A Little Treat

We had thought that we would be able to attend the new temple in Ukraine, but we'd have had to break rules to have done that, and wouldn't that have invalidated our recommends? We were almost there, though, because we attended all the dedicatory sessions by satellite, as well as the really wonderful cultural event. We're happy to share with you this snippet which features some of our Armenian youth. It's a holding hands around the world moment that, for me at least, helps put the broken appointments, and the people who aren't interested, and the less inspiring moments of a mission into a more eternal perspective.

https://lds.org/youth/video/kyiv-ukraine-temple-cultural-celebration?lang=eng

I Must Go and Fetch the Water Part II

My battery died just as I was taking pictures of the water brigade, so all we have is this one of Elders Gropp and Crawford. I've written about Samvel, the hearing & speech impaired father of Lena, Kamo and Rima. He was baptized Saturday, but not without some tribulation. There was a crew installing new radiators in the building this week. What we ended up with was no heat and no warm water for the font. So Armine led the elders up to their apartment several times to bring back big buckets of hot water and I went back and forth from the church kitchen with pans of steaming water from the electric stove, and we eventually got the font full enough with tepid water so that Elder Larson and Samvel could kneel down in the font with enough water to immerse Samvel. Standing wouldn't have worked. Not exactly a pioneer story (how I love the pioneers) but in our way it was memorable. They didn't freeze to death, and we were only half an hour late starting. We had about 30 people attending--many investigators. So we hope everyone there felt the Spirit and knew how important this ordinance is. Important enough that no one let a little cold water stop it.
I've written about Navere before, also. He was baptized in August. I can't even find the words to tell how much I love him. I took this picture when he came several hours early for a Primary activity. I feel sure that he wants to be at church because things at home are so, um, so difficult. His brother has succumbed to peer pressure and no longer comes, because he's at the age when boys start proving their manliness by ruining their lungs. But Navere keeps coming, no matter how long the walk and how cold. He smiles more now, he interacts with the others more. I think he's happy there. We're teaching out of Primary Manual #4 this year and that means The Book of Mormon. The class is full of boys, and only three sweet girls, and they each have their own copies, and their own highlighters, and we really get into it. I pray that he'll feel the Spirit often enough and strong enough to weather his adolescent years. The Gospel is really the only thing he has going for him-----there's a long list of things working against him. But I know fervent prayers in his behalf can be the very thing he needs the most.

This is my mattress. Smoothed out the best it can be. We have a wonderful old down comforter, and the lumps in the mattress conform for the most part to my own lumps, so I do get a warm & cozy night's sleep. I hate getting up in the dark to go and fetch the water, but we've had hot water every day now, for as long as I can remember, so I'm grateful.

His Hand is Stretched Out Still...........

Years ago when my children were quarreling (gasp!) one of my little ones came to me and said "Those kids are hurting Heavenly Father's feelings!" This (not very good) photo is of a (probably not the greatest) painting that I just bought myself for my birthday. It's a rip-off of the well known Simon Dewey portrait that some Armenian artist probably saw on a discarded pamphlet. But I love the expression on the Lord's face. I think it captures the disappointment that He must feel when we hurt His Father's feelings.

It might even represent what we will see when we stand before Him with our lame excuses for not ever getting it right when all He asked us to do was to love Them with all our hearts and to love others with the same love.

My favorite part of being a missionary is the time I get to spend studying the scriptures and the writings of the prophets. I could write a book of all of the great messages that are sinking deep into my heart, but it's already all in the books. It's all there waiting for us to invite the Spirit to manifest the truth of it unto us.

One of my favorites (Pres. Eyring) is in the sidebar to the right------------------------------------->

Although I find myself falling short regularly, past and present, and undoubtedly future, when I pay attention I realize that it's all between me and the One who atoned for me and who is disappointed when I don't measure up, but who still reaches out and lets me feel of His indescribable love.