Last November in conference, Elder Robert D Hales talked about personal revelation. In the talk was the following quote: “Elder Romney taught me about how the Lord blesses us with revelation. ‘Robert,’ he said, ‘I have learned that when we are on the Lord’s errand, we have His blessings to accomplish whatever we are asked to do.’ Since the literacy project was conceived and approved until now, little miracles, God’s tender mercies have been pouring in. There is no doubt in my mind that things are taking place here of great significance and I hope and pray that we in the Alice Springs District will continue to work together and find ourselves equal to the task.
It is an interesting series of events that have brought us to where we now are. Actually, it all started with a little tornado that tore the covering off the chapel in Angkula. That put President Marriott in touch with Elder Bartholomew in Sydney, who was over of the humanitarian projects for Australia. In a later conversation President Marriott mentioned needing some financial help with some gospel principle DVD’s he had us making in English and aboriginal language to teach the people out bush. That put an excited Elder Bartholomew in touch with President Quinn requesting an expanded proposal for a literacy project in this area. Subsequent conversations with Marla Atkinson in Blanding, Utah led to the idea of literacy bags like she developed for San Juan County School District.
Other events have led to the development of English conversation courses that will be converted from PowerPoint to DVD video. Savings within the projected budget have totaled to just enough for us to afford the software needed so everything we are developing can be professionally put together. The Elders and branch members have pitched in to help with much of the computer work that needs to be done. There are still many things to do and many questions to be answered but with faith and God's help we will “build the bridge as we walk on it.”
There will be more details on the marvelous help we're getting from Blanding and Monticello, Utah in the next blog.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
To the Men in My LIfe
Sorry this post is so late, but I still want to say for Father’s Day, that my life has been truly blessed.
I am most fortunate to have been given a wonderful father. He was an example of all he professed: full or faith, a devout member of the Church, a loving father and husband, a hard working provider, a life-long learner, and a talented singer, teacher, and artist.
I am grateful for my father-in-law, DeVar who worked with Madge so tirelessly to support and raise a family of 11 children. He has a strong testimony and always faithfully does whatever is asked of him in the Church. He is strong, generous, loves his family and is always willing to help.
I am thankful for my sons-in-law, Shawn, Steve, and Zeb. Here are a few of their traits I hold dear. Shawn reminds me in so many ways of my father, disciplined, patient, loving, and insightful. Steve loves life, is full of enthusiasm, generous, and has a great sense of humor. Zeb is kind, adventurous, fun loving, and caring. They are all spiritual, hard-working, faithful fathers and husbands, who love their children and wives and are loved and adored in return.
Our son Mike is strong, caring, creative, insightful, and has his father’s sense of humor. He is a wonderful, loved uncle to all of his nieces and nephews.
Finally, I am grateful for Jim, the love of my life. There are many times I wonder how I could have been so fortunate. He is a wonderful father and husband. I remember one time his sister Sallee, who lived through the block from us at the time, asked me if his loud whistling irritated me. I answered that though it sometimes got a little too loud; there wasn’t really anything about her brother that truly irritated me. I love everything about him, from his good looks to his sense of humor, from his deep, spiritual side to his fun, adventurous spirit, from his loving nature to his teasing attention-getters, from is faithfulness to his generosity, from his zest for life to his empathy for others, from his strength and athletic ability to his kind and gentle nature---I love it all. I thank God everyday that I was blessed to be his wife and I am thrilled to be serving this mission with him. Our love makes me strive to be a better person, so we can be together forever.
So to all those special men in my life, I say thank you and I love you with all my heart.
I am most fortunate to have been given a wonderful father. He was an example of all he professed: full or faith, a devout member of the Church, a loving father and husband, a hard working provider, a life-long learner, and a talented singer, teacher, and artist.
I am grateful for my father-in-law, DeVar who worked with Madge so tirelessly to support and raise a family of 11 children. He has a strong testimony and always faithfully does whatever is asked of him in the Church. He is strong, generous, loves his family and is always willing to help.
