early morning. I think it is the weather and humidity here. It's not just my knee; it's my hands and arms up to my elbows and my feet and legs up to my knees. Now, I know why my Mom couldn't stand to have us touch her bed or her. I understand her plight a lot better now. I'm not as bad as she was but I'm learning a lot about pain. I can hardly walk at night to the bathroom. I tell you this because I have got to solve this problem so I can function as I planned to do as a missionary. If it works as well as it did the first time, I will be a new person.

We had a real storm the other night. It rained and blew and poured and lightning'd and thundered for an hour-and-a-half. I half expected our roof to blow off. I've heard that Mississippi had tornadoes and damage and I found out tonight that tornadoes happen here also. Next time I will be more worried knowing it can happen here.

We are still going every Monday to the nursing home, teaching 2 sisters in their homes the Temple preparation classes, this Wednesday we are going to the Temple again. Also, we are going with the Elders to teach a couple who are ready for the 4th discussion this Tuesday night. We have visited almost everyone in the branch, had meals with many. This evening we went to the Earl home for son's ordination as a Priest. His father works on Sunday. His wife Penny is the one the Elders teach on Thursday. She is just like a great member and it will be a glorious day when she is baptized! She found the Dr. for me and her cousin is a hairdresser I'm going to this week. I've got to end this before it jumps to another page. I love you - each and every one of you. Write to me. Robyn I got your book and I love it. Bye for now. Love, MOM

---

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with HIM…FOR ALWAYS. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but whom you have in your life that counts.

November 24, 2001 top

Since it is a time of Thanksgiving, I have felt to thank God for the great blessings I have had throughout my life and the hope I have had for a glorious resurrection and for eternal life because of the Savior.

There is, however, a special request which was granted on Thanksgiving for which I am very grateful. On the eve of Thanksgiving, Marjorie was coming down with a severe sore throat, a flu-like cold, and chills … the kind of illness she has had in past years known to put her down for several days. If this happened it would mess up all our Thanksgiving plans to brighten the day for the widow we were planning dinner for. We told Father about our problem and asked Him to help us. I gave Marjorie a blessing and we retired. She arose invigorated in the morning and we worked together the whole morning and were ready with dinner for the sister, Thelma King, by 1:00 PM. Nothing is too little or too big to ask Father to help us with. I've learned that many times.

At the Nov. 18th stake priesthood meeting, I had a strong impression of the significance of the fact that wherever we go in the Church, from the coasts of Nova Scotia (where I served my mission 54 yrs. Ago) to the cotton fields of Louisiana (where Sister Stucki and I now serve), we find the same unchanging and identical truths being taught … one Lord, and faith, and baptism … while here around us in numerous churches, large and small, are many widely divergent teachings, even among those claiming to be the same denomination. I've found the fulfillment of Christ's fervent plea that His disciples will be one "as thou Father and I are one." (John 17 Chap) I know the teachings and Church of the Savior's day is the same as in the restored church today … all one with the saints of every age, on every continent. Anyone who will diligently and prayerfully search the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and words of our living prophets will come to know this.

At the same stake meeting mentioned, reference was made to a talk by David O. McKay in which he asked what questions we will be asked when we have our personal interview someday with the Savior. He will ask first, how did we treat our spouse? Second, how did we treat each child (by name)? And lastly, how we served in our Church calling, not what calling did we have. It points out that "the most important calling we will ever have is within the walls of our own home," from a different aspect.

Today we arose early and left at 6AM in a large van with branch members going on their monthly temple trip to Baton Rouge temple, to go on two endowment sessions, 10AM and 12 noon. On the way, a bolt holding the right rear shock broke so one end of the "shock" drug on the pavement making much noise. We stopped and got it fixed, but the delay made us late and we missed the start of the 10AM session. However, with the number in the van, we had just enough persons to do sealings instead, and a temple sealer available as well. One member had sealings to do of close-family relations who were dead, and we had an inspiring sealing session. Then (we) went on the noon endowment session.

Today we went to Monroe, an hour's drive from Winnsboro, for an afternoon appointment with Dr. Myron Bailey for a knee shot for Marjorie. We waited a good while but we liked the doctor, and within a few hours, Marjorie was a new person … no longer pain in her hands and arms that night, nor in her knee. Even the shoes she hadn't been able to wear, now felt good on her feet. What a blessing.

We went to the Baton Rouge Temple again this Wednesday. We went in a van with another couple and 2 elderly sisters. We had car trouble and got there late, so we did some sealings and then attended a session. It is so far away and takes so long to drive there and back, but people here know how much better it is now than when they had to go to Dallas.

I told Sheena about an idea I had for a Christmas project the grandchildren could participate in. Now I'm worrying about if there is time. She was going to ask all to contribute a dollar so we can give gifts to people at the nursing home we go to on Mondays. And also to make some hand made cards wishing them Merry Christmas, you know, like the neat ones you have sent us for various occasions. I'm mentioning it now because you would need to do it right away and send them to us (the cards). We have arranged with the Humanitarian Missionary couple to get some hygiene kits for all the people there and we would just embellish them with something extra and your cards. I would really like you to all participate if you can do something simple and fast and sign your names, be sure. I have the greatest grandchildren in the world! I'm going to send a copy of Danay's letter to us for all of you to read. We received it this week and a letter from Randy, too. He is so ready for his mission in all ways and will be a super missionary. What a blessing to us to have a grandson like him. All of you are wonderful. I hope you know how great you were before you ever came here on Earth. You kept your first estate (made the big decision correctly) and now you are here to see if you can make the right choices in this life, to see if Heavenly Father can trust you with His power, priesthood, and all that He has in store for those that love Him. You are so needed to help in this work and the Church is growing so fast and needs valiant leaders. And I know that it is the only way you will ever find true happiness in this crazy mixed-up world, to follow the Savior and His teachings. I love you all and miss you especially at this time of year.
Love, Mom and Granny

November 25, 2001 top

Dear Grandpa & Grandma

I hope everything is going well for you. I think of you often and you are always in our prayers. During Thanksgiving and this holiday season, we are especially grateful for you. Thank you so much for the phone call. It means so much for me to know that you are well and pleased with my choice to serve a mission. I know that it is what the Lord wants me to do at this time and I am fortunate to be able to serve at the same time as you. Hopefully I will be able to call and speak to you again before I enter the MTC on December 12.

Everyone here is well. We are all really busy planning my farewell, making final shopping runs, organizing my Eagle Court of Honor, and other assorted things. It is an exciting time but also a busy and somewhat stressful time. I look forward to when we are all done with everything we need to do. My dad is now 2nd counselor in the Bishopric. My mom just got called to be the Home Family & Personal Enrichment Coordinator. Lila and Ty are seniors in high school and doing well. Arn is a sophomore in high school, Naly is in 7th grade, and Ahriya is in 1st grade. They are all doing great and are really growing up fast. I'm lucky to have such great love and support from my family.

Yesterday was my final night of work at Claim Jumper. It is sad to be leaving but it is time and I am moving on to something bigger and better. I have invited my co-workers and managers to my farewell and hopefully some of them will come. It has been a great experience working over the past year and I am sure that many who I have worked with have had a chance to become a little more familiar with our church and beliefs. Many people asked questions about our beliefs, practices, standards, etc and it had been neat to be able to answer them and to try to set a good example.

I have really been blessed in my work and have earned all the money I need to finance my mission. Beyond that, I have earned a substantial amount that I can put towards schooling when I get back. That is one of the great things about keeping the commandments and doing what the Lord asks us to do-we are blessed. We choose the right and then are blessed because of it, many times over. I am so thankful for that.

I remember when I was interviewing for my job and how insistent they were that I work Sunday's. I told them that I would not, and then put my trust in the Lord. I was hired and given Sunday's off. As I worked my way up and eventually became a server, I encountered more problems with requests to work Sundays and I have never had to work a Sunday. This has been a great blessing. Living the gospel brings blessings to our lives. As I progressed through the company and received raises and promotions, I knew it was because Heavenly Father was blessing me in my righteous endeavors. People noticed that there was something different about me, that there was something special, and I know that the gospel that the gospel and the knowledge which we have is what makes such as difference in our lives.

I just want to leave with you my testimony that I know the church is true. We are so blessed to have the gospel in our lives and to have the chance to share the truth with our brothers and sisters. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and we have the potential to become like Him. The Book of Mormon is a true book. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. He restored the church in these latter. We have a living prophet on the Earth today, Gordon B. Hinckley who leads and guides us. These things are true. I know it because I have prayed and asked Heavenly Father and he has answered me, I look forward to serving a mission in Guatemala and to strengthening my testimony and the testimonies of others as I exercise faith and do as my Father in Heaven has commanded.

I love you and am thankful for you love and example. You are the greatest. Take care.

Please write and I will continue to write you. After December 12 my address will be:

Pouch
Elder Stucki
Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission
50 E. North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-0001

Your grandson,

Danay R. Stucki

Today at 10AM the two elders, Elder Briel and Elder Smith, and Sister Stucki and I did again our weekly devotional at the rest home. We each take 15 minutes. In the evening, at 6:30PM, we attended a home evening held by some elderly church ladies and friends in a social area of the Magnolia Apts. These are apartments for seniors. It starts with a potluck supper and an inspirational, short "lesson" by former branch Pres. Don Bennett. This occurs once a month.

Today was a Christmas Missionary conference attended by the Mission presidency and their wives. The morning was filled with good instruction and testimonies. One participant was a young elder from Mongolia in our mission learning our language and the proper operation of the Church by being here

At noon we were served a most impressive Christmas-dinner done by the Monroe saints for the missionaries. Afterwards, we went to the chapel for a nice Christmas program, mostly music. However, I was last, and read by assignment Luke 2:1-20. Do we realize that this is the only place in the Bible that tells us all of this information about Christ's birth? We have this, and the events told in the first chapter of Luke, only because the Lord inspired Luke to find all he could about the Savior's birth and record it, and then saw that Luke's writings were preserved so the world would have them in the "Stick of Judah." Luke went on to write Acts, the only account of the operating church after Christ's ascension. Similarly, the visit of the wise men and slaughter of infants told in Matthew 2:1-23, is told nowhere else.

Pres. Sheffield, in the morning meeting gave us this insight: All of Christ's followers in the pre-existence had hope that they would be able to come to earth in our time … the fullness of time, in homes where the gospel would be taught them and the restored church would be on earth again, and in America, the land blessed above all other lands. Didn't we plead, "if you'll let me, I'll see that those less fortunate will have the gospel taken to them? I'll be a missionary and do much more!" We are the ones who got the chance. Am I doing what I promised?

Today we gave another lesson to Sister Wyman who is an older lady who joined the church a couple years ago. We're helping her to be ready to go to the temple. Afterwards the young men & women of the branch showed up, as did the two younger elders, and raked her leaves and picked up bags of Pecans scattered al over the yard. We worked until darkness settled in on us. The next two days, we missionaries dropped by another hour to get the job finished up. She was delighted.

At 7AM a large mission truck used for humanitarian work arrived in Winnsboro for a free clothing distribution to the needy. The newspaper clipping which I wrote tells much about the event:

Clothing giveaway planned December 8

One thousand items of clean, sorted clothing will be given away on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the VFW - Council on Aging building on Loop Road in Winnsboro
Bedding will also be distributed.
The Community Development Institute Head Start is sponsor of the program. The clothing is provided at no cost by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Volunteers from Head Start and the church will be present to help. The church has distributed over 105,000 pounds of clothing so far this year at 223 similar events in low-income areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This is part of the humanitarian aid program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Afghanistan refugees have been shipped 380,000 pounds of clothing and bedding including 40,000 new wool blankets and large quantities of food to assist in their latest crisis.

Winnsboro is about the population of Grand County, with a once a week newspaper the size of Moab's paper. We had 83 shoppers come, largely blacks, who shopped for 443 (persons in their families). Five cities and towns in the county (they call a Parish in Louisiana) passed out circulars to children in the schools announcing the event. The branch, including the 4 missionaries, had 13 members helping setup racks, etc. and do the cleanup afterwards. Headstart had 5 more volunteers. 1,025 lbs. Of clothing, etc. was given away. Senior missionaries like Sister Stucki and I, do one of these events all year long. They too, pay their way rather than get paid, to do it. There is nothing like the Lord's church anywhere else in the world, in every age in which it was found. True or false prophets … "by their fruits ye shall know them." I was inspired when I observed that this dear sister, coming with her husband, has bad palsy in her right hand. She has to steady her right hand with her left hand to write, but does all the book work. Am I learning what the D&C calls valiant in Sec 76? And, they tell us what joy it brings them to be doing their work everyday.

Elder Briel had a story he told at our last devotional. At the nursing home that greatly impressed me, called "Two Babes In A Manger." So I'm sending it to all the family through Mathew's gracious service. The Savior is the last and unfailing friend we have in life when all else fails us. How essential it is to know this when we, as Misha, have times of loneliness, grief, and despair. It matters not what mistakes we have made, if we repent and get back on track, hear his voice "pleading our cause." Read D&C 45:3-5. Nothing touches me as much in scripture as these verses do.

I must go back now to finish telling about the conference on Dec. 4th: At one point in the afternoon we all took seats in a large semi-circle in the gym, and the mission president and his wife passed out a Christmas stocking with very special things in it, to each elder and sister or couple. The most special thing that could be given us came out of the stocking … A handful of wonderful letters from loved ones back home. How much we appreciated those letters and the pictures grandchildren drew for us! We have carefully kept all our letters, and posted the pictures sent by the grandchildren week by week on our doors and walls in our apartment.

At first glance, one looks at the kitchen towel and thinks, "Wow, a towel… I needed a new one" or "Wow… a new towel, the old ones are getting stained and worn." But have you ever stopped to think that for years, even thousands of years, the towel has NOT just been used in the kitchen but for a variety of reasons.

Take for example the mother who wipes the tears of a little child to soothe the physical and emotional hurt; the physician who binds the wounds of a bleeding patient; the woman in her home wiping her hands as she moves from task to task; the weary traveler who wipes his sweated brow. Some other examples would be the manager of a boxer who "throws in the towel" to save the life of his protégé, or the young man wiping the grease from his hands as he fixes the old jalopy.

Not withstanding all of the above examples, perhaps the most significant use of the towel was about two thousand years ago when our loving brother took and ordinary towel in his hands to dry the feet of his disciples only hours before his crucifixion. Surely the towel is a handy item with a myriad of uses, but it also has deep symbolic meaning when seen in the hands of the Savior of the World, performing an act of kindness for his fellow men.

