Week 21

A fairly quiet week.  On Tuesday we visited the early morning seminary class in Natchitoches, then drove over to Many to train a new institute teacher there.  This will be a brand new class in Many--pretty exciting to have enough interested young adults (both single and married) to give it a try.  That night we visited the institute class here in Alexandria.

We don't go to district council very often because of other commitments on Wednesdays, but we went this week.  It is always great to see the young elders and sisters reporting their goals and outcomes and to hear them discuss ways to be more effective in finding and teaching.  Wednesday night it was back up to Natchitoches to visit the institute class.

This week we started a new assignment; inspecting the two missionary apartments in Alexandria and the one in Marksville.  That happens every six weeks, the week before transfers.  We did Alexandria on Thursday and Marksville on Friday.  As one might expect, the sisters' apartment was pretty good, and the elders' apartments needed more attention.  There are two reasons for inspections--the Spirit is more comfortable in a clean environment, and when apartments are closed, the mission doesn't want to lose the security/cleaning deposit.  Apparently that happens far more than it should.

For Valentine's Day we ate at a Japanese hibachi restaurant.  On Friday we visited with a few members in Marksville after doing our inspection.

The pink magnolias have been in bloom for a couple of weeks, but now we're starting to see purple ones.  They are soooo pretty!

Saturday was the adult session and Sunday the general session of stake conference.  All of the speakers were good and uplifting, but our vising general authority was Elder Claudio Costa of the Seventy.  He is currently serving as the President of the North America South East Area.  Wow--what an amazing man and what an amazing speaker.  When our mission president, President Varner, spoke today, he said, "We didn't hear a sermon last night, we felt one."  That's so true, and was true again today.  I'll only share one thing he said, "Since I joined the Church 42 years ago, I've never had a bad day.  Sure, I've had problems and challenges, but never a bad day.  That's because the Father's plan is a plan of happiness, and it makes every day good regardless of what is happening."

We learned from the Baton Rouge Temple Matron that the Angel Moroni was placed this Wednesday, that the stone facade should be in place by April 15, and that all the reconstruction should be done by August 15.  When the re-dedication and opening will be has not been announced.

Week 20

We entered the MTC five months ago today.

On Tuesday we spent the afternoon in Marksville trying to visit less active members.  We had a gap between visits so we went to the Tunica Biloxi  Cultural and Educational Resources Center.  It was fascinating.  We'd never heard of this tribe until we began driving by the casino quite often.  Just a note--Willie Nelson and family performed at the casino last year, and I suspect never in his life did Willie expect that one day he'd be performing in Marksville, LA, population 5,500.  Anyway, this tribe had very astute traders and worked with the French, Spanish, and English.  All of whom alternated between trading/commerce with the tribe and trying to enslave them.  This was one of many tribes relocated to Oklahoma in the 1800s (the Trail of Tears).  After native American tribes could leave Oklahoma and return to their homelands, the Tunica had difficulty proving that they were a tribe so they could be given Sovereign Nation status.  They were inadvertently helped by a grave robber in the 1960s when he dug up over two tons of artifacts (also destroying all the bones in the process).  When the goods (called the Tunica Treasure) were confiscated, the tribe was able to prove it had existed and was given sovereign status. 

The education center and the casino next door

The Center has one of the best archeological conservation/preservation labs in the country.

Some of the Tunica Treasure

Still in our gap of time, we drove to Grand Lake near our little church trailer.  It was nearing sunset and we thought the view was lovely.

The dock and the cypress trees at Grand Lake

And two more Marksville history notes:  I mentioned the home of the lawyer involved in returning Solomon to freedom in a previous post.  

More on Mardi Gras:

We bought our first King Cake this week and quite liked it.  There are different types, but it's sort of like a cross between a sweet roll and a cake with a filling.  We chose cream cheese, but there are other flavors.

The hidden baby and the King Cake

Here is the message on the cake box:

• At long last our journey was joyfully fulfilled.  The star we followed shined brightly over the stable where we found the holy baby Jesus.  This is now known as the Twelfth Night of Christmas, January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany.  With much revelry, this is now the beginning of Mardi Gras Season and is celebrated with the oval shaped King Cake commemorating our journey and decorated in the carnival colors of green for FAITH, yellow for POWER, and purple for JUSTICE.  As it is served, look for the baby Jesus, for you who gets the symbol buys the King Cake for the next party.  Enjoy this delicious cake and celebrate as we did.  In the name of Tradition, The Three Kings, Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar

We also decided to put a little Mardi Gras decoration in our apartment: 

A plate of Mardi Gras orbs and some tinsel just for fun

Our weather has been pretty mild--got up to 79 degrees on Monday, but the high was in the 40s for the last two days.  Outside the food bank on Monday beautiful big yellow irises were in bloom.  The pink magnolias are blooming all over town.