I am thankful for my sons-in-law, Shawn, Steve, and Zeb. Here are a few of their traits I hold dear. Shawn reminds me in so many ways of my father, disciplined, patient, loving, and insightful. Steve loves life, is full of enthusiasm, generous, and has a great sense of humor. Zeb is kind, adventurous, fun loving, and caring. They are all spiritual, hard-working, faithful fathers and husbands, who love their children and wives and are loved and adored in return.
Our son Mike is strong, caring, creative, insightful, and has his father’s sense of humor. He is a wonderful, loved uncle to all of his nieces and nephews.
Finally, I am grateful for Jim, the love of my life. There are many times I wonder how I could have been so fortunate. He is a wonderful father and husband. I remember one time his sister Sallee, who lived through the block from us at the time, asked me if his loud whistling irritated me. I answered that though it sometimes got a little too loud; there wasn’t really anything about her brother that truly irritated me. I love everything about him, from his good looks to his sense of humor, from his deep, spiritual side to his fun, adventurous spirit, from his loving nature to his teasing attention-getters, from is faithfulness to his generosity, from his zest for life to his empathy for others, from his strength and athletic ability to his kind and gentle nature---I love it all. I thank God everyday that I was blessed to be his wife and I am thrilled to be serving this mission with him. Our love makes me strive to be a better person, so we can be together forever.
So to all those special men in my life, I say thank you and I love you with all my heart.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Happy Birthday Julee
Happy Birthday to Julee, our youngest. We are privileged to be your parents. You have brought us great joy and fond memories. You are living a good life and are a fine example as a daughter, a wife and a mother. It is hard to believe that 29 years have passed. Don’t blink. Enjoy every minute as you raise your children. It is amazing how fast it all goes. One minute it seemed like I would always have a houseful of children and the next minute they have families of their own. We love you so very much. Here is a poem my mom and I have always enjoyed because it reminds of us of how precious every moment is.
Sunrise, Sunset
Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older
When did they?
When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he get to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday
When they were small?
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?
Now they must learn from one another
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Literacy Project and Language Classes
We continue to work hard getting the literacy project to a launch stage. Sister Shumway is writing PowerPoint reading lessons that will be converted to DVD’s so that students will be able to practice at home and teach each other in the out bush communities. The missionaries are helping. It’s handy to have two computers in the same room (We just bought a new one). It is amazing to watch how things have fallen into place for the project, as well as missionary work.
We have also begun teaching English conversation lessons to Chinese and Korean students. It’s quite enjoyable and the students are very appreciative. They are learning and progressing quickly. Hopefully, we will be able to interest some of them in the gospel. Sister Shumway is converting the English conversation lessons to PowerPoint, with sound, that will eventually be converted to DVD’s for use in our literacy project, and also help our Asian and Korean students practice at home.
We have also begun teaching English conversation lessons to Chinese and Korean students. It’s quite enjoyable and the students are very appreciative. They are learning and progressing quickly. Hopefully, we will be able to interest some of them in the gospel. Sister Shumway is converting the English conversation lessons to PowerPoint, with sound, that will eventually be converted to DVD’s for use in our literacy project, and also help our Asian and Korean students practice at home.
Member Missionaries
The Bird mob, out bush, continues to share the gospel with others. They’re very faithful and developing their leadership capabilities. We’re sure they will be a great asset when it comes time to begin the literacy projects in their communities.
Gary Byrd is the Presiding Elder (out bush in Angkola)and has been a great help in producing the gospel principles DVDs.
Happy Birthday and Good-bye to Elder Brons
The one thing in our lives that remains constant is change. We had a birthday celebration for Elder Brons at the Bartons’ and the next thing we knew he was being transferred to Darwin. It was hard saying good-bye. He is from Australia, so it’s pretty unlikely we will be seeing him again, once we leave the mission.
He has been a tremendous asset to the district,, writing the proposal and helping me with the technicalities of Power Point and the computer in general as I wrote my literacy lessons.
He is very spiritual and dedicated. He will do a good job wherever he goes.
We welcomed Elder Jensen. He is bright, dedicated and knowledgeable. He fits in well and we are pleased to have him as a part of the Alice Springs District.
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