Message for 29 August 2011

Message—29 August 2011

Dear Family & Friends,

If there are any who wondered if we were affected by the earthquake in Virginia or Hurricane Irene; the answer is we did not feel anything from the earthquake, and we were on the Western edge of the clouds from Irene.  We had clouds yesterday and a little bit of wind but no other affects were experienced here.  Most of the comments by the media about the hurricane in New York were referring to the New York City area not New York State.  New York State is 465 miles wide, and where we live in Brockport is about 400 miles from New York City; it is only about 65 miles west from here to Buffalo, which is the western most city in NY.

Last Tuesday was a special day for us.  One event was there were missionary transfers; no we were not transferred.  There were three new sister missionaries, and two new elders who arrived in the mission on Monday.  Five missionaries finished their missions and went home on Wednesday.  The transfers affected about a third of the missionaries, not just the five new missionaries.  During the previous six weeks since the last transfers, two of the sister missionaries read the entire Book of Mormon together as companions.  This was a very positive and strengthening experience for them.  As President Christianson pondered and prayed about their experience, he felt inspired to ask each missionary companionship to read the Book of Mormon together before the next transfer in six weeks.  As part of the Transfer Meeting the President invited all the missionaries to attend, including us senior couples so we ended up having a mission conference.  It was held at the Hill Cumorah, under the pavilion where the Pageant members meet and study together to learn and rehearse their parts for the Pageant.  This Pavilion is just a few yards to the North of where the Pageant is performed on the West side of the Hill Cumorah.  There was a powerful feeling of the Holy Spirit felt by all of us as the President invited all of us to do the reading and praying he asked of us.  Knowing we were sitting within a hundred yards or so of where the plates on which the Book of Mormon was engraved were given to the Prophet Joseph Smith by Moroni, was a very inspiring and moving experience.

To accomplish what the President asked of us, the missionaries will need to read seven chapters, or 13 pages a day, in addition to all of their normal responsibilities.  In addition to reading the Book of Mormon together, the President also asked all of us to pray with a sincere heart and with real intent and faith in Christ to receive a renewed testimony of the truths within the Book of Mormon.  Each missionary companionship was invited to also include in all of our prayers a plea for their investigators, by name; and to also pray for all the investigators of the other missionaries in general terms.  The President also asked all of us to pray for the members in the wards, branches, and stakes to have a change of heart towards being and doing what member missionaries should do and be to help the missionary work progress.  In this first week we have already seen blessings come here in Brockport.  The Elders here are teaching a young lady, 16 years old, with her mother’s approval.  However, the mother has not allowed her daughter to attend church yet.  We feel that as a result of the prayers offered by all of us, including the young lady, the mother’s heart was softened and she allowed her daughter to attend church yesterday.  The daughter had a great experience at church.  Now we need to pray to have the mother allow her daughter to be baptized, because the daughter has a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true; she asks a lot of questions each time the Elders come.

As the two of us have read the Book of Mormon together this past week, we have had spiritual witnesses come to us; not only of the truths we read, but we also have had spiritual promptings to help us in other ways.  We are certain our testimonies will grow and our knowledge of the gospel truths taught in the Book of Mormon will be increased.  President Benson promised in the October 1986 General Conference that… “The moment you begin a serious study of the Book of Mormon, you will find greater power to resist temptation.  You will find the power to avoid deception.  You will find the power to stay on the straight and narrow path…and you will find life in greater abundance.”  We testify that what President Benson said is true.  We also witness the Book of Mormon is true and will help us come unto Christ and follow his teachings and example.  President Monson really is the Lord’s prophet; and the other members of the first presidency and the twelve apostles are also prophets, seers, and revelators.  We look forward to watching General Conference in about a month from now and listen to what the Lord’s servants teach us.

