Great Women/Pioneer Day

Sunday July 24, 2022.   

Email #42. 

 

Aloha Everyone!  

 

This week—like all weeks—has had some highs and lows.  The low is that the world lost two amazing, wonderful, Godly women this week. I am sure that they are each rejoicing in Heaven to be free of their physical infirmities and to be back with loved ones on the other side. But we who are left on this side will mourn their passing for a long time. Janis Monk (Stephanie’s grandmother) and Merlene Featherstone had a lot in common.  They each made you feel like you were their best friend and that they loved you more than anyone else.  Janis had an infectious smile and laugh and I will always be grateful to her for her love towards our dear daughter in law Stephanie whom she adored.  I have known and been very close to Merlene for 10 +/- years.  I was assigned as her visiting teacher when they moved into our ward and loved her immediately.  She has been like a second mother to me.  We have shared much and laughed and cried together multiple times.  When I left on our mission, I knew that since she was approaching 90 years old, she might be gone before I got back. We have stayed in touch on a regular basis while on our mission.  I talked with her about a month ago and told her that we had had our “hump day”  she said—“Oh, nine more months isn’t so very long.  I can do that.  I can make it that long.”  But it wasn’t to be.  I just feel so very, very sad that I couldn’t say goodbye to her in person and that I am not going to be involved in the funeral for her.  I won’t be able to attend or help make food or play the organ at her funeral as she had requested during one of our recent conversations.  My heart just hurts. I know that she of all people understands the sacrifice it takes to be gone from home and loved ones and serve a mission.  She and Elder Featherstone served three or four together.  I miss her terribly.  She is one of my heroes!

 

My favorite day of the week was Wednesday.  It began early-- 6:00.  I woke up to get ready to take four students who work at our store snorkeling. They had never been snorkeling before.  Most of the I-works students don’t have cars or gear or any experience to do things on the Island.  They were sooooo excited to go. It was low tide at Shark’s cove and navigating the rocks was pretty sketchy for me.  But once we got out to the good water, it was wonderful.  There were lots of fish and we had a great time. For some reason snorkeling felt so freeing to me that day.  It was effortless, easy and very fun. On the way home I took the kids to Turtle Bay to show them the beach and resort there.  We didn’t go snorkeling again, but they waded and had fun taking pictures.  They thanked me over and over again for taking them on this excursion.  The next day I got a very kind note from one of the boys offering his appreciation again for making it happen.  It was a very small thing but made a difference in their lives. 

Tuesday was a very long day.  We had a two-hour training in the morning, then normal work for six hours. We came home and ate a quick dinner and went to our activities committee planning meeting. I really didn’t want to go to that monthly meeting. It had already been a long day and we were also helping with an ARP meeting at 9:00 as well (subbing for another couple). But we found out Tuesday night that the activities committee as we know it is probably going to be terminated.  Our mission president attended some training and got direction and we (our mission) are having too many activities. I am not hurt AT ALL by this news. We will go from having two activities per month to one activity per quarter. They want the emphasis to be on activities within the districts. 

 

Saturday the senior missionaries had a brunch and service project cleaning up litter on the beach where a lot of people like to camp. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to meet some of the new missionaries who have arrived recently.  Our mission has changed so much lately with many new missionaries having come and others having gone home.  I guess we would be considered “the old ones” now.  

 

It is “pioneer day” today, but it sure doesn’t seem like it.  I was excited to go to church and sing “Come, Come, Ye Saints”.  Nope—not in this ward.  Our pianist is a music major and is very accomplished on many instruments.  She chooses the songs each week and although I have never asked her, I believe she wants the members to become familiar with ALL the songs in the hymn book.  At the last minute, the chorister was not there and the bishopric member conducting asked me to lead the singing.  As I opened the hymn book for the opening song, I thought to myself—“I have never sung this song in my life”.  Oh well, I can fake it.  There were only 20 members in attendance at that point and it was pretty much a piano solo.  That’s OK—we always have the sacrament song, and for sure we will know that one.  NOPE.  Hymn number 189—another piano solo. Check that one out!  The remaining two songs were a little more widely known but terribly familiar to most.  I REALLY wanted to sing “Come, Come Ye Saints”—so I figured out the ukulele chords to go with it and we will sing it in our ukulele class tomorrow night.  I am very grateful for my pioneer ancestry and for the sacrifices they made for me personally to have the Gospel in my life.  I loved being reminded by Ken Aird tonight about the story of Francis Webster—a pioneer in the handcart company who stood up in Sunday School to warn the audience to not be critical of the church leaders because the sacrifices the people had gone through was all worth it because they had become acquainted with God. Ken learned that there is more to the story of brother Webster than we normally hear which I won’t share at this time.  But this story does make me think that I should be more grateful for things that are hard for me and sacrifices I make, if they help me become more acquainted with God.  I have become more aware of my faults lately than ever before.  And it’s hard to see.  I hope that I can become more acquainted with God through working on these faults. 

 

Thanks for your constant love and support!

 

Much love,

Sister Bleak, Mom, Grandma

 

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

*I have been relieved of a responsibility. 

*I had a safe excursion with the students from work.

*I have had the rare privilege of knowing and loving Sister Merlene Featherstone.

*I got an answer to prayer in the temple.

*We received help when working on a gift. 

*I have become aware of things I need to work on and ways I need to grow.