Sometimes the Lord just lets us get sick for a few days so that we can Rethink and Regroup!

We have hauled sick missionaries around enough that by Sunday night I finally had the cold! We had to cancel our appointments and I have just stayed in since Sunday. It has been good--a time to reflect after the physical and emotional push to do the concert, the pressure of getting ready for the MTC, hurrying to Sequim, pushing as hard as I could to clean and then hurrying to get started on our missionary routine--which is never routine! These placid days of illness, reading and pondering have been very healing! And I have been able to do a little more to make our house a home.

Last week we had such a sweet time visiting and teaching a part-member couple with three wild little girls. It was our second visit with them and we had engaged the little girls for a few minutes the first time with a Primary song at the beginning and end of our lesson. This time when we came the girls were watching for us out their window and began singing I Am a Child of God. The dad said that the oldest girl, about 6 years of age, had been practicing it all week and it had helped her to choose the right when she got upset. She sat right beside me all during the lesson and let me help her stay calm by rubbing her little feet and including her in the lesson. In fact, I taught my part mostly to her with her Mom listening in, which also took the pressure off the mom. It is amazing to see the power of music to bring the Spirit! What a blessing it is in our lives! So many have never felt the sweet feelings we have tasted so often! Before we left we committed them to pray with their little girls and to have a 20 minute FHE. I hope they tried to do that. The mother has a very hard time with children. She has lots of problems that are exacerbated by her Word of Wisdom problems. Our job is to soften her heart so that she can feel the Spirit and then desire to learn and be willing to change. Her husband joined the Church 2 1/2 years ago and wants an eternal family.

We were invited to a dinner party with another investigator and heard the wonderful conversion story of our hosts. He was a pilot and she a stewardess! He flew out of Salt Lake for a period of time and got acquainted with some of the LDS pilots there. He and she fell in love and, tho she had been raised Catholic, because he had no faith they decided to be married by a non-denominational minister. The minister knew she was Catholic, but he wanted to know the religious preference of the groom. He said he had none, but if he was ever to investigate any church it would be the Mormon Church because of what he had seen in the lives of the pilots he knew. She was shocked speechless! Missionaries stopped by, but she wouldn't let them teach her. They left a Book of Mormon. She wouldn't read it but her husband did and knew that it was true. Tho she wouldn't read it, nor would she let the missionaries teach her, she did read Jesus the Christ and The Articles of Faith by Talmage, A Marvelous Work and Wonder, Miracle of Forgiveness, The Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. She knew every word of she had read was true, so she finally agreed to meet with the missionaries and read the Book of Mormon. She says she wouldn't let them in until she knew it was true. She and her husband have served 2 missions. Sharp people!

We were able to bear testimony to the investigator, Judy, and could feel the Spirit testifying to her. We will meet with her again Friday. She is a nice, very worldly woman who decided that believing there is no God is the easiest way to deal with the hard knocks in life that she cannot understand--much of it coming from alcoholic parents and husband. The young missionaries keep serving her so she keeps listening.

Then there is Jer... The Sisters found him as they were knocking doors and took us back with them to teach him. He moved up here to get away from the trouble he feels is coming in our country. He was religious as a young man but got discouraged with his Church and religion and he also decided there was probably no God! His heart is soft, though he doesn't like commitments, and he has been to Church twice. The first time was the Sunday we spoke about our Pre-Mortal life. (The Missionary pamphlets refer to it as our Pre-Earth life.) He reminds me very much of Lazar Wolf (in Fiddler On the Roof) only cleaner, He reminds others of Santa Claus, which part he has acted many times. He has twinkly eyes and a happy voice. We love him!

And then J... and H... who we did not get to teach last week as we planned because someone called her to substitute for their Bridge partner, and Bridge is her big passion, so she left while we were still eating. She was glad to have us visit with H... He is pretty well homebound and she runs around quite a lot. He feels glad that she has things to do that she loves and doesn't have to stay homebound with him. This week I had promised them an apple pie but then I was sick. She did invite us for next Monday, so I hope that the conversations about our beliefs can start again.

We were invited to the home of a member couple on Saturday. The Sister is Japanese and Philippino, born and raised in Hawaii. Her husband also lived in Hawaii and was the physician for  BYUH there. The husband's son, from his deceased first wife, was visiting and he did the cooking. He happened to be the father of the actor who played Napoleon Dynamite! Of course I had never seen it, but Bruce could talk intelligently? with them. Oh! And now I have eaten barely cooked oyster dipped in a raw egg! She broke the egg into a little bowl at my place and I had to quickly stir it while she waited to put the oyster in! I felt very brave! They were delighted when I said the oyster kind of "melts in your mouth"--except for what must have been his foot, which was very chewy. Now that I have done it I won't need to do it again--even tho he wants me to try raw oyster! I said just the thought makes my head itch! No thank you!

The Stake President gave us an assignment that requires a great deal of visiting with the Spirit. This scripture helped me: "I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and shall dwell in your heart. Now behold, this is the spirit of revelation...therefore, this is thy gift; apply unto it." The words struck me more deeply than ever before, "this is thy gift; apply unto it." I just sat and said them over and over. (Then I thought of the two theater tickets and the gift coupon to Coldstone Ice Cream Parlor that are still in Dad's desk drawer at home. We received the gift--we just never "applied" it!) I am excited to do, and learn, more about using the glorious Gift of the Holy Ghost that we have been commanded to "receive." (And no, there is no Cold Stone here.)

Saturday evening, a member of the Stake Presidency called and asked us to put together a women's chorus for Stake Conference from the 3 Sequim wards and the 2 Port Angeles wards--only two weeks away. Dad and I had to really hustle to find music, get accompanists, call Bishops and choir directors and RS and YW presidents to try to get the word out Sunday morning so that we could hold our first rehearsal Sunday night! Because Dad is the world's great organizer and Michael used FaceTime to help us go through our files looking for the music we wanted him to scan and email to us, by the time Sunday evening came we had music in black folders, rolls for them to sign, both an organist and pianist that we rehearsed with before the choir came so that we were really on the same page! The sisters were wonderful in attitude but rather in shock that they had to learn how to sing parts! A few considered themselves altos and most sang soprano but some were willing to try to learn 2nd soprano. It was very difficult for them and was really hard work for me! The great thing is, that I know that because they are willing to work and try, and because I am doing all I can, the Lord will help us!

(I just looked down at my journal. At the bottom of the left page it says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

The bottom of the right page says, "For after much tribulation come the blessings...) ;)

We love you all!