Monday, March 10, 2014

3/10/14


Our Most Dear Family and Friends,                                                   March 10, 2014

            Sister Hansen is fixing supper, we realized we have not written our letters today. First we went on line and read from Evan’s and then Jean’s emails, thank you so much for your writing.

            This morning we went to the seniors to help package the meals on wheels. The Seniors Center was closed all last week, due to the ice, sleet, & frozen rain storm we had last Sunday. This is the third time this winter that the schools were closed for a whole week due to the snow and ice. The world out here just shuts down, no one goes to work, schools close, most business stay closed. No roads are plowed, they just wait for it to melt.

            Later this morning we went out to see John Miles, he is a farmer out here and runs about 4,000 acres of rice, cotton and soybeans. We went out to his farm last fall and watched his men picking cotton with a huge John Deere cotton picker. He is the same age as Sister Hansen and I. We enjoyed visiting with him so much last fall, we drove out to his place this morning to thank him for his kindness and to say our good byes. We got to meet his wife and daughter (who is married to a minister.) They also were very pleasant.

            This afternoon we went to Judy and Lloyd Dunn and finished reading the Book of  Mormon with them. We have been on that project for three months.   Judy had committed to be baptized on her mother’s birthday and she was progressing so well.  Because of the time change and they were unaware that Sun. was the day for the change.  So all the way through church we could not figure out what was going on, they were not there.  After the sacrament was passed Dad went out and called them.  They were on their way to church and they were going to be early.  Well they were an hour late to church.  After Sunday School class and Relief Society, I find out that she is dizzy doesn’t feel well, wants to be baptized but doesn’t feel well enough to attempt it.  I also found out that she did not eat breakfast and her blood sugar was very low.  So I talk to our Branch Mission President and he comes into the girls bathroom and visits with her to find out what she want to do.  She wanted to be baptized.  Dad and the Elders gave her a blessing and then she really wanted to go ahead.  We had to put her in a white choir like robe that I found in the closet because there was not anything else that would fit her.  I helped her undress and dress in the robe and then she was ready to have Dad baptized her.  It was a tricky getting into the water but with Dad helping her she made it.  She was far to frightened to let Dad baptize her as he would usually do.  He had her sit down and then he supported her as he let her down and put her under the water.  She is baptized.  Then he helped back up and out of the water.  One of the witnesses was ready to crawl over the mirror because he thought that Dad was going to need help.  I dried her off and since she had forgotten that she needed dry clothes after wards she was wet after she got dressed again.  The confirmation blessing was beautiful.  She is a changed lady and several people including her family sees the change.  After she ate and took a nap she was fine.  Both she and Lloyd have health issues but she was one very determined lady.  We had such bad weather and the roads were terrible but she was ready to go to her interview no matter.  The Zone leader came to her and did the interview.

            Yesterday at church I got to teach a youth Sunday School Class, a Priesthood Lesson and afterwards got to perform a baptism. That’s not as much as others do, but it was a lot for me. I felt very drained,  Mom Speaking  I taught a class also then had to talk on baptism I lost my notes so it was given from I know was just plain inspiration  I was so stressed making sure that everything that was planned was going as planned.  Then later that evening Sister Hansen drug me down to Jonesboro and had a local High Councilman who is a doctor, operated on my face and remove an infected mole on the side of my face. The deadening needle was about 3” long. The doctor had a big smile on his face all the time he was shooting me.   Dad did not want to do anything and I would have been alright with that but the mole was swelling up again and looking not good. Apparently it wasn’t something that was dangerous but he did agree that it should be burned off.  The first time that I have seen a laser used, the smell was awful I finally had to cover up my nose.

     The snow, sleet, and ice storm was pretty bad.  Again I was wishing for snow tires with studs.  Everyone is so laid back oh we’ll just let it melt attitude.  Forget that the roads are just plain dangerous and until the temps warm up it isn’t going to be melting.  But true to Arkansas weather the sun came out and it has warmed up to the high 60’s and the snow and ice is almost gone.  We are being assured that it is now spring and it won’t have that kind of storm again this year.  We are also being told that this winter was the worst one that any one can remember.  I am thankful that we never lost the power like they did 5 years ago. Some places were out of power for 3 weeks.

             Mom and I changed places so many times in this letter even I can’t tell what I wrote and what she wrote. In two weeks and two days we will be leaving our apartment for home. Very sad. It was tough coming out here. I think it will be tougher leaving Arkansas. But I think after two full weeks of traveling home we will be glad to be there.

“Be brave, stout heart.”   take care, we will be there soon.

Love Mom and Dad

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