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