THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN HAVE OPENED

We have been told that being on the Lord's errand away from our loved ones will require missing some special family events. Still, there are special blessings provided by our kind and loving Heavenly Father that compensate for all such sacrifices made. Such has been the case for Elder and Sister Lindsay in the season of our missionary service. 

The windows of heaven opened this afternoon and bestowed upon our family a new and wonderful blessing. Hazel Britt Lindsay, the newborn daughter of our son Adam and his wife Leighanna Lindsay, arrived safely from the presence of God on this the Lord's Sabbath .

  Hazel Britt Lindsay

Our 19th grandchild was born in our hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina at 12:15 pm today and weighed in at a healthy 7 pounds and 10 ounces. The little girl is 21 inches long and has dark hair and eyebrows. Mother and baby are both doing well. The contractions began on Thanksgiving Day; however, Hazel seemed reluctant to come into the world until she decided that she was good and ready to do so.

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on.
                                       - Carl Sandburg

Sister Lindsay and I are now the grandparents of eleven grandsons and eight granddaughters. Our posterity may not yet be as numerous as the sands of the sea or the stars in the heavens, but our cup of happiness is filled to overflowing with gratitude. Your prayers in behalf of our extended family are sincerely appreciated. 

THE SALVATION ARMY FEEDS THE HOMELESS

Because this was our first Thanksgiving away from home while serving our mission for the Church, we already knew that it would be a different experience from the normal holiday when we are typically surrounded by most of our children and grandchildren plus other individuals and families who have no place else to go for dinner. It's not unusual to have 35 to 45 people in attendance at our Thanksgiving gatherings. The show in Greensboro went on without us as we expected and wanted it to do, but it's been reported that there were only 28 people present!

Volunteers assemble Thanksgiving meals for the homeless

In order to make our Thanksgiving a more meaningful experience, we joined with our Maryland Baltimore Mission president, Brent Belliston and his wife, and a small number of other senior missionaries providing community service in the inner city. It was our privilege to be part of a team of approximately 50 volunteers assisting The Salvation Army feeding the homeless and destitute in downtown Baltimore Thanksgiving morning. The need is so great among the poor, and we were grateful for the opportunity to be of some help in this effort.

I took my camera to this service activity intending to shoot 15 to 20 pictures; but just as I was ready to put my equipment away and join the food assembly line, a representative from The Salvation Army requested that I continue to take pictures until the packaging of the meals was finished. As a result, I continued with my photography and eventually even took a picture of all of the volunteers gathered together as a group. After I have finished editing the images in a few days, I will put everything on a DVD and make it available to The Salvation Army for their use.

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without cranberries

Our dedicated little group of 50 volunteers assembled a total of 397 turkey dinners including pumpkin pie plus hundreds of sack lunches to feed these same people on the day after Thanksgiving. All of the meals were then loaded onto a truck at 11:00 am for delivery at various Salvation Army locations around the city.

Not having been invited to any Church member's home for dinner, Sister Lindsay and I were technically "homeless" ourselves for Thanksgiving; but we were rescued by the mission president and his wife who invited us to eat with them and their family at the mission home.

GOD OUR MAKER DOTH PROVIDE

Since the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1830s, Bishop's Storehouses have been a part of the Church. The Baltimore Bishop's Storehouse serves much of the State of Maryland plus several small areas of southern Pennsylvania. You could best describe this facility as a market without a cash register. The people who shop here are in need of food; for example, someone may be unemployed and have no money coming in to buy the basic necessities of life. Although this program is mainly for Church members, it is possible for a non-member to obtain help from a Bishop's Storehouse, if the Bishop deems this appropriate.

Shelves are stocked by volunteers to serve those in need

Much of the food distributed at the Bishop's Storehouse is grown on Church-owned farms. As an example, the Church grows apples on their farms in Ohio and Washington State. The Church currently owns 64 welfare farms and sends the food to 18 Church-owned food processing centers and 105 canneries before transporting the finished products to the local Bishop's Storehouses. The Bishop's Storehouses are financed by members of the Church who are asked to fast for two meals on the first Sunday of each month. The amount of money that would be spent for those two meals is contributed to the Church as Fast Offerings.

