One Week Review

We have been here one week. I wish I had a wonderful missionary to share with you but that will have to come later.  We visited two blocks of meetings and a PEC today and set up some appointments for this coming week.  It is going to be a long process.  The Oakland temple has been closed for two months and reopens the first of August.  We are going to take the elders to the Oakland temple when it opens.  We met a family today that is related to all the Thueson's in Rexburg.  We met the stake president who is originally from St.Anthony.  There are lots of people who have gone to Ricks College and more who have their kids at BYUIdaho.  The RS president in one of the wards was brought to tears as she talked about takin their son to BYUIDAHO for fall semester.  She shared with me what a great kid he is and how much she'll miss him.  It was quite a day.

We have found a place to begin walking again and that feels great.  We are still looking for a real path so it will be easier on our feet.  We have loved getting that fresh air again.  Yes, the air is fresh.  We have blue skies, white clouds, and no rain.  Everything is dying around us.  As we have driven around and seen all the brown fields, my heart breaks.. People are letting their lawns dry up and everyone to trying to conserve.  In the meantime, San Diego area is having floods from the rain.  Mother Nature is hard to figure out sometimes.  

A Simple Update

I keep thinking that I will get my bearings here in Cali, but it hasn't happened yet.  The last couple of days have been spent trying to find everything.  We have had success because we found the Sonic and Costco.  Oh yeh, we also found two ward buildings because we have meetings in the morning with two zones of elders and sisters.  It was totally a successful day.  

Our weather here has been so great.  We have been in the low to mid 80's during the day.  This morning when we walked it was 64 degrees, slight breeze from the west.  We are told over and over that we will fall in love with the weather here.  We will fall in love with the weather but not with the freeways.  There are definitely times we want to avoid any freeway driving.  There are people everywhere here.  I think I am going to be glad to see the quiet, congested streets of Rexburg.  

The couple we replaced were CES missionaries and that was their focus so there is nothing going on from a military relations standpoint.  We have left messages for the two stake presidents but no call back yet.  We want to meet with them first before we meet with bishops.  We are kind of off to a slow start but Craig and I both feel like we will just need to be patient.  We just have to let the dominoes fall into place.  Hopefully the elders we meet with tomorrow will have some contacts we can help with.  

Our last meeting we had in SLC was with Frank Clawson, who is over the Military Relations department.  He was our stake president in Germany.  It was wonderful to see him, catch up a little, and visit.  It was kind of a sweet thing.  He told us he recognized us but wasn't sure from where.  When Craig mentioned Germany, the light clicked on and he said, "Hahn Air Base - you were a counselor to Bishop Williams". That was a long time ago so it kind of surprised me that he would remember us.  Through this mission call and the Military Relations news letter we have caught up on several old friends.  Our bishop from San Antonio (Craig replaced him as bishop) is also serving this type of mission and emailed us to catch up.  

Thanks to all of you for your love and support.  I miss my grandkids and my kids.  I am grateful for this opportunity to give back to the Lord a little bit of what he has given us.  We are truly blessed and we love this time of life. Our phone number has remained the same.  Our new address is 2550 Hilborn Rd. #249, Fairfield, CA  94534.

Email synopsis

I know I haven't been very good at the updates but I'll try to do better.
We are busy here because we have homework every night.  And because I'm a little slower than most, it takes me the evening to do the homework.  Last week we learned from the Preach My Gospel manual and this week we get two days of CES (S&I) training, followed with military relations training for three days.  Then, I think, we will be on out way.  Friday's training will be at the Church Office bldg.  We will leave from there to go back to Rexburg and pack the car then leave on Saturday.  We will have Monday with the couple who we are taking the apartment from and move in on Tuesday.  I think our first priority will be groceries and household items and then we'll see how we progress.

We have had wonderful experiences here.  Sunday evening we had a fireside and then a taped devotional given by Elder Bednar at the MTC on a Christmas Sunday.  It will as given several years ago but was so powerful. It showed such a fun side of Elder Bedar but also his great teaching ability.  It brought back a lot of memories of the office and what a blessing it was to have been able to work with him.  They have retained this devotional for only missionaries at the MTC. 

