Quick, joyful trip

Okay, so it doesn’t get too much more joyful than this!! Sister Wilkey did get a week’s reprieve from full time mission life to full time grandma life!!!! A glorious stop in Utah and then on to Las Vegas. So like it or not, here are the results—family photos. In her absence, President Wilkey traveled to northern Maine for what we call specialized training in individual districts and companionships of missionaries. Regardless of what he says, she says she left him well supplied with food, travel plans and pre-arranged visits. And he left her with a suitcase with love notes.

Now this is JOY! Being surrounded by the –all must agree—some of the most adorable children on the planet. We say in the mission. “Missionaries leave their families for two years so that others can be with their families for eternity.”

Joyful meeting the two grandsons born in our absence. Collin Wilkey (Devin and Janene’s son born the day before Thanksgiving) and Ryan Hatch (Jason and Erin’s son born on Memorial Day)

Joyfully getting reacquainted with Gracie and Megan—only 3 months and not yet one when we last saw them. Yes Gracie has the Morris talent of funny faces. Megan celebrated her 2^nd birthday.

Enjoying some Las Vegas sunshine and heat (but admittedly happy to leave 100 degrees for a cooler and much wetter New England. Double enjoying Katelyn and Logan’s enthusiasm for the water.

Joy mixed with parting—Jason’s departure for Navy boot camp. Erin and threesome will meet him again at their next home at LaJeune Base in North Carolina.

We have” no greater joy than … that our children walk in truth.”

We are joyfully grateful for their love and support, for caring for and supporting one another.

May in New Hampshire Manchester Mission

It’s blossom time. We thought autumn was gloriously colorful. Spring is fall’s rival, from daffodils and tulips to dozens of flowering trees as well as the thousands upon thousands of trees in myriads of shades of green leafing in the warming weather. Most unusual are the maples which leaf in red, then turn to green.

Plant identifier please! We have not identified the name of this shrub. Its huge blossoms come in reds, pinks and lavender. The fern below is a fiddlehead, edible, seasonal and part of our supper menu.

And it’s mud season. The heavy snow packs thaw and the rains come. Rain!! Vermont newspapers reported 2.74 inches in a two day period, 16 inches in a month. Thus, flooding and flooding combined with strong winds. Only two missionaries were stranded as they attempted to return to their apartment; roads in Montpelier were closed; however they returned the following day and found flooding in the basement of the apartment. We were grateful for no other emergencies and all missionaries safe and accounted for with fifteen minutes of the President’s plea to know all their whereabouts.

Quote found on a church chalkboard. It says it all!

Do you recognize these wonderful friends? Yes, it’s Elder and Sister Excell serving their mission as employment specialists in the northeast area. They help members and non-members alike to access employment, education and self-employment opportunities. They came to the mission home to talk with the zone leaders and encourage missionaries to share with those they meet the resources of the specialists, the employment center and the website ldsjobs.org. They have done much to strengthen members and non members alike and have helped to 'grow' the employment center. They exude the joy of missionary service.

We are also encouraging missionaries in some areas to extend to those they find the joys of searching our family roots not only the family history libraries in their areas as well as through the familysearch.org website.

Building a foundation. Elders Maxfield and Lowe serving in Bangor, Maine spent

couple hours of a preparation day devising an object lesson for zone conference. They built the foundation of their tower on first faith in Jesus Christ and personal prayer and study, companion unity and a dedicated, obedient “set apart” heart. Down the center of the tower is what you see sticking out at the bottom, a pvc pipe stabilizer which they called the constant guidance and influence of the Holy Ghost. They illustrated that each of those blocks is essential for the conversion and ultimate temple blessings of individuals.

Heavenly Majesty, Images of Creation. President is immersed in one of the spectacular images of the Hubble Telescope display now showing at the Joseph Smith Memorial Historical Site.

Parables and Parallels for Fishers of Men

We love being with the missionaries, with the members in their home wards or branches. Sunday, the 29^th, May we traveled to Wolfeboro having scheduled that day months ago with the branch president. A beautiful drive in the early morning! As we entered the town, we saw people everywhere, walking the streets bordering shimmering Lake Winnipausaukee. It then occurred to us that this was Memorial Day weekend. Offhandedly, President commented,” This is the vacation home of Mitt Romney.” Sure enough, as we stood to speak, we noticed not only Mitt Romney and his family, but Bill Marriott and his. No fanfare. Same focus on the Savior. And for us, the same joys of interactions with the ‘year around’ Saints in Wolfeboro. (PS Mitt Romney and family stayed all three hours of the meeting block and stayed awake.)

