Loading up the wagon, hitching up the team, saying our goodbys!

      That's kind of what it feels like this week. The trunk of the car is crammed full, won't take another item. Next the back seats will get folded down and that area gets filled up! If that doesn't hold it all then I strap Sherrie onto the top of the car so I can put things in her seat. We've been saying our goodbys all this week and then the big farewell party in the Marshallese Branch for us will be on Friday night. Amy, Alph and family will be here for the party also. The members of the branch are doing a lot of whispering amongst themselves, so it should be fun! We've heard that they may be making a matching dress for Sherrie and a shirt for me. Perfect for the Hawaii trip!
      As with most similar situations, when someone has been living somewhere for a while and then decides to leave, you don't realize how many friendships you've established until people come up to you as you are going out the door. We've had some sweet experiences these last few days as we prepare to leave. Memories that we will remember forever. We've given out a lot of cards with our email and home address as well as phone numbers. Sounds like a lot of people will be coming our way in the future. Plus, we will be coming back at times when we visit with Amy and family and drive an hour to come up here and say hi.
      One of the three young women that we have helped get ready for their missions, has all of her paperwork done and just needs a final interview with the Stake President. We will be anxious to hear in a few weeks where she will be called to serve. The second young woman will follow soon and the third one will submit her paperwork when she is done with her semester of college in June. Helping these three has truly been one of the biggest highlights of our mission.
     I've said this earlier at the beginning of our mission, but this time together as a couple has been a great experience for us both. Our mission has drawn us even closer together. And of course it goes without saying that our love for our Savior has grown by leaps and bounds.
     To our family and friends outside of California we are anxious to see you soon, yet at the same time not so anxious to leave Amy and family, but that's part of life, and our family will all be together later this summer for a reunion in Missouri.
     My feelings in a nutshell about our mission can be best expressed in a quote by David S. Baxter

"I have found that service [serving a mission] does something to you. It changes perspective; it stretches the soul; it refreshes and uplifts; it elevates our thinking and our feelings; it draws us closer to the Savior, who spends all of his time in selfless service to Heavenly Father and all of his children".

Love ya,

John and Sherrie

The Twelve Days remaining of our Mission

     That seems surreal to say that. It seems only yesterday that we arrived and started our mission 18 months ago. My journal is overflowing of all that we have experienced while here in Sacramento California. Yesterday we gave our farewell talks in the Marshallese Branch and this coming Friday the Branch is having a social for us. We hear they have worked up some great island dances that the Marshallese do so well. Amy, Alph and kids will be coming to the party also. Should be fun.
    Yesterday we also had three young adult sisters from the Marshallese branch come to our apartment so that we could help them complete their applications and paperwork to go on missions for the church. This has been such a neat experience for us to be able to help them get ready. They never would have gotten to this point without the loving persistence that Sherrie has put forth to help them. At the normal "islander pace" which most of the families go by, these beautiful daughters of our Heavenly Father would have never got it done.  The Church's on-line application is one big step, but the doctors and dentist appointments have been a big, big process. One LDS dentist who presently has a son on a mission now, gave up one of his days off to provide the necessary dental care for one of the young women. His kindness truly touched our hearts. This will be the first Marshallese members from this branch that have ever served missions! Such a blessing for the branch.
     I just had my 69th birthday today. Wow, where did the time go? I still remember many events of my young days as a child. That's a good sign isn't it! Now if I could just remember my wife's name I'd have it made!
     I've been in contact with the military base in Hawaii today, lining up where we will stay and the events to cram into the seven days that we will be there February 24 - March 4. Then hopefully by March 5 there will be good signs of spring weather as we start driving home.  If not, I'll be trying to keep the steering wheel away from Sherrie because she'll want to turn around until it gets better! Not true, we'll make it!

