February 25 --> May 8, 2023
You can tell as we get more and more involved in the mission that time to post a blog becomes tighter and tighter. This blog covers ten weeks! Time has flown by as we have passed our half-way mark already. It seems that we are able to "come up for air" on our preparation days where we venture out to explore and do things out of the ordinary.
The "ordinary" is life in real-time. It is filled with so many spirit-filled opportunities to serve. We recently helped a sister missionary get surgery on her hand. We helped a foreign student YSA find and buy a car. We helped and taught our institute director how to fix his car (that automotive mechanics experience came in handy). We helped to remove some threatening people from the institute. We prepared curriculum, taught classes, spoke in church, attended two sacrament meetings each Sunday, given rides to investigators, took YSA to hospital ER after a wild volleyball spike gone wrong, participated in baptisms and confirmations, repaired broken lights, helped fix fire alarms, installed and configured internet and WiFi devices, troubleshot electrical issues, bought equipment for home evening and YSA activities, gave blessings, did some match-making, attended sealings of YSAs getting married, and all the rest of the "normal" stuff that goes on with missions of this type...oh, and Sister Perona adds - cooked a lot of food!
One freezing cold evening brother and Sister Knowles went out to dinner with us in Easton. We came into the mall to warm up a bit as we walked to our cars. It was an enjoyable evening knowing that we are serving together to build the testimonies and faith in Jesus Christ for the future mothers and fathers in Zion and the future leadership of the Church.
Monthly we love taking newly baptized members as well as seasoned, temple-going, YSAs, to the Indianapolis temple. The drive makes for a great time to share the Spirit together. We are very much looking forward to the rededication of our very own Columbus temple in June, 2023.
Elder Perona showed our institute director how to save a few thousand dollars in car repair; do it yourself! It was a cold 23 degrees in his garage. He was blessed and did not freeze - He hates working on cars in the cold or rain. But the Lord blessed him to not get frostbite as we were there for a few hours. He should have brought his roll-away tool box on my mission...Not!
After working on the car our institute director's wife, Shelba Knowles, had baked some delicious bread. Sometimes we get to eat this when we also come to their house when Sister Perona gets her hair cut by Sister Knowles.
We love to provide meals and snacks for the YSAs. During April 2023 general conference we moved all the comfy furniture in the building into the main auditorium and projected conference on the big screen. Some come for all sessions while others watch from home then come to the institute for the food and then back home where they can be comfortable in their pajamas.
On April 3, 2023, we attended a mission conference in Kirtland, OH. At the Morley Farm, pictured above, Joe Jackson, a church member familiar with the Kirtland area history, shared stories and in-depth understanding of what transpired in these locations.
Brother Jackson's remarks were very inspirational and educational. This is a picture of our small group sitting in the School of the Prophets in the upper room of the Whitney store. It is a very sacred and holy place.
While at the mission conference, we saw Sister Perona's cousin, Elder John Sowards and his wife, Cindy, (picture below), who serve as Historic Site Missionaries in Kirtland. A woman, Helen Johnson, came up to Sister Sowards and pronounced Sister Sowards's last name correctly. Sister Sowards was surprised because most people mispronounce her name. The woman said that she had served a mission in Manchester, England and had a companion named Linette Sowards. Sister Sowards exclaimed, "she is here, now, today!". Sister Johnson was shocked! Sister Perona was on a tour at the time and would be returning to the main building shortly. When Sister Perona came back a happy reunion of mission companions who hadn't seen each other for 45 years took place. They had a chattering good time!
Picture of Elder John and Sister Cindy Sowards when we came up on our preparation day.
One of the mission conference sessions was held inside the Kirtland temple where 187 years to the day the Savior, Moses, Elias, and Elijah came to restore priesthood keys. Our mission choir sang the Hosanna Anthem/The Spirit of God. We heard from our mission leaders, others, and had a testimony meeting. It was a marvelous, spiritual experience.
We were fortunate to have our son Matt, Danielle, and five boys come for a visit during their sprint break! It was so nice to be with them and to see how much the boys have grown since we left on our mission. They had been touring other church history sites in New York. We met them in Kirtland on their way to Columbus.
Outside of the Kirtland temple with us is Tommy Aardema who is the seminary and institutes coordinator in this area. He wrote two books about the sites and history of Kirtland. He gave us a personal tour for our visit.
People ask if the Church will ever buy the Kirtland temple and make it a functioning temple. The issue is that the Kirtland temple is not like our temples today. Its purpose was to provide the priesthood keys required to unfold the restoration, bless the saints for their next episode in Nauvoo, and to provide the "law" of the church. During the Kirtland period we received about 1/2 of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants as well as the most appearances of God the Father and Jesus Christ ever recorded.