So take this towel, knowing it is given with love, and do works of goodness with it, as the Savior worked goodness with his, so many years ago.

Giving New Life to Old Beans top

Should you throw out those dry beans that have hardened after years in storage? No! To salvage old beans, wash and sort them, removing any discolored beans or foreign material. To each cup of dry beans, add two and one-half cups (imperial pint) of hot tap water and two teaspoons of baking soda. Soak the beans overnight. The next day, drain them and rinse them twice. Put them in a large pot, cover them with water, and cook them until they become tender-about two hours. As the beans cook, add more water as needed. Then use the beans in any recipe.

TWO BABES IN A MANGER top

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on Biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls, who had been abandoned, abuse and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the Holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.

Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from the tan felt we had brought from the United States.

The orphans were busy assembling their mangers as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger scene. The child began to repeat the happenings accurately, until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib.

He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told Him, I have no mamma and I have no papa so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with Him. But I told Him I couldn't because I didn't have a gift to give Him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought, maybe if I kept Him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?" And Jesus told me "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me."

"So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and He told me I could stay with Him---for always."

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with HIM…FOR ALWAYS. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but whom you have in your life that counts.

Last Sat. we helped distribute clothing to many needy people. The humanitarian missionaries brought over a thousand pounds of clothes and other things. I decided we were pretty needy too and got a really pretty lace curtain for our bedroom and a tab curtain to close off the hall from the front room. Also, a blue T-shirt and a black jacket. I bought some cheap gold wire frames and framed 4 calendar pictures off my calendar by Susan Wingett artist; they are from her angel calendar. So things are looking more homey. Also, today Sis. Bennett and her daughter brought us a Christmas tree, a set of lights and a stand. They brought the same to the missionaries. I'm going to hang gingerbread boys on it and pine cones from around here.

Last week we had the most wonderful surprise. We went to the Christmas Zone Conference in Monroe and had a wonderful, inspiring conference and then received a most precious gift - all the letters from you our great family. I was afraid to even open one to read, but finally I did and sure enough I started to cry. A young sister missionary came over and hugged me because she saw me crying. We just sat there and read and cried for a very long time, after most had gone, because we had so many. Thank you, everyone-you are the greatest! I'm sending the pictures of our apartment this time. You'll just have to share them with those in your area and then to another if you think they are worth sending. We are fixing things up a little better than these show. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. Love you, Mom and Granny

Our Beloved Children and Grandchildren,

It is just a week until Christmas and we are thinking much about all of you and about the Savior's birth.

The Savior was the God of the Old Testament that appeared to Moses and the other prophets, who brought about the miracles that occurred then, and gave the Ten Commandments to Israel.

The day before He took on a mortal body and was born in Bethlehem, he told His prophet in Ancient America "on the morrow come I into the world."

His birth and mission on earth fulfilled the prophecies of many Old Testament prophets. The glorious event was told us by Matthew and Luke in the New Testament.

His choice to be born in a poor home, and the most humble circumstances, have touched us immensely, as has every other deed in His life. What emperor would choose such a birth place if he had a choice? Or, death on a cross if he had the choice?

In all Christ did, He made it perfectly clear He was carrying out Father-in-Heaven's wishes and doing what He did out of perfect love for us.

All the spirits in Heaven hoped to be born in our time, the best of times; in our land, the best of lands; and when the fullness of the gospel was ours for the taking. How did we get to be the fortunate ones? What is expected of us for such a blessing? Why have we been given such a great family?

We know some of the answers and it makes us very humble, very appreciative, and dedicated with all our hearts to the Savior. So, we will be here, away from our precious family for Christmas. Our prayer for all of you is that you will, like Christ, henceforth and forever, do all things that our Father-in-Heaven expects of you, so that all of us will be together forever in His presence.

We recommend you read together as a family the Charles Dickens rendition of "The Life of Our Lord" he wrote for this own family. (See P.2 thru 5, Dec '94 Ensign, headed "To Do Good Always.")

May God be with you this Christmas season and always,
Dad and Mother - Grandpa and Grandma

December 16, 2001 top

Dear Family,

Perhaps the most difficult thin about serving a mission is being away from our beloved children and grandchildren, especially at this time of year. But I came across this scripture this week:
"He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
"And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me" Matt. 10:37-38.
Taking up our cross means accepting hardships that come, serving others and leaving the comforts of our home and hearth. We are well aware of the blessings that will come and the promises made to those who serve. We have yet to report of anything huge happening. We just returned from having dinner at Penny's house and Dad gave a short lesson. She is the one that is an unbaptized member. The Elders asked her to commit to be baptized at their last discussion, but she said she wasn't ready. I took her one of Robyn's little books, the one dedicated to me, and she said she would treasure it. Dad spent many hours this week preparing references to give Joyce Hill, a fairly recent convert, who is having second thoughts about the Church. These people get so many lies and opposition from their families and ministers; it really makes it hard for them. But this isn't new in the Church. My ancestors, as well as many others, gave up family and made the hard journey to Utah, and then worked for years to pay their passage.
We had a humungous rainstorm again this week on Thursday. We decided to take back our second TV-VCR to Sam's and it rained cats and dogs. We got a different one this time, it cost more but it is really good. It is a JVC. I tried recording on it and it worked beautifully. We did get home all right and got our shopping done. The Elders really worried about us (that's a switch).
Today we had Pres. Means and his wife, who is Stake Relief Society Pres., here to speak to us. He is a new counselor in the Mission Presidency. It was a very good meeting. In talking to Sis. Means after, she told me there was a very good health food store in Ruston, about 35 miles from Monroe. They would have wheat and sunflower seeds and all the things I have run out of). It's called the Ole Wheat Barn and is owned by LDS people. We will make a trip one of these days although it is really a long ways to go. I got 2/3 of my visiting teaching done this past week and this week we hope to go visit the people I told you about last week, the lady in Mangham and the man in Crowville. Tomorrow we go to the Nursing Home and I have nothing prepared as yet. I have used every story on Christmas I have. We will give the gifts next week. I took some of the money we received from the grandchildren and bought 25-cent Christmas bags and transferred the contents of the Ziploc bag into them. Elder Briel wanted to enclose The Towel story and I want to make gingerbread boys this week and then with the cute cards some have sent they will look great. I will take a picture of them. We also received the missionaries' gifts some of you sent. Thank you so much. You are all so wonderful. How wonderful? I think I never realized until I got out in the real world. You are UNIQUE! Thank you so much for all you have done and are doing to help us be here. I love you and pray for you daily. Our thoughts were with Danay this week, knowing what he was experiencing. Have a wonderful, merry, happy, joyous Christmas! Love, Mom and Granny

December 23, 2001 top

Dear Family,
It is Sunday night about 8:00PM and we just put the finishing touches on our 65 gift bags for the nursing home. I used some of the money to buy Christmas printed sacks for 25 cents each and we transferred the contents of the zip-lock bag the Humanitarian Center provided containing a hand towel, a bar of soap, toothpaste, 2 combs, 2 toothbrushes, shampoo and a sewing kit (which we removed). We added a bag with a chocolate chip cookie and a gingerbread boy and some assorted holiday candies thrown in. Then to top it all off, a beautiful handmade card, made by many of you and bless you Debbi for filling in the remaining number we needed with your beautiful cards. Sixty-five is a lot! It took me days to make all the cookies and Dad, bless his heart, put all the eyes and buttons on the gingerbread boys, cutting up dried cranberries because not one store had currants. We will deliver them tomorrow when we go at 10 o'clock.

We had an interesting day at Church. It turned out to be successful even though everything was working against it. Sister Steffensen was writing the Christmas program but left for a family affair last week and didn't return until just a few days ago. Dad was conducting and trusted she would come up with something. We tried to discourage them from having a dinner on Sunday, after meeting, but they said this was their custom and would be the only time anyone would come. It was decided to have the sacrament service first, then the Christmas Devotional which we taped, then the dinner. In the meantime we learned that one of the older sisters was having her Christmas party Sunday because that was the only day her family could all come. That meant that 3 families would go to that rather than our service, including our pianist (who never comes anyway) and Sister Patsy Johnson had some surgery and was unable to fill in as pianist, and so we were left with no one, except Sister Steffensen who could play as last resort. On the way with most of the dinner in her car, she had a flat tire. She was also the speaker along with Elder Briel. She did arrive just in time to give her talk and play for the last two songs. We had a normal small turnout, which included Virginia, and Danny Reeves (the ones the Elders are teaching) and a black lady and her little girl came. But in spite of all the problems it was a success. Lesson to all of you-learn to play the piano! I wish I could, as do the Elders. It rained hard again last night and was somewhat flooded again today. I don't really get scared, but it is an experience. I just have to get up and look out the window.

On Thursday of this week, we went to Columbia about 40 miles away, to visit Thelma King who is in the Rehab. hospital. It was an interesting drive with huge fields and woods and green and warm even in December. We crossed a drawbridge and came into this really cute, restored downtown. I would love to go there again with Mary or Robyn or someone who likes to shop. Dad isn't interested in even looking much less buying. We found the hospital by accident and visited for a while then left planning to hunt up the 3 families who have left our branch and go to Monroe. Exactly why is a mystery still, to us. We finally found one family after driving for 20 miles and almost running out of road as a sign said Ferry crossing ahead. They were home and happened to be the parents of one of the other families (next door) and the Aunt and Uncle of the other family (across the river). Oh, if we could only get them to come back, she plays the piano and they have 2 children still at home and I don't know how many grandchildren next door, although we did meet one grandson. We love you and realize how unique our family is. We are so lucky! I'm to my last line or I'll have to write a whole page more. Your loving Mother,
Mom and Granny

December 23, 2001 top

Where has the time gone since I last wrote of mission events? Recently, the young people have gone on service projects with the younger elders, whom they relate to very well, and branch leaders. One of special interest, I wrote about earlier. Now the rest of the story about Sister Wyman's pecans-Friday we took the nuts to a nearby town where a man has a machine that cracks the shells of the nuts, and another machine which separates the nuts and shells. We found this man to be a true Christian. For that reason he "would like to talk with us about the gospel." For an hour, while the nuts were being cracked, we discussed many things and he learned of the restoration, the teachings of the Church, and how they are like the church of the New Testament times. He learned about the youth project to help a widow. When done, he wouldn't take pay for the work he had done to crack her pecans and said that our conversation with him the past hour was ample pay for his work. He had already received a Book of Mormon, which one of his three dons is reading, and intends to himself.

The man I speak of also has repaired and refinished antiques for many years, and does upholstering. He went to the home of one of our widows to fix one of her chairs, and saw a picture on her wall of the first vision. They talked, and she told us to visit him. That's how we met him. This dedicated sister has, since then, gone to a medical center for some tests and treatment. She was very glad when we visited her a couple days ago to find out that she could still help the Lord's work move forward by giving us this referral. We were inspired, also, to see how her kind and loving interest in other patients there had given them a lift in times of illness, I think of the Savior's admonition in 3 Nephi 18:24 to "hold up your light" which is to do "that which ye have seen me do."

Personally, I have made a commitment to make the Savior the focal point of any conversation, and to lift every person to whom I can speak for moment, wherever we go. It opens the way to further conversation about the need for the "new witness of Christ," which the Book of Mormon has become, and of the restoration. Also, whatever else the Bible belt may think about us they can't say we aren't Christians, as many if their ministers would like to have them believe.

Today, we have had the joy of having two contacts, Danny and Virginia Reeves, come to our sacrament meeting, First Presidency Christmas Devotional, and dinner. Our branch president and his wife are both retired people. She was once a very capable attorney and is a convert. It happened some time ago, when she and others of her family were studying the church she did so with vigor. She went to the library and found what books she could both for and against the church, and read them. One day, deep in thought she had the thought powerfully come to her that it all hinged on Joseph Smith. He was either a true prophet or imposter. She knelt down and prayed with fervent intent for an answer. A vision came in which she saw Joseph Smith and knew he was a prophet. It bears out the admonition in D&C 9:7-8 "You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me," and then Moroni's direction that we "ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ." The answer comes when we inquire in this manner. All of us who prepare lessons [and talks] with study and real intent know the feeling when the Holy Spirit takes charge.

When the Elders came in one of them said, “This doesn’t look like a missionary apartment.” It does look better now. I finished the curtains in the kitchen and made a narrow valance to hide the fluorescent light over the sink. We got a tall bookcase and put by the front door and with books and plants it looks homey. The Earl family (Penney) gave us a wire plant stand for Christmas. This happened because of a story I told in Sunday School. The teacher asked for someone to tell of an incident about honesty and I had just experienced one. The lady in the apartment below us had moved out and no one had been around for 3 weeks or more. I wanted to take a picture of the apartment with our new camera and needed to clean up a little to make it look better. There were broken plastic pots, a rock, and a 3-tiered particle board plant stand in bad shape, plus other stuff cluttering up the porch by the apartment doorway. I threw away some things and decided to take one pot that was decent, a galvanized bucket full of dirt, and the rickety plant stand. I cleaned the pot and planted pansies in it and put it by our doorway, emptied the bucket and washed it out and planned to fill it with pinecones, fruit or pecans, or whatever. The stand I took apart and decided the rough particle board round shelves would have to be covered and I’d make 2 stands out of one. Well, much to my horror, the next day I looked out the window and there was the lady filling her truck up with things that were still inside. I was sick! It was fairly early and I was in my nightgown, so poor Dad had to go tell her about the things I had taken and that we would give them back to her. He even carried the large pot of pansies down the stairs to give to her. She said she didn’t want them and we could keep them. How embarrassing! We could have not told her about what had been taken—but I would have a guilty conscience all my life. Being perfectly honest is something I can do well, like paying tithing and keeping the Word of Wisdom, and being morally clean. There are other things that I need to work on like loving all of God’s children and not judging. So I don’t need a guilty conscience to torment me about honesty.

Our Elders get transfer notices tonight, if they are to be transferred. We don’t know what to expect, but it will be hard if they leave. I particularly need Elder Smith to bail me out with computer problems and we need him as a ward clerk computer person. This is our first experience with changes and I am worried. We have gotten attached to these young men and it will be hard to say goodbye. We got Danay’s farewell tape and listened to it. Dad used Arn’s talk at the nursing home this week. You are such a great family!
Love you forever—
Mom

---

I have not written in my journal in three weeks, although numerous things have been happening: The net being little progress toward baptisms, although much effort has been made. Deep thoughts have roosted in my mind as a result.