On Tuesday we visited the seminary class in Many, and on Thursday we oriented the new seminary teachers (husband and wife) in Leesville. As always, we're so grateful for the dedication and testimony of our teachers. 

 Friday night was the annual Evening With a General Authority for all Church Education System employees and volunteers.  Elder Rasband was the primary speaker, following a few remarks from Elder Clark.  Elder Rasband was asked by President Nelson to be on the city's suicide prevention task force, and his remarks were quite sobering.  He talked a lot about the importance of providing love and support to young people, especially those who are struggling.  Our leaders are so incredibly in touch with events, and so in tune with the Spirit!

Week 19

Busy, educational, enlightening week.  On Monday we picked up a rental van and drove to Vicksburg, MS.  We went to the National Civil War Memorial there; the Union victory at Vicksburg was a decisive turning point in the Civil War.  Fascinating and sobering:

A few of the many, many monuments at the memorial

A little later in the afternoon, we met the Blackburns (the missionary couple from Ruston doing what we do) and drove to Birmingham, AL, where we spent the night.  On Tuesday morning we drove to Montgomery, AL and visited two civil rights areas there.  First was the Rosa Parks Memorial.  She has been one of my heroines for a long time, and the memorial was so very well done and so very informative and interesting.  For part of the display, you stand in a room with a bus, listening to the narration of the events on that bus while watching video through the bus widows.  The video reenacted Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat to a white man and her resulting arrest.  That led to the Montgomery bus boycott that was the beginning of integration in the South. 

The next site was the Dexter Avenue King Memorial where Martin Luther King, Jr. lived--it was his first position after graduation from divinity school, and put him in a position to become a civil rights leader.  It was extremely interesting.  So many people had to exhibit so much courage during those difficult days.  Race relations in the US are still problematic, but at least we do not have systematic, legal segregation.  Hard to believe how long that was part of life in the South.

After visiting these sites, we headed to Tallahassee, FL, for our US Southeast Area Seminary and Institute Coordinators In-service meeting.  As we entered Florida, we were amazed to see the devastation from Hurricane Michael in October, 2018.  This was so far inland that we simply did not expect to see thousands upon thousands of tress just snapped like toothpicks.  This went on for miles.  We also saw destroyed structures.  Hard to believe the force of the hurricane-strength winds that far from the coast.

We were anxious to get to Tallahassee in time for the "boil"at the institute--shrimp, crab, crawfish, potatoes, corn, etc.  When we got there, we saw lots of cars around the stake center, so we thought the dinner might be there, but going inside we could tell that wasn't the case.  So we walked outside to go to the institute building.  On the way, I tripped on a speed bump.  When I got up, this is what I looked like:

Takes a lot of courage to show this pathetic face!

My lip was cut on the inside and bled for a couple of hours, but no teeth or bones were broken in the process.  Biggest concern to me in the split second I felt myself falling was my knees--falling on fake knees can cause some real damage.  Fortunately, my face took more of the blow than my knees, so though they are stiff and sore, the knees seem to be okay.  I am healing nicely and look much better today.

There are 28 area coordinators in the Southeast area, plus the four missionaries, and two men from the central office in Salt Lake, so the meeting was small and personal.  The first day was mostly about a new process for providing training and support for stake seminary and institute teachers.  We'll be involved in that indirectly, but won't be doing all of the things taught that day.  Important to be aware of them, though.  The next day we had some marvelous presentations on "deep learning"--learning that involves the mind, heart, body, and soul.  It looks at developing the power to know, do, and become more like the Savior. 

Just a note about lunch that day--they brought in wings and pizza.  The pizzas were at least 30" in diameter!!  Have never seen anything like that.  They were already cut in wedges, but there was a pizza cutter in case you weren't game to take on a whole piece.  Very fun and very good.

This is an odd thing to include, but we could see the grounds crew was mulching around the institute building while we were there.  In the South they use pine needles for mulch.  We took a little walk around the building at break time, and saw these cool "bales" of pine needle mulch:

The third morning was three presentations about three different doctrinal topics.  Again, very interesting and inspiring.  During the whole meeting, I had so many flashes of insight and understanding that my notes couldn't keep up with them.  I just hope to recapture some more of them as I think about the meeting.

We adjourned at noon, and headed back to Birmingham.  We went straight to the temple, and were able to participate in initiatory and endowment ordinances Friday night.  We stayed overnight, and did sealings Saturday morning.  Wonderful to be there!

