Friday, May 23, 2014
"There is Beauty All Around"
We have been enjoying our trips to Lowville to attend our branch every Saturday and Sunday. We have driven through the most beautiful country; rolling green grass hills everywhere. I have never seen so much beautiful, well groomed, green lawns. Every home we pass, no matter how far away it is from a town, has a lawn you just want to stop and sit on. It's like green carpet. And many places have acres of lawn with trees and the people mow around the trees; so well groomed. It does rain here a lot, so I am sure that has something to do with it. We don't mind the rain at all, when you see the fruits of it's labor. Early Thursday morning, with our bedroom window upon, we could hear the rain coming down in torrents. But the thing that really got to me was the thunder. It was magnificent. I have heard the term "rolling thunder" before, but never experienced it until Thursday. It was not at all frightening but amazing. I didn't think it would ever stop. I didn't want it to. It was a beautiful sound.
We have experienced the most friendly attitudes from everyone. We wear our missionary tags, so everyone knows who we are, and they treat us with great respect. I wasn't expecting that. Wednesday, I was at Walmart shopping. Durg usually takes one cart and goes in the direction he needs to (flour aisle) and I take my own cart and go to areas I need to. I was in an aisle where the item I wanted to look at was on the top shelf. There were three rough looking young men in that aisle. I asked them if they could help me. They were so kind and respectful, saying, "yes, of course, what can we do?" I guess I was just testing them, but their response just made me feel happy. Even the people here are beautiful.
We had a great outing Thursday. We went to the George Eastman mansion in Rochester, New York. The mansion is only 50,000 square feet. Mr. Eastman is the Eastman Kodak inventor who invented film and cameras. Remember the brownie camera? The mansion was incredible and so were the museum pieces in the mansion. Everything had been restored to the time when Mr. Eastman lived there. He died there in 1932 and so all the furniture, rugs, china, everything in the house is of that era. It really was beautiful.
After that, we and two other couples, the Reynolds from Salt Lake and the Morgans from Richfield, Utah, drove to the outlet mall in Waterloo, NY. It's huge! We each went our separate directions and met at the car an hour later. Everyone bought something. Then on to Sauder's, the Menonite Store so Durg could buy more flour. Seriously, you would think we had a bakery, for as much dutch oven bread he makes. He takes bread to the temple for the break room, where everyone congregates to eat some. He asks people what kind of bread is their favorite, then he makes them their own loaf. There never is any left for us! So we buy our bread at Sauder's! He just began making home made tapioca pudding with tapioca pearls, not instant. That is a huge hit also. We were able to get some little gelato cups and so we make individual servings and put it in the refrigerator in the break room, so everyone can have some. We got the cups, because the McIntire's heard us talking about the tapioca pudding and how it would be good if we could get some little cups. We were eating gelato at the time. Brother McIntire went to the clerk and bought 20 cups. I guess he wanted to make sure he got some. President Cahoon had some on Wednesday and he said "it was the best tapioca pudding he had ever had". At that moment his wife came in and he said, "next to my wife's." What a beautiful way to be of service when everyone appreciates what you do.
After the shopping excursion, the Morgan's and Reynold's came over for dinner. We had put a roast in the crockpot with potatoes and carrots and gravy before we left for Rochester. It was all ready when we got home. With Durg's dutch oven bread (some he hadn't given away YET), salad and watermelon, we had a very nice dinner with some great people. Later we went on a tour of homes, so to speak, because the Reynold's had not been to see where the Morgan's live and we and the Morgan's had not seen where the Reynold's live. I don't know how we have been so blessed to live where we live. We have a two bedroom apartment. The Morgan's live in a dormer bedroom in a bed and breakfast and the Reynold's live in a motel, the Palmyra Inn, where most of the temple missionaries live. No one has a kitchen, except us. So if we can have someone for dinner and make bread and desserts for others, then we feel like we are expressing our gratitude to Heavenly Father for our blessings. He has been so good to us.
