Mission Journal, Vol 3, Dec 10, 1996-Mar 30, 1997

10 December 1996

I'm not supposed to write in here yet but I love it, and only have 3 more pages in the other volume. Na ja. We taught Family Schurig and Frau Gessinger today.

12 December 1996

Endlich, ein neues Tagebuich! Ich freue mich so sehr! Finally, a new journal. I'm so happy. [End Translation].

I just wanted to say that I hope that I can be positive and excited about missionary work and just do it! I have a new motto- it's called: "The best way to get anythning done, is to do it. (You can substitute learn, love, study, help etc.) Also, the verb! [I don't understand what I meant here but I'm sure it'll come back to me? lol]

I'm excited to be serving in Zwichau with Sister Chadwick. I can't believe I've only got 3 more weeks with her. Christmas iks almost here and I've got nothing but a card from Aunt and Uncle Mark Parker and $10 from Jim. I did hear from Jim, Carrie Gunnn, Rachel Carey-Fuson and Aunt Lizzetta and Uncle Mark twice and Kim Tarbutton. It was really nice to get post [mail]. I lvoe this new journal and hope it doesn't take me longer than 6 months to get through it!

We had Austausch with Sister Sedletzek. We met her at the Hospital and visited Sister Mitlander. We had a great talk about WWII. They were young girls as it happened. They could feel the pressure before the Wall went up. They decided to stay.

They bore their testimonies! I love them to death. Sln

You've got to see these: a Sister Roseann Chadwick was my companion at the time. I had never laughed so hard or often, been so joyous or been so humbled by anyone in my life. She was just letting me know, with Aufrichtem Herzen, a heart in the right place, her feelings on the matter. This was my life with her and for too short of a time. I loved her right back!

Sln

The Priesthood

As I sat in the back row of a ward I was in for over a year, 6 years ago, I heard my nephew being blessed by a friend of my brother's family.

While it was tragic and sad that his father, my brother wasn't performing the blessing, it was also hopeful and happy. I listened intently as a really good friend of my bother blessed him instead. He blessed Kona with the strength to be an example to his family, to be worthy to hold the Priesthood and then to serve a mission and marry in the temple.

During the blessing I was holding his older brother and I whisphered (shhhh, no juding that I waS talking during the prayer!) that I had those same hopes and prayers for him, Aukai. I told him that his baby brother was getting a blessing from Heavenly Father and that I knew what a great example he would be, how he would grow strong in the gospel and hold the Priesthood and serve a mission for the Lord and then marry a bride in the temple.

After the blessing came the sacrament. Aukai wanted to color and I told him that when the Deacons sat down and were finished helping the Savior with his work, he could. I then decided that wasn't enough - I should explain that when the Savior was about to die, he fed his apostles the Sacrament and now, we take the Sacrament on Sunday's to remember Jesus and we do this with the help of the those who hold the Priesthood. I then talked to him about how in just a few years he would be able to help the Savior too by receiving the Priesthood and passing His sacrament. He said he wanted to help the Savior and that during the Sacrament we could think about Jesus and Heavenly Father. I was so thrilled to be able to share that moment with him. I think he "got" it. I know I did. I don't think it's ever too early to talk about the mantel of the Priesthood that men will bear and how important it is for them to use it wisely for His purposes because we NEED them!!! To make and keep our covenants.

Love the little men in your lives and train them up to be great daddies and husbands. Every woman needs a GREAT man. (And vise versa!)

Blessed Be the All-American Girl

I lived the All-American girl dream today.

I woke up in the land of the free. I had food available to me. It tasted onolicious! I selected which clothes to wear today and had my choice of pairs of shoes. I left in my safe, red, taller, smaller SUV and drove to my job. The ones that pays me way more than $1 a day or an hour. I met with a friend, went to the Dr and got tested for a disease that there is treatment for (I don't have the disease, but there is treatment none-the-less). I visited a high school, a college, my colleague, my girl, my dog.

I got in my functioning car and drove home where the lights burned brightly. I greeted my dog and decided we should take a walk. The weather was so fantastic that I didn't need to put on a jacket even. I slipped on a different pair of shoes and heaqded out. Dog on the leash. I have an adorable dog, little, white, cute lap dog.

