"Formal Mission" Ending

Our mission ended today with our interview with Brother Simpson who is a counselor in the Stake Presidency, it was bitter sweet. We visited for about a half an hour and then we took our badges off. How do you sum up 4 and 1/2 years? The Bishopric of our home ward, Osmond, came to visit Sunday. Bishop Milne and McKay Erickson, his second counselor were two of the varsity scouts when Brother Olson served as their scout leader. Lance Harmon another scout has served as a Bishop as well, can't remember where he served, but one of the pilots who fly patients out of Tuba, asked Elder Olson if he knew a Lance Harmon. He told him that Lance was one of his varsity scouts. We had a great visit with them and Brother Olson shared some memories with Brother Harris, the 1st Counselor about his varsity scouts and the tournaments they won, the memories they created, and the great young men they were when he was their leader. We address the High Counsel on Sunday at 8:00 A.M. and speak at 11:00.

a different time

Gen, Tausha, & Allens

Today was one of those days that is hard to describe in terms of what was felt spiritually. The Alexanders who have just moved back into the 2nd Ward spoke in Sacrament meeting. Sister Alexander introduced them and told some stories about their family and some of the blessing they have received as they have tried to raise their family in the gospel. She spoke about going to church every Sunday, reading scriptures, and praying together. She was inactive when they met and when he took the lessons and was baptized she watched his life changing as he lived what the Elders had taught him. She decided she liked what she saw and needed to make some significant changes in her own life. That was over 40 years ago. Brother Alexander spoke of similar experiences and how important prayer has become to him. He related a story about a time they were traveling together and how important it was to get to the top of the hill they were driving up. He knew the car was having major problems and he worried that if things got worse he could end up stalling and the car would go into reverse and Sister Alexander was following him up the hill. He prayed with all his heart that the car would make it. The Lord did bless him to make it up the hill. He talked about some of the problems he has had to face during his life and how the Lord blesses him and supports him. He served as the Bishop when he lived in 2nd Ward before the boundary changes put them in the 1st Ward. He is one of the most humble men you could find and he is one of the best Ward Mission Leaders that any Bishop could ask for. He helped Sister Goldtooth while she was taking the math class for Pathways. I was able to listen to him one time when he was going over a math problem with her. He explained it in such a simple way, making it easier to solve. She walked away with a better understanding of how to solve similar problems in the future. Sister Alexander works as a consultant in the Family History Center and comes every Wednesday morning for about 4 hours with few exceptions. Brother Alexander goes out with the young Elders all the time and bears solemn witness to everyone they visit about the restored gospel and what it can do for them. They have become two of my favorite people here in Tuba City. After sacrament we went into the History Center and worked with 2 people. A visitor had been in sacrament meeting and somehow knew Brother Mexican who does a tremendous amount of work in the center. They apparently share a line in the tree. He was asking Brother Mexican how he had found the name of a certain relative. Brother Mexican found the birth certificate of one of the children that had the father listed with his census number. He printed it out, but the man was gone. I had heard him give Brother Mexican his phone number and suggested he call. He said he was meeting him at the hospital after church where they planned to give someone a blessing. He ended up leaving the center with two documents that he planned to share. At 11 it was time to go back for 1st Ward Sacrament. Sister Manygoats shared her experience of going to the St. George Temple on Saturday with her sister, Sister Tunney. She shared what she felt about knowing she is sealed to her parents, but that she has not had the privilege of being sealed to her husband or children. He is not a member yet and even though their son is currently serving and mission and will return in December, her husband has not yet been converted. We all hope this changes. After sacrament meeting we were back in the center to work with some of the members. Sister Gen Hadley had come in several weeks ago, but when she came back in we could not find her file. It was very frustrating because she had recently had surgery and was still in a lot of pain and we had several others in the center at the time and could not take the time we needed to find it, so she ended up leaving. Today when she returned she was able to get right onto her file, which we had found later. She added several more names and we found death information about 3 of her family members on ancestry.com. I explained about doing Temple work and she said she was going to cry because of what she was feeling. Her only brother died as a young man and I could not help but think that she was feeling his presence as we sat there. Three other people were also in the center. Sister Victoria Nez and her mom, Lena Secody were on the next computer. Sister Nez is very comfortable with the program and today she found two more family members to add to her tree. Sister Tausha Dickson is also an expert doing research on the internet. She has made several small albums of her family photos. She visited her grandmother for a long time without getting much information and then as she is visiting her one time, she walked over to a trunk at the end of her bed and opened it. She had a couple of hundred family photos which she allowed Tausha to take. Sister Dickson has been called to be the RS secretary in the 1st Ward. Since it was the 5th Sunday we met with the YM/YW in the Relief Society room. After Bishop Allen started us off, Sister Allen’s Sunday school went into action. Kyle Nockideneh started building a sundae. Believe me when I say he had everyone’s attention. One of the young Elders noticed he had written Sundae a delight on the board. Ice cream, cherries, whip cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, the works were quickly put together. Then he brought out ketchup and mustard, which he generously applied to everyone’s horror. He asked why, ketchup and mustard are good things also, right? A short discussion ensued. We decided that they were good, but not on a Sundae, right? Kyle turned the time over to another young classmate and she in turn passed the baton to another. Both talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy and asked a lot of questions about how we can do that and why we do that. Sister Allen then came up and talked about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy as well. She suggested 4 things that we should think about. 1. The Sabbath should taste different. 2. The Sabbath should look different. 3. The Sabbath should sound different. 4. The Sabbath should feel different. She displayed pictures to go along with the 4 ideas. The first had a picture of a pizza ½ with an actual pizza and ½ with vegetables. The second was a picture of a shirt ½ play type shirt ½ white shirt and tie. The third ½ electric guitar ½ violin. The fourth a chair ½ a theater chair, ½ a church chair. We discussed each of the pictures and how they were different and how we can make the Sabbath different by what we choose to do on the Sabbath. Great ideas were shared. She also added that the leaders do not specify what we can or cannot do. We have to make our own way so to speak, using our unique situations to do so, and based on gospel principles and teachings. It was an amazing day really, so full of the spirit and so edifying and uplifting. We all came away spiritually feed. Bishop and Sister Allen are amazing people and those who have the privilege of associating with them always come away feeling good or determined to make changes in their lives. They are great examples of people who are dedicated to serving the Lord with their time and talents. I am not sure how they accomplish all the great things that they do, but I believe the Lord fortifies them for the challenges they face and never ever leaves them alone.