On May 17 and 19, we held zone conferences in South Royalton, Vermont and in Augusta, Maine. Wonderful times to renew faith, to be instructed and to build unity in the mission. President Wilkey—with the help of his ‘ghost writer’ –sent the message below for the mission newsletter published once every transfer cycle—every six weeks. These glimpses summarize the fishing theme which he used to capture the interest of the missionaries and to point them to our call to leave our nets and become fishers of men.

PARABLES AND PARALLELS for FISHERS of MEN

A clinch knot if used by a fly fisherman will slip apart with little tension. However the improved clinch knot with one more loop in the knot binds the line to withstand any weight or tension placed upon it. Likewise it is the small and simple things lived that help us withstand the weight or tension of missionary work. Conversely we will slip apart under tension if we fail to do those small and simple things. Alma counseled his son Helaman, “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass…by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of souls.” (Alma 37: 6-7) What is moral of the parallel? We write our own conclusions as we examine ourselves: Are we living the little things? As we do live the small and simple, do we expect to withstand the “tension” of missionary labors and to assist the Lord in bringing about the salvation of souls?

A fly fisherman who knows where to fish and how to approach the stream –not slap cast but gently float the fly onto the water surface—will have fishing success. A missionary who approaches his divine calling and authority, his daily schedule, his study, his area as well as planning, finding and teaching with casualness will become a fishing “casualty.” In short, casualness equals casualties. On the other hand, a missionary who has reverence and respect for his or her calling, a willingness to live the daily schedule, to study with a desire to be taught and to prepare to teach and to follow with exactness the standards of missionary appearance and conduct will invite the Spirit to be a divine and constant companion. Reverence invites revelation.

“…Jesus walking by the sea,” invited two fishermen, Peter and Andrew, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-20) Likewise we have committed to a prophet of God as we signed our call letter to leave all worldly concerns behind...(See Missionary Handbook p. 4) We follow our Master Jesus Christ as did the apostles “who forsook all and followed him.” (Luke 5:11) As Elder Holland passionately said, “Elder or Sister, you can’t go back. You’re in this for the long haul, all the way to the end.” The moral of the story? I quote the admonition and promise of an apostle who himself an avid fisherman. “As a special witness of him, I testify to you this day that the time will come when every man, woman and child will look into the Savior’s loving eyes. On that day, we will know with a surety the worth of our decision to straightway follow Him. That each of us may hear the call of the Master and straightway leave our entangling nets and follow Him is my earnest prayer…” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, General Conference, April 2002)

I testify of the love and compassion of our Savior. I know that His love manifested in the great Atonement defy description. What remains then for each one of us is to answer with conviction the same question that the Savior asked Peter who had gone “a fishing” (John 21) , “lovest thou me?” (John 21: 15-17) Do we love Him? Do we love Him enough to feed His sheep? As we do so, we can become like Peter who was filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 3:8) We can become even as our Savior the ultimate ‘fisher of men.”

Pictures of April 2011 in words & in photos

A day of 80 degrees. Rain. And now the flowers are alive, the trees budding. For exercise we have planted pansies, cleared brush. And in the doing so, President Wilkey acquired a tick, tiny menace that was only a dog tick and yet has left him with cellulitis around the site. The long winter darkness had begun to take a toll on our missionaries and they were happy for “light” acquiring health tips and for three days of sunshine.

Outgoing Missionaries – 5 elders and two sisters we returned regrettably to Temple Square “…he [Jesus Christ] inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness…black and white, bond and free, male and female…” 2 Nephi 26:13

An elder three hours from boarding the plane for home reading from Preach My Gospel, the definition of a successful missionary, able to say, choked with emotion, voice full of l conviction, that he had given full measure and had felt the joy of service.

Incoming Missionaries which President insists must not be called “greenies” came in a package of 10 elders and two sisters.

The dedication and sacrifice of our New England Saints who support missionary effort through opening homes and hearts, offering rides and referrals, exemplifying our Master.

