SECOND CHRISTMAS AWAY (IN A ROW)

Although we have been on five full-time missions together, this is the first where we have been away from home for two consecutive holiday seasons.  We appreciate the blessing of modern communication and the opportunity to talk with almost all of our children and grandchildren on Christmas.

Yesterday, as I (Russell) served in the temple, there was a wedding (sealing) of a young couple.  While this is not an unusual occurrence, I was surprised at the number of people who attended that I recognized.  The couple were both former missionaries from our mission.  I also now recognize several of the patrons which frequent Saturday afternoons.  It occurred to me that I am no longer a stranger here.  I feel as if I belong, even if it only for a season.

On Monday, at our senior missionary FHE, Sister Kearns said her goodbyes and bore her testimony.  Later that evening she was released from full-time service by her stake president.  Sister Kearns was the mission secretary when we arrived.  She has been recovering from brain surgery most of this year.  I was surprised to hear her publicly thank Eileen for pushing her so hard to see a doctor about her headaches a few months after we arrived.  She credited Eileen with helping get her cancer diagnosed as soon as it was.

On Tuesday, Christmas Eve, we made a trip to Marshall MO.  We were taking the last of the Christmas gifts and letters that had come in to the Warrensburg Zone, and to Elder Nelber in particular.  Elder Nelber is from the island of Pohnpei (FKA Ascension Island), one of the smaller states in Micronesia.  Less than 37,000 people live on the island.  Elder Nelber told us of his surprise to learn of all the Islanders we have living in our mission.  His first area was in Trenton, where a large number of Tongan members of the Church live.  He told us they have an upcoming baptism of a Chuukese individual.  Chuuk is the largest state in Micronesia and famous for Truk Atoll, site of a famous WWII battle.  Elder Nelber told us they recently met a family from his home island while tracking.  He said they were astonished when he started speaking in Pohnpeian to them.  While some may chalk it up to coincidence, we know that with God’s work there are no coincidences.

On Wednesday, in addition to calling family members, we had a Christmas lunch with the other senior missionaries.  The White Elephant gifts were all things that had been cleaned out of apartments after the young missionary had left.  Among the things found were: a Christmas suit, two drones, four or five nerf guns (two large high powered ones), a mounted (replica) talking fish, and the crowd favorite - a biker jacket!  It is amazing what gets left behind in missionary apartments for other to clean up.

On Thursday we took the elders assigned to our ward our to dinner.  Elders Bell and Grant came to our apartment to give me a priesthood blessing while I was sick a couple of weeks ago.  I am grateful for the power of the priesthood and it’s role in helping me recover.

And today, Eileen played the organ for sacrament meeting.  I guess the regular accompanists were unavailable.  It was her first time playing in years (maybe decades)!  The members were impressed.

What a cute Christmas card from President and Sister Sommerfeldt.

                                         

Monday was Sister Kearns last evening as a missionary.  She has been an inspiration to us all as she has navigated surgery for a brain tumor and a long recovery. She has exemplified faith and love for the Lord during this difficult period in her life.   

Elders Nelber and Faiga serving in the Marshall branch.

The senior missionaries from the MIM on Christmas Day. We are not sure who did the balloon backdrop but it seemed fitting for a photo. 

Some of the senior elders.  The crazy suit Elder Dennison is wearing was found in one of the young missionaries apartment after they were transferred.

President and Sister Sommerfeldt. President is wearing the "motorcycle jacket" he won in the white elephant exchange. The jacket was also left by a young missionary.

Sister Sommerfeldt picked this great white elephant gift. 

I got this singing fish from the white elephant gift party.  It was quickly taken away by Sister Hunsaker. 

This white elephant gift is a toilet seat signed by several missionaries.  Russell ended up taking it away from Sister Creer and giving it to one of our APs who wants to keep it as a remembrance. I wonder what his future wife will think of it?

Our last Christmas in Missouri. 

Three missionaries returned home this week so they could get back in time for school at BYU.  Sister Birmingham is an awesome missionary who was so supportive of a sick companion.  

We had 3 missionaries in the hospital this week. One elder went into the ER on Christmas Eve in excruciating pain.  He went home on Friday so he could have surgery at home.  From the photo above you would never know Sister Johnson had been in extreme pain 2 hours earlier. She said it was ok for us to say she was passing a kidney stone.  Another senior sister spent the 26th in the hospital having surgery on 3 kidney stones.  We are grateful to live in an area where there is access to good medical care. 

Elders Grant and Bell had dinner with us on Dec 26th.  They serve in Independence 3rd Ward.