We had a fun experience on Friday afternoon.  The Senior Couples gather together every month or so to do something to help build our associations and friendships.  Friday we met together to go on ride on a “Packet Boat” on the Erie Canal.  The name of the Boat Company is the “Sam Patch Packet Boat Co.”.  The original Erie Canal was 363 miles long; it went from the Hudson River at Albany NY Westward to the Niagara River at Buffalo NY.  It was 363 miles long and was nicknamed “Clinton’s Big Ditch”, named after the Governor Dewitt Clinton.  It was 40 feet wide and four feet deep.  Construction began in 1817 and was finished in 1825.  There were no engineers involved in designing it; it was done by people with common sense and good judgment; and it was all done with shovels and wheel barrows.  There are 83 Locks on the river; this is where the boats can be raised or lowered (depending on whether the boat was going East or West) as the land elevation changed.  The elevation begins at sea level on the Hudson River, and ends at an elevation of 568 feet on the Niagara River just a few miles upstream from the Niagara Falls.  The Erie Canal was later widened to 60 feet and deepened to eight feet.  Packet Boats were used to carry passengers, and Freight Boats were used to carry freight.  Each barge was pulled by a team of mules or horses.  It took only 9 days to make the trip from Albany to Buffalo on the canal at a cost of $6.00 a ton; but it took 15 to 45 days to make the same distance using wagons and teams of horses by land, at a cost of $100.00 a ton.  Some of you old timers may remember your history well enough to know that Sam Patch was the name of a man who had a pet bear, which had been caught for him by Davy Crockett.  Sam and the bear jumped off the Niagara Falls several times.  He later went to Tennessee to jump off some taller falls with the bear, but Sam died in the attempt.  Anyway, there is a short history of the Erie Canal.

On our canal boat ride we went west a few miles and experienced going through Lock Number 32, out of the 83.  There is a person hired to be at each lock, and also at each bridge which has to be raised to let boats pass.  Some of the bridges are far enough above the water level that the boats can pass under them.  The boat entered the lock with the West gates already closed; then the East gates closed behind us; and the boat was tied to a rubber coated cable on the inside of the lock. The loop around the cable was loose enough that it could slide up the cable as the boat was raised by the water.  The water level to the West was 25 feet higher than the elevation when we entered the lock.  Water gates from the West of us were opened and entered the lock through four or five, 4 by 8 foot openings inside the Lock.  It took 3 million gallons of water to fill the lock enough to raise the boat 25 feet; and it only took about 7 minutes to fill the lock.  We then went west a little farther to where the canal was wide enough to turn around and then we went back through the lock.  We entered the lock from the West with the West gates open and the water level at the 25 foot higher elevation; and the East gates were still closed.  The 3 million gallons of water in the lock was allowed to drain from the 4 or 5 large openings, only this time the water went east.  After the water lowered 25 feet the East Gate opened and we went East on the canal.  You could see on the sides of the canal where the water level in the canal had temporarily raised; but only about a foot or less.  The temporary rise dissipated in about one half mile.  We then went East on the canal for about 5 miles and turned around and came back to where we had started.  It was an interesting ride, and we learned a lot from our experience.

For the month of September we wish happy birthdays to: Bryce on the 3^rd, Dana on the 5^th, Caitlyn on the 25^th, and Craig on the 28^th.  We wish Tyler well as he begins his basic training in the National Guard next week on September 6^th.  He will go to Fort Sill in Oklahoma for this training.  When we find out his address and or email we will share it with the family.  We hope April and her family get over the viral illnesses they have been suffering through and get well and happy again.  We also hope and pray Brad and Kendra continue to be blessed as they help Kendra’s sister through her cancer treatments and we hope Rhonda can have the cancer go into remission permanently.  We hope Chandler continues to do well in his diesel mechanics school program sponsored by one of the Mines near Elko Nevada.  All the grandchildren in school should still all have A grades in their classes; we hope they keep attending their classes and listen and learn and do their homework and studying so they can keep the A grades.  Remember to write your names on the homework assignments you hand in to your teachers.

We love you all,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Maxine & Richard

Message 22 August 2011

Message—22 August 2011

Dear Family & Friends,

We received a letter from Sister Janell Keith and her daughter Mellony, who are members of our ward in Provo.  They teach a primary class and there were only two children who attended the class the week before last.  One of the children was a young man; the other was a young lady.  The young man said he wanted to be a missionary and knock on doors and teach the gospel to people.  The young lady said she did not want to be a missionary, but she did want to tell other people stories about Jesus.  We wrote a letter back to Janell to share with the class.  In the letter we encouraged the young man to have faith and tell his friends and neighbors about the gospel and share his testimony with them, and set a good example and he would be doing what will help him be a good missionary, and this will also help him prepare to be a full time missionary when he reaches the age of 19.  We told the young lady that she should share stories about Jesus with her friends and neighbors and she would be doing what missionaries do.  The message for both of them and for each of us, is that we are all missionaries by our example; and we can also be missionaries by just opening our mouth and share gospel messages and thoughts and our testimony with the help of the Spirit.

