Thanksgiving and Tender Mercies

Dear families and friends,

 

Almost Thanksgiving?  Yes, and we will be hosting a traditional dinner for 16 plus missionaries us on that day.  They help with the food.  It is so nice to have them here; it keeps us and them from getting too lonely on this family holiday.  Here is a turkey photo for you--these wild turkeys crossed the mountain road where we were traveling in Santo Antao last month.  "It is good luck if a turkey crosses your path; it is even better luck if his tail feathers are spread."

We will be leaving for Germany on Tuesday evening, arriving on Wednesday at noon, stopping in Lisbon for a couple of hours.  We have waited many months for this special trip and now it is here--the time has gone so fast!  We won't be taking our computer and won't have much free time to use someone else's there, so we won't be able to respond to any emails right away.

 

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?  Matt, please let us know where you will be for that day.  Hopefully, Sherrie can get my medicine to you and the instructions for sending it (which I will tell her). 

 

Today we had a tender mercy.  We were given some like-new white shirts and ties by one of the couple missionaries who visited here from Germany.  We wanted to share them with the branches here to give to new members.  So today we went to sacrament meeting at the other chapel across town and took the 5 shirts and ties to give to the branch president there.  He told us that just that morning, four investigators who are going to be baptized next Saturday were asking if there was any way they could each get a shirt and tie so they can help with the sacrament.  (They are marvelous young men, roommates at the local university, and all 4 of them received the missionary lessons and were converted!).  The president said that "our timing" in bringing the shirts and ties today was just right.

 

We also were able to help three sets of elders.  One set had an extra bed frame in their house and an extra refrigerator, things they did not want to keep, since they would be moving out of their apartment soon.  So we volunteered to find a pickup truck and driver to move those items for them--another set of elders needed a frig since theirs was not keeping things cold, so we gave them the newer, better frig.  And the next set of elders did not have a bed frame for one of their mattresses, the elder had been sleeping on the mattress on the floor (against mission rules because of many insects, some of them BIG.)  So they got the bed frame, and everyone is supplied now!

 

All of the missionaries in the mission are rejoicing for the mission nurse who went home in August.  She will be getting married on Nov. 20 in the Twin Falls, Idaho temple.  She is a widow, and her fiancee is a widower (a fine Church member and leader in the Church).  Since her late husband was not a Church member, she had never been sealed to anyone, or her children either, and now those blessings will come to her.  She was my special good friend here, and the missionaries all loved her too.  She and he had known each other for many years.

 

We just do whatever needs to be done, and whatever we can think of to help the people and the missionaries here.  All is well, our daily activities continue to be much the same, and we are happy and fulfilled.

 

We are watching emails closely for news of Grandma Sanchez.  Thank you to all of you for your prayers for her.

 

Love always,

 

Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Elder and Sister