See ya,

John

It has been almost 3 weeks since blogging successfully.  Our laptop has a mind of its own and I had blogged a lovely blog last week, hit the "save" button and it disappeared!  I simply did not have the courage to try it again last week so here we are again, hopefully with better luck.We are down to 3 weeks to go before the end of our mission.  Our last day will be February 21st then we will back up on Saturday the 22nd, head to Amy's for the weekend and hopefully be able to fly out on Monday to Hawaii for 7 days.  We are really hoping the winter weather will be ending before we head home so we won't have the opportunity to slip and slide our way to Missouri.  I'm so grateful that John has taken the time to enrich our mission time by checking out all the cultural events that are available in the Sacramento area.  For Christmas, our gifts to each other were tickets to an incredible musical production called "Shen Yun" that was presented a few weeks ago.  It is a musical story of Chinese history through the centuries.  The music, dancing, scenery and costumes were remarkable.  The Chinese government will not let it be produced in China because it tells stories of a part of the history of China that the current government does not want their people to be told about.  Our friends, the Wades, who are serving a service mission in our Marshallese Branch took us to supper in a little town that had the best prime tip roast I have ever had and then took us to a delightful musical mystery called "Something's Afoot."  It was in a renovated old opera house where every seat was really close to the stage so you could hear every word.  We love the Wade's so much and are so thankful that they chose to serve their service mission here in our Marshallese Branch.  They are really wonderful folks and we have learned so much from them!!  A "service mission" is really a great way to serve since you can live in your own home and still serve a mission.  I think that is something we will look into when we get home.  Another couple that were in one of our marriage classes in Sacramento 1st Ward, Skip and Char Wolfinden, also took us to supper at another little town closeby at a local "bar" which when we first entered, went"hmmmmmm" interesting.  The waitress took us back through the bar and we found ourselves in a quaint, lovely part of the restaurant.  The food was so yummy!  We then went to a tiny, little neighborhood theater in Midtown Sacramento called the "Thistle Dew Theater".  It was in the basement of a very old Victorian home and was really a unique experience.  For $10.00 we got to see an "original" play,  have a luscious dessert, and be part of a very unique "radio theater".  The play was definitely an "original one of a kind" sort, the dessert indeed was delicious, and our friends were a joy to be with.  Last week we went with 30 other "senior missionaries" and watched BYU'a "Legends" performance.  Most of the missionaries had seen it before but first time for us.  All the performers were from the Pacific Islands and did native dances and singing.  A wonderful night for all.  Now realize, dear reader, that these events were stretched over a month of time.  I don't want anyone to think we are here just having fun.  :)  We are in a serious drought in California and have been fasting for rain to come.  While we were in church today the rain began to come forth.  We hope and pray that it will continue for some time because there has been little snow in the mountains and zero rain.  Everything is really drying up and everyone is really worried.  We watch the weather in Missouri and just get goosebumps looking at the temperatures.  We are so grateful that Chris and Julie are caring for our home and watching out for frozen pipes.  They will be leaving for Utah to live soon after we arrive home.  We will miss them so but know that this is important for them to do.  Most of our time has been spent helping three Marshallese young women to get ready to serve a mission soon.  We are helping them fill out their paper work and get their medical and dental work done.  We hope and pray we can get almost all their final work done before we go so all they will have to do is wait for their mission call.  This will be the first time that someone from the Marshallese Branch has gone on a mission so it is a wonderful thing.  They have many challenges ahead of them but I know The Lord will bless them and give them the strength and guidance they need to meet those challenges.  We are finishing up "New Member" lessons as well as training someone to take over my Sunday School and English classes.   We have done a lot of work in teaching the Saints about church assistance and how to use it wisely.  We have found that "people are still people", no matter what nationality, when it comes to difficult decisions between "wants and needs."   We just completed reading together Clay Christensen's "Infinite Atonement".  I believe studying this book together has become one of the greatest blessings of our mission.  It is always so humbling to realize how little we know and how much there is for us to learn to become more Christlike and to truly appreciate the incredible gift of the Atonement.  The Sacramento Temple is only 30 minutes away from us so we have the privilege of going to the temple almost every week.  We saw the new temple video this past week and it deeply touched our souls.  I have begun to realize that the decision Eve made in the garden was not done lightly and she understood the importance of her decision.  What a powerful teaching tool that video is!  How grateful I am that we have able to serve a mission so close to a temple of The Lord.  We spoke with some of our family tonight and we are beginning to yearn to be with them again.  We are where we are suppose to be but look forward to returning home soon.

