Week of Christmas Activities

27 December 2009

Dear Family & Friends,
Once again we meet for our weekly journal update. I include in here the things that I want to remember in the years ahead. In the MTC I wrote daily in my journal and then compiled a letter from that. Now that we are here, I make brief notes throughout the week and flesh out the details on Sunday, just the opposite.
We are loving being in the Lord’s service, what can I say more!! Elder Nelson and I have discussed it and we believe there are no coincidences, just small miracles. We see these so often if not many times daily as we serve our mission in Texas.
Even this week away from home, family and friends we have had so many blessings during this wonderful season of the year.
Monday we attended a Christmas party for all of the couple missionaries in the Dallas Texas mission. It was great to meet the other couples serving and get to know them a bit. There are about 10 couples in all. We met at the mission home with President and Sister Smith. They are great people, educated, kind and loving. We played some get to know you games, had a white elephant gift exchange and we all shared a favorite Christmas tradition – we shared about our Christmas Eve progressive dinner. We had some spiritual thoughts from Pres. & Sister Smith and sang some Christmas carols. We also played the game where you tell one truth and one lie about yourself and everyone guesses which one was the lie. After that we went to nice restaurant for dinner, ‘Salt Grass.’
Tuesday morning the couple missionaries attended the 10:00 session together, that was a very nice thing to be able to do.
There is a talk in the December Ensign entitled ‘the Blessing of Work’ by Presiding Bishop H. David Burton. This is a great article and actually describes much of what we do at the Employment Center. Such as helping candidates realize their blessings, talents and interests; then considering the training and education that one has or needs to have to continue forward. In the paragraph ‘Giving and Accepting Help,’ it really talks about what we do in helping people prepare resumes, interview and network.
There is also a quote that we have often heard, both in the MTC and here at Employment Resources. This quote was given about 40 years ago by President Hinckley, who at the time was working in the Welfare Dept of the church. A very powerful quote to be sure.

“A man out of work is of special moment to the Church because, deprived of his inheritance, he is on trial as Job was on trial—for his integrity. As days lengthen into weeks and months and even years of adversity, the hurt grows deeper, and he is sorely tempted to ‘curse God and die.’ Continued economic dependence breaks him; it humiliates him if he is strong, spoils him if he is weak. Sensitive or calloused, despondent or indifferent, rebellious or resigned—either way, he is threatened with spiritual ruin, for the dole is an evil and idleness a curse. He soon becomes the seedbed of discontent, wrong thinking, alien beliefs. The Church cannot hope to save a man on Sunday if during the week it is a complacent witness to the crucifixion of his soul…..”

Each day we become more grateful to be a part of this aspect of the gospel and serving others. However, Tuesday morning we awoke and both of us were just wondering how we could continue on at this pace. We were both tired and dragging. We went and worked at the Center, very busy as usual, then we left for the temple. After we arrived and had changed into our white clothes we were walking down the hall towards the chapel. There in passing we met one of the men, Richard from Portugal, whom we had helped at the Center.
If you remember a couple of Mondays ago I had been answering the phones and a man called in who had just lost his job and was just devastated and didn’t know what he was going to do to support his family. He came in a couple of hours later and I began helping him and listening as he explained his circumstances. The next day he came back in and this day Jack helped him and worked with him, getting his profile ready and getting him on ‘linkedIn.’ He was a sad and dejected man.
As we met him in the temple he shared with us that he had found a job and was so excited!! His face was full of joy and light. He expressed his gratitude for the help he had received at the Center from the both of us, that I turn helped him make the connections he needed to get this job. He was in the temple that morning giving service to others because he was so grateful for this blessing in his life. Suddenly we were no longer tired and only filled with gratitude that we had been able to be an instrument in the Lord’s hand in helping this man fulfill his responsibilities. We feel like we were able to truly witness the healing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a person’s life.
That afternoon I was able to help a lady, Danesa from Guyana, find a few jobs she could apply for and help her prepare her applications on line. She especially needed help with the computer. (Her and the computer did not get along very well, but we persisted until every dot and capital was in the right place.)
Tuesday is one of the days that we are open until 8:00 pm. It is a very busy day because the Bishop’s store house is open. Kelvin, the young man from Nicaragua working towards his GED, was in and asked Elder Nelson what all the activity was about on the other side of the building, so Jack took him on a tour and explained to him how the Bishop’s storehouse works here in the area and told him about the relief that it gives to many nations and people around the world. It never ceases to amaze me, what a wonderful, inspired program this is. Actually that reminds me of another quote that the Welfare system of the church is not a program of the gospel, it IS the gospel of Jesus Christ in action.
Tuesday we served right at 50 people on the Employment side alone. A tiring but very rewarding day!
Often the first couple of hours are a little slow so one morning Jack was able to ask Art to take him on a tour of the grain silos. He really had a great time – I was a little jealous, but they said they would take me up sometime too, maybe when it warms up a bit.




