A Matter of Wolves TMM

TMM Unique Matters 3.26.19

Sunday before last I had my first opportunity to speak in Spanish to the 6th Branch. Just hoping they could understand me. . . My talk was on seminary. I always knew that seminary and institute were important, but since we have been here, we see first hand how very essential a foundation of gospel learning, testimony, and discipline are in preparing for life in this chaotic, pressure-filled world. Most of our students do not have a steady spiritual influence in their homes, and most do not have a family legacy that is centered in the gospel of Christ. Teens have lives filled with activities, school work, relationships, family responsibilities, and the stress of “what’s next?” However, we have come to see that the very most important thing they can do is to learn and live the commandments and follow the covenant path. In my talk I used the story of the old Cherokee who taught his grandson about the eternal fight that goes on inside of us. Two wolves constantly fight to win ultimate survival: one intending everything that is good—kindness, service, compassion, and love. The other wolf demands selfishness, hatred, anger, and pride. The battle rages daily inside each of us between the two wolves within. Finally the grandson asks, “Grandfather, which one wins?” and the old Cherokee answers, “The one I feed.” It is easy to let the hungry bad animal and the ways of the world overtake the fight for good. Seminary and institute help feed the good wolf.

Most of the students in our class want to serve missions, and yet only two of them come regularly. Others come sporadically, especially when their bishop reminds them how essential knowledge and testimony are to serving a mission. (MIND and HEART) If they could understand the rigors of missionary work, maybe they would get themselves out of bed and to early-morning seminary. The two students who come every day are amazing, devoted, and already have a depth of learning and testimony. It is easy to see the difference. They feed the good wolf every day.

Our institute students were shocked and excited to learn that the Constitution was established by God! (D&C 101) One said, “I can’t believe THAT is in the scriptures!” Here, in this liberal border town, is a good place to teach that this country is indeed special—a promised land, set apart by God for His purposes.

We LOVE our teaching assignments! This is the perfect mission for us. We love to start every day with a gospel lesson. We love the revelations in the Doctrine & Covenants, the lessons and truth of the Book of Mormon, and the example of the Savior as we study Come, Follow Me. We are happy to serve in Laredo—a unique and wonderful bit of heaven.

Matters of the Worth of Souls TMM

TMM and the Worth of Souls Matters 3.20.2019

We had great joy on Saturday as we attended a double event—the wedding of the mother and father of four beautiful children and then the baptism of the family. Our friend Ingrid had taught the family with the missionaries, and told how her heart was touched as the dad expressed his gratitude for the missionaries and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He humbly said how they were “hungry” for this blessing. Later Sister Vaca(our seminary coordinator) told us that the father works with her husband, but they were shocked when they heard that the family was being taught. It just shows that there truly are people all around us who need and deserve the blessings of the gospel and the Church. The Vaca’s put together a wedding dinner and party for family and friends of the Rodriguez family, introducing them to the spirit of love and giving we learn as we are “trying to be like Jesus.” Directly following the wedding performed by the 5th-Ward bishop, the mother, father, and their three oldest children entered the waters of baptism. Then came the celebration! It reminded me of our “Come, Follow Me” study earlier in the day: Emily Freeman told the story of her daughter’s trying to find a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelet. In her search she found the answer in a wristband online—HWLF (He would love first).  Here is a picture of this beautiful family.

Elders Russell and Murray and Brother Vaca baptized them. Their little boy is about five. How great shall be your joy! They were confirmed on Sunday.

The Sisters worked with us on family history this week. Jim was thrilled to find all of his “royal” history with ancestors as far back as 1200 B.C., including kings and queen of England and Ireland, Julius Caesar, Pepin, Charlemagne, Alexander the Great, and Adam (I’m pretty sure!). His sister Kathy has done the work for much of their family and is serving a family-history mission in Idaho Falls. She’s our in-house expert, so we made a phone call to get answers to a couple of questions.

This morning in our seminary study of Doctrine & Covenants 109, we watched the inspiring video “Treasure in Heaven:the Story of John Tanner.” If you want to watch something that will inspire and touch you, go to the Church website and watch it! If you have not watched the virtual tour of the Rome Temple, be sure you watch it, too. We are working on an open-house that the TMM and Laredo Stake is having next week for leaders of the Laredo community. It is very inspiring to see the Lord’s hand here.

Have a blessed week—I know we will!

Meanwhile in Texas

3.12.19

Coral and violet, blue-bonnet blue and buttercup yellow, deep red and pink, snowy white and lavender. Driving along the highways of Texas in February and March is like sliding on the edges of a rainbow. I insist that they are wildflowers, not weeds, and it amazes me to come upon a field of bluebells or coral bells. It is beautiful and green.

