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 But some are rather outdated!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)

FACING FEBRUARY....

...with FAITH in JESUS CHRIST

“Know ye not that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalms 100:3

We were given a large print of this painting for Christmas. We feel deep gratitude for the Savior and feel in this painting his tender love for each of us individually and feel like the lamb, safe and protected no matter the ‘desert’ we are in. As we continue to teach, inspire missionaries to ‘find the lambs who wander’ and to encourage them to ‘feed his sheep,’ we have days of utter discouragement such as missionary sickness and disobedience when we feel the certainty that we are sustained far above our ability. We are amazed at the individuality of the Lord’s concern and the promptings of the Holy Ghost; for instance, in the case of the elder who had severe back spasms which would not respond to any treatment. After a week, we were led to a member chiropractor who works in a clinic of physicians. With his immediate help, the elder had an MRI followed by a second one. Each indicated an abnormality. The second was diagnosed as probable abscess. The non LDS Radiologist who looked at the Elders first MRI saw only a small aberration and almost passed it off, but she said in the doctor’s words-there was an angel at my shoulder telling me that I needed to look for more and order a second MRI. We were advised by the attending neurologist to have an immediate surgery or to have the elder home to a hospital in his area within 24 hours. With that diagnoses, we felt constant divine help for us and most importantly for the elder who despite the great pain did return safely. He went from the airport to the hospital. He has staph infection which had invaded abdominal cavity, wound itself around the muscle in his back and had begun to push into the vertebrae and pelvic bone. What a blessing that the infection remained contained and that the necessary medical care was immediately available not to mention that the air flights and other massive arrangements necessary to get the elder from his are an hour north of us back to Utah were made quickly.

…with ENTHUSIASM for the MESSAGE

Have you seen ads for mormon.org? Have you read the insert in the January Ensign?

Our missionaries are shocked: they have been instructed to go onto the Internet! Yes, to research and use mormon.org to help those who are investigating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to meet members and to examine their lives, their beliefs, their basic doctrine.

Introducing them to this was part of zone conference this week.

Have you been on the website mormon.org? It will be a wonderful family home evening or several for that matter. We will be looking for your profiles!!

…with FEET of SNOW

And it snows and snows and snows. There is an eight foot mound of snow at the end of our circle. So do you wonder what elders do on snow days? Yes, snow days—cars are grounded, schools and stores close, public facilities close. New Englanders stay off the snow packed, icy highways where the wind is blowing and snow drifting. (But we’ve never seen snow crews work so fast and efficiently; the roads are cleared within hours of the conclusion of a and sisters are on foot. They shovel driveways, rake snow off roofs, get others’ cars out of drifts and walk to appointments. Notice that despite the 15 degree weather some elders still want to shovel in suits only! Can you guess which of these elders is a prankster and the center of fun? Can you guess which one is a Spanish speaking missionary?

…with PHONE in HAND So what are your symptoms?

…Or HAND on the WHEEL Miles to go! And go! And go!

FEBRUARY RIDDLE? What is the meaning of the riddle President Wilkey presented to the missionaries during zone conference? 12-23 to 4-6 strive to arrive with 385. Where did he come up with the numbers?

FEBRUARY TRIVIA? What is a wicked whoopee? Who are the Frost Heaves? (We saw them in Montpelier, Vermont.) And what is candle pin bowling? Where is it played?

Riddle solved, trivia answered in March Mildness (That’s our hope for the weather.)

Jan. 10, 2011

Who would ever think that Swahili would be a language needed in New England?

Our two companionships of elders in Manchester, New Hampshire found two families who spoke only halting English but who wanted to be taught in their native language Swahili. In the next week, we were sent two sisters from Temple Square, both unexpectedly and without any prior information, Sister Han and Sister Amuli. Sister Han from Main Land China is going tomorrow to teach a couple in Burlington, Vermont who speaks little English and principally Mandarin and Sister Amuli from Kenya who incidentally is freezing in our weather speaks English fluently, two dialects and of course her native language, Swahili. She and her companion are now teaching the gospel in Swahili.

What is the common phrase here, the one that missionaries dread most? I’m all set aka Leave me alone. I’m good to go.

Who is this wonderful office couple? Yes, it’s Elder Nick and Sister Jean Franklin from Lehi. And without them, we are toast! They not only love missionaries, teach with them, look after them, they also manage all their mail, finance cards, apartment concerns, and multitudinous daily operations of the Mission Office. That’s only the tip of the iceberg of their responsibilities. Yes, they always smile, make the office a fun place (marshmallows projected by a pvc pipe gizmo included ) and are constantly helping us.

