Communist China?

The last couple of days we have had quite a few experiences. I had a man from China come in to the visitor center from China. He had bad information about Mormons. He was traveling to Chicago. I told him a little about our Church and took him to the Christus and had the Savior talk to him in Mandarin Chinese. He was quite moved. He took a Book of Mormon in mandarin Chinese. Another young couple from mainland China came in and I worked with them for a while then they went over to the main building and the Sister Missionaries worked with them for quite awhile, they gave them a video on the restoration and got a referral so the missionaries in San Diego could work with them. They were going to college there. A couple from Northern California was looking to relocate for their retirement. I spent quite a long time with them then they went next door and asked the sister Missionaries for a Book of Mormon. Darolyne had a scare up front when a man a little intoxicated came in and announced that he was going to kill a man for taking his phone. He was quite emphatic about it so Darolyne called for Temple Security who spent quite a long time to calm him down. The rest of the night we were worried that he might come back in. It is a worry for me  because I am the only male with about 15 sister missionaries. Darolyne gave a Book of Mormon to a young girl who was not a member who came in with her grandmother to Brigham Youngs' home yesterday.  We had a big youth group from Ephraim and another large group from Hurricane. I also gave a blessing to Sister Harper from Australia. She was feeling quite poorly with congestion. Sister Leishman a senior missionary went to the hospital yesterday because she had a hard time breathing. They said she had a virus. When a Sr. goes down it really messes up out schedule because we do not too many ways to substitute for them. Last night at the Tabernacle we had our last devotional of the year.L. Dean Marriott spoke on Jesus at Capernaum. A Senior couple the Clarks' are coming over to look at our house. They seem interested to buy it. Lots going on and it is starting to go in the 100 degree range and will be around all summer long. It still is so beautiful here. I had another experience the other night. A family came in to the Annex. They mother and two daughters were members but the husband was not. He wanted a sr couple to come and teach him. I asked Elder and Sister Miller if they would do that because they lived quite close to them.

Another Transfer Day

This week was a transfer day, Sister Busteed was the only one going home. She lives in Sandy, Utah. Eder and Sister Bowcutt have a month left. They will be going home to Perry Utah a town next to Willard, Utah where Darolynes' ancestors came from to go to Canada. Also our favorite sisters showed up and we are taking them out to lunch. Lister Losky is form Pennsylvania and now is going to go to UVU in Orem. And Sister Chinen from Sacramento who is presently serving in Cedar City. We are buying another home so it is stressful in the Childs home. I will be going in for Cataract surgery in two weeks. Darolynes' back is really hurting again so she might have to have another shot. Elder Bowcutt and I are Elder Watkins, Assistants.

A Good Day at the Winter Home

Today at Brighams' house we had several good experiences. I had 4 good souls who had left the Church. They were generally from Orem and were 3 years behind me in school. They were joined by a young man from St. George. Not sure but I think they were all tipping on the suds just a little. I was bold in reintroducing them to a gospel that they had long left. It was a fun and very productive meeting. Then I met a couple, young couple from Switzerland. They had no religion. The Europeans really do not believe in God any more. They have been brought up that way.. A short trip through Brighams' home and a talk on the Book of Mormon and they readily accepted the Book of Mormon in German. Then I had a couple from Palmdale, California come through and at the end the lady wanted a Book of Mormon and any other material we had. Darolyne had a lady come in that is a member but is going through a divorce and is struggling Darolyne was able to talk to her and console her. The lady had not a Book of Mormon and wanted to start reading it. She apparently had never read it though being a member. I suppose there are so many people in our Church that do not know much about the restored gospel. So sad. Then at the Tabernacle last night we had Robert Millet speak. He was our neighbor in Orem. HE has written so many Church books and is one of the most sought after speakers in our Church . He spoke on deep conversion.