Senior Missionaries – WE LOVE THEM!! We had a couple gathering with 10 of the 12 serving here. And seniors have fun! A game of Pictionary with hymns was lively. The testimonies and experiences later shared by three leaving left us happily grateful for miracles in records preservation, in finding the needy and in confirming that our Father in Heaven knows each one of us personally. The couples with us left between them 38 grandchildren and their homes in Portland, Oregon and Kaysville, Utah.

A silly moment during a family home evening with the 35 missionaries who came to mission leadership meetings. They spent an intense day and a half in discussions, counsel and lessons –we use the teaching model (explain, demonstrate, practice, evaluate, repractice). We have seen the ‘fruits’ of the training in more faithful finding and planning, more effective and earnest prayers, more follow up on commitments. We have lots of singing elders!! They invite the comfort and conviction of the Spirit. Thirteen elders spent the night at the mission home.

The ‘light” and “white” in the countenance of Dave Williams as he witnessed the vicarious baptism of his beloved wife, Judy who died only four days before she was to be baptized. She had battled complications of diabetes and other diseases but had found new joy in the message of eternal life through accepting the Savior and his restored gospel. In the Boston Temple Sister Wilkey was blessed to serve as her proxy.

Reading from the four gospels the accounts of the last week of the Savior’s earthly ministry and then reading together from the book, Jesus the Christ, the same account. President Wilkey gave a talk in Sacrament meeting after we had been reading and with deep gratitude shared his conviction that because Jesus Christ completed the Atonement, we can also complete with his divine help our hard tasks.

Happy April to you!

Yes, that’s L-Sister Wilkey-Grandma on the phone, as usual and on preparation day, or rather preparation moment. That’s your pictures on the side of the frig. You supervise us. But some are rather outdated!

Grandpa-Dad-President Wilkey is checking out a snow ski in the sugar house in Vermont. We sure love you!

We’ve been watching for your mormon.org profiles. Let us know when they come up please. Have you used the site for family home evening?

Here’s an experience from missionaries using the mormon.org site: “When we got home from the zone conference on Tuesday, we had an appointment with Marilyn and her husband Rocky. At the end of the lesson we pulled up mormon.org on their computer. I knew there was a video on there of an NFL player but I hadn’t seen it. We said that we should watch that one because Rocky would enjoy it. It turns out that the NFL player and his wife talked about how they had a miscarriage with triplets. Marilyn had a miscarriage and was still upset about it. It was awesome how we decided to watch a video that Marilyn and Rocky could relate to.”

March Moments

LIGHTHOUSE EVERMORE

While we were in Portland we took a walk out to the Portland Headlight, the first lighthouse built by the United States government and under the direction of George Washington. It was completed in 1791. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who visited there often wrote this about light houses. The poem expresses our appreciation for the Savior, the Light of the world,

Steadfast, serene, immovable, the same,

Year after year, through all the silent night

Burns on forevermore that quenchless flame,

Shines on that inextinguishable light!

Dave- Dad- President Wilkey (DLW for short) loves the hymn, "Brightly Beams our Fathers Mercy.” He loves to sing it, loves the harmony. He also feels deeply the story behind the hymn.

“Philip Paul Bliss was directing the singing for a series of services being conducted by the well-known preacher Dwight L. Moody. As he closed his message, Moody told the story of a captain who was attempting to bring his boat to the Cleveland harbor one very dark and stormy night.

The waves rolled like mountains, Moody said, and not a star was to be seen in the clouded sky. He pictured the boat rocking on the violent waves as the captain peered through the darkness for the sight of a signal light by means of which to guide his vessel to safety. When he finally spotted a single light from the light-house, he turned to the pilot and asked:

“Are you sure this is Cleveland harbor?”

“Quite sure, sir,” the pilot replied.

“Then where are the lower lights?” the captain continued.

“Gone out, sir,” the other man answered.

“Can you make the harbor?” the captain asked anxiously.

“We must, or perish, sir,” the pilot replied.

But despite his strong heart and brave hand, in the darkness he missed the channel. With a resounding crash the boat piled up on the rocks and then settled slowly to a watery grave.

As the congregation listened intently, Moody concluded with this admonition to the Christians:

“Brethren, the Master will take care of the great light-house; let us keep the lower lights burning.”

That was all Bliss needed to pen one of his most popular hymns, “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning.””

mormonstories.com Text and music: Philip Paul Bliss, 1838–1876

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From his lighthouse evermore,
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

Let the lower lights be burning;
Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.

MAPLE SYRUP – MMMM…GOOD

After interviews ….