The two busiest weeks of the year for Bishop's Storehouses are just before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Elder Lindsay volunteered to help fill orders and stock shelves this past Saturday. There was a steady stream of customers from 9:00 am until shortly after 12 noon together with a wonderful group of volunteers to assist them as well. Among the items distributed to needy families were 93 frozen turkeys plus all the other food and trimmings one would expect to enjoy at a good Thanksgiving dinner.

These youth from Hanover, PA were great helpers

A group of teenage Church members from Hanover, Pennsylvania cheerfully assisted the customers who were filling their food orders. Because of their service, many families will now have a happy Thanksgiving; and these young people themselves will undoubtedly enjoy their own Thanksgiving more by having obtained a different perspective about the importance of caring for the needs of the poor. For their part, those individuals and families who are assisted by the Bishop's Storehouse in turn provide volunteer service to the Church, because it is important for them to maintain their self-respect while learning that they are being given a hand up not a hand out.

Come, Ye Thankful People

                          Come, ye thankful people, come; raise the song of harvest home

                          All is safely gathered in ere the winter storms begin.

                          God, our Maker, doth provide for our wants to be supplied.

                          Come to God's own temple, come; raise the song of harvest home.

                          All the world is God's own field, fruit unto his praise to yield,

                          Wheat and tares together sown, unto joy or sorrow grown.

                          First the blade, and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear.

                          Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

                                                                                                 -  Henry Alford

EACH OF US IS A MASTERPIECE IN PROGRESS

Having been told in advance by the adult leaders that there would be as many as twelve young women who would participate in the annual Young Women in Excellence program at Church but likely without much parental support, Sister Lindsay and I decided to be there for them to offer words of encouragement and a smile. Indeed, there were eleven girls present, but only half of them had one or both parents in attendance that night.

 

A "vessel" sculpted by one of the young women

The program theme entitled "Masterpiece" was beautifully presented and addressed the great truth that within each of God's children there is a masterpiece in progress. The scriptures tell us that every person ever born on earth has one or more special gifts and talents. Some of these unique attributes are perhaps initially more visible such as musical or artistic abilities; but during the teenage years as our personalities begin to develop and we become more mature and experienced with life, more of our divine nature begins to emerge.

Seated at two long tables with some raw pottery clay in front of each position, the young women were asked to create a "vessel" (something that could be used to hold water), and they were given just two minutes to do the task. Obviously, there wasn't enough time for the girls to complete their masterpieces, but they were able to at least fashion the basic shape of what they wanted for the finished product. The young women's president wisely counseled, "God is the potter, and you are the clay. As teenagers, He is not yet finished with you, but you are a masterpiece in progress." The clay vessel, she pointed out, is only able to realize its full potential if after it is shaped, it is fired at very hot temperatures in a kiln.

Young women who participated in the program

A short video was shown depicting Christ molding clay on a potter's wheel. Afterwards, a mother from another LDS congregation spoke to the young women about the furnace of affliction that sometimes comes into our lives unexpectedly and unwanted. "At age 34," she said, "I was diagnosed with breast cancer and was faced with a decision as to whether I would choose to be angry with Heavenly Father or accept this trial with faith. I chose the latter and have moved forward with my life after undergoing surgery and treatments."

This was a sincere and courageous woman who wanted these young Church members to better understand that while God is finishing His masterpiece in each of us, there is a role that faith must play in our lives when trouble and pain comes our way. Not all the real heroes or heroines in this world are recognized or acknowledged publicly, but they are still valiant foot soldiers in serving the Lord 's purposes.

