Thankful for the Missionaries

Hurricane Helene and Willing Volunteers

Hurricane Helene has devastated many families, displacing many from their homes and leaving whole communities in need of urgent assistance.  

My stepdad is one of the luckier ones.  Yes, his power/water have both been cut, but no trees hit his house nor has it received any flood water damage.   

Still, volunteers have stepped up to help him, offering food, water, cell phone charging and help cleaning up debris. I reached out to the Facebook page of the Mission closest to my step-dad's place, asking for help for him and the Stake President's wife and two of their kids answered the call! Wow! 

Thank you Sister Jones and family!

A few of the downed trees

All cleared!
Wonderful!
So grateful!

Flat

Got a flat tire (obviously)!  I haven't changed a flat tire in a loooooog time, so I thought it would be good to see if I could still do it. So, with a quick read thru of the car manual, a couple of phone calls to Tom and some help from Emi, the tire got changed. The hardest part was lifting the tire back up and lining it up with the studs-Heavy!  Should've taken a picture of our dirty hands, Emi and I got dirty!

Update: Nail minus its head found as the likely cause of flat tire.

Needed new tires, so this flat prompted us to get 'em!

 

Change

After serving three years as Stake Primary President, I got released this past Sunday.  Initially, I had very mixed feelings about being released, but with just a little bit of time, I found that I could look back on this calling with happiness and gratitude to Heavenly Father for allowing me to serve!

(I like being creative and this calling gave me the chance to exercise my creativity to benefit the children.)

I now look forward to serving with Tom and Emi in a new calling out at the FamilySearch Center for the next couple of years!

 

Goodbye Kimo, Goodbye Hornets

Once again, Kimo is off to college---It's his senior year!  

He called when he got to Rexburg and said that some hornets had 

made a small nest on the tailgate of his truck.

Tom told him to put the tailgate down, hit the nest with a shovel then 

jump in the car and drive away, so that's what he did-Success!

This from someone who was seriously afraid of bees as a child-Go, Kimo!

 

Happy 100th!

Happy 100th Birthday, Pres. Nelson!

After watching the program of birthday tributes and music to 

celebrate Pres. Nelson's 100th birthday, I was struck that when it was his turn to speak, he talked to us about God's Plan of Salvation.  On a day to celebrate his life, Pres. Nelson instead testified about God's plan.

I just loved that!

I have never met Pres. Nelson, but did have the privilege of 

being in the Stake Choir at our Stake Conference, where he presided.  

This was when he was part of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, 

before he was called to be the Prophet. 

 

To preface this choice experience, I know how to listen to the other voice parts in a choir and can tell if they are singing their parts correctly or not.  

As we were singing the concluding song, I noticed that there were 

some voices around me singing parts that were not written in the music! 

I wondered about it, but since these additional parts sounded good, 

I didn't worry about it too much and just enjoyed the big sound we made and the good spirit that I felt while we sang.  

After the closing prayer, I heard members of the choir asking each other, "Did you hear the angels singing with us?"

"Oh!  That's what that was!" I said.

It seems very fitting that angels were present with the future Prophet of God.

It was an experience that I will never forget

(Tom had an even more choice experience during the Priesthood session, so it was an exceptional day all around!)

 

Leaves, Lint and Sushi

The leaves in the church parking garage bother me.
But, can't do any complaining if I'm not willing to do something about it!

So piled them up agains the wall and swept them up!

The leaf blower made this job sort of fun!

Tom wanted to clean out our dryer and the dryer ducts while 
Kimo was still around to help with lifting.
Tom said he might as well put in a new heating element and he is
handy enough to be able to do that!

We made sushi for dinner again, it's been so hot!
This is Tom's rolled sushi--neat and tidy!

Picture perfect!

This is my rolled sushi!  Granted, I'd already been taking
bites out of it, but still!