DeRell & Marie 30-31 July 2015 Family Reunion

“The people around us are not perfect. People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way. Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord’s way.” Elder Dieter Uchtdorf This is a quote that someone posted recently that I really liked. I realize that once again it has taken me a long time to get around to posting. Not sure why I do that since great things happen all the time and I should share those great things. It’s always like a booster shot that makes the day even better. We did go to the AMAZING George DeRell & Grace Marie Olson Family Reunion at the end of July. It was so fun to see everyone again and get updates on what has been happening in everyone’s life. Evan & Diane had all their kids there including Lizzie who had not been there for several years. It was so great to see her and get reacquainted. She is a wonderful young lady, generous and fun loving. She got all the teenagers to set aside their electronic devices and have some great fun. I did not count how many times they flew through the house, but boy did they make memories. The catered dinner was really nice allowing more time to visit and enjoy each other’s company. Trena brought a cotton candy making machine and got covered more than once by flying strands of cotton candy. What a surprise and so much fun. LaVar and Linda were able to come and share some time. We know it was a great sacrifice, but oh how fun it was to see them. LaVar made gifts for each of the brothers. A milking stool and a poem. Tony filled in for Danny since he was not there when LaVar presented the gifts. Tony was a good sport and he swears he was only obeying his dad when he use to tease me so unmercifully. OK, Tony, I believe you. Watching Tony with his grandkids makes me believe he could win the World’s Best Grandpa Award. He was so patient when they bowled and when they wanted to ride in Grandma’s wheel chair. You win Tony, I am sorry for giving you such a bad time. Danny and Gloria, Crystal & Jordan arrived in time to visit on Friday evening. They only missed LaVar and Linda by less than 10 mins. They ended up behind an accident site, so they were later than they expected to be. It was so fun to see them. They brought Stitch who was a big hit with the little kids. Daryl, Liz, & kids did not make it this year since they are making some changes in their lives and hoping to get moved to Arizona, just in time for us to leave the Mission Field. ;o[ The consolation will be flying from SLC to PHX instead of Maryland will be much shorter. Shelaine and Derek were making preparations for their big Convention in Chicago which ended last night. From all the posts on facebook it was pretty amazing. Hopefully they will make the next one in 2017 which will be planned by Daryl. John & Jamie were hosting students from China, so they too could not come this year. With all the things going on in the world with marriage and family it is great to belong to one of the most awesome families in the world. If all siblings could love each other like, LaVar, Evan, Ronnie, and Danny the world would be totally different. I have seen enough families to know that theirs is really unique and not found very often. I feel totally blessed to have married into such a great family. I love and cherish the way they treat each other and the love they have for each other. I know coming requires great sacrifice for many, BUT they do it because of the love they have for each other. It doesn’t get any better than that. Thanks to each of you who were there and the love that we share as descendants of DeRell & Marie, how proud they must be. Special thanks to Laura, and all the others who joined in to get the activities, meals etc together. Trenna for the cotton candy and helping arrange the float trip. Special thanks to RaDawn for the family photos she took. I have grown to truly love photo shop, but then again she had great models to work with, right? The biggest thanks go to those who did sacrifice to come. Each of you is what makes our family so great. If anyone doesn't know. Our mission will end in Oct and we will be returning to Wyoming for a season. ;o} or more. Love, Sister Olson

"DId you hear that? She said,Please"

We are keeping very busy is the Family History Center and loving it. We seem to be busy every day we are open and even most days that we are not open officially. It’s pretty neat. The center is open 27 hours a week when everyone comes for their shift. It gets a little discouraging when someone doesn’t show and we have patrons that want to come in, but life happens. It is exciting when someone comes in and thinks that you won’t be able to find anything and then all these documents start popping up. We get birth records and death records for children that they knew nothing about. A sister came into the Sunday school class and we found 4 death certificates for little children that she knew nothing about. With the information she found she can have those four babies sealed to their parents, after their work is done. It was a little frustrating today because I could not open one of the sister’s files and I can’t figure out what I did wrong and why we could not open her file. I am sure it has something to do with the way I saved it, but she ended up not staying which was not good. The other patrons were able to work on their trees and add names and dates for several of their family members who have passed away. Elder Olson is taking a water boy tank to Polacca tomorrow, so it will be another long day alone, but I have decided that they are the days to work on my own family history. I found Deana and Dawna’s great grandmother and great grandfather on their Dad’s side. Julian Kostecki and Helen Mary Habowski. Two great Polish names. Their dad, David, was born in Stuebenville, Jefferson, Ohio. I think there were 7 or 8 children, one of which was their grandmother, Veronica Kostecki, who has passed away. I hope to find out more about their line, but for now that is as far as I can go. Julian and Helen were born in Poland in the late 1800’s and until I can tie them to their parents, I am stuck, but I know miracles happen. The pictures were taken in the Family History Center this last month. The one is of Rudy and Gloria Begay from Chinle. We met them the first week we came out here. They are salt of the earth people and very special friends, that we have grown to love a great deal. They are the Family History Directors in Chinle. I was able to show them some of the great things they can do to help their patrons find their ancestors. One funny story I would like to share is about Sister Goldtooth. She is in the Pathways Program and right now they are doing a math class. She was really struggling and very frustrated because she could not figure out how to solve one of the problems. She decided to get down on her knees and ask Heavenly Father for help. Her little granddaughter, Lily, knelt beside her. Sister Goldtooth saw her and decided to pray out loud. Lily repeated the words. When she finished, Lily cocked her head and said, “Did you hear that, she said please?” Within minutes she understood what she was doing wrong and was able to solve the problem. I am sure we smile sometimes at what children say, but what a great example of her simple faith and asking if God had heard her grandmother’s prayer. I know you understand why we love being here so much. Sister Olson