BALTIMORE STAKE DAY OF SERVICE

Mormon Helping Hands is a program directed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to provide community service and disaster relief to those in need. Members of the Church and their friends help people whose lives have been affected by natural disasters and other emergencies. These volunteers in their trademark yellow shirts also partner with government and nonprofit organizations to support and improve the communities where they live.

The Baltimore Stake of the Church recently sent 300 volunteers to Havre de Grace, Maryland, to provide "Helping Hands" service for this community of 13,000 people. The objective was to clear storm debris, paint a gazebo, clean and paint the tops of more than 800 fence posts along the promenade, wash all of the lamp post lights and park benches, plus weed flower beds at Tydings Park.

A blind volunteer teams with a friend to collect trash

Tydings Park and Promenade features 8 acres overlooking the mouth of the Susquehanna River where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. The Concord Point Lighthouse located at the north end of the park was built in 1827 and is the oldest lighthouse in the United States still in continuous service. The promenade, which is a beautiful wooden and brick walkway at the waters edge, together with a large gazebo had been repaired following some severe weather but still needed some cleanup and painting before winter.

All you need is a paintbrush and a smile!

Volunteers came to the service project in all shapes and sizes: young children, teenagers, entire families, young adults, and the elderly; and of course, we were there with other missionaries. At the conclusion of this activity, the mayor of Havre de Grace presented a proclamation to the Church leaders expressing gratitude from the community for the service provided. 

BUBBLE GUM AND COTTON CANDY

Today as we entered the Relief Society Room at the church for our weekly District Meeting, Elder Smith said to me, “I like what you are wearing. You remind me of bubble gum and cotton candy. I like them.” I thought, “What a sweet compliment from this young Elder.”

The more I thought about what he said, the more I realized that if I reminded others about sweets, perhaps I shouldn’t wear this particular combination of clothing again. We are here to teach others to come unto Christ, who will give them “living water” that they might not thirst again. Bubble gum and cotton candy are a fleeting satisfaction, quickly gone, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ leads to eternal life.

"And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the holy one of Israel, and partake of his salvation, in the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved." (Omni 1:26)

ODDS AND ENDS 3

When the weather turned colder last week (it's 74 today), I was a little concerned because I do not have a winter coat. We've looked at them in the stores, but they are very expensive just to wear in the winter time! Last week at our Specialized Training Meeting with the Annapolis, Baltimore and Columbia Zones, Sister Gibbons from the mission office had several coats she was handing out. I asked her what this was all about, and she explained that sometimes when Elders and Sisters go home to places they don't need coats, they leave them behind for other missionaries to use. She said, "Do you need one?" I replied, "Yes." She picked up the last coat, and I put it on. A perfect fit! "Well, you have one now!" was her response. The Lord truly does bless us!

Our dear Sister B whom we took to the Visitors' Center at the DC Temple last week had an interview with our Bishop on Sunday. He said that once she completed the Temple Preparation Class, he would issue her a Temple Recommend. And, he asked us to provide the instruction so she wouldn't have to wait a couple of months for the next class! We're starting Tuesday. We should have her ready to go to the Temple by the middle of December!! Very exciting for her and for us.

I was very thankful that President Belliston gave us permission to leave the mission to attend my Aunt Elberta's 95th birthday party. She's a remarkable woman! And, it was great to be able to see several of my cousins that I only see every other year or so. My Aunt Lois was there, also. She lost her son, my cousin, Douglas (age 61) on October 25. He had lived in Africa for over 20 years doing missionary work for Jesus Christ. He was a wonderful example to us all! He is now buried in Africa, near Durban, where he loved and was loved very much.

INDIFFERENCE ABOUNDS IN THE WORLD TODAY

We had occasion this past Friday to travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to participate in the celebration of Elberta Baker's 95th birthday. This remarkable family matriarch who enjoys using her own iPad is Sister Lindsay's maternal aunt.

In order to reach Lancaster, which is located in the south central part of the state, we traveled through the city of York, where I was born and then made a short side trip to the nearby little town of Mt. Wolf where I spent the first four years of my life before our family moved to Hagerstown, Maryland in 1947 due to my father's work. My paternal grandparents continued to live in this community until they passed away in the 1950s, and I have many happy memories of my visits to see them when I was a boy.