                                     

Sister Creer and I took advantage of the nice weather to visit the KC Zoo and their illuminated GloWild.  Elder and Sister Young tried to get us to go last year with them. Between Eileen doing the medical position and Russell the  automobile position last year we did not have the ability to leave to do something fun for an evening. 

While we were walking along the lighted path we saw this group of people coming along in their scooters. Sister Creer told me to hurry and take a movie. My sister said her family would rent these just to have races against each other. To each their own.

There was a mile long display of different glowing designs set up in the Zoo. It was really fantastic.

I can't believe I played the organ after several decades of not playing. Here Sister Creer is trying to learn how to do the stops so she can play if needed after we leave.  She was great at it.

BECAUSE OF HIM

 Since last July, I (Russell) have had the opportunity to serve on Saturday afternoons as an ordinance worker in the Kansas City Temple.  At the beginning of each shift there is a half-hour training meeting.  Yesterday, in place of the training meeting, we had a Christmas devotional, with readings of scriptures and singing Christmas hymns.  There was something very special and sacred about celebrating the Savior’s birth in His house. 

Because of Jesus Christ, His teachings, example and atoning sacrifice, we can have hope of returning home to our Father in Heaven.  Because of Him, we have been shown the way we should live and serve one another.   Because of Him, I know that I can be with my family forever, if we follow His commandments. Because of Him, I know that we all will be resurrected someday.  It is because of Him, that Eileen and I serve as missionaries.  For Him, I will be forever grateful and eternally indebted!

This morning as I entered the church building, I noticed the two elders assigned to our ward, down the hall calling someone on their phone..  I assumed that their friend (investigator) had not shown up for church as planned.  After the meeting, I was pleasantly surprised to see them sitting in the back with a gentleman maybe a few years younger than me.  Upon going to talk to them, I met their friend and learned that he had come a few minutes late.  We will be taking the two elders out to dinner on Thursday.  I look forward to learning about how things are progressing with this man.

I (Eileen) have had several conversations with my replacement Sister Stimpson.  She seems eager to learn and I am sure will do a wonderful job with our missionaries. It is interesting as we pass the torch on our missionary duties how we have a sense of ownership with our responsibilities. I am grateful to turn my duties over to someone who is desirous to do a great job.    

Sister missionaries from the Missouri Independence Mission performing Oh Come oh Come Emmanuel

Dinner at Sommerfeldts with the office staff.

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We took these missionaries out for lunch before one of them had a Dr appt.  Elder Thomason goes home this week.  We will miss him.  Front to back-Elder Draney, Elder Smith and Elder Thomason.

Russell's stash of medicines.  After 3 doctor visits, 3 weeks of being sick with pneumonia, 3 antibiotics, 3 cough medicines and 2 inhalers, he is finally turning the corner. We are both very grateful he is doing better.

We passed this man on the way home from church. Just a few years I (Eileen) thought this would be the only kind of bike I would ever ride again after my bad bike accident. I am not sure if it is a motorized wheelchair or motorized bicycle, but it looked pretty convenient for someone who can't get around.

THE PIANO GUYS

The Piano Guys is a musical group consisting of pianist Jon Schmidt, cellist Steven Nelson, videographer Paul Anderson, and music producer Al van der Beek.  Paul Anderson is also the father of one of our sister missionaries and an acquaintance of the Sommerfeldts. At the request of President Sommerfeldt, Brother Anderson was kind enough to present a special Christmas message at our zone conferences this past week; all of which was unbeknownst to his daughter prior to his arrival. 

Like last year at the zone conferences right before Christmas, the senior missionaries prepared and served the food. When I say the senior missionaries, I (Russell) should clarify that Sister Hunsaker led the effort and many of the other seniors assisted.  I was of little help as I have been sick for the last two weeks.  After 11 days on antibiotics, two doctor visits and a priesthood blessing, I am beginning to feel better.  I’m grateful for Eileen’s patience with me.  Following the Mission Nurse’s advice and getting my financial duties at the office done did not always mesh nicely.  I could forgo most activities and miss sometime at the office, but the rent and bills still needed to be paid.  It’s not like you have a backup.

This is one of the videos Brother Anderson shared during Zone Conference.  He talked about the many miracles which occurred in order for them to film at Iguazu Falls and in Rio at the Christ the Redeemer statue.  Since I (Eileen) have been to both of the locations, I can totally understand why it would be a miracle for them to film there.

                                              

Sister Anderson and her mother and sister. Sister Anderson had no idea any of her family were coming and was thrilled to see them.

