This week has been pretty crazy in the “busy” way. Elder Olson was gone every day but one, and he was only here that day because we had potential senior couples come to check this mission out.
That happens on occasion. A couple will call and express interest and President Justice invites them to come and visit and see what they think. Sometimes it works really well, and other times, both parties decide that it really isn’t a “good fit” On one occasion I said, “I don’t like to have to clean up after a storm hits” which is how I feel when people aren’t happy and are unable to work things out in a good way and can’t wait to get out of Dodge. I will let you fill in the blanks.
Elder Olson went to Monument Valley Saturday with Brother Nez. They did a Demo on how to prep the soil and put the fence up. They had a pretty good turn out and I think everyone felt a whole lot better about going home and prepping their own gardens and putting the fence up. The new senior couple were especially happy to have the support from the “Old Pro” Elder Olson laughed because he is used to having everything laid out just so. Well, they had 2 extra fence posts which when laid out did not compute. It took a while for him to recognize that he had 2 extra that he was trying to fit into the layout of the standard fence of 30 x 30.
We try to explain that while we have been here longer than most, we still do not know everything, nor do we pretend to know. I think it turned out well and lunch was served.
The young Elders had made an apt for one of their investigators to come into the History Center on Saturday afternoon, but neglected to ask if someone could be there to help. The other senior elder asked them about someone being there and they said something like, Sister O is always around. He suggested they ask me anyway, which they finally did.
I knew the sister who came in but could not place her. She is actually a member, but had not done anything on her family tree. We started with her of course and then added what she did know. One name lead to another and pretty soon we had her back about 4 generations. We found census records with her gr grandparents including their first names which she had not known before, but wanted to know. We found 2 young men who died at 14 and 16. We actually found their death certificates. One had died from drowning, the other from tuberculosis, because of “traditions” of not speaking the names of those who pass on, they might not have ever had the opportunity to be identified and sealed to their parents if she had not come in to get started.
We also found the Soc Sec Death Index for her grandfather who died in Texas in 2000. While scrolling through the other names, she found a grandmother, an aunt, and an uncle’s information. I think we had about 20 names recorded and several documents printed out before we knew it.
She stayed for about 2 hours and took pedigree charts and family group sheets. She is anxious to come back and continue doing research to find others. What a blessing to have such great tech support at our finger tips. I love it when it works.
Elder Olson got a load of firewood and took it to one of our favorites in Red Lake. A family member got angry and broke every window and door in her home. They still have one large window that has not been replaced. The wood helps tremendously, but the blanket over the one window, can only do so much. When you say your prayers, please remember all the little things you take for granted.
Love,
Sister Olson
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