Saturday we had the opportunity to attend a meeting where a message was given by President Christianson, our mission president, which he gave to a group of members and missionaries from the Freedom Branch near Arcade NY.  These people traveled to the Sacred Grove to hear the President’s message.  Some of them had never been to the Sacred Grove; they were blessed to feel the Spirit while there in the Sacred Grove.  The Freedom branch was one of the first branches of the church organized after the church was organized in Palmyra.  In D & C Section 106; the first verse tells that Warren Cowdery, who was Oliver’s older brother, was to be the presiding high priest in the Freedom area.  The church has had members there since that time, but it is still only a branch, the people in the area have not been receptive to the gospel.  Satan has stirred up the hearts of enough people there in the area that there has not been much success over the years.  There is some success in baptizing people, but not very many.

We were invited, along with the elders in Brockport, to have dinner with a family in the Brockport ward with the last name of Arrington.  Brother Arrington is related to Leonard Arrington’s family.  Brother Arrington gave us each a one inch square of a piece of wood from a tree which he was asked to cut down about 40 years ago, which was along the edge of the Sacred Grove.  The Church History Museum had asked 40 years agothat a few limbs from the tree be cut and sent to Salt Lake to be used in a Temple Square Visitor Center display showing the Prophet Joseph Smith kneeling in the Sacred Grove.  The large limb was arranged so it appeared to be a tree in the background of the display.  The rest of the tree was used in some other ways at church history sites.  Brother Arrington was given permission to have one of the branches; and that is what he cut up in to the one inch squares.  Brother Arrington said the tree rings of the tree they cut down showed the tree was a little over 150 years old.  If you add the 40 years since it was cut down, that would make the tree over 190 years old.  So it was probably a very small seedling in 1820 when the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith.  Having this piece of wood is just a little nice thing to have.  The real significant thing is that we know the Father and Son appeared to Joseph Smith and began the events of the restoration of all things in these last days.  We know this really happened just as Joseph described.  We also know the Book of Mormon is true, as well as the other revelations the Prophet Joseph received.  We know President Monson is the Lord’s prophet today.  We sustain him as the prophet as well as the other 14 prophets, seers, and revelators who direct the affairs of the church by revelation.  We are being greatly blessed in our service here in the Rochester Mission.

We hope all the grandchildren who start school this week, and a few in the next week or so, will be diligent students and study and learn all they can so they can be better prepared for the rest of their lives to work and provide for themselves and their families.  We hope those with health problems will be blessed with healing power from Heavenly Father through the Savior and that they will be restored to full health according to the will, and timing of the Lord.

There were tender feelings for Sister Jensen and I on July 29^th  (Maxine’s parents were sealed in the temple) and also on August 19^th (Richard’s parents were sealed in the temple) as those two dates are the 80^th wedding anniversaries for our parents.  We felt their love and thought of them and all they have done for us to bless our lives and help us become who we are today.

We love all of you very much and appreciate all the ways we have been blessed by our associations and relationships with each of you.

