Music; My Heavenly Gift! (Part 1)

A couple weeks ago I had the experience of leading a discussion with our YSA Relief Society on dating and feeling “flow state”. It made me reflect on where I’ve experienced that kind of effortless energy the most in my life. Of course it’s been when I’m doing music, whether singing, teaching music and leading a choir or accompanying my kids singing. There’s nothing that puts me there like music. It’s made me realize I need to record some of the experiences I’ve had from my very beginning with music. .

EARLY YEARS

I KNOW music came from heaven with me. I don’t ever remember not having music in my soul. One of my earliest recollections I have is being asked to sing on the temple grounds in Salt Lake City for a man dressed in white (he must have been a temple worker and I must have already been singing for my mom to ask me to sing for him). I’ll never forget him promising me that one day I would sing in the building behind him, the Tabernacle on Temple Square. (His prophecy came true. I never got to sing in the Tabernacle Choir, but did sing many times with my choirs from BYU, even in a conference session.)

My next earliest memory happened when living in Tulare. I had to be 5 or 6. We lived in a tiny branch that met in the Scouting building for church and primary. My mom was Primary President AND Primary Chorister. In order to get kids to Primary my mom would take our yellow station wagon and go pick up a load of kids for mid-week primary and then take them all back home. Because she taught us the new music in Primary we would always end up singing the songs on the way home with all the kids in the car.

This one Wednesday afternoon at the close of Primary we all climbed into the car, maybe 10 kids (no seatbelt laws in those days!) As was the custom we started singing one of the new songs my mom has just taught. As we sang my mom started to sing something different. It was the same words, but a different melody. I was stunned. It was GLORIOUS!!! I was so in awe that I turned and told everyone to be quiet and then in an excited voice asked her, “What is that you are singing?!!! My mother’s simple reply, “I’m singing the Alto part. I’m singing harmony.” Oh beautiful glorious HARMONY!! All the way home I begged my mom to show ME how to do that.

When I was around 7 and living in Tulare my parents purchased a small spinet piano (which I inherited when I married!). I was enthralled, so excited to learn how to play. Soon after my mom enrolled me, along with my two older siblings, in piano lessons. I remember being so frustrated. I thought with one or two lessons I was going to be able to play right away! I soon realized, to my great disappointment, that I was going to have to pay the price and practice in order to play.

Our poor mom would remind us daily to go practice. All of us complained, found excuses why we couldn't go practice and would sneak out after practicing only a few minutes. One day in exasperation my mom told us if we didn't get in there and practice she would have us quit. She said she couldn't afford to continue to pay for lessons we didn't prepare for. The threat had no effect on my brother and sister, but it worked on me. Even though I hated practicing I loved my music more. I got up and went and practiced!

It was those early years of piano lessons and learning how to read music that gave me many opportunities in elementary school to sing in a select 5^th-6^th grade city choir. I also was chosen by the orchestra leader to be taught how to play a viola and then participate in an elementary city orchestra and then Junior High Orchestra, all because I could read music. I will love my mom forever for providing me the chance to learn to play the piano in my youth.

FINDING MY VOICE

I matured physically at a very young age. So did my singing voice. By time I was in Junior High it became obvious I was a singer. At 14 I stopped piano lessons and begin voice lessons. I feel like we were spiritually guided to a woman that would have great impact on my life. My voice teacher’s name was Lillian Warneke. Though she wasn't a member of the church, she was a deeply committed Christian who was equally passionate about God and music and anyone who loved it like she did. We hit it off right away and became dear friends. It was under her direction, standing at her piano I learned how to use my voice to glorify God and feel His spirit speak to me in song. She introduced me to whole new vistas of musical repertoire, from opera to pop to spirituals. It was there I fell in love with the human voice.

Monday Club Audition

I remember one experience vividly. I was a senior in high school when I was encouraged to audition for the Monday Club Music Scholarship. It would help finance attendance at BYU and also ready me to audition for a music scholarship from BYU. The Monday Club scholarship was serious and highly competitive. I worked hard learning an Italian Aria and a very difficult number in English. As the audition came closer I doubled up on my lessons with Mrs. Warneke. I practiced like I never had before. The last lesson I attended the week of the competition was magic. When it was over I knew I had it!!! I was ready!

It was dark outside when I walked out of that lesson to my car. As I reached for the door to open it to drive home I fell against the car, overcome with emotion, and started to cry. I cried out from the deepest part of my soul in humility and gratitude that the Lord would have honored me with this gift. I knew it wasn't something I learned or had somehow earned. It was a gift from God that had been a part of me from before I was born. Standing there in the dark I raised my voice in praise to God. And in that moment I pledged that my heart and my talents would always be used to glorify His name. It was a tender, never to be forgotten experience. 

I have tried to keep that pledge my whole life.

Mr. Letson

High School was filled with opportunities to sing. As a freshman our school district hired a young man, fresh out of university, to be our new music teacher. His name; Mr. Letson. He was full of fresh ideas, energy and enthusiasm. He brought the music program at SLO High back to life. I was blessed to have him all four years of high school. (When our class graduated he left with us to go teach at a college.) I would go on to sing in many choirs at BYU, but it was Mr. Letson who I patterned my style of conducting after. He was amazing and so inspiring!!

