Missionary Blog - Dec. 1970

 December 25, 1970

La Conner, Washington

December 25, 1970

Another month has flown by.  It does not seem like Christmas is already here.  W. left Nov. 27^th.  …            I think the joy of the holiday season is making me feel a little more charitable.

My new companion is Elder A.. W.  He is a fine fellow.  We’ve gotten along very well from our first meeting.  He’s a farm boy from Amalga, Utah.  He’s simple and straight forward.  Elder W. has many good traits, but is not an expert in much of anything.  His strongest characteristic is making the best of what he has available.  This attitude carries through not only with personality resources, but to practical