Well it's been a while since I last posted, so I thought I better write something. Some of you may remember Desbah Tsinnie. She passed away since we've been here. Her daughter has had a rough go of life for quite a while. She came in the other day and wanted to do some volunteer work. I started her on obituaries and then decided to have her start her family tree. When we connected her father and then her grandfather connections or links as some would call it started to appear. The links kept going on and on. The last person I looked at was dated 1203. Her birth father was Sioux and it appears that somewhere along the line she has royalty from Europe in her line. She did not realize what a gold mine she had found, but the two others in the center did. We found death certificates and marriage certificates for her uncles, which is a rarity. Their names were clearly typed as was the wives with maiden names and the date of the marriage. We also found death dates for several family members on the Social Security Death Index. Since we started the genealogy class during Sunday School we have had people in every Sunday. Some of them come in during the week also. It's nice staying busy helping people find their ancestors without having to leave Tuba City to do so. We are finding death records for children that they did not know even existed. There is such an amazing spirit that can be felt when that happens. Our new Seminary teaches came in Friday. They are from North Carolina and it is fun to listen to them. It will take them a while to get used to Tuba and the weather. It was 103 today. I enjoyed staying indoors, and I think they did also. They will teach Seminary when school starts, but for now they will teach Institute and help with Pathways. Our other Sister Missionary will return from Maryland this week. It will be so fun to see her again. She has been wonderful to post things every week about what was going on. She plans to do Family History when she returns. ;o}

Trip to Utah and Star Valley May 2015

Guess this entry is somewhat out of order, but I got a little side tracked with the FHC experience, so now I will add this story. We left for Utah on Thurs. April 30, so we could attend an American Indian Services Donation Dinner on Sat. May 2. The trip home was one of those scenic trips that Elder Olson occasionally takes. He decided to try old 89 just because he could and so we did. I was a little nervous because I did not recognize anything and I am a creature of habit. And mostly because I was afraid we were going to go way out of our way and end up traveling a lot longer than we already had, BUT we came out by Mona, UT AND we had seen a lot of new scenery. Thursday we stayed at Shelaine and Derek’s house. We always have fun and are ALWAYS entertained by the Smurfs who live there. Lily is only two and she knows how to use the cell phone better than I do. Everyone keep us in smiles. Friday we got a running board on the truck. At our age it is a big advantage not to have to use a small stool or ladder to step up into the truck. We love the truck and we love the running board. We did a few other errands and picked up the Power Washer or whatever it is to take back up the RaDawn’s. We then drove over to Lake Point and spent the night with John and Jamie’s family, where we were again entertained. We also got to take the trip around the block with Shandon and Jessica. It turned out to be a mile walk. Shandon and Jessica kept worrying about Grandpa who was “Way Behind” I kept assuring the girls that Grandpa had short legs and he could not walk as fast as we could. They shared a lot of things on our adventure around the block and made me laugh a lot. When we got back to the house Grandpa was not even in sight anymore, but he did show up 20 mins later. While we were waiting, Shandon mentioned that she loved having us stay the night, but if we stayed very long it would suck. I tried to keep a straight face as she simply explained that it would suck because she would not get to sleep in her own bed which was so comfortable and soft. Jamie assured me that she seldom sleeps in her bed or at least she has been known to fall asleep in several places other than her bed. ;o} Saturday we spent most of the day with the kids, but headed over to SLC for the American Indian Service big dinner. It was held at the Grand Hotel. We were suppose to stay there as well as dine there, but when Peter McDonald came we were bumped to another place about 4 blocks away. We meet with President Justice and his son, Jared around 5:15 and then walked over to the Grand. My shoes weren’t the best for walking, but I made it. That place was amazing. I don’t think I have ever been in anything quite that plush. We looked at the items that were up for bidding, but Brother Alan Christensen told us to keep our money in our wallets. The prices were actually affordable on many items, but when the bidding started it didn’t take long to have the prices out of our reach. The dinner was amazing. They had sliced a cucumber formed a ring and the lettuce was inside the ring. There was a baby pear and a flower like pat of cream cheese which was delicious. The main course was chicken, beef, mashed potatoes, a carrot, and asparagus. Dessert was shortbread, strawberries and whipped cream with crushed nuts. I was glad for the experience and loved the setting and entertainment, but I was most grateful to have someone at our table who knew which fork to use first. Brother Christensen thanked me personally for the emails that President Justice forwards to him. I was slightly embarrassed, but that soon passed. His wife was wonderful and he made sure we were all included in the dinner conversation. Brother & Sister Christensen, Brother & Sister Whaley, President Justice and his son, Jared, Elder Olson and I shared one of the 63 tables in the huge room. I would not mind attending another time if the opportunity should arise. Sunday we arose early and headed to Star Valley. We attended our home ward Sacrament meeting and had the chance to bear our testimonies. So many hugs and so many smiles. It was fun to see a lot of people that I include as family in Star Valley. We visited with Bishop Milne and then the Stake Presidency so we were able to renew our Temple recommends which is one of the big reasons for going home for a few days. I have to admit I miss being there and sleeping in our own bed. It was hard to leave again. Monday, we took care of the paperwork that has to be done when you turn 70 and a half. Hopefully everything will continue to move forward. Ronnie took care of several things around the yard, while I did some things in the house with Dallin and Kellan. We had dinner with RaDawn, Kage, and Dallin. Kellan is working at the local grocery store, so he came in a little later. We did not do everything we wanted while we were there, but we did rest a lot and do the most important things, SEE OUR KIDS AND ENJOY THE VALLEY. J'Lene was able to come to Shelaine's, so we saw everyone but Daryl, Liz, Carter and Madelyn on this trip. Hopefully, we will be visiting them in Chandler soon. 'o} Thursday, we headed back to Shelaine’s for more entertainment which Lily supplied in abundance and then Friday we headed back to the Mission Field. We managed to find a snowstorm along the way, just outside Cedar City. Ran into rain when we got to Tuba. I guess I summed up what happen today in the FHC even though I posted that before I posted this, but if that is the worst thing I do, I will be in great shape. Both sacrament meetings were so good. The primary in 1st Ward sang and they were amazing, made everyone cry, even the brethren were wiping tears away. The 1st Ward served cheese cake to the sisters at the end of RS. Sister Moreno gave a wonderful lesson. A few months ago she was terrified to give the lesson, she has certainly gained confidence and her testimony has grown so much. Next Sunday will be the last Sunday for the Simpsons. I don’t dare think about them leaving too much. They have been so wonderful to serve with here in the mission field. We have grown to love and appreciate them so much. I guess that pretty much sums up the last week or so. The picture of the sheep was taken at the junction north of Cokeville where you turn north to go to Star Valley. Grazing sheep here and grazing sheep there cannot be compared. We love the mission we are serving and will have a tough time saying goodbye to all the people here and in the units in the Stake. We speak in Dennehotso next Sunday. Sister Olson