Birmingham Temple

The rest of Saturday was spent getting home.  We dropped the Blackburns off at their car (they'd left it at a member's home in Vicksburg) and arrived at our home at about 7:30 Saturday night. 

For FHE with our softball players tonight we had Chinese food in honor of Chinese New Year (year of the pig) on Tuesday.  I hardly ever make it, but the sweet and sour pork and cashew chicken sure tasted good.  Happy New Year!!!

Week 18

Since Monday was a holiday, we worked part of the day then went to see Kent House--the only plantation house in Alexandria.  It was very interesting and the tour guide was excellent.  You may remember from earlier posts that Alexandria was burned to the ground by the Union Army in the Civil War.  Kent House survived because the owner surrendered to the Union.  His land was burned, but the house was saved.  It was originally 500 acres given by a Spanish Land Grant.  The Spanish would give that much free to Catholics, so the original owner became a Catholic.  He later added more land until it reached 1700 acres. Primarily raising cotton for sale, but also enough sugar cane and other crops just for use on the plantation.

The kitchen outbuilding

From front and back--elevation kept it a little cooler and freer from mosquitoes  

Blacksmith's shop on bottom left, a slave who lived to 114 years old on top, cotton sack on right--slaves wore these around their shoulders as they picked cotton.  This one held 100 pounds--the largest would hold 300 pounds

Dining room, bedrooms, and parlor

The sugar mill--fire in the chamber on the bottom, huge pots upstairs to boil down the juice from sugar cane

And more beautiful camellias on the grounds--roses were also in bloom

We have been seeing Mardi Gras decorations for sale at Hobby Lobby since before Christmas--in fact, seven entire rows plus end displays:

Rows and rows of purple, gold, and green Mardi Gras decorations

Also, we started seeing King Cake, the traditional Mardi Gras cake decorated with purple, gold, and green sugar, in stores a couple of weeks ago.  We needed something from the mall this week, and the stores were displaying the most sparkly, glittery formal gowns you can imagine.

On Friday I got my hair cut--the salon was decorated for Mardi Gras, and I told my stylist that everyone knows about Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, because they're on the news.  I asked her to tell me about the celebrations elsewhere in the state.  Well, apparently Mardi Gras is not just a day (Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and the 40 days of Lent), but it's a season.  It starts at the first of the year, and all those fancy gowns at the mall are for the balls that have already started.  I guess there is one about every weekend.  There will be several parades closer to the day (March 5 this year), and several other festivities. She also told me where to go to buy the best King Cakes.  I'll describe more as we experience more of Mardi Gras, but it starts early in Louisiana!

A fairly quiet week--we visited one early seminary class, substituted in the institute class, served in the food bank, held our addiction recovery session, and visited a bit in Marksville.  The training for volunteers at the prison was supposed to be held on Thursday, but with the government shut-down, nothing extra was happening at federal prisons.  We leave on Monday for a CES training in Tallahassee, FL, and plan to do a bit of sight seeing along the way.

Week 17

Last week I failed to mention that we had begun working at the Central Louisiana Food Bank for a couple of hours a week.  Our co-workers are inmates from the Rapides Parish Correctional Facility and a variety of volunteers.  It is actually a good experience, and the inmates who work with us are very nice.

Also last week, we had a Seminaries and Institutes Faculty Training on Sunday evening.  We generally have those monthly.  Unlike when we were in Oklahoma, though, we are the teachers rather than the participants.

Tuesday evening we presented some information about the Addiction Recovery Program at the Bishops Training Meeting.  We still only had one person attend on Thursday, but he said he wants to keep coming and he felt more hope this week than he has in a while.

On Wednesday we left home at 6 am to drive to Baton Rouge for a mission tour zone conference.  The Seventy making the tour was Elder Bradley D. Foster (and his wife).  It is highly unusual to have this many general authorities visit a mission in such a short time, but the meeting a few weeks ago was actually associated with area training and stake conferences.  They all just added in a meeting with the missionaries.  This visit's only purpose was touring the mission and meeting with missionaries.  Interestingly, this is Elder Foster's last mission tour--he will become emeritus at the next General Conference.

First President and Sister Varner spoke for a few minutes, and both told tender stories that touched my heart.  Then Sister Foster spoke and shared some sweet stories from her experiences.  She said we can't look at ourselves with squinty eyes--we have to see ourselves at God sees us.  That perspective gives meaning to things we see and experience every day; but we need to keep moving to get to the full comprehension of things as they really are.  Elder Foster spoke, then after a break did some training, then after another break he made some closing remarks.