How cold is it in New England? Uncharacteristically warmer so we’re told. So far, that is. In Bedford, the snow hasn’t accumulated but in Dover Foxcroft, Maine in the far north near Moosehead Lake, there are piles of snow three feet high. It was 16 degrees Fahrenheit in St. Albans, Vermont which is on the Canadian border. Ice sculptures form as water trickles off the many rocky cliffs story. (P.S. 12 inches of snow today January 12, 2-4 inches an hour)

What was the theme of the December 28-29^th Leadership Training? Unifying with Members? Maybe this illustration of the rope ‘trick’ wasn’t exactly what the president had visualized as unifying but it sure did give the missionaries a good break from the intense day and a half of workshops, practices, panel discussion, more practices, DVD clips and more practices. We love the people of New England northeast!

What is a fluffer nutter sandwich? And why would anyone want to eat one when the branch president (That’s him, Pres. Harmon with the other ‘only perfect haircut,’ the owner and chief cook at Phil’s Fudge.) is offering some of his fudge that he has been making and successfully marketing for 24 years? A fluffer nutter is a peanut butter sandwich made with fluff which is much like marshmallow cream.

Does he still do magic tricks? The same ones? Yes. (At least Jackson thinks Grandpa’s magic tricks are great. Just ask Blain.) This time President Wilkey introduced a fireside for young men and women with yet another magic trick but emphasized that magic is not ‘real,’ just illusion but that miracles (a response to faith and prayer, the acts of One who is almighty, the natural results of the Messiah’s presence among men -see the Bible Dictionary, p. 732-3) are real and they happen daily in the mission, a consequence of the faith, prayers and hard work of missionaries and members who seek to bring the Messiah’s presence into the lives of others. (P.S. Have you been on Mormon.org? Have you given your ‘profile?’)

Who are these people with President? They are Bill and Judy Noury, mother and son. He baptized his mother on January 8^th just three months after his own baptism. She is in awe of the miraculous changes in him and in her outlook on life and hope for the future. Both reflect peace and joy the gospel brings.

What did we do on Christmas night? It was a happy evening with nine missionaries, two young men, these two sisters and a family. We ended the evening with the family who is investigating the Church, singing and reading from the Christmas story. Elders Urrietta (5 foot 4) and Dahl (6 foot 4) stand with two sisters on the stairway in our home. Notice the Christmas socks!

Big dog or small missionary? Both. Short missionary long on love for dogs as well as people.

Whose shoes? A missionary so busy, so completely dedicated to being the feet that bringeth glad tidings that he had no time to find new but less used shoes at Goodwill industries.

What Key ? Sister Wilkey accompanied the children in Primary singing time, no advanced notice, no practice. Why did she ever stop piano lessons from Janae?

How many ZZZZZZZZ ’s are there in LTPz?! An LTP is a letter to the president which is received and responded to via internet. President was reading them and responding while sitting on the bed. His head started to bob. He awakened and started to read again. He pressed the key to respond. Several moments later he woke up finger still pressed on the keyboard but this time he had 16 pages of response. Sixteen pages of ZZZZZ’s.

Five Gratitudes of November (besides those of home and family)

1. The sure witness of God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ borne by the prophet Joseph.
2. The humble birthplace of Joseph in Vermont. This is the hearthstone where the baby Joseph was laid after his birth on December 23, 1805.
3. With stake conferences, zone conference and meetings, three day trainings, we have witnessed the amazing fruition of the promise that we will have words given us to speak in the very hour they are needed if we treasure up the words of life. (D.C. 84:85). Dad-Dave spoke or trained in over half the days of the month; L spoke and supported.
4. Missionaries! We were sad that two left last week due to illness. Nine departed early in November having completed their service. Missionaries come in every personality and devotion level possible.
5. The inspiration of living apostles evidenced in the Improving Teaching Effectiveness curriculum that helps missionaries to become better teachers.

So what was really the mission in November?

• Prayer – lots of. Pleading for inspiration and strength to know what to do and help to do it
• Illnesses- of missionaries. 9 hours in an emergency room. Sadly putting a sister on the plane after 2 months of health struggles (She has surgery this day in fact. We are hoping she will return soon.) Trying to find doctors who don’t want to take short-term patients.
• Meetings- zone leaders’ council, zone specialized training, three day specialized training for 40 elders and sisters, one by one interviews (Dad), zone conference with Elder Walker of the Seventy; Speaking - three stake conferences, one ward Sacrament meeting, fireside
• Transfers and transfer planning.
• Three gallons taco soup inhaled at zone leaders’ council, café rio salad, the all-time missionary favorite, 16 sets of sheets in the laundry, enumerable phone calls all day long (Dad)
• Missionaries in and out of the home. Singing around the piano with the departing elders
• Feeling overwhelmed that we can look back at the steps of inspiration we took, had sought with real intent and only realized in retrospect

• Laughter and tears.
  
  
• Dad’s constant message: Have a set apart heart, a consecrated heart.
• Blustery, cold days with the sun down at 4:30 pm
• Beautiful Christmas crèches (over 1000 of them) in two crèche exhibits
• Three trips to Vermont, one to Bangor Maine.
• Two poopy experiences with food poisoning
• Missionary concerns, challenges, crises, joys, successes and growth.
• Miracle of knowing that when we are doing the will and the work of the Lord, we are never alone.