One day Margie said, "Why didn't someone tell us that mission work can be so hard and discouraging?" I have heard the brethren say "We need to tell missionaries that." However, there are times that the responses have been wonderful, and baptisms many. The Lord said I'll send fishers, but also hunters who will find two of a family and one of a city. Everyone must be invited to listen. Those who find one or two, or none, are as important as those in fertile areas who bring many into the field.

Grandfather John Stucki is greatly honored because he, and loved ones, did not buckle under the severe trials of handcart pioneers and settlers in the West. The Lord has counted on such valiant support under adversity in every dispensation. We are humbled to think he is trusting Margie and I to face the obstacles here, for him.

I have hurt, and cried, over the pains of family members who have had trials and suffering. But never before have I understood so well the sorrow of the Savior for those countless numbers who have rejected him after all that he has done for them. I understand more of what they mean to him ie what my family means to me. That understanding is the greatest motivator I have ever felt.

We who have been on missions once, know the courage required to keep going when little success is seen. And the joy over one real convert we had something to do with. In Nova Scotia, two summers of hard, country tracting seemed to be fruitless, but in the cities I baptized "one here, and two there." I wondered if they stayed faithful. My joy was full when years later, one of the two teenage girls we baptized in Truo called me. Now, she was a mother, with a teenage daughter (marrying a returned missionary) both faithful members. Twenty years later another contact called me who joined the church after I left-now, a grandma, and a faithful member over many years. This makes it all worthwhile, no matter the cost. But, there is more to it than that.

A year ago there was an article in the church news telling of chapels and branches in a number of cities including Newfoundland. When I was there, except for a handful of saints in Halifax, we got our first member or two in each of the cities where they now have a branch. And now there is a Nova Scotia temple.

My mind reflects on my Grandpa John Stucki, whom IU mentioned on P.24. Today there are nearly 2,000 descendants of his, mostly active in the church, and good people. Elders sacrificed a great deal in the day they taught Grandpa John's parents and a few relatives. But consider the fruits of their efforts after a hundred and fifty years.

Did we "laborers in the vineyard" pay too high a price, when we see results like these? Certainly not. My personal gratitude knows no bounds because of what those elders who converted grandpa did for me.

In a very real sense, Margie and I are now on our second mission. We were "set apart" for that glorious first mission at the alter of the Salt Lake Temple, and had our "farewell" at our wedding reception the same evening. If we hadn't accepted the call to have a family, and teach them the fullness of the gospel from the beginning, things would be a lot different than they are now for our eight children and 35 grandchildren … and how many added generations! After our numerous years spent in joys and struggles fulfilling that first mission, we do say that the results: Our eternal family means everything to us, their love for us and the Lord brings us so much joy, as does their goodness. In number, they'll soon be "a ward", and in time much greater in number. Compared to the success of our other missions, I think we can testify to the saying of a latter-day prophet that "the greatest work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home."

How very grateful we are that we listened to, and followed the council of living prophets in these matters.

My thoughts now have left their perch in my mind and have come to roost on these pages. I make a most fervent plea to God that our special, fine grandchildren will realize the importance of their choices in life, not only to their own happiness, but to the welfare of generations yet unborn, and I lay my pen down to rest.

Dear Family,
I have good news to report this week! Penny Earl is getting baptized this coming Saturday. The Elders taught her the last lesson last Thursday and we didn't go because I fell off a stool at the Church while I was cleaning out the library (I asked to be Librarian) on Thursday and I tried to catch myself with my right hand and I just went on working all day nearly forgetting about the fall, until I came home, took a bath and started to hurt too bad. The Elders came and told us the good news and I took a pill and went to bed and just kept hurting more than I could stand any longer, I woke Dad up and told him to call the hospital and see if I could get an X-ray. We did this and found out it was a sprain not a break, they gave me a shot and some pain pills and finally the pain went away. It was morning by then and I finally got some peace. What an ordeal. I'm wearing a brace on my hand and can't do much except today I am feeling some better and decided I would try to type a letter to you.

I'm in charge of refreshments after the baptism. Tomorrow is a District Meeting in Monroe. Wednesday is Temple Day, Sunday is my Relief Society lesson and we talk in Church. Meanwhile we are supposed to do missionary work, visiting teaching and home teaching, before the end of the month. I started baking sacrament bread today and made some cookies for the baptism refreshments. The Elders came over and I ended up giving them this big, beautiful loaf of bread, hot out of the oven, because I felt sorry for them and what they might eat, since I didn't invite them to eat our crummy meal. I've got a few days to replace the bread. I think that is enough news for now, it's making me tired just to type it. Dad has to be cook and dishwasher. I just hope I can print this, as our printer broke (the handle). Saturday at 6:00PM our time, we will be experiencing our first baptism if all goes as planned. I'll tell you more next week.

I love you all so much. Thanks for helping us be here. It is very important that we help solve some problems here. I keep saying I'm not going home until they are remedied. I would feel terrible if we go home, as the last senior missionaries did, with all this problem still brewing. I'll go to the Stake President, the Mission President or higher if necessary. I think God is helping us and some changes are imminent. Keep praying for us. Love you forever, as Jerry always says. Thanks for your family picture!
Love you, Mom & Granny

January 21, 2002 top

Dear Family,
I have good news to report this week! Penny Earl is getting baptized this coming Saturday. The Elders taught her the last lesson last Thursday and we didn't go because I fell off a stool at the Church while I was cleaning out the library (I asked to be Librarian) on Thursday and I tried to catch myself with my right hand and I just went on working all day nearly forgetting about the fall, until I came home, took a bath and started to hurt too bad. The Elders came and told us the good news and I took a pill and went to bed and just kept hurting more than I could stand any longer, I woke Dad up and told him to call the hospital and see if I could get an X-ray. We did this and found out it was a sprain not a break, they gave me a shot and some pain pills and finally the pain went away. It was morning by then and I finally got some peace. What an ordeal. I'm wearing a brace on my hand and can't do much except today I am feeling some better and decided I would try to type a letter to you.

I'm in charge of refreshments after the baptism. Tomorrow is a District Meeting in Monroe. Wednesday is Temple Day, Sunday is my Relief Society lesson and we talk in Church. Meanwhile we are supposed to do missionary work, visiting teaching and home teaching, before the end of the month. I started baking sacrament bread today and made some cookies for the baptism refreshments. The Elders came over and I ended up giving them this big, beautiful loaf of bread, hot out of the oven, because I felt sorry for them and what they might eat, since I didn't invite them to eat our crummy meal. I've got a few days to replace the bread. I think that is enough news for now, it's making me tired just to type it. Dad has to be cook and dishwasher. I just hope I can print this, as our printer broke (the handle). Saturday at 6:00PM our time, we will be experiencing our first baptism if all goes as planned. I'll tell you more next week.

I love you all so much. Thanks for helping us be here. It is very important that we help solve some problems here. I keep saying I'm not going home until they are remedied. I would feel terrible if we go home, as the last senior missionaries did, with all this problem still brewing. I'll go to the Stake President, the Mission President or higher if necessary. I think God is helping us and some changes are imminent. Keep praying for us. Love you forever, as Jerry always says. Thanks for your family picture!
Love you, Mom & Granny

January 30, 2002 top

Dear Family,
We had our first baptism as planned Saturday! Everything went perfectly; well the water heater wasn't working quite perfectly. The Elders were heating water on the stove when we got there an hour early and finally got it acceptable. Penney Earl, the one I've told you about before (although not too accurately) was baptized. She married a member over a year ago, after his wife died of cancer. He had three children, 2 teenagers and 1 younger boy; she had a teenage son and an older daughter. She said she didn't want people to think she joined the Church just because her husband was Mormon. So she has been coming for some time to learn for herself, and the missionaries taught her, and finally she was ready. This was a brave thing to do here because she has a Baptist family, relatives, even a preacher, and works at the nursing home where we go each Monday where she gets opposition to joining the Church, so we were told. We will start teaching her the new member discussions this Thursday. There was a good turnout and a great service with excellent talks. We had refreshments after, which I was in charge of, and I think they all enjoyed those. I made small whole-wheat biscuits and put (in them) slivered ham, with white cheddar cheese and mustard, a romaine lettuce piece, and topped them with a pick and a slice of pickled okra or an olive. We had veggie plates and dip, and chips, and then all kinds of cookies and even sugarless sweet potato pie. It looked really nice on a big round table. I wanted Spring flowering bulbs for the table, as I had seen some at Wal-Mart earlier, but when I went to get some a few days before, they were all gone. So I settled for a silk flower arrangement we had at the Church.
We went to Monroe early yesterday for a conference with the Mission President, which we have every 6 weeks. The Elders played basketball for some time, even the Pres. and the other senior missionary Elder, but not Dad. He studied his scriptures. Someone asked him how come he wasn't a general authority. I remember Mary said that once. He seems to always say the profound words at the right time. I got a compliment too, from this young lady missionary we have met before at these meetings. She said I was her role model. She wanted to come back to the mission field with a husband when she was older, and serve like we are doing. I had just read a statement like that in an Ensign when I was searching for material for my talk in Sacrament Meeting last Sunday. She said it almost word for word like it was stated in the article telling of the rewards of serving senior missions.
Pres. Sheffield's wife said someone told her being a mission president is the hardest job in the Church next to being President of the Church. I can believe that. They have this grueling schedule every 6 weeks with 7 areas like ours. He interviews the missionaries in addition to the meetings. The young assistants to the president sure do a good job, they are so well organized and conduct everything so efficiently, I'm sure that helps. They check cars and mileage, and give awards for clean cars (extra mileage). As a goal from last time, they were to do acts of service and report to the mission office the numbers. Pres. Sheffield reported the number was staggering (we forgot to write it down), maybe there will be an article in the Church News about this.
I'm getting to the end of the page and just hope I can print this as our printer is acting up. I condense it with no spaces and Mathew improves on it I hope. I love you all and hope you are healthy, happy, ready for the Olympics, and writing a letter to us, thanks Terri!
Mom and Granny

February 3, 2002 top

Dear Family,

We had our first baptism as planned Saturday! Everything went perfectly; well the water heater wasn't working quite perfectly. The Elders were heating water on the stove when we got there an hour early and finally got it acceptable. Penney Earl, the one I've told you about before (although not too accurately) was baptized. She married a member over a year ago, after his wife died of cancer. He had three children, 2 teenagers and 1 younger boy; she had a teenage son and an older daughter. She said she didn't want people to think she joined the Church just because her husband was Mormon. So she has been coming for some time to learn for herself, and the missionaries taught her, and finally she was ready. This was a brave thing to do here because she has a Baptist family, relatives, even a preacher, and works at the nursing home where we go each Monday where she gets opposition to joining the Church, so we were told. We will start teaching her the new member discussions this Thursday. There was a good turnout and a great service with excellent talks. We had refreshments after, which I was in charge of, and I think they all enjoyed those. I made small whole-wheat biscuits and put (in them) slivered ham, with white cheddar cheese and mustard, a romaine lettuce piece, and topped them with a pick and a slice of pickled okra or an olive. We had veggie plates and dip, and chips, and then all kinds of cookies and even sugarless sweet potato pie. It looked really nice on a big round table. I wanted Spring flowering bulbs for the table, as I had seen some at Wal-Mart earlier, but when I went to get some a few days before, they were all gone. So I settled for a silk flower arrangement we had at the Church.
We went to Monroe early yesterday for a conference with the Mission President, which we have every 6 weeks. The Elders played basketball for some time, even the Pres. and the other senior missionary Elder, but not Dad. He studied his scriptures. Someone asked him how come he wasn't a general authority. I remember Mary said that once. He seems to always say the profound words at the right time. I got a compliment too, from this young lady missionary we have met before at these meetings. She said I was her role model. She wanted to come back to the mission field with a husband when she was older, and serve like we are doing. I had just read a statement like that in an Ensign when I was searching for material for my talk in Sacrament Meeting last Sunday. She said it almost word for word like it was stated in the article telling of the rewards of serving senior missions.
Pres. Sheffield's wife said someone told her being a mission president is the hardest job in the Church next to being President of the Church. I can believe that. They have this grueling schedule every 6 weeks with 7 areas like ours. He interviews the missionaries in addition to the meetings. The young assistants to the president sure do a good job, they are so well organized and conduct everything so efficiently, I'm sure that helps. They check cars and mileage, and give awards for clean cars (extra mileage). As a goal from last time, they were to do acts of service and report to the mission office the numbers. Pres. Sheffield reported the number was staggering (we forgot to write it down), maybe there will be an article in the Church News about this.
I'm getting to the end of the page and just hope I can print this as our printer is acting up. I condense it with no spaces and Mathew improves on it I hope. I love you all and hope you are healthy, happy, ready for the Olympics, and writing a letter to us, thanks Terri!
Mom and Granny

Little Brian prayed with so much faith that he'd get a baby sister for his birthday-what was I supposed to tell him?

Loa Andersen, "A Child's Faith," Ensign, Oct. 1996, 16
It was an April evening in 1975 in North Carolina. Early spring scents drifted in through the open windows, and soft light filtering through sheer curtains illuminated three-year-old Brian's blond head as he knelt in prayer. His husky little-boy voice was asking blessings on everybody and everything he could think of.

"Bless my teddy, and Mommy's sore finger, and my new backpack," I heard him say. Then my mind wandered to my recent phone call to Mrs. Hebel at the Pearl Buck Foundation. I was anxious to know the latest report about Operation Babylift, a program that was bringing Vietnamese orphans to the United States from Saigon.

"No, Mrs. Andersen," she had said. "You will not be getting a child this time. We are receiving only 47 children, and your family is number 60 on our approved list."

Brian said, "And bless my bike, and Daddy's new car, and …"

I looked again at my son, noticing how his brows knit together as he concentrated in prayer. We were lucky to have him. The doctors had given me little hope of completing my pregnancy successfully, suggesting instead that I terminate the pregnancy rather than subject myself to the risks. I had stubbornly resisted, and we were blessed with healthy Brian. Now we wanted another child, but I was unable to conceive again.

My thoughts were interrupted again when I heard Brian say, "Heavenly Father, please hurry up and send me a baby sister because Mommy's tummy can't grow one anymore."

I suddenly realized that Brian had understood much more of our conversations about babies than I'd imagined.

For the next few days, Brian asked for a baby sister in his nightly prayers. One evening as I tucked him in, we talked about the orphaned Vietnamese children and what it meant to be without a mother or father.

"I hurt for those babies, Mommy," Brian told me.

"Me, too," I replied, holding him close.

About three days before his fourth birthday, Brian came running down the stairs in his pajamas, his hair tousled from sleep.

"Mommy!" he shouted excitedly. "Heavenly Father told me I would get a baby sister for my birthday."