Just Chillin in January 2014

    I guess that's not humorous for everyone in Missouri as the temperature is below zero tonight! Sorry it's a little cool here also. Well, Sherrie and I are in the sorting and pitching mode. It's amazing how fast things can be accumulated in just 18 months. We just keep remembering how much the car was loaded down when we came out here, and we don't want there to be anymore than that going home!
   New Year's Day we went on our second annual 10 k walking tour in downtown Sacramento. There is a group called the Walking Stix that sponsors walking tours throughout the area. Gosh, some people really get into this by the looks of the pins on their hats of previous walks elsewhere. One fellow, older but in better shape than us, came from Oregon to walk in this outing. We saw some beautiful Arts and Craft style homes on the walk that made our mouth drool. Lot's of fun.
    Sherrie mentioned last week about a Brother Lucky and his wife who joined the church after many years of missionaries. It just takes the right set of missionaries to make things finally click. We are meeting twice a week with them now in order to complete all of the new member lessons before we go. She is so shy and Bro. Lucky was reluctant to think about the Priesthood or give a prayer at first but we have already seen a big change in him. Hopefully they will be a strong addition to the branch membership.
    Sherrie and I are starting to work with three or four young adult women in the branch who would like to go on a mission soon. As soon as the Branch President completes the initial interviews and gives the okay, we will help them go on-line to fill out the missionary applications. What a proud moment that will be for these women and for everyone in the branch as they go out representing the Lord somewhere in this big world.
    We've made our tentative time frames of travel to and from Hawaii and then onto home. We are excited about it all. When we get home we are going to have a family welcome home (for us) and farewell (for Chris and Julie) as they prepare to move to Utah.
    Got to close and rest up for more paper purging tomorrow! Love ya, John and Sherrie

"No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good". (C.S. Lewis)

"There are no successful sinners". (Harold B. Lee)

Happy to New Year to one and all!  2014 starts tomorrow full of new opportunities to learn and grow.  We just returned from a "new member" lesson with a Marshallese brother who has been taking the missionary lessons for over 30 years off and on.  All 6 of his children are members of the church but he just never felt the time was right for him to join the church.  Two of his children are in my Sunday School class and when we had gone to their home before he was not receptive.  To state that he was friendly would have been the understatement of the year.  He is a changed man.  His heart has softened and he wants to learn as much as he can about the gospel.  His wife speaks no English and is extremely shy so their 20 year old daughter translates for us to her. It continues to impress me how clean the Marshallese people are in their homes.  I was thrilled to see the 2 little granddaughters playing with toys!!  We have always assumed that all children have toys of some sort but that has not been the case in many Marshallese homes.   I'm not quite sure if it's because they can't afford them or they just don't feel that they are important.  We had a wonderful Christmas with Amy's family and returned rejuvenated and ready to hit it hard for the next 7-8 weeks.  We miss all of our children and grandchildren so it has been such a blessing to be close to Amy's family, especially for the holidays.  I almost feel guilty and don't want to tell the other senior missionaries that we are going to visit family when they do not have any family close by to see.  Everyone here loves hot chocolate so we made 200 "Candy  Cane Cocoa Dippers" to give as gifts.  We put the "dippers" in with cocoa packages and they were well received.  When we went to Amy's we took supplies and their kids made them to give to family and friends.  Amy made nativity costumes this year and 14 Wise grandchildren acted out the Christmas story from the scriptures while G-pa Wise read.  (That's Alph's Dad.)  Our Bea, who's almost 4, took her role as Mary very seriously and cuddled that baby doll just as tenderly as she would have a newborn babe.  Simon wanted to be the innkeeper because he knew what the innkeeper said, "There's NO ROOM here."  He firmly said his lines with great gusto.  Whenever I hear the innkeepers lines, I think of Neal Maxwell's popular quote, "Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus."  My friend, Cindy, made me a Christmas ornament one year with that quote on it and I keep it around all year to remind me not to make room for Him just at Christmas but all year around.  On Christmas Day we opened presents very slowly.  I know that may be hard to imagine with 5 kiddos but Amy and Alph feel very strongly about really enjoying the gifts and expressing appreciation for them.  The grandchildren had bought us gifts from the Dollar Store which they picked out personally for Hana and Hapa.   Last year Melissa and other children sent us lots of little gifts to put under our tree and it was such fun opening one a day.  We have enjoyed using all the gifts and we are saving the "hand warmers" for our trip home.  Hopefully, we won't need to use them!!  Christmas evening Alph's brother, Brig and family, came for supper and we had a family talent show.  Amy said it was the "Wises 1st Annual Christmas Day Talent Show."  John and I did a song rewritten by Julie Andrews to the tune of "My Favorite Things" but was called "Ode to the Old".  It was a smashing success but the kids had no idea what Pollident   or dentures were.  Loretta Broker and I did that song many years ago at Villa Marie Nursing Home and won a talent contest.  We taught the older kids how to play "Spoons" and played "Catch Me' with the twinners.  It is so wonderful to kneel in family prayer and express our gratitude for all our blessings.  All the grandkids love to do "Sure Love Ya" in our circle.  Thanks Cananns for sharing that lovely tradition with us so many years ago.  We are having four other seniors missionaries over to play "Spoons" and "Dominos" this evening and then we are going to crash a New Year Even's party at the Tongan Ward.  How grateful I am for all the blessing and challenges of the past year!!  2014 will be much different for us than 2013 but hopefully we will be able to continue to grow and learn in the Gospel and have many opportunities for service.  We are going to Hawaii for a week at the end of our mission (thanks to our children) so if any of you have been there and know of "must see" places, please let us know.  We miss you all and look forward to renewing our friendships and making new ones in 2014.

