More on Vermont and flooding

Even with the massive flooding native Vermonters' wry humor was expressed in a local newspaper. Other Vermont humor well describes driving in the state of forested rolling hills which are breath-takingly beautiful in October.

Despite the long winters, there are numerous fruit and vegetable stands during late summer and fall with huge tomatoes, blueberries, cucumbers, corn….

Note the Vermonters' descriptions:

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a logging truck .
2. You measure distance in hours.
3. You know all 4 seasons; almost winter, winter, still winter and construction.

For many pictures of the flooding in Vermont, see this site: http://www.mansfieldheliflight.com/flood/index2.html

Joseph Smith Memorial - Look Heavenward

Pardon the picture that looks like the photographer had her head cocked - there is nothing 'crooked' in the granite shaft that points heavenward at the Joseph Smith Memorial. We were privileged to have Elder Scott C. Grow and his wife Rhonda come to the mission on a scheduled tour Spetember 16-22. Pictured with Elder Grow and his wife Rhonda is Elder Schuck who with his wife serve as the directors of the Memorial.

After a day of constant drizzling rain, the sun parted the clouds. Really we do have sunshine in New England along with much rain! How else would we have so many trees and such incredibly beautiful foliage in the fall?

All Things Denote There Is a God

Heavenly Majesty – Hubble Telescope Photos at Joseph Smith Memorial

“All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it,
yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” Alma 30:44

Not only the indoor displays, but the grounds at the Memorial testify of the Creator. Flowers, trees, yes, even the rain create peace. But most remarkable is the ‘spirit of place,’ that which defies words but permeates the soul.

Thanks Irene

Hurricane Irene hit Vermont with a fury purported to cause the worst flooding since 1927. Traveling in South Royalton only days after we photographed the Vermonters’ raw humor in the sign on what was only a week before a thriving eatery. Missionaries in areas surrounding the flood damaged farms and towns helped in clean up. The Valley News of mid valley Vermont announced the condition of flood ravaged areas and clean-up efforts, “Basically we’ve got to clean all the fields off before we bring tractors through, [Liz Edsell ] told the group of men, most of them Mormon missionaries…”

Missionaries helping hands

July 2011

Beginnings and Changes, New Missionaries, Outgoing Missionaries –

It’s TRANSFERS

- Hours for the president in prayer, planning, considering the needs of the missionaries, for trainers, for the areas in which they serve

- The nervousness combined with tiredness of incoming missionaries, the buzz of excitement for those transferring to new areas and the anticipation combined with concern of those going home

- Hours of preparation for the office staff, the president and assistants who have to strategize all the travel arrangements in our large mission

- Can you guess the color of most of the cars in our fleet?!

TRAINING in EVERY ZONE –PLANNING!!!!

Maybe you’d call it, Preach My Gospel chapter 8 in technicolor or stereo or whatever term that magnifies, intensifies.. It was an 8:30 am till 5:30 pm day of workshops on vision to goals to desire to weekly and daily plans.

It included individual companionships –yes you see the Evans, one of our wonderful senior couples now serving in Portland, Maine—and groups working together to improve our planning and finding.

We don’t anticipate another long, long day like those five, but we do anticipate dramatic improvement in our vision of our potential, in setting goals and in fulfilling those goals. We hope the light shining on the Farmington elders Bennion and Slater is indicative our good things to come. We heard in Zone Leaders’ Council today positive reports.

Not to leave anyone thinking the day was not without variety, preparation—each companionships had to have area books updated and very presentable—and follow up. Each companionship was invited to make a visual of its vision from the planning chapter. The workshops were well presented by assistants and zone leaders. President and Sister Wilkey opened all the sessions and participated throughout the day.

No mistake, we mixed some action in with the brain work: a three legged race in which even our senior sisters and Sister Wilkey participated. We sure noticed the companions who could work in unity. In a couple zones there was a basketball shoot out at lunch time. A sister won in Concord Zone. She’s some kind of a dead eye shot at the free throw line.

TRAVEL SCENES

This is the land of lakes!!! (not to speak of the black flies & mosquitos!)

Notice in St. Albans, Vermont, the gas station, auto service center and maple syrup distribution market all in one tiny store. Only in Vermont!!

We got to visit our three senior sisters, not one of which is under 70. We LOVE senior missionaries!!! Well, okay, we love all our missionaries.

The two weeks of meetings also meant two weeks of travel. We started mid month in Farmington, Maine to attend Ward Council and participate in the three hour church block. Then we circled to Bangor, Maine, drove that night to Topsham, Maine, then on to Exeter, New Hampshire, stopping for a couple days at home before going north to Laconia, New Hampshire, west to Montpelier, Vermont, farther northwest to Burlington, Vermont, south to South Royalton and back to Oxford, Maine for another wonderful opportunity to visit in a ward. We work with individual companionships along with the training, go out with them as much as possible, include other meetings. In sum, we are tonight, July 31^st, completely ‘tuckered out.” But President is up in his office answering letters to the president.