In northern Vermont, we visited President Goodrich (2^nd counselor in the mission presidency) and his wife Ruth. Their family farm, owned and operated since 1840, is location of over 20,000 trees which are tapped for the sap which is boiled down into maple syrup. (Look below for the questions about sugaring.)

DO – BE’s Yes and that’s not the term that originated from the Doobie brothers singing and is indicative of something that violates the Word of Wisdom…And no, it’s not even from Romper Room, a Do-Bee. (Listen to the Do Bee song. ( YOUtube, DoBee Song, my first record LP). It’s what the president and then the missionaries coined as a term to express the desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ. “What manner of men ought ye to be?” (3 Nephi 27:20, 27) He wants missionaries to follow the Savior. In the words of Preach My Gospel, page 123, “You need to be a Christlike missionary, not just do missionary things.” So now missionaries are finding “Do – Be’s” or if you want to spell it “dubeys” throughout the mission.

The two sisters are incredible! Both are tall, one nearly six foot and one, over. But they stand tall in their Christlike attributes. (The sister on the left beat four elders in a game of horse.)

AS THOUGH - AS IF WITH - AS FOR

It seems that many of our good habits are directly a result of the teachings and example of our parents. It will come as no surprise that President Wilkey encourages –or shall we say urges vehemently—no trace missionaries. So Elder Franklin has joined the no trace effort with gusto. Having discovered that some missionaries had become slovenly in their apartments, Elder Franklin has helped in improvement. Second mile as he and Sister Franklin are, he has been instrumental not only in clean up but in making some repairs badly needed. To teach “ No Trace” we have used the “as for” principle from Doctrine and Covenants 51:17. Act on the land as for years—in other words, make the best of the area you are assigned. Serve. Love the people. We also encourage the “as though” principle borrowed from Ian Morris, a wonderful executive secretary, BYU 1^st stake. “As though” Jarom 1:11 – Have confidence to act as though the Savior has prepared hearts to receive the truths of the gospel because he has. We added the ‘as if with” – Alma 56:56 –Go forward with courage and faith to do the work of the Lord as if with His strength.

SPRING IS TRYING TO COME

Two glorious days of sunshine!! And the birds are back in abundance. One wonderful day we saw wild turkeys, deer, a Canadian goose, chipmunks, and a mallard duck.

Mimi ni mtoto wa Mungu 我是神的孩子 I Am A Child Of God

Swahili Mandarin English

So what is happening in our kitchen? Sisters Amuli and Hatch under the direction of Antonie made a genuine African dinner –fry bread, casaba, collard greens, fried rice, a ground white corn meal for a group of friends among whom are the four on the far right of the picture on the right, a family of ten who are refugees from Burundi. Antonie and her husband and five children are refugees from the Congo. However all are close families with a high work and moral ethic. All are studying the gospel of Jesus Christ, desiring to strengthen their faith and their families. Yes, of course, before the lesson centering on “I Am a child of God,” DLW did the famous rabbit magic trick.

And we really haven’t left New Hampshire to visit the Grimleys in Taiwan. The missionaries taught four students from Taipei, Taiwan in our home this Sunday night. Adam—his American name—received a text mistakenly, inviting him mistakenly to help to move a woman in his neighborhood. The missionaries were the primary ones involved in helping with the move. Adam received the text though mistakenly and spent a few hours helping with the move and learning about the restored gospel. Although not Christian, he and his friends were so attracted to the reality of God and his personal interest in each of our lives, they desired to know more. Tonight Sister Han, a missionary from Mainland China who has been serving about three hours from here came to teach in Mandarin. The four speak little English and are in fact taking an English speaking class taught by the elders.

QUESTIONS

Do you know how many gallons of sap are needed for one gallon of maple syrup? Did you know that Joseph Smith’s family gathered sap from their trees for making maple syrup for their family and for selling. Can you imagine carrying 40 to 80 gallons of sap via buckets like this to a hot fire so that they could be boiled down to one precious gallon of syrup? Some of the maple trees we saw on the Goodrich

Marvelous Moments – from Letters to the President --Typos

“What an up lifting conference we had these last two days. I think of how blessed we truely are to have the oppourtunity to witness the voice of a living prophet and apostates.”

