We have been called to be Welfare Specialists Serving in the Peanut Butter Plant in the Houston Texas Mission.
(This is a copy as written--maybe not exactly what I ended up saying???)
On our last mission we were called as self reliance missionaries.
And now we've been called as Welfare Missionaires.
And since you know that Welfare, Self reliance and Humanitarian missions all stick together
like Peanut Butter sticks to the roof of your mouth, I planned on giving the same talk as I gave
last time, but the Bishop gave me a different to scripture this time.
We have a block party on our street every year thanks to the Bretzing Family.
Yes, we are the party people.
Bro Bretzing thanked us at the last party for going on a mission, because it's a great example
to his boys. One of his boys said.,"if those old people can go on a mission, then we young ones should too."
Yes we are old.
And Elder Priz is getting his 3rd pacemaker before we leave.
This call did not come in the usual way. Where you see the Bishop, fill our papers, and wait
what seems like a year going to the mailbox waiting for your call.
I don't know what they do at the missionary department whether they keep track of people
who make inquires about different missions or if this was all inspiration. But we called twice asking about church canneries. And was told both times the church is closing most of their canneries and no need for missionaries in that area.
But on Feb 15 we got a phone from Brother Love of the Welfare Department asking if we would
come to Salt Lake and have lunch with him.
At the lunch he told us about the Peanut Butter Plant in Houston Texas. Then Leon told him that his whole carrier in California was serving the food industry and other plants as a process engineer.
They were having a great time like peanut butter and jelly.
Bro Love said he was over qualified but asked us if we would be willing to serve there.
In the mean time I was wondering what I would be doing. But that was never was addressed.
But what I know about myself is that I like adventures and and I'm willing to do whatever the Lord ask me to do.
A few days later we got the message we had been called and would go into the MTC on Oct 9, 2017, subject to the prophets approval. And we were to go see the Bishop and start our paperwork. It was kind of embarrassing to go to the Bishop and say we've been called on a mission, "Is it ok if we go".
But my favorite adventures are spiritual adventures.
When I told people where we were going, I got some strange responses. I felt they didn't think it was a real missionary call and wouldn't be spiritual. My grandson even asked, "Grandma, if you spend all your time in the peanut butter plant when do you do missionary work?"
I think the Peanut butter plant is a very spiritual assignment.
It is the Gospel in Action.
Through this Peanut butter many people in and out of the church are blessed:
Lives are saved
Hope is restored
Spirits are lifted
Love is shared.
And I plan on putting a big hug from me in every jar before the lids are put on.
Most of the workers in the plant are volunteers from industry and mostly nonmembers.
So I don't have to knock on doors, they will come to me.
I promise you when we return. I will be sharing the spiritual adventures we have experienced.
Because, " when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God."
Hurricane Harvey and Irma are on our minds and in our prayers. I am sure we will get to participate in the clean up process. Hope I get to ware one of those "helping hands" vests.
Many years ago, Elder Neil L Anderson while visiting their family in Florida, said a tornado touched down not too far from them.
One woman living in a mobile home went into her bathroom for safety.
The mobile home began to shake. A few moments passed.
Then she heard her neighbor's voice calling her.
Coming out of the bathroom, to her great astonishment, she discovered that the tornado had lifted and carried her mobile home through the air,
Landing it perfectly upright on the top of her neighbor's mobile home,
without her hardly noticing.
The scriptures declare that, "all things shall be in commotion."
Brigham Young said,"It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the Church would spread, prosper , grow, and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel
among the nations of the earth,
so would the power of Satan rise exponentially.
More concerning that the prophesied earthquakes and wars that are predicted,
are the spiritual whirlwinds
that can up root you from your spiritual foundations and land your spirit in places you never imagined possible
sometimes without you barely noticing that you have been moved, just like the mobile home.
The worst whirlwinds are the temptations of Satan.
Sin has always been part of this world,
But, it has never been so
Accessible
Insatible
and Acceptable
I want to thank Cody for his message today and his example to us. He and his father are our home teachers. We requested Cody speak with us today.
One time during their visits He shared this story with us.
He was at school. A group of boys were in a huddle giggling over something. So Cody went to see
what was so funny. The boys were looking at pornography on their phone.
Cody told them that they should stop and not be looking at that.
They looked up and said, "Why, it's the normal thing to do."
Cody said, "No it's Not."
These boys not only didn't think it was wrong, but they thought it was normal.
Here's and example that will help you know how to avoid Satan's tricks.
About 10-12,000 feet up on the top of the White Mts. in California, in a very harsh
environment, where the wind blows constantly. the soil is bad, and it's very arid,
grows the oldest trees in the world.
They are called the Great Basin Bristle Cone Pine Trees.
My kids have seen them.
When we were there we saw Methuselah which is 4845 years old.
And since then. they have discovered that another tree there is older at 4061 years old,
And you thought we were old!!
I thought on my way there, that I was going to see a beautiful big tree, like a Redwood, or Giant Sequoia Tree. But it was just the opposite.
They are not beautiful trees at all. They are very twisted and snarled and only a few green leaves on top.
They look like they have had a very hard life, but they are living.
They found a way to survived the whirlwinds in 2 ways:
a. the cells in their bark and branches are bigger and more flexible to the pressure of the constant wind, so the bend and twist rather than brake.
b. they stimulated the roots to grow fasted and spread father and to go deeper so they can cling to the rocks in the earth.
We are not trees.
We are more precious to Heavenly Father than a tree.
So he will also help us to stand strong and survive the whirlwinds of Satan.
Read: Helaman 5:12
"And now, my sons remember, remember that it is upon the
Rock of our Remember, who is Christ, The Son of God, That ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds,
yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you,
It shall no power over you to drag you down to the gull of misery and endless wo,
Because of the rock upon which ye are built which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fail."
It's my testimony that if we will do this and CHOOSE to build our faith around the Savior and his commandment and make him our Rock, and let these teachings settle deep into our hearts, then they will be an anchor when we need it.
Because the whirlwinds are here to stay:
We can be ready for whatever nature throws at us!
Or whatever life throws at us!
or whatever Satan throws at us.!
Then I closed with my testimony of Jesus Christ, Restoration of the Gospel, Apostles and Prophets ,Priesthood, and family.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
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