Love,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Richard & Maxine

Message 15 August 2011

Message—15 August 2011

Dear Family & Friends,

We had a very busy week this past week.  Monday was our Mission Office Staff meeting with President & Sister Christianson.  During this meeting we finalized all the details for the four Zone Conferences which were held on Tuesday through Friday.  We also had some apartment issues for which we needed the President’s decision and approval.  On Tuesday we attended the Rochester Zone Conference at the Chapel on Westfall Road in Rochester.  Wednesday we attended the Palmyra South Zone Conference at the chapel in Canandaigua.  On Thursday we were at the Palmyra North Zone Conference at the Palmyra Chapel, across the road from the Palmyra Temple.  Then on Friday we attended the Buffalo Zone Conference at a chapel in Buffalo.  We attended all four Zone Conferences for two reasons.  The first is that we are assigned by the President to take some time to talk with the missionaries about issues relating to taking care of their apartments.  The second reason is that we were asked by the President to substitute for Elder and Sister McVea; while they were in Utah for their Daughter’s temple marriage in the Salt Lake City Temple.  Elder McVea is the Vehicle Coordinator for the mission; he has responsibility for all the vehicles used in the mission by the missionaries; this is about 40 vehicles.  When we have a Zone Conference the missionaries bring all the vehicles in so they can be inspected to insure they are properly being cared for and maintained.  If there are any problems with the vehicles Elder McVea can see that the problems are taken care of.  The inspection entails checking the fluid levels, adding fluids where needed; checking the all the lights and the horn to see that they all work, replacing bulbs if needed; checking the wiper blades, replacing them if needed, checking the tire tread depth and air pressure for each tire; checking for any damage to the body, scratches, scrapes, dents, etc.; and checking to see if the interior is being kept clean and the car is being washed and waxed at the appropriate time intervals.  All of these things are recorded on a paper form and then later, Elder McVea puts the information on the computer so both he and the church motor vehicle people can see the records.  We had the help of the new Mission Office couple, Elder and Sister Servoss, with all the inspections.  The Tuesday Zone Conference day it rained all day, part of the time it was a very hard rain; but we had to do the inspections anyway.  I received a good drenching.  After we finished inspecting the vehicles, we made a quick trip back to our apartment and I changed clothes then we returned for the afternoon part of the conference.  The other days, Wednesday through Friday it did not rain.  For the Friday Zone Conference Elder McVea and his wife were back from Utah and so we helped him do the inspections.  The Zone Conferences began at 9am and went until about 4pm each day; with 15 minute breaks at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and a lunch break for about 30 minutes at about 12:30pm.  In order to be at the zone conferences 40 minutes early we had to leave our apartment before 7 am; and we did not get home until about 7pm each night; so the days were long.  On Saturday we had help from the AP’s and the Elders in Warsaw to load the furniture and other things needed for a new senior couple, Elder & Sister Jones, and take it to their new apartment in Warsaw and get the apartment ready for the Jones’ to move into on Monday (today).

In the morning sessions of the Zone Conferences, the Zone Leaders and the Assistants to the President did some training; then President Christianson did the training in the afternoon.  Sister Christianson was at the Tuesday Zone Conference, but she was not feeling well for the Wednesday Conference, then she went to Utah for the Funeral of President Christianson’s father on Saturday.  President Christianson is an awesome teacher; he uses the scriptures and the Preach My Gospel manual and quotes from prophets and apostles.  This means all that he teaches is doctrinally correct.  One thing he stressed is that if we will study from the scriptures and other approved missionary sources, there are over 4600 pages to learn about and learn how to use in teaching others about the gospel; therefore those sources are all we will have time to study from while on our mission.  Any other publication we want to read or study will have to wait until after our missions are completed and we return home.  He also emphasized that we need to follow the instruction from the Savior in the Doctrine and Covenants that the Book of Mormon should be the major part of our study and teaching, because it is the key to gaining a testimony of the gospel.  When we know the Book of Mormon is true, we will also know Joseph Smith was a prophet through whom the Book of Mormon was translated.  We will also know the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price are also true; and we will also know that President Monson is the prophet today.  We have had our testimonies of these truths reaffirmed in the few months we have been here.  We know and testify these truths are correct and of eternal importance to us.

As a Mission President, President Christianson has priesthood keys, which are essential to all that needs to be done in the mission.  For this reason and others, he was not able to go to his father’s funeral, that is why he sent his wife.  He shared with us today that staying in the mission and not going home was the most important thing for him to do.  There were things that happened this past week that it was critical he be here and not in Utah.  Because he was here with his keys, two of our sister missionaries were kept safe and had some special experiences that would not have happened if he had not been here.  He is a great example of an obedient priesthood leader who does what the prophets and apostles have instructed him to do.

We love all of you and appreciate all you are doing for us, including praying for us.  From what we hear from you we know you are all being blessed in your lives.  We would love to hear from any of you.

