Celebrating Christmas

                One of the fun things senior missionaries are able to do is to enjoy learning about the culture, values, and beliefs of the people in the areas where they serve.  We participated in many cultural activities during our mission in England, including Midnight Mass at the majestic Gloucester Cathedral of the Church of England two weeks before we were released to come home.  We especially loved singing Christmas carols with the large congregation and the way it brought us all together.  

                This Christmas, Pat and I decided to attend Midnight Mass at the large Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, only a few blocks away from Disneyland.  This was formerly the Crystal Cathedral, built by the Reverand Robert Schuller, well-known televangelist of the Reformed Church in America.  His famous “Hour of Power” was a top evangelical broadcast for nearly 30 years.  The demographics of Orange County have shifted dramatically in recent years, and funding at the Cathedral began to diminish. The growing Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, meanwhile, was looking for a new home.  When the Crystal Cathedral filed for bankruptcy in 2010, the entire church campus was purchased by the Catholics and renamed the Christ Cathedral Parish.

                We arrived early, just as a Vietnamese Mass was ending, and watched as the church emptied and then filled again with families. We enjoyed listening to the music of the choir and orchestra, which featured “Gloria“ and other beautiful pieces by Antonio Vivaldi.  We were surprised and pleased to see Mack Wilberg’s name on the large screen as the choir sang his composition of “The Sussex Carol,” which the Tabernacle Choir frequently sings.

                The Priest gave a powerful message about keeping Christ at the center of Christmas, saying those who attended a Midnight Mass were likely “Merry Christmas” people instead of “Happy Holidays” people.  He warned against minimizing the significance of religious holidays and traditions and also invited all present to be willing to speak out and share their religious beliefs.

                We felt great respect for those who attended and participated, including those who stood in long lines to partake of sacrament wafers given by the priests.  Far fewer took sips of juice from the common chalice which was passed.  
                 We were glad that we could attend and begin our Christmas Day with so many who had come to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

-- Don--


Here are some other highlights of our Christmas season in Southern California....

Christmas began in earnest about 3 weeks early as the packages began to
arrive at the Mission Office for all our young elders and sisters.

The cabinet that normally holds missionary packages until they are
picked up soon began to spill out in every direction.

A week before Christmas....

There were lots of happy missionaries on Christmas Eve Day!

 

Every package and card means so much to a missionary!

And the work of the office went on as usual.

Since Christmas Eve was Preparation Day for the elders and sisters,
the senior office couples put together some Christmas treats
for them to enjoy as they came to pick up their packages.

Lots of missionaries and lots of fun.

Ho, ho, ho and Merry Christmas.

One of our missionary's mothers sent a jar of homemade jam for
her son to share with each of the senior couples. How cool was that??

The Anaheim 4th Ward Christmas Breakfast was so much fun!
And they are so kind to their missionaries. We received a big bag
of Christmas goodies from the members of the ward
(and so did both sets of elders).

Pajamas all around.

Welcome to Whoville.

Santa wasn't the only surprise visitor.

Three grinches and Jackie.

Grinch food.

On the Saturday before Christmas, we took our good friend Jackie
to see the lights at the Los Angeles Temple and Visitors' Center.

The Los Angeles Temple grounds. 

Taking down the Christmas decorations in our apartment
after Christmas took about 5 minutes. There are some advantages
to celebrating Christmas in the missionfield, LOL:)

It was a wonderful week. Thank you to our family and friends who sent cards, messages and packages. We felt so blessed and humbled by your love and caring. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

One Solitary Life

It's been a busy missionary transfer week this week. Along with the normal companionship changes every six weeks, we've said sad good-byes to those who've completed their missions and welcomed a shiny new group of elders and sisters fresh from the MTC. And the work moves forward.

Now, as we inch closer and closer to Christmas Day this year, our preparations are turning our hearts to the real reason we celebrate. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, the to-do lists, the holiday food, the music and performances, the parties and gatherings, and the gift buying/giving, gentle reminders emerge here and there that it was all originally designed to celebrate and give honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, as a young teenager, I remember reading a simple tribute that, to me, said it all. I think I may have originally read it in the Reader's Digest. It's only a few paragraphs long, but it speaks volumes. Dr. James Allan Francis, a Baptist pastor in Los Angeles, wrote and presented it as part of his Sunday sermon sometime during 1926. It is as true today as it was then.

