Some Thoughts from Dad...
Dear Family:
My Church assignments have been very interesting over the past few weeks. I thought you might like a brief description.
On April 8-9, I attended an Area Council and a Mission Presidents’ Seminar in Washington DC under the direction of Elder Earl C. Tingey of the Presidency of the Seventy. The happiest part of the Council was our discussion of the conditions under which undocumented young men and women can serve full-time missions in the United States. We also reviewed our impressions of General Conference and our pre-Conference training. I reflected on a very perceptive training message by Elder Andersen of the Presidency of the Seventy (and Camey Hadlock's father) about how obedience leads to both good judgment and revelation. The best part of the Seminar was Elder Ballard parachuting in for an hour via teleconference. He had some great missionary ideas and answered questions, before giving us an apostolic blessing. But primarily told us to stick with Preach My Gospel. No additions or substitutes. You might be interested to know that the Brethren later asked for anonymous feedback about our pre-Conference training sessions. They're anxious to do the job right, and they do! Fortunately, one of my friends in the Seventy (Elder John Taggart) is an incredible typist. He gave me twenty pages of typed notes afterwards. They are like gold to me.
The next weekend, Easter, I was home with my Beautiful Wife! Life doesn't get any better than that, unless she also makes one of her world class chocolate milkshakes (which she did).
On April 23rd, Julie and spoke in the Plainfield NJ (Spanish-speaking) Branch’s sacrament meeting. We had been invited by President Rivera (my former stake presidency counselor who's now on the high council and is assigned to Plainfield). There was a very sweet spirit present. I hope we did some good. Later in the day I presided over a council of the mission and stake presidents in northern NJ. We considered missionary progress, boundary adjustments, temple issues, and several administrative and doctrinal questions, and then I conducted some training.
Over the weekend of April 28-30, I presided at the New Glasgow Nova Scotia District Conference. The District is part of the Canada Halifax Mission and includes Prince Edward Island (home of Anne of Green Gables). The mission president was a very upbeat but tough former immigration officer. He reminded me just a little bit of Vere Dickerson. The attendance was light because the District is small and widely dispersed (between the trees, farms, rivers and sea, the countryside was beautiful), but the people were wonderful and the meetings were good. I tried to be very encouraging because their work can be hard and lonely. Whenever I mentioned something about President Hinckley, the members were hanging on my every word. By the end of the weekend we were very good friends, although the majority of them don't like George Bush.
This past weekend I was with Elder Holland at the Westchester NY Stake. He was great (and attendance was up over 30%). His messages were energetic, articulate, personable, passionate, and filled with the spirit. Saturday evening he talked about how the Savior's love and the Atonement can help us overcome all our struggles. He had assigned me a certain time to speak, but I ended early knowing that everyone wanted to hear him. So he smilingly threatened to send me back up to the podium. I talked about proper husband and wife relationships (being equal partners), drawing upon the Family Proclamation and mentioning that some ethnic traditions need to make changes. I also mentioned my crazy family structure and how Grandma Ewart helped me stay on track for my future family by what she taught me when I was a boy. That caught Elder Holland's attention, because he thinks we need to unapologetically teach about the ideal family to the rising generations despite our own personal struggles. The next day I taught from D&C 1:38, using simple examples from missionaries and the For the Strength of Youth booklet. Elder Holland gave another very uplifting message and closed with an apostolic blessing. Then we shook big and little hands for the next hour, before going back to the stake president's home to meet with the family of the missionary who was killed in Argentina two weeks ago. That was one of the saddest, but sweetest meetings I've ever been in. (It brought back clear memories of Elder Joseph Bookstaber.) The parents and their children, four girls and one Downs Syndrome boy, obviously love each other and their missionary. They are a great family. As they reverently asked Elder Holland tender questions and received comforting assurances from him, my heart was aching for them and tears came easily. Without the sure hope of the Plan of Salvation and the Resurrection, the apparent unfairness of the situation would have been terrible. I can't adequately describe the feeling in the room. Before he left for the airport, Elder Holland gave both parents a blessing. They'll always miss their son, but they'll stick with each other and the Gospel.
Then last night we had dinner with Elder and Sister Kikuchi at the Morristown Mission Home. He told some great stories about his service as a General Authority, his wife waiting for him during his 42-month mission (his mission president first asked him to stay an additional six months, then twelve more months) and Elder Hinckley calling him in the night to ask him to sustain the revelation on the priesthood before the public announcement was made. So he stood by the bed with his arm to the square wearing his pajamas. He's been a General Authority for many, many years. He has a very sweet, gentle, and light-hearted personality, but he's also tough underneath. He knows to follow the Brethren.
That should be enough for now, but let me know if you have any follow-up questions. We're having dinner tomorrow night with the U.S. ambassador to the UN, other UN ambassadors and the current president of the University of Utah (who, I believe, was formerly the U.S. Commissioner for Human Rights). So we'll have more to say later.
Finally, since Mothers Day is coming up soon, I'll remind you of an important secret. I love your mother very much. She's the best!