Assorted Quips

The last couple of days have been quite busy; we are going to buy a house which worries us because we will need to sell this one. Ryan has a new girlfriend, a 39 year old attorney with two children. KC found out that his school loans will add up; to 34000 dollars. But the gospel is true and we are on a Mission. I had an experience with a couple vermont that seemed quite interested in the Church, I was at Brighams' home. They took a Book of Mormon and all information that we had. Then I had another couple from Vermont that loved history, just not lds church history. Can't change the fact that Brigham Young was a prophet of God interestingly enough called the American Moses because he was responsible for starting over 300 communities in the intermountain west, more than any other colonizer in American history. Darolyne had a great experience with a lady who had the Book of Mormon but was afraid to read it. She said if she read it and didn't believe it that she would go to Hell. Darolyne taught her through that fear, now she wanted to go home and read the book.  Pictures of Mark Gibbons who at one time was my Choir Teacher at Dixon Middle School and his sister in law Linda who sings with Gladys Knights' choir. That choir goes all over the US and gives performances and gives a fireside where Gladys bears her testimony. Another photo is of a girl who came to Jacob Hamlins' house and is a great great granddaughter of  Jacob and Priscilla Leavitt so I took  her picture by Priscillas' picture. Then a picture of Darolyne and Peggy Collins at Brighams' Mark and Linda did a concert at the Tabernacle. Also a picture of Eduardo who is the custodian of the Tabernacle he is from Ecuador 75 years old and going strong. A wonderful man, love him lots.

Veranda.

Just Plain Ole Quite the Day

Yesterday was a p day. Elder Leishman came over and helped me put up a grill canopy in the back. Only half up though. Today was quite the day. 4 French Bus tour groups. They usually come in the main center where Darolyne and the sister missionaries hang out. I am out in the Annex. Today a bus load of French people came in the Annex and I gave out 15 Books of Mormons. Then later on a young man from LA a latino who was in town for a conference came in. He asked tons of questions he said he had a friend who was Mormon and was getting married in the LA temple. He was not a member. He hung out for a good half an hour and was really interested in our church and what it took to get married in the temple. He left with a Book of Mormon with an explanation of what it was. When he left I wondered if he was the friend he said he had. Interesting experience. You never know how the spirit works on people including myself. Also  a lady with the last name of Farrarri came in and wanted a blessing because she said she landed on her bed this morning and she thinks she broke some ribs, she wasn't able to get ahold of her bishop so she came in for a priesthood blessing. She was 70 years old and was being booted out of her house. I gave her a blessing and told her to go home and write down what was taught to her today. Here is a photo of Ryan and Darolyne on Mothers day.

Miracles Never Cease

If the Lords' Church was on earth you would expect miracles to occur just like it was when he was on earth. I learned of one yesterday. I was at the Visitor Center and met with a man about 40 and his sister near 40 years old. He was a rather stout and comely man in jeans and a t shirt' she was dressed in a nice dress. As I showed them around they told me their most recent story. The lady had just recently been to the temple to receive her endowments. She works at the name extraction center finding ancestral files. He was living in Boise and not a member of our Church and not active in any church. His wife just left him taking their 3 children . He just lost his job. These two haven't seen or heard or each other for 25 years. They were half brother and sister. The sister was working at the extraction center last week and wanted to see if she could find where her brother waslocated. She looked at all the sites and couldn't locate  him. Then she thought to go to a little used site. There she found him with a phone number. She immediately called him.  At the same time he was praying for help;  he was destitute. He had a bus ticket to go to Spokane. He was without rent money so he had to leave his home. Then a phone rang it was his sister  that he hadn't heard from in 25 years. It was a joyful reunion. She invited him to come and stay with her in St. George. Here he was with a new discovered belief that their was a God. He now was wanting to know more about his sisters' religion.His sister brought him to the Visitor Center to learn more about Mormonism. He is going to have our missionaries teach him. The sister told me how it was a miracle. She went back to website where she found his information and his information was no longer on that site. My son Ryan came down to visit. We were going to go golfing but he was too tired so we went to the driving range.

Sweet Home Alabama

Today at the Tabernacle a man and his wife and their  20 year old son and their mother , his mother came in for a tour. They were from Alabama. The man wife and son just retired and moved here to Entrada. At the end of the tour they wanted to know about our religion. They were Baptists. I told them about Tithing, Fast Offerings , and that piqued their interests. Then I told them about the temple and what we did in them. Then genealogy, about our belief of eternal families and lastly about the Book of Mormon. Then the 40 something wife said, "how can I be a member of your church?" Needless to say it was a great ex;perience. I gave them my card and asked them to email me if they would like to learn more. I gave them 3 Books of Mormons and literature on all the other things they were interested in. Also a Jewish couple came in from Queens New York, a man from Germany that was traveling the US by himself. Good day. Today was Brodies 16th birthday.  6 foot 5 and rising. Love that kid.

Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you

It was Darolynes' birthday so I gave her a card with money,that is unique I hardly ever give her a card. We went out to Breakfast at DeDes and went to Pine Valley and Mountain Meadows. We met the DeWitts there, they are from American Fork and are fantastic missionaries. Then we went to dinner at  Costa Vita then we went shopping for her to get some jewelry but of course she couldn't find anything I  did though of course. It seemed so good to be in Pine Valley because there were pine trees and a mountain valley. We haven't really seen that for so long. In fact it is sprinkling here today, since we have been here for 13 months I bet it has only rained 10 times. We are in a drought even though

we are in a desert. Elder Watkins our fearless leader shared a story with me in our leadership meeting that is worth writing . He and his wife went for a ride in their newly purchased clunker Jeep that they got for 1000$ just to go 4 wheeling the Jeep had 180000 miles on it. They went uop to Kolob Reservoir and decided to take a 40 mile dirt road that they never had been on, it went up over Cedar Mountain down to Kannariville. On this outing at about 29 miles int their trip they got a flat tire. It is getting to be dark. He had never looked if the Jeep had equipment to change a tire. They couldn' get one lug nut off and the jack wouldn't work. Getting darker. They prayed hard because they didn't bring water food or warm clothing.  Then out of nowhere came a truck with a man in it. They haven't seen a person all day. The man helped them with his equipment. Ahh one of the three Nephites, that is what they figured. When the jeep was ready to roll Elder Watkins went over to this mans truck where he was sitting in his truck.Elder Watkins leaned in to say thanks when he noticed a can of Bud Light on the seat. Well probably not one of the Three Nephites, but an Angel for sure that the Lord guided this man to our good leaders car.An answer to pray.

Surprise Guests Brian and Dianne Dudley

Yesterday we were serving at Brigham Youngs' House. We looked up out of our Gazebo and who could we spy but Brian and Dianne Dudley straight from Raymond Alberta. They flew in on a whim. The night before Brian said lets go see John and Darolyne. So they got up at 2 a.m. drove to Great Falls  got on a plane to Salt Lake, then on to St.George. There they were we have spent the last three days with them, they have visited all the sites. What a great treat. Today we went to the Visitors Center and I had a neat experience there. Walking outside was the President of the St George Temple Bruce Hafen, former Seventy, and his wife and a friend. I went outside and introduced myself to him as a former Principal of Orem High when his kids went to Orem High. His son was on the tennis team with Ryan. We had a great talk about how good Orem High was back in those days. The lady with him was a lady from the church who was there to beautify the temple grounds. Well I had a lot to say about that with suggestions.I think they liked a lot of them. We had a French bus come in and while they were there I had President Hafen come and see how the sister missionaries taught them in  there language.

Another Vignette

Today we served in the Visitors Center. It was a slow day but I was able to give 3 Books of Mormon. Two of them went to a couple from Columbus, Ohio. They were on their way to Los Angeles.They were an older couple. He had  a friend who was a Mormon and lost his Book, and would like another one. She was quite interested in the Gospel. I was able to teach them quite a bit. Another person was a lady from Guatemala and her 2 children. She was a non member and I told her that the history of the Book of Mormon was her heritage and was able to get her a book in Spanish. The first visitor was a lady from Saskatchewan and had never heard a word about the LDS church. I had a good time trying to explain to her what the temple meant. We had three members from Chile and a slew of others. Joey and his family is coming down tonight so we are excited about that. We are tired but seem to be managing for the time being. Darolyne is one super companion and I love her dearly. President Monsen laid to rest his wife, Frances today, he look like he was very sad, we pray for him.

Last Minute Miracle

Yesterday Sept. 16 we worked at the temple visitor center. It was a real slow night in the last half hour I was summoned to the big center to give a blessing. Elder Dabb and I responded There we met a young mother who was pretty distressed. She came to the Center for a blessing. This happens often because people know that the priesthood is always there. We met with her and she said she is going through a divorce and has lost all hope because she is afraid she is going to lose her child, a 9 year old girl. I was asked to give the blessing. As I blessed her I could feel the spirit of the holy ghost as she was really humble and submissive.It was like when the lady touched the hem of the Saviors garment and was healed because of her faith. This lady had faith and I gave her a blessing of peace and assurance that everything would be alright. A lot of tears were shed. Then I went back to the Annex and a couple of minutes before we closed the doors and locked up I detected in the night that there were a lot of people out on the Temple grounds. I opened the door and found 4 families of Hispanics taking pictures of the temple in the night. I asked if I could take the pictures for them. In so doing I found out hey were from Mexico and only one could speak English. They were not members of the Church I asked if they would like a Book of Mormon in Spanish, so I  gave them 4 Books. Today at the tabernacle Darolyne gave out 2 Books of Mormon to people from Ohio and Colorado. These photos are as follows The diorama of St. George at around 1900, The display of the canon that they tamped down the lava rock to form the foundation wall of the temple and the view of the visitor center with the Annex in the for front this is where i spend my  time when I am at the visitor center, Darolyne is in the main part of the center.
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KC Visits