This is such a beautiful experience being here with beautiful people in a beautiful place doing a beautiful work. There is beauty all around us. We are blessed.
We leave you, as Durg puts the finishing touches on the tapioca pudding, and we get ready to go to the Palmyra temple to serve from noon to 10 p.m. What a wonderful place. We LOVE it here. WE LOVE you too.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
"We will survive"
We survived the first week of our actual temple service. We have two really hard days, Tuesday and Friday. Both start at noon and end about 9:45. We are busy the entire time. We are doing all kinds of things, things that at the Twin Falls Temple, our shift coordinators' worried about. Durg is very confident, but me, not so much. I am learning though.
On Thursdays, our summer temple missionary coordinators have planned great outings or excursions for us. We went to the Corning Museum of Glass and loved watching the glass blowing exhibit. We loved it so much, we went to it three times. Every time a different vase or cup or goblet was formed by people blowing and shaping the glass. It was fascinating. Very entertaining too. We had lunch in the town of Corning and ice cream at the Old World Café, an old building. On our way back to Palmyra, we stopped at Sauder's. It is Menonite Store where they sell everything. Durg wanted to buy everything; all types of flour for his dutch oven bread, nuts, candy, (Oh I guess I wanted to buy that), sandwich meats, eggs from the local farmers, and so much more. We are going back there for sure! Our excursions remind me of cruise excursions. We are looking forward to the next one.
We are surviving the humidity. Wow, I had no idea. We take a shower and dry off, but we don't dry off. You still feel like you have shower water on your body. Kind of hard to get used to. We did have a terrible storm last night while we were working in the temple. We could hear the thunder and the rain and the power went out. Fortunately, the temple has a generator, so everything just kept on going, except for one spurt of darkness. I was assigned the laundry and was doing laundry when it happened. I seriously thought I had blown a fuse. When Sister Cahoon, one of the assitants to the matron, came to check on me, I told her I thought I blew a fuse. She started laughing and said, no it's a rain storm and the power went off because of that. Like I said, we get to do everything, even the laundry.
I helped with a baptism Tuesday night too. It was so different from our early morning baptisms, that I wasn't too sure I was any help. But I did know how to keep the girl's locker room floor from having water all over. And that's what I did, and then the laundry, of course. Sure appreciate the laundry ladies at the Twin Falls Temple. That is a lot of work!
We need to leave now to work today from 12 noon until 5 p.m. A short day, but the temple is getting busier and busier as summer begins. So, I will leave you in Palmyra, going to the temple.
Love, Durg and Kathy
we:
On Thursdays, our summer temple missionary coordinators have planned great outings or excursions for us. We went to the Corning Museum of Glass and loved watching the glass blowing exhibit. We loved it so much, we went to it three times. Every time a different vase or cup or goblet was formed by people blowing and shaping the glass. It was fascinating. Very entertaining too. We had lunch in the town of Corning and ice cream at the Old World Café, an old building. On our way back to Palmyra, we stopped at Sauder's. It is Menonite Store where they sell everything. Durg wanted to buy everything; all types of flour for his dutch oven bread, nuts, candy, (Oh I guess I wanted to buy that), sandwich meats, eggs from the local farmers, and so much more. We are going back there for sure! Our excursions remind me of cruise excursions. We are looking forward to the next one.
We are surviving the humidity. Wow, I had no idea. We take a shower and dry off, but we don't dry off. You still feel like you have shower water on your body. Kind of hard to get used to. We did have a terrible storm last night while we were working in the temple. We could hear the thunder and the rain and the power went out. Fortunately, the temple has a generator, so everything just kept on going, except for one spurt of darkness. I was assigned the laundry and was doing laundry when it happened. I seriously thought I had blown a fuse. When Sister Cahoon, one of the assitants to the matron, came to check on me, I told her I thought I blew a fuse. She started laughing and said, no it's a rain storm and the power went off because of that. Like I said, we get to do everything, even the laundry.
