A WEEK OF MIRACLES

Last week Eileen wrote about a young sister missionary who had been in the hospital.  Eileen spoke of the blessing it was for the sister’s ER doctor and then the neurologist in the hospital to both be members of the Church.  We both feel it was God’s way of telling all of us that He is aware of the situation and that He loves the sister missionary who was suffering.

This week the miracles involving this sister missionary continued.  The neurologist in the hospital said that she needed to see a neuroimmunologist after being released, and that he would put a referral in for her to see one in Kansas City.  When someone from the clinic called Eileen on Saturday morning to make an appointment, we were both amazed.  What clinic calls on the weekend to set up appointments?  Eileen was even more amazed when she was able to get an appointment for the young sister missionary to be seen the next Friday.  Usually it takes weeks if not months to get in to see any kind of neurologist.

Two days ago, I (Russell) drove Eileen to the doctor appointment so she could be with the sister when she saw the specialist.  The neuroimmunologist was a young woman from India.  The doctor felt that our young sister should be hospitalized immediately for an extended period of days for intravenous medical treatment. Eileen explained that if the situation was that serious then the sister would most likely need to return home for treatment.  The doctor asked where she was from.  The young sister said Idaho.  To which the doctor commented that she loved the mountains and had done her post graduate medical studies in Utah.  Eileen asked the doctor if she knew a Dr. Melissa Wright (Eileen’s niece), a neurologist at the  University of Utah?  The doctor said she studied under Melissa and considered her a good friend.  The doctor said it was Melissa that she had thought of trying to call in SLC to get our sister missionary into treatment as soon as possible.  At this point, I think Eileen and our young sister missionary were amazed at the series of miracles that God was providing for the sister missionary.  But for the  doctor from India, the series of “coincidences” pretty much blew her mind. I’m sure there will be more to this story next week.

As we were driving home from the doctor appointment on Friday, Eileen received a call from Missionary Medical.  It was in regard to a request Eileen had made concerning another sister missionary.  A doctor had recommended a test that normally would have required the missionary to return home to receive, or have approval granted by the “special exception committee” within Missionary Medical.  Eileen had prepared such a request and sent it on to President Sommerfeldt, as he would have to be the one making the request.  Since the young sister would be completing her mission within weeks, there was some thought of just sending the sister home a few weeks early, something the sister missionary was praying hard could be avoided.  The call from Missionary Medical was to tell Eileen that after thinking about it overnight, Missionary Medical was authorizing the test without need of going to the special exception committee.  The young sister missionary was elated at the news. Eileen and I had just witnessed our second miracle that day.

Both Eileen and I have been trying to tie up all the loose ends with our jobs so the transition to the Stimpsons beginning on Monday can go as smooth as possible.  I have had two apartment complexes that have been giving me fits for several months with their inaccurate accounting of our rent payments.  Did I say that politely enough? Although I have sent both landlords detailed accounts proving our payments, neither was very interested in clearing up the matters. Midweek, while saying my morning prayers, I found my self mentioning the situations to God.  After doing so, I immediately felt ashamed of bringing such a trivial matter up in prayer.  I apologized and went on.  To my amazement, later that day I received emails from both landlords wishing to resolve the matters. To me, it was a tender mercy and a reminder that God is in the details of our lives.  

Yesterday was my last day as an ordinance worker in the Kansas City Temple.  It has been a privilege to serve there.  I will miss my fellow ordinance workers and the patrons.  Some of the patrons are so regular that I have become acquainted with them.  Brother West brings his wife, who is blind, almost every week.  Sister Palelei needs a walker to get around slowly, but still does two sessions most Saturdays.  They are all great examples of faithfully enduring to the end.

Eileen presenting at Zone Conference. I am hoping I get missionaries to call Sister Stimpson rather than me.....especially if it is in the middle of the night or if it is with a mental health issue.  Missionaries still have my predecessor's phone number in their phones. She left 18 months ago. 

A few of our favorite people at our favorite restaurant. Dennisons invited us out prior to our leaving, and  invited Sister Creer for her birthday. Sister Creer declined to have the Mexican hat put on her head along with the singing and banging drums.                                      

We had a tour of the Midwest Genealogy with our senior missionary zone. We have 8 senior missionaries serving there digitizing records.  