Mother's Day in the FHC with Herbert Yazzie 10 May 2015

It’s Mother’s Day 10 May 2015. It’s 4:00 P.M. I left for church at 8 this morning, got back to the apt about an hour ago. We are holding a Family History class during Sunday School in both Wards now. It is so much fun. During 2nd Ward Brother Terry and Brother Nez came in and we found that Brother Terry’s family has done a tremendous amount of Family History, so he has his four generations, plus several more on family search. He is feeling comfortable helping others. We are now going to focus on helping his wife who was not here today. I found out that his wife is related to Brother Nez, and since he has limited information, they are going to come in later this week and work on “their family” together. It was fun to have Brother Terry answering questions that Brother Nez had about his family. During 1st Ward one of the sisters who had been coming had to go somewhere this weekend, so we asked Sister Polacca if she would like to come in. She had to leave with her daughter, so they could not stay. Her daughter’s newborn has to have special treatment of some sort and it has to be done on a regular time schedule. So, we asked Sister Watson, who has been coming out to church for almost 2 years now. I truly love her, she has a grand daughter who usually comes with her, but did not come today. She is in the YW program and I wanted both to work together, but I will take what I can get. It did not take us long to get 3 generations into the computer and then start adding siblings. I know she was a little hesitant when she first came in, since it is all really new, but when it was time to leave she was dragging her feet. The “Elijah virus” can work pretty darn fast in the FHC. Sister W mentioned that her sister had a lot of the information she needed, but she wasn’t sure she would share it with her, so I suggested she visit the family cemeteries and copy the information from the headstones or plaques. I also invited her to come in this week with what she found. While we were working with Sister Watson and Sister Moreno, Sister Yazzie asked if I was going to be available after the block. She said she needed her husband to get going on his tree. So, after we were treated to cheese cake since it was Mother’s Day, we went into the FHC. Brother Yazzie has only been a member for a few months. They had both come in a few weeks ago and I sent them home with pedigree charts and family group sheets. Well, he had done his assignment and filled out almost every blank on the pedigree chart. He typed while I search on ancestry for some of the names on his chart. We found several birth dates, and death dates for his family members. It was like a chain reaction. When we went to genealogy.az.gov we found death certificates for children that he was unaware of for his grandparents and other relatives that he recognized as siblings to his direct line ancestors. Bishop Allen came in as we were finding all this information, it was so amazing. Since it was Mother’s Day, I told him that his great grandmother was waiting to have her name added and then I would have to head back to the apt. You could actually feel her there patiently waiting for him to type her name in. We will be able to add a lot more names that we found, but he wanted to ask his grandfather about some of the children’s names that we found. He was so intent on reading everything I found on ancestry.com and then the certificates we found on genealogy.az.gov, he had not added the last name on his chart, which was his great grandmother, Mae Gishie . Actually, I am not sure which of us was more excited. Bishop Allen was kinda laughing at us, since we were acting like kids in a candy store for the first time. Brother Yazzie is already planning trips to Page and Cow Springs to talk with family members and visit family cemeteries. You can’t really describe what you feel when all this information starts raining down on you. Sister Yazzie and her sister were sitting there watching and since they have limited information on their family I told them that they have no idea how their help will come, but come it will as they start their tree. I always find it interesting to see how each story unfolds and families are found and united forever. I have a strong testimony that the Lord does provide a way when he asks you to do something. Trusting Him is perhaps difficult at times, since we can’t always see how He will make things happen, but they do indeed happen and thankfully we can play a small part in solving the puzzle that He knows will come together in His time and in His way. Sister Olson

A Day in the Family History Center

On Sunday, President Justice, invited people to come into the FHC during Sunday School, as a pull out. Our objective was to help them feel more comfortable working with the computer and to get a 4 generation pedigree chart for those who don't have theirs already on familysearch. We decided it would be a one on one class. During 2nd Ward Sun School I had one sister come. During 1st Ward Sister Thompson and I both worked with one sister each. Both those sisters had fun and asked if they could come back today at 10, which they did. Sister Moreno is so much fun to work with. She did not know very much about her husband's family. He passed away a few years ago. Thanks to technology, we found his parents names and information. His father was actually on family search. Sister M kept asking how did he get there? Well, I don't know, but he is there for a reason. We then found his headstone on find a grave.com and low and behold, his wife is laid to rest with him and we were able to get her information. She was listed as Addie M Moreno. We started to see if we could find an Addie born in Supher, OK. in 1908. I figured the M was for Marie. Well, Sister M is thinking and looks at me as we are scrolling through Addies born in OK and then she blurts out, her name was McDonald. I always find it interesting when people say they don't know anything, but then it is as if things are brought to their remembrance, as they start reading through the names that come up on the screen. The Holy Ghost truly does bring things to our remembrance as we go and do as the Lord commands. By then both of us are crying as we slowing enter the data. The keys were hard to see with the tears in our eyes. Sister Thompson and Sister Trujillo keep jumping up to look at what we had found. The spirit that we felt is impossible to describe. At noon I asked if she wanted to come back tomorrow. She looked at me and said what about after lunch. Oh happy day. I feel confident that we are going to continue to find these family members because they were obviously right there with us, guiding us, prompting us. blessing us to find the things we did. The plan is to have members come in one-on-one until they are more confident and have their account set up. Then they can come in during the week to continue working. We will then invite another member or two to take the Sun class. Obviously this will take time, but as people gain stronger testimonies of family history their enthusiasm will be contagious. We actually had 6 people in this morning and a CSW who helped with verifying the obituaries that we have put onto familysearch.

Stake Conference with Stake Presidency, the Millers, the Batts, and Enrique Falabella 19 April 2015