One of Mr. Letson’s innovations was starting a Mixed Ensemble (four people on each part; sixteen all together in the group). He called us “The Carousels”. We ended up performing 2-3 times a week for the next four years. We became well-known throughout SLO County. We were good. One of the innovations Mr. Letson brought that is done now all the time but back then was unheard of, was doing choreography with our singing. We were able to go on several tours all over California. We became experienced entertainers and I had continuous opportunities to solo.

The best part of Carousels was that over half the members of the group, along with our accompanist Cathy Jones, were all Mormons. My senior year in high school we baptized 17 people (one was Jim) and most came from Carousels and our Concert Choir.

In high school I was also able to do some musical theater. My favorite role was that of Bloody Mary in South Pacific. She was the comic character of the play. Bloody Mary’s part was a little naughty and so fun to play. Plus Bloody Mary had two of the best songs in the play, “Happy Talk” and Bali Hi”. So fun!

A Musical Experience I'd Like to Forget

Because my group of LDS friends all sang with me in Carousels we were asked to do a lot of singing in church and at church events. There is one experience I wish I could forget.

Our church region, which included Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo Stakes, decided to have a concert that included small groups of youth singers. The Region asked that each stake provide at least one quartet of young singers to participate at the event. I remember we got notified late so we didn’t have much time, but because we all could sight read and had Cathy as our amazing accompanist we were confident and threw it quickly together in a couple rehearsals.

I look back now and realize how badly we underestimated this event. It had to have been a big deal. Our leaders had to drive us down to Santa Barbara to perform in front of a very large crowd. We were surprised and a little intimidated, especially because we all knew we weren't really prepared.

Our turn came to sing. We stood up on stage and Cathy begin her introduction. I’m sure because of our nervousness we missed our entrance and then it just went downhill from there. It finally got so bad we started to giggle, then laugh, then guffaw. AND WE COULD NOT STOP!!! We finally had to leave the stage. And when we finally stopped laughing we truly felt awful and embarrassed. We were mortified! It was a long trip home. Our leaders never spoke one word to us the whole way back to San Luis!!! (But as bad as it was, to this day I still giggle when I think about it!)

In high school there were two things that had the greatest impact; meeting Jim and my music. I can’t tell you who my other teachers were, but I can give you detail about those that brought music into my life. My best friends were involved, right there with me, singing and preforming. It was my passion, my identity and my contribution to the world. It's what introduced me to the Spirit.  I don’t know who or what I would have become without the leavening effect of music in my life. It was at the core of my high school experience!

(To be continued)

July 6th Tani's Birthday!!

Early Sunday morning and time for another blog. Today is the birthday of my little sister, Tani who was diagnosed with kidney Cancer a couple years ago and given a short time to live. Here she is turning 59 today and still going strong. What a miracle and a blessing to have her still here with us. We are SO GRATEFUL!

This has been a pretty low-key week, which after the last month we had, has been kind of nice. Still there are a couple things I want to remember and record.

Summer at Britannia

We are in a very strange time in Britannia. We were warned that summer was an interesting time. Little did we know! This past Sunday our Bishop was released with no replacement in sight. Next week our first counselor goes back to the States, which leaves just our 2^nd counselor who is a YSA himself leading the ward. Our Elder’s Quorum President is gone the whole month of July and only one of his counselors will be here in July. All the kids trip and I’m not just talking for a week. They go from 3-4 weeks at a time so you are never sure who you are going to find at church doing what. Thursday night dinners are total guesswork on how much to make. (Luckily kids passing through London and the Elders and Sisters eat up whatever is extra). IT’S CRAZY!

The biggest heartbreak is losing kids that go home, some for the summer, some for good. I remember feeling this way when Jim was Bishop at BYU. You come to love the kids so much and then they move on with their lives. It breaks your heart. It is especially true here. So many have left for good. It is so hard on me! We’re working with YSA. I should know this happens, but it still kills me!

Dinner with Jason

Tuesday we had Jason, a convert of 2 years, that has been inactive, come to dinner. We have been going after him for the past couple months and finally got him to church the past week and invited him over for dinner. What a sweet boy! 

His story is a tragic one. He was given over to the state when he was an infant by a mother who couldn’t care for him (He has since forgiven her and they have a close relationship, although he never grew up with her). He lived in 20 different foster homes before he was 18. Because of depression and loneliness he become extremely overweight. One day, when he had reached the end of his rope and was ready to call it quits the missionaries street tracked him and he was baptized into the church. It helped for a while but he continued to deal with his weight and eventually stopped coming. 

One day he decided he’d had it with being a prisoner to his physical body and started restricting his diet and walking. In the past 7 months this young man has dropped 10 stones (140 lbs). He walks up to 27 miles a day (broken up into 2-3 segments). He looks and feels wonderful. He’s literally reclaimed his life.