Love,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Richard & Maxine

Message 9 August 2011

Message—9 August 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Sorry we are a day late adding the weekly post to our blog, we ran out of hours in the day yesterday, so we are adding our message a day late.  Last week, we were invited to have dinner with a member couple in the ward; Matt & Mandy Nelson.  They live right on the shore of Lake Ontario, less than 25 feet from their back door is a short peer that sticks out over the lake.  Matt has a number of relatives who are or have been leaders in the church at the general leadership level.  When he was called on his mission at the age of 19, he was called to Germany.  One of the areas he served in was where President Uchtdorf lived at the time.  The Area President in Germany was a relative, and another General Authority visited the mission several times.  So Matt said I guess the Lord sent me where I had to behave and work hard; so it kept me on the path with the iron rod, which has been a great blessing to me.  Mandy is a convert from Texas and was disowned by her family when she joined the church.  In the last few years her family has come to visit them, but she has to remove from sight anything that refers to the Church; and they have to be careful not to say anything about the church to Mandy’s family.  By doing these two things they have a pleasant visit with Mandy’s family.  It is so difficult for someone to join the church and be deserted by their family; but many people do it because they know they are doing what is right; and they are greatly blessed for their faithfulness.  In many cases the family members eventually soften their hearts and accept the person back into their arms.

Last Monday in our Mission Office meeting, it was my turn to give the spiritual thought.  I used the following three scriptures as the basis of my thought: D & C 138:56; Acts 17:26-27; and John 14:26.  Perhaps at first glance through these scriptures the connection they have may not be easy to see.  As I read the first one the Spirit reminded me of the one in Acts; and the day before at the baptism for Zach the verse in John was used and the Spirit reminded me of it.  The verses preceding verse 56 in Section 138 of the D & C refer to Joseph Smith, his father, Hyrum, and others; but in verse 56 a phrase is added that states “Even before they (Joseph and the others) were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits…”  We do not know who the “many others” are; but we do know that everyone who has come to earth for mortal experience, was taught enough “lessons” to be able to use their agency to choose to come to earth.  Having been taught these lessons, we knew at that time what the plan was, and knew it was true and right.  The end of verse 56 states that those taught came in the “due time of the Lord”; which is also what Acts 17:26 states; “the time and bounds of their habitation” were appointed before we came to earth.  Acts 17:27 has the phrase “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him…”.  In John 14:26 it states “…the Holy Ghost…shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance…”.  All things means just that, nothing is excluded if are prepared and worthy to receive it.  All thins include the lessons we learned in the pre-mortal world.  Even though we have forgotten everything we learned in the lessons, we can be taught and helped to remember the truths we need to know to become prepared and worthy to return to live with Heavenly Father.  We can learn these truths from our lessons by feeling them through the power of the Holy Ghost.  Thus we learn line upon line, and precept on precept, and here a little and there a little until we fully come unto Christ by repentance and obedience.  This is the general idea of the thought that was shared.  In relation to our mission, this tells me the people in this mission are here by divine design, and the missionaries are also here by divine design to invite and help people have the opportunity to remember the lessons they learned in the pre-mortal life and feel the truth of the lessons by the Holy Ghost so they can choose with agency to repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end of mortality in obedience to the gospel and eternal covenants.

Last week, we had an experience with two Elders who were invaded by bedbugs.  We helped the Elders and instructed them in doing all that is necessary to get rid of them.  The apartment owner had the apartment sprayed to kill the bedbugs.  The Elders had to spend two nights in the Mission Presidents home before they could move back in.  We hope all the bedbugs died and will not be a problem again.  It was a lot of work to wash all the bedding and their clothes and their dishes etc.

We are well and happy and blessed and grateful for the privilege to serve as missionaries here in the Rochester Mission.  We testify the church is true, Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration, President Monson is our prophet today with all the keys given to Joseph Smith .  The Book of Mormon is true and will help us come unto Christ, who is the central message of all that is in the Book of Mormon.

We love all of you and pray for you daily.  We are happy we got to see and talk to most of those who were at our family reunion on Saturday, by means of using Skype.  We hope to hear from those who were not at the reunion.  We hope you all have a great week and are kept safe and well.