He we are with Matt, Danielle, Brenden, Asher, Kai, Grayson, and Zeke outside the Newell K. Whitney store at the Kirtland, OH Church historic sites. Testimonies are born at church history sites where the spirit is felt.
During their visit we ventured to the National Air Museum of the USAF near Dayton, OH. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/
This place is huge! There were lots of hands-on exhibits and the boys especially enjoyed the flight simulators.
It is amazing that the Kirtland saints gave all they had and more to keep the commandment of the Lord to build this temple. They were living in the poorest of situations, had adversaries encumbering their way, challenging weather conditions and still pushed forward to keep the commandments. That dedication gives us courage to keep our covenants and to keep the commandments.
Some of Sister Perona's ancestors come from Kentucky. We were given permission by our mission president to go to the Louisville, KY temple. It was a beautiful time together in a beautiful place of the country, while gathering Israel on the other side of the veil.
The big news around here is the open house and subsequent rededication of the Columbus, OH temple. It is only five minutes from our apartment!
We worked at the open house where the tours began in the adjoining church building. Those who attended the tour were shown a video prior to entering the temple. We assisted by directing the attendees and supported the sister missionaries who were responsible for the video rooms.
Elder Allen D. Haynie and his wife visited the mission during the VIP week of temple tours. Come to find out, as has happened more times than we can count, Elder Haynie has ties to Manassa, CO! It would seem that most people we meet, in some way, have some connection to Sister Perona's very small home town. We enjoyed our visit with the Haynies and their messages to the mission.
The week before the open house we attended a private tour of the temple with the YSAs. The temple is small in comparison to our Oakland Temple, but the spirit is the same as are the ordinances...you just get them done in closer proximity.
Columbus Ohio Temple Open House Video
Well, Elder Perona reached that milestone of 7 decades on this planet on May 1st! So to celebrate "Staying Alive" we threw a party. We had about 60 YSAs turn out to play Bunco and dance.
At the birthday party we enjoyed a fast-moving game of Bunco! We had over 15 foursomes at the game tables this evening. I guess you could call it a form of "speed dating". At least we hoped that new relationships would be one of the outcomes of the night.
Of course there was plenty to eat: snacks, ice cream, and cupcakes provided by Sister Perona. The bishop wouldn't allow us to light any candles due to fire restrictions -- LOL.
There is a nature trail very close to our apartment. This particular P-day we ventured out to turtle cove around the lake. We were happy to see that they reserved a space just for Elder Perona (Cliff area)!
The YSAs are a little more food conscience these days and wanted something more than just sweets (many of them come directly from work or school having no dinner and then feast on the snacks as if they were dinner). So this night we decided to have "breads and spreads" night. Different breads were baked with all types of spreads. It was a great success.
For institute graduation this term we made one of our favorites; sticky chicken, rice, homemade roles, salad, and Texas sheet cake.
Elder Perona started grilling chicken just before noon and finished at 6:35pm just in time for the graduation dinner.
After a few people had already gone we decided to snap a picture. I wish we had thought of it sooner. Here are some of our graduates and certificates of completion.
We were blessed to have our son Nick fly in from Florida to visit last weekend. We took him to Kirtland and the John Johnson farm. This picture was taken at the Newell K. Whitney store. Brother Whitney was truly blessed and because of it he was instrumental in building the kingdom of God. Due to their generosity the Josepth Smith family was able to have a place to live, the temple was partly financed through the donation of his ashery, and much more. The Whitneys remained faithful and made it to the Salt Lake valley.
Near our apartment we have a small waterfall (https://www.statetravelguides.com/millikin-falls-dublin-road-ohio/). Nick was able to hike to it with us before we put him on the plane to return to Florida. We wonder if any Lamanites or Nephites may have been baptized in the pool below the waterfall ages ago?
Of course we had to take Nick to The Ohio State University "horseshoe" stadium to get the flavor of life on campus. The dichotomy between what we are doing and the decadent life-style of college campus students today is stunning. The more we are here the less grey there is in the dividing line of those who have the gospel light and of those who do not yet have it. We have seen many come from darkness to light. It is so wonderful and fulfilling to see the change that takes place.
Video of growth of temples
It is amazing to watch the ongoing restoration of the Church expand in these latter-days! Our knowledge and insights gained from teaching the Foundations of the Restoration institute class this last semester have opened the eyes of our understanding dramatically as we are in The Ohio where the initial restoration took place.
From one temple and one stake in Kirtland to 315 temples and 3,532 stakes in 187 years proves what the prophet Joseph Smith prophesied one Sunday night in 1834 at Kirtland: “Brethren, I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap. You don’t comprehend it. … It is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America—it will fill the world” (in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff).
We are grateful and happy to be part of the growth of the Kingdom of God here on earth and to the fulfilling of prophecy. We know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has been restored and is lead by a prophet today.
We love you!
Elder and Sister Perona