Mt. Wolf today is but a shadow of its once promising past. There were once half a dozen small factories employing many local workers within the town limits; there's but one that remains in operation now. The local merchants, including the store operated by my grandparents, are likewise no longer in business. Not all change can be called progress. Almost 60 years after my grandparents time, there is almost no one around Mt. Wolf who remembers the town and its inhabitants as it was back then. Sadly, as I have spoken with some individuals who live there now, they are not only ignorant of the past but indifferent to it as well.

In our missionary efforts to bring souls to Christ, we are learning that many people have similar feelings about their relationship with God and the atoning sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son who is our Savior and Redeemer. Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has clearly stated that the great sin of this generation is not that men and women are rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ but that they are indifferent to it.

The signs of the times are evident only to those who believe in Christ. We are living in the final days prior to the Second Coming of the Lord whether people choose to be indifferent about it or not. God will not force any person to heaven, but  in this world of turmoil and uncertainty there is an unmistakeable peace among the believers that only the Gospel can bring into your life. If you have faith, you shall not fear . . .

                           Sweet is the peace the gospel brings to seeking minds and true.

                           With light refulgent on its wings it clears the human view.

                           Its laws and precepts are divine and show a Father's care.

                          Transcendent love and mercy shine in each injunction there.

                          Faithless tradition flees its pow'r, and unbelief gives way.

                          The gloomy clouds, which used to low'r, submit to reason's sway.

                                                                                         Mary Ann Morton                       

"LORD, I CAN'T DO THIS!"

I am unaware of anything that could be more difficult in this life for God to require of a man or a woman than to bear the heart-wrenching pain associated with the death of their child. In the normal course of the well-ordered way that we expect things ought to be, little babies grow into young children en route to becoming teenagers who then disappear into adults. But I have learned that life is what happens while we were planning something else. Our way of thinking isn't necessarily God's way of accomplishing His plan and purpose for each of His sons and daughters.

During a specialized missionary training program held this week on November 8-9, 2011, Mission President Brent Belliston quietly shared the devastating personal experience that he and his wife painfully endured some thirty years ago when they lost a two-year-old son to leukemia.

The parents had noticed that little Riley never smiled once for any of his pictures during his first birthday party. Shortly thereafter, the child began crying and this situation continued both day and night. Riley was taken to the pediatrician, but the results of the examination were inconclusive. After visiting the doctor's office, the little boy's crying continued on into the night. About midnight, the pediatrician felt impressed to call the family and ask about Riley's condition. As soon as they told him what was happening, the doctor recommended that they immediately bring Riley directly to the hospital.

After further evaluation, the physician ordered a bone marrow test, a painful experience for anyone but a particularly excruciating situation for a very young child. At her husband's insistence, Sister Belliston went home to be with the other children, while he remained at the hospital. Unable to bear the thought of his son's suffering as they were about to extract the marrow sample with a large needle, Brother Belliston pleaded in prayer, "Lord, I can't do this!"; and then he went out into the hospital corridor leaving his boy with the medical staff as they prepared to perform the procedure.

As he continued to pray, the father received a spiritual impression almost like a voice from Heaven saying, "I, too, had a son; and I also had to experience his suffering." But then the screams of his little boy penetrated the walls of the hospital and fell into the ears of the father. Brother Belliston, his heart full of anguish, promised his son at that moment, "I'll never leave you again." True to his word, when additional bone marrow tests were performed later, Riley's father held him close each time. Riley went through the ups and downs of remission struggling with his sickness for about a year.

Finally, the degenerative effect of the leukemia proved to be too much for the child's body to endure any more. Trusting that life is eternal as promised in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, Brother Belliston gave his son a blessing to die that he might not have to suffer anymore; and Riley quietly passed away in his father's arms.