One of the interesting things that happened that evening was when we were talking about the T.V. program "Meet the Mormons" that had been so awful the week before and how it had affected Ella and her parents. Jason turned to me and said, “It had the complete opposite effect on me. I knew it was all rubbish!! That’s one of the things that has turned me back to the church.” I was amazed. This horrible misrepresentation of the church, yet it was the thing that finally got him to come back. HE REMEMBERED why he joined the church!!!

Two Amazing Stories from Hyde Park Stake Women’s Conference

Yesterday was Women’s Conference. It was sad because the only way I heard about it was because Jim and I were asked to get 3-4 guys to man the nursery. The publicity on the event was not good and the numbers showed it. There were probably only 35 women in total there and many of those were our sister missionaries. What a loss because it was a wonderful day.

I grabbed a couple of our YSA girls and we went. (Jim came along because he was in the nursery. Of course he made it a party. The kids all had a blast with him!) When they announced the classes for the day I thought to myself how none applied to me or our girls, but I was wrong. 

The subjects were “Indexing” given by Jennie White, our high councilman’s wife who we love. She is our Family History Specialist and has such a deep love for the work. She did a marvelous job and I’ve committed to the Lord to do indexing one hour a week. The second class was “Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy” given by our Stake 2^nd Councilor’s wife. It was full of darling visuals and creative ways to help keep your kids engaged on Sunday. It was so good that I sent the handouts for her class to all my daughters! The last class was “Working at the Temple” given by a Brazilian sister who attends our Portuguese ward in the Stake. Her English was hard to understand but her spirit wasn’t. It filled the whole cultural hall. What a sweet sweet experience with her.

I want to record two stories that were shared yesterday

In the opening part of the meeting they had an older sister stand and share her story. I recognized her from when we visited Stratford Ward. She had given a lovely talk in Sacrament Meeting. In front of all the women there this sweet sister confessed that she had gotten through school having never learned to read or write. When she got married and had children she would bluff her way through, making up the story that went with the pictures in their reading books. Her kids would ask why the story kept changing. She lived a lie, terrified that someone would find out that she couldn’t read. 

Eventually she divorced her first husband. It was then that she met the missionaries and was baptized. Not long after she met her current husband and married. He was a member of the church and would spend hours reading to her from the scriptures. It was her desire to be able to read the scriptures for herself that finally gave her the courage to sign up for a literacy class and learn how to read. She was 50 years old!!!

She said how difficult it was. She would come home in tears and so frustrated. Her husband would calm her and then encourage her to keep trying. After many weeks and much hard work the day came when she was able to pass her literacy test.

Since then she has been able to encourage and inspire others who couldn’t read to try. One of them was a man whose greatest desire was to be able to read the prayer to bless the sacrament. With her help he succeeded! He was SEVENTY YEARS OLD!!!

Her story and her humility deeply touched me. What an example she is to those who think they are too old to change. What sweet humility to stand up and confess her previous inability to read so others have the courage to face whatever it is that keeps them from progressing. It was very tender.

The second story came from the precious Portuguese sister. She told us about how her parents were one of the first 16 families to be baptized in Brazil. Her parents had 5 children, which was all they could afford. But after joining the church her mom kept feeling she needed to add more children to be missionaries for the kingdom. She bore two more children; this young woman and a younger brother.

She told us that growing up the greatest heartbreak of their family was that they couldn’t afford to go to the temple to be sealed. There were no temples close enough to be even possible to attend. When this young girl was only twelve she decided that she personally would start to save money so her family could go be sealed. She got a daily babysitting job and put away every cent toward her temple fund. When she was 14 she found a craft she could make. She made 1,000 of these crafts and was able to sell every one of them. 

By time she was 18 she was close to having enough money to take her family to the temple when Pres. Hinckley came to Brazil and personally announced the building of a temple in the very city her family lived in! She expressed the indescribable joy they all felt that they were finally going to be sealed together.

This woman grew up having a deep, fervent love of the temple. She ended up being a temple worker in San Paulo and getting married in the temple there. Then her husband and family moved to London. To her joy and delight she was asked once again if she would work at the temple.

She told of an experience that happened here. It was at the end of her shift. The last group of the evening had already started their Endowment session when in ran a sister, desperate to do a session. They had to tell her it was too late. Then she asked if she could to initiatories. It was also closed. What about sealings? They were done, as well.

When she heard there was nothing she could do she literally fell to the floor sobbing. She explained that the whole day things had happened to keep her from getting to the temple. She sobbed that it had been the worst day of her life. Our Brazilian sister felt horrible and went to get someone to see if there was anything else they could do.

As they tried to calm her down a worker from the baptistery came in and in an anxious voice asked if any of them spoke Spanish. They were desperate for someone to come help with the baptisms who could communicate in Spanish. The woman who had been crying stopped. She got this amazed look on her face and joyfully replied, “I can help. I speak fluent Spanish.”

If that sister had come even 20 minutes sooner, she would have made the session and been gone. The Lord needed her to be available exactly as it happened. There was a great work waiting that only she was capable of doing!!!

Isn’t that symbolic of how our lives can be and why we need to trust the Lord’s timetable for us all? Once again a great reminder for me to trust that He is in charge!