ONE SOLITARY LIFE

"Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then, for three years, He was an itinerant preacher.

"He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself....

"While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth - His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

"Nineteen [now twenty] long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

"I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life."

He is the Lord of lords, the King of kings, and the Savior and Redeemer of all the world. He is Jesus Christ. It is through Him, His sacrifice and His atonement for our sins that we have the hope and promise that we can return to live with Him and with God again one day, in love and peace - forever.

--Pat-- 

Wouldn't They Be Surprised?

At the urging of our oldest daughter, Janet, a few years ago, Pat and I started writing and collecting brief biographies of ancestors to put in the Memories section of Family Search. We wanted to share what we had learned about their lives with our children, grandchildren and extended family. Between Pat and I, we have added several biographies to the Family Search website, including those of our parents.

A week ago, while at dinner with another senior couple who works in the mission office, Scott and Verna Rhine, we learned we had a lot in common. Elder Rhine and I had served missions in our youth in Switzerland and Germany. Sister Rhine's grandparents, the Heimanns, had been members of the Church in Kiel, Germany. Her mother married a German missionary, Elder Fluckiger, and after they immigrated to the states, Sister Rhine was born and raised in Star Valley, Wyoming.

I mentioned to the Rhines that my father worked in Kiel as a missionary prior to WW II, where he served as branch president. One of his counselors was a local member and the other a Nazi soldier who often wore his uniform to Church. There was great excitement in Germany at the time. Hitler’s power was expanding as he promised the people more “lebensraum” (living space) and economic relief.  My father said he had witnessed a torchlight parade in Kiel on January 30, 1933, the night Hitler became Reichschancellor of Germany.  Uniformed soldiers marched four abreast through the streets for more than an hour.  He and his companion had also witnessed a young Jewish boy being shot by a Nazi guard as he tried to gain entrance to his father’s furniture store.  Dad had heard Hitler speak twice during his mission, once in Kiel, and once at a large Nazi gathering in Osnabruck.

I knew my father’s story well, because I had compiled his biography and posted it in Family Search.  Following our conversation with the Rhines, I couldn’t wait to get to my computer to review what my father had written about his mission and see if his history made any reference to Sister Rhine’s grandparents or her mother in Kiel.   I was surprised to read the following:

“The branch presidency in Kiel was composed of me as president, Brother Heimann as first counselor, and Brother Tietjen as second counselor.  Brother Heimann was against the rise of Hitler and all he stood for, while Brother Tietjen was a Nazi and often came to Church in his uniform.  Sometimes they would argue with each other in Church until I would plead with them to stop.  We tried to separate politics from religion and we suggested the men not wear their Nazi uniforms to Church. It was not long until Brother Tietjen resigned as counselor and we didn’t see him again.

Brother Wilhelm Heimann

Elder Alvin Carpenter

“It was difficult for me as a foreigner to know what to do at times to keep peace in the branch and keep us studying the gospel without becoming excited politically.  We lived at Brother and Sister Metelmans, good Church members who did much to help us.  My junior companion was Paul Jensen from Salt Lake City.  My counselor in Kiel, Brother Heimann, and his wife migrated to Star Valley, Wyoming.  Their daughter had married a missionary by the name of Fluckiger.  After the war, Sister Metelman also migrated to Star Valley.  Her husband was killed in the bombing of Kiel during the war.  Both of these families were very staunch Church members and lovely people.”

Elder & Sister Rhine with us outside the CA Anaheim mission office.

To me, this is an amazing example of how family history and missionary service link us together. Knowing that my father and Sister Rhine’s grandfather served together in a branch presidency in Germany before World War II binds Elder and Sister Rhine to me and my wife as we serve together in the Anaheim Mission. I wonder if our ancestors would be surprised to know that that their posterity have met and are serving missions together in California more than eighty years later.

--Don--

                                                                                                                                                      

Blessing Bags

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, even though there's no snow and we are running around in short sleeves and sunglasses.

Our sister missionaries put together a beautiful bulletin board in the mission office.

Sister Simpson brought  17 nativities from home and decorated the main area of the office.

And we've been listening to the Messiah and other Christmas music as we work.