My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment (D&C 121:7)

Being able to willingly accept God's will in our lives and those of our loved ones can only be achieved when we become humble, submissive, and meek. Even the Son of God was required to accept His Father's will at Gethsemane and later upon the cross.

A YELLOW ROSE FROM GOD'S SPECIAL WITNESS

Paul E. Koelliker, a General Authority from the Church, spoke at the well attended semi-annual Baltimore Stake Conference in Essex, Maryland yesterday. During his remarks, he told us that President Thomas S. Monson who is now the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his predecessor, Gordon B. Hinckley, are remarkable men who are just as good as you think they are!

Elder Koelliker then shared a personal experience he had on March 21, 1999 during the dedication of the new temple in Madrid, Spain. President Hinckley had to leave for an important meeting in Israel and left his first counselor, President Monson, in charge of the final dedicatory service. Elder Koelliker who was assigned to assist the brethren during these dedication sessions was responsible to get President Monson to the Celestial Room before the meeting was to begin. He had carefully examined the layout of the building and determined the most efficient route.

As he led President Monson along the temple corridor, the Church leader stopped and knelt down next to a mother who was seated there with her son. "I would like you to come with me to the Celestial Room," President Monson said.

"I can't, because of my son," she replied.

With some hesitation, he arose and slowly continued on his way; but after just a few steps, the Lord's servant returned to the woman's side and encouraged her a second time to come with her son to the Celestial Room. But the mother quietly refused his offer a second time because of her son.

Reluctantly, President Monson left her again to preside over the temple dedication. As soon as the Church leader reached his destination, however, he directed his assistant to go back and bring the two of them into the room. When Elder Koelliker told the woman that he was supposed to bring them to the Celestial Room, the mother sadly responded, "My son has a disease that causes him to uncontrollably make loud noises without any warning. (Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder in which you display unusual movements or make sounds over which you may have little or no control). He might unintentionally disrupt the meeting." The elder then reported back to President Monson why the two did not come back with him.

At the conclusion of the dedication service, President Monson stood in front of the large floral arrangement in front of the podium and pulled out a beautiful yellow rose. Those Church members standing nearby assumed that he was taking the flower as a memento of this sacred occasion; but as he retraced his steps back through the temple corridor with Elder Koelliker at his side, God's Special Witness found the woman still seated with her son. As a sweet act of kindness, he knelt and tenderly handed her the yellow rose.

As Elder Koelliker finished telling us this heart-warming true story, those of us seated in the choir seats in the front of the chapel could plainly see a family located in the first few rows of the congregation with a young boy who also has Tourette syndrome. What a blessing for those parents of a special-needs child to hear this sweet message of love and encouragement.

PUMPKIN CARVING FOR DUMMIES

The Maryland Baltimore Mission with approximately 120 missionaries located in four states (Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and a small portion of Pennsylvania) is organized into six geographical areas called zones. The zones are typically comprised of one or two districts, and each district has up to 10 missionaries. Occasionally, all of the elders and sisters in a particular zone will get together for a special fun activity. The Baltimore Zone met together on October 10th to make caramel apples and carve pumpkins.

At this zone activity each missionary companionship was responsible for designing and carving a pumpkin; and then, all of the finished masterpieces were taken the next day to a special two-zone missionary conference in Annapolis, Maryland. There truly were some amazing creations carved during this event including one multiple-pumpkin entry that depicted the Old Testament story about Jonah being swallowed by the whale.

Pumpkin Carving for dummies as demonstrated by Elder Lindsay

Sister Lindsay immediately determined that pumpkin carving was most decidedly the responsibility of her husband and then busied herself with other things like rearranging the pumpkin spice cookies that she had baked earlier in the day at our apartment and brought to this event for refreshments. Elder Lindsay carefully performed surgery on his unsuspecting refugee from the Great Pumpkin Patch made famous by cartoonist Charles Shultz's hapless Charlie Brown by giving his orange creation a big forever smile.