I know I can't capture the feeling of the meeting, or even do justice to the messages, but here are a couple of highlights from Elder Foster (geared for the young missionaries, but great messages for senior missionaries, as well):

1. A mission is never about you, it's always about THEM.  "Them" is your companion, the members, the non-members.  Focus on serving them.
2. In the song "Called to Serve" we sing the line . . . tell the Father's story.  What is the Father's story?  It's the plan for all of His children, the plan of salvation.  The plan is the WHY for all of the commandments and all the rest of the gospel.
3. Missionary work is not a membership drive.  It's about helping people participate fully in the plan.
4. What do you want to say to Heavenly Father in your last prayer as a full-time missionary?  Thinking about that occasionally along the way will change perspective and help you be able to say "I've done enough."  

All of the above illustrated with stories, scriptures, and experiences.  Really a wonderful conference and a spiritual shot in the arm.

Here's another picture of the temple:

A little more progress every time we see it

Thursday we left home at 5:30 am to go to the seminary class in Dry Prong.  We had gone to Alexandria institute the night before; these were our first class visits of the semester.  

Today was Branch Conference in Marksville.  With all of the stake visitors, our attendance was almost tripled! After good meetings, we had a pot luck lunch and got to visit while eating good food.

We just finished FHE with our two Young Single Adults.  They were gone for the Christmas break, so we started again last week.  We really have fun together and it's good to have them back in town.

Week 16

Wednesday was transfer day, and Sister Martin was transferred to Mississippi.  The sisters live with the Green family, and they invited all the missionaries in the district over on Tuesday for gumbo to say good-bye.  It was fun and delicious.

Good Gumbo at Green's

Both elders in Marksville were transferred, and we met our new elders today--Elder Jackson and Elder McNary.  Haven't met our new sister yet.

Thursday we held our first session of the Church's Addiction Recovery Program in Alexandria.  We had been asked before Christmas if we would be group leaders for that, and we've spent quite a lot of time working on the on-line training and talking to the supervisor in the area, a service missionary.  He's in Denham Springs, near Baton Rouge, and he and his wife lead a call-in program for pornography addiction.  They invited us to call in the week before we started so we could experience a meeting before beginning.  We were amazed and really touched at how spiritual that meeting was. The program is carefully thought out and constructed, and is based on Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step Program.  It adds, however, the Atonement of Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of all recovery. 

We had only one man there last week, but felt it went well.  From that man, we got a little glimpse into the hellish hold addiction has on people, and we just ache for how hard it is to get out of its grasp.  We'll be going to the stake bishops' training meeting this week, and hope they'll recommend the program to more people in their wards who need it.

Some Random Observations 'Round and About in Louisiana:

• When we first came we saw CENLA quite often, but didn't know what it was.  (Best this, that, or the other in Cenla, or serving all Cenla, etc).  It means Central Louisiana, and is how this part of the state is referred to.  
• Our stake covers Cenla--from the Texas/LA border on the west to just over the Mississippi border in Natches on the east.  It's the narrowest part of the state, and Alexandria is right in the center of the state.
• Word use is always interesting--here are a few LA specialties
• Many people call their grandmothers Maw Maw
• I am referred to as Miss Nora in any professional or service setting ( doctor/dental office calls to remind Miss Nora of appointment, greeted as Miss Nora at hairdresser, doctor, etc)
• It's very common for either of us (and everybody else) to be called baby, honey, sweetheart by all kinds of people--at the store, in a restaurant, etc
• At the grocery store, you don't put your groceries in a cart, they go in the buggy
• We're not warned about speed bumps, they're speed humps

• Instead of counties, they are called Parishes.  There are 64 parishes in LA.  We live in  Rapides (pronounced Rapeeds) Parish, go to church in Avoyelles Parish, and visit seminary and institute classes in several other parishes.  Some have French names, some have Indian names, and some have English origins
• The sign as you enter each city doesn't say City Limit, it says Corp Limit
• We haven't figured out zoning laws yet.  Especially in the rural areas, you can find a lovely big home and the next home over is a trailer, then there might be a modest home followed by another trailer, next to a mini mansion.  They are on a lot of property, so they're not close together, but it's still interesting to see such a mix.
• There are not basements here due to the high water table.  Some homes are built on concrete slabs, but a lot of homes are elevated on cinder blocks, bricks, or some other material. All of the trailer homes are elevated like that, but it's surprising how many other homes are on risers rather than a pad.