A SHORT STORY:
At first, I had a difficult time listening to Christmas music in the mission office. It made me so homesick for my family that I had a hard time concentrating on my responsibilities. I was really in a quandary, because I didn't want to keep the other missionaries from enjoying the beautiful music of the season, but I was about ready to jump on a plane and return home to my kids and grandkids. I was missing them so much!

A tender mercy the next morning changed everything for me. I had gone to bed the night before with a prayer to know how to handle the homesickness the music was creating. The next morning, following some scripture study time, as I was getting ready to go back to the mission office, a clear thought popped into my head out of nowhere. "Instead of focusing on what you'll be missing at home this Christmas, let the music help you celebrate all the wonderful memories you have of Christmases with your family in years past." All of a sudden my whole focus changed. Wonderful feelings and memories of years past began to flood my mind and I was filled with gratitude for all those Christmas blessings and experiences I have already had that cannot be taken away from me. They're locked in my heart forever and I can recall them whenever I want. Since that early morning inspiration, I have loved listening to the Christmas music and letting it remind me of all the special times I've known.

NOW, ABOUT THE BLESSING BAGS:
Last week, President and Sister Golden invited the three Mission Office couples to dinner at their home on Monday evening. It was such a treat for us! Their home was warm and inviting, decorated beautifully for Christmas. We had a delicious dinner of soup, salad and rolls, then spent some time talking and getting to know each other better. We felt so special!

The very best part about the evening, though, was our service activity. Sister Simpson introduced us to blessing bags for the homeless, and helped us put some together.  Each of us had been assigned to come to the dinner with 25 packages of two different snack foods to contribute. We set them all out on a table and created an assembly line, putting one package of 8 different contributed foods into each bag. When we were finished, we each had 5 bags of food to put in our cars to distribute when we see homeless people on the street.

Because of the mild winter weather here, we see many homeless people almost every time we travel somewhere in our car. We have felt helpless as we've looking into their faces, not wanting to give them money that might be squandered on addictions. Since putting the bags together, we have had some touching experiences. Those to whom we have handed bags have opened them and exclaimed, "Food! Thank you! God Bless." It has been a heartwarming experience to say the least, and we are putting together more bags to continue to distribute as we travel around doing our housing inspections and other mission responsibilities. It may not be much, but it is something, and we are so glad to be able to make a small difference for someone who is suffering.

It turns out that there are many good ideas for blessing bags (particularly on Pinterest), but we had never heard of them before. Some of the items we included were water, granola bars, applesauce pouches, Ritz crackers with peanut butter, raisins, fruit snacks, trail mix, life savers, and a piece of chocolate. Other good ideas are tuna and cracker packs, peanuts, jerky sticks, instant oatmeal, drink mixes, etc.  Personal items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, a comb, Chapstick, hand sanitizer, a washcloth, etc., can also be included. There are many other good ideas on the internet, as well. And, instead of brown paper bags, everything can be put in a gallon size Ziploc bag that can be reused to carry personal belongings.

This is a project that we plan to continue during our mission, and hope to get our family involved in when we return to Utah. It's only one of many ways we can lift someone else's burdens, but it's a great place to begin.

--Pat--

The Needful Thing

Luke 10:40-42
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

So, I have a confession to make:  I tend to be a Martha. I come by it honestly. My mom was sick a good part of my growing up years. We didn't know what was causing her problems, but eventually she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and spent 30 years confined to a wheelchair with limited use of one hand. As the oldest child in the family, I learned to be responsible. I LIKE to be responsible! I enjoy serving and doing and making a difference in the world, but I often miss “the good part” while I’m busy checking off my To Do list. 

I've thought a lot about that over the years. Marys and Marthas both have a place in the world. There's a time for work and responsibility as well as a time for being fully in the moment, responding wholeheartedly to the people and events around you. I'm pretty sure that there's a Mary-Martha balance somewhere out there and I hope to find it someday.

I had a great object lesson this week that made me think once again about that Mary and Martha struggle. Thursday, we had an unbelievable amount of rainfall in Southern California. It triggered mudslides in Malibu and other areas recently hit by fires. It dumped enough water to turn the flood basins into rivers and fill many streets with water clear up to the curb. It just poured and poured all day long. 