As the photograph (above) clearly shows, they come in all shapes and sizes (this truth applies equally well to both the missionaries and their pumpkins). In addition to these wonderful young missionaries, the Baltimore Zone also has two senior couples, the Olsens who are serving in the Inner Harbor Ward as well as the Lindsays who are assigned to the Chesapeake Ward.

ODDS AND ENDS 2

We've been trying to continue learning what it is we are supposed to do as missionaries. We go to District meetings and Zone Conferences and Specialized Training and transfers and are constantly in awe of all the missionaries do. They memorize scriptures. They memorize the Proclamation to the Family. They memorize passages from writings of the General Authorities. They are amazing. And they baptize!

We have been working with two less active sisters. One of them, Sister B, has only been a member since 2000, but not active for most of that time. We took her to the Visitors' Center at the DC Temple where the sister missionaries prepared a special presentation just for her. We had called ahead and told them what we thought would be appropriate. The movie The Touch of the Master's Hand was shown, and it was just the message Sister B needed to hear. After talking about the movie, about our feelings and about the temple, she looked at the temple and said, "I want to go in there." She is now preparing herself to go to the temple!!!

This weekend is the Baltimore Stake Conference. Elder Paul E. Koelliker of the First Quorum of the Seventy will be presiding. Elder Lindsay and I are singing with the Stake Choir. We have a marvelous choir director, Brother Perry. We will be singing 2 songs, Choose the Right and O Thou Kind and Gracious Father, both arranged by Craig Petrie. The arrangements are beautiful, and our director certainly knows how to get the best out of us.

We went to the temple today, and we were in an endowment session and in a sealing session with a couple from France who had been the first couple from France to be sealed in the DC Temple 35 years ago! There was also a young man being sealed to his parents, who were also just sealed. This young man had joined the church and gone on a mission. While he was gone, his parents joined the church, and they all came to the DC Temple to be sealed. Brother John Abernathy was the sealer in today's session. It was good to see him. We've been friends with the Abernathy's since we joined the church 44 years ago!

DETERMINED TO SERVE NO MATTER THE COST

Church members who are called to serve full-time missions are expected to work diligently and complete the full term of their proselyting assignments before they go home to resume their normal lives. After completing a period of instruction at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, young men are generally about 19 years old when then come into the mission field. Their length of service is 24 months. In comparison, young women who serve as sister missionaries are typically 21 years of age when they arrive on their missions, and their time of service is 18 months.

For senior missionaries, like Sister Lindsay and me, the length of a full-time mission can vary from as few as 12 months or as long as 23 months; and it is required that senior couples not have any dependent children at home when they are called to serve.

The young missionaries and their families pay $450 per month to help cover the cost of their monthly expenses with the rest of the actual cost being covered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through contributions of Church members. Senior missionaries, on the other hand, pay their own expenses.

The desire for an elder or sister to go where the Lord has called them to serve, and to do so honorably until the scheduled completion date of their assignment, is so strong in most missionaries that even serious illness or injury precludes any personal desire to go home early.

One such instance happened recently in the Maryland Baltimore Mission involving a young elder who suffered an injury requiring him to return back home for surgery. With just a short time remaining to serve in his assignment, the Missionary Department told him that because he had less than six months to go, the Church would consider his mission to be honorably completed. With unwavering faith, this determined young man found a good surgeon who was able to perform a miracle surgery. The young man recovered quickly, contacted his mission president, and requested reinstatement in the mission field.

Because he only had three months left, the Missionary Department said that if they allowed him to return, he would have to pay the airfare back to Maryland. The elder responded simply, "Let's do it!" The Missionary Department then offered him an extra month (extending his service to four months instead of three), and in exchange said that the Church would then pay for his return air fare. The young man was even more excited and accepted the extension without a moment's hesitation.

For I will raise up unto myself a pure people, that will serve me in righteousness (D&C100:16)

It isn't what happens to us that really matters in this life; but what we do in response to what happens can make an eternal difference!