I helped with a baptism Tuesday night too. It was so different from our early morning baptisms, that I wasn't too sure I was any help. But I did know how to keep the girl's locker room floor from having water all over. And that's what I did, and then the laundry, of course. Sure appreciate the laundry ladies at the Twin Falls Temple. That is a lot of work!
We need to leave now to work today from 12 noon until 5 p.m. A short day, but the temple is getting busier and busier as summer begins. So, I will leave you in Palmyra, going to the temple.
Love, Durg and Kathy
we:
Monday, May 5, 2014
"Let Us All Press On"
Today was our first official work day in the temple. It was a great day. We arrived at 8 a.m. and left at 1:15. It was an easy day for us, as we are used to serving from 3:45 a.m. until 11:15 in the Twin Falls Temple. Tomorrow we will work from 12:00 noon until 9:30 p.m. That will be a long day and one much longer than our Twin Falls Temple shift. The temple isn't too busy yet. That is good. We can take our time, getting things right, before the summer gets going.
The week of April 28 through May 2 was our training week. We sent postcards to our Primary students and told them we were at temple school. After the first day of training, I decided it is temple boot camp. My brain was getting too much exercise. We learned a lot! One day we took a tour of the temple inside and out. There is a great story about the way the temple property was purchased. The Second Counselor in the Temple Presidency is an history buff. He also is a great story teller, so the temple property story was very interesting. Wish I could relate it, but it was the end of one of our temple boot camp days and I did hear it, but I can't retell it. But I do know how it made me feel and I know it was a miraculous event, as are all the events that happened in Palmyra.
Tonight we had family home evening at President Brighton's home. President Broadbent, the Second Counselor in the Temple Presidency told us about Joseph Smith's genealogy. That was so interesting. You wouldn't think it would be, but the way President Broadbent presented it, you were glued to your seats. President Broadbent's ancestor wrote the words to a poem which was put to music. The song, "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice" was written by Joseph S. Murdock, one of his great great great grandparents. Joseph S. Murdock had come to Palmyra to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith and wrote the poem, sent it home to his family and friends in Vermont, inviting them to come to Palmyra to meet the Prophet.
On Saturday, we drove to Lowville, New York to see what it was like. We are assigned there to go to church every Sunday. It is 156 miles from Palmyra and takes us about 2 1/2 hours to get there. We went Saturday and stayed overnight so we could be at church at 10:00 Sunday morning. The first person we met was a sister who invited us to come and spend Saturday nights at her house. She lives alone and offered us a bedroom and our own bathroom. She said lots of missionary couples have come to stay with her. She even had us over for dinner Sunday afternoon. She is a great lady. She said, "I've been waiting for you to come." That makes you feel good.
Lowville, New York was in the Guinness Book of World Records for making the largest cheesecake ever in 2013. Wonder what they will do to top that this year. There are many dairies and a cheese factory here. We want to tour the factory and eat cheese curds. They have many flavors. We will try them all. They also make pure maple syrup here. We plan to buy some of that for Durg's sour dough waffles. Yummmmmmmm. And yes, he is baking dutch oven bread, even as I type this. So far he has made 10 loaves and given away 8. We can take a loaf, already sliced, for the break room in the temple. Everyone brings things to share there. I know the workers are gonna love his bread!
Our Branch, the Lowville Branch, has 25 active members. Two are moving in two weeks and one is moving next month. I don't know how they will ever function with those three people leaving. One is the Ward Clerk/Executive Secretary. One is the organist and one is the Gospel Doctrine Teacher. I have a feeling we will be doing lots of things in the Branch. But that's what we are here for. We have to speak on May 18th.
One of the Counselors in the Branch Presidency has a cute wife with a cute, familiar accent. I spoke with her after the meetings and she is from Ecuador. Both Durg and I knew that accent. Our daughter-in-law, Sahily is from Ecuador. We felt right at home!
Once again, we felt that we are where we are supposed to be at this time in our life. We will do anything that President Hanno of the Lowville Branch asks us. We are loving our temple service and our missionary service.