We are in Houston for a few days because it is spring break.  Today we were able to do some sealings before the endowment session. We were blessed to do some of my family names from Sweden after acting as couple proxies for some Spanish couples while their family members acted for the children. It was a lovely day, as you can guess by some pictures of the Houston Temple. Houston is much more humid than Laredo’s “desert” and doesn’t get quite as hot in the summer—although, you can guess the humidity can make it miserable.

We met Dera and Mark Warner at the San Antonio Temple last Friday and had a lovely lunch after our session. The SA Temple sits high above the beautiful city of San Antonio with unparalleled views. We love San Antonio!

It turns out that I had to speak twice in the last week. Saturday I spoke at the Relief Society birthday party on the Pioneer Spirit. Sunday Jim and I spoke in the 4th Ward sacrament meeting on “Feed My Sheep.” Both were great experiences. Speaking in English is not a problem. The YSA sang in 2nd Ward, and I accompanied. This coming Sunday I will speak in Spanish, and Jim will bear his testimony in Spanish. (If he can volunteer me to speak, I can volunteer him to add his testimony, huh?)

Sunday night we were able to attend Juan Carlos’ baptism. We have loved getting to know him as he has attended institute and church often for a few months. It is amazing how many new converts are young men.

I’ve always believed in life-long learning, so I am grateful to be learning Spanish, immersing myself in the scriptures, and learning the culture and peoples of south Texas. We trust in the Lord and follow His call. Please continue to pray for us. We love and appreciate you all.

Spring Green Matters in the TMM

Matters of Spring Green in the TMM 3.5.19

Such a weird day! President Wagoner is teaching our seminary class tomorrow, and I don’t quite know what to do with those empty hours I usually spend preparing every day! This could be the reason I’ve posted on Facebook four times today! Ha! We decided in our stake that in order to get our ward and stake leaders more involved with our seminary kids (and therefore get more of a commitment from students and families) we would have some come in and teach once in a while. Tomorrow starts with our stake presidency teaching in the two classes.

We really do see the Lord’s hand in our mission assignment with CES in Laredo, Texas. This is such a unique place. Of course in the schools our students learn and use English, but there is always present the idea of Spanish as their first language, the language they understand and speak best. They pray almost exclusively in Spanish—probably because that is what they speak at home, where they learn to pray. I do not think it is any coincidence that we both have ESL (English as a second language) endorsements and experience. I know that whatever experience we have had with Spanish is no coincidence, either. I started learning Spanish in the third grade, then junior high, high school, and college. We do not need to be fluent in Spanish to do our calling, but we do need to understand how kids learn. My whole professional life is rooted in how to teach and how to learn. As we have gone through this year, I have been inspired in ways to teach and help our students learn. Sometimes we feel like our whole lives have been preparing for this moment in time. The Lord knows us, loves us, and uses us according to His plan for His children.

In the nine months we have been serving in Laredo we have been asked to speak in sacrament meeting exactly once—until now. All of a sudden we have two speaking assignments! Sunday we will speak in 4th Ward (English) on “Feed My Sheep,” and on the 17th Jim has volunteered me to speak in Spanish in rama 6. I will be speaking on “seminario.” I will need prayers. Although I study Spanish every day and read “Amigos” and the “Liahona,” this will be the first time I will speak publicly in Spanish (at least since it was required in college!). I think I can do it, but if I misspeak, it just means I will keep learning, right? Sean (who knows many languages) insists that the only way to really learn to speak a language is to make a fool of yourself often. I have prayed in Spanish a couple of times, and I survived that, so. . .

We are excited to meet Dera and Mark Warner in San Antonio this Friday for a temple session and lunch. Next week is our spring break, and we are driving to Houston for three days to attend the temple. We have some family names to do a couple of sealings, too.

My birthday was fabulous! Thanks for all the wishes! Jim cooked pancakes for seminary, and the kids loved it. I taught the lesson, and it was really fun. We had seven students there, awake and engaged. Such a great day. We ended the day by feeding a keto meal to Sisters Haglund and Paskett. Sister Paskett flew home to Utah today after 18 months of serving in the TMM. She was a fabulous missionary and a great example.

We had another YSA baptism on Sunday. Jerry couldn’t wait to enter the water. After his first church attendance last week, he begged to be baptized. He had to attend one more time, so after church on Sunday he was able to make that covenant. He will be confirmed next Sunday. It is marvelous to watch these miracles happen. We take so much for granted in Utah… Our new YSA presidency (Ingrid, Cristina, & Frida) is determined to visit and fellowship the young people in our stake. We have some AMAZING young adults.