Around noon, we were working in the mission office when about six dripping wet elders walked in. I was knee-deep in generating a list of apartments Don and I would inspect the next day, trying to establish a route that wouldn't have us backtracking all over the mission to find them. I stopped to greet the elders and help them find some cleaning supplies and household items they had come in for, then went right back to my work. 

Sisters Simpson and Rhine "chose the good part." One of the elder's suit coats was absolutely drenched. Sister Simpson took it from him and dried it on a chair next to her space heater. Both sisters cooked up a plan to make hot chocolate for the elders with some paper cups and dry hot chocolate packets they found in the office. After heating a pan of water in the kitchen, they were passing yummy hot chocolate out to the grateful elders within minutes. They had recognized unspoken needs and gone to work. Later that afternoon, when Don and I had to go out in the downpour, Sister Rhine took off her warm boots and absolutely insisted I wear them. Despite my repeated "Oh, I'll be just fine," she wouldn't let me walk out the door without them. We traded shoes. They were a perfect fit and boy, was I ever grateful once we got outside!

I have studied "the pure love of Christ” for a many years, trying to establish a Mary-Martha balance in my life. These good sisters (along with many other dear friends throughout my life) showed me again last week what the pure love of Christ really is. It is turning our hearts to our Savior and doing what He would do in the same circumstance. It is healing and helping and lifting and loving others as He did when He walked the earth. It is taking the time to really see the needs of those around us. It is being humble, kind, gentle, and willing to bear one another's burdens. I'm grateful for the example of the sweet senior missionaries in our office, along with President and Sister Golden who reach out in love to everyone in the mission. I see their examples all the time. And, how grateful I am for Jesus Christ, who lived His life as our perfect example. He truly is the way, the truth, and the life.

Not only can we follow our Savior's own example, we can accept His gift of love to us. Moroni invited us to "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love which he has bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ."  (Moroni 7:48)

Last Sunday night, Dec. 2nd, President Nelson said in his address during the First Presidency Devotional on Temple Square, that the first gift the Savior gives us is the gift of love: "First, Jesus Christ gives the unlimited capacity to love. That includes the capacity to love the unlovable and those who not only do not love you but presently persecute and despitefully use you. With the Savior's help, we can learn to love as He loved. It may require a change of heart - most certainly a softening of our hearts - as we are tutored by the Savior how to really take care of each other. My dear brothers and sisters, we can truly  minister in the Lord's way as we accept His gift of love."                          President Russell M. Nelson

That's my goal this Christmas season....

- Pat -

Learning The Drill

Missions generally operate in six week increments called "transfers."  Missionaries may be transferred from one zone or district in the mission to another at the end of each six week period. Arriving and departing missionaries are on the same schedule. All the work of the mission revolves around these six week schedules.

We thought this past week would be a little less busy than the two previous ones because transfers and Zone Conference were over for another six weeks, but we immediately found ourselves knee-deep in apartment inspections (something I must truthfully say I wasn't looking forward to). One of our responsibilities as mission housing coordinators is to go into 8-10 apartments of young elder or sister companionships once a month and inspect the apartments to assure that they are being well taken care of. We don't inspect each of the 52 apartments in the mission, but we see many different apartments each month. The Zone Leaders are then responsible for inspecting all the ones that we aren't able to visit.

Even though we have loved our missions responsibilities so far, I faced last week with some trepidation. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about going in unannounced to check up on the missionaries (it kinda felt like "breaking and entering" to me), but my concerns were soon put to rest. Some of the companionships happened to be at home preparing lunch when we showed up, so it was really fun to get to know them better, as well as learning more about where they're from and what their assignments are. We are gaining such admiration for these young men and women. Along with traditional ward and branch assignments, we have companionships in our mission serving in Spanish, Korean, Tongan, Samoan, Young Single Adult, and deaf branches.