• It's not spring yet, but don't tell that to the people with lush gardens

They were selling collard greens

• And we're starting to see daffodils on the side of the road and in front of houses

More January flowers

Week 15

Rain, rain, and more rain.  Wednesday and Thursday it rained for over 36 hours straight.  Sometimes heavy, and sometimes really heavy!  We've never seen the bayous, ditches, and ponds so full, but it's all normal for winter in Louisiana.  The picture below is of the Red River on Thursday, and the same bridge marker two days later.  After the rain stopped, the water from upstream continued to make the river rise.

The main event of this week was an amazing mission conference yesterday in Baton Rouge.  Presiding was Elder Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve, and accompanying him were Elder Bowen of the Seventy, Bishop Davies of the Presiding Bishopric, and Elder Johnson, the Area Seventy.  All of their wives were with them, and we got to hear from all eight of them!

This was the first time our entire mission has been together in the time we've been here.  That's all the missionaries in Louisiana and Mississippi.  Before we met all the visiting authorities, we had to get staged for a picture.  Elder Kerr took this picture just to get the scope of the mission.  Senior missionaries, President and Sister Varner, and the visiting authorities and their wives sat in the chairs, and some missionaries knelt in front, so this doesn't show anything like the finished product, but gives an idea of the size of the group.

After the staging, so everyone knew where to sit or stand, all the missionaries gathered with their district and waited for the General Authorities to come in.  They then shook hands, district by district, with every missionary.  After that, everyone returned to the stage for the picture.  But in the meantime, as soon as Sister Gong (or Susan Lindsay, as I knew her in Taiwan) came in, she came over to visit with me and we had a very nice, even if short, visit.  We have been in contact a few times in the years since our Taiwan missions and BYU days, but not a lot, and it was good to see her.

Sister Gong

The meeting was in the Stake Center next to the temple, and now they have started putting the stone exterior on--not quite as naked as when we were there a few weeks ago.

Now back to the meeting.  Elders Gong, Bowen, Johnson, and Bishop Davies had been in meetings with leaders from all the stakes in the area prior to the missionary meeting.  Then they had the missionary meeting. Following their remarks, Elder Bowen and Bishop Davies left to go to two other stake conferences in the area, while Elder Gong stayed for the Baton Rouge stake conference sessions.  Busy schedules!  Here are a few highlights of the conference

 First Sister Davies spoke about characteristics of successful missionaries--happy enthusiasm and careful obedience.  Bishop Davies reiterated the importance of obedience by saying,  "Don't ever distance yourself from the Spirit by doing things you know you shouldn't do."

Next Elder and Sister Bowen spoke.  He said that one of the things he always asked new missionaries when he was a president was, "Can I trust you?"  If your mission president can trust you, the Lord can trust you.  He said, "Have honor, character, and integrity, and let God do His miracles with you."

Elder and Sister Johnson then spoke.  She talked about keeping eternal perspective, and one thing I noted from his talk was, "We tend to get frustrated when with think it's our work.  When we realize we're simply helping with His work, we're much less frustrated."

Sister Gong spoke next, and related an experience that I remember well from our missions.  She had a companion who was extremely difficult for her.  One day they'd had an argument and each went into their bedroom, slamming the doors behind them.  She knelt down to pray and complain about her companion to Heavenly Father.  While doing so she heard a voice say, "She's My daughter and I love her.  You shouldn't talk about her that way."  Sister Gong said she knew she had just been chastised by the Lord, but felt only love and concern in the chastisement.  She talked about being filled with charity, even in hard circumstances.

Elder Gong spoke for the bulk of the meeting, and made four main points:

1. Missionaries are called by God through a prophet, then assigned by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.  Missionaries are assigned where they are for a variety of reasons and purposes, which may be different for different missionaries.  He counseled us to take care of each other (our companions) because you're together for a reason.
2. Citing Alma 17: 2-3, Elder Gong said what will we be able to talk about with our former companions in 30 years?  Live and act so there will be much good to share.
3. Teach people not lessons--prepare well in order to let the Spirit help you teach.  Learn to teach with the eyes and the heart--be open to the people you teach.  He also said we often receive revelation when praying to help someone else.
4. Referring to 3 Nephi 27: 7-9, he reminded us of the importance of using the correct name of the church and that everything we do is because of the Savior.  

All of the above was illustrated with stories, scriptures, and testimonies.  Even though most remarks were, of course, directed at the young missionaries, there was much for all of us to learn.  The Spirit was definitely present and it was a wonderful meeting.

Today we got a new branch president in Marksville--President Hazlewood is actually a member of the Alexandria Ward, but he and his wife will now serve in Marksville.  There are so few active Melchizedek priesthood holders in the branch that bringing someone in from outside the branch was not a surprise.