Best of the Rez Week 73 The Judgement

Best of the Rez     Week 73*     May 28^th to June 3^rd

The nine months is over!!!  The sleepless nights – the fret, the worry, the searching, the pacing has all ended in one little hour and a half of our lives.  The delivery has come and while others wait to see if it is a girl or boy, we anxiously waited for a doubling result – the all important number of 88.  There was a meeting with Elder Callister Saturday evening and he came down to shake our hands and asked how we were doing.  I asked him how worried we needed to be about the number the next day.  “It is only your entire eternal salvation at stake,” he said with a sweet little smile.  So -- should I make you wait?  No – as miserable as we have been for nine months I will tell you now that we had 110 at Sacrament Meeting.  We were worried about several things happening: 1) the high councilmen had been inviting all their family members to come to boost our numbers and inviting their home wards to come support us (isn’t that lying), 2) the charge was given to the bishopric and since they didn’t make any home visits or personally invite anyone should the missionaries enable them more and do it or should we show what really happens, and 3) how much does the number really reflect on our efforts as missionaries here.  Since the mission president sent two of his best missionaries to help the effort we figured we should do all we could, but we wish the truth of the situation was known. The actual count was 83 ward members, 2 members of the stake presidency (the other member is a ward member so he has already been counted), 15 high counsel family members, 1 seminary representative, 5 visiting authorities, and 4 missionaries = which makes 110 and a true ward doubling.  The bishop stood up and said he had been really worried but he had faith and now the church was full.  I almost fainted – from fatigue and frustration.  Oh well, the meeting was a wonderful experience and everyone there was well fed for their efforts.  

#3 CHURCH: I cannot wait to walk into church and see all the people filing in. I cannot wait to see all those teachers with manuals ready to teach their lessons. I cannot wait to just sit there, and watch the ward function. I cannot wait to see people interacting with one another; calling each other by name. I want to see home teachers and visiting teachers going from home to home.
And most of all, we are so excited to take our little suitcase in hand and WALK to the temple. We love both the Snowflake and Monticello Temples, but the Rexburg Temple is our temple. To be there in just a few minutes instead of traveling for close to 6 hours will be like heaven.

And now for the week:

1)      If you remember we are in Albuquerque with Eric and his family and also visiting Uncle Max and Aunt Ruth.  We had a fun morning with the kids and then headed over to Uncle Max’s.  That was a great visit.  We sat in their back yard where there was grass and flowers (OH!) and ate chips and dip.  Then we all went out for Mexican food.  All too soon it was time for us to head back so good-byes were made and the long trip home was underway.  The trip went well and we were home at 6:15 but our temple prep lady had come and gone.  We called and she rescheduled for the next night. 
The new missionary drove in; Elder Kenneth Moncur from Lovell, Wyoming.  He has been out six months.

2)     Tuesday started German pancakes for Elder Openshaw.  He is transferring out this morning.  We will certainly miss him.  Buzz was next for a piano lesson.   We met the Vogel’s for lunch and that was fun.  She is the best story teller.  We taught Sadie Tso a recent convert lesson and then piano started to come.  We taught our temple prep and it was great.  ARP didn’t show but we could tell he is out of town.

3)      Wednesday EP decided to clean the church.  I left before EP and he said I missed a bunch of excitement – there were 2 lizards in the cultural hall and he could only catch one.  He is now afraid that we are going to have a ‘Mississippi Squirrel’ experience on Sunday.  That would be fun with Elder Callister there.
We made a flyer about Elder Callister’s visit and headed out to delivery them.  We had quite the day driving around and sticking announcements in doors.  Piano didn’t start till about 7 PM and all 4 Ahasteen’s came.  I really didn’t feel great by the end and EP couldn’t find his star chart so I stayed home to look for it while he went with YM-YW.  They went to the top of the Mesa where President Begay told them about Navajo constellations.  EP had his fancy laser which made it lots of fun.  They didn’t get home till after 10 but they all had a great time.

4)      Thursday I had piano lessons in the morning.  We also took more announcements out.  We noticed the time and headed back to the house to see if our 4 PM would show up for the first time ever.  She did!  Her dad brought her in and it was just a delight.  She stayed for a couple of hours till her mother picked her up.   The 5 PM, 6 PM, didn’t show and our 7 PM was not home either.  We came home and watched ‘The Invention of Hugo Gabret.’  It was wonderful.

5)      Friday Buzz had another piano lesson and then we headed to Chinle but Margaret was not home.  We bought some groceries and headed to Rough Rock.  We went out finding and GPSing and actually found some people.  That was great.  We headed home to teach Kelsey piano.  That was great fun.  We took more announcements out and the rest of night was a fit of nerves but calm.