The Larsons Going Home; Their Story

I've talked about how much we love all the Senior Missionaries here. It's been a sad week to let one of our favorites go home. The Larsons literally saved our sanity the first month that we were here. They were the office couple who hauled us back and forth to Costco and filled in all the gaps of what we didn't know how to do. They are from Logan. Both were school teachers and brilliant. They were two of the most competent people we've ever known.

On Friday we had a little gathering of the Seniors to say goodbye at the Jordan's flat. For the first time we heard both sides to the story of how the Larsons ended up in our mission. They had already told us about their first 2 year mission to France where they worked with the YSA AND did the office. It was a HUGE calling! They went home and were there about 3 months when Elder Larson went to the temple and had a VERY strong impression that they were to put in papers for a second mission. He tried to ignore it, knowing they had just gotten home and they needed a break. But the feelings persisted until finally he broke down and told Sister Larson the undeniable impressions he was having that they needed to go on a second mission.

Sister Larson had a confirmation and they put their papers back in, assuming that they were desperately needed in some french-speaking country. They were totally shocked when they opened their call to LONDON!!

What they could never have known and what was said Friday by Sister and President Jordan was that they were literally prayed to London. The Jordans had been here only a few months when President Monson made the announcement about the age change. Sister Jordan said they were both still so new they didn't know what they were doing. There had also been some problems from before they got here and now they were going to be inundated with new missionaries! Sister Jordan said she started pleading with the Lord to send them someone that could help. Here came the Larsons.

When the Larsons arrived our mission needed 60 new flats found, rented and furnished for all the new missionaries that were in the process of coming. The Larsens did all that in 7 months BY THEMSELVES!!! They have been able to get all the financial items that were in disarray back into order AND save the mission over $100,000. a year. They have been the best thing that could have ever happened to this mission. When Sister Jordan told her side of the story and how much they meant to her she started to cry in gratitude for his servants of the Lord listening and then heeding the spirit. We love them. They will be sorely missed.

Lynn Ling

I have written about our Ling Ling. She is the Chinese convert that is going to have to go back to China at the end of summer and has been so concerned how she will be able to live the gospel with her family that doesn’t understand.

Late last night I got an instant message from her that made my heart fill with joy. Here’s what she wrote:

Sister Phillips! I was sharing testimony with my family just now! I told them how much I have grown since I joined the church and even shared about my calling as relief society teacher! And they just loved it. And they are so happy that I have grown so much because of the gospel. I am soooo happy right now. And I want to share it with you because of what I have said to you months ago about my concerns. I really have nothing to worry about going back!

I wrote back:

You have NO IDEA how happy this made me tonight. I can take a big sigh of relief knowing you will be good when you go home. I just knew your family loved you enough that they would want you to be happy! I'm so proud of you being brave and sharing how you feel. It's all just wonderful. LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!

She responded:

I will bear my testimony tomorrow.

This might not seem like a big deal, but I LOVE this girl. She has been terrified to tell her very traditional Chinese family about the church. She didn’t know how she would be able to go against their wishes if they went against the church. You simply can’t imagine the courage it took for her to share this with them. That’s why it means so much to me to have received this note. I truly am rejoicing!

Marin is One Year Old / Caleb is Six Years Old

I cannot believe Marin is a year old tomorrow!!! It’s sped by and yet it feels she’s been a part of our family for years. What a gift to have her in our eternal family. What joy she has brought in her one short year. We are blessed!

Then there’s Caleb. How did he get to be six years old so fast? He's become such a grown up boy. What a blessing he is to all of us, especially to sister Codi. What would Codi do without her big brother who takes such amazing care of her. We love our Caleb and count him as one of our 12 greatest blessings!!!

Well, I guess that’s it for now. I’m still going to be working on my music post. It’s a little overwhelming. How do you record 63 years filled with tender blessings from the gift of music. I will try.

Love to each of you. So many big happenings in each of your lives. We continue to pray for your lives to be led by the spirit and you choices aligned with the Lord’s will. Know how deeply you are loved!!! Mom

June 30th Another Month Down!

It’s Monday morning and I am just now getting to this blog. It’s been a crazy crazy weekend and I’m a tired Mommy! Yesterday we got our refund from the Bishop for our expenses this month. It was over 850 pounds.  I was blown away with how much it was until I sat down a reviewed our purchases this month. It was then I realized how much shopping and cooking we've done these past 4 weeks.

·     

          Munch and Mingles (dinner for the whole ward after church on Fast Sunday and then last night for Bishop Gill leaving the ward)

·        Refreshments for a Multi-Stake Dance

·        Refreshments for a Multi-Stake Fireside

·        Dessert for the Stake Institute Graduation

·        4 Institute Thursday night dinners for 70

·        Treats for our temple trip

This doesn't include our Tuesday night “Seek for Supper” dinners we are having at our flat for less-actives and their Visiting Teachers (we keep it at 2 sets of people each Tuesday).  Luckily all this was spaced over the whole month. Nevertheless that is a lot of shopping and a lot of cooking! (Mind you most of this has been done without a car!!) No wonder I’m a tired mommy!