This weekend we had our Tuba City Stake Conference with Enrique Falabella of the Seventy, President Miller, the 1st Counselor from the Snowflake Temple, and President Batt, who is now serving as the New Mexico Farmington Mission President. Sister Batt and Sister Miller also were here. They all spoke at the Adult Meeting last night including our Stake President. Today President Justice spoke, along with two of our youth from the Stake, and then Elder Falabella. The spirit at all the meetings was truly amazing. I would like to share all of their talks, but then I would have to write a book and still would not be able to convey what the spirit shared as they spoke. Although I wrote a lot of notes for each speaker, I would like to share what Elder Falabella shared. He started by telling us that they are not given a topic to speak about when they are sent to the conferences. They are also told not to prepare a talk. They are told that the Spirit will tell them what they are suppose to say. Then he paused and it was as if he was waiting for the promptings of the Spirit. It was actually very interesting to watch as he waited. He started by telling us that he was born and raised in Guatamala. He told us that 60% of the people there are not native to the country. His grandfathers were immigrants and married natives, if I understood him correctly. He said when he was 11, his mother died leaving his father with 4 children to raise. Each child was given a responsibility and his was to cook. He was given 25 cents each day. With that money he bought the following: 1 lb of rice 7 cents, 1 lb of beans 6 cents, 5 cents for charcoal, 2 cents for matches, and 5 cents for tortillas. He only used part of the tortillas for the beans and rice, the rest he would break up and put with water to make a tortilla beverage, which he still loves. If they had sugar he would add a little to it. He then simply said, “I know what it means to be raised in poverty!” He then added that his family were not members of the church at that time. Seven years later,( he paused for a moment), the missionaries came. Their life started to change, a new life began. He said they started to progress, they found happiness, education and hard work, although I am sure they were well aware of working hard. He then moved on to a time he was serving as a Stake President (if I understood him right) The General authority who came for their Stake Conference stood and said he would prophesy that day. He told the people that in 6 months they would hold another Stake Conference. He thought that is true, is that the prophesy? (He has a great sense of humor) The General Authority then said at the next conference you will have 2 sessions and both of them will be full. He then turned to Bishop Falabella, at the time, and said if the prophesy doesn’t work it is your fault. This conference was held 120 miles from where he picked up the authority and drove him to the building. So he had 120 miles to drive back after taking him back to the airport and then meet with his leaders. He held a two hour meeting with his leaders and they put their heads together discussing the prophecy and how they could achieve what had been told to them. He then added while looking at them, if it doesn’t happen, it will be your fault. Six months quickly passed and they did have two sessions of conference and both were filled. He added that prophesies do come true when we do our part. He had some moments during his talk when he was busy translating in his head from Spanish to English. He said the Lord doesn’t push blessings to reach us. What are the blessings the Lord wants to give us. Blessings do not have feet, We Do Blessings are at the top of the stair case. We have to climb the stairs to reach those blessings. We have to prepare ourselves. Don’t be complacent with where you are. Start working. 1. Do the simple things that will produce great blessing. He shared the story of the children of Israel not looking at the staff after they were bitten, because the task was too simple and many died because of their lack of faith in the simplicity of what was asked. Satan is the master of complexity and God is the master of Simplicity 2. Pray every day alone and with your family 3. Read the scriptures every day. There is 1,440 mins in a day. Read with your children 4. Open your mouths, share the gospel with your family, your friends and your neighbors 5. Every day at 5 P.M. say a prayer and ask the Lord to help you find someone to share the gospel with. It can be a silent prayer, or an oral prayer, just do it. He shared several more stories about experiences he has had when he just opened his mouth. He then focused on the church’s focus to help people become more self-reliant and the programs the church has developed to help all people whatever their circumstances. We need to be self-reliant when it comes to supporting our family both physically and spiritually. We don’t often think of spiritual self-reliance. One of his closing remarks was something his father use to say. Life is made of time, if you waste your time, you waste your life. Well, that is not all he said of course, but what an amazing 40 mins of today’s time being spiritually fed by a man who knows what poverty is and what he has learned as a member of the Church. The others who spoke this weekend were also amazing. I wish I could have recorded each one like we do at General Conference and go back and listen again and again. When they start our meetings, they encourage the people there to take notes and reread them. I cannot write fast enough to get everything that touches my heart, but hopefully you will be able to feel a small part of what we felt today. We love our leaders here and pray that hearts were touched and resolutions made to follow the counsel that was given. Hope you have a great day. Sister Olson

Saying goodbye and learning to spin

Saying good byes are so hard. Elder Scoffield served here for a quite a while and then was transferred to Page. AZ. It was hard to say good bye then and even more hard to say good bye when they came through on his way to Ganado. That will be his last area to serve in before going home in 6 weeks. You grow to love the young Elders and just like your own kids they are all different. They bring such a variety of personalities and skills. The majority of them are hard workers and love the work. Occasionally one is discouraged and it is challenging to get them motivated and back on task. This group of Elders have been great. They are fired up and ready to get going. It is so great to work with them, but also so hard to let them go. Elders Dunn, Scoffield, Beus, and Anderson. Elder Anderson came down from Page with Elder Scoffield. He has not served here, so we don’t really know him. Elder Beus was transferred to Durango, CO., and Elder Yengling transferred into Tuba. He is not Asian, in fact he is German. He explained a little about his name, but I did not write it down. Will try to do that. The other picture is not the best but it shows me learning how to spin the yarn that I will use when I do the lacing on my rugs. I sorta of got the hang of it, but the hard part is next and I will have to practice that a lot. I have decided weaving is the easy part. Putting the warp on and getting the loom set up is the hard part and takes quite a bit of time, but watching your rug take shape is really fun. I have been doing more crocheting for the last little while, so my rug is just sitting for a while. We will have Stake Conference next weekend. We have had some really great ones in the past and I expect this one will be just as wonderful. We now have 42 new gardeners up and going. That means we have slots for 8 more. It is fun to see the first time gardeners get started. The young Elders have been given permission to help till. Serving in that way provides lots of opportunities to share the gospel. If we are lucky we may have 4 Elders back here for a while, but if not the two we have are willing and able to help. The Blacks are back in Polacca, but he spent a few days here in the FHC and helping package seeds. I forgot how much fun it was to have them here. Sister Black is amazing with computer skills. I am going to sign up for a Microsoft 2013 class that is being offered here by BYU I It will last 4 weeks and I am looking forward to learning more about my computer and how to use it better. The class is free to members and when they complete it they will receive a certificate. Sister Olson

