We've Crossed the River Jordan (Allegheny) into the promised land

Dear Folks at Home:

We are pleased to report our first weeks experience in the beautiful Pennsylvania forest . We had a District Council meeting Tuesday morning with President And Sister Bednar. They are wonderful people who have a deep and abiding love for the missionaries. President Bednar writes a weekly letter that is a treasure to read and study.

On Thursday evening we met with the Stake President and the Bishop for a couple of hours. We have our assignment for the next 18 months. The Franklin Ward is actually a combination of 3 church units. The Titusville branch was disbanded a few years ago and two years ago the Meadville Ward was changed from a Ward to a dependent Group. They meet in Meadville three times a month and on the first Sunday of the month everyone meets in Franklin. Because of these church units combining the distances are large. The Ward boundaries are 66 miles north to South and 100 miles east to west. Western Pennsylvania doesn’t have any huge cities. They have a bunch the size of Firth or Shelley.  Sheila counted members living in 30 separate towns or villages. ( Pingree and Thomas and Rockford would be villages in Pennsylvania)  There are some wonderful people living in the far corners of the Ward . We are going to put a few miles on our Buick as we visit and try to strengthen the Ward. 
I would like to mention Sister missionaries. Sister Burton and Sister Lanier serve in Franklin with us. Actually they have taken us under their wings and are our trainers. They have guided us and have shown us around when we would be hopelessly lost. They are truly devoted servants of the Lord. An interesting thing happened on Thursday. At the hour we met with the Bishop he told us of a family that did not want to be visited. There was a lot of anger involved and it was pretty serious. While he was visiting with us ,the Sisters, unaware of the situation, stopped at the home. With their gentle spirit and Christ like love they were kindly received. D&c 84:88 came to my mind when I heard of this. 

We had a huge snowstorm that started Saturday about noon. It was kind of funny. We stopped at Walmart in the morning. I stayed in the car and Sheila went in . ( more on that later) I saw a couple of Amish brethren go in and get stocked up with groceries. I guess in a blizzard you abandon your ways and do what you need to do in order to survive. Anyway, it started snowing about noon and our Mission President asked the missionaries not to drive on the roads. This does not apply to Senior Couples who are supposed to have good judgment (Sheila). The  Sisters called and asked if we could take them to an appointment at 6 pm. The city had been plowing the roads all afternoon and it was safe to travel in our little town. We picked them up and when we dropped them off they said when their lesson ended they wanted to go tracting. We agreed to pick them up at 8:45 pm so they could be in at 9pm. We picked up two frozen blocks of ice at 8:45 that resembled the Sister missionaries we had dropped off a few hours earlier. Tracting had been very successful. Everyone was home in the blizzard and they all answered their door out of curiosity. With this huge winter storm I don’t know how much missionary work was done last night in our mission but I do know of two hard working dedicated Sisters that never stop working,loving, and giving themselves to this labor of love. Sheila and I have posted on Facebook Sister Burtons testimony.

Sheila has always been faithful in whatever service she has been asked to do. But on our mission she has taken it up another level if that is possible . First of all she has made our apartment into a home . As I look at the pictures of our family and of the Savior on the walls it always reminds me of what is important and why we are here. this apartment has become a sacred place for us and I am grateful for what she has done. Our apartment has become a refuge from the storm Sheila is very organized and I am starting to see that as one of the spiritual gifts she has been given. She has already organized our work into 3 different areas in the Ward that we can travel to and her planning skills are going to make us much more effective . I am the driver and she is the navigator and that applies to more than just driving down the road. I not only love my companion but I also like her. One of the challenges Senior couples can have is too much togetherness that they are not used to. We have made this adjustment pretty well. The only thing that has happened is  that I have been banned from Walmart . She walks with Jana on the treadmill and I have decided I will use Jana as the barometer for how I am doing as a missionary companion . If she goes from a couple of times a week walking with Jana to three times a day I will know I am getting on her nerves. At least she will stay in shape.‍

   We are truly grateful for this opportunity to serve. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I know we will.

The children of Israel have entered the promised land

Dear Folks at Home:

 Sister VanOrden and I arrived in Franklin , Pennsylvania this afternoon. I will touch on our journey and then our messages after this will be about our mission.

  I-80 is a good way to cross the country. It cost a total of $23.60 in tolls. I would have gladly paid more. The toll roads and turnpikes were a lot more convenient to travel on. The farmer in me thoroughly enjoyed driving through all the farm country. 

We went to church in Des Moines , Iowa. We were pleasantly surprised at the strength of the church there. There were 3 wards in the building and the ward we attended had the overflow open with chairs part way back in the cultural hall. They had just split the Stake and there is talk ( church gossip?) of their ward being divided. There were a lot of hog farms along I-80 in Ohio. There was a little bit of an inversion and you could smell them long before you saw them.

      Franklin is a small town surrounded by other small towns. There is a pretty good population here , they’re just spread out. They have a huge Walmart that I was blessed to visit with Sister VanOrden. I finally threw in the towel and just hung around the produce section while she shopped. The potatoes were shipped by Basin Gold and they were atrocious. Next time we go shopping I’m going to complain to the manager about their poor selection of potatoes.Sister VanOrden said next time we go to Walmart I’m going to be invited to sit in the car and read my scriptures while she shops. We have District Council in the morning and our Mission begins. 

 

We appreciate your friendship, love, and support.