This last week we went for a small trip on our P day with the Collins. We went to Kolob Reservoir through parts of Zion Park. pictures included. DC came down to visit but we did not have any time off to do much. He is experiencing pain in his legs and so I filled the hot tub and he was able to use it.I was able to give him a priesthood blessing and assure him that he does not have MS. It was a very spiritual moment for all of us. KC just wept. Janet K

app Perry came and talked at our fireside Friday night it was very moving also. I  can see there a lot of spiritual moments on this mission. Yesterday at Brighams house Darolyne and I both gave Books of Mormon  one to a couple from Rancho Mirage California and one to a couple from back east. This week is Swiss Days at Santa Clara so every home in town puts out a wooden cutout of cows these pictures are in front of Jacobs house.

Party On

Last night we had our monthly party. We met at Elder and Sister Bowcutts second home at Entrada,  probably a million dollar home. It was a great party and a beautiful home. Today I served at the Visitor Center. In light of winter coming on  it was a good day. I worked with a cute couple from Switzerland, they were in their early 30s. They were excited to take in

formation and especially a Book of Mormon. Then I met a lady from Wisconsin who is a stewardess for SkyWest Airlines I was able to introduce her to the Book of Mormon and she wanted one along with our other information. Picture of Sisters Brenners from France and Shafer from Germany. These two are very good missionaries.

Hodge Podge

Lots of things this last while. We have been serving at the Brigham Young home the last 3 of 4  days. It has been very busy because of the spring breaks up north. Joey and Jamie and family came down for the week we met with them for several days. We went out to the Glitter pits where the pioneers got their gypsum to plaster the Temple. The Sr. couples met at Brighams and planted Cotton. Today was transfer day and two sister missionaries and The Hewstones are being released to go home. The Hewstones are from Sydney Australia where they served as Temple President and Matron. What a great couple. I assisted in giving Elder Hewstone several blessings while he was here. I did give one Book of Mormon to a lady from Idaho.

Spring Break 2014

Today was a good day at the Visitor Center. Darolyne gave one of tour Bus Drivers a Book of Mormon in Polish. I gave a Book of Mormon to a couple from Texas they were very interested in ourChurch because they have done a lot of genealogy and knew our Church really emphasized genealogy but did't know why. I then gave a Book of Mormon to a Catholic couple from Chicago. They were very interested in the Church and asked many questions. A lot of the questions dealt with some of the mysteries. I didn't answer those only to touch on some of our basic beliefs. I felt like the man was trying to trip me up. It brought back memories when I defended my dissertation when I was getting my doctorate. Then I thought of that old program 64000$ Question where you could take an expert in the booth with you. Then I thought The Holy Ghost is in the booth with me and will bear testimony of all truth, for that is what he does. Anyway I also gave the testimony of Joseph Smith to this couple and gave them my card with my email address and asked him to email me with any other questions. Then this evening because Joey and jamie and the kids are down here we took Joey and Jamie out to dinner at the Anasazi Steak House.

13 Months

Interesting week, Channel 4 ABC TV came down to the Tabernacle and wanted to tape Darolyne and I but Missionaries can't be on TV. So they came at night to a performance by the Snow Canyon Choir so they filmed it live and Darolyne was on the stand at the Tabernacle, she was on TV but the cameraman did a really bad job of photo journalism and the whole production came out blurry. Then this weekend was the Iron man competition in St.George. 2300 participants, you swim 3 miles then bike 70 miles then run 13 miles and it was hot 98 degrees. A German won it followed by a Canadian. The finish line was at the Tabernacle, we were there the night before the competition. Yesterday I gave 6 Book of Mormons to the French who came in a bus. Today I gave a Book of Mormon in Farsi to a man who wanted one in Persian, He was a bus driver for one of the French busses. He lived in L.A. I

didn't find out if he was a muslim though. This is Darolyne, Sister Collins and Sister Young at our monthly outing at Paulas' Mexican. Looks like the 3 Redheads.