8 Million pennies in 65 years

Mar. 10, 1995 8:38 AM ET DILLONVALE, OHIO DILLONVALE, Ohio (AP) _ Louis Staffilino's savings filled 40 garbage cans, weighed thousands of pounds and took four days to truck to the bank. The 70-year-old bar owner had been saving pennies for 65 years. By the time he decided to cash them in, he had 8 million of them, or $80,000 worth. He also had something he didn't particularly care for: publicity. ``I just wanted to turn in my pennies and this just got too big,'' Staffilino told The Intelligencer of Wheeling, W.Va. ``Now the whole world knows about it. I just want to be done with it.'' Staffilino spent four days in early December hauling the pennies in a pickup truck to the Steel Valley Bank, where they were tallied and deposited. The bank finally finished counting them last week. He asked the bank not to disclose his name but later agreed to be interviewed on a television program. Bank collection manager Ray Amoroso says he has received hundreds of calls from ``Canada to Australia to Tokyo, Japan'' from people who wanted to know more about Staffilino and his penny stash. The picture was taken at our Zone Conference in Chinle, AZ last Friday 3 April 2015. That is President and Sister Batt who will be leaving at the end of June when the new Mission President comes in. We have grown to love them very much. The new President will be the third President that we will serve under, at least for a few months. President and Sister Batt are wonderful to listen to, they are always encouraging and uplifting in their their talks. Sister Batt related the above story and told how she thought of the pennies as the acts of kindness we do each day and never really think about. Each act adds up just like the pennies did. He apparently started by putting them into something small inside his house, but as the collection grew, so did his need to find something bigger to hold the pennies he gathered. He ended up with 8 million in 65 years. I doubt he ever really thought about how much he was accumulating, just like we don't think about how our little acts of kindness may be adding up. Have you ever had anyone thank you for a hug, or a smile? Our acts need not be big or seem to amount to much, but just like the pennies they add up. Some people feel like their lives have not added up to much because they don't have worldly possessions, but I am confident that the true treasures we accumulate aren't sitting in the bank, or can they be tallied up by a calculator. Our true treasures are in the acts of kindness we share along the way. Conference was just another testament to this truth. I hope we are sharing small acts of kindness every day in the words we speak and in the minds and hearts of those we come in contact with. I am grateful for this time of year when we celebrate not His death, but in knowing that He lives and so shall we. Sister Olson

FHC, Baptism, Women's Conference, and Primary

I have decided that there really is not a busy week in the mission field. LOL, I bet you all figured that out a long time ago. The first is of Rue, and the Terrys busy in the FHC. Brother Terry’s family has done a lot of family history and several of his lines go a long way back. He is in the process of finding out who needs work. He received the priesthood a few weeks ago and is such a humble man. They sustained him today as the Young Men’s President in the 2nd Ward. He has taken his calling as the first counselor very seriously and now he will serve as the President. If he says he will be there, he is there. He comes early to make sure that things are in order. In the picture he is showing his wife how to maneuver around in Roots Magic as she enters the data for her family into her personal file. She has suffered some health problems, but is getting better each day and has taken the paperwork home to gather more information to record. Rue spoke in Sacrament today in the 2nd Ward. He has an amazing testimony of the Atonement and God’s love for each of his children. He openly talks about where he was in his life and how the restored Gospel has given him hope and faith in the plan of salvation. He is not afraid to bear his testimony to everyone he comes in contact with. You can feel of his great love for the Savior and his atoning sacrifice. The second picture was taken at Genevive’s baptism, Saturday, 28 Mar. 2015. The man on the right is Herbert Yazzie, her husband, who was baptized about 2 weeks ago. Genevive is wearing the pink shirt. Her sister Caroline is next to her. The young Elders are Dunn and Beus. The little girl who’s picture I posted last week is Taylor Yazzie their granddaughter. She just turned 7 a week ago. They plan to have a garden and as their garden grows, so will their testimony and understanding of the gospel. The third and fourth pictures were taken at the activity before the Women’s Conference on Sat. 28 Mar 2015. We had about 26 sisters in attendance. It was lots of fun. There were 3 quick craft items that they could make while they visited and got to know each other better. We ate a light dinner of sloppy Joe’s, salad, chips and cake for dessert. We were talking and laughing so hard at our table, Sister Wheeler came over and said as she smiled, “You girls are having way too much fun. I sat with Sister Thompson, Sister Terry, Sister Watabe, Sister Blodgett, and Sister Stephan. We all shared funny stories about ourselves, which made us laugh even more. It was so fun to see the Sisters laugh and enjoy themselves. Sister Thompson showed everyone how to make little bunnies out of washcloths. Sister Wheeler showed everyone how to make hot pads, bibs, and placemats. She had everything cut out, so the sisters could make each item very quickly. Sister Goldtooth had brought in cereal boxes which were quickly turned into Easter Baskets. You will see that they can also double as an Easter bonnet. The final picture was taken in 1st Ward Primary this morning. I think Brother Stephan said there were 34 children there today. They were in sharing time. Sister Watabe not only sings like an angel, but she is full of fun activities and had the kids entranced and reverent, a great combination. Sister Stephan played the piano and the kids joined in singing like angels also. It was so fun to peek in and see all the great things that were going on. Sister Yellowhorse had brought 5 of the neighborhood little girls to join in the fun. I am not sure they have ever been to church before, but I am confident that they will return with their “Next Door Grandmother” again. I am confident that she is related to each of them and that they do think of her as their grandmother. Brother and Sister Mann gave the 5th Sunday Lesson about Exercising Faith in Christ which is the first lesson in the Self-Reliance program that is being implemented here in Tuba City. We had our first class graduate recently. That is a whole other story that I hope to share soon. Sister Olson

"Rue" baptized 12 Jul 2014

One of the people who was baptized while we have been here gave this talk recently at church. He was baptized 12 Jul 2014, so you can see that he has not been a member for that long. He has an amazing testimony of the gospel and shares it pretty much every day, by living what he believes. I wanted to have his story in our book, so I am including it in the blog. Sister Olson

One day two years ago, my nephew Eldon and niece Roshaun asked me a question. Uncle do you prefer alcohol over us? That day two years ago was the day I made one of the most important decisions in my life. I couldn't pretend and start blaming everything and everyone on how I felt, as to why I was an alcoholic and trying to avoid the question. I know I was defeated in all I had done, lost a lot of good friends and buried a lot of them along the way. I finally had the courage and respect for my family to know that I needed a positive change in my life, not only to correct myself but respect myself to know that I am loved by my family, it brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. That day I made the honest effort to change and reevaluate my life, I included my family on my decision to start living not only for myself but for my families well being. The positive choice that I have made has been a roller coaster but through faith and prayers of having the lord in my life makes it all possible to have a better outlook on life. I have no regrets to my choices because the consequences of our choices is what makes us strong or vulnerable. strangely I feel the need to ask you all to join me to make the right decisions in your lives for happiness and joy. sometimes doing the wrong thing often seems reasonable, because it's the easiest course. But I warn you people to justify the wrong behavior by sayings like "Well, everybody does it, or is doing it!" This evil distorts the reality of what is right to have happiness and joy in your lives. The author to that is satan. Nephi the prophet tells us " thus the devil cheated their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell" no matter how many people in our society are involved, none are justified in being dishonest, lying, cheating, using profanity, especially taking the lords name in vain, engaging in immoral sexual relationships, or not respecting the lord. Other people's actions do not dictate what is wrong or right in your life. So, please make the right choices in your life. My love and faith brings me to know I care for you all to be able to tell you that being responsible for you actions and making the right decisions in your lives well be rewarded by the lord as you become aware that there is a lion waiting for you out their if you stray of the straight and narrow path to having eternal life with our Heavenly Father. In closing thank you for your time, and know that I love you all and prayers for those who need guidance, truth, love happiness and joy in their lives. The lord is great and living the sober life.....love you all Rue "DC" — at Ruez Mansion.

