Thanksgiving

Dear Family and Friends,

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and we will go over to Kayenta with all the other Senior Missionaries for dinner. I think there are over a 100, but I may be way off on the numbers. I am sure I will find out on Thursday. I do know they are taking 30 pounds of mashed potatoes over. ;o}

Time marches on very quickly and so do we. The picture (top left) shows what is going on now. Elder Olson takes great pride in filling the truck with manure and taking it to the furthest garden spots, speads it out then helps till it in.. Seems to me that there is a story about the furthest most part of the vineyard and how the Lord knows where to place things to get the best results.

Top right is Zonie if I remember right, they're way out on Black Mesa, very remote and a bit of a challenge to get there. She and the other family members took their turn tilling. They will have a garden next spring and are very excited to have the materials that the church will provide so that they can become more self-reliant.

Bottom left shows how cold it gets. There is no snow of course, but the temperatures have dropped to below freezing several nights now. Time to turn on the heat and get the chill off in the morning. ;o}

Bottom right is a shot of Sister McMurtrey and I walking across the parking lot to the church building to walk. We walk around and around for 20 mins or we to sit for a minute during the laps, but we get in a full 20 mins of walking. It really helps to walk every day. She is an amazing person and I have grown to love her. She and her husband are the counseling missionaries for the stake. I think they have the toughest calling of all. The Temple Sealer asked where they met and she said, "Prison" there was a minute of silence then she added. We were serving as "Counselors" then everyone took a deep breath. ;o}

Last weekend, Sister Thompson, Sister Dalton and Sister Esplin from SLC came to speak. They brought and an amazing spirit with them. Sister Esplin spoke in our 2nd ward sacrament and said that she had tried to prepare by reading the scriptures and attending the temple, but she then added that she was not prepared for the outpouring of love that she felt from the Navajo and Hopi sisters. To tell the truth that is what I also felt. You cannot describe the feeling that you get when you are embraced by the members and what they say and how you feel when they bare their testimony or give a talk that they have prepared after studying and going to the Lord for help.

The sisters met with the young women and the primary for two hours. They visited and got to know the young people as well as they could. They left a noticeable impression on everyone they came in contact with.

We had a member baptism. An eight year old girl was baptized by her father. They are "white" the mother works as a midwife at the hospital. She is expecting a baby any minute herself. This little girl's name is Piper and her older sister, Prudence, who is 9 or 10 gave the talk on baptism. It was very touching. Her grandparents, one aunt and two uncles drove up from Phoenix to attend.

We had the 2nd Ward Thanksgiving dinner Friday and in Dec the 1st Ward will have a Christmas dinner. The potlucks around here get pretty serious when it comes to food. If you go away hungry you must be blind because there is food everywhere.

They are planning to go Christmas caroling to the Emergency room staff, the Police Dept, the Ambulance service people and the fire station people. They also go to the four group homes that they have here in Tuba. AND to some of the member homes. They say they will divide and conquer. It will be interesting to see how it all works out. They won't use sleighs, no snow. ;o}

I worked in the Catholic Soup kitchen last Friday and we served around 800-1,000 people. We were really busy. Some time I may give you some little details about that adventure. I did help two older men who could not see when they came in from the sunshine. The people who come in are not allowed to really do much except take their plates to the table and dump the empty plates in the trash. Everything has to be served, so there is a lot of running to do, but it was a very good learning experience on how things are different. I was a little confused by all the rules they have to abide by and how much is donated by our church and other organizations to make it all happen.

Well it is late and I am tired, but it is the good kind of tired. We hope you all have a great holiday and give thanks for all that you have been blessed with. Be especially grateful for your health and your ability to work and provide in the Lord's way for your family. Don't take the fact that you can kneel and thank Heavenly Father for granted.

Be especially kind in word and deed to those you come in contact with daily. Your smile could make a difference and never forget that in the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye cannot see.

Never forget that the past need not hold the future hostage. Forgive every day and don't ever forget that we will be granted the same forgiveness that we give to others.

Remember that faith and fear cannot exist together. A good scripture to remember is Isaiah 26:3 " Thou willt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stay on thee; because he trusteth in thee."

Remember Peter when he walked toward the Savior. As long as he kept his eyes on the Savior he could do it, but when he looked down and took his eyes off the Savior he started to sink. Remember to stay focused on Him who provides all things.

We love you.

Elder & Sister Olson