Love,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandma, Richard & Maxine

Message 1 August 2011

Message—1 August 2011

Dear Family & Friends,

The best news of the week is that on Saturday, Elder Swaner and Elder Olson (with previous help from Elder Morrison) had a baptism in the Brockport Ward; the first convert baptism in the ward in about two years.  We were very excited and pleased for this great blessing.  The young man’s name is Zach Eustes; he is 18 years old and is a friend of Monica Griffiths, who is the 17 year old daughter of a member family.  Zach was also confirmed in Sacrament meeting on Sunday.  He is a fine young man and hopes to be able to go on a mission.  Quite a few ward members attended the baptism service on Saturday.  It is always a blessing to be at a baptism service and feel the power of the Spirit which is always present.  Baptisms are the rewards for inviting and helping people receive the gospel and a witness of the Holy Spirit that it is true.

Also on Saturday morning we served our first shift at the Family History Center in our ward building.  We had one non-member lady come in and we helped her order two microfilm’s that have vital records for Italian families who are her ancestors.  We also helped a sister who is a ward member find some information about her grandfather and great grandfather to help her get started on connecting her ancestors together.  We will enjoy serving in this ward calling and learning how to do more of our own family history when we return home.

In finding an apartment in Warsaw for a senior couple who will be arriving in the mission on August 16^th, we had some good experiences.  The apartment we were led to find is next door to a retired Catholic Nun.  The owners of the apartment building operate a large farm near Warsaw.  Bill and Dorine Jenkins own the building, and they are 81 years old.  Bill is a 4^th generation grandson of the man who first owned the farm in 1881.  The farm has 1200 acres; but Bill has leased out all except 300 acres to other farmers since he is 81.  Bill has been on the Warsaw Town Council for 40 years straight.  He was thinking of not running again this year but he does not want to let the younger people take over for fear they will not keep within the budget.  While he has been on the town council, they have never been in the red, they have always had a surplus without raising taxes; and have accomplished many valuable services for the community.  That is a great accomplishment from which our US Legislature could learn much.  Bill is also the President of the Western NY Corn and Soybean Growers Assoc.  In spite of all these great accomplishments in his life he is a very kind and personable man and helps many of his neighbors.  He and his wife would make great LDS Church members if the missionaries could teach him.  Bill and his wife are good friends with one of his neighbors who was the previous Warsaw Branch President.

Saturday evening we went to look through a very nice home which a good church member has offered to make available for senior couples to live in.  On the way there, since we were early, we stopped for an ice cream treat and visited with a 90 year old couple who had also stopped for an ice cream treat.  They were both very friendly with us even though they read our name tags.  At the end of our visit, the man said if I had noticed sooner that you were a minister in your church I would have confessed my sins to you. 

We are greatly blessed to be here in this mission.  There are great people here who will make good church members if they will accept the invitation to receive the gospel.  They are all our brothers and sisters, and already know the church is true in their hearts; they just need to feel the witness of the Holy Spirit to help them remember what they learned in the pre-mortal life; and then accept that witness and repent and be baptized and live the gospel.

We hope those who have birthdays and anniversaries this month will have happy ones and will increase their love for family members.  We hope our children and their families who can make it, have a great family reunion on Saturday August 6^th.  McKenzie has a birthday on August 3^rd, Britt has his birthday on August 16^th, Wyatt has his birthday on August 18^th, Aaron has his birthday on August 20^th, and Chris has his birthday on August 26^th.  Marv and Lou have birthdays on August 25^th.  On August 19^th Ruel and Ethel Jensen will celebrate (in the Spirit World) their 80^th wedding anniversary when they were sealed together forever in the Salt Lake Temple.  They now have a posterity of more than 230; and it is a great privilege and blessing to be among that number.  Our lives have been blessed in so many ways, including eternal blessings, because of these two wonderful and faithful parents.  I love them more every time I think of them and their great example and all they sacrificed for us.

We have an absolute witness from the Spirit that the church is true, Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration, Jesus Christ Lives and is the head of the Church and directs it through his prophet today, who is President Thomas S. Monson.   The Book of Mormon is true as well as the other scriptures we have; and they can all help us learn to use our agency to follow the example of the Savior.  We love and appreciate all of you and pray for you every day, and we feel the power of your prayers for us.

Love,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Richard & Maxine