Love,
Dad
My Church assignments have been very interesting over the past few weeks. I thought you might like a brief description.
On April 8-9, I attended an Area Council and a Mission Presidents’ Seminar in Washington DC under the direction of Elder Earl C. Tingey of the Presidency of the Seventy. The happiest part of the Council was our discussion of the conditions under which undocumented young men and women can serve full-time missions in the United States. We also reviewed our impressions of General Conference and our pre-Conference training. I reflected on a very perceptive training message by Elder Andersen of the Presidency of the Seventy (and Camey Hadlock's father) about how obedience leads to both good judgment and revelation. The best part of the Seminar was Elder Ballard parachuting in for an hour via teleconference. He had some great missionary ideas and answered questions, before giving us an apostolic blessing. But primarily told us to stick with Preach My Gospel. No additions or substitutes. You might be interested to know that the Brethren later asked for anonymous feedback about our pre-Conference training sessions. They're anxious to do the job right, and they do! Fortunately, one of my friends in the Seventy (Elder John Taggart) is an incredible typist. He gave me twenty pages of typed notes afterwards. They are like gold to me.
The next weekend, Easter, I was home with my Beautiful Wife! Life doesn't get any better than that, unless she also makes one of her world class chocolate milkshakes (which she did).
On April 23rd, Julie and spoke in the Plainfield NJ (Spanish-speaking) Branch’s sacrament meeting. We had been invited by President Rivera (my former stake presidency counselor who's now on the high council and is assigned to Plainfield). There was a very sweet spirit present. I hope we did some good. Later in the day I presided over a council of the mission and stake presidents in northern NJ. We considered missionary progress, boundary adjustments, temple issues, and several administrative and doctrinal questions, and then I conducted some training.
Over the weekend of April 28-30, I presided at the New Glasgow Nova Scotia District Conference. The District is part of the Canada Halifax Mission and includes Prince Edward Island (home of Anne of Green Gables). The mission president was a very upbeat but tough former immigration officer. He reminded me just a little bit of Vere Dickerson. The attendance was light because the District is small and widely dispersed (between the trees, farms, rivers and sea, the countryside was beautiful), but the people were wonderful and the meetings were good. I tried to be very encouraging because their work can be hard and lonely. Whenever I mentioned something about President Hinckley, the members were hanging on my every word. By the end of the weekend we were very good friends, although the majority of them don't like George Bush.
This past weekend I was with Elder Holland at the Westchester NY Stake. He was great (and attendance was up over 30%). His messages were energetic, articulate, personable, passionate, and filled with the spirit. Saturday evening he talked about how the Savior's love and the Atonement can help us overcome all our struggles. He had assigned me a certain time to speak, but I ended early knowing that everyone wanted to hear him. So he smilingly threatened to send me back up to the podium. I talked about proper husband and wife relationships (being equal partners), drawing upon the Family Proclamation and mentioning that some ethnic traditions need to make changes. I also mentioned my crazy family structure and how Grandma Ewart helped me stay on track for my future family by what she taught me when I was a boy. That caught Elder Holland's attention, because he thinks we need to unapologetically teach about the ideal family to the rising generations despite our own personal struggles. The next day I taught from D&C 1:38, using simple examples from missionaries and the For the Strength of Youth booklet. Elder Holland gave another very uplifting message and closed with an apostolic blessing. Then we shook big and little hands for the next hour, before going back to the stake president's home to meet with the family of the missionary who was killed in Argentina two weeks ago. That was one of the saddest, but sweetest meetings I've ever been in. (It brought back clear memories of Elder Joseph Bookstaber.) The parents and their children, four girls and one Downs Syndrome boy, obviously love each other and their missionary. They are a great family. As they reverently asked Elder Holland tender questions and received comforting assurances from him, my heart was aching for them and tears came easily. Without the sure hope of the Plan of Salvation and the Resurrection, the apparent unfairness of the situation would have been terrible. I can't adequately describe the feeling in the room. Before he left for the airport, Elder Holland gave both parents a blessing. They'll always miss their son, but they'll stick with each other and the Gospel.
Then last night we had dinner with Elder and Sister Kikuchi at the Morristown Mission Home. He told some great stories about his service as a General Authority, his wife waiting for him during his 42-month mission (his mission president first asked him to stay an additional six months, then twelve more months) and Elder Hinckley calling him in the night to ask him to sustain the revelation on the priesthood before the public announcement was made. So he stood by the bed with his arm to the square wearing his pajamas. He's been a General Authority for many, many years. He has a very sweet, gentle, and light-hearted personality, but he's also tough underneath. He knows to follow the Brethren.
That should be enough for now, but let me know if you have any follow-up questions. We're having dinner tomorrow night with the U.S. ambassador to the UN, other UN ambassadors and the current president of the University of Utah (who, I believe, was formerly the U.S. Commissioner for Human Rights). So we'll have more to say later.
Finally, since Mothers Day is coming up soon, I'll remind you of an important secret. I love your mother very much. She's the best!
Love,
Dad
posted by JerzyGrl | 6:36 AM
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