Three Re-activation Stories

Yesterday the Bishop contacted me and told us the Area Presidency is asking each ward to write up stories of reactivation within their individual wards. The month of June had been designated as the month to reactive by reaching out to the one. I’m including the three I wrote up yesterday for Bishop before church.

Three stories.

Cindy Yang: This summer Elder Phillips and I started "Seek for Supper". It's held on Tuesday nights and is an open invitation for the YSA in our ward to invite their less-actives to share dinner with us. It gives us a chance to share a meal and establish a relationship with them in an informal setting. Three weeks ago Megumi invited Cindy Yang, a beautiful professional Chinese woman who was baptized 4 years ago but has not attended church for the past couple years. We had a delightful evening with her and was able to talk deeply and invite her to come join with us once again. A week and a half later (this past Sunday) while sitting in Sacrament Meeting, Cindy walked in with her mother and sat down in front of us. We hugged and were genuinely so excited to see her and told her so. The meeting was wonderful. At its close I told her once again how we loved having her with us. She answered, I can't be here next week because of being out of town but I will be back the next week. I promise."  Music to our ears!

We have been working with a new member, Vivian, who was inactive a couple months ago. She has started coming every week for the last several weeks. I had a sweet experience this past Monday with her as she and her partner, Meggie, both fairly new Chinese converts, visit taught me. It was their first time to ever visit teach and both were really nervous. Having been a Visiting Teacher for 35 years it was a wonderful opportunity for me to bear witness of how and why we have visiting teaching. It was a tender, bonding experience. What touched me the most was when I found out that Vivian who had been totally inactive only 2 months ago, had traveled an hour on the tube to come that night to visit teach me! 

We became acquainted with one of our older YSA ward members who had become very sporadic in her attendance. When we asked her why she shared her feelings that she felt she didn't have a place in Britannia, she felt she had outgrown what Britannia had to offer. She was on a spiritual downward slide. Elder Phillips reached out to her, literally pulling her back in by his sincere caring. Because of this relationship she has been instrumental in helping us reach out to some of the other older YSA that have also slipped away. It’s been with her help that we have had a chance to influence them, as well. She has just now accepted a teaching calling in Relief Society and agreed to head a committee for a one day church history tour for the ward, all because someone reached out in love and let her know how badly she was needed here with us.

Ella’s Baptism

I need to share our story of Ella. I became aware of Ella only a couple weeks ago. She’s a beautiful 21 year old Brit who actually attends school in Manchester but is home for summer. She is a science major in geology and paleontology.  I assumed Ella was a member. She had such a sweet, glowing spirit about her. It was only last week that I found out she had been taking the missionary discussions and was getting baptized this past Saturday.

Ella didn’t know anything about the LDS church until this Easter when she saw the Mormon video about Christ “Because of Him”. It moved her enough to cause her to start goggling anything she could find about the church. It was she that went and found the missionaries. She had been taught some discussions in Manchester but then came home to London where our Sisters took over. (Our sisters here in Britannia are AMAZING!!! I adore them!) She was converted!

After Institute on Thursday night she asked Jim and I to participate at her baptism and then I was able to sit and talk with her about her testimony. I wish every person could have heard how she has been able to reconcile her scientific mind with her spiritual mind. In the end, for her, it is choosing to believe. She has the faith that one day she will see the whole picture of creation and understand God’s time. In her faith she doesn’t feel the need to know “all things” right now but has sweet assurance it will come. It was a beautiful discussion and I was filled up by her sweet spirit.

When Jim and I were walking home from church after our talk with her I mentioned to him that Ella’s conversion and baptism were not following the pattern we’d come to expect; the adversary going crazy! Little did we know!

The next morning, very early, we got a phone call from the sisters asking if they could bring Ella over to our flat. They explained that the previous night a very controversial TV station here in England broadcast a special on Mormon missionaries. It was HORRIBLE. It made the church look STRANGE and CONTROLLING, the worst possible image it could portray. It was embarrassing!

Ella had gone home after our discussion to find both her parents sitting there (they are divorced and live in separate houses. This simply never happened) waiting for her to come watch this program together. She watched and was mortified and her parents disgusted by what was presented. She was shaken.

After the phone call Jim and I knew it was going to be critical that we have the Holy Ghost present. We begin to pray. Jim felt strongly that it wasn't an issue of the T.V. broadcast as much as going back to what she had felt and whether or not the Book of Mormon was true.

When she walked in with the sisters we were surprised to see a young man we didn't recognize. When he told us who he was we realized he was one of the names the Bishop had given us to find but we had no contact information for him. His name was Lee, a member for just a year that had disappeared not long after his baptism.

We weren't sure what his presence would do for our meeting with Ella but it ended up being a blessing having him there. He has a testimony. His life has been complicated and difficult. First he lives 1 ½ hours from the church. He’s had to help sustain his family with two jobs because his dad is sick and can only work sporadically. He is a full time student and shortly after his baptism the person that fellowshipped him into the church moved. All this happened right after he was baptized when he had only shallow roots in the gospel. But his heart is good. He was walking by church and felt prompted to go inside where the sister missionary who taught him a year ago just happened to be standing. She was the one that encouraged him to come with Ella to our flat.