Tis the Season

     Hello dear friends. Sherrie and I just got back from driving around some neighborhoods tonight looking at the beautiful lights and decorations. One ten block area is called the "Fabulous Forties" and is like stepping back into time as we walk down street lined boulevards of stately homes of all sizes and shapes that were built in that era. Each block of homes had decided on a main lighting design for the street and trees and then the individual home owners would decorate their homes around that theme. This was complete with horse drawn carriages and long limos driving people around to see the sights. We even saw a "fleet" of sightseeing bicycle riders go by with their bikes all lit up and decorated. Amazing! Walking down the sidewalks on a full moon night at 40 degrees made it quite magical.
     As with any city there is always so much going on at Christmas. Last Saturday we went to a "Tuba Christmas". This was the 40th year for the program that has been held at one of the local high schools at which over one hundred individuals ranging in age from 11 to 83 play tubas or related brass horns of various sizes. There were at least 30 of the big marching sousaphones along the back row, and then below them the next size down and so on. This is one of one hundred and sixty such tuba Christmas concerts that are played throughout the world at this time. What an experience!
    This past weekend was also the weekend of a beautiful Nativity display exhibit that is held annually here in one of the big stake centers. There were hundreds of nativities on display. It brought back memories of the one we had in Jefferson City for several years.
     If there was a downside of this past week or so, it has been that of our mode of transportation. The car was bucking and snorting like a horse. After having three or four mechanics looked at it and give their opinions and shrug their shoulders we were getting discouraged. Then after much prayer and the advice of a good friend and member of our congregation I bought a new set of spark plugs and wires and took matters into my own hands. Happily we now have a smooth running car, but I still don't want to be a mechanic as a second vocation. Car computers do not give out all the answers of what to fix at times! I'm starting to believe this electric hub that I bought for my recumbent bike that I will be using when we get home sounds better and better. I think I'll get one for the tandem also, and do away with our car!
    Switching gears to what Christmas is all about, Sherrie and I are so grateful for all that the Savior has done for us and all of mankind. As we continue to read daily from a book entitled "Infinite Atonement" and we try to comprehend what the God the Eternal Father and His son Jesus Christ have done for us, it is hard to grasp what happened, yet at the same time, how grateful all of mankind must and should be for what they did do.
    The fact that Jesus Christ was with His Heavenly Father in the planning stages of "worlds without end", that He then under his Father's direction created heaven and earth, and then was chosen and willing to come here as a baby, grow to adulthood, die and atone for the sins of all mankind, and that he will someday return again to this earth is a lot to comprehend but at the same time it enables us to have the faith to believe that it is all so real.
    At a recent "Christmas conference" that all of us in the mission attended last week, we learned to think this time of year as the "The spirit of Christ" rather than "The spirit of Christmas". We were encouraged to think as individuals more along the lines of "What shall we give Christ for Christmas?" One thought we were given as Christians is to offer our whole soul as an offering to Christ, to endure to the end, to sacrifice through service and align our will with Him. Striving to live in a small infinite way like the Savior did when he was here upon this earth is a good start for me in trying to give back something to Him.
     As Neal A. Maxwell once said "There is a personalized plan for each of us. Like the Christmas star, each of us, if faithful, has an ordained orbit [a reward for us] if we live a life such that the Savior wants us to live".
     My friends, I want you to know that I know that Jesus is the Christ. He has given the ultimate gift to all mankind, His life. And because of that I know that eternal life is possible and that as we endure to the end we will be blessed to someday be in the presence of Him and a wonderful loving Heavenly Father. I know it. I know it.

