Dear Family and Friends,
What an amazing
weekend we’ve just had. On Saturday we
attended a baptism. Three young people
were baptized. In both families their
dads were able to perform the ordinance.
Almost every seat in the baptismal font room was filled.
There was such an amazing spirit that filled the room.
After the baptism we
went to celebrate Gloria Babbitt’s birthday.
She did not know why she was coming to the building where it was
held. They just told her that everyone was
going there to eat. When she came in we
all sang Happy Birthday. She really didn’t
understand at first, but soon it became evident and she enjoyed every minute
with relatives and old friends who had come to celebrate with her.
After we ate people
would stand up and pay tribute to her and the extraordinary life she has
lived. They asked me to share some
thoughts also, which I was happy to do.
I told how much I had grown to love her and how she had helped me with
my rugs. I said that Mary was a little
jealous that her mom called me her baby, but that Mary had been her daughter
all her life and I had only had her as mom for a couple of years, so she should
be OK sharing her. Everyone thought that
was pretty funny.
We had to leave a
little early and Mary texted this morning and said that Gloria had spoken at
the end and had talked about her daughters and how much she loved them. Then she talked about her last daughter
meaning me. It meant a great deal to me
to know that she shares what I feel for her.
She has lived an amazing life and faced tremendous challenges raising a
family on the rez. We are all privileged
to know such a great woman.
Saturday night was
one of the “revolving door” nights which happens frequently. It is a night when you have revolving guests
in a steady stream. There was a knock at
the door. Elder Olson answered and said
which he frequently does “Woshdee” which means Come in. In come two people, male and female. Both have black eyes and evidence of being in
a bad fight. We don’t know them and now
they are sitting on our couch, asking for a ride and wanting us to drive them to
their home just over there.
Elder Olson explains that he is waiting for some friends and
does not want to miss them. Within a
short time his friend and her husband knock on the door. He invites them in. Now we have 4 people in our tiny apt. Devonne was about 4 when he last saw
her. She and I went to the same college,
worked in the same mall in Torrance and we discovered all this in just a short
time.
Meanwhile the first
two are commenting about common friends and working close to where Devonne and
I worked and other places we seemed to have in common, although many years
apart. She mentions graduating from Torrance High. I am feeling a little safer thinking Devonne and her husband can testify and identify who
was in our apt.
Then comes another
knock and I open the door. There is a
sweet lady asking if someone can give the sister in her car a blessing. They had just come from the hospital. The woman had slipped on some ice and hit her
head. Elder Anderson is gone and the
young Elders do not answer when I call their phone. I am pretty distressed by now and call
Brother Allen who answers even when I ask for Elder Anderson. I ask if he can come over to the
church. He says he can.
Devonne and her husband had come by to see Elder Olson, but
are actually on their way home to Phoenix.
They had just taken her husband’s grandmother back to Missouri, so she
could be buried with her husband. Devonne
had found lots of family history when they were going through her things and
promises to email copies so we can start a family tree.
They exit as Brother
Allen arrives, Elder Olson goes over to the church to help with the blessing
and I am now alone with the couple who came for a ride. Oh me, oh my, NOW I am alone with complete strangers who now
share that they were “jumped” and “beaten up”
They also share that they have attended a funeral as well and that they
had their money and wallet stolen by the thugs who” jumped “ them. They notice the pictures of the temple and a
copy of the Ensign.
I ask her name thinking it might be good to know and she
tells me her name and that she was baptized a long time ago into the
church. He also gives me his name. I ask if they would like some water and he
says he wants a sandwich.
I check and we do
have 4 slices of bread, peanut butter and honey. I slip
into the kitchen wondering about what is laying around the living room and if
it will be there when I return and also the scripture, “Oh ye of little faith,”. I make the sandwiches quickly and return,
with them, a bottle of water for each and two apples. I hand them the food. As I sit down he picks up the top slice to
check what is inside and rolls his eyes just a bit. They eat slowly , take a few sips of water
and slip the apples into their pockets.
Meanwhile I am counting the minutes until Elder Olson
returns. He had to feel my concern and
appears fairly quickly. They have
finished the sandwiches and are now ready to be driven home. They drive off and I wonder if I will see Elder
Olson again. It was only “3 miles” away,
how long would it take?
Elder Olson returns
in 20 mins, much to my great happiness.
I am thinking of installing an iron gate on the door and not allowing
Elder Olson to answer any knocks in the future.
He also had to endure Lecture #82 on not letting everyone who comes to
the door into our apt. ;o}
Today we spoke in the 1st and 2nd
Wards in Kayenta. It was so fun. The people enjoyed hearing about how Elder
Olson and I met. I always speak first so
he can correct anything he thinks I remember incorrectly. ;o}
We spoke on President
Utchdorf’s Ensign talk on “Regrets and Resolutions”. I will be writing about that experience next
week, since this is getting rather long, and tonight has been another “revolving
door” night.
We appreciate all the
prayers in our behalf, I know that they are answered.
Elder & Sister Olson
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