My thoughts and emotions were jumbled. I didn't want to question Brian's faith, but I didn't think that even Heavenly Father gave birthday presents quite like that. I pondered how to handle the situation, which grew in seriousness as Brian proceeded to tell neighbors about his news. When people, many of whom knew we had been trying to adopt for nearly three years, asked me for details, I would sadly shake my head and say that we had heard nothing positive.

April 30, Brian's birthday, dawned bright and clear. Brian rose early and came running downstairs to find his new sister. With tears in my eyes, I told him that she wasn't here. Sensing my distress, he wrapped his arms around my neck and said, "Don't worry, Mommy. My party isn't until this afternoon."

Feeling the need for some support, I telephoned my husband at work, but he was performing a surgery. "He should be out in about 15 minutes," his nurse said. "I'll have him call you."

When the phone rang, I grabbed it and burst out, "Chuck, I need you to talk to Brian. He's really expecting a baby sister today."

After a short silence, a woman's voice spoke. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Andersen. This isn't your husband. This is Mrs. Hebel at the Buck Foundation. The orphans have arrived. We have one baby who was turned down by her scheduled parents because she is extremely ill and has a poor prognosis. Would you be interested in meeting her?"

Mrs. Hebel explained that the child had been born prematurely. Though six months old, she weighed only eight pounds. She was malnourished, faced possible blindness and deafness from infections, might never walk because she had been born with spina bifida, vomited frequently, and had ringworm and head lice. Mrs. Hebel said that she had skipped down the list to us because we had indicated we would consider a child with medical problems.

"We will take her," I said with my heart pounding in my throat.

Mrs. Hebel suggested that perhaps we should wait to make our decision until after my husband had examined the child and seen her medical reports. "She is very tiny, very sick, and not very pretty right now," she said.

Dear lady, I thought, you just don't know what has been going on around here.

"Mrs. Hebel," I said, "that child is our daughter. Her name is to be Anjali, and we will come up to Pennsylvania just as quickly as possible to get her."

After I spoke to my husband and received his wholehearted approval, I rushed out to find Brian and tell him the news. He was playing on the swing and smiled when he saw me coming. Before I could say anything, he shouted, "You found out we're getting my sister today, didn't you! Mommy, I told you so!"

After several childhood surgeries on her back and ears, Anjali is today a healthy 21-year-old who is studying computers. When I reflect on the precious experience of adopting her and the great blessings she has brought into our lives, I feel grateful for the faith of my son. Both of my children have taught me much!

Loa Anderson, a mem-
ber of the Gig Harbor
Second Ward, Tacoma
Washington Stake,
serves as a stake
missionary.

Gospel topics:
adoption,
children,
faith, prayer

February 17, 2002 top

Dear Family,
I missed writing to you this past week, for the first time. Nothing unusual happened so I thought I'd write after Valentine's Day. Last year they had a dance and said it was very successful. So they made plans to do it again this year. I couldn't quite see it, as all those older sisters don't have any husbands, and the missionaries can't dance, and I can't dance with arthritis (a good excuse), well anyway they persisted saying others would come. We had a district meeting in Monroe that day and had some shopping to do so we were late getting there to help. It involved moving all the chairs out of the room we use for sacrament meeting, streamers, balloons, hearts, tables covered with white paper, etc. Well the usual faithful were there to help, one sister 82 and her daughter who has been ill, and others around my age. Anyway, they were tired, too tired and just waited for it to be all over and do all the cleanup and undecorating. One couple danced one dance. No one extra came; a few young people were there (3) just because of the food. I did get some chocolate, however, I had been craving. Dad won't let me buy it. But what a disaster! It could have been fun if it had been simple. Just get together and talk and play some games. We have learned to just go along with their plans. Early on I was told that's how they do things in the South. When I suggested something different, I was told they didn't want Western ways imposed on them, this said by one individual. But lately, I have been begged by Patsy Johnson, a counselor in the Relief Society, to help plan Enrichment Meetings, as they are in a rut. I got such good help from Jerry, Kim, and Robyn and their ward. Please thank them for all they sent from your ward. We really have a good agenda planned for the rest of the year and even into next year. Also, Loreta Bennett begged me to teach her all I know about healthy eating. She really wants to learn. Her family is afflicted with terrible illness, mostly diabetes. She took my book with all the information I got off the Internet from the Living Well website to pour over today. She said maybe my mission is to teach them how to eat healthy. By the way, I called a Dr. that is a member of the Church in Monroe, a ward mission leader, a pediatrician, and he gave me enough tetracycline tablets, 250mg., to last my whole mission maybe. Brent has been telling me I needed to take this to cure my arthritis. Today I met someone who came to talk at Church and came to our house for dinner, who buys it at the animal feed store. It will be slow but it may cure me or put me in recession. I'm pretty sure I have rheumatoid arthritis now. I have to take a lot of pain pills. It's in my hands and wrists and lower arms and then in my shoulders and upper arms and neck. I feel like I have charlie horses in the muscles of my arms; it gets real bad at night, but bothers me all day too, if I don't take pain pills. This weather is bad for arthritis. I don't want to have cortisone shots anymore. I feel they are damaging and only a band-aid. My knee doesn't bother me at all. It seems like it has all moved to other places. I don't have any strength in my hands; I can't get lids off anything. I'm determined to stay here no matter what, so I really need to try something. The Dr. just wrote the prescription based on what I told him over the phone, no tests or supervision. I have a book Brent and Debbi sent called The New Arthritis Breakthough by Henry Scammell. It tells me what to do, and this will get me by until I get home. The transfers for the missionaries happens this week on Tuesday night. One of them is bound to go. Kim, the boys' pictures are darling and Terri thanks for the news about Bud Arehart and Ryan's Olympic run and the letters from all. I love you all forever and ever. Mom

March 3, 2002 top

Dear Family,

I sent my computer tower to Aaron to fix and update-so I'm reduced to writing (editor's note - this letter was written longhand).

It's cold here-I finally wore my winter coat. There is a cold wind, which makes it worse. It has been as low as 24°, no snow or ice though.

We just finished listening to CES Fireside. Elder Russell Ballard was the speaker. It was very good-I hope some of you heard it.

We went to the temple on Wed. and did our other regularly scheduled things this week. Not much new. One family we visited said they didn't want us to come back-they didn't believe what we told them-they are Pentecostal. But today at Church, a black man and young boy were there. He is the husband of a black woman and daughter that visited us some time ago. And they are moving here! They have bought a house and Dad and the Elders are helping unload his truck after our Nursing Home visit tomorrow. Finally the branch is growing a little! They both bore their testimonies and seem to be very spiritual. Last week was conference and we got a new stake president. His 1st counselor is a black man who was a bishop in Monroe. There is still a lot of prejudice here (and in our branch) but blacks are everywhere in all the stores and in every part of the work-a-day world. Probably about 60% black here in Winnsboro. They live fairly separated but not entirely. Some churches are mostly black so I am told. This will be a good thing for our branch.

I want to thank all of you for your letters and calls and help to us. For your fast and prayers for me. I am taking the tetracycline and maybe it is stirring up things for me. It said things would get worse before they get better. I hurt so bad at night and during the night. I think of my poor mother and regret if I ever made her life harder-not knowing how much she hurt. Maybe I am learning a lesson. Dad gave me a blessing with the Elders today. I'm sure the Lord will bless me to finish my mission and give it my best. Saturday I made bread and soup and you'd never believe how hard it was. I can't cut up things or shape bread or lift anything. I used the food processor to chop things and made lousy looking loaves, and it took me all day to do what I usually do in a couple of hours. It isn't always that bad, however. Dad helps me a lot. He even has to do dishes when I get behind-because I can't hold the sponge or the pan. I can't believe this has happened to me. My hands are my life and my talent. But I am eating healthy and Brent and Debbi have sent me things to do miracles I hope. Just finding a Dr. to prescribe the tetracycline was a miracle. So I'll be all right.

I love you all and pray for you and hope you're spiritually in tune. Don't let the things that matter most be at the mercy of those things that matter least. Pray, read the scriptures, have family home evening faithfully-I wouldn't dare to fail to do this if I were raising my children in this day. Do it for the promised blessings. Remember He always keeps His promises.
Your loving Mother and Granny

Mar. 27, 2002
Today is Spring-like and a day of wonderful events. We went with a group of 10 branch members to the Baton Rouge temple, leaving at 6:00 AM to make the ten o'clock session. All along the scenic drive through wooded and farmed countryside, we saw beautiful flowering bushes in vivid pink and pastel shades; white lacy dogwood trees scattered inside groves of trees; and lavender wisteria vines climbing up trees, over fences, and as bushes. I took a tip from them all; it is time my dormant journal also came to life and produced something lovely … I'd hope for such.

What made the day great, though, were other things: Firstly it was the day many had prayed and hoped for: Jimmie Bennett, a former branch president's son, was going to the temple at last. It was a modern day story of a prodigal son who had "sown wild oats" and had returned home. Through it all his parents had endless and unconditional love for him. My joy was partly for him, and partly because his parents were so happy, and for the Savior, who had suffered for him, and sorrowed for the many like him whom the Savior was losing. Grandma and I were part of the story. One of the things we did early in Louisiana was to go to the Monroe hospital where Jimmie had been for months with serious health problems. He had lost one foot and was losing half of the other foot, and had almost died. We gave him a blessing that night.

He had had other blessings at critical times, also. His health began a turn around, and his desire to get back on track kept increasing. He began keeping the commandments as he left the hospital and went back to his parents' home. Soon he was coming back to church in his wheelchair, with his families help. He came into the "gospel fundamentals" class I teach for new members and investigators. We have six there … one is an investigator.

Grandma and I began teaching him the six temple discussions, one each week on Wednesday nights. We became close as we studied together. The joyous climax to all our efforts was seeing a changed man finalize his commitments to a Christ centered life, in the temple.

Forgiveness is extended to all who really make a turnaround. Complete forgiveness for all, both the big and the little things we've done on Lucifer's side of the line, if we have faith in Christ and fully repent. We were blessed to be able to help in Jimmie's change, and go with him and his parents to the temple today. I say "blessed." You will never be able to feel what it is like to expend so much energy, money, and time among people who have an interest in a change for the better … and then you find some who really want your help, and thank you with deep feelings for your help. For a time we "walk in the Savior's shoes," feel His sorrow when He said "How oft I would have gathered you, and you would not." And, his joy when "one who was lost is found." I mean you will never be able to feel what it's like until you have such experiences yourself. We are having them.

April 2, 2002
Some special things have happened these last two weeks, which I would like to write about.

1st - On Thurs. Mar 21st we had a Family History Seminar at our church, at 7PM, to which we invited everyone in the area to come and learn how to start their genealogy and get help from our stake genealogical library; and the church's main library in SLC, over the internet. We passed out some handbills and took an article to the newspaper, to announce the event in the "church news' section of our small weekly newspaper; where all churches can announce special activities each week, free of charge. When the paper came out our article was not in the paper. We stressed over this, but waited a couple days until the lady would be in again who processes these kinds of ads. Then, I intended to go in and ask about it. Various possibilities for its omission came to mind. It hurt our attendance, but we still had a successful seminar.

The morning I went in to talk to the person I needed to contact, I resolved to remember I represented the Lord's church and that I must build, not hurt, its image. I further resolved to follow my dear mother's council "If you get a lemon, make a lemonade out of it." So in I walked "not knowing beforehand the things that I should say." She came out and I put on my nicest smile, told her who I was, commented about the quality of the newspaper and the orderliness of their offices. She smiled. I explained about the article not running, and I assumed I had made it too long or something and wanted to know what to do better next time I bring in an article. She was very apologetic … explained how they were short on space and rushed, and that she would run it the next week (less mention of the meeting). We revised it a little and it ran as promised. I had once again seen the truth of the adage "If you want to gather honey, don't kick over the beehive."

2nd - On the 28th at 9:30AM the two elders in Winnsboro and I arrived at the long singlewide trailer house of a black sister, Cleola Stancil. In another state, she and her husband joined the Church and were married in the temple. Later, he died from a bad accident at his work. In time, she got off track a little, but moved in with her elderly mother, living in the country outside of Winnsboro. She was alone and needed Cleola's help. The branch had not been getting out to see her much. So when missionaries were sent to Winnsboro again, all four of us have tried to be a real help to them. The Savior is as anxious for us to bring lost sheep back, as to bring new sheep into the sheepfold, I know.

It would be time to mention a great blessing the Lord has given us. We just couldn't work for Him among other races of people without it. It is the gift of charity … a Christ like love for these people. Here, over half the people are black. Read what Moroni says, Chap. 7, vs. 48 … pray for charity, a gift to "all who are true followers of his son." You who have worked in the mission field among other races know how you start seeing them as Christ does, when love for them swells in your bosom. Some in… the branch here were uneasy about blacks, but as they see and feel the love their leaders and the missionaries have for the blacks their hearts begin to change towards them as well, and his saints get nearer to the goal to "become one … as the Father and I are one."

Our efforts to bring Cleola back and make friends with her mother, have begun, and are continuing, with service, as much as sermons … and we've had some spiritual talks, too. This trip, we went to a natural spring and filled up about forty plastic milk jugs with water. Their well water isn't good enough for drinking. We got a flat tire fixed on her riding lawn mower, mowed the lawn, put up a ¾" galvanized pipe flag pole with a new at the top, and built a 10' by 8' dog shelter against the coming rains.

When we first met Cleola's mother, Mary, she was cool toward us. But, I left the others talking and sat down by her in the kitchen. I asked if she'd like me to read to her a favorite Bible scripture. She knows her Bible. I read several to her. Then she began telling me about ups and downs in her past and the help the Lord gave her to make it through the trials. I told her about some of my own experience. We have since been true friends. She now joins in our discussions. They are always Christ centered and end with a prayer for their welfare.

Once we have Christ-like love for others in our hearts, we begin to realize the obvious, that no matter their church or lack of one, Christ has great love also for them, and consequently answers their sincere prayers, and faith in Him changes their lives greatly for the better. Then, we can become effective teachers, teaching by the spirit, for the Holy Ghost will be there helping us.

3rd - Recently a black family moved into Winnsboro who are active in the church. They were converts four years ago. He listened to TV ministers, while his wife went to various churches hunting for one she could accept. She came home complaining about their shortcomings in each case. One day a TV message from our church came on, and he called for a Book of Mormon, which the elders brought to him. He read the book, prayed about it and got a firm testimony of its truth. He and his wife were baptized, and he is now bringing his best friend to church with him, and the missionaries are going to start teaching the friend's family the discussions.

