Dear Family & Friends,
I am two days late getting the Blog message written, but I will get it done now before the week is over. Monday through Wednesday last week was not very busy for us. We were able to get caught up on a number of things in the office. Sister Jensen had problems with a couple of teeth on Tuesday. We went to a dentist, Dr. G., who is not too far from the mission office, to see what he could do to help her. The dentist has a very unique way of helping patients with teeth problems. The office staff is very helpful and friendly and provides more information about the office and all the treatment options and professional etiquette they use than I have ever seen done by dentist. It turned out that the dentist called a friend who does root canals and made arrangements with him to take care of doing the root canal that very day. This eliminated most of the pain. Then on Wednesday Dr. G. did two crowns to take care of the problems. It just happened that another patient cancelled their appointment for Wednesday morning and so we did not have to wait to do the crowns. We consider it a blessing from divine sources that everything worked out so well and so quickly.
Thursday evening we had an assignment to be at an Information Booth on the North Side of the Hill Cumorah Pageant from 7-9pm and then again for 15 minutes after the pageant ended at about 10:30pm. Thursday evening was the final full dress rehearsal for the Pageant. The cast members are all set apart as missionaries while they are here in the pageant. One of their assignments is to walk around among the audience members, in their costumes, from 7pm until a little after 9pm; when the Pageant is to begin. Their costumes are very warm, and the temperature was close to 90 and the humidity was also about 90%. While doing this they each have programs which they give to the audience members, they also pose for pictures, and they just talk with people and answer questions and if they meet people who are not LDS they try to get in a conversation and share a gospel message with the people about whatever they are interested in. It is a real miracle that the Pageant is done so well. The cast members arrive in NY one week before opening night; and they do not know what part they have or what their assignment will be. They are given their assignment on the day they arrive; and they have just one week, excluding Sunday to learn their parts. The cast members also help place all the stage props in their place during a brief minute or so while the lights are off between each scene. Two members of the cast were missionaries who have recently completed their missions and returned home. They came back for the Pageant; they are Elder Swanner and Elder Hulse, and they were both assigned to
the Brockport ward while we were there last fall. Elder Hulse was assigned the part of Alma in the wilderness baptizing at the Waters of Mormon. Elder Swanner was in two battle scenes and waved one of the large red flags in the final battle between the Lamanites and the Nephites on the Hill Cumorah. Friday night we did not go to the Pageant but we did wait up for a senior missionary couple who spent the night with us at our home. Elder & Sister Best who came up to the Pageant from Wellsville NY; they spent the night with us and then did some other things on Saturday and attended the Pageant again on Saturday night and returned home Saturday night, Sunday morning at 1 am.
Saturday evening we were assigned to be at the South Information Booth for the Pageant. A student, Heather, who worked at the BYU Library for me a few years ago brought her friend, Megan, with her to see the pageant. They both live in American Fork. They had been to other places here in the East this past week and arrived in time to see the Pageant on Saturday night. They stayed with us Saturday night; then went to Sacrament Meeting with us to the Pittsford ward, which is closer than Geneseo. After meeting we spent the rest of the day with Heather and Megan at the sites. During the Pageant week, there are too many people to do the regular tours which are done by the Sister missionaries and the Senior Couples; so I did most of the tour information for Heather and Megan. We were very fortunate that there were not very many people at the sites on Sunday so Heather and Megan were able to hear some of the sister missionaries at the sites. When we got back to our house in Mendon Sunday evening about 6pm; Sister Jensen fixed dinner for us while I took Heather and Megan to see the historic sites in Mendon. When we arrived at the Tomlinson Inn, President and Sister Christianson were just getting ready to leave after showing their grandson and a nephew who came to visit for a week or so. As we got out of our car, Heather said one of the boys had been in her Physics class she taught at Lone Peak High School this past year. How amazing it is that she traveled 3000 miles and met up with one of her students. Heather and Megan were happy to get to meet our mission president. Megan also has a grandfather who is good friends with President Christianson. We had a great chicken dinner prepared by Sister Jensen. We spent the rest of the evening visiting with Heather and Megan; and had prayer together with them and went to bed. They both left Monday morning soon after we left to go to the mission office. Monday evening, we rested up a bit for the rest of our busy week, which we will report on next week.
One thing that has been impressive to me here in NY is that it is very common to see trees which have limbs that have grown from one side of the trunk wrapping around to another side so the limb and its leaves can reach the sunlight needed for
photosynthesis. This sunlight is so essential for trees to survive. It seems to me that if a tree is wise enough to grow towards the light; that we as children of Heavenly Father should also make every effort to grow towards the divine light of Christ and the restored gospel he has restored to the earth. While we were in the Joseph Smith Farm visitor’s center I paid closer attention to a sculpture that is in front of the south window on a table. This sculpture is of the Father and the Son appearing to Joseph Smith. I looked at the backside of the sculpture, and the person who did the sculpture, has Heavenly Father standing on the right and Jesus standing on His left. The Father has His right arm around the shoulders of His Only Begotten Son and His left hand across the front of the Son pointing to Him and introducing Him to Joseph. This little detail greatly touched me; the Father is so pleased with all His Son has done for us that he has His arm around him pulling him close to His side. Oh how I hope someday to have Heavenly Father pleased enough with me to put his arm around me; I just want to do whatever I can to please the Father and the Son.
We love each of you forever; we have been so blessed to have each of you in our family and our circle of friends and neighbors. We pray for each of you every day and trust that our prayers and your prayers will be answered according to the love, wisdom, and timing of Heavenly Father. He lives, and His Son lives and they love us and the Holy Ghost can guide us to them.
Love,
Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Richard & Maxine
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