Baby Lily's first laugh party.

This week was especially busy. We had our Missionary Training Meeting on Monday and then the Participant Demo on Wed. Always fun, but also busy, busy, busy. ;o} We had 34 on Monday and over 75 on Wed. It has been fun to watch the natural leaders evolve. Sister B does a demo on how the soil changes after you follow the Soil Prep procedure, by putting in Humate, 2 fertilizers and manure. After 5 years we are finding earth worms in the garden and we use less water. Another couple who are great enthusiasts told everyone how to get rid of Squash Bugs which will literally destroy a plant overnight. The use strapping tape, wrap it around their hand and just touch the eggs which are laid under the leaf. Lo and behold the little eggs and even the newly hatched eggs will stick right to the tape. They plant their first seeds and then more at two week intervals. Once they take care of the eggs on the first plant they find fewer on the second and so forth. They have squash all summer. They love it and store it every way you can think of. The new gardeners are excited to get started and many of them prepared the soil last fall. We are anxious to see how many have gardens this year, but have save their seeds from last year, so all they need is to borrow the rototiller and get the Humante, fertilizers and manure, which most of them have access to from a relative or neighbor. I love taking pictures when they first start and then when they harvest. It is really quite amazing. Two of our young Elders are transferring out tomorrow. One will go to Kirkland and the other to Sanders. We have had four for quite a while. A third is going home, so we will keep Elder Beus and he will get a new companion. 17 of the young Elders go home this week and only 1 new Sister missionary is coming into the Mission. Our people who have gone through the Self-Reliance class will have show of sorts on Tues. and let everyone see what they have done to start or enhance a business. I will try and take pictures. If anyone understands how to take pictures off Carousel and copy them to the Blog, please let me know. Sister Olson

Antelope Slot Canyon

These are just a couple of pictures taken in Antelope Slot Canyon in Page, Arizona. We went as a District for an activity for the Senior couples. We had lunch first at one of the Mexican restaurants, and although that did not go as smoothly as it could have because of the time restraints, it was a lot of fun to gather together share a meal and then head over to the canyon. Our guide said the ride over was the Navajo version of a Disney adventure ride. ;o} Our guide, named Rob, had a great sense of humor and an amazing understanding of how to take the best pictures. He had to remind us a lot, but we got some great pictures inside by standing in the shadows or exactly where he told us to stand. Sometimes we were in places where he said we could close our eyes and still get great pictures and he was right. Jared Justice did return on Tues. and spoke today. He talked about who we were and what we should be striving for in our lives. He said his dad had written early in his mission and said that his focus should be not on a life of accomplishment, but a life of significance. If he focused on making his life one of significance the accomplishments would follow. It sounds as if he had some pretty wonderful things happen. He told of a lady names Judy who had enjoyed the Elders message, changed her life, lost over a 100 pounds, and walked down to the beach which she had not been able to do for 20 years, since she had been confined to a wheelchair. She has not joined the church, but Jared said he is sure that she will one day and if not he asked if he could teach her on the other side and she said yes. When she got to the beach she picked up a small stone and a shell. Although these items have no monetary value they are symbolic of the friendship and accomplishments that happened after hearing the gospel. We saw our friend Darrell Maloney on Friday, his life was also changed because of the gospel and the gardening program. My computer is still doing crazy things with the pictures I am trying to download. They say they are there and I can see them, but when I try to download it comes out just numbers and symbols. Darrell lost a 100 lbs also and gave up alcohol. He was telling us about a 7 mile run in Phx this June. He plans to run in it. I am going to try and copy the pictures to this word document. Well it seem to work here, so I will try to copy this whole thing to an email and to the blog and see if it works there. We went to Aubree Tsinnie’s 5th birthday party yesterday at Louise Yellowman Park, right by McDonald’s. It was a beautiful day for a party. Her aunt made the birthday cake and cupcakes. The cake was the doll’s dress. If I can figure it out I will try to add that picture as well. Well it appeared that the pictures were there, but they did not show on the email, so I am trying to add attachments. Love, Sister Olson

Speaking in Cameron. Jared Justice returns

I have been looking at pictures we’ve taken in the Family History Center and in the gardens. It is so fun to see the happy faces and see people progress as they search for their ancestors and as they till, plant, work hard, and then harvest. It is so fun to be a part of their success and know how hard they have worked to achieve it. Today we spoke in Cameron instead of doing it the third Sunday. We spoke the talk of D Todd Christofferson, “Free Forever, to Act for Themselves” It’s always interesting to me to have both Dad and I prepare with the same talk as our guide and find ourselves being lead in different directions as to how to share what we have read. Recently I read a book that had the words that went something like this, it is not always the words we read, but what they make us think about that counts. I think that is so true, especially when we seek guidance from the scriptures about something we are concerned about. Words that we have read dozens of times before take on new meaning and clearly speak the counsel we need. I especially liked the following: “But God intends that His children should act according to the moral agency He has given them, ‘that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.’ It is His plan and His will that we have the principal decision-making role in our own life’s drama.” “A God who makes no demands is the functional equivalent of a God who does not exist.” “It matters both temporal and spiritual, the opportunity to assume personal responsibility is a God-given gift without which we cannot realize our full potential as daughters and sons of God.” “..divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience. But I know that beyond desiring His help, we must exert ourselves, repent, and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives consistent with justice and moral agency. My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with.” What a great opportunity it has been to labor here in this part of the vineyard. I like that concept because God knows where there are those who need help and who it is that is suppose to help. We may and actually often feel inadequate to fill the roles we have been given, but God knows our potential and knows how to give us the experiences we need to become what he knows we can become. My testimony of the Savior has grown so much and most often it grows in the situations I find myself so inadequate to do what he asks. How grateful I am for His love and his guidance, His patience and His forgiveness. Next week we will be able to be at the meeting when President Justice’s son speaks. He left on his mission while we have been out here and now he is returning this week. Two years have gone by really fast. I remember sitting in their living room not long after we had been here. Jared was a senior. He looked at Elder Olson and asked, “How did you get the way you are, or are you just built that way?” I know he was serious, but I think we all stifled a little laugh. He has served faithfully and will now be returning and starting a new chapter of his life. Our next missionary training will be the 16th and the Demo on the 18th. You never know how many will show up, so you plan for a lot and show gratitude for the ones who do show. Last Wed. one of the sisters who has been away for a while gave the lesson. She was a s nervous as a grasshopper in a hen house, BUT she did a great job and plans to come again. The following day she sent this text. “I spent time with my mother again. She truly enjoyed being around people and at the church. She asked when the next “get togetherness” will be. I thought I would follow up with you. The joy in her eyes made my spirit soar.” I thought that was such a great thing for her to relay. Tomorrow we go to Page for a Senior activity. I guess you might call it a field trip. We are going to lunch and then we will hike in one of the canyons. It should be a great experience. Hope to put up pictures next week. For some reason I cannot attach the pictures. Hopefully the problem will resolve itself. Sister Olson