Robert Frost loved Vermont’s Green Mountains. We enjoyed a short, very wet –it was pouring buckets—walk on the Robert Frost interpretive Trail. What do you think of the short couplet “The Secret Sits” posted near an open field surrounded by trees? We especially like the words from the poem “Two Roads divurged in a yellow wood and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.”

PHOTO MESSAGES

Do you have label for these photos taken during a short break at zone leaders’ council?

Bad B.O day? His wish is their command? See sheep run? What do you think???? Give your suggestions.

The presidency has asked every missionary to expect (with confidence in Christ and obedience to His commandments), observe (look for and keep) and remember miracles (evidences of God’s love and presence and the effect of faith.) We have seen the hand of God in the details of our lives from the sublime, a family who has united in their faith, to the small and simple, the elders who took hamburger buns home from zone training wondering why they needed them only to be given hamburger that very night.

Joys in June & July

Looking back on a year of service on a joyful preparation day walks in the woods, Hirundi Wildlife Preserve near Bangor, Maine. President Wilkey in a relaxed moment (Those are uncommon.) looks out on a pond reflecting the beauty of the rich vegetation of Maine and a fairly rare but gloriously sunny day. Likewise there have been days rich in miracles but nonetheless we recognize the clouds along with the sunshine. We have been humbled continuously in our need to receive constant revelation for the welfare of the missionaries. We feel the urgent the need to know what the Lord would have done in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission to invite others to the fullness of the gospel. There have been times of great disappointment and discouragement along with those of overwhelming gratitude that a source far above our own abilities and understanding who does direct the work.

Sister Wilkey thoroughly enjoying the quiet of the forest –well, almost, quiet. It was happily interrupted by choruses of frogs, choirs of birds and the splash of frogs jumping from the banks into the pond—and the joys of contemplating the upcoming year of service

Three cubs in a tree –sure enough, the calm of the walk was joyfully and a bit nervously ended when we heard commotion ahead on the trail—a football field distant—then saw the source, a big sow bear heading away, fortunately, from us aggressively. Then immediately in the some trees in our path up slid three black bear cubs. Needless to say, we ended the reverie and forward advance into quick backwards, quiet retreat.

Memories of Memorial Day – we joyfully welcomed three sisters and two elders from the Mission Training Center. They are illustrating the gourmet breakfasts served at the Mission Home on the morning they meet, nervously, their trainers and leave for their first area of service. Sister Nelson and Sister Huntsman are enjoying Rutland, Vermont and Plymouth, New Hampshire.

Marvelously joyful moments with missionaries teaching in the Mission Home—Sisters Rankin and Walter organized a family home evening with the Shimmel family. Becca, a tall 10 year old is trying to negotiate “life” blindfolded and without a guide. She and her family then studied about prophets and the need for living prophets who guide us masterfully through the mazes of the present and safely into those of the future.

Meeting with ward and branch leaders!! Joy!! Do you recognize Bishop Caleb Franklin? He serves in Manchester, New Hampshire as the bishop. He and his wife Trina are living in a nearby town while Caleb works in a law firm here.

We enjoy meeting with ward leaders to explain the ‘oval’ chart-working with stake and ward leaders. Missionaries like Elders Kinyon and Kulberg who the President can trust establish and strengthen their area ward or branch. President’s two councilors do far more work with local ecclesiastical units.

Joyful celebration of those who have served and who do serve honorably our country in the military, in government office and in support of the constitution—The Joseph Smith Memorial hosts and organizes annually this event, The Hope of America. We were filled with gratitude for our heritage. The larger Vermont community is grateful for this celebration because –sadly—there are no other events honoring our country in this state of the Revolutionary War Green Mountain boys. The picture of the children singing is fuzzy but the day was clear. Of course, we wanted to stand with the navy flag, grateful for our Navy dentist, Jason. President is standing with Elders Barnes and Levie.

Joys of young men and women becoming Christlike leaders--

During Zone Leader Council lunch break, President challenged the leaders to work together in simulated break from prison. They had eight minutes to escape—scale a fence with three comrades with injuries including the one with broken legs and another blind. They made fabulous analogies afterwards to their responsibilities as missionaries and leaders to rescue others and to work to together .

Happily, the office couples, the Hymases and Franklins along with the two assistants insisted we have a 4^th of July lunch and game of Kubb. Notice Elder Franklin’s intensity! He served a mission in Sweden years ago and was excited for a game.

We are happy to know when an elder or sister is really vested in the culture of the area. And what English royalty do you think the elder below is often mistaken for? Sure enough, Prince Harry.Elder Ashby alias Prince Harry slipped and asked for the zone leaders’ “idears” and didn’t even know he had added the ‘r’ on the word. Elder Gelwix (no, not son, nephew of the rugby coach) is on the Franklin Kubb team.