There were tears, testimonies and love at that meeting. Even Lee bore his testimony that he knew it was true. Ella was able to totally recognize that the events of the previous night was too perfectly set up to be coincidence. She felt assurance and confidence to move forward and so the next day Ella was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was a joyful occasion.

Your dad confirmed her and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday in Sacrament Meeting. She is truly a great one and will be such a blessing to the church. Great missionary moments!!!

The Letter to the Missionaries from President Jordan

We received this letter today from President Jordan in response to the awful program shown Thursday night. It’s a fabulous response from a VERY inspired mission president that I want to share.

Dear Sisters and Elders,

Forty years ago as a young missionary in Brazil, I attended a mission conference with a Seventy, Elder Asael T. Sorensen, from Salt Lake City. After his talk, he opened the meeting up for questions. One of the elders told how he and his companion were being persecuted by a priest of another religion, and asked what they should do. Elder Sorensen rubbed his hands together to indicate his pleasure and said, “That’s great! There’s nothing like a little persecution to get the work going.”

I was reminded of his words this week when Sister Jordan and I watched a “documentary” on TV called “Meet the Mormons.” (And, no, you are not authorized to watch it.) It takes a negative slant on the Church, and tries to depict the missionaries as brainwashed. The program follows a new missionary, Elder Field from England, as he enters the MTC in Preston and begins his service in the England Leeds Mission. (He had an especially rough time with homesickness in the MTC.)

This past week several missionaries called me to say they had been asked about the show by people on the street and wondered how they should respond. I told them to take a positive approach and say, “That was a TV show. If you would like to know what Mormon missionaries are really like and what we teach, we would be happy to meet with you so you can see for yourself. Would you be willing to do that?”

There always has been and always will be opposition to the work of Lord. Indeed, it is a sign of the Lord’s true church. As the old saying goes, “The Devil doesn’t kick dead dogs.” The great and spacious building has put on a new wing to accommodate demand in the last days. We should take the same approach to finger pointing as Nephi and Lehi and pay it no heed. (1 Nep. 8:33-34). Satan is busy, but so is our Heavenly Father. He covenanted with each of us before this life that He would do all He could, consistent with the laws of agency, to help us return home to Him. Just as in the days of Alma, God is working to prepare the hearts of His children for the gospel: “For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.” (Alma 13:24). Those angels are messengers of the good tidings of the restoration. They come in both heavenly and mortal form, and you are among them.

I have seen evidence this week of the Lord’s hand in the lives of people who saw a negative TV program and yet were moved upon by the Holy Ghost. I had a call on Friday from a member of Chelmsford Ward who told me about a work colleague who approached him and said she had watched the Meet the Mormons program. The member thought to himself, "Here we go." But instead of criticizing, she said, "I watched those young missionaries and I thought to myself, I want my own sons to grow up with that same kind of character. Can we have missionaries from your church come and teach my husband and me and our three sons?

I also spoke with a member from the Birmingham Mission who told me of man who walked into the chapel in Warwick last Friday. The chapel was full of members who were there for a funeral. The man introduced himself and explained that he had seen the program and it brought back memories of how homesick he felt when he first went into the army. He asked if he could learn more about the Church.

The Lord can do His work in spite of earth and hell, and so can you. As Joseph Smith said:

“The standard of truth has been erected; No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

We love you,

President and Sister Jordan

PS: I talked to the president of the Leeds Mission today and he told me Elder Fisher is a wonderful missionary without a trace of homesickness.

How blessed are we to have an inspired President Jordan at the helm of this mission!!!!

Bishop Gill’s Final Sunday and Munch and Mingle

Yesterday was a crazy day. It started at 10:30 when one of our precious 29 year-old girls came for some assurance, hugs and love. She’s had a deep friendship with a Muslim doctor she has worked with for a long time that is from Syria. She’s known for quite a while that it was moving from friendship into something much more. This week when a get-together with him fell through and she was devastated, she realized she couldn't let it continue. With great courage she was able to cut their relationship off on Friday but her heart was broken.

What is so terribly difficult here is the lack of boys to date. This special 29 year old girl knows there’s currently nothing here to replace him with. It’s bleak! That’s why this is such a courageous thing for her to do and a complete act of faith. It’s hard! My heart aches for these faithful kids.

In Sacrament Meeting the Bishop gave his final message, followed by one of the most beautiful musical numbers I've ever heard at church. It was the same girl, Katie, that sang Megan’s “My Gethsemane” so brilliantly. She sang “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”. The spirit just filled the chapel.

Our Stake President then spoke and was so gracious and expressed deep gratitude for the fine man that has been our Bishop. We are so sad to lose him. Then we had one of our Area Presidency there to speak. Our meeting went 1 ½ hours but it was a truly wonderful meeting.