We have had a couple of chilly days, but it will be back in the 90s by the weekend. It really looks like spring. All of the trees suddenly leafed, and the whole world seems to be new, spring- green, and flowered. Check out the pictures on Facebook and below!

We love this call to serve God in south Texas! We love it that we are studying the Doctrine & Covenants and Church history to teach our students. We also love our daily Book-of-Mormon study with Cameron and our individual and couple study of the New Testament through Come, Follow Me. We had wide-margin versions of the New Testament printed so that we can journal and notate our study. What a blessing it is to have so many resources for gospel study at our fingertips—videos, talks, quotes, scriptures, gospel library, and devices!! (I got a new iPad Pro for my birthday—because I have a wonderful husband.) Thank you for your prayers and support. Sending lots of love from DEEP in the heart of Texas (feel welcome to covet our weather—that can’t be a sin). God bless.

George Washington Matters in the TMM

Washington Matters TMM

This weekend was Washington’s Birthday celebration in Laredo. Not Presidents’ Day, but George Washington’s holiday. Here that meant we had a 4-day weekend, carnivals and fireworks, parades, picnics, and carne asada in the air!

Last night we had a knock on our door and opened it to see two elders from our building. One of them was here to tell us “good-bye” and wish us well. We knew he was probably going to McAllen because of a health issue, but it turns out that he actually will have to go home for at least six months because he has been having seizures. It was sad because he is a new missionary, just learning Spanish, and teaching some good people. He has prepared all his life for this time, and now he finds himself back on a plane to go home to New York. We pray for him to recover and serve in whatever way the Lord has in store for him.

Last Friday we were able to go to San Antonio to the temple. Every time we go, the temple is packed. We feel blessed to have the freedom to travel out of our mission area to attend the temple at least once a month. Senior missionaries have many opportunities that younger elders and sisters who are proselytizing do not have. Because we have our own car, and our responsibilities are with CES, we can fill our missionary calling to teach and have time for other enriching experiences as well. We are planning to go to the Houston temple over spring break.

We try to be available and helpful to the young missionaries because we are the only senior couple in Laredo. This means we may be transporting investigators to church (Flanataxi), supporting elders at the hospital after a sprain, broken bone, or dehydration as the result of too much fun on p-day, or feeding them when a meal appointment falls through. We spend six to eight hours a day preparing lessons. I make a presentation and a journal study page for each early-morning seminary class—my ESL endorsement at work! (English as a Second Language) We love every minute of it!

Every weekend we attend baptisms. Laredo is really being blessed. It seems like most of the new members are young adults. Two of the young men we brought to church on Sunday are being baptized this Saturday. The work of the Lord goes forth despite the trials of the people who struggle along in life. We loved hearing Jorge bless the sacrament on Sunday and watching Susan sustained to a calling. We love hearing the testimonies of our seminary kids and YSA. We love having converts tell their conversion stories in institute. We are truly grateful for this teaching experience and opportunity to participate in the Lord’s work!

Forgiveness Matters TMM

TMM Matters of Forgiveness 2.19.19

It is time to read THE HIDING PLACE again! I just bought it on Kindle and Audible. We are watching the movie on Prime Video right now. Why all this? Our seminary lesson this morning was on Doctrine & Covenants 98, the persecution of the Saints in Missouri (and Ohio) and the Lord’s revelation in the Law of Retaliation, the Law of War, and the Law of Forgiveness. One of the stories was of Corrie ten Boom—none of our students had ever heard of her! Reference for the story from our lesson: [Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord (1974), 54–55.]” (Keith B. McMullin, “Our Path of Duty,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 13). What a great lesson for humanity! In today’s world of chaos and hate, D&C 98 teaches us how we should react when others are unkind, full of hatred, or determined on persecution. Every day in the scripture blocks and lessons we teach we find that we are learning (or reviewing) the very things we need to survive the trials of the world and stay on the covenant path!

We also love studying the New Testament and the Come, Follow Me course. We are grateful for the extra resources we use, including the Bible videos and the YouTube instruction “Don’t Miss This!” by Dave Butler and Emily Freeman. If you are interested, you can google it or go to emilybellefreeman.com to find the link and the study guide. Interesting! We just had a copy made of the New Testament with wide margins so that we can add notes, quotes, and doodles as we learn more about following the covenant path set by the Savior. We are truly guided by a prophet of God.

Sunday I substituted on the organ in 1st Ward and then played for Primary. It was good to be with the children and be reminded of the blessing of gospel music in teaching the doctrines and principles of the Church. I can hear still in my head the sweet voices singing “He Sent His Son.”

