Happy Friday to all my friends and family:
This week was good, with few trip-ups. Really, the biggest problem was that the "how to change your location for dummies" that I wrote last week ended up being for the wrong webpage. A little embarrassing, but totally something I can live with.
Most of my work this week was normal too, with few strange questions. I submitted reimbursement requests, wrote articles, and overall had a nice, settled week. That is totally fine with me.
We also had a really neat zone conference this week. A gentleman, Tim B., who used to work in Church real estate came and talked about some of the miracles and blessings he experienced while purchasing property for the church. One of the things he said particularly stood out to me. He mentioned that he bought a piece of land in Idaho over twenty years ago, and nothing happened with this land. It just sat there, maybe they farmed it. Then, this last year, they announced the building of the Pocatello, Idaho temple. Sometimes we do things that don't seem like a big deal or that don't make sense, but the Lord has his own timing and his own way of doing things. He will use us for good if we let him, but we have to trust in him. It may take twenty years, but from small and simple things will great things come to pass.
Tim also shared a couple of really neat stories that I would like to share with you:
1. Palmyra- Tim was part of the team assigned to purchase the property for the Palmyra Temple. They decided to build the temple on the Smith Family property, which the Church already owned, but they would need to buy up another property to create an access road.
Tim was told that the family that lived on this property not only wasn't interested in selling, but that they hated the Church. However, when he arrived at the house, the couple was very kind and friendly--just not willing to sell. They were confident that the Church was not able to pay what they were asking. Tim told them that he would worry about the money, but could he see the house? They let him see every room but one. He asked to go in, but was told that the family's ten-year-old son did not respond well to strangers and was best left on his own. However, Tim felt like he needed to see the room.
The walls of this room were covered in posters of NBA basketball players, including one of Michael Jordan dunking over Stockton and Malone. Tim struck up a conversation with this wide-eyed boy. Tim told the boy how his wife was a nurse and had helped deliver Stockton and Malone's children and that he had met them once. Of course, the boy was all ears. He said he wanted more than anything to have something signed by an NBA player (you see where this story is going, don't you). Tim thanked the boy, but was surprised to see the mother in tears. She explained to him that her son did
not talk to strangers. Yet he had been delighted to chat with Tim. Well, that was miracle enough, but the story gets better.
Tim flew home, with no contract, and called a friend at the Jazz office. He explained that he needed something signed by Stockton or Malone. Of course, his friend resisted, reminding Tim that these men hate signing autographs and were downright ornery about it. Well, Tim insisted that there was a boy in Palmyra who needed an autograph and the Palmyra temple might depend on it, so you certainly will ask about that autograph! And right then, Stockton walked by. He wasn't happy, and there was some language, but six weeks later, a little boy in Palmyra got the autograph of an NBA player.
And so this family's heart was softened toward the Church and the Utah Jazz contributed to the building of the Palmyra temple. And in case you were wondering, this sweet family got a special tour of the temple that they sacrificed to build.
2. Nauvoo- Apparently we Mormons gossip too much or something, because when the Church inquires about buying land, rumors start flying, which no doubt drives our leadership crazy. A Catholic monastery in Nauvoo notified our Church that they had property to sell across the street from where the first temple had been built. However, when Tim went to talk to the nuns, they weren't willing to agree to any contract that was drawn up. He went home discouraged.
Not long later, Tim got word from President Hinkley that he needed to go back to Nauvoo and not come back until he had a contract for the monastery--and nobody could know why he was there (weird, right, but I guess if you want to avoid gossip). So Tim flew in late at night to avoid people. However, surveying the property the Church already owned, he ran into a missionary. Sadly, this is not the loving missionary story you wanted to read. When Tim vaguely explained that he just checked on Church properties, this missionary commanded Tim to "get rid of" the Catholics across the street. I, personally, was horrified to hear this. I don't know what this guy had against them, but I can think of no one less deserving of hatred that women who sacrifice their whole lives to serve the Lord and his children. Tim was disappointed too, to say the least. How heartbreaking.
Well, Tim prayed and prayed about getting this contract, and he kept getting a strong impression from the Lord that money wasn't the issue. When he met with the nuns, the Mother offered to let him walk around the property. Then, away from the ears of her Sisters, she explained, in tears, why she could not sign the contract. They needed to sell the property, which was too big for a monastery that was no longer running a school. However, if they sold it, there would be nowhere for her Sisters to go. They had given up all their earthly possessions to serve the Lord. The Sisters she loved and watched over would become homeless. Immediately Tim understood what the Lord meant when he said that the issue was not the money. Tim looked at this sweet Sister, so concerned for her flock, and promised that if the contract was signed, the Sisters could continue to live there, rent free, until their new monastery was built. As the crying Mother told Tim, "I think your God and my God must live in the same neighborhood." But I agree with Tim when he said, "I think they live in the same house."
Leaving with the signed contract that morning, Tim saw the missionary he had spoken to earlier. And he was heartbroken. This man would get what he wanted, but not for the right reasons. Here a miracle had occurred. The Lord had seen the needs of his daughters who served him in a monastery, and arranged for them to be taken care of and their needs met while also providing for the needs of our Church. This missionary would never recognize the miracle of the Lord's love for all His sons and daughters. Someday, I hope he will come to see that the Lord loves all of us, no matter how we serve him, and that we should be united as disciples of Christ.
Well, as Tim went home that day, he felt the original builders of the Nauvoo Temple rejoicing. Four years later, after the new monastery was built, President Hinckley made a historic announcement: The Nauvoo temple, abandoned and destroyed during the persecution of the Saints, would be rebuilt.
I love the Nauvoo temple, but to me, the best part of this story was the story of God's love for his daughters.
Now, for the less serious stuff:
This week I met with a Church photographer because they needed photos to go with the article about my Young Church Service Mission. I met with Sister Lisa Chriss, who is a professional photographer, but is currently using her talents to serve a mission for the Church. I thought she would just take a photo or two, but she took a ton, all trying to capture my job, and they turned out amazing. She was super nice, too. Since the pictures were taken for the Church, I get to share them with you:
You can kind of envision my enormous cubicle here. And in the background, there are a couple of Bethany's drawings: a hedgehog and a fox.
When I saw these pictures I was both amused and embarrassed. I'm amazed anybody has ever had the courage to interrupt me while studying if this is what I look like just copying and pasting data. =)
Dropping off paperwork. Which I had forgotten to sign. I had to go back later that day.
Here you can sort of see Trina. Trina was a good sport even though she had no prior notice.
Lisa wanted a picture showing the C.O.B. in the background. I enthusiastically support any photo that has flowers in it, so it worked out great. =)
Here is my supervisor, Trina, the lady who actually-knows-everything that is going on in Publishing Services, and sometimes even the rest of the Church. She would have liked to have had her hair back like she usually does, but she looks lovely anyway.
This is us pretending to have a serious conversation while I sit on her desk. I do sit on her desk when I come to talk, but usually the topic of conversation is, "Trina, I have a problem! What do I do about this!?"
I love this photo. And in case you were wondering, we were not working. This is what it looks like when you are supposed to look like you are collaborating with your supervisor and instead she shows you a video of a hedgehog in a bathtub.
Love,
Sister Ward