From our Sacrament meeting I went directly into the kitchen to begin preparations for the dinner. For the previous 2 Sundays the Relief Society had passed around sign-ups for our Munch and Mingle that was to happen right after church was over at 4:00. They had planned to have a variety of summer salads and desserts. I told them that just salads wouldn't be enough to fill up hungry kids so when we went to Costco we got stuff to make ham and turkey sandwiches with all the fixings. Then Saturday night Jim and I went and got 200 different kinds of rolls and breads to put the fixings on. SO GRATEFUL WE DID!!!  When our Sacrament meeting was over I walked into the kitchen and there were THREE SALADS sitting there!!!! THREE!!!! This was to feed 160 people (including the Stake President, Mission President and Area President). There was a mix-up and no one had bothered to call and remind everyone to bring the stuff they had signed up for.

We panicked! In an hour and fifteen minutes we were going to have close to 200 very hungry YSA and leaders descended on us expecting to eat dinner! That’s when my crew that came to see if I needed help went into action. Immediately 3 kids volunteered to literally run to the store (this was an ox in the mire!) and get spinach, strawberries, mixed salad greens, tomatoes, grapes and some cookies. Dixon, the Chinese Brit who cooked an Institute dinner for me a couple months ago and whose hobby is cooking went down with me into my storage closet where I keep herbs, pasta, canned food, paper goods etc. and grabbed a giant can of tuna, 3 bags of bow tie pasta, 4 cans of corn, a big bottle of mayonnaise and herbs and spices. He took them up to the kitchen and cooked up a delicious huge tuna-pasta salad that fed thousands! We raided my Institute supply of Squash (a sweet drink they use here instead of soda) and we were set.

By time everyone arrived to eat, we had a feast waiting for them! It was an absolute miracle. I still am not sure how we did it but it worked with food to spare! (Still recovering from the stress, though!)

Tanner and Bri’s Houses

So today my prayers are with Bri and her little family. Oh how I wish I could be there to help her move into her new house they are renting IN OUR WARD!!!! Now we just hope they are still there when we get home from our mission. Dan is still in Washington so it’s all fallen on Bri. She claims she has it covered, but I've still got to worry. I’m her mom!!!

Yesterday we also got news that Tanner and Shelby have bought a house, also in Orem, close to our Junior High. It will be so wonderful having them all so close; a mother and grandmother’s dream come true.  This is when it’s so hard to not be there to help, but what a great opportunity for them to be the grown-ups they are and take care of their business without Mom’s interference. We are excited for these big happenings in their lives. Life truly goes on with or without us!!!

Well, I’m done. Another week completed. Another blog written. Feels good.

May you all feel our deep love for you and our precious grandchildren who we adore. God bless each of you with His love and assurance. Talk to you soon!

June 22, 2014

Sunday morning, once again. It comes so quickly. I’ve been considering what I wanted to write this week. There’s a couple things from our week I want to share and then I have a long life experience I want to get put down on paper. Bear with me.

Two Unbaptized Converts

This week we’ve had some very frustrating experiences. You all know the price Jim had to pay to join the church. He gave up EVERYTHING to be baptized and to serve his mission. He is uniquely qualified to teach investigators here that now are coming from cultures that make it almost impossible to join the church. It’s even more complicated than what Jim had to face because of the cultural context these kids are coming from. It’s so frustrating!!!

Sanja, Elder Murdock (Elder Ballard's grandson) and Elder Hoe from Hong Kong

This week Jim has had the experience of continuing teaching two AMAZING people; a young Indian man and a young Malaysian woman. I’ve mentioned the young man before. He was born in Birmingham England to first generation Indian parents. I found out this week he’s only 19. If you met him you’d think he was in his mid-twenties. He’s handsome, brilliant (going to be a doctor), mature and deeply converted. He LOVES the Book of Mormon and every time we meet with him HE teaches US from the scriptures. He prays like he’s been a member for life. He’s converted and has borne his testimony many times to us.

In his Indian culture it’s an accepted tradition to follow the wishes of your father. This boy loves and honors his parents. Here’s the problem. His family is Hindu. He recognizes that if he joins the church his parents will be devastated and will, in all likelihood, make him drop out of one of the finest universities in the world, Imperial College, and be forced to move back to Birmingham to go to school there.

His parents come this coming week to help him move back home for the summer. He is hoping to tell them when they are here about his conversion and introduce them to the church and some of its members. He’s praying that he will, in some way, be able to persuade them of his sincerity and the validity of the church. But if he fails at convincing them I’m not sure he yet has the faith to defy his parents and be baptized.

The young woman from Malaysia had her baptism date set for yesterday. She’s a beautiful, articulate young woman, full of the light of the gospel, totally converted. If you met her you’d never believe she wasn’t already a member. We love her.

She shared with us that before she found the gospel she was a different person. Because of some betrayals in her family she was sent into a deep depression. Her life was full of darkness and despair and her trust was gone. Then the missionaries found her street tracking and taught her the glorious gospel plan. It brought light and life back to her. We have literally seen the power of the atonement heal her in front of our eyes.

