SEW GOOD

Lacy and Sisters Brown

Robyn has been using her sewing skills to reach out and help some of the people we visit. In our hospice visits we met a dear lady named Lacy who is confined to a wheel chair. She mentioned to Robyn that the small bag that she had attached to her wheel chair was tearing and had holes in it. Robyn immediately told her that she would try and make her a replacement bag to hold her small possessions while she moved around the facility in her wheel chair. She made a pattern from the old bag and then went to the second hand store to find some material. Since I was responsible for leaving her sewing machine at Christopher's when we were at the MTC, Robyn had to borrow Kaui's sewing machine and immediately got to work. Lacy was thrilled with the new addition for her wheel chair. It wasn't much, but it sure brightened up Lacy's day. We find that these little opportunities for service also brighten up our day. 

In need of replacement

Finished product

11 YEAR OLD SCOUT CAMP

I had the opportunity to help out at a multi-stake 11-year old encampment at the Naish scout camp on Friday and Saturday. We had three boys from the Kaw River ward that participated. I think there were about 150 boys and almost that many leaders that were there. They really take their scouting seriously here.

DRIVERS ED 101

Kate

The other day, when we visited the Amayo family, Kate asked us if we could help her. Kate has recently joined her family here from Nigeria. She was recently offered a job as an LVN at a facility about 10 miles away and said that she needed help in figuring out how to get to and from work as she is unfamiliar with the roads (or at least that is what she told us).  A perfect welfare service project to teach self reliance, I thought. Anyway, we figured that with the help of our GPS and then taking her on a few practice trips, we could get her comfortable with the traffic here in no time, she could learn the route, and she would be able to help support her family. Well, when we came back and got into her car, she informed me that she had gotten her drivers license literally only a few days ago and what she really needed was some help to 'make her strong' so she could handle the traffic in Kansas City. In other words, Drivers ED 101. She had never driven a car before arriving here in the states.
I thought that a couple of times around the block and she would be fine. No chance. It was awful. I thought I was going to die more than once and had to threaten to jump out of the car if she tried to get onto the freeway. The last time my blood pressure was this high was when Amy was learning to drive. ;-) When we finally made it back to her house, I told her to not to call me for a couple of months until she practiced some more and then I would help her figure out how to get to work.

Still in the driveway

On the road ;-)

IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS

Eating pizza for the first time

We met Judith a few weeks ago and it was nothing short of a miracle how she found the church here. She had just arrived from Texas to stay with her brother until her petition to remain here on humanitarian grounds is settled. Judith was baptized along with her daughter in Honduras about a year ago. She was serving as a counselor in the Relief Society in the ward. Earlier this year, a corrupt government official in her village decided to take over some land which had been given to her and another 150 poor families to farm. He sent some thugs to try and intimidate them. When the farmers protested, the leader of the group was killed and Judith was told she was on the list to be killed next. One morning as she and her daughter were leaving church, they were accosted and a gun was pointed to her head. It was only after pleading and praying for her life that the man relented. However he told her that even though he would not shoot her, money had already been promised for her death and someone else would take care of it.
She left her village the next day and headed north hoping to make it to the U.S. where she had a brother here in Kansas City. Judith was apprehended in Texas by the boarder patrol as she tried to cross into the U.S. She requested asylum on humanitarian grounds and was released after a $3000 bond was paid by her brother pending a court hearing in January.

This is a copy of the official transcript from Judith's interview
with the asylum officer in Texas

After her brother posted bond, the INS put her on a bus to Kansas. She was desperate to find the church, but does not speak English and felt lost and very sad here. Not only was she separated from her only daughter, but also the gospel she had grown to love. One day out of the blue, she saw the missionaries riding down her street on bikes. She ran after them and was able to speak to them. The missionaries called us and we were able to visit with her and give her a ride to church on Sunday.
The real miracle is that the missionaries in our ward had never ridden bikes before. Because the ward boundaries are so large, they have a car. However for about 3 days, they had to share their car with another companionship whose car was being serviced. During that time, the elders had borrowed some bikes from a member and were out trying to contact some referrals. They said that they had never been on her block before, and even if they had driven by in their car, Judith probably would never have known it. This was a tender mercy of the Lord so that Judith could be reunited with the church.
She literally arrived here with only the clothes on her back. The sister missionaries gave her some dresses and shoes for church. One afternoon after visiting with her, we asked her if she would like to go out and get a bite to eat. We inquired if she had ever eaten any pizza. She immediately told us, "Pizza is only for rich people," and that she had never eaten it. She said that back home in Honduras they had a Pizza Hut in the big city, but a single piece of pizza cost 50 Lempiras which is about $2.00. Judith said that with 50 Lempiras she could feed her family for 2-3 days. We enjoyed introducing her to a 'supreme pizza' with all the toppings. She was in pizza heaven.
We are so blessed to live in this country. Illegal immigration used to be a little more black and white for me. Meeting Judith has given us many more things to consider. We pray that the Lord will bless her and her daughter so that they can be safe and reunited somehow.

Very happy to be able go to church

P-DAY SEWING CLASS

Robyn invited Kelehua to come over on our P-day to teach her how to sew. She found a sewing pattern on-line for the gym bag that she remembered making in her sewing class in junior high. It was a fun and easy project for Kelehua to learn on. Since their family is going to Hawaii next month, she will be able to use it to carry her beach towel and sun block and sandels. Robyn took Kelehua to the fabric store where she picked out the material not only for her own bag, but material also for her mom and brothers. She is quick learner and her mom and brothers were very happy and excited to see her work.

Finished product

"I'm still trying to impress my dad..."

Angel's Landing - Zion's National Park, 1995

The following quote from the 'Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors' sums up my feelings this Father's Day.

