Fear not I am with thee

Dear Folks at Home:

On Tuesday we went to Spartanburg to make some visits. There is a strong Amish community in that area. They are intermingled with the rest of the villagers. There are power lines down the road but there is no hook up for the Amish homes.  Their yards are tidy and well kept up. As I viewed the outdoor bathrooms I came to appreciate the hardships they endure. Especially this week which had record breaking cold back here. Which leads to the story I want to share. Brother Kunick is a farmer and neighbor to these good people. They each have ice houses to keep their food cool and to help preserve it longer. On Wednesday morning at 8 am when the temperature was well below zero Brother Kunick met 25 Amish brethren at a pond below his house. He had a tractor with a trailer and they cut ice out of the pond in large blocks (think of the opening to the movie Frozen) and loaded it on his trailer. He then transported it to their different homes to put these big ice blocks in their ice rooms or houses. 

Today is Ground Hog Day in Pennsylvania. We drove  past Punxsutawney last week when we went to Zone Conference. There are about 5000 people who live in that little town. There are two little winding roads that lead into the community. There are over 30 thousand people who descend into their small town for the festival on the morning of February 2 nd each year. Can you see how this leads to chaos? The Senior couple who serve there invited Sheila and I to visit them and we could hike up the trail to “ Gobblers Knob “ where the festival takes place. They want us to come this summer when the weather is nice and there are no crowds. We just learned that the Groundhog did not see his shadow and we will have an early spring. After the bone chilling Polar Vortex we’ve experienced this week that is good news.  Take Ground Hog day with a grain of salt. I’m still planning on wearing my winter coat.

   Pictured below is Sister Christine Schaefer. She joined the church in October and Sheila and I have learned to love her. She taught school throughout her life and had experienced tragedy and heartbreaks in her journey through life. The missionaries knocked on her door and she invited them in. She had a strong Methodist upbringing and was open to what the missionaries had to teach. The first lesson on the Restoration was a little difficult for her. She began to read the Book of Mormon and it prepared her for the lesson on the Plan of Salvation. Her son had passed away a few years ago in tragic circumstances and as the missionaries taught her about Heavenly Fathers plan she began to weep. Where the Faith of her upbringing had given no hope she was now being given a glimpse into eternity. And in that lesson she found that the blessings of redemption and reunion could be shared by her and her family. The next question was not if she would be baptized but how soon? The week after her baptism she traveled to the Palmyra Temple where the work for her son was performed. I have learned some lessons from her. She has been a member for about 4 months. She is a strength to the Ward and was given a ministering assignment that she truly magnifies. ( when they gave her the assignment she was puzzled. She had already been doing everything they told her a ministering Sister should do)She brings a carload of members with her to church each Sunday. She is part of the Meadville group. They do not have anyone that can play the piano. (An organist is unheard of out here) She had her brother bring an electronic keyboard to her and she practices for hours  so that she can accompany the hymns on Sunday. One of the sweet opportunities Sheila and I are looking forward to this coming October is to take her through the Temple to receive her endowment. We are receiving some choice blessings in our Service and Christine is certainly one of them.

Sheila and I are grateful for everyone’s love and support. If good things are happening for us we attribute them to your prayers.
Have a good week. I know we will.