This week Jim got a phone call from her. She was devastated and asked if she could meet Jim for some counsel. Jim went with the Elders to meet with her. She had just told her parents about her baptism the coming Saturday and bore testimony how the gospel had healed her. To her amazement her parents refused to accept her decision. They begged her to come home before she made that decision. They told her she had to wait the 40 days before she turned 21. Once again, in her culture you do not question but obey your parents.

After hearing her story and calming her down, your dad, the Elders and this young woman decided to fast and pray to know if she should go ahead and be baptized or honor her parents’ will.

After fasting 24 hours they gathered again. The young woman had talked to her parents once more and they promised her that, after being home and waiting the 40 days, if she still wanted to be baptized they would allow her to come back to London and be baptized here. Every one of them sitting there knew this was only a ploy to get her away from London and home so they could convince her to not join the church. But as they all talked together a peace came that she needed to abide by her parents’ wishes.

Before they closed their fast this beautiful, wonderful young woman bore a testimony. She told them she would go ahead and honor her parents’ wishes and wait 40 days but then promised Jim that there was nothing that was going to keep her from being baptized into Christ’s church. Still it’s very difficult to let her go. We will continue to pray for her and for her parents.

These marvelous youth; can you see the reason for our frustration?

Hampstead Heath

This past Thursday we had a blood drive at our building that was held in the Cultural Hall and kitchen so I couldn’t make dinner for Institute. We ordered pizza for the night and Jim and I went on an outing to my new favorite place in London; Hampstead Heath. It’s a wild, woodsy park right in the middle of the city. But you would never dream you were near civilization. It’s gorgeous. 

We went with Catherine Wilkinson. We want to adopt her. She’s 29, has a rugrat voice like our children and was raised in Sulihull, a suburb of Birmingham.  She’s such a Birmy with lots of slang and phrases that are SO BRITISH! She cracks me up. We adore this girl. She took us on a hike that was literally breath taking. On the highest hill in the park you can look out over all of London. The park has several ponds of water, one designated for a women’s swimming hole, another for a man’s swimming hole and the last for both men and women. (It comes from old school English tradition. So funny!) 

We ended up doing more talking than hiking but it was a wonderful day. I HAVE to get back there. It’s glorious! (Forget old buildings. Give me nature any day!)

Relief Society and Elders Quorum; Our Dating Discussion

Jim and I had an amazing experience last Sunday. Our Bishop’s last week is next Sunday. He’s had some strong feelings that he wanted to address some things with the kids before he left around standards, doctrine of marriage, and same gender attraction, just some light- weight conversation! He decided to take the Sunday school hour for him to teach. Then 3^rd hour we would separate and Jim would teach the guys and I would teach the girls on dating.

Now you need to understand this is a mine field here in Britannia. It’s one of those discussions that are almost taboo in this ward. I think they’ve been so hounded and guilt-tripped on the need to date (because the majority don’t) that there’s a palpable resistance and push back about discussing it. This was no small assignment from the Bishop and we knew it.

Jim and I discussed it the week before any chance we got and then on Saturday sat down to make an outline of what we wanted to discuss. We recognized that it HAD to be a discussion, not us TELLING them. It was amazing how quickly it came together. The spirit was definitely directing us. We narrowed it down to four areas of discussion

1.    The Doctrine of Marriage

2.   What is your responsibility toward dating

3.   What do YOU control

4.   Red light, Yellow light, Green light

All these topics we adapted to those we were teaching so Jim’s focus was very different than mine

Bishop’s first hour went great and he was very candid. He’s a wise, gentle, righteous, intelligent man. What he taught led perfectly into what we had to discuss.

Before we started I prayed that I would leave my sisters with a deeper testimony of marriage and a greater degree of hope and desire to do all they could within their control. I will just say that is was pure magic! I felt the flow state I get into when I’m conducting a choir. It was electric and SO MUCH FUN. By time we were done there was an energy and a hopefulness I had not felt since being here about dating and marriage. Jim said he had the same experience.

I realized how grateful I was that we hadn’t done this before now. We have been here now long enough, have spent enough time with them individually, and shared enough love with them to earn their trust. It allowed them to be open enough to truly hear what we were saying without being defensive. I felt it was a very powerful experience for them and for us. Is there anything better than knowing you’ve been led and given voice by the Spirit? There’s nothing better to me!!!

MUSIC; My Heavenly Gift (Next blog)

Last week’s experience leading the discussion with our Relief Society and feeling “flow state” has made me reflect on where I’ve experienced that kind of energy the most in my life. Of course it’s been when I’m doing music, whether singing, teaching music and leading a choir or accompanying my kids singing. There’s nothing that puts me there like music. It’s made me realize I need to record some of the experiences I’ve had from my very beginning with music.

It’s going to be long so I’ll put in into a new blog and close this one for today.

Yesterday practically killed me knowing you are all together there in our house in Orem. Yet I’m so grateful that you love one another and that you CHOOSE to be together. Just take care of one another while we’re gone. That’s all I would ask of you. Know we miss you and adore you and pray for you every single day. Hug all those babies for their Maga and Baba.

I’ll keep working on my music blog. Loves