"I'm still trying to impress my dad, I am still trying to tell him, Hey, I've been a good son, I've honored you and I've honored Mom, and I hope that you're pleased. I hope that if you have been watching over me all these years, that you're pleased with how I have conducted myself."
- James F. 'Bud' Comet, USN retired

SCOUT CAMP

Our scout troop, along with the rest of the troops in the stake participated in a week of camping at Theodore Naish scout camp. Theodore Naish and his wife were traveling on the RMS Lusitania when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat in 1915.  Mr. Naish died in the attack.  His widow, who was rescued, donated most of the land for the boy scout camp soon there after. 

I filled in for our scout master on Wednesday and Thursday, as he had to work. It doesn't get any better than this - sleeping in a tent, eating camp food, in 100 degree/95% humidity weather, with ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes and 8 mostly twelve year olds. I loved it. :)
An added bonus was that Noah's troop was also up at camp at the same time. We ran into each other 2-3 times a day. Also, Wednesday evening was 'family night' at Naish. The families of the scouts in camp were invited to come up and bring dinner to eat with their boys. James and Kaui came up with the kids to eat with Noah. They shared some Kansas City Joe's barbecue with me. :)

Each campsite had a concrete bunker
that serves as a tornado shelter - just in case...
(life in the Midwest)

Tommy Merritt

Zach Brennan

Noe Chavez

Gabriel Muñoz

Yael Mera

Jayro Silvan

Andres Molina

Aaron Brennan

ELDER JAMES J. HAMULA

Once a year, a member of the Seventy conducts a 'mission tour' of each mission  throughout the world. We were privileged to be visited this week by Elder James J. Hamula of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Monday evening, he joined all the senior missionaries for a pot luck dinner and family home evening. Tuesday morning, we attended the mission conference where he and his wife spoke. It was the highlight of our week to be in the presence of one of the Lord's anointed and to hear his testimony of the Savior. Before the meeting began, he invited all in attendance to come up so he could shake our hand and introduce ourselves. What a privilege. 

Family Home Evening and dinner with Elder and Sister Hamula

FAMILY HOME EVENING WITH THE TORAYAS 

Thumbs Up 

Fruit salad with whipping cream and lilikoi syrup

With the Bishop's encouragement, we have been trying to visit each family in the ward and share a FHE with them. This accomplishes two things. First we have an opportunity to get to know the ward members better and second we hopefully model what a good family home evening lesson is like. Along with the lesson, Robyn always prepares the refreshments - usually something to do with homemade lilikoi syrup which is always a big hit.

Last Sunday, Carlos Toraya asked if we could come over to their house on Monday and put on a family home evening for their extended family.  The Torayas have all been getting together periodically at one of the family member's home for dinner and a FHE.  Carlos said that there would be about 8 in attendance, but as you can see from the picture, it was more like 20.  

They started a family tradition a while back where they text each other a 'thumbs up' emoji if they hold a FHE. It is a fun way to encourage and remind each individual family to have their own. This past Monday, they wanted to send a special message to one of the brothers living in Mexico.  They decided that instead of just sending him a text with an emoji, they would take a picture of everyone in attendance with their thumbs up to show him that they all had a FHE. 

TRANSFERS

Every six weeks the mission president shuffles the deck and some missionaries are given new companions and sent to new areas. This is also the day that incoming missionaries from the MTC arrive and those that have finished their mission leave for home. We got a call from the sister missionaries in our ward, asking if we could take them to the Independence stake center for transfers on Thursday.  Sister Romero is going home and so she needed a ride and we also needed to pick up Sister Rowley's new companion and all her stuff. Sister Romero was one of 15 who were finishing their missions and going home.  They were being replaced by 12 new elders and sisters having arrived from the MTC.  There must have been over 100 missionaries in the parking lot receiving new companions and being transferred to new areas.  It was fun to see and feel all of the excitement and energy in the group.

Sister Romero's last day

Sister Hunt is Sister Rowley's new companion.  We are learning that most missionaries don't travel very 'light'.  Our Prius was riding low to the ground after we crammed all of Sister Hunt's luggage and boxes and bags and other assorted paraphernalia into the car along with two sister missionaries.

Outside their apartment
they live on the 2nd floor - my aching back

 FAMILY HOME EVENING

Merritt family - Fabia, Melissa, Tommy and Bill

We are in the process of trying to get around to the families in the ward and share a Family Home Evening with them. Most families don't have regular family home evenings, so we try and model what can be done each Monday.
Tommy Merritt is turning 12 in a couple of weeks and so the lesson we prepared was on the Aaronic Priesthood and the duties of a Deacon.  Robyn always brings the refreshments - usually vanilla ice cream topped with fresh bananas and strawberries and covered in homemade lilikoi syrup.

MTC CONNECTIONS

Sister Burris

While at the MTC, Robyn made a point of trying to say hi or talk to every young missionary she could.  One of the young sister missionaries headed for Canada that she met in the MTC was Sister Burris.  They really hit it off.  Robyn would look for Sister Burris at meal time and make a point of talking to her whenever she could.  What made it fun was the fact that Sister Burris' family lives near Independence and told us all about what it was like. She told Robyn that we needed to call her folks after we got here and go visit them.  We finally made connections with them and Brother and Sister Burris invited us out to eat.  It was so neat to be able to hear how their daughter is doing and get to know them.

Mellaine Burris

OLD TIME TRAIN RIDE

The last requirement for the scouts to earn their Railroading merit badge was to take a train ride. Saturday we drove down to Baldwin and took the train to Ottawa and back. The boys had fun riding in the cupola of the caboose. A great time was had by all. I brought along a couple of cub scouts to enjoy the ride and scenery.

Conductor

Mike Albrechtsen, Bishop Scott Miller, Paul Nielsen