Their names are Ernest & Cathy Thomas. The Thomases have brought a new zeal and missionary spirit to our branch. The day they moved in, we three elders helped and Grandma (here she is called Sister Stucki) made a pot of wonderful soup for their support. We have in our Stake a councilor to the Stake President who is a black, and he had previously been a very good bishop. I write about these people because they are as good latter-day saints as we can find, and their presence in the temple, in church leadership positions, and in our congregations has been a thrilling thing to me. It fulfills another one of the prophesies of latter-day prophets.

4th - Sister Stucki has been such a blessing to the sisters in the branch. Relief Society here was drying up on the vine because their leaders were not aware of, and so were not following the directions in the handbooks. Grandma did not want to "take over things" and cause resentment. But she found several hungering for good ideas on nutrition, on worthwhile monthly enrichment lessons, and skills in cooking, baking, quilting, and more. One such sister pleading for help was the enrichment councilor. Grandma "pulled out all the stops" to help her. Many of our daughters and daughters-in-law contributed ideas that have been implemented. Thank you so much! The booklet of coming "enrichment" events given all the sisters brought hope that it would start being worthwhile to come. They were excited about what they would be learning and doing. The first event on the new plan happened today, Tuesday, April 2 at the monthly enrichment meeting. One of the sisters, an old timer got off work to come and fix the lunch she was responsible for. Her first chance! Here - before only a few richer ones did lunch, as they paid for it all themselves, and the ones without means weren't called on. But now there was a budget and funds ser aside to pay the costs by the branch, the way it was supposed to b done. Now they are going by the handbook. This sister in charge did well, kept within the budget, and the sisters liked the lunch. She learned from the experience, increased in her self-esteem, and was really grateful for the opportunity. Sister Stucki gave an excellent demonstration on how to do a lap quilt, first step to the last, with everyone helping. Only one of all involved had ever learned how before and made a quilt completely herself. Now several were going to try it. The enrichment councilor and the extra large group of sisters who attended all expressed appreciation for the things Sister Stucki had done to help them. One more thing they did, I almost forgot. They made some really neat pin cushions with fruit jar rings, lids, and fabric.

5th - Early on in our mission, I wrote about the handicaps several people had who had the faith to answer the call and serve missions in spite of their problems. I've seen another courageous sister missionary since then. She is here in Louisiana. It's your Grandma. Since we arrived, he arthritis burst on her as a storm. Much of the good she has done has been done in pain, after restless nights when the pain is worse. But she has "hung in there" like the early saints did in their persecutions, and the Savior did through his pains. What a comfort we have in knowing that our leader, the Savior, has experienced suffering as bad as it can get for any of us … but held fast to the course. He is always a perfect example of his teachings, and what he expects of us. We sought to do all we could find to do that could help the arthritis. Brent's research uncovered several things including a book on the work done by a Dr. Thomas McPherson Brown who cured a great number of people and discovered the cause of this illness, a micro-plasma bacterium, almost as small as a virus, and why it affects us the way it does. I'm almost through reading the book the second time and I am convinced. Grandma began taking the tetracycline mid-February. She got it from a doctor here, a great person and convert to the church, Aristoteles Pena. It's what Dr. Brown found was effective. Recovery is a slow process but in most cases is complete, after a fairly long period of treatment. The bacteria cause other serious connective tissue diseases, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, and Scleroderma included. Dr. Brown treated these in a similar way and cured many suffering with these diseases. For complex reasons he explains, recovery is slow.

Once we were doing all we could. The family had prayers and fasting for Grandma. The two elders and I gave her a blessing. We knew the Lord could do whatever he wished to and said in our prayers "thy will be done." We were greatly touched by the fasting of our grandchildren. I'm seeing improvement in a slow steady way as "the book" says it will occur. I also have a persistent feeling that if we have found the truth about what causes rheumatoid arthritis (and I am convinced we have) then we can help many find a way out of their tragic arthritis. There is a difference between telling them that we read the book and followed the program and Sister Stucki was cured of this terrible disease. Many here, and back home whom we know, are suffering with arthritis. Mary, Margie's sister, has been having a big problem with arthritis recently. God gives mankind light in every area, when it is the right time. Then, those who discover the light must help spread it to others, so everyone can benefit. Sometimes, for many reasons it is hard to get the truth out, as with the restoration, and the evils of tobacco. All the traditional treatments have only been expensive band-aids masking pain, but not getting at the problem, causing serious harm to the patient, only lasting a while, and leaving the patient with a terrible renewal of the disease in the end.

I can tell you this for sure: I have prayed for things at times which I didn't get, and I couldn't see why at the time. But I clung firmly to the belief that God knows best. In every case he surely did … time proved he wanted something better for me than what I was seeking. How glad I am He has been in charge! It is happening again. And again, we'll know why at the end.

Thank you, dear family, for your letters, your prayers, your services to us, and your righteous lives. How deeply we love you all.
Grandpa Stucki

April 7, 2002

Dear Mathew,

(1) We haven't sent any letters or journal entries to you for some time.

But here are a number of journal pages to send the families.

Only do it when you have time (Don't let it slow down your work in getting the business going).

(2) A tip learned time and time again. Don't try and make everything ideal before you start. Only by "working along" with a "program" can one see the answers, work out the kinks, and invent some improvements. You can't theorize all the answers.

You'll never come to the end of improvements you can make. Get some income while you go along making them.

Patrons will love the improvements and refinements as you go along.

Hope this concept helps you.

How much we love you,
Dad and Mom

May 5, 2002
Dear Family,

I looked back at my last letter to you via Mathew and it was dated Mar. 3, 2002. Shame on me for not writing for 2 months! I looked over our daily planner and looked it over and decided I could probably catch us up quick. So here goes.

We continue to go to the nursing home every Monday morning at 10:00 am and spend an hour singing (you should see dad up there singing with the Elders and a few of the ladies that work there) and speaking to them. Their songs are not very spiritual. They talk a lot about "washed in the blood" and when we have a pianist they are loud and irreverent, as she plays without music and plays chords or whatever you call that kind of playing. It's not at all like music in our church. We haven't run out of stories yet, but it is getting harder as we can't use LDS stories. When we went with them in big vans to an Easter program Dad remarked how we fit in (being old, handicapped and somewhat senile). I didn't really enjoy that either. It was so different, not spiritually moving at all even though it was a big undertaking for the church that puts it on every year - but nothing like the program our Church did at the Conference Center called Light of the World during the Olympics. That was so moving, professional and wonderful. I was moved to tears when the scene showed the Christus in the background.

Well, I'll never catch up for 2 months if I don't get briefer. We completed Penney's New Member discussions, Jimmy Bennett's temple discussions and he went to the temple for the second time with us last Wednesday. I did my demonstration of making a baby quilt or lap quilt and actually completed 3 and gave them to a new baby, Rosie Spears (a valiant old lady in the branch) and today to Sister Bonnie Robertson who recently had a gall bladder operation and isn't recovering very well.
Sister Mildred Johns is slowly dying in the nursing home where her daughter got a job and stays with her in her room. She isn't in pain but it is hard on her family to see their mother in this condition. Only 2 of her 8 children are active in the Church, which is how it is for most families here. The mothers were converted and strong but the husbands never joined the Church, and the children were weak and fell away when they got to be teens.

We went to a Senior Missionary Conference in Jackson a few weeks back and it was wonderful. We went to see the movie The Other Side of Heaven and we loved it. One couple there was soon going home and said they guessed they had failed because the branch was dissolved that they had worked with. I made it a point to talk to them at lunch and found out they had more members than us, more attended Sacrament Meeting than in our Branch - but they had no priesthood! We have a few but they have all had their turns at Branch President, and everything else and we need new members. We are getting them in the form of blacks and that is very unacceptable to some old timers who are very prejudiced. We continue to have zone meetings and district meetings often and get really good instructions. The meetings are so efficient and organized it is amazing. The young missionaries are unbelievable. After a district meeting a week ago, with 4 Elders and us, it was so good and inspiring and I couldn't help but say as I bore my testimony (which we always do at every meeting) I wished they were all my grandsons. I really meant it. I had them over for lunch and fed them homemade bread and a big salad and then rewarded them for eating their veggies with Strawberry Shortcake and Whipped Cream! We are so busy I can hardly keep up with Dad. I'm sure I am better than I was after reading back for 2 months and remembering how bad I was. Brent and Debbi are keeping us in so many things to make us healthy that we'll never know what really works. I take so many pills with every meal I can hardly eat the meal. Bless all of you for your prayers, fasts, letters, good lives and for just being you - my wonderful family! I love you all so much. I am so indebted to Aaron for being able to send this to all of you and for Email and Internet again. I'm already hooked up with Living Well and Victoria again and am more convinced than ever that healthy eating is of utmost importance. I am older than many here who are ill and suffering terribly after a lifetime of eating greasy Southern cooking.

Stay well and safe, I pray for you many times a day and miss you so much. We'll be home next April 8 or 9th or soon after. I'll be writing regularly now and will try to catch up on replies to some precious letters we have received from wonderful grandchildren. Love to you all from Granny, Mom, Margie Bye!

May 7, 2002
Dear Family,

Well we survived our "Breakfast In the Park". What a big undertaking. It has taken us days to execute. Pat's mother is ill so we didn't know if Pat was even going to be there. She is the Enrichment Lesson Counselor. We needed a truck to haul tables and chairs to the park. We had to get "perfect" fruit to feed them (I did Victoria's fruit breakfast, no less). We also had granola and hot oatmeal. No electricity of course. We had "sittersizes" where you sit to do exercise capably done by Joanne who is temporarily here as her mother is dying slowly in a nursing home she was able to get a job at. She has taught this before. It was fun. We did it to music and I can't hardly believe all the things you can do while sitting. I felt stretched and exercised after. The ladies were reluctant when we reminded them Sunday - too hot, too dusty, mosquitoes, etc. but they came anyway. I was afraid we wouldn't have anyone there. The weather was fine. Dad makes a real good helper for Relief Society stuff. He is a perfectionist for detail.

Well, the other news is we are having 2 baptisms Saturday at 5:00, a husband and wife. He is an old friend of Bro. Thomas who moved here recently with his family. They are black people. Some of the members don't like this. But Pres. Steffensen says he doesn't care if 2/3 of the congregation are black. It is going to change.
I sat next to her (Julia) in Church Sunday and found out she doesn't read. Margarett Steffensen has taught reading before and is going to help her. I am in charge of refreshments after the baptism, again. If anyone has any good ideas let me know!

I assume you all got my letter Sunday. I tried to make a group list and didn't have Mary's and Jerry's address - then I got them and tried to add them to the group and you might have gotten 2 copies of the letter. I really don't know what I am doing sometimes. This is really different from what I had before. I've heard from Robyn, Brent, Jeff and Mat, but not from the rest of you Randy, in particular. Now I have E-mail I expect to hear from all of you once in awhile, please. Let me know if you are getting this. I love you all so much, Mom

May 14, 2002
Dear Family,

I couldn't write on Sunday because I was on the phone a very long time. Bless all you wonderful family members. Thank-you for your calls, emails, cards, gifts, kind flattering words and especially for just being your wonderful selves. One of our older ladies here just couldn't face Mother's Day (at least this is my interpretation). She left her sister a note saying she would be gone for 2 or 3 weeks and didn't say where she was going. She was supposed to conduct Relief Society and didn't tell the Pres. she wouldn't be there either. No one knew where she was but assumed she had gone to visit a daughter who had recent heart surgery. We left Winnsboro Monday afternoon and went to Columbia to visit Bonnie Robertson who recently had gall bladder surgery. This is quite a drive, especially when we get lost for the second time. Well, we visited Bonnie; she was in the therapy room (or whatever it is called) and was making an angel out of popsicle sticks along with 2 other old ladies. The therapist was friendly and talked a lot and said when we were about to leave "Are we going to visit Fannie?" Well, the cat was out of the bag and Bonnie had to admit that she knew where her sister was even though when we told her about it she had denied knowing. She was there at the rehabilitation hospital! I tell you this because not all mothers are as blessed as I am. We home teach her inactive daughter who told us somewhat of a new family feud (Fannie being part of the old family feud), which involved her again over the problem of her living on the property of one of them, property she owned all of before giving it to her children. Now, if she lives in a trailer by one of them, or a house another will build her, then the family is divided and will not visit her in one or the other place. The whole family had blown up and taken sides and caused her great pain I'm sure. DON'T EVER LET THIS HAPPEN IN OUR FAMILY! It is so stupid. It will keep you out of the kingdom. I need Mathew to edit my work as there are little squiggly lines all over that long sentence, but I'll just have to let you figure it out. We didn't see her and we promised we would tell no one (here). But can you see what is going on here and how hard our work becomes? I think she is just very depressed and needed to get away from everyone. Her family isn't a blessing to her as mine is.

We then went on to Monroe and shopped at Sam's and other places. The baptism I told you about last time is to take place this Saturday and I am giving a talk of the Holy Ghost and also doing the food. I decided to do it myself since everyone else is either sick or terribly busy. I sure hope it happens. I'll send you a copy of my talk if I can figure out how to. I love you all. I am so proud of you. I miss you so much. I pray for your safety until I see you again. Love, Mom, Granny, Sister, etc.

May 21, 2002
Dear Family,

We are just leaving in a few minutes to go to Monroe to a ZDM meeting at 3:30 but while I'm waiting for Dad to eat lunch I thought I could write to you fast. We did have the baptism Saturday. It was very nice and spiritual. Only the Branch Pres. and his wife, Dad and I, 4 missionaries, Bro. Bennett and Lou Ward were there other than the Thomases and the Ellis's (I don't know how to make that plural). There was a Seminary Graduation that involved a few but others just didn't come. The last 2 mentioned you know are black people. The food was great. We had Cowboy Caviar, crackers and cheese, chips, dips, veggies, brownies, oatmeal cookies, and a beautiful cake Cathy Thomas bought that cost $22.00.

We had a Cottage Meeting Sunday night at the Bennett's and a family with 3 young children came. It was fun. We played a game about what you wanted to be doing in ten years. I said kneeling in my garden, gardening with Dad by my side. Of course they guessed who that was. It was a guessing game. Dad said vacationing in Hawaii with his better half. Too old for that now I told him. We watched the video "Touch of the Masters Hand".
We are going to watch a ballgame after our meeting that Derek Earl will be playing in. He is about McKay's age. Got to go. Love you so much, Mom

May 26, 2002
Dear Family,

I gave this talk at the nursing home last week and the lady in charge asked me for a copy of it. Surprise!
I didn't know they listened and I worry about giving them LDS doctrine. I really liked it and so I am sending you a copy. I got the virus notice from several of you and the Elders helped me eliminate it, I hope. All is well and we are very busy. Love you all so much! Mom

June 07, 2002
Dear Family,

I guess it's about time I wrote again with this wonderful modern convenience. I just wish I could type better and that it was painless. I can think of one improvement for E-mail. That would be if I could just talk into something and it would do my letter. I'm good at that!