2014 Stats Report and Response from Brother Allen Christensen

This was a report I typed up for our Stake President. The stats for the two wards here are really pretty good, but trying to get stats for the other units can be a real challenge. We have lists of those who have gardened, but each time a new couple comes, it's like we have to start all over because it is so hard to find them. Addresses as such are pretty much nonexistent. We have put them on a GPS, but discovered that the one we used was not compatible with the church system. In any case I wanted to include this on my blog, since in essence it has been like a journal. The second letter was written by Allen Christensen who was president of the Benson Institute, but has since retired. Elder Seeley and his wife mentored us to take their place when we came in 2011. He continues to keep in touch and sometimes sends things to the folks in SLC. Apparently he sent the first report to President Justice and then received the second which he was kind enough to forward to us yesterday. We are so grateful to work with the people that we do. Sister Olson Dear President Justice, This is a rough draft of my findings. If the numbers have been added correctly, we had an 85.3% retention rate for the gardens in 1st & 2nd Ward in Tuba City. I hope we can get a more accurate account of the garden retention rate in the other units of the Stake. 2014 Report for TC Stake 1st & 2nd Stake Ward Stats Since 2010 Materials have been distributed to 287 participants in the Tuba City 1st and 2nd Wards since 2010. 245 of those have planted and harvested using the materials provided by the gardening program. 82% of the previous participants continue to utilize the original materials with minimum assistance from the missionaries. The main reasons for not using the materials are: 1. Employment somewhere else 2. Could not afford to haul water 3. Thought the increase in house water was to high 4. Had health issues which prevented them from doing the work involved 5. Dec = deceased We have had 6 participants pass away. Most of those gardens are still in production by other family members. Several participants have moved. Most of them have taken the materials and continue to plant at their new home sites. Those that move into the homes that have been left find fencing and irrigation and continue using the originally garden site. I have calculated that only 29 have let their gardens sit idle, which calculates to only 10% of the materials provided since 2010 are not being used. 2014 end of year stats In 2014 there was a total of 287 participants and 245 planted, which means 85% of people who were provided with materials planted and harvested. Four people who had missed planting in 2013 planted again in 2014. Many of our previous gardeners have become independent and require minimal if any help at all. A number of them have extended their gardens because they realized how valuable the investment had been. We hope to eventually get an accurate count of all those who have extended. They are doing this without any help from the church. They comment that they now know what can be done and how to do it. Those who are now confident, and many have become so, mentor new participants in their areas. This is happening in Dilcon, "Belentiville", Rocky Ridge, Hwy 89, Red Lake, and Tuba City. Families are mentoring family members. Those who have gained confidence share the skills they have mastered by attending the monthly garden demos. This was written to Elder Seeley by Allen Christensen. Thanks, Brother Seeley, For this wonderful report. It is of great interest to me as I am certain it is with other priesthood leaders. I deeply appreciate the devotion and courage of missionaries, members and priesthood leaders, all of whom have made this effort succeed with a success rate that is above that which we frequently had with Benson Projects in Latin America. Of course, I would be insensitive if I do not acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all of this. I think the Lord must be pleased with this effort. Skeptics have been moved to active participants, who now recognize that with training and a minimum bundle of resources and the Lord's blessing, these arid lands can be made to blossom. I think this effort represents a rather remarkable effort with the Children of Lehi. Thanks to you and Sister Seeley for the inspirational service that you have given and continued to give to this part of the Lord's vineyard. Clearly the Lord must be well pleased with the service of Elder and Sister Olson. Their effort have been and continues to be superb. Kindest personal regards, Allen

Chloe Begay Baptism

Today we had two baptisms in the 1st Ward.  I don't think I have ever felt the presence of the Spirit as  strongly as I did today.  Tristan Begay baptized his little sister Chloe.  Although the group was small the spirit was not.  His words as he spoke the prayer had so much meaning.
  Sister Allen gave the talk on Baptism.  She is always so well prepared and brings such an amazing spirit with her.
  Elder Olson gave the talk on the Holy Ghost.  At first he related a story about an 86 woman that he had baptized while serving as a young Elder.  The water was very cold and because her toe had come up he had to baptize her again.  Because the water was so cold and he did not want to have to do it 3 times, he pushed her under and looked first to the right and then to the left as he held her under.  The witnesses said, "Let her up, let her up!"  She came up with a great big smile.
  Elder Olson related this story because Chloe had also had to been baptized more than once.  The Bishop apologized to the family.  He said he had been very concerned about the warmth of the water and didn't give as much thought to the level of the water,  which was very low.  The second baptism took place later tonight and you can be sure that the water level in the font was much higher.
  Elder Olson talked about Tristan and how well he played basketball.  He said that Tristan was as good as he was because he listened and obeyed his coach.  He told Chloe that Tristan learned how to listen and how to obey and that he might not have always liked what his coach told him to do, but he did it.  He likened what Tristan did in listening to his coach to what Chloe would be doing as she listened to the Holy Ghost.  She would get better and recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost more and more as she obeyed.  Even though I am slightly prejudice, I thought he did a great job.
  I forgot my phone, so I did not get a picture, but Sister Simpson did, so I asked that she email me a copy of the one she took.  I will try and get that posted.
  The second baptism was for Ladria Manygoats.  Her brother, Rue, was baptized a few months ago. She had braided her beautiful long hair and she looked so beautiful.