The Hosts of Israel have fled Egypt

Dear Folks at Home:

  Sheila and I have finished our week at the MTC and are in Lincoln Nebraska this evening. We have had a wonderful experience in our training. The quote that is shown on this screen by Elder Holland best describes our experience.

We are assigned to Districts for our training. The two other couples are from Texas and Kansas City. The two sisters will serve as missionary nurses. Sheila and I are the only two born and raised in the church . Everyone else is a convert. Sister Turner, the older sister on the left( it’s ok. She is the first one to say she is old) is on her sixth mission. Two missions have been at church headquarters reviewing the health forms on Mission applications. She has served in Bosnia, with the Navajos, the Philippines, and is going to Melbourne to serve this mission. She is my hero. She has two grandchildren being married in the Temple while she is gone. She loves them dearly but she also loves the Lord. And she was told by the spirit that this is what she should be doing. I’ve come to appreciate this week that everyone who serves a mission makes a sacrifice in some way. 

The picture above is I80 going through Wyoming. We drove through fog this morning for about 200 miles. 

I was surprised that Nebraska didn’t have any snow.

One thing about Nebraska and Wyoming. The scenery doesn’t distract your driving. 
The cafeteria at the MTC is interesting. There are missionaries there from everywhere in the world. To serve a meal that would be tasty to everyone is difficult. I suggested a potato bar but I don’t think my idea was given much consideration. If someone can’t find something they can eat they do have huge cereal dispensers. They have small bowls thinking that would slow some of the Elders down. I saw one young Elder put 6 bowls on his tray and load them all up. 

One of the more spiritual moments a Missionary can have is to spend some time in front of the display murals.

This one helps missionaries appreciate Joseph Smith and the circumstances he faced in his life. The murals are 10 feet high and at least 25 feet wide. The one below is of Nephi. It tells us he was led by the spirit not knowing before hand which way he should go. Missionaries are to ask themselves how they are led. 

We will be in Pennsylvania by Monday evening. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you.

Murals

Dear Folks at Home:

   These murals are on the walls of a classroom building. They are at least 20 feet wide. 

The reference on the one above is Joseph Smith History 1:28

 "During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision and the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three—having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me—I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to any one who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament."

Called to Serve

D&C 31:3

 Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation. 

Sunday Evening

Dear Folks at Home :
We have arrived in Provo. It is a wonderful winter day here. We are looking forward to tomorrow morning when we will enter the MTC.

A couple of thoughts as the day ends. Sheila is an exceptional organizer. Below is a picture for our Buick after we had it loaded. I went in the house to see if she had packed the kitchen sink. It was the only thing we’re not taking.

Last night when President Hawker set us apart he made a very touching gesture. He took off his tie and placed it on me. He told Sheila this was for her as well. The symbolism is wonderful. He had set us apart using his priesthood keys. The stewardship we have been given as well as the promised blessings are ours because he “turned the key” on our behalf. I wore the tie today out of respect for President Hawker and the keys he holds.

The only person with us last night outside of our family was Jana McBride.  
As a young mother 23 years ago she and Scott moved into our Ward. She was called into the Young Women’s Program. Her son Keyan was an infant and Sheila offered to watch him on Sunday mornings when Jana attended meetings. That began their journey of friendship and love that has lasted throughout the years. They have ministered to each other on a daily basis and have always been there for each other.

They have been early morning walking partners for the past 13 years. My first assignment when we get to Pennsylvania is to buy a Treadmill for Sheila to use. She will FaceTime Jana and they will continue to “Walk and Talk “. 

The Adventure Begins

Dear Folks at Home:

This is our first day as missionaries. Perhaps I should explain the title of this letter. My grandfather Lewis Fackrell moved to Thomas with his father in 1907 when he was 11 years old. He joined the army in November of 1917 and served in France during World War One. He wrote 110 letters home and they all began with the title “ Dear Folks at Home “.  Grandpa contracted spinal meningitis and was in a hospital in New Jersey for a lengthy period. He returned home on crutches. He was married to my Grandmother ,Amanda Dance , one month after he was home.  Grandma passed away in 1982 and for the next couple of years I spent time together with Grandpa until his passing in 1985. He shared with me some of the lessons he had learned in life. Grandma was his one great love in life. He told me that when they were married he was on crutches and the Doctors had told him he would not be able to walk unaided again. She married him anyway and he was able to prove the medical community wrong. He recovered from the effects of his disease to the point that anyone who knew him years later would have been surprised that he had been disabled. He had a little bit of a stubborn streak and in the early years , while still crippled from the disease,he would crawl on his hands and knees down the ditch bank to tend water. He ran a successful dairy operation and they lived a good life. After He had lost Grandma he told me one day that Grandma married him when there was no hope for him to recover. I’m firmly convinced that it was her faith in him that helped him to recover. And so out of tribute to Grandpa I will begin each letter Home. Pictured below is a file photo of the Salt Lake Mission Home in the 1970s.

 This is where I began my service in 1976.  My memories of those few days are vivid. We had a wonderful group of General authorities who spoke to us. We did back to back sessions in the  Salt Lake Temple with time for a lecture in the assembly room. It is also pictured below.  

Last evening Sheila and I were set apart by President Tracy Hawker. One of the blessings of the evening was that each of our boys were able to stand in the circle with us as we were blessed by our Stake President. We had a family dinner afterwards and it was touching as each of our sons and daughter in laws shared with us their impressions and feelings. As we leave today we don’t feel that we are leaving our family behind. In a spiritual sense they are going with us. Much of what we are and the strength we will need in this journey comes from their faith.