Food here is OK.  There isn't too much that entices me.  The good thing is the young missionaries can have as much as they want.  The BYU Creameries comes twice a week and sets up an ice cream bar.  They do make good ice cream.  The soups and the wraps haven't been too bad.  I don't know how the long term missionaries make it.  (By long term I mean that some are here for 9 to 12 weeks. ). 

We have team taught investigators, been taught, studied, learned how to teach the CES way, which is a new and pretty good way, plus mingled with elders and sisters from all around the world.  


Sunday we ran into some old Rexburgites, Kent Brooks.  We have met people from St, Anthony, Blanding, Utah, Lacey Washington (this is where our friends McClellans live), Rigby Idaho, Canada, institute students of our nephew Chris, and etc.  It never ceases to amaze me how our lives are intertwined.  When you add the military with the Church, we are all one big happy family.  We have a couple in our group that are from Colorado Springs and will serve at the Air Force Academy.  Believe it or not we have a lot of names in common from when we lived at the Springs.

We have missionaries in our group going to Tonga, Finland, Ireland/Scotland, London, Rome Italy, Australia, New Zealand and all the way from Florida to Washington state.  The one mission that is not in our group, of which we were all surprised, was Africa.  It has sure been wonderful meeting so many new people.  We have given our Scotland friends the names of the Ladle's in case they ever run into them.  The Australian missionaries are going to Brady's old mission.   We have searched the mission president's board to find our friends currently serving.  There is a bunch!

I know some of you wont relate to parts of this email but I don't have time to tailor one for everyone.  Please forgive me.  If any of you are wondering about a mission, please wonder no more.  Don't wait until you are too old to serve.  There will always be a reason not to serve but one must know your own heart.

Our love and prayers are with all of you, family and friends and other missionaries.  We are forever indebted to Brady and Mindi for watching over our home and possessions.  We miss our grandkids but know that we will all be blessed through this experience.

Update from MTC

We are coming to the end of our first week at the MTC. I am grateful I have survived.  I am grateful that Craig has been such a support.  Today at lunch, we looked up from eating and there was Mark Wightman.  What a surprise.  He was there for some meetings on the new MTC buildings.  What a wonderful tender mercy it was.  Many memories of Mark coming into my office in the Religion department.
There is a senior couple that we were able to find out a common link. She is Steve Clark's sister.  It really doesn't matter where or what we do, there are always someone we can link up with.

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: dixie
Date: June 1, 2014 at 6:34:15 PM EDT
To: bradyn4@gmail.com
Cc: Diane and Howard Fergus
Subject: Re: Sis. McMahon

We are home now from a wonderful day in Norwich Branch.  We picked Sis Pantohus up this morning. People were so gracious to her and loving.   As I sat by her in church I knew that she had to be feeling the spirit.  The first testimony was from a visitor who bore a very strong witness  of the Holy Ghost and told (just enough) about her conversion.  It was a very spiritual meeting.  After sacrament meeting, Sis. Pantohus said that she wasn't quite ready for three hours of church so we took her home.  We had previously scheduled to meet with her again at 12:30 but as we dropped her off and mentioned it, she was a little hesitant.  Craig and I left not knowing for sure is we would get in again this Sunday.  She said she would text the missionaries and let them know.  I did not know what to expect.  After Relief Society Craig came to get me because she wanted to meet.  It was a wonderful visit.  As we left, we asked about church next week and she agreed to let us pick her up again.  I am so grateful to be seeing the growth in her.  She asks questions about the scriptures and she now says our closing prayer.  This has truly been a journal entry day.  Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we strive to continue to move forward.  Please let Sis McMahon know, if you can, that we are doing everything that we can at this time.  Love you both for setting such a great example for us.  The Lord truly knows us and loves us.  He will bless us if we but let him lead the way.

Love you, Sister Nordfelt

This is a copy of the email sent to me from Diane.

Dixie and Craig,

I talked with Sister McMahon this week and she is absolutely thrilled that her mother has agreed to go to church with you on Sunday.  She told me that she has been praying very hard that someONE would reach out to her mother and take the time to make her a friend and teach her.

