The Sunday Before Christmas

December 13-19, 2021 

Email #12

 

Aloha Family and Mele Kalikimaka !

 

 

It felt different today in sacrament meeting.  Our ward in Bountiful is always bustling with excitement the Sunday before Christmas.  Seats are being saved like crazy, extra people are in attendance to hear President Eyring speak, and usually there is a choir practice earlier in the morning.  There were 26 people in attendance at our sacrament meeting today—that is including the stake high counselor and six missionaries.  They announced that it would be our Christmas program today and that those in the audience would be the speakers.  Then we were asked to come up and tell about our favorite Christmas hymn (or other hymn about Christ) and why it is special to us.  Then we sang one verse of that hymn together.  The regular pianist was not comfortable playing songs that she had not previously practiced, so I was asked to play the songs as we sang them.  This was the first time I have touched a piano in three months.  I was excited to be able to play.  The downside was that I was looking at the song to determine what key it was in and what I would use for the introduction, so I didn’t listen to the speakers as much as I would have liked to.  It was a sweet meeting but surely not what I have been used to the past 20 years. I’m pretty sure that today’s experience was a better representation of what the church is like worldwide than what we have in Bountiful. 

 

Scott and I are trying to connect with the young married couples in our ward.  It has been very difficult.  Between having to wear masks, not being able to pronounce their names, and trying to converse with their heavy accents—Whewwwww!!!  It’s been challenging.  We found out which couples would be here over the holidays and dropped off a Christmas baggie of chocolates to them to get to know them better.  I think we made a little progress but have a long way to go. Only about half of the ward will be back next semester.  The turnover is incredible.  Poor bishop!  I will give you a couple of examples of their names: Naranzaya Bat-Ochir and Baldandorj Ganbaatar. Another one: Rahul Chinna and Zhi Yun Mungamuri.   But they are all incredible young people and we are excited to serve in this ward.  

 

Before I left for the Ukulele store Monday morning, we got some very sad news--a phone call letting us know that Dr. Vandemerwe (our dentist of almost 20 years) has an in-operable brain tumor.  We were so saddened by this news. Life is so precarious and unpredictable.  We just don’t know what challenges are ahead of us.  So many of you on this mailing list have had major health challenges during the past year or two.  Thank you for your wonderful example of faith, fortitude and perseverance.  You are such great examples to us.  

 

Scott and I got to do an endowment session at the temple Wednesday night.  It has been months since we have been able to get an appointment to do endowments.  It felt wonderful to be in the temple.  I wish we could go more often but will take what we can get.  Hopefully the Laie temple will be able to “open up” more and allow more people into a session so that we can go more often.  It is a beautiful temple inside and out.  I love walking around the grounds in the morning. 

 

Thursday morning, I woke up pretty exhausted.  We had had two very long, full days in a row, and I didn’t sleep well at all the night before--BUT, I got up anyway and began my scripture study and then took Scott to work.  On my “temple walk” that morning (which was slower than normal), I was concentrating on what I was listening to when I heard a voice greet me.  I didn’t know where it came from at first and then I noticed a man weeding a garden area.  He had a big smile on his face as he talked with me.  I found out that his (American) name is Ammon.  He is from Fiji originally, but he has lived in Laie for a while now and is one of six gardeners who takes care of the temple grounds.  He showed me (with great pride) everything he is responsible for on the grounds and what things he had personally planted.  He was so very friendly. His excitement for his job renewed my energy and I walked a little faster after that.  I was reminded that we each have the potential to lift another without even knowing we are doing that.

 

Saturday night the senior missionaries got together to go caroling at the apartment complex that the six wards of young married students live.  During the first song, I got emotional and teared up because these are young married kids who won’t be going home for Christmas.  Plus I felt the Christmas spirit--singing with these amazing senior missionaries that I have grown to love. I also felt the whisperings of the spirit witness to me again that Jesus was born on the earth over two millennia ago and was indeed the Savior of the world.   I feel like working on memorizing “The Living Christ” is helping me to feel the reality of His life more than I have ever felt before.  I hope that each of you will have joy in your hearts this Christmas week and feel love for and from those around you.  We will really miss you this weekend.  Please give each of your kids a big hug and kiss from us. We are so grateful that Jordan and Faith will be here with us. 

 

Much love,

Sister Bleak, Mom, Grandma, Gayle

 

 

How I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life this week:

 

*We have desperately needed a fly swatter.  We were excited to finally be able to purchase one at Walmart but couldn’t find one anywhere.  Even the employee couldn’t locate them.  Scott said a little prayer asked someone else who was then able to locate it in a very remote place in the store.

*I have been wanting a small side table to put in the upstairs hallway for guests to use to do makeup etc(since we only have one bathroom.  I wanted to get it before Jordan and Faith arrive but have not had the time to get to a goodwill/second hand store (they are all at least 45 minutes away).  My friend called me one morning and told me that she saw one for the taking at an apartment complex and picked it up for me.

*I felt prompted to text a senior missionary friend to ask about her sister who was ill.  I found out that she had passed away a few days previously.

*I have been wondering what I could give to my close friends here for Christmas.  I received in the mail some (2022) mini desk calendars from the Tuellers in our home ward, to give as gifts for Christmas. 

*I felt the spirit while singing some Christmas hymns which testified to me of the reality of Jesus Christ.