        

Sister Kofford holding a 130 year old book which she is digitizing. She said the pages crumble they are so fragile.                                                   

                                        

Sister Palelei goes to two temple sessions each Saturday. She mentioned once in her testimony that each week she goes to the temple fasting.  She is truly dedicated. 

WHAT A WEEK!

I (Eileen) will be writing the blog this week. The frigid cold weather here in Missouri has not been a friend to either one of us or our health. We had a day last week in the 30’s with the sun shining and it seemed downright balmy. Today it was 8 degrees, but with the wind chill it was akin to  -6 degrees according to our weather app.  We can’t get warm in our apartment even with our warmest clothing on. 

 

It has been a busy week.  Last Saturday a sister texted me as I was headed to the temple. I was concerned about her symptoms and made some suggestions and said if she wasn’t better by Monday I would send her to the doctor.  Sunday morning her symptoms had increased.  Her companion is an EMT and gave me a very thorough report of what she had observed.  I determined she needed to go the ER, and she was admitted that evening for several days of testing and treatment. During this difficult time, it was interesting to see how she accepted the challenges that had come her way and will continue to do so.  She testified of knowing of God’s love for her, that she had a Heavenly Father who was watching over her, and an earthly father who is in heaven who is also watching over her. 

 

Monday afternoon Russell, me and Sommerfeldts visited her in the hospital so that she could get a priesthood blessing.  As we were walking down the long hallway to the elevators, I mentioned that I thought there were 2 missionaries ahead of us.  How many well-groomed young men in suits do you see walking around a hospital? As we entered her room we were surprised to see 11 missionaries from this sister’s district in the room. All were dressed in missionary attire, despite it being Pday when they can dress in casual clothes.  It was moving to witness a circle of priesthood holders surround this sister, participating in a priesthood blessing for her.  

 

Despite a very serious diagnosis, I am very mindful of God’s love for this sweet sister.  Her ER doctor was a member of the ward she was serving in.  Her hospital specialist happened to be a bishop of a ward in Independence.  Her companion had medical training to give me accurate reports of her treatments. She had a diagnosis within just a few days of her first symptoms, which seems quite miraculous.  I have been so impressed with her desire to stay on her mission if there is any way possible.

 

Monday night we had President and Sister Cato come speak to the senior missionaries FHE. This amazing couple used to belong to the Community of Christ, then broke off to form a restoration church and then eventually were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Cato was recently released as the stake president for Independence stake.  He told us of special moments he had with General Authorities during his time as stake president. Independence and the surrounding areas are places which will have significance in future events of the last days.

 

This week was transfers.  Tuesday, we had new missionaries arrive.  We juggled a visit to the hospital along with meeting the new missionaries. I always do a medical interview with each new missionary. Wednesday, we had a departure trip to the Farr West Temple Site and Adam-Ondi-Ahman.  President Sommerfeldt discussed the important events which have occurred and will occur in each of these locations.  After the trip we went back to the Sommerfeldts home for a testimony meeting and dinner. It was a reminder of how close we are to completing our mission.

 

Thursday night Russell received a text asking him if he could speak for 10-15 minutes on Sunday. I was proud of him for the great job he did, especially since there wasn’t much time to prepare. I have posted his talk after this blog entry.

 

This week, Russell got an email from Jazreel Vigara, one of our AP’s in the Philippines.  He will be graduating from BYU Hawaii in June with an accounting degree.  Russell had tried to get him interested in school when he was finishing his mission.  About six months after he went home, we got an email from him asking, "Do you remember that you said it might be possible for me to get into BYU Hawaii?  How would I do that?"  It is nice to see how this has turned out.

 

Our replacements arrive next Saturday.  We want to give it our all to the end. We are grateful for the time we have had to serve together.

We had Sister Creer over last week for her birthday. Russell did all the cooking. 

                                          

President and Sister Cato.  He did a wonderful job of explaining about the historical events, both past and future which Independence is associated with.

Sister Sommerfeldt and I felt like matching eskimos. It was extremely cold there. 

Some of these sisters had bare legs.  I asked if they were cold, they responded with they couldn't feel their legs anymore. 