The reason for the inspection visits, which take place in every mission throughout the world, is that the Church is anxious to make sure that apartments are safe, that there are no repair issues or unaddressed problems with each apartment, that the smoke/CO2 detectors are checked and properly functioning every month, and that the missionaries are taking time to keep things reasonably clean and organized. Some struggle with the latter responsibility, and some don't. Many of the apartments we checked were being kept in very good condition, and we were impressed! Some needed suggestions for improvement. We also enjoyed helping the missionaries by fixing wobbly chairs and tables, repairing broken sliders on drawers, replacing a couple of smoke detectors that had passed their life expectancy, helping with a minor ant issue, and fixing a couple of lamps. 😊

Our inspections gave us the opportunity to get out and enjoy the amazing weather, as well as to walk through some pretty nicely landscaped apartment complexes. Most rental companies here create and maintain beautifully landscaped settings with brooks and water features surrounded by wonderful indigenous plants and flowers. We really enjoyed visiting these peaceful surroundings as we searched for the right apartments! I'm already looking forward to next month's inspections.

Early Saturday morning, we were able to drive one of our elders to LAX (LA International Airport) for an early morning flight to Incheon, South Korea. He is an admirable young man who has served in this mission for nearly two years, but has been called home by his government to fulfill a mandatory military assignment, so his mission was shortened by two months. As we traveled with him, we really enjoyed talking to him and getting his perspective on his mission and the work that he will do when he returns home - even if it did mean getting up at 3:30 a.m. to have him at the airport by about 5 a.m.!

Since LAX is only 20 minutes from the Los Angeles Temple, and since it was our day off, as soon as we said goodbye to the elder at airport security, we headed back to our car and made the trip to the temple in time for the 6:30 a.m. session. We arrived while it was still dark, but walked out of the temple to the sight of a beautiful blue sky and warm weather. It was a wonderful morning!

Los Angeles Temple

December 1st, 2018

We are beginning to settle in and are feeling more at home. We are much more familiar with all the myriads of Southern California freeways now that we have been here for a few weeks. We still use GPS to get somewhere we haven't been before, but we can navigate Anaheim pretty well now without it. We definitely know what time of day to avoid the I-5, the 405, and the 22, as well as how to steer clear of Disneyland traffic!

We are feeling so blessed and grateful to have this opportunity to serve.

--Pat--

Blessings

There's nothing quite like removing yourself from your normal daily activities and taking a broad look at your life to remind you of all the blessings and tender mercies you've been taking for granted. Such is our experience this past month.
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We are having a great adventure as senior missionaries in the California Anaheim Mission. This  Thanksgiving, we feel blessed to be serving with President and Sister Golden, two senior couples from the mission office, and some of the finest young elders and sister missionaries in the world. The young elders and sisters give us such hope for the future. By and large, they know their Savior, Jesus Christ, they know how to work, and they know how to serve others. They try to make the world a better place. Some of the sweetest memories we have of our other missions are the times we spent with the young elders and sisters (especially our wonderful sister missionaries in London) and watching them blossom and grow into competent, loving, contributing young people who have now become competent, loving, contributing husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and friends.

As we celebrated Thanksgiving Thursday with a few of the missionaries, each one of us at the table expressed gratitude for our many, varied blessings. So much of what we enjoy, we often take for granted. Hearing others express appreciation was a welcome reminder.

This week, we have been remembering what we are most grateful for...

• Our daughters, sons-in-law, and each grandchild. We consider all of them our greatest blessings - and we sure miss them!   

• Our good health. We never take it for granted.
• Encouraging notes and words from good friends at home and abroad. (And a huge thanks to our ward members - and ministering sisters - at home who have been so kind to remember us. That's a new experience for us!!)

Our gratitude wall

Our ward has already sent us the most wonderful Christmas banner
with personal greetings! How cool is that?!

• An inspiring day-long Zone Conference where young missionaries taught and motivated us and trainers from Salt Lake explained how to improve our lives through goal planning & scheduling.

Zone Conference instruction

Sister Golden's presentation at Zone Conference

• Our firm knowledge and witness that there is a God and we have a Savior, His Son, Jesus Christ, who knows how to comfort us in trials and lift us out of the habits/mistakes that hold us back and keep us from being all that they know we can be.
• Freedom - and all those who have fought for it
• A home to live in - or at this moment, a snug little 3rd floor apartment
• Palm trees outside our bedroom window 

• The sun and the sea!'

• Running water, food to eat, and clothing
• The internet - we've been without it more than we've had it for the past 3 weeks and we are keenly aware of  how much our world now depends on it - especially living away from home
• Life itself
• Love.  American author, Willa Cather, once said, "Where there is great love, there are miracles."
• I'm grateful for daily miracles.

   -- Pat --