Yesterday in seminary we asked the students (including one who had not attended since the beginning of the school year) WHY they get up and come so early in the morning. The numbers are few, but those who are there are strong in spirit and devotion. Some of their answers: “It just makes me happy,” “It brings joy into every part of my life,” “I’m preparing for my mission,” “It’s the way my parents taught me,” etc. Pablo came back because his bishop told him he needed to be in seminary if he wanted to turn in mission papers. He says he wants a new slate. I keep thinking that if they can get up and get to early-morning seminary to learn the gospel, they can certainly stand the rigors of missionary work. If they do not take that responsibility seriously, how will they serve the Lord full time and then teach and lead in the service of God for a lifetime? Families make such a huge difference! As fewer and fewer people of faith stand up for what is right in the world, the more our responsibility grows.

The church continues to grow in Laredo. On Saturday another mother and her children were baptized. New members are learning to serve in the wards and branches here. Young adults step up to fill callings and organize activities. Those who have deep roots in the gospel strengthen and teach. It is marvelous to see the work go forward, steadfast in Christ.

Watching THE HIDING PLACE is a reminder to remember the past. Corrie ten Boom said, “Every experience God gives us . . .is the perfect preparation for the future only He can see.” That is true of every test he gives us. It was true in the Book of Mormon. It was true for the early Saints in the midst of persecution. It is true for us today in every circumstance.

Matters off Heart and Home TMM

TMM Matters of Home and Heart


I am considering Jim’s birthday video as last week’s post, but I want to go back to fast Sunday and share a little story about Jackie. Jackie was sustained as assistant ward chorister that Sunday in 1st Ward. It brought tears to Jim’s eyes because we love Jackie, a young adult who has Down Syndrome. We have shared stories about her before—watching her lead the singing with heart and power, eyes toward heaven and arms outstretched. That day Jackie bore her testimony, and that is really something as she often uses sign language and might be considered non-verbal. Like Cameron used to do, she read her testimony. Even though we couldn’t understand many of her words, we did understand their spirit. As she came back into the congregation, she stopped at our row and threw her arms around me. So sweet! Our hearts were connected through the spirit. It was a special moment for us, though it made us miss Cameron. We were sure he was bearing testimony at our home ward as he does every month.

Jackie has a fabulous mother (and father) who also bore her testimony that Sunday. She told how thankful she is that Heavenly Father sent her this beautiful, smart, sweet girl. Mom served a mission as a young adult, speaks two languages, and became a mother later in life. We come to know so many inspiring people here!

It is interesting to see how the Lord sends some very special people to Laredo at this time to strengthen the saints and inspire us all. This last Sunday a young couple spoke in the 4th Ward and told the story of how they came to move to Laredo. They recently moved from Washington, D.C., with a new job assignment as an attorney for the U.S. government. At the same time they were devastated by her mother’s diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s and a 20-week miscarriage. (The road is never easy, right?!) When they got here, they found themselves in an expensive move with no paycheck because of the government shutdown. Their talks were absolutely great reminders of Elder Holland’s counsel to “Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.” One reason these talks had such an impact was that they were the second couple to speak in the same circumstance! Another couple also came for his job as a government attorney. They also had faced difficult trials, arriving here at the same time as the government shutdown. These two faithful couples assured us that they were strengthened through the hard times. I am sure that they (along with couples who were brought here to work different jobs, play basketball for TAMIU, start a pediatric dental practice, work for border patrol, etc.) were brought here for reasons they might not even recognize yet. It is our testimony also that WE are here because the Lord sent us here to Laredo for His specific reasons.

Saturday we were blessed to be at the baptism of a young family the Sisters had been teaching. It was so exciting to see Jodie and three of her children covenant in the waters of baptism. Her husband should soon follow. I couldn’t figure out why her 9-year-old daughter was crying and grumpy, but Mom later explained that Nicole was upset that the baptism jumpsuit was so ugly! She was much happier to be confirmed on Sunday in a sequined, sparkly sea-green dress. Girls! You gotta love ‘em.
We love our calling to teach! The real work is the hours of preparation every day, but the payoff is grand! Our seminary students are such a blessing! They work hard to learn and love the gospel. Everyday the young men leave us with a smile and a handshake, and the girls embrace us with that hug and cheek kiss that belong to the culture of this warm, loving people. (They don’t hug Jim—it’s a handshake for him.) We love them all so much! Each week we leave Institute with full hearts, professing what marvelous young adults bless the Laredo Stake. Our beloved Ingrid is the new YSA president. Elias is a new Elders’ Quorum president in his ward. All of the others have callings, even the newly-baptized. They are leaders and teachers in the Church, and we love them for their faith and service. This is God’s true church. His gospel is the good news the world craves. We are here to help build the kingdom and gather Israel. If this is the time for you, volunteer to be part of this great work! Senior missionaries are needed everywhere. Come and be blessed!