We have been very busy but today is our p-day and things have subsided. We had our Relief Society Meeting Tuesday as planned. It was a great success. That is all but the Crockpot Grains I got up at 4:00 to start in the crockpot. I thought it needed 8 hours but I was wrong.
The rice had turned gummy. I did make the bread dough just before leaving after 9am and made the loaves at the Church just before 10:00. I made Hearty Oatmeal Bread, 5 loaves and it baked while we were having our meeting. It smelled good and worked real well, so that was good. Loreta Bennett was the chairperson for the food and made soup out of the soup mix that is available from the Church. She made blueberry cobbler, also. We never finished up until about 3:00. We did a repeat the next day at 7:00pm for the working people and husbands. We had a really good turnout for that meeting - even inactives. Our lesson was on food storage and dry pack canning and we are doing an order for supplies. We have to go to Dallas to get things. We are making it really easy for them to get prepared. We made a booklet up that I wish each of you had a copy. It is a wealth of information.

I am so excited about something I bought today. It is sitting in our front room, just delivered. It is an old singer sewing machine. I want the base to make a sewing table to put my sewing machine on. The wood parts are a mess, but it is just the style I wanted for the base, ornate and whole. I bought a "butcher block" top and wood at Lowe's a week or more ago for Dad to make the top like a table and I will use it for my machine table. I bought a card table originally for that use but it isn't solid and is used elsewhere for another purpose. We are accumulating way too much to take home easily. We will rent a truck and take it - but we need one or more of you to come here and drive it home for us when we leave. They have the neatest cypress Adirondack chairs here and big neat apartment house birdhouses with colored roofs that are real cute. Our neighbor below us has decorated her porch area with twig furniture chairs, table and loveseat that is really neat. I think someone has made it for her recently - I'm going to ask her. Anyway, we could fill up the truck with neat things from here if anyone was interested.

Another thing I am really excited about is my findings on the Internet. I knew about the "About.com site" as I have used it for looking up things to do for health problems and answers. Well, I was searching for wheat grinders or something and came upon an About.com Christianity LDS Website and found all this amazing stuff on clip art, Relief Society, Missionary, etc. I found wonderful ideas for enrichment meetings, fellowshipping, ideas for anything. It just wet my appetite! Some of it is called Sego Lily. There are hundreds of good ideas for Enrichment Lessons. Primary and Young Womens, everything is there with input from people all over. Maybe everybody knows about it but me but if you don't you'll love it!

Well, I better quit for now - my hands hurt. The heat and humidity really gets to me, but I'm surviving. I love you all so much and miss you from Mom, Granny and Margie

June 10, 2002
Dear Family,

A miracle happened here Sunday! Dad was conducting this month and checked on a High Councilor speaker that was very recently made a Councilor to the Stake President. He said he was still coming, but the whole Stake Presidency came. They released Dad and President Steffensen and put in a young man 31 years old with a wife and 2 children that we didn't even know existed. He is the son of the Hathcock's that moved to Columbia along with 2 other families. Remember the 3 families that go to Monroe to a ward rather than here. They are in our branch boundaries but preferred to go to Monroe ward for their kid's sake. Their member-ships mysteriously moved out of our records, earlier, and they have jobs in the ward and stake. He moved in with his parents because he lost his job, but now works in Monroe. We didn't even know him, but he said he remembered people here when he was younger and that some of them right in the room probably changed his diapers. Believe me, this is an answer to prayer.
I can't imagine that he won't be instrumental in getting these people back. They are his family. All of them are related. He is a kind, soft-spoken, young man. He hasn't had a calling like this before. I think someone said he was a ward clerk. Now maybe we can accomplish something on this mission! All the old timers that are so set in their ways, don't like change, don't think they have to follow the handbooks, or have budgets, or follow the young peoples programs, or do what the rest of the Church does, just might be in for a change. I think we can work with him better and he is willing to learn. Do I ever believe in inspiration and revelation to Stake Presidents----yes! I am so excited to even think of the possibilities. The Lord works in mysterious ways! He is in charge! He listens to our prayers and helps us with our frustrations.

We have 8 orders for the Bishop's Storehouse on our table and maybe a few more to come. This is the first time anything like this has been done in this branch. So this is a success, too.
Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to Loreta's house to teach her to make bread. Her Bosch came in and she wants to learn how to make good bread. So you see we are making a difference here. Remember we made those Missionary bags some time ago? Well, the only one getting refills for books, pamphlets, videos, etc. is Brother Thomas, the black man. The others are just letting them sit unused in their homes, I'm afraid. So see where the converts are going to come from. I sure found a lot of helps on the Internet. Today at the nursing home I told 2 real good stories, I'll have to send to you, that I found on lds.about.com/library. Well goodbye for now
Love you all so much!!!!!! Mom

June 24, 2002

Pres. Sheffield,
I guess I better catch you up on the news before I get busier this week. I will be preparing for another Enrichment Meeting July 2. I have to complete a cookbook plus get the lesson ready which is on eating healthy, or The Divine Code of Health, to be exact. It is my philosophy of eating based on Victoria's Living Well program, Dr. Lorraine Day's videos, and the Word of Wisdom. We will also be tying a quilt and I'm doing the lunch. I'm going to make a variety of whole meal salads - some with veggies and tuna, some with grilled chicken breast, some with hard-cooked egg and cheese, some all vegetarian with beans, some with baby red potatoes and veggies, some with avocado and good tomatoes, etc. I want to show them a variety of salads for lunch each day, which when combined with my earlier lesson on breakfast (eating mostly fruit and oatmeal, if needed) gives them raw foods for 2/3rds of the day, which is very desirable. It is the only way to get vitamins, minerals and enzymes enough for good health. I would be a perfect example if it weren't for my arthritis. That's another matter.

We had an interesting dinner at our friend's house last Sat. night. We went with the missionaries to Pat and Royce Johnson's house. He is an expert at cooking Catfish. He deep fried it outside with just a spicy cornmeal coating and it was really good. Not grease soaked like we've tasted anywhere else. They had hush puppies and French fries, which were not grease, soaked either. She fixed grilled fish for herself and me and boiled new potatoes, but I tried everything, even the chocolate cake! I haven't had a treat for ages so it was okay. Her salads were creamy and cool whip and no sign of a raw veggie. We enjoyed it very much, however, and hope he will be a good sport when we invite them to our place for a meal. Their dog was barking, and we went outside to see why and he was upset over a snake. They have lots of snakes here - so they said. They are poison, too. They gave us plums and peaches off their trees, which we are especially enjoying.

We went to Monroe Friday and bought stuff at Sam's for Thelma King who missed out on ordering from the Church Storehouse Order but decided she wanted some things from there and we canned them (dry pack) for her and gave her some of our stuff. She says we are her best friends. She is old and sick and in much pain all the time and really needs a friend to complain to. I bought a labeler at Sam's for the Library and I love it! It cost about $40.00 but is just what is needed to get everything in good order there. It took us a long time to learn how to use it, but I am doing pretty well now. Our new Branch President is very receptive to our suggestions and approved my buying this and also told me to go ahead and subscribe to all the church magazines. He will have counselors by next week probably. We had a very good sacrament meeting last week and he is doing really well getting hold of things. I think there will be a lot of reorganizing of the axillaries. What do you do, Robyn, when the Relief Society gets reorganized and you have given out booklets for the whole year for Enrichment Meeting and everything has changed that was printed inside as to Bishop, etc.?

Well, last week was very hard on Dad. He went on Monday with Bro. Thomas to Dallas, which took all day (5 am to 7 pm) and then spent all week hauling food, cans, dry pack canner to everyone's place and helping them can their stuff. I helped with what we did here but I couldn't keep up with him. He got going too early for me and worked too late. He thinks he is up to that kind of work - but I'm glad it is nearly over.

The news is very bad most all the time and especially today. Those young people who died in a bus accident coming to Ruston was tragic. That is where we go to the Health Food Store. Pres. and Sister Means live there and he teaches at the school they were coming to. She is the Stake Relief Society Pres. and he is a counselor to Pres. Sheffield, our mission Pres.
Also, that missing Salt Lake girl is heartbreaking. We pray for all of you many times every day and feel the Lord will bless you while we are away.

Well I guess that is enough for now. We are looking forward to the Nauvoo Temple Dedication Sunday. We miss you all so much. We were given new little potatoes, green beans, little squash, cucumbers and tomatoes by the Hathcocks and we are enjoying them very much, but I can't help but be homesick for our garden and our orchard, and our horses and even our dog. But mostly homesick for all of you! I love you all so much. By the way, that tape Robyn and Levi and the Robisons sent on Lengthen Your Shuffle was right on. It is exactly how it is here in the mission field for Senior Missionaries. You should all listen to it and you will know what we are going through. Love you all!!! Mom, Granny, Margie and even Dad (who doesn't write very often)

June 29, 2002

Pres. Sheffield,
The halfway point in our mission is nearly here, and it is time we looked back to gain wisdom for planning the coming half. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned is that once we've done our very best, and have come to road blocks and locked doors to our work, God can and does move road blocks and open locked doors for us, in answer to fervent prayer.

One of the fruitful things we've spearheaded is a new food storage campaign in the branch. The January letter from the First Presidency on food storage sparked our effort. It met opposition, such as "we've tried, and no one responds" and "don't be disappointed when there isn't much interest." However, the Branch Pres. approved when we volunteered to head the project and do the work. We said we would help the widows work up an order, we'd get the foodstuff and can it up for them, and help all the rest any way we can. The meeting with Relief Society sisters on June 4th, and with working sisters and their husbands at 7PM the next evening, each had nearly a dozen in attendance. When orders came in, we were soon on our way to the Carrollton Texas Home Storage Center, for two pallets of #10 cans (that is 896 cans) and 91 bags and boxes of grains, beans, etc. Twelve families had ordered. Brother Thomas, a black man who recently moved into the branch with his family, drove his truck and I went with him, along with his son. We loaded the bags and boxes in the truck under his camper top, and put the pallet of cans on his trailer he pulled behind. Once each family had their order at their house, Sister Stucki and I helped each family get things canned by taking the canner house to house at convenient times for each family. Three widows, who had never participated before, did this time, because someone would help them with the whole process. Other did for the first time.

Much can be said about the value of getting food storage going. But more can be said about the "trust" this built between members and the missionaries, and the branch members and our wonderful new black elder who helped them as he did. They knew we really cared about them, and we could feel their response.

Perhaps you heard that we had a change in our Branch Pres. and I was released as a counselor to Pres. Steffensen. Our new Stake Presidency are inspired men, and the changes they made are doing much to alleviate seven different problems we had here over one situation or another.

Sister Stucki picked up an idea from a zone development meeting and made up member missionary bags for each member wanting one. It contains copies of the Book of Mormon, tracts, videos, and other information for members to give out as opportunities arise. Brother Thomas, referred to earlier, is constantly refilling his bag. He has a missionary zeal, and so does Brother Ellis, Thomas's friend whom we baptized a while back. This is another answer to prayer....some help from members.

Each morning the two younger Elders and I go walking for 2 1/2 miles. Your suggestion long ago started me, and I invited the Elders, and a lot of good has resulted. I'd hope our conversations as we walk also have some benefit.

Since we arrived the Winnsboro missionaries have given "devotional talks" every Monday from 10 to 11 AM at a rest home. I have watched this weekly practice much improve some of the Elder's confidence and speaking abilities. I've also seen a change of attitude with the staff who hear the talks, about "Mormons," another benefit.

I cannot overstate the value Sister Stucki has been to the Relief Society here. She has so much to offer regarding homemaking skills, nutrition, quilting, food storage, and such, that they were hungry for, and have appreciated.

One other happy event I was able to organize, some time back, was an "MIA" work project on Pres. and Sister Steffensen's yard, which I could participate in with the "MIA" and younger Elders.

Sister Stucki, an able librarian from years back, has overhauled and properly organized the Branch Library. She will be teaching the needful things to some Branch sisters, to take over before long.

These are some highlights, which come to mind at this writing. Our prayers, and appreciation, continue for you and Sister Sheffield.

Sincerely, Elder Stucki

P.S. I've enclosed a concluding statement at the end of O. C. Tanner's autobiography. Ralph Waldo Emerson's last paragraph might be a fitting measure of success for Senior Missionaries.

The eighty-nine years I have lived are years filled with a mix of the good and the not-so-good, with gladness and sadness, hope and despair. But overall, and on the whole, I have been blessed. It has been a good life---successful even--- in the sense described by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Success is to laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends.

Success is to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better;
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you lived.

July 8, 2002
Dearest Family,

Preparing for our talks this morning for the rest home I came across the writing "I'm Just a Mother?" which I'm sending you. It is hardly possible to express the joy it is to know that all of our daughters and daughter-in-laws are engaged in the "glorious career" spoken of in this article...the most demanding and important "in the humanities." Love, Dad

I felt triumphant. I had scored a beat on bureaucracy. And I had gone down on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another...."

Home...what a glorious career. Especially when there's a title on the door.

100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Method
1. Measure all ingredients except yeast into baking pan.
2. Tap container firmly to level ingredients. Then sprinkle yeast in the center of the flour.
3. Insert baking pan securely into baking unit and close lid.
4. Select white/whole grain course, then select the desired Crust Control setting.
5. Push Start.
6. The machine will beep and the Complete light will illuminate when the bread is done.
7. Using hot pads, remove pan from unit and pull out kneading rod.
8. Remove bread from baking pan.
9. Allow to cool before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf.