6)      Saturday started early with 7 piano lessons.  Tivona stayed and made an oatmeal cake with me.  We rushed her home and headed to Chinle for the meetings.  The 3 PM meeting was just for men so I chatted with Sister Roberts.  Then at 4 PM all the missionaries met with Elder Callister, Elder Rhein, Brother Brazier (American Indian Services) and President Jones.  That was a great meeting.  The stake RS cooked dinner for all of us and then we headed into a senior missionary meeting with the visitors.  We walked from that meeting into the fireside.  It was a great meeting as well.  And finally the meetings were over and it was time to go home and get ready for the biggest day of our mission.
Oh, another cutest thing: we had a message to call Aaron Logan.  We were afraid he was going to cancel out of church and him teaching the Aaronic Priesthood.  NOPE!  He wanted to know who David O. McKay, Mark E. Peterson, and Ezra Taft Benson were because they were quoted in the lesson.  We love that man.

7)      We got up early and EP headed to the church.  I put in a dinner since I had invited the new members, the White’s, to dinner.  I headed over to the church about an hour early.  I got primary set up and all the piano books organized in the chapel. 
When Elder Callister walked in I started Tyler Benally playing prelude and rotated the youth playing a different hymn for 20 straight minutes.  By the time church started I was exhausted but they were in awe so all was well. 
Little Sister Tsosie came in with the biggest smile.  (It is hard for her to get here from Chinle.)  I do not know how many people were they when we started but before the Sacrament started we had to open the curtains (first time ever).  Sister Yoe and Selena came in and as I turned to wave I noticed her parents walking behind her.  President Yoe used to be the branch president and hasn’t been to church in 20 years.  He and his wife were walking in with big smiles on their faces.  Then Melissa Samuel, their other daughter came in as well.  It was wonderful to see that family at church—made my whole day if not my whole 9 months.  The meeting was wonderful; every speaker was great. 
Elder Callister and President Jones just loved the missionary board.  There have been 39 baptisms since we came so the board is completely filled. 
After the meeting it was almost chaos.  Everyone was trying to introduce someone or talk to someone.  Elder Callister walked down and asked if I had a replacement to run the piano program.  I explained that the next sister did not play.  He said that I was to find a replacement or stay and do it myself.  I laughed and EP got really sick to his stomach.  He is still concerned but I just called Sister Roberts and told her that she must organize the youth to keep playing.  She is now as sick as EP because she cannot teach piano but I keep telling her she can do it as well as I can.  Oh, and Elder Callister also told me that I was to have the youth do all the conducting as well.  Okay—I have 2 weeks to accomplish that.
The little primary kids were hitting my leg and asking if there was going to be primary.  Oh my!  Neither one of the teachers showed up to teach and there were 17 children in primary.  The secretary came in and she ran crowd control while I taught.  I went and got the young elders and together we taught stories from The Book of Mormon.  Then we played a memory game with Book of Mormon prophets and then singing time.  I taught them to sing ‘To Think About Jesus’ and Buzz accompanied us perfectly.  I was so proud of her.  We sang a few more songs and finally the day was over.  I found all my things and headed home with Whites.  Justin Miller, the new kid (he really does look young) in charge of seminary had come and he came over as well.  I got dinner ready, Justin left with cake, and we ate.  I was so tired I really didn’t know if I could chew.  After they left we tried to lie down for a few minutes but I got a cramp in my leg. 
Kelsey came at 3 for home study seminary and we had a wonderful lesson.  After she left we drove around just a bit and delivered some things and then came home to completely collapse—only we couldn’t.  At 2:30 AM we finally got up and had a piece of toast.  We talked most of the night realizing that it was now the morning of our 43^rd wedding anniversary.  At 6: 15 (when the alarm goes off) I fell asleep.

So, the dreaded day has come and gone.  We are delighted and confused.  There wasn’t a bit of shadow leadership today.  The bishop had faith and we (including the young elders) worked ourselves silly.  Then when the primary wasn’t there, I took over completely and everyone was off the hook.  I really have no idea if I am to feel like a successful missionary or an enabling missionary.  Right now, the exhausted, enabling missionary is winning.

The Church is True,

            If you eat physically, eat spiritually!            
            (You only need to read your scriptures the days you eat!)

                        Always,

                                    Elder and Sister Parkinson

Aunt Ruth, Uncle Max and EP looking on.

Can you see the grass?

Angella and Eric are there too; and trees and flowers.

Our little Kaiya and flowers.

Precious little Sarah.

Brooklyn didn't come for pictures.

Uncle Max and Aunt Ruth Hodge, SP and EP.

We have been so excited about blooming yucca's on the Rez.

Here is a domestic one that gets some water.

I do believe this is our first picture of Elder Guevara, and

Elder Openshaw and EP at our last breakfast.

The foursome.

And now the departure and final good-byes.

Elder Callister, (touching the board) and Elder Rhein

admiring the missionary board.  They said that EP

almost looked handsome in white.
Elder Callister is pointing to a pix of EP.

Elder Rhein and Elder Callister with Brother Brazier

in the background.