Temple Clean

Missions are full of miracles. Some are large. Some are small. We have been teaching some of the daily Accelerated Job Search classes.  Ed, a non-member, took our workshop and is now in this advanced class. After the last class Sister Olson asked if he would be comfortable giving the closing prayer.  Pause.  “ I will after the next class.” He came. He prayed. It was well done! Our boss, Steve, was amazed and said “He never prayed when I asked.”  It’s all in the timing.

Our little children take praying largely for granted. They see the example daily. They practice daily... Adults outside the church usually do not really know how, and especially how to pray publicly. It can be very scary. This was Ed's first time. For him, it is a miracle in communication. Prayer will never be completely the same.  We are grateful!

Maybe this is a miracle (or not -?).   Either way, it is an interesting observation.

President Larry Gelwix is our Mission President. He was an excellent former rugby coach, and learned two things (of many) that are very apparent in his leadership style: love the missionaries and set the standards high for excellence in all things... Obedience is needful for every advancement and victory.

His wife is equally matched with him in these things.

Our missionaries have been given guidelines for all areas of their lives, and one of these is in the cleanliness of their apartments.  Sister Gelwix spear headed this area...They were truly doing their 'best' to be excellent  – truly. Yet, some time ago when the Senior Missionaries checked, there was much to be desired (like dust on the window sills that you could write a message in! ...'' Who saw that?")

 "How clean is clean?" They wondered.

“Ahhh ...Yes. They are young. How do we explain excellence to them - in cleaning???” The term was coined, (by Sister Williams, our mission housing coordinator) ...“TEMPLE CLEAN”. Then they did the “ahhhh... we are closer to understanding!”    All of this is in the Gelwix spirit of love, obedience and excellence.

Sister Olson recently heard of missionaries in another mission that think it is okay to leave dishes in the sink – forever for weeks - and do not have apartment checks... High, clear, standards (in that area) seem to be missing. In the Gelwix mission style – there is a standard and obedience is expected.

Missionaries in the CFM are blessed to be held to these high standards in all areas. The goals or guidelines filter down from the top and through to everyone. These standards – applied to all things- should be a life time practice that will make them great – and fit for an eternal Kingdom. After all, 'cleanliness is next to godliness'.

The standard is to be ...” TEMPLE CLEAN” … in everything we do!  We can be.

This is the check-list the missionaries have. I thought you might be curious. The apartment checks are spontaneous, random and unannounced! There may be a few things my grandkids will have to work on before they go on missions!

Love One Another

Sister Olson made this fun banner yesterday to celebrate the month of love. We may leave it up all year because serving others because we love them and we love Jesus Christ is what we are about. Sister Olson is very creative. She craves creating beautiful things and doing so fills a deep need in her.

Sister Olson left on January 10th to go to Boise to help her daughter with her 3 little boys as they welcomed a baby sister to their family. The baby didn't arrive as soon as they hoped, so her visit was extended to a long 19 days - a long time to be without a companion in the mission field.  There was plenty to keep me busy: zone conference with the four Fresno zones, teaching a Career Workshop alone (a daunting challenge for me), a farewell fireside where we said good-bye to 17 amazing missionaries, 20 new missionaries arriving the next day, assisting the Elders in teaching a Relief Society presentation on Hastening the Work, going to the temple twice. So - how did I have time to miss my companion? There is an amazing phenomenon that occurs as mission companions when you work together, live together, study together and pray together and become equally yoked in your purpose of serving the Lord. I felt like a fish out of water without her by my side - without her across the hall to share everything with, without her to study with and without her to pray with. I was so happy when she arrived back "home" so we could feel complete again. It is a mini version of how I feel without my eternal companion at my side. I express my gratitude to my Father in Heaven for the firm testimony that just as we picked up where we left off when Sister Olson got off the plane, David and I will again be together, equally yoked and sharing in the work of the Lord. This month of love marks the 45th anniversary of the day Dave and I entered the House of the Lord and became an eternal companionship. I love him immeasurably more now than on that day and look forward to our eternity together.

February 28, 1969 - Eternity

More ERC Mission Baptisms:

 Two more of the wonderful people that we have worked with at the ERC were baptized in the last week. Luis, who came to workshop last summer and has returned off and on to work with us on presentation skills. His baptism was in Spanish - but that didn't matter because the Spirit feels the same in any language.  We got to meet his mother - a special privilege. We also saw another friend from the ERC who is now working and becoming self-reliant (our purpose as welfare missionaries). This is Eduardo.

This next picture is of Crystal and Michael. They both came to the ERC a week before her baptism. Both were scheduled to come to the workshop last week, but Crystal actually got a job and started work on Monday. Michael came to the workshop and was a delight. He is a member and was instrumental in getting her talking with the missionaries. They are a very cute couple. Crystal's baptism was the most spiritual I have been to yet. She radiated light even before the baptism and literally glowed with it after. She is going to be an amazing member of the Church.

As I said in my last blog posting, I am so very grateful that the Lord allows us to see His children through His eyes so we can love them instantly and unconditionally when they walk through our doors. These two people have impacted my life by allowing me the privilege to serve them for the Lord.