She wanted me to tell you that you are an answer to her prayers.  We talked again how very important the ONE is to Heavenly Father and he wants ALL of his children to return to him not a select few.  We will will praying for you and Sister McMahon's mother on Sunday that she will be touched by the spirit and willing to soften her heart to learning, reading and gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon.

We love you and love that you are an answer to prayer.  Let me know how Sunday goes.

Diane

Long but wonderful Sunday

May 19, 2014, Monday

We had a wonderful weekend.  Craig and I spoke in the Norwich sacrament meeting on family history.  I enjoyed speaking but the preparation gets harder and harder for me.  There were only 22 at church but they have a very sweet spirit in their meetings.

Right after church we went with the missionaries to visit an inactive sister. Sister Pantohous is not active but has a daughter serving a mission in Portland Oregon and she also attended BYU-I.  She struggles with the determination and conviction to attend church on Sunday.  I got to share with her one of my favorite scriptures and then we visited about her daughter.  Sister McMann is serving in the Portland, Oregon mission.  I told her she was serving in the same mission where my sister and her husband are serving.  I told her I would call my sister and have her give Sis. McMann a hug and a hello.  She seemed pretty pleased that we had that connection.  She agreed to have us come back next Sunday.  Sis. McMann will return in January to BYU-I when she gets home from her mission.  I told Sis. Pantohous our mission is only six months and so we will be back in Rexburg when she comes and I will meet her then and have her to dinner.  When I got home I called Diane and asked her to get a message to Sis. McMann.  It is an amazing thing the way lives intertwine together.  It was a wonderful experience as we visited with the missionaries.  I felt the spirit as we visited and as each of us shared a scripture.  I know that proselyting is what Craig wants to do for a mission.  Yes it was a great experience but I don’t feel like I want to do that all the time.

Afterwards, we went to lunch at the Wright’s in Norwich.  We really had to hustle because we had to be at the nursing home for sacrament meeting at 2:00.  Although it was fast and furious, it was good and was greatly appreciated.  People in Norwich and around seem to live in very old homes.  Out west we like our new and modern and here they seem to like the old and fix up.  I am never sure what to do around older/senior people.  It is hard for me but I know I need to learn to serve better.  We didn’t get on the road till about 2:30.

Upon arrival home, we rested just a bit and prepared to go to the Brighton home for a fireside.  Bro. Neeley taught us about the history of the First Vision and the different recordings we have.  It was a very interesting fireside but by the time we got home it was about 8:30.  I was pretty tired and ready for bed.  We both read for awhile and then went to bed.  I slept really well but still am tired.

The changing of my thyroid medication seems to have really affected my energy level.  I guess I got use to the medication boosting my metabolism.  It has also taken us several tries in order to get it right.

Today was a regular day in the temple.  Craig and I were #1’s in the session.  I made several mistakes.  I don’t know why I seemed to get everything wrong.  Sister Cahoon came in to observe the veil.  We were told that she gave us an A+.  It’s a good thing she wasn’t in the session.  I know better on some things but just got it wrong.

We came home today and had a short nap.  We couldn’t go walk because we have FHE tonight.  These are pretty interesting, more interesting than I thought they were going to be.

This week is Jen’s birthday.  I wish I had the words to explain how much I appreciate her and how proud I am of her.  She is a very good example to me in so many ways.  Can’t wait to talk to her on Wednesday. 

So many cool experiences

A couple of days ago I was serving in the temple office.  When I looked up I saw President Bennion, past president of Ricks College.  As I approached him, he greeted me by knowing my name. As we visited I realized that he really did remember me because he asked about my retirement and about the Religion Department.  I was pretty impressed.  He is currently serving as the president of the Manhatten temple.

Then yesterday I got a message to come to the front desk of the temple.  When I got there, I was greeted by my cousin's daughter.  My cousin David had asked his daughter Anna to come by and see me.  She and her family have lived in New York for 10 years and are now moving to Mesa.  She has a darling little girl, Greta.  Boy is she going to be fun for grandma and grandpa.