                                             

Eileen, Sister Creer and our APs for the mission, Elder Timpson and Elder Haroldsen              

Elder and Sister Patterson always volunteer to detail the single senior missionary's cars at Zone Conference. This past ZC they told Sister Creer to come with an empty tank and they would fill it up. She could only drive 13 more miles before her tank was empty. They barely got it to the gas station.

The APs filled the van with Christmas gifts for the missionaries from home.

We had a very full house at ZC.  We did Zone Conference in 2 days rather than 3, due to time restraints for our special speaker.

Senior missionaries at Zone Conference

Paul Anderson talking about his work with The Piano Guys. (Video of the Piano Guys posted in the posting after this one)

Sister Sheffield and Eileen at Zone Conference

I had purchased tickets to a candlelight Christmas concert about a month ago. Since Russell was too sick to go, Sister Madsen used his ticket. Sister Creer had already purchased a ticket to go with us. 

It was pretty cool to have a string quartet play basically in the dark with just the light of the candles.

                                             

Mexican food after the temple with the senior missionaries. The Ellsmores surprised us and paid for all our meals.

HAVE ANY DONE ANY GOOD?

There are times as a senior missionary that you wonder if you have or are doing any good.While much of what we do is clerical in nature and very temporal, some of it does involve opportunities for interaction with others that make it all seem worth it. 

Today we had the opportunity to listen to one of our sister missionaries give her homecoming talk back in Utah.  Zoom is a wonderful blessing in our live as a missionary away from home.Hermana D, as she was known here, gave an inspiring talk in which she addressed three main events during her mission.  The first was a trying time early during her mission when she was in a trio and her two companions both had to go home early within a week of each other for medical reasons.  The second was about a senior single lady who she helped teach who joined the Church.  And the third was about a family of five who she first met on the KC temple grounds, who she later taught the gospel and were baptized.

Sister Devashree’s mission of course involved many more events that those she had time to tell about in her 15 minutes during the church meeting today.  There was also a lot of hard work, challenging times and disappointment.  Just last week, I wrote about arriving home from the temple to find Eileen on her way to the ER to meet two sister missionaries, and about how the sisters were missing the baptism of converts they had taught.  One of the sisters was Hermana D.

As I think about why we were called to serve in Independence, I can’t help but think that it was in part because of interaction that we might have with specific people here, such as this young sister missionary.  Eileen has grown to love Sister Devasharee almost like a daughter.  It was early in our mission here when we first got acquainted with Hermana D and her two Spanish speaking companions.  We were in the Centerpoint Hospital ER, Eileen in the room with the sister being treated and I with her two companions in the waiting room.  A few days later we accompanied that sister back home to Utah, only to receive a call that night from our mission president telling Eileen that the other companion was experiencing a severe medical challenge. I remember sitting in the ER waiting room that night thinking what are the chances of us being here with these three sisters? There are many good mission nurses serving, but it was Eileen, with her medical training and unique life experiences, that God put there to help all of them through that difficult time.  It was not just a coincidence that we were there.

This week was Eileen’s birthday.  I feel very blessed to be sealed to her in the temple, to have her as my best friend, and mother of my children.  I am so grateful for the efforts her parents went took to raise her to become the wonderful young woman I met 47 years ago.  I am grateful to my maternal grandfather, who insisted on introducing us.  My grandfather was a Host on Temple Square at the time Eileen was a Guide giving tours there, like the young sister missionaries do today.  I feel very fortunate she risked her future and took a chance on me when I asked her to marry me.  I love my wife and missionary companion.

The senior missionaries were offered tickets to go to the Kaufman Art Center on Monday to hear the Millenial Choir and Orchestra.  I (Eileen) went with some other senior missionaries.   It was an incredible concert. 

We welcomed 23 new missionaries into the MIM this past Tuesday

Tuesday evening the Independence stake invited the young missionaries serving in Independence and all of the senior missionaries in our mission to a wonderful Christmas dinner and program.  

Sister Sheffield came to visit on my birthday. She was showing off her incredible buff  muscles so we did a little arm wrestling. 

Russell went to a great deal of effort to have these roses brought to me on my birthday. He was home sick with pneumonia.  

Friday I went with some senior missionary sisters to the Living Windows in Independence Square. It was a fun home town feel. 

Christmas at the Bingham Waggoner mansion. 