                Farr West temple site with the departing missionaries. 

                                           

Healys and Sommerfeldts at Adam-ondi-Ahman

We were so appreciative of the hot chocolate the Halls and Sheffields put out.  The young sister who helps with the meals associated with transfers had her baby a few hours after our dinner. She went home at about 3pm  because "she wasn't feeling well," and had her baby around 11 pm.

Maddie made these cute place settings for each missionary. 

We were at Adam-ondi-Ahman just as the sun was setting. It was freezing cold, but beautiful. 

                              

Our mission ran out of cars for each companionship to have a car. These 4 elders traveled together so that Elder Wagoner could see the doctor for his fractured hand. 

SACRAMENT MTG TALK, INDEPENDENCE 3RD WARD

 Good morning brothers and sisters, my name is Elder Healy.  Sister Healy and I are full-time missionaries in the Missouri Independence Mission.  My wife is the mission nurse, and I serve in the office.  I have been asked to speak on finding Christ through attending the Temple.  

For the last seven months I have had the privilege of also serving as a temple ordinance worker on Saturday afternoons.  Serving there has been one of the highlights of my mission.  For me, it has been a refuge from the challenges of this temporal world, which confronts all of us.  Next Saturday will be my last shift serving in the Kansas City Temple, as we are returning home early next month.  I will miss the peace I have felt there and the people that I have associated with, both my fellow temple workers and the patrons.

President Russell M. Nelson has told us, “My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 

“So I ask each of you, how firm is your foundation? And what reinforcements to your testimony and understanding of the gospel are needed?

“The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power. And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead.

“We have been promised that ‘if [we] are prepared [we] shall not fear.’ This assurance has profound implications today. The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era.

“Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power. Then, when spiritual earthquakes occur, you will be able to stand strong because your spiritual foundation is solid and immovable.”

This last week we have had a couple of very difficult issues arise in the mission.  With one, a parent called to tell us that a missionary’s grandmother had suddenly passed away.  With another, a missionary was diagnosed with a serious illness, one that will be with her the rest of her life.  On Thursday I saw both these missionaries.  In each case, the missionaries were striving to carry on with their missionary work.  The challenges life had thrown at them suddenly, though causing them great sadness, was not debilitating.  Their faith in Jesus Christ and the promises of their temple covenants are helping them to, as President Nelson noted, “stand strong” “when spiritual earthquakes occur.”

 Brothers and sisters, those spiritual earthquakes have and will continue to occur in all our lives.  The temple is our refuge from the storm.  Take advantage of its close proximity, go often and enjoy the peace it affords.

President Nelson continues, “Temple ordinances and covenants are ancient. The Lord instructed Adam and Eve to pray, make covenants, and offer sacrifices. Indeed, ‘whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth who will obey His word, they have been commanded to build temples.’ The standard works are replete with references to temple teachings, clothing, language, and more. Everything we believe and every promise God has made to His covenant people come together in the temple. In every age, the temple has underscored the precious truth that those who make covenants with God and keep them are children of the covenant.

 “Under the Lord’s direction and in answer to our prayers, recent procedural adjustments have been made. He is the One who wants you to understand with great clarity exactly what you are making covenants to do. He is the One who wants you to experience fully His sacred ordinances. He wants you to comprehend your privileges, promises, and responsibilities. He wants you to have spiritual insights and awakenings you’ve never had before. This He desires for all temple patrons, no matter where they live.

“When you bring your temple recommend, a contrite heart, and a seeking mind to the Lord’s house of learning, He will teach you.” (Oct. 2021, The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation)

Just prior to our leaving on our first mission as senior missionaries, Sister Healy and I attended the temple.  During that session both of us felt that the Lord was trying to teach each of us something specific.  For me it was from D&C 60:2, “But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them.” I took this as God’s expectation of me that I both share the message of the restored Gospel, and that I perform my mission’s work without the use of an interpreter.  It had been decades (35 years) since I had spoken Indonesian as a young missionary.  That prompting in the temple helped motivate me to study the language both prior to serving and almost every day during my mission.  For my wife it was the feeling that the mission would require a significant sacrifice, perhaps of her health, which was something neither of understood until almost a year into our mission.