Wednesday the 2 manager/employees were both gone, which left us two missionary couples there on our own to handle things. Then the Phelp’s had to leave for 3-4 hours for a doctor’s appointment so then it was just Jack & I by ourselves. Very brave of them I think, but we did it!! We were able to take of people and things that came up and all was well.
One person I helped was from a young Spanish man (maybe 16-17) from El Salvador who just wanted a job working in a warehouse. It spoke just a little English and I speak just a little Spanish so we were able to communicate pretty good. We got on a site and found a job for him to apply for. I also worked with him in how to go in and ask for the job, give a firm handshake, speak up, tell some of the skills that he has etc. Afterwards he said that I was very nice, that most people would not help him very much and be so kind to him.
After he left then a young man in his mid to late 20’s came in who had been recruited out of BYU to come in and work with a company here. Last week he had been laid off and now has a little family to support. So now I helped a man with a lot of education seeking a position in more a corporate situation. Normally I would have passed him on to someone else to help but Elder Nelson was busy and we were the only ones there so I just went for it. So we went the through basically the interviewing process just in a different way. I felt like it went well and he expressed that he felt like he had received some good help. You never know who you might be working with next.
Jack has just as many varied and interesting stories but he’s not the writing so I guess you just mostly get to hear about mine.
We say that about 25% of the people we see are not members but are friends. I’m surprised at the many different cultures and countries the people we see are from. Also it surprised me that there is such a large Asian population here. I was really expecting a lot of Spanish people and there are quite a few, but rather than seeing English and Spanish languages on signs etc you see more English and Asian ‘hieroglyphics’ for my lack of a better word.
I was reading the other day in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 16:5 Here it is talking about in the latter days the gospel will go to the Gentiles and then to the house of Israel. The scripture reads: “And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfill the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel.” As I read this I thought of all the people we meet and how diverse they are and wonder if in some way we are seeing a fulfillment of this

Thursday the 24th the Center was closed so Jack and I decided we would go out to Dealey Plaza, the place where President Kennedy was shot. This was something that Jack had in mind for us to visit even before we left Logandale. It was very stirring and a profound experience. The building of the ‘Book Depository’ where the gunman was, was a museum. You wore earphones and listened to his story and looked at displays as you went through the museum. It was a cold, rainy, dreary day – when you looked out the window on the 6th floor down to the ‘X’ they had marked on the road where he was shot – you couldn’t help but feel a deep emotional stirring.
When we left the building we even braved the elements to go down and walk to the grassy knoll and the memorial they have built. We could both remember this actually happening in history but I think even if you were too young to remember it would still be a moving experience.
Our GPS quit that morning as we traveled to downtown Dallas. We are still not sure how we managed to get there but we wandered around until we found it. On the way home we stopped and bought another GPS!!
That afternoon the rain turned to snow and we experienced the worst storm that the Dallas area or Metro-Plex, as they call it here, has received in a half century. We left for Kim Marshall Heaton’s in a snow storm and returned home on some very very slick and icy roads. We definitely felt like we were protected on the ride home. It was 30 miles of 15 to 25 miles an hour traffic on the freeways. The bridges/ overpasses and spaghetti bowls were especially bad. There were many vehicles who had slid off the road. Jack did a great job driving in it all, but you never know about that other guy, and we had some that were sliding about in the lane next to us. We grateful we made it safely.

We did enjoy our time with Kim and her family. Sandee Marshall had flown in for the holidays too so we really enjoyed her too. We had a delicious Mexican dinner, the children acted out the nativity story and we exchanges white elephant gifts. Very fun. If you couldn’t be home, it was the next best thing.
Christmas morning we had some of the other missionaries over for breakfast, it was fun to keep that tradition going in a similar fashion. The Phelp’s and the two sister missionaries, Sister Brooksby (of LV) and Sister Barber (of St George) joined us. We had a great time visiting and sharing experiences. We were also able to talk to many family members Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, that was so very good to talk to them. Family is the greatest, best-est thing.
Saturday we headed for Fort Worth to visit a lady from Cannonville, LaVera Dunham Moss. She is now in a care center there. However when we got there we discovered that she was not there, we assume because she has family living in the area that she was spending time with them. Jack left a note on her door and away we went. It is a bit of a drive to get over there so we had passed a sign pointing in the direction of the Texas Stockyards on Exchange Str. This Stock Exchange is very different from the other Stock Exchange. We were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the day seeing Texas longhorns and many other western sites.
For pictures of Jack’s photo journal of these sites and others mentioned go to www.jackngaye.blogspot.com .

Last week after church I spoke to the choir director/music chairman/music director and mentioned that if anyone ever needed a substitute that I was willing and able to help out. She said in fact she would be gone this week, today, and would I lead the congregational music for her. So I sent today thinking I would do that, but upon arrival found that they didn’t have a pianist. So I ended up playing the organ and they got someone else to lead. It was good to play again, my opportunities are few and far between. I received several comments that they appreciated my playing. I don’t think they have anyone who really plays the organ. Then I was asked to lead the music in Relief Society – a lot of people gone during the holidays I guess.
I was also asked by the sister missionaries (a different set) if I would sit by this one sister that the Elders are teaching. I of course was happy to do so. This is her first week out to church but they have been teaching her for about a month. She also has a brother and a sister that have joined the Church in past years. She is probably in her 40’s. In our brief visit and my sharing what our assignment is here as missionaries she told me that she is out of work and looking for a job. I invited to come over to the Employment Center and see what we have to offer there. She was very interested and took down our number (which Jack & I had made it a point to memorize this week.) and address. So hopefully we will see her this week and be able to help her along on her job search.
Jack & I also went out this evening to try and contact some of the people on the ward list to find out who they are. We had one not at home, one in a gated apartment complex and one that moved out a couple of months ago – I was disappointed abt that one because her last name was Reber. So that was not to fruitful except to report that some have moved out.
Interesting note: When you make a phone call, yes even a local phone call, it’s required to use the 10 digit number. There are dozens of area codes around here and you must use them on each call.
I must close, you are tired of reading and I am getting tired too. We love each of you so very much. We pray for you individually daily. We pray the Lord will continue to be with you and bless you. Thank you so much for your prayers in our behalf and your kind thoughts. We appreciate each little thing you do and we are so excited when we hear from you.

With all our Love,
Jack & Gaye, Mom & Dad, Grandpa & Grandma, Aunt & Uncle
Elder & Sister Nelson









Jack n Gaye