January. Love. Sorrow.

I can’t believe that it’s been two weeks since we posted.  Time is really flying by! We’ve had transfers again!  We are staying busy and I guess that’s good.

This past two weeks we’ve been to the far corners of Vermont doing Apartment Inspections.  We love these visits.  It gives us an opportunity to take these missionaries out to lunch and get to know them a bit.  Some of the missionaries we had to say goodbye to because transfers were coming up.  Transfers are the hardest thing in missions.  I get pretty attached to the missionaries we serve with.  At the Sister’s apartment in Lamoille we looked at the dresser and saw this sitting on it.  They are so sweet!

L to R: Sister Harrison (who is NO LONGER with us😢) and Sister Campbell

Last Sunday Ken spoke in Sacrament meeting AND gave the Come Follow Me lesson in SS.  He did a FABULOUS job.  What a super star he is.

We had a cleaning assignment at the Montpelier building on a Saturday this month.  I was so impressed at the number of YSA’s that showed up considering how far they had to drive.  They never cease to amaze me.  I fed them breakfast casserole and home made cinnamon rolls.  They were very appreciative.

We haven’t taken many pictures this past two weeks.  I have to say that I’ve been very tearful about some really sad news we received.  On our second post  on this blog  back in August from the MTC I posted this picture:

Our friend’s  Tracy and Sallee Nielsen.  We spent every lunch and most dinners with them plus sat by them in all our meetings.  We fell in love with them.   They were called to do institute in Ithaca New York at Cornell University.  We have kept in touch both sharing ideas and sometimes commiserating.  In November they were called to be mission presidents in Fresno, CA starting in July.  They were so excited and nervous.  After the holidays I realized I hadn’t heard from Sallee for awhile and when I contacted her I learned that Tracy had been diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer.  It’s been really awful and he’s been really ill.  She has been trying to get him well enough to get him home to Arizona and so far that hasn’t happened.  I’ve remembered so much about our early days in the world of cancer--including being away from home.  If it wouldn’t have been for Clair Anderson coming to get us, I don’t know how we would have made it.  Anyway, we have felt a lot of sorrow for them and I’ve send tons of tears.  Please remember them in your prayers.  

AND on top of that, this past week one of our YSA sisters (a member of the Relief Society Presidency) was attacked and assaulted while she walked home from work.  This is one of those things that makes me question why God couldn’t have prevented this.  I know God allows agency, but it’s so frustrating and heartbreaking when it results in someone we love dearly being so hurt and violated through no fault of their own.  Vermont seems like such a safe place.  I feel like a mother (or grandmother) to these young singles and I felt like a mother bear when I found this out.  I’ve had some sleepless nights.  So now you know what the “sorrow” has been this month. 😭

But the love will outweigh the sorrow.  In fact, most of our great sorrow in this life is directly connected to our great love.  I guess that’s what we learn about opposition in all things.  The more we love, the more we will sorrow.  We can’t have one without having the other.

I realize from this experience how much I love these YSA’s that we work with.  Knowing their stories, their trials, their heartaches and how they have risen above what life has thrown at them.  It’s the power of  the gospel of Jesus Christ in action and is a testimony to me of the truthfulness of it.  I feel so full of love for these amazing young people that my heart wants to burst.

Winter has hit in full force.  And it always seems to happen on the weekend.  Our branch was pretty sparse on Sunday due to the weather.  Not only a lot of snow, but SUPER cold temperatures.  We have been working with the missionaries with one of the people they are teaching.  She managed (through great difficulty) to get last Sunday off work, only to be snowed in up north where she lives.  Now she has this Sunday off and the weather is forecast to be stormy.  We are going to pray that the weather will not keep her from coming.  Another sister that they have been teaching was going to be there on Sunday and ended up in the hospital.  It seems there is so much opposition when someone decides to change their life and accept the gospel.

This big guy harasses the little birds that usually frequent the feeder.  He has finally figured out how to get his body wrapped around the feeder in a way that he can help himself.  It’s pretty funny.

We are teaching Pearl of Great Price this semester at institute.  We are learning a lot and having  really great discussions.  Ken and I have also been reading the Old Testament and we are learning a lot from that.  We started the first of the year and are already to Leviticus.   Last week I made Steak and Everything sandwiches and Logan ate a WHOLE baguette himself!  It was hilarious.  He plays football at Middlebury College in the fall.  Normally he couldn’t have eaten that much, but because there was such a snow storm our numbers were few and there was plenty for Logan.  I’m actually enjoying cooking for them.   I’ve found that food is something that I can do and they all seem to appreciate it so much.  I feel like I’ve learned to actually bake too--like rolls and cinnamon rolls.  That’s something that I’ve never done much before.

And for the ONE thing that actually made me laugh this week:  Tuesday I had a hair appointment and Ken dropped me off and then went somewhere.  When I was done and at the counter paying, I sent him this text:

He told me I had taken missionary work to a whole new level. 😂  I love auto correct!