We headed out down the side walk, my ankle swollen, knee with throbs and I just looked ahead of me and felt something special - here I was, just me, my dog, in my small American town. I passed the little library that is one room with computers, a bus stop and the ability to have books delivered, the local bank with a branch in our small town...i passed the little coffee shop that is so adorable and cute and serves great fruit shakes in the summer and warm milk in the winter. I passed the local Fire House, with it's statue of a dalmation and fire fighter and flag waving so brightly. I passed the only gas station in town to the town offices. I saw some pictures in the window and wondering what was on display, I walked to see them. They were showing the difference the new sidewalks were making in the improvement of our little down town area. I was so grateful for those who who meet, raise money, write grants, hire folks, inveset in down town businesses. I felt like writing to each and everyone of them or writing into the Amity Grapevine, yes, the little local gossipy newsletter placed in everyone's water bill, to say thank you.

The downtown looks great with wineries now lining the road, fresh paint on every building, new side walks, a new little grocery store with so much class. I'm just grateful to be able to have the life I live. It's such a HUGE blessing to wake up in America, every single day. Living the dream.

Hugs,

Even more updates...

It's been asked that I provide more info on the "motherhood" thing. Sarah [her name has been changed to protect the innocent, remember, she isn't mine!] is a 15 year old whose father passed away when she was 9 and her mom is bipolar and simply put - could not care for her daughter. She is an only child with a half brother and sister who she doesn't really have contact with.

She has been in 4 homes in a year and two months of that was with her grandparents in a residental senior center. She hardly qualifies and they were looking for a home for her. They heard through the infamous LDS grapevine that I was thinking about adoption and contacted me. Obviously she is not brothers ages 8-12 but she needs stability and a mentor. She doesn't need a mom - she has one of those. What she needs is someone to explain to her what social norms are and how to be treated like a tea cup instead of a styrofoam cup that you crinkle up and through away or nibble on before you toss into the can. She talks to her mom a lot - I'm going to limit way more once school starts and she needs social interaction. Living out here and going to school in MAC doesn't help. Not that she has that many friends anyway.

Our dog is adorable.

And finally smells good too. I still need to get an electric toothbrush and some chicken toothpaste (I hear) to make him smell even BETTER.

Day camp starts tomorrow. I want to quickly write about how I felt when Sarah Palin was selected and nominated as the Vice President of the United States on the Republican ticket.

I knew the annoucement was coming and I was up early watching the news. I was watching some morning show (maybe even FOX news but I cannot confirm or deny that as I am not sure I had cable at the time). I cried. I was sooooo happy that a woman, strong and a Governor, could be Pro-life, pro choice in that she believed in life, strong and educated. Strong mother, strong and grass roots...she, to me, represented me way more than the two female senators from WA ever had, would or could. I didn't believe in aboration, gay rights or more regulation. I don't need the government to tell me how or when to cut down a tree, put up a fence or retaining wall or how much I "owe" them. I think my return on investment would be better if I kept my money. I feel this strongly about local and state government as well. I also don't think it's fair to borrow without the ability to pay it back.

ANyway, I have NO idea why I felt the need to say hwo I felt when I first realized that other American women were conservative. Because I have felt like a freak for a LONG time. I consider myself thoughtful, smart and flexible. Why then shouldn't I feel normal?

Have a good night!

It's been awhile

And there is so much to be said.

I am now the proud owner of a dog as of 5:00 pm today and I've been the "mother" of a teenager since 3:00 pm 1 week ago.

The entire week was spent at camp and my ankles are both swollen and I look like a blob (one ankle has a pass as it's still broken and I stepped in a hole getting in my car to come home tonight - thank goodness for strong walking casts!). I'm so tired that I can't sleep and I am so excited about life it's dumb.

I am forever grateful and humbled by caring folks who give so much of their time to the BSA. They are quality folks who make working for such an amazing organization even a happier place to be employed. Thanks to Holly, Sandy, Melinda, Dave, Brad, Celeste, Donovan, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Debby and all the rest for helping ensure day camp was a success. Every year is another miracle.

My heart totally goes out to Holly who lost her grandma on Thursday and her family didn't even tell her until Friday so as to lessen the stress on her because of camp and so she didn't tell her boys until today which actually stressed her out. Also, she's feeling a little guilt because she wasn't there when she passed. She got a blessing and hopefully felt the love of her Savior and her Heavenly Father. She isn't a member - yet. We were asked to pray for an opportunity to share the gospel last Sunday and I thought of her multiple time this week. Their little family would make such great members and the ward could use them. He needs all of us but still...

I got to explain that in the church we have a thing called Priesthood blessings and that two men could give her a blessing of comfort if she felt so inclined and she readily agreed. Brother Christensen and O'Brien came in (thank goodness for worthy Priesthood holders!) and explained a little more and gave her the sweetest blessing. I felt the Spirit and I hope she did as well.