President Thomas S. Monson has said, “As I think of temples, my thoughts turn to the many blessings we receive therein. As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world. Inside this sacred sanctuary, we find beauty and order. There is rest for our souls and a respite from the cares of our lives.

“As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ 

“Such peace can permeate any heart—hearts that are troubled, hearts that are burdened down with grief, hearts that feel confusion, hearts that plead for help.” (Apr. 2015, Blessings of the Temple)

Brothers and sisters, as I contemplated giving this talk and thinking of my experiences of finding Christ in the temple and its ordinances, two examples immediately came to my mind, one recent and one not.

Being near the end of our mission here in Missouri, Sister Healy’s and my thoughts have begun to turn to what we should be doing next.  Plans have been made to do a number of things with family members.  We want very much to bolster our relationship with them and try to help strengthen their testimonies in our Savior and His established Church.  With regards to one potential future plan, we were discussing it a week ago Friday evening.  As both of us would be going to the temple the next day, Sister Healy with the senior missionaries and I with my temple shift, I suggested that we delay deciding until after we had each prayed about it in the temple, after which we could make the decision.

As it turned out the next day, I had a break for a few minutes in my temple ordinance worker schedule, during which I spent the time praying about our issue.  Since I find “no” answers easier to recognize than “yes” answers, I asked that if our plan was not consistent with God’s will, that He let me know.  Not feeling any specific answer, I began my next assigned duty on my shift schedule. During that process, I had the rather unique experience of meeting my wife at the end of her Endowment session.  Helping administer the ordinances of the temple is always a privilege and wonderful experience.  But coming away from that experience, I felt I had the added blessing of having received my answer.

Understanding the second temple experience benefits by understanding a bit of background to the story.  Twenty-five years ago, we were living in Belgium.  The ward we attended was for all those whose primary language was not either French or Flemish.  This meant we had members from all over the world and in all economic conditions.  One of the families I home taught was a non-member Serbian refugee and his two sons. his wife had died in an auto accident several years earlier.  The two teenage sons had been baptized earlier in the year, and we had grown quite close to them.  Just a few weeks before Christmas, the father, Alia, had been diagnosed with cancer.  I was able to get copies of Alia’s medical files and obtain a second opinion from the doctors at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.  Unfortunately, the news I got back was that it was “time for your friend to prepare to meet his maker.”  Interestingly, Alia decided to do just that.  The young missionaries started teaching Alia the lessons.  Sister Healy and I were fortunate to be able to participate in some of those lessons.  In early January Alia was baptized and he faithfully attended church each week thereafter, when his health allowed, until he passed away that following summer.

Several years later, after the two boys had gone on missions and were attending BYU Idaho, Sister Healy and I had the privilege of attending the temple in Idaho Falls with Alia’s two  sons.  There we participated in the temple ordinances for Alia, his wife and both sets of grandparents.  I had the privilege of being proxy for my friend Alia during the Endowment and Sealing sessions.  All during the Endowment session I could feel Alia’s presence.  It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.  I could not see or touch him, but I could feel his presence next to me.  Then during the Sealing session, Sister Healy and I knelt at the altar as proxies for Alia and his wife, first being sealed together and then to their two sons.  All this was made possible because of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

Brothers and sisters, it is in the temple where we can be closest to God, it is where we can go to be taught by Him, and it is there where we and our families can receive the ordinances and make eternal covenants that make it possible for us to find our way back home to our Father in Heaven after this life.  And I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET

 Early Thursday morning, at 3:30 AM, Eileen’s phone sounded, noting that it had received a text message.  The elders were trying to be considerate and not wake us with a call, but worried enough to send a message hoping that Eileen might just happen to notice their message, if she were up.  Being light sleepers, we both woke up immediately and Eileen called the missionaries.They explained that one of the elders had been suffering with a headache, minor chest pain, and a few other odd symptoms for a few days.  But that night the elder had not slept at all because it felt like a heavy weight was pressing on his chest.  Eileen first thought he possibly had a chest cold or pneumonia.  However, the elder was not coughing up anything, was not running a temperature, and had a normal heartbeat.  After talking with the Area Medical Advisor and whoever was on-call at Missionary Medical, the decision was made to send the elder into the ER.  A few hours later, the diagnosis came back as Covid.  I had totally forgot that one of common signs of covid during the first year of the pandemic was intense chest pressure.

