4 Bits and tidbits

Kay and Karen's homecoming
On Sunday afternoon, July 11, Kay and Karen reported in the Hurricane 11th Ward on their two years in the Peru Lima Central Mission. All of Kay's children and grandchildren (except Brandon and Nicole and their family in Indiana) were present for the occasion. Most of them spent a couple days in the St. George area. Claudia and I drove down to Hurricane on Saturday and returned home Sunday evening. Lyle had been planning on attending with Gene and some of his family, but apparently car troubles kept them from driving down from Idaho. Lynda's son Bill, who lives with his wife Kate and family in Santa Clara, also came for the sacrament meeting. Kate was busy at the same hour with an assignment in Primary in their ward.

Karen spoke of the power of prayer and illustrated with appropriate examples from their mission. While they were in the MTC in Provo Elder Jeffrey R. Holland pronounced an apostolic blessing on the missionaries, saying your families will be cared for while you serving your missions. Karen said they saw that promise fulfilled as some of their sons and sons-in-law experienced unemployment but ended up okay and as a grandchild was born after the mother's being confined to bed for three months. She told of once after they were in Peru when she stepped in a hole and sprained her ankle but it was better by the next morning. She mentioned when Kay got cellulitis and was hospitalized for three days, except that he got to go home after a day and a half. She explained that a big part of their calling in the mission office was to serve and look after the missionaries.

A chorus of returned Spanish-speaking missionaries from their ward and some visiting the ward from their mission sang a beautiful hymn in Spanish.

Kay, who by this time had little time left in the sacrament meeting, built on what Karen had talked about by speaking of the numerous miracles they witnessed on an almost daily basis. One illustration was when he lost his ID card, which he desperately needed, and after searching high and low in their apartment and at the office, miraculously found after fervent prayer. He had planned to share his testimony in Spanish also, but time precluded his doing that.

It was an inspirational, if all too short, meeting. Family and friends and fellow returned missionaries gathered at Kay and Karen's home after sacrament meeting to eat and visit.

In the near future Kay and Karen are leaving on a road trip to visit Karen's mother in Oklahoma and Brandon and his family in Indianapolis.

Lyle's and Gene's families
Apparently the car trouble that kept Lyle and Gene from going to hear Kay and Karen report their mission turned out to be providential. That same Sunday Randy was sustained as second counselor in the Nampa 9th Ward bishopric, and Lyle was able to be there for the sustaining and to hear Randy speak and to ordain him a high priest following the meeting. Had he been in southern Utah, Lyle would have missed out on that blessing and opportunity.

Later that same day Lyle also spent the afternoon with Gene and Cheryl and their girls (they had dinner at Lou's place). Lyle said that the trip they didn't take to Utah also saved Gene thousands of dollars he would have lost had he not been able to finish some crops he was able to care for.

Dean's family
Paul and Eliza and their two boys drove from Atlanta to southern Illinois to visit Robert and Rachael and their three girls (a fourth on the way) in Harrisburg over the Independence Day weekend. Three-year-old Peter so loved visiting with his cousins that he didn't want to go home. He wanted his mom and dad to buy the house next door to them so they could stay.

Rebecca, who works with the Webelos Scouts in their Layton ward, and her family spent all of last week at a Scout camp up in Idaho for Woodbadge training. Except for a little canoe accident that landed Cade and four-year-old Hyrum in the water of the lake, she reports they all had a wonderful time.

Chris and Camilla this past weekend drove from Everett over to near Spokane to attend the wedding of one of their former employees at their Great Harvest bakery. Sam, who turned four the very next day, was the ring bearer at the wedding.