February 2011

For the LOVE of February 2011

Zone Conferences

President Wilkey chose an object lesson to introduce a discussion on putting our choices, our desires, our actions in tune with the Spirit. He used tuning forks to illustrate sympathetic resonance or sympathetic vibration whereby one vibratory body responds to the vibrations of another to which it has harmonic likeness. He used three tuning forks, two tuned to middle C and the other tuned to D. When he tapped the tuning fork C, the other C fork began singing the same note. They were both tuned to the same frequency. Both forks would always and consistently respond to the middle C. He had us strike middle C on the piano to further illustrate sympathetic resonance. However the other tuning fork (D) will not respond because it is tuned to another frequency; it does not have sympathetic vibration or frequency. He used the object lesson to teach the principle of having our lives in tune with the Spirit. He said, “the Spirit of the Lord comes at its own unique frequency; you will resonate to it if you are in tune with it. But if your frequency is different, you will not respond or resonate with the same spirit…Now, tuning forks cannot change their frequencies, but people can. They can become in tune with the Spirit. “

Valentines Day

Ah, for the joy of sister missionaries! They bring their loving and creative touch to service. And to us, for Valentines Day, we had a ‘heart attack’ at the mission office complete with some of the sayings and scriptures from zone conference. We were happy to receive Valentines from family and friends. Old missionaries are not much different that young ones: they wait at the mail box!

Leadership Training February 15-24

© -What is the doctrine of Christ?

© -What does it mean to each of us as individuals?

© -How do we unify with leaders, members?

© -How can we be leaders that inspire, uplift and carry forth the work of the Savior in our area of responsibility? These were the general questions we sought to answer through the leadership training. The bitter cold (belligerent y cold in the words of long time Mainiac (yes, that’s what they call themselves.) did not deter the missionaries’ enthusiasm for learning and for the ‘fun’ of breaks, a cake decorating contest (few ingredients, less time even though it was the day following preparation day) and an active break in a day of workshops, study and ‘real’ play as we call the interactive practice of principles.

Transfers and New and Returning Missionaries

Feb. 28-March 9

Transfer planning is major prayer, fasting, pondering for President. But the incoming missionaries (7 this time) bring excitement mixed with apprehension. The day and a half with outgoing missionaries is sweet: temple trip, testimonies, singing, sharing funny and faith-filled stories, talking of their next steps. You can see the board behind him, five zones, 20 districts, 52 areas.

Regional training from Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s teaching on counseling influenced our zone leaders’ council last week: In counseling with our councils, we are not merely seeking consensus though that is helpful. What we are seeking is REVELATION to occur. We want the counseling in councils to facilitate REVELATION. Then we unitedly do the will of the Lord.

Snow Shovels to Umbrellas

So do you ever wonder what the president receives in the weekly letters to the president? Miracles, goals reached, griefs, challenges, complaints, joys and sometimes art work. This certainly describes one sister’s lack of enthusiasm for upcoming New England mud season. Rain mixed with feet of snow melt!

Can’t really blame her. She has a broken foot and has had to wear a boot for the last 8 weeks.

We have an elder with a broken arm, snapped distal radius, major break and resultant emergency surgery. And for me, endless phone calls—missionary medical, doctors, parents, stake president. The elder is one tough dedicated young man: refused to have any sympathy, was out working the night before surgery and four days later.

Have you been on mormon.org? Seen the new pass along cards?

Sister Wilkey has found a very good listener. Not particularly responsive but ….

So who are the Frost Heaves? A premier basketball league in Barre, Vermont

Next trivia question? How about the Fisher Cats?

Candlepin bowling? Stay tune. We are going to have a preparation day sooner or later.

Strive to Arrive with 385?

As the missionaries of the New Hampshire Manchester Mission, “We Will Strive to Arrive with 385,” converts, that is. Having begun with December 23, 2010 and continuing until April 6, 2012, we will strive to find, teach and prepare for baptism and confirmation and retention of 385 souls!

In honor of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, grateful that his birth place is in our mission, we have chosen to begin our “accounting” on his birthdate DECEMBER 23. In deep gratitude for our Savior Jesus Christ and in commemoration of the organization of His Church we chose to conclude APRIL 6, 2012.

To honor the work of the prophet in the 38.5 years of his life – 10 people covenanting with Christ through baptism for each year of the prophet’s life -- we will work “ to open the doors of the celestial kingdom to [others of] the sons and daughters of God.” (Dallin H. Oaks, Preach My Gospel, 9)