WEEKS 13, 14, 15

 Oct 2 - Oct 22

The young missionaries who serve the Institute and The OSU reach out to students primarily by street contacting on campus. One way is to use their talents and a survey. In this case they sang primary songs with the guitar and ukulele while having people come up and write on a large whiteboard (For this event, "what makes you happy"). They captured the attention of a very LDS-looking young man who is very quick to learn and inquisitive about the church and the gospel. We have helped teach several lessons with him. He has been attending almost every ward and institute event since. We love him and have high hopes for him. 

As usual we have been creating food attractions for after institute classes. For this particular class we made little smokies with cheese and apple slices wrapped in homemade roll dough. We also had mixed vegetables and dip. We know that the YSAs love sweets, but some like savory too. We also need to watch what we eat. Both of us I have evidence that all the snacks add up quickly!

Here is a picture of the institute parables class on Thursday evenings. It is a lively group of members, non-members and missionaries. It's a great place for our new friends to attend as they learn of Jesus Christ and His doctrine through the parables of Jesus.

Above represents some of the fruits of missionary work. We had the privilege to take two YSAs and a recently baptized mother and daughter to the Indianapolis temple (3 hrs from Columbus). They had been baptized two weeks earlier. The Spirit was strong and we were able to have some of our relatives baptized and confirmed by them and others. The YSAs here are valiant.

A highlight of our many meetings was to attend a fireside where three Amish families that had converted to the gospel spoke about their experiences and bore their testimonies. The Spirit was so powerful. These people had to face total rejection by their families, their church, face losing their businesses and being shunned by all the people in their life. The first one to join thought that he would have to sacrifice his wife, children, extended family, employment, and friends all for the gospel! But he knew that it was true and was willing to make that sacrifice. Through the tender mercies of the Savior he and others were able to survive the ordeal. His wife and children joined the church. So did a few of his friends. All have proven faithful. They have sent children on missions and are stalwart members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We spend so much time sitting in our office at the institute or preparing food in the kitchen that we rarely have time to get out for a quick walk. This day we walked down the street to the student Union building and snapped a photo of what we see along all the streets in the city and out in the country nowadays; beautifully colored leaves on trees. We know that these will soon disappear to "leave" dead branches. But we love them while we have them.

My former employees keep sending me gifts. This one was from a bakery in New York city. It was a fresh, and delicious, chocolate cake that was sent in a perishable packaged box for Boss day. Even though I'm no longer their boss they lament the fact that I left them and appreciate all that I had done for them and the company. We all enjoyed this sumptuously delectable treat!

For YSA family night this week they carved pumpkins. There were many non-member friends that attended and made great acquaintances with the YSAs and with us. We love mingling with our friends and wonderful YSAs. Of course, we always cherish the one-on-one talks that we have with some that pop-in to our office or into the kitchen. We enjoy discussing life, difficult challenges, and loving the gospel together.

Today we ran our usual P-day errands and decided to go to the Circleville pumpkin show. We heard it was a grand event. When we looked it up on GPS maps it even showed it on the map as a location. The drive was beautiful through Ohio country and small towns. When we arrived we found the place mobbed with thousands of people. Several city blocks were filled with families, people, vendors, shows, carnival rides and fun arcades. We bought our dinner from a food truck and sat in the grandstands in front of the court house to watch people go by. We saw all types. We then said, what if we imagined all of these people dressed in temple clothes? How would that change the way we viewed them? It was amazing! Imagining these throngs of people moving through the streets all dressed in white was a spiritual event. We have a lot of work to do!!!

We have found some very strange names of roads in Ohio. This one is on the way to the mission office. I think it must be hard to find because it is named "seldom seen road". Luckily we did not miss it.

Our office has become a gathering place. This Friday we had six missionaries and brother Knowles, our institute director, in our office for a gospel study session. While we were talking a young man walked into the building. We waved him into the room with us. He said he had been walking by and wanted to know more about the church. The missionaries taught him two discussions. We had a great time just talking with him. As he left with his copy of the Book of Mormon, he thanked us and said that he just met the nicest people in the world. It was an amazing experience and an answer to prayer.

We love you all!!! Thank you for all your support and prayers. It is so humbling to realize that millions of faithful members all over the world are praying for the missionaries. Believe me, we all feel it!!! Miracles happen every day here. Some we can't journal in a public forum and others that would take too long to explain. This is the work of the Lord. It is the great gathering prophesied for centuries. We know this is what we are supposed to be doing now and we are so happy and grateful for the opportunity.