4 X Recipe for Bosch

5 1/3 cups warm water
1 square butter, melted
1/2 cup molasses
4 teaspoons salt
1 cup gluten (mix in with 2 cups of the whole wheat flour)
14 cups whole-wheat flour freshly ground
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add yeast to 2 cups of the warm water and proof 10 minutes. Add remaining water to bowl. Then add butter, molasses, salt and yeast mixture. Add the part of the flour mixed with the gluten, then add remaining flour and knead 5 to 10 minutes. Let rise in dough bucket. Form 4 or 5 loaves and let rise until double. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

July 10, 2002

Dear Family,
I need to catch you up on the news here. Yesterday was our halfway mark for our mission. We will be home in 9 months! Things are going well here lately. I did survive the Enrichment Meeting. We had 7 sisters there, which wasn't a very good turn out. With Dad and Pres. Steffensen who came later it made 9 to feed. Some had to work and some had Dr appt. It was all right though; I made 8 different whole meal salads for lunch to show them the variety possible. I used grilled chicken breast, solid pack tuna, sliced eggs/cheese, avocado, beans, boiled tiny red potatoes, toasted sunflower seeds, and toasted almonds, etc. to make them all different. They looked beautiful. I had made the Cookbook to hand out, which had a lot of information in besides recipes. I showed little clips from Dr. Day's videos that were impressive.
I'm sending a copy of the cookbook to Robyn and the rest could get in touch with her if interested. I am sold on this way of eating. Sister Robertson told me she is trying it, starting yesterday. She's 85. Sister Bennett is making all her families bread in her new Bosch. I tried a new recipe in my bread machine that is 100% whole wheat, and it was the best I have made yet! And Pat told me I would never belief how many people she has given my healthy granola recipe to. So maybe I am helping some on the road to better health. They sure need it.

Today, Pat came to our house to plan our next meeting, which is on Music In the Home, I taught her how to bind the quilt that we tied at our last meeting. She brought us fresh peaches off their trees and fresh figs. I have never tasted figs like this. They are heavenly, food for the Gods. Others have given us tomatoes and blueberries. I love this time of year when there are so many good things to eat. I told the ladies the Word of Wisdom was "an island of truth in a sea of uncertainty" when it was given even before vitamins were discovered. Health problems were one of the pioneers' biggest problems due to their poor diets. And do you know what? It dawned on me that things haven't changed really. It's still an Island of truth, in a sea of man-made junk food. Things in the season thereof, in their natural state the way God made them are still the best! And I am convinced that meat used sparingly, is still the way to go.

Well. Our Branch Pres. got counselors last week, Brother Carl Ward first counselor, (he grew into his job greatly just conducting last week for testimony meeting) and Bro. Holland who is one of the Columbia people who will now come to this branch with his family, including 2 teen -agers. Also, Pres. Hathcock's father was called to be ward clerk, another Columbia member.
We had a baptism Sunday of Tiara Thomas who was 8 years old. She is a black member. We had what they called a "Linger Longer" and everyone brought food for a dinner after Fast Meeting (we fasted from Sat. noon on) then we had the baptism and the confirmation.

We went to Columbia on the 4th of July to Margaret Hathcock's home. Her husband works off shore for 2 weeks so he wasn't there, but Pres. Hathcock and his wife Darla and 2 children live with his parents there. The whole Columbia clan was there and it was interesting. They barbequed ribs from a beef they had raised and everyone brought food. Darla is into eating healthy so she made veggie burgers and I took a vegetable plate and some dips. Their place was very much out of the way (much worse than finding Castle Valley) but we had a good map and found it okay. It was in a beautiful spot with fields, woods, on the edge of the river. They have solar panels and 2 horses and gardens, sheds, etc. it made me homesick. Her house was added to several times and just grew like ours did and was country decorated. While there we saw a tugboat come down the river pushing a barge full of oil. The barge was extremely long. It was common to all of them but a first for us.

Well, Saturday we are having another baptism! A young high school fellow that is a very good football player and a friend of Anna Earl's is getting baptized. His mother is Lenora Polland, who is the young women Pres. She is separated from her husband recently who is a Baptist. Dad has met him but I haven't. I had heard he was always ashamed of his wife being a Mormon. But maybe their son sees the goodness of his mother and the mistakes of his father. There is another son 9 years old that is thinking about it. I hope he decides to get baptized also. They have been coming to Church fairly regularly with their mother, but to me this is a real surprise. His name is Chance. He has come for Mutual activities and I thought it was mostly to be with Anna. I had heard that they weren't going together now so maybe it's deeper than just to please Anna.

Well I guess I have rattled on long enough. I did forget to tell you we had a missionary meeting last week in Monroe and listened to a Presbyterian Minister who had converted to the Church. We heard him at a Seniors Meeting in Jackson some time ago. He is teaching at the BYU now. It was a very interesting meeting, we could all ask him questions. Well, this is how missionary work goes in this part of the world. Just day-by-day little steps ahead and once in a while a few steps backwards. Pres. and Sister Steffensen are planning to go on a mission. They have been getting physicals and are excited about going.

I love all of you so much and I miss each one of you. Please keep safe and well and we will see you right after April 9th next year. Elder Nielsen got his flight plans and is going home in about 3 weeks so we will have 1 or 2 new missionaries here. I am really working on getting my arthritis better. I read a book Darla gave me of Dr. Aarola's on Arthritis and am going to do some juice fasting and things he recommended in addition to my tetracycline and all the pills Brent and Debbi send me. I'm determined to overcome this terrible interruption in my life. I want to go home and work in my garden and drive our riding lawn mower and enjoy my grandchildren's visits! Keep in touch. Remember I love you dearly, Granny, Mom, Margie

Dad

August 21, 2002
Dear Family,

My computer is up and running again and the virus is gone. We took it over to a place here in town and they kept it over a week and when we brought it back and hooked it up it still had all the problems. I called them and they sent an "expert" young man over and he worked on it for 2 hours and did it all right. What a pro! We were so lucky to get him, as that was his last day of work before going to school at Monroe. He has all kinds of scholarships and won't need to work at all. He will major in computer stuff - but he probable knows more than his teachers.

I am doing well, walking a mile and a half 5 days a week. I'm not taking any pain pills lately. I still hurt but not as bad as before. Maybe the tetracycline is finally working, or maybe it is the many pills and Progest E I get from Brent and Debbi, or maybe it is because I eat so healthy and my body can do it's job. I'm sure that all these things help. You can't get healthy just by taking a pill, however, and not changing your lifestyle or eating habits, that I am sure of. So many of the older ladies here are so ill and want to know what I am doing to overcome my arthritis. They eat so terribly and take so many pills from their Doctors that they are really messed up. There's no way just taking 3 or 4 tetracycline pills per week would help them. One lady here was healthy until she got old enough to start going to the Doctor and having Medicare pay her bills. She is now so messed up with all kinds of problems, which her daughter says she never had until she started taking all the pills her Dr. gave her. She is diabetic and eats terribly wrong. She is the same age as me but is really handicapped. I hate to brag, but I have lost 10 lbs. and kept them off. The lady that cut my hair last week said I had wonderful hair, thick, good body, and you know, it isn't falling out at all like it was some months back. I have to keep cutting my strong, thick, long fingernails, which never break anymore. I never get sick with colds, flu, etc. and I'm not worried at all about West Nile Virus. We didn't get flu shots and that was a blessing because we've learned more about how bad they are for you as are a lot of other kinds of shots. I do have arthritis, but I am going to beat that with a little more time.

We have a really busy day today, as many days are. We are going to Pat's for lunch with the Elders, Lenora Poland and her children at 2:00, then to Sister Maxine Free's at 4:00. Then to the Library by 6:30 (they changed the locks on our building and now only Librarians can have keys to the Library and I am the only Librarian right now) as it is Mutual. We have to sleep over at Rosie's tonight, be there by 8:00pm, as her daughters are leaving to go to a Dr. in Memphis and will be away till late Thurs. night. One daughter lives with her and one lives down the street. Rosie is 87 years old. We will watch out for her on Thurs. and stay with her in the evening until her daughter is back. She is amazing. Totally dedicated to coming to Church each week. She rests up for a day or two before Sunday so she can make it to Church She has to use the hearing aids at Church and if people don't talk loud or into the mike, she doesn't even hear.

We are getting ready to teach reading to Sister Ellis and some others, hopefully. This is a great program the Church has developed and consists of 2 lessons a week and the first book is 66 lessons and then there is a 2nd book. It is based on scriptures and is called "Ye Shall Have My Words." We won't be able to finish it before we leave but hopefully someone else will step up to the challenge. We have a Zone Conference next week on Tuesday, and an Elder called Dad this morning and asked him to sing a song with him next week. He is a little, some-what deformed Elder with a serious physical problem, I'm not sure what, but he has taken a liking to Dad, because he is so nice to him. He probably has a real good voice because I remember he has sung in a trio or quartet before at our meetings. This time it will be just him and Dad and will be very interesting. I hope they don't ever ask me to do that - sing I mean. I don't mind speaking, I love bearing my testimony as my patriarchal blessing said I would someday, and I am particularly anxious to get everyone on the right track using the wonderful Church Handbooks that are developed to help us so much, and most people don't even know they exist. I have to go now, Dad says, it is his birthday today! Love you all forever. Mom

September 3, 2002 top

Dear Family,
Dad says we must be doing something right because Satan is trying to thwart us. We have been plagued with car problems (and expenses) lately. A week ago on Monday afternoon, we had a leak in our brake line. No parts were available in Winnsboro, so were ordered in for early Tuesday morning. We had a Zone Conf. in Monroe on that day starting at 9:00am. The part came in and was installed and we were on our way about a quarter to 9. It takes an hour to get to Monroe. Just before we turned off the freeway to go to the Stake Center, a vehicle in front of us started acting crazy. It started to go off the road, then on again, and just as I said, "That car is going to hit that truck!" It did, a big 18 wheeler; it clipped on the left back corner. We slowed down and held back as parts were flying and then the car went off again into the borrow pit - then came up again and hit into 2 other vehicles ahead of us, trying to go between them and more parts flying - then went off the road. As we passed it I couldn't see anyone in the car. We went on because we were late and there were plenty of people around. We saw a police car at a convenience store just 1 minute ahead and Dad drove over and told him he was needed back there. He said there were already police there; this surprised us. Maybe the vehicle was being chased. We don't know even now. It was very upsetting. I was shaking when we got out at the Church. It took me 1/2 the day to get over this. We came so close to being involved. This was surely a blessing. Now, another trial: The window in our car on the drivers side stopped going up and down last Friday or Saturday. Now that could be bad if it rains here. We emptied the car of things and just hoped it wouldn't be stolen. The Elders tried to help us but couldn't. Yesterday, being a holiday, Dad finally found someone who got it up for us and ordered a whole new mechanism that will cost $70.00, just for the part. We also had trouble with our printer, but I think it is working now. So you see we are having our trials just like all of you.

We are really busy. Last night we had our Family Home Evening at the church rather than at the Magnolia Apartments where we used to have it. Now that Fannie has moved out we decided to move. Thelma still lives there, so we could continue having it there, but I hate the cockroaches, no oven, no VCR. We have beautiful new carpet at the Church this past week and it is a lot better environment. We used to have some non-members come but they haven't for a long time. We did some interviews for our Literacy class on Sunday and are now just waiting for additional student manuals to come and we can start. We will be doing this class on Sunday and Thursday evenings (66 lessons). Dad is going to coach Bro. Thomas in starting a Cub Scout group going here and they have a meeting Saturday morning. Saturday is our first Super Saturday for Relief Society and I'm not even involved this time as Margaret Hathcock is taking over and has 2 people from Monroe coming to teach us Scrapbooking and Journal and Life History writing. Today we are taking Thelma to the Doctor in Monroe, again.

Thursday the Assistants to the President are coming for exchanges with the missionaries and next week the District Leaders are coming so I need to fix lunch for them. I feel so insecure about what I feed people. I mentioned to Pat about serving something like our Mexican Haystacks for lunch Sat. and she said to Margaret "Can you imagine our husbands eating anything like that?" The husbands aren't going to even be there - but probably the women wouldn't like it either. They just won't eat anything raw. The last time we went to Pat's house for dinner with the Elders we had barbecued chicken thighs and legs, baked beans, boiled potatoes and bread. Not one morsel of green. The chicken I could taste all day. Dinner here is at noon. I am absolutely certain that eating fruit for breakfast and a big salad for lunch are essential for good health. The Bennett's are going on a therapeutic fast starting today. I'm worried about them because they are diabetic. They have bought and read Dr. Airola's books and are convinced they should try it.

My letter sounds sort of boring as I read over it, but our life really isn't. We are doing the Lord's work all day. I have been working on flannel boards (making them) and cutting out figures, assembling binders with all the pictures in sheet protectors and everything assembled for the teachers in Primary (3). I find wonderful helps on the Internet like a cardboard easel pattern. I am going to teach a lady to knit on Saturday and have been making stitch samples for her. I am working on a cover for a Family Traditions Scrapbook from an idea I found in a Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book I bought. I always have something going in quilting. I love listening to BYU-TV. The library is almost perfect now, and I will be training someone to take over. Dad studies and studies and prepares talks and lessons and spends his time doing what he likes most.

I walked a mile and a half this morning and will take some pictures there tomorrow. It is so nice. Dad picks up trash as we go around a half-mile loop, and I pick up goose feathers, hanging moss and twigs for some twig projects I have in mind. I would like to make a walking path like this one when we get back home. This one is so green, a pond, big trees, etc. I don't think I can duplicate it in Castle Valley. Well, I better get ready to go to Monroe. We haven't heard from Randy - only that he is moving. If anyone has a new E-mail address for him send him this letter. I hope all is well with Terri and the baby to come! It is so hard to be away from all of you. Max and McKay - I hear you are going to school now. That is okay. Just don't learn anything bad from the kids in school. You are too special and too wonderful to be contaminated. Be sure you all have FHE and your family will be blessed and the promise made by the prophets that you wouldn't lose your children will be claimed. I firmly believe this. I wouldn't miss one week having FHE for this reason. Besides it can be so fun! I love you'all.