This morning a sister missionary had to go to the ER.  It has been a while since we have had two missionary ER visits in a week.

On Friday, the Church announced new mission presidents for 2025.  Eileen noticed two were from our stake back home (Centerville Utah North).  Mark & Shae Oligschlaeger, from the Greenfield Ward will be serving in the California San Bernardino Mission.  They live across the street from where our daughter Jessica lived before they moved to Oregon.  Brent & Lisa Robinson, from the Reading Ward will be serving in the Philippines Antipolo Mission. It is interesting that they will be serving in the mission in which we served with President Alder from our stake.

On the second Saturday of each month, the senior missionaries attend the 1:30 PM session.Yesterday was the last time Eileen would have the opportunity to attend with the other senior missionaries.  Since I serve as an ordinance worker during that time, I can’t attend with them. It did so happen that my assignment facilitated my meeting Eileen for just a minute or two near the end of her endowment session.  It was a special blessing to be able to share that experience together.

                                        

Our office staff meeting on Monday morning was held over Zoom due to the storm.  Did we forget how we dressed for Zoom meetings during Covid?  Russell figured he would only be seen from the waist up, and dressed appropriately. 

                                     

It took Russell a couple of hours to dig our car out of the snow on Monday. Our car was totally encased in ice.  We didn't have a snow shovel so he used a frying pan to clear the snow off of the ground that the snow plow piled up blocking our car in. 

                                    

                             I (Eileen) sat in the car while Russell cleaned the ice off the car.  

                         

Russell likes this deli in Independence. I can take it or leave it. However since we met the owners who are from Korea and heard their stories, all of a sudden their food tastes better. 

I am hoping this vestibular PT will help this sister.  Vertigo is a difficult disease to deal with.

I am enjoying playing racquetball again (even if I am not losing weight).  I play with Russell in the morning and Sister Creer in the evening. 

Our APs didn't realize they were dressed alike. They even have matching ties on. 

Sister Creer had a dead battery. For her it was no problem. She pulled out her portable battery zapper and got her car going in no time. Russell said she should have been the vehicle coordinator. 

We had 22 senior missionaries join us for dinner after our temple session. 

WINTER BLIZZARD

Late last week we started getting  news reports of a big storm coming.  It was forecast that the storm would start midafternoon Saturday with freezing rain and then about nightfall turn to snow.  The snow was expected to continue all through the night and Sunday until 10 PM.  So far, the weathermen have got it right.  They have also predicted that Monday through Thursday will be clear with low temperatures in the single digits and highs rising to 28 on Thursday after three days in the teens.  That layer of ice below the snow will have no chance to melt on its own.

Church meetings have been canceled today as public safety personnel are urging the public to stay off the roads.

Friday evening I (Russell) got word that my temple shift Saturday afternoon had been canceled.  The temple was planning to close by 1:30 PM, after the mid-day shift.  I felt a sense of loss not being able to serve there the next day.

That evening we also had the opportunity to have dinner with President and Sister Sommerfeldt at Manny’s Mexican Restaurant, in downtown Kansas City.  I came away that evening clearly recognizing two of my favorite things about my time serving here.  I love serving in the temple and I love serving with President and Sister Sommerfeldt.  I am really going to miss them.

Since I was going to be home Saturday afternoon, and most things here were shutting down by midafternoon, I suggested to Eileen that we have a pre-blizzard party. We invited some of the other senior missionaries that live within close walking distance to us over for dinner, which I picked up from the Chinese takeout place near us before they closed.

Two photos posted on the news regarding accidents in the freezing rain. You think the road is clear and in reality it is a sheet of ice. In fact one video showed teenagers playing ice hockey on the street in Liberty.

Windchill factor of -4 degrees. So glad I am not a pioneer living in a log cabin.

Missouri doesn't get much snow. Compared to Utah this isn't much but there is a sheet of ice under that snow.

Our pre-blizzard party. We only invited people who lived close enough they  could walk to our apartment. 

Look at these cleats/treads Sister Dennison had on the bottom of her shoes.  Brilliant!