Weeks 11 and 12

 Sept 18-Oct 1

This P-day we finally found an apple orchard similar to the Apple Hill orchards in northern California. We had hoped to see cider pressed fresh from the apples. They did not have an apple press for viewing on site. But the cider was excellent and the apples and fanfare were great. It was a festive, fall, event. We ate fresh apple fritters, and a polish dog sandwich with fresh hot apple cider. 

While standing in line at the Lynd Apple Market we met a couple from Minnesota and had a great time talking with them. They had been looking for an apple farm where you can view fresh pressed cider but have not been able to find one nearby. They had lived in the area for 15 years. You can see in the photo above the summer-type clouds that drop rain from time to time. It's kind of like England in some aspects. But we usually wake up to blue, clear skies.

In the market there were all the trappings of a farmer's market. But in this case there were lots of Amish baked goods, pickled products, pies, ice cream and other good stuff that we are not used to seeing in California. In the apple market section we found this apple chart showing the types of apples and their uses. Maybe we can find a way to apply this to Alma 32??

For FHE Monday evening broom hockey was the sport of choice. The YSAs had a great time, and of course we ate fun treats (we find that YSAs and missionaries are ALWAYS hungry). We are looking to create events that bring YSAs to the Institute building where they can feel a spirit of belonging. So we participate in all activities whether from the wards or from the Institute. We love being with our YSAs!

One night we were cleaning up at the Institute after an activity and three of the YSAs came to us and asked if we wanted to go out to dinner with them. We said yes, of course. We ate at a Mexican restaurant and had a great time socializing. We felt privileged that they would count us worth to hang-out with. One of the YSAs works at the Ohio Historical Society. I have been researching some of my relatives here and she has been a great resource. Another of the sisters has family roots from Italy about 5 miles away from our Italian relatives! It's a small world in the church.

This night, after class, we served homemade pumpkin and nutmeg donuts with hot apple cider. This was our fall kick-off since the stores are everything pumpkin, apple and harvest. Speaking of harvest, our mission newspaper, the Harvester, has some great accounts of new members and how the seeds of faith and the gospel were planted into their hearts and seeing the fruits of missionary labors. The gospel can help one to "rise" and to make one "holy", so maybe the donuts, although baptized in oil, are not far from the mark! 😉

We found the original LDS chapel in Columbus, OH. It is just a few blocks from the Institute building. Obviously, looking at the architecture, it does not fit the current chapel model - no stained glass windows or gothic windows and doors. Here in Columbus the church has grown tremendously since the saints left The Ohio. 

You may not know, but in D&C 124:83 it states that a scourge would be placed on Kirtland after the saints left, but that Kirtland would be built up later. During the 1979 ground breaking ceremony and dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland stake center, President Ezra Taft Benson declared that "I think that this prophecy is being fulfilled today" referring to the building up of Kirtland and "The scourge that was placed upon Kirtland in that prophecy is being lifted today". You can read more about this interesting bit of LDS history from this Ensign article. Today, the Kirtland area is expected to have baptized over 100 new members by the end of the year.

 We hosted a family-style conference day for our YSAs and missionaries. We wanted them to have plenty of food to add to their harvest of spiritual feeding. For all of the Saturday sessions of General Conference we invited our YSAs to join us. We started with a brunch prior to the morning session. Out here in EST the first session starts at noon. So at 11am we had crepes, egg-sausage-cheese-country fried potato casserole, fruit and other toppings, plus hot cider, milk and OJ. It was a hit and a great way to start  the session. Some YSA have family to visit at home. Others are on their own to either sit at home alone or be with a friend or to hang out at the Institute. Also, with the missionaries who miss their family at conference time we wanted both to feel "at home with us" and that they have a place to belong at the Institute.

Between sessions we served treats and snacks and then dinner between the Saturday afternoon session and the evening session. We had lasagna, a delicious salad, homemade bread and etc.

Conference was such a marvelous experience! We soaked up every word and felt an overwhelming spirit of peace, joy, and privilege to sit at the feet of prophets. The tender spirit of the conference permeated the Institute the entire day as we all were spiritually and metabolically fed.

It is interesting to re-live YSA life as a senior adult and to see the two perspectives. To members who don't have YSAs or who are involved in other things, the YSAs seem like a group unto themselves; maybe a bit forgotten by the wards at large. They are constantly in motion. Members may see them betwixt and between wards; not sure where they are. It is so easy to get lost. A little recognition, a listening ear, or a simple "hello" can mean a lot in this phase of life.

These last two weeks seemed to have flown by. Jacob 7:26 "the time passed away with us, and also our ^blives passed away like as it were unto us a ^cdream," We are living the dream. We are living our lives as young single adults but as senior missionaries. 

We feel your prayers and spiritual strength so strongly here in the mission field. We are humbled by the millions of saints who pray for the missionaries in their individual, family, and temple prayers.