Sunday evening we drove Veronica, our newly baptized friend to Bellevue to a New Member Fireside with Pres & Sis Choi, Pres & Sis Miller and Pres & Sis Wood. There were about 60 in attendance, being new members, missionaries, members, investigators and our Leaders. Of the 13 that bore their testimonies, one was from America. Can you believe that in Seattle Washington I am on a Foreign Mission? These members and investigators were from China, Russia, Mexico, Korea, El Salvador and Africa. This small gathering really filled my heart with such a tender feeling for Missionary Work, especially when new members tell of the hard choices they have made....leaving families and homes and countries for their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I admire their strength and their Love of Jesus Christ.
Monday evening Sister Carter and I attended a FHE for all Senior Couples and Senior Sisters in our mission. Again, the entire Presidency was in attendance and the total there were 20. We had been asked to prepare a lesson and it was so much fun! We followed the example of Pres. Holland when he was BYU President in 1980-89. He and his wife would give the Fall Devotional, the first Tues of the Fall Semester and they stood at the podium and did The Jeff & Pat Show and chatted in a light and loving manner. Well, Sister Carter/Sister Frame tried to do something similar and we stood together (behind the primary music stand..our podium) and we shared wonderful miracles, fun times, hard times and the glorious experiences we have had with the Elders and Sisters as "The Sisters" in our mission. Can you imagine the 'bit of trepidation' in our hearts as we spoke in front of our entire Presidency? In closing we shared that one person in particular, in our Seatac Ward, did not know which one one of us was which when he would say "Sister Carter/Sister Frame" but we really did not care because we were united in what we were doing and Our Purpose was (we then spoke in unison) "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost ad enduring to the end". Both of us finished this recitation with tears in our eyes and The Spirit of the Holy Ghost was with us in the room. This was a wonderful experience and was actually 'another miracle' in our day.
We also had a pot-luck dinner with three different soups and all the fixings. Our evening also was blessed with Sister Choi speaking in her very humble and loving manner. President Choi also spoke...with laughter and testimony and tears as he also told us of the love he had for us and how he needed us to help build up and work with the younger missionaries because they need role models and much love and guidance. The Missionaries in the Washington Seattle Mission have set a goal of 1663 baptisms for the year of 2014. This is five times more than last year but there is great faith in these incredible missionaries. We need the faith and prayers of all of you to help accomplish the work of The Lord and to find and teach and baptize and also to rescue and remind those that have forgotten what they once believed.
This past week we have used a 3 minute Mormon Message narrated by Elder Christofferson called "Dailey Bread-Patterns" and it was so good we kept using it as we visited with less active members and non-members. These are some of the words he used. He said it was not by chance God has created us to need physical sustenance. As the Children of Israel were delivered from Egypt they lived on manna, which was given to them daily by Heavenly Father. God was providing daily and teaching them to remember that He is the source of life because this manna was a daily thing that could not be stored. Then we teaches that there is a Spiritual Parallel. We all easily recognize the need of physical food daily. But the spiritual need for sustenance should be equally as strong and it comes from constant effort to commune with God. We can't go weeks and months without that spiritual strength. If we develop the spiritual strength it will increase our courage to do right and serve others. He reminds us of these small means of spiritual sustenance, which are prayer, reading scriptures and serving and that these activities will transform us. You really need to watch this message, you will love it and it is much better than my words!!
Wednesday Sister Smith called us and asked us to come and sing with she and Brother Phil Smith. If you can remember they are both in their early 90's..she being older than he. She fell a couple of weeks ago and with all the rain and grey skys and poor health she was a bit discouraged and depressed and so...she called "The Sisters". Now, you need to know that Sister Carter has a very nice voice....Sister Frame has a voice that follows others....Sister Smith did sing with the Tabernacle Choir for 8 years....and Brother Smith is a wonderful man and can't carry a tune (his wife said). Well, I was sitting in the middle of Brother Smith and Sister Carter and having a VERY HARD TIME carrying a tune (whatever one I was to follow and carry). Sister Smith stopped the singing and said she had perfect tone and she had to help Brother Smith hear the tune....because she was hearing 3 tones. I guess that would be she and Sister Carter, Brother Smith and then me. Oh my, I coughed, slightly smiled at Sister Carter and then continued singing 'in perfect silent harmony' as I mouthed the words. But really, what a wonderful opportunity to serve others regardless of our talents! We visited and also shared our ipad song of the Tabernacle Choir's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and they loved it and ended our half-hour visit with Brother Smith's prayer. We love these people sooooooo much. Tonight we heard she had been taken to the emergency room because she was having a hard time breathing, they are both in our prayers.
This mission is really one of the most blessed events of my life. Yes, there are so many wonderful things that have happened to me and I am very grateful for the privilege to work and serve in the mission field. I am blessed, but the greater blessing for me is all that Heavenly Father has given to my family. The fact that Mom still lives alone and when I call her on Sunday nights she sounds so happy (maybe she is a great actor but I do think she is happy). Our children and grandchildren continue to grow and do good things and serve in so many ways.
I rejoice in the "Wall of Faces" that are above my desk and around my window and I am very thankful for the many notes and 'bleeps' that come my way!!
May God be with all of you and bless you this week and may you continue to look for and find the Miracles in your family and in your lives.
Love to all of you!!!
Sister Frame
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