Love ya,

Elder John
    

The season of Christmas is here!!  We both love this season so much but yet get so emotional about everything!!  We've always been this way but seem to get more weepy as we get older.  California, especially our Sacramento area, is the home to MANY homeless people.  If I knew the exact numbers I would probably cry all the time.  It has been around 30 degrees during the night and we have often thought about where those with no shelter go to sleep in the cold.  We sit in our cozy little, modest, apartment and if we get cold, just turn up the thermostat or put on more clothes.  How blessed we are!  We had a wonderful visit with Amy and family over Thanksgiving.  We were to go to Alph's parents home but they got the flu so Amy and Alph pulled off an incredible Thanksgiving feast in a very short amount of time.  Alph's family graciously include us in their family activities and we do so appreciate their kindness.  We got to attend Sophie's (our oldest grand daughter) play "Aladdin Jr."  She "shines" on the stage.  Your eyes are just drawn to her because she has great stage presence and such a warm, natural smile.  The next night John and I took Oliver, Beatrice and Simon to "Temple Hill".  This is where the LDS Oakland Temple is located, just 20 minutes from Amy. We really didn't want to take Simon (3 1/2) because he doesn't like to sit still for very long.  He pleaded and promised to  "be good" so much we didn't have the heart to leave him.  I'm happy to report, all 3 children were great!  Simon said, "I kept my promise, huh, Hana?  Now I can go with you other places, right?"  I told him that he was now a good "promise keeper" and we would be happy to take him anywhere (well, "almost" anywhere.)   There was an hour of incredible music and then we went outside the Stake Center and watched as they turned on gazillions of Christmas lights.  Huge palm trees were covered and outlined with all these lights.  The music thrilled our souls!  What a wonderful evening and 2 sleepy heads slept all the way home.  We headed back pretty early Sunday morning so that we could keep our Sunday commitments.  We just have one more "marriage class" to teach then our Sundays will slow down a little bit.  We've said this lots, but we really do like to keep busy.  Not crazy busy, just busy. The topic of my Sunday School lesson was "Preparing for the Savior's Second Coming."  I was really having trouble getting and keeping their attention until we got to the scriptures that tell about the signs of the time that will happen before He comes.  When we started checking off the events that have or are now occurring, the class became very serious.  One student said, "You mean, we don't know exactly when He will come BUT it could be ANYTIME?"  The whole class was like, "Wow".  I asked if anyone needed to be making any changes in their lives and they quietly nodded yes.  Very sobering moment for many I believe.  We have been attempting to visit many less active members in the two English wards that we work with.  I say "attempting" very loosely.  One of our main responsibilities is to try to help bring "lost sheep" back to the church.  Most folks are not home so we leave a note with our name and number.  I really felt like a missionary last week when we got a door slammed in our face.  Since this was the first time this has happened to us, we were a little taken back to say the least.  We were sharing this with our young Elders and they just smiled because this happens to them all the time.  I admire those young men so much!  Those of you who feed the Elders, we thank you!!  We usually do not make church visits after dark unless we have a specific appointment so our evenings are free to study or do whatever.  We took a recent convert to see the Travis Air Force Golden West Coast Band on Thursday night in downtown Sacramento.  They travel throughout the west coast giving free concerts.  This was a "Songs for the Season" concert and was one of the finest we've ever seen and heard.  When they played the "Star Spangle Banner" to open, I had chills running down my arms!  We just received word that our good neighbor in Jeff City, Tom Brooks, has passed away.  He was a very good man and we will really miss visiting with him when working out in the yard.  Each day here on earth is a gift but thankfully we know that there are such wonderful things awaiting us in eternity.  How grateful I am to know that families can be forever!  We have been having some frustrating problems with our car that no one seems to be able to figure out.  How we miss our Brauns Bros. in Jeff City.  Closing on a funny note.....John got up this morning and put on his glasses and thought, "Mmmmm, my left eye is sure fuzzy.  He went about getting dressed, eating, reading, etc. and began to think, goodness, first my hearing is going and now my eyes are growing worse, even over night.  He started cleaning his glasses, first the right lens then the left.  Strangely, there was no lens in the left side.  He wasn't going blind, the lens had just fallen out!  Thankfully, we found the lens before either of us old fogeys stepped on it!  Popped right back in!!  Got our first Christmas card today with a wonderful newsletter from Chris and Julie.  We appreciate their wonderful care of our home.  We couldn't have served this mission without their willingness to housesit.  We really know Christmas time is here because we broke down and bought some peppermint ice cream.  We had been "ice cream free" for over 2 months!!  And it was soooo good.  Cantorum Christmas Concert is this weekend (we think).  We miss singing with them so much and know that it will be a great concert!  Make the most of the month preparing for the Savior's birth!  Love to all!!
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