Mom, Granny, Margie

September 21, 2002 top

Here I stand before you, a daughter, a child of God,
Who wants to make right choices and hold to the iron rod.
I want to wear a veil of white like I am today,
And enter in the Temple on my wedding day.
Mother, will you help me to do the things I should?
Love me and protect me and guide me if you could?
I may not always listen and if I tend to stray,
Remind me of this picture and the choice I made today.
I Love you Mom!
Love, Your Daughter

Don't you just love this new type? I downloaded some for free and Robyn helped me figure out how to finalize it (unzip it). I have been making cards ever since our last Enrichment Meeting and I have become pretty good at it. Some I make by cutting out parts and putting fabric on the back and sewing on my machine to connect the layers and some I have made with stamps and colored pencils and neat papers. Right now I am making them for birthdays and Christmas for people here, but someday I will make one for each of you. I'm to the end of this sheet. I love YOU! Mom, Granny, Margie

November 6, 2002 top

Dear Family,
It has been a long time since I have written. We had enough news but I didn't have enough time. Back a few weeks ago Elder Didier and his wife came to our zone meeting and told us about a change in missionary work - implementing it in our mission, too. They had tried it in 4 pilot tests in Utah and were going to start it at the MTC the coming Sunday. What it changes is not memorizing the discussion, but using your own outline and words. We still follow the 6 discussions and the principles they teach, but we are guided by the spirit as to what to teach, the order we teach it, and teaching in our own words and bearing testimony of what we teach. Dad has always done this. He just couldn't say the discussions in memorized words. I just couldn't memorize them. We don't really get much opportunity to give these discussions, as we are to let the young missionaries teach. I think this is great! We went over a lot of scriptures that say we will have the spirit to help as we are doing his work. We will be getting directions about this as a special team is coming to teach our Pres. assistants and they will teach us. Elder Didier said we will need to study harder and really learn the scriptures for ourselves. We started a reading readathon last month in Relief Society where we have to read every day for at least 15 minutes and if we miss a day we start over again to achieve 30 days without a miss. Our reward was a hand made cross-stitch bookmark made by me. As far as I know only me and 2 others won. I really got in the habit of reading every day and looked forward to it. I started reading out loud to Dad and he liked it too. I still haven't missed a day and I'm to 35 days now. I seem to understand it better than ever before and reading it out loud makes it heard as well as seen and helps to emphasize it.

We went to the temple in Baton Rouge a week ago today. Eleven people from our little branch went. We do 2 sessions and go nearly every month - unless a hurricane threatens. How are all of you doing in this regard? My lesson this month in Relief Society is Blessings of the Temple. I have read about the Monticello Temple being enlarged, the open house, and the rededication. Wish we were there to participate. We really loved our over two years of working there.

I was listening to a talk by Elder Aldin Porter on BYU-TV the other day and he said something really interesting. He was talking about the Bicentennial Pioneer celebrations and how hard their lot was (the pioneers) and he said "I'm not sure they would want to change places with you today. For this generation there are tests before you that will test the very fiber of your souls." Then he went on to say that the plague and sin of this generation is sexual sin. I have thought that with all our modern day conveniences we have had in the last 100 years - God couldn't let these things happen until the very end. If you think we are lucky to have all the modern convenience - think again. We would never have made it to the year 2000 if we had these things 1000 years ago. You will have to be very strong and have a personal testimony for yourself to survive what is ahead for us. But I like Pres. Hinckley's optimistic outlook. If you are on the Lord's side it is not a terrible time to be living. Take advantage of all the good things around you. Our families, the good land in which you live, the security of knowing that a prophet is here on the earth directing God's work. I loved a picture that was in the Church News a couple weeks ago. It showed 3 little Mexican children sitting on a blanket on the grass, dressed in their Sunday best, with there arms folded and their heads bowed while the opening prayer was being said for the first session of conference in their land and in their language. It was telecast to more places in the world and in more languages than ever before. The Church knows how to really help the people of the world. It almost makes me want to go on another mission - to Mexico! We sure need lots of missionaries and if you heard the priesthood session of Conference you learned they are raising the bar. According to Elder Ballard we need the "greatest generation of missionaries in the history of the Church. We need vibrant, passionate missionaries who know how to listen and respond to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. This isn't the time for spiritual weaklings. We cannot send you on a mission to be reactivated, reformed, or to receive a testimony. We just don't have time for that........The bar that is the standard for missionary service is being raised. The day of the repent and go missionary is over.....raising the bar for their sons means Church leaders are raising the bar for the fathers as well.....to bishops recommend only young men and young women they judge to be spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally prepared to face today's realities of missionary work.

Now from me, Mom, missionary work is hard. I've learned from reality that all missionaries are not like my sons, and Levi and Danay. I had a lofty idea of missionaries all being near perfect. There are some like that here but we don't get them. Our missionaries need to learn obedience, hard work, good manners, following the rules always so they gain the respect of the people. They also need to learn to cook and eat healthy and do dishes and keep their apartments clean. This is a lot to expect of young men. Discipline yourselves before you come on your mission! I hope none of my grandsons are wimps and expect an easy time. Get a testimony before you come. Read the Book of Mormon and ask if it is true. You are promised that you will get an answer. You can only do this if you love God and Jesus Christ enough. Love, Mom

December 22, 2002 top

Dear Family:
You might remember last year in Dad and Mom's mission, they had a special Christmas zone conference where they presented family letters to all of the missionaries. Well, guess what-they did it this year also, but we never got the message! When I spoke to Dad and Mom recently, they
happened to mention, in passing, about their recent zone conference, etc. and the fact that they got only ONE letter. They surmised, they said, that the word didn't get out. I assured them that it hadn't and that we all owed them a letter.

Please, take the time to write Dad and Mom a letter expressing your love and appreciation. They don't complain, but I know the holidays are hard when they're away from all of their family. It makes me sad to think of them getting only one letter from family when they must have been anticipating a bunch of them, so let's inundate them with letters and/or e-mail, okay! They didn't ask me to ask you all to write letters, in fact, Dad said, "Just tell everyone we're happy and give them all our love."

Merry Christmas to all of you. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and New Year.

Love, Robyn

December 24, 2002 top

Dear Family,
I can't believe it is really Christmas. We don't have a Christmas tree or many signs of it in our apartment. I do have a new flannel nightgown to wear to bed tonight and Dad and I made popcorn balls this afternoon. That's about all that is traditional. It rained and blew real hard last night in the evening and throughout most of the night. We couldn't even watch TV because it upset the signal. That means I hurt real bad. Seems like when the weather is severe so is my arthritis. Well, I didn't take any pain medication because we were going to the blood mobile at 10:00 AM. It was really hard to just get over there. But we did it! Imagine being healthy enough to give blood at our ages. The nurse said my iron was good, my pulse about 78, my blood pressure was 114/72 and Dad was equally good with 72 pulse and blood pressure 112/62.
Loreta Bennett's little ten year old granddaughter has a rare cancer and needs lots of blood so that is why we are doing this today

I made gingerbread men and I still need to make Old Fashioned Tea Cakes and we are planning to go over to Thelma's to visit tonight. Tomorrow we are having the elders here for brunch at 11:00. We have stockings filled for them with fruit, cookies, hot chocolate, etc. We have Elder Loveless from Payson and Elder Durfee from American Fork here now.

Brother Bennett is in the hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas after having quadruple bypass surgery last Sat. Loreta is with him. He went to the Dr. because he was retaining lots of water and they found this was his problem. Maybe now he will really try to eat better. He tries to do better but can't stay with it. He has diabetes, as do many in his family.

We had a zone conference last week on Tues. and when they passed out the bags with letters from home--- there was only one from Gregg and Terri's family. In talking to Robyn we think the word wasn't given out very well. Our ones from last year were really treasures, so if anyone feels they would like to write to us we would be very happy.

We are progressing with our literacy class, 23rd lesson coming up, and Julia is really learning to read. We took cookies and sang Christmas carols with the Cub Scouts and their mothers last Wednesday at the nursing home. So the money that was donated by the grandchildren for the nursing home we decided to give to Stormy (the little girl with cancer). A month ago we slept through a meth lab bust right out our bedroom window in the apartment next to ours. Many police cars were there with lights flashing and we didn't even hear. I had taken a Simply Sleep and Dad remembered hearing some clanging metal noise, but we heard about it later from the lady below us who is a police dispatcher.

I heard a statement by Henry Eyring to the affect that if you want to know if Jesus is the Christ, "watch the way I live". After pondering on that for quite a while I think I finally understand. There is no way I would be doing what I am doing if I didn't believe so strongly in Jesus Christ; if I didn't love him with all my heart. I just hope that when I go home I remember to keep working for Him---out of my comfort zone, saying "here am I, send me" when asked to help build Zion. The path of least resistance is easier for sure, but it doesn't bring blessings and happiness, and wonderful family members loving and serving and finding real joy in life. I can't help but contrast all this with the "natural man" who is all around us and missing out on the whole purpose of life and they are of all men most miserable.

Well, I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas. Appreciate what you have now all around you. You live in the best place, among the best people, with advantages not available to many. Love your families and tell them so. Thank your Heavenly Father that you were blessed to be part of this family and members of His Kingdom on Earth. You are a valiant few is this big world. I love all of you so much. Granny, Mom, Margie and Richard, too!

June 13, 2003 top

Dear Family
I don't know why it is so hard for me to write letters to you. Early on I wrote every week. Now I'm not even doing it once a month. Tonight our literacy class was cancelled, again, so I am determined to use this time for writing. It's not because I don't miss you, or love you, or don't think about you all the time. Maybe it's because I've talked to some of you on the phone and it seems like I have already told you everything. Maybe it's because there is not so much to write about that is new and interesting. Whatever the reason, I'm going to catch you all up on our plans. One of the reasons is because I fear my computer and don't know how to add or change names to the family list - but hopefully I figured it out.

First I want to thank some of my grandchildren for their "keepsake letters". I'm afraid I won't write to each of you individually and I want to tell you what a treasure your letters are. All of you have written sweet, wonderful letters, on family night or whenever, but I want some of you to know how much we treasure your letters even though we haven't replied to them. First, I must mention Lila's letters, she has written us at least 3 all hand written and long. They are so precious to us. Also, Danay has written us numerous times. Natalie and Nachelle have written us beautiful letters that are keepsakes and we even got a gem from Ryan! Please don't feel bad if I haven't mentioned each of you. My memory is poor and I have loved all the letters from my grandchildren. You just don't know how much it means to me to have you say the good things you do about us, about our mission, how you want to go on missions and do what we have done. I have the best grandchildren in the whole world. However hard we have tried to help the people her in the South and serve the Lord to the best of our ability, we are just more in His debt because of the blessings He has given to our families and grandchildren at home. That will be the lasting good we may have accomplished. My effectiveness has been severely diminished the past few months because of arthritis, but there is no way I would come home early and not finish what I set out to do. Dad is able to keep on working hard and doing much good even if I can't always go with him. He has helped the missionaries be better missionaries, and he has kept tirelessly working for the Lord, blessing peoples lives and patiently, kindly, taking care of me and our apartment on top of all his endless callings.

Right now Dad is over at the church getting quilting frames, rails, etc. so I can help a sister make a baby quilt tomorrow morning. He'll haul it all over to another sisters home so she can be with us as she is confined at home. Yesterday we both worked a good part of the day on a Cub Scout project - enough for many - and only one boy came. So today we finished them ourselves and will take them to some senior sisters tomorrow for Valentines Day. He never gets discouraged and always looks at the glass half full even when it's nearly empty.

We attended our next to last Zone Conference last Tuesday. All the young elders came early to play basketball. We were told to come at 11:00am. We got there a little early and were greeted at the door and along the hallway by Elders, but when we got to the meeting room full of Elders and the Pres. and his wife, they all stood up in respect for us. What a greeting! The meetings are so inspirational and uplifting. I always feel renewed dedication and enthusiasm. We are going to Jackson Mississippi Sat. for a Senior Missionary get together. The only way I can manage all this activity is if I carefully plan my pill schedule and almost overdose on aspirin and Tylenol. I hate to do this constantly and I need lots of rest. Some days I just crash and can't even get down the stairs. I have an appointment lined up with a Dr. in Provo, which is the only one in Utah that uses Dr. Brown's approach to curing rather than band-aiding arthritis.

I am really worried about the world situation. Pres. Packer said in a recent CES talk that we know things are bad, but how bad we can't even imagine. He said it better. I wish I could get a copy of the talk he gave. I think it was Feb. 2nd. I am not convinced that war is the best way to go. We have never been the attacker. I am afraid of what that will bring.

Well, I did it! I wrote a letter even though there is not much new to write about. Only a month and half and we will be home. It's almost scary to think about it. We are so integrated here it will be hard to adjust to cold, and high altitude, and reality! I love you all so much and can hardly wait to see you. I know it will be a big shock to see how everyone has grown. Stay safe and well and healthy. LOVE YOU! Mom and granny

Dear family,
That letter I just sent you was dated June 13????? I don't know how I did that. Please change the date to Feb. 13th and have a happy VALENTINES DAY! Love, senile Mom

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CHICKEN POT PIE
Filling: 2 cups cooked chicken pieces 3 med. potatoes, peeled and diced 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 cup frozen peas 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded Sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons flour 2 cups chicken stock or broth 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/2 teaspoon pepper, ground Biscuit Topping: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons butter, cut in bits 1 egg, separated 4 teaspoons water, divided Bring a pot of water to a boil, cook potatoes 15 minutes, adding carrots for the final 5 minutes. Drain, mix with peas and set aside. The last of the flour will be harder to incorporate, it might be on the dry and crumbly side. Add stock and milk in a thin stream, whisking to a smooth paste as you add, stirring until you have a nice thick sauce. Add the spices and salt and simmer 5 more minutes.		Divide chicken and vegetable mix between four, 2 cup casseroles. Roll the four dough balls into rounds large enough to cover the pot pies. Add shredded cheese to the sauce, stir to melt. Divide sauce between the pies, leaving a bit of room on top for the crust, stir to combine. Separate the egg and whisk the egg white with 2 teaspoons water. Brush one side of the crust with the egg white and water mixture. Place the crust brushed side down, on the pot pies, pierce with a fork in the center to vent the steam, crimp edges with fingers. Whisk egg yolk with 2 teaspoons water and brush the tops of the crusts. Place in preheated oven and bake at 325-degrees for 45 minutes, until crusts are golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4. Prepare biscuit topping by blending 3/4 cup of the flour with salt, baking powder, butter, and milk. Combine with a rubber scraper or your hands. Turn the dough out onto the table, and the rest of the flour as needed to form a smooth dough. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. To prepare sauce, melt butter in a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan over low heat. Add flour 2 tablespoons at a time whisking vigorously to a smooth paste.
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BULGUR CHILI
1 tablespoon plus l teaspoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup chopped green pepper 2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 l-pound can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked beans) 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce 1 15-ounce can tomatoes, chopped, undrained 1/2 cup bulgur, uncooked 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, green pepper, and mushrooms. Cook 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat t low, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Stir several times while cooking. Makes 4 servings.
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BLACK BEANS AND RICE
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 onion chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes) 2 cups cooked black beans (can use canned) 1 cup chicken broth (no MSG) 1 cup brown rice 2 cups water* sea salt and pepper, to taste Cook the onion, garlic and green pepper in the olive oil until wilted. Add tomatoes, beans and broth. Simmer, stirring frequently, until heated through. Add rice and water (*note: if using canned tomatoes, drain, and use juice as part of the liquid. Also, remaining broth, if using a can, may be used as part of the 2 cups). Cover. Cook on low about 45-50 minutes or until rice is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.
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