When we were contemplating about serving a mission, we really didn't want to give up serving in the temple, but we did want to proselyte too. We know Heavenly Father loves us, because he put us in a place where we can do both. We are blessed.
Nothing to report about lost purses or any other lost item. Everyone knows about the lost purse, so everyone helps me remember!
So, as we press on with our temple service and our missionary service, we leave you in sunny (the first sunny day) Palmyra, New York, home of the restoration of the gospel. Until next time......
The week of April 28 through May 2 was our training week. We sent postcards to our Primary students and told them we were at temple school. After the first day of training, I decided it is temple boot camp. My brain was getting too much exercise. We learned a lot! One day we took a tour of the temple inside and out. There is a great story about the way the temple property was purchased. The Second Counselor in the Temple Presidency is an history buff. He also is a great story teller, so the temple property story was very interesting. Wish I could relate it, but it was the end of one of our temple boot camp days and I did hear it, but I can't retell it. But I do know how it made me feel and I know it was a miraculous event, as are all the events that happened in Palmyra.
Tonight we had family home evening at President Brighton's home. President Broadbent, the Second Counselor in the Temple Presidency told us about Joseph Smith's genealogy. That was so interesting. You wouldn't think it would be, but the way President Broadbent presented it, you were glued to your seats. President Broadbent's ancestor wrote the words to a poem which was put to music. The song, "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice" was written by Joseph S. Murdock, one of his great great great grandparents. Joseph S. Murdock had come to Palmyra to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith and wrote the poem, sent it home to his family and friends in Vermont, inviting them to come to Palmyra to meet the Prophet.
On Saturday, we drove to Lowville, New York to see what it was like. We are assigned there to go to church every Sunday. It is 156 miles from Palmyra and takes us about 2 1/2 hours to get there. We went Saturday and stayed overnight so we could be at church at 10:00 Sunday morning. The first person we met was a sister who invited us to come and spend Saturday nights at her house. She lives alone and offered us a bedroom and our own bathroom. She said lots of missionary couples have come to stay with her. She even had us over for dinner Sunday afternoon. She is a great lady. She said, "I've been waiting for you to come." That makes you feel good.
Lowville, New York was in the Guinness Book of World Records for making the largest cheesecake ever in 2013. Wonder what they will do to top that this year. There are many dairies and a cheese factory here. We want to tour the factory and eat cheese curds. They have many flavors. We will try them all. They also make pure maple syrup here. We plan to buy some of that for Durg's sour dough waffles. Yummmmmmmm. And yes, he is baking dutch oven bread, even as I type this. So far he has made 10 loaves and given away 8. We can take a loaf, already sliced, for the break room in the temple. Everyone brings things to share there. I know the workers are gonna love his bread!
Our Branch, the Lowville Branch, has 25 active members. Two are moving in two weeks and one is moving next month. I don't know how they will ever function with those three people leaving. One is the Ward Clerk/Executive Secretary. One is the organist and one is the Gospel Doctrine Teacher. I have a feeling we will be doing lots of things in the Branch. But that's what we are here for. We have to speak on May 18th.
One of the Counselors in the Branch Presidency has a cute wife with a cute, familiar accent. I spoke with her after the meetings and she is from Ecuador. Both Durg and I knew that accent. Our daughter-in-law, Sahily is from Ecuador. We felt right at home!
Once again, we felt that we are where we are supposed to be at this time in our life. We will do anything that President Hanno of the Lowville Branch asks us. We are loving our temple service and our missionary service.
When we were contemplating about serving a mission, we really didn't want to give up serving in the temple, but we did want to proselyte too. We know Heavenly Father loves us, because he put us in a place where we can do both. We are blessed.
Nothing to report about lost purses or any other lost item. Everyone knows about the lost purse, so everyone helps me remember!
So, as we press on with our temple service and our missionary service, we leave you in sunny (the first sunny day) Palmyra, New York, home of the restoration of the gospel. Until next time......
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)