She made it through the night - which was a very stressful one cleaning up camp and getting out the way of Adv. Cove moving in.

Ah, the blessings of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints never end. I am so grateful that I know who I am and where I came from and where I am going when I die. I'm grateful for eternal families and for ordinances that seal us to one another.

I love the Savior and I think the saving grace in becoming a foster parent has been listening to the BOM together for at least 30 min a day on our way to or from camp. Lots of time there isn't reception on the radio and so we just switch to BOM on CD. It has spurred lots of good discussion and I feel good about us getting into the habit.

Hugs and love to you all...

Sharon

Lois Wilson and the Hallmark Movie

Hey y'll,

I just want to say thank you to Lois Wilson and Bill W for their love for each other. Millions of lives have been changed due to AA and Al Anon and all the other programs that are an outgrowth of addictions.

Even the LDS Recover Addiction Program are adapted steps from the AA and Alanon Programs. I love that program.

For all those who have ever struggled with addiction or have lived with someone with an addiction, apply the steps in the program and you will finally have peace.

And soon, pictures of the kitchen. Although today I hit another glitch. After I installed the hardware and went to hang the cupboard doors, I realized that shimming them made the cupboard doors NOT fit correctly. I misdrilled one, maybe two doors so I'll be swapping them out and hopefully I'll be able to hang them all soon. Ughhh................

Have a great night.

Just some musings from today...

I was just sitting here thinking. Dangerous, I know, I know, but my mind wandered all on its own. I wonder if I was packing or digging like I should be, would my mind be wandering?

Whatever. It did. So I was thinking about just the world and I went from Haiti to Jon who served a mission in Haiti to how he taught me how connect the restoration of the fullness of the gospel to my testimony to Jim who taught me how to share a Book of Mormon with a friend.

I am so grateful for these guys who helped me learn the gospel and also influenced me tremendoursly in going on a mission.

Jon, could be John, don't even remember his last name necessarily. He was in my stake, lived across the sound in Gig Harbor. I knew his sister a little bit. I didn't know him at all and didn't really care to actually. I was a freshman at the community college and there were about 4 kids who worked in our office who had graduated from a small, relgious private school in Tacoma that I had never heard of. One day one of the guys began drawing comparisons of the catholic and protestant religions on the white board and asked me where I thought ours fit in and I knew it didn't fit into either but I just wasn't sure how to explain it to him so I just said, protestant. John was sitting there and he said, Sharon, no it isn't. The gospel of jesus Christ was restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith and drew a new line and included ordinances and ongoing revelation. I was definitely humbled and embarassed but so grateful that he didn't just sit there and LET me screw that one up. He never let me live it down but I didn't care. Now I knew HOW to say it. ANd boy has it come in handy for the rest of my life.

I believe that a lack of knowledge about other relgions and how they came to be was a contributing factor to my lack of finess way back when and still can be today. Obviously now I'm much more aware due to the fact that I work with churches of all kinds, all over the places. I lvoe working with churches and explaining to them the God and Country Award, the ownership that they have over their units and how to make sure they have the influence of God in their scouting programs.

My brother has been calling me for weeks now and I just haven't been able to connect with him until yesterday. We talked for about 45 minutes and he told me that he was working on getting his life in order including meeting with the High Council. He said he walks with a little zip in his step and that he is happier than he's been in a long time. I am so happy for his decision. It came all on his own and he's pretty excited about whatever the outcome. He said, it doesn't matter what they tell me, I know what I should be doing and I will do it. He LOVES his stake president and his home teacher. As assigned he is a member of the high council. I just gotta say kudos to the stake in MI for making this happen when they couldn't get it to work on the West coast with my ex. When you go through this, a stake level HT is ALWAYS assigned and this one actually visits my brother.

I am grateful that we served our missions at the same time and that we have that shared experience. We wrote every single week without missing even one week for 56 weeks! I got home a year before he did so I slowed down a bit and I'm sure that hurt his feelings - but I was too busy (yucky, that tastes crappy coming out of my mouth!) at college wishing I was dating. Bluchhh...I wish I had remained faithful in my writing.

Maybe I'll try and escape to MI at the end of the month for the weekend and be there for him. I know he would love it. It would show him that I cared enough to come.

Hmmm...maybe.

ALmost done packing up the kitchen. Just gottan hit the bottoms and then make some decisions about demo! yeah!