A CHANGE IN PLANS

 As missionaries serving in the office, Saturdays are our day off.  Eileen still gets calls from the young missionaries, but to a lesser extent than Monday evening through Friday.  We usually go to the gym, clean the apartment, I (Russell) serve in the temple, and then we go out to dinner in the evening.  Yesterday, I knew as soon as I got up and looked outside that our plans would be modified a bit.  During the night a storm had dropped the first snow of the season that was sticking on the ground, and it was still coming down. The app on my phone showed that the snowstorm would continue until around noon.  The app also showed me that my usual route to the temple, on the freeway, should be avoided and an alternate route was suggested.  Looking outside I could see that the roads were not plowed.

I decided to give myself over an hour to drive the 12 miles to the temple, which is usually a 20-25 minute drive.  All morning the app continued to suggest the same alternative route to the temple.  As I got into the car, I decided to check one more time.  This time the app showed both routes as slow, but now equally so.  So I took the freeway.  It was slow going and I did see a car or two off the road.  About half way there I saw two diesel truck tires in the road, not on their sides, but connected together and rolling in one of the lanes.  My guess is that it was leftover from an accident that had recently been cleared.  In the end I made it there and back without incident, slow but safe.

Today I learned from another temple worker who works the shift before mine, who lives close to us, that he saw the same advice as I did, to avoid the freeway.  He took the alternate route.  He said he saw many cars off the road and that the police actually closed the road at one point just after he got through.  It made me glad that I had made it safely to the temple and back.  I do believe my fellow temple worker and I were both aided in our travel to the temple.

As I got home, I found Eileen leaving the apartment.  She was off to the hospital to be with one of the young sister missionaries.  Sister Creer was giving Eileen a ride there since I was slow in getting home from the temple.  Eileen texted me saying a little about the medical issue and that she would still like to go out to eat once things got settled at the hospital.  We had planned on going to Olive Garden for dinner.  That plan had to change as Eileen didn’t leave the hospital until 9:45 pm.  On the way home we stopped at the only restaurant that was still open, other than the bars.  It was both quiet and warm.  As we ate our food in an otherwise empty restaurant, I thought about how differently the day turned out than we had planned. I appreciated the help we had received that day from the other side of the veil.  The young sister who went to the ER was okay and we safe.  I feel very blessed.  Oh, and the sisters who went the hospital missed the baptism of their three converts.  I’m sure that will hurt for a while.

Last Monday, our daughter Shefali was seen by doctors at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.  They diagnosed her cancer as being in stage three.  She will be treated with a combination of operation, chemotherapy and radiation starting the next few weeks.  As Christmas will be quite different this year than she had planned, Shefali arranged to get her girls for Thanksgiving and a coworker worked her shift on Thursday so she could spend the holiday with Michael and her girls.  

Shefali’s sudden change in plans this last week makes my change in plans yesterday seem trivial.  What both have in common is that God is aware of our situations. He is in the details of our lives.  While He allows the challenges of this mortal life to afflict us, He hears our prayers and stands ready to comfort and strengthen us as we face those challenges.

                                     

We had a very interesting FHE on Monday by Chris Newman who lives in Missouri. He owns the Cinechopper Aerial Video flight school. Here he is demonstrating how he can remotely fly his drone down the hallway and into the gym.  We are seeing on the screen what he sees in his goggles.  He has done some remarkable drone work including for the Piano Guys and several other top name companies.                                           

       

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Sister Parker put up our holiday decorations this week. 

                                                 

This poor sister had bilateral pneumonia 3 weeks ago. She has been on 3 different antibiotics, a shot of decadron, a round of prednisone and the hives persist. I finally got some good counsel from a dermatologist who was on call for the missionary department. Hopefully she will get better soon.

                                                             

This missionary got bitten on the knee by a member's dog. Since he is quite tall it must have been an aggressive dog to get all the way to his knee.  This is the 5th dog bite requiring care since I started my mission 16 months ago.

      

Elder and Sister Sheffield and Sister Creer did a wonderful job of planning a Thanksgiving dinner for the senior missionaries. 

               

                                                 

Elder Smith (with the hat) and his companion purchased turkeys for the Independence zone. One of their friends works at a BBQ place and smoked all this meat for them.  It looked pretty amazing. 

                                       

The elders played a football turkey bowl out on the field behind the church. You can see the Church of          Christ auditorium in the background. 

       

This sister hurt herself on some stairs while helping some other missionaries move. All the urgent cares were closed on Friday, so Russell is helping her find some crutches which fit.

We fitted her out with crutches and my old boot (which was way too big for her). It helped her stay mobile til she could get into the doctor. 

Parking lot of apartment building after our first snowstorm

This sister was pretty mad that she missed 3 baptisms while in the ER. Her companion persisted in making jokes until we finally got a smile out of her.