13 March 2011

13 March 2011

Weekly news from the Big ‘D’.

We are encouraged by the news reports that the economy has started to improve, even if somewhat slowly. This has been our week of no workshops so it has been a bit slower as far as candidates coming in personally. The Phelps’ will be leaving in 2 1/2 weeks with the new couple to follow about 10 day later. Word has it that the new couple is not very happy about being assigned to an Employment Center. I’m sure once they get here and get involved they will come to love and appreciate the work. They have some Spanish speaking skills so this will be a great asset to the many Spanish Branches in this region. I think I mentioned before that this is their fourth mission, their third time to the Dallas, Texas mission.

Sister Burgess and Sister Phelps have made some great contacts with candidates this past week through phone calls and emails. Contacting candidates individually is about the only way we can find the 130+ job placements per month. A few come from the Wards, Stakes or individuals themselves, but not too many.

Elder Nelson and I have continued to work on job postings, it’s difficult to stay up with all of them but we do our best. We have had several volunteers in this past week that have been able to help with this effort, we sure appreciate them. Julie had me work with the new Sisters, training them how to post jobs and working with the companies we have on the site so they will be able to continue this forward when we leave. Much of our efforts now evolve around helping the new ones get trained to take over what we do. We feel for Julie and Donna to have to go through the training process yet another time. Along with their work with candidates a very large part of what they do is training missionaries, over and over again. We feel a little bit bad for them, but not that bad. Julie took Elder Nelson aside and told him that if we ever wanted to return she could most likely make it happen. That is too much to think of right now however.

With six missionaries in the Center right now we are able to work on the computer work we need to be doing. However, we still have the opportunity to work with individuals as they come in. I am still concerned that I can give them the help they need but we do the best we can.

In the Spanish Branch piano class this week, in the teenage/adult session, I made a comment about the organ and the pedals. They had a blank look on their faces and then one said oh yes, like the pedals on a piano! None of them had any experience with organ pedals and didn’t even know what they looked liked. So I said, ‘Okay, let’s go on a field trip to the chapel.’ We had a brief session about the organ, the different stops, manuals and the pedals. I demonstrated by playing a few hymns and prelude pieces. They were all very impressed with the organ and even with my playing. It’s all relative isn’t it? If someone knows nothing about the organ I’m really quite good.

We have had some interesting evenings this week. I attended the Dallas Recorder Society mtg, we did some English Renaissance music, including some Madrigals – my favorite so far. We had about eight people in attendance and some of the music had 7 and 8 parts so it was a lot of fun. I was given the top melody part on several of the pieces so it was a good fun challenge.

We had a playing session with the Bryners and Charlie, Jack was our tech guy and we recorded our pieces that we have performed before. Of course we all played our worst yet but it will be nice to have it for future reference of good times. Don’t tell anyone yet but the Bryner’s are preparing to submit their mission papers. They are planning on taking their musical instruments; our mission has given them hope that there will be opportunities to play even in the mission field. Charlie is starting to feel some withdrawal pains of his fellow musicians leaving him. He plays one morning with just Dwayne, cello and every other Saturday with a small string group with Dwayne, Alaina and a few others. He’s looking for available homes in his neighborhood and job opportunities. We’ve given him a map on how to get to Logandale!

We had a fun dinner appointment Friday evening. The Jensen’s, who serve in the Fort Worth mission office called Elder Nelson earlier in the day. We first met the Jensen’s when Kim Marshall Heaton invited us to watch General Conference with them at their home; they also invited the Jensen’s. The Jensen’s and the William’s, who serve in the Dallas Mission office, were getting together for dinner; realizing that they both knew us, they called and invited us to come along too. They wanted a suggestion of a restaurant so Elder Nelson suggested Posado’s Mexican Food, right on the border of the two missions. We had a very enjoyable evening visiting and sharing experiences. They are both great couples and we really enjoy our friendship with them. They give out pass along cards like we do employment cards. Before the evening was over they had the waitress’s address and an appointment to deliver a Book of Mormon; and we wanted to help her get a better job.

Sister Jensen mentioned that they were expecting an Elder from Overton in their mission next month, sure enough Elder Empey. She said he would be arriving on April 20^th, our release date. It’s nice to know that there will be some good Nevada folk here to carry on the work when we leave.

On our P-day this week we were headed out to Mineola out in East Texas. East Texas has become one of our favorite places. The grasses are turning green and many trees are in bloom; there is more agriculture and open spaces out there. We made it to Grand Saline and really enjoyed looking around there. They have a huge Salt mine there, operated by Morton Salt Company. They say there is enough salt (underground) to supply the world for 20 thousand years – that’s a lot of salt! We learned that the shaft going down in to the mine is comparatively small so they have to disassemble all the equipment, trucks, loaders etc. Then put them all back together once down in the mine. They use them for several years then disassemble them to bring them back up again. They don’t usually put them back together because once they reach the surface air, after being exposed to all of that salt for those many years, they totally rust out in 2 to 3 weeks.

Donna and Darrell Toups also live out in this area. We stopped and asked for directions, we couldn’t make heads or tails of the address 2224 VZCR (Van Zandt County Road – we even learned that FM stand for Farm to Market Road – we’ve seen that around the Dallas area, I thought it had to do with a radio station J). We wandered around on some country roads, enjoying every minute of it until we finally found the Toups residence. Darrell was home and we enjoyed visiting with him; took us on a little tour of their property and his workshop. He loves to build bows and arrows; I kept thinking how much Corey and Dennis would love to be in on the conversation. By this time we hurried on to Mineola so we could say we had been there, grab a late lunch, then headed back to the city life in Dallas.

It was pretty funny when Jack signed the guest register book at the Salt Palace, the signature right above his was the Phelps’. They had visited there the day before on their P-Day, neither of us realized what our P-day plans were until after the fact.

Today we attended the Dallas 6^th Ward, well at least part of the meetings held there. In our efforts to live IN the world but not to be part OF the world, not listening to the news or watching TV very often, we somehow missed that the time changed this morning! We can at least say the last part of Sacrament meeting was very good.

We are trying to keep our mind focused in the work that we are doing here, not thinking about leaving too much; however, at the same time we are given assignments to train others and prepare our work to be taken over by others.

It has been a great blessing to be involved in this service – helping in the rescue of those in need. We are grateful for our many blessings. We are concerned about the challenges and trials that our family is going through to be sure. We continue to put our trust in the Lord that he will continue to bless each one. Today I realize that I can and also need to trust our children, I am grateful for their testimonies, for their diligence to live so they can have the spirit of the Holy Ghost to guide them in their decisions; and their love for one another, they know they can and do rely on each other for help as needed. We are grateful for so many family members and Ward members who support and love them also.

From Texas to Nevada, Utah and beyond,

With Love,

Grandpa & Grandma, Mom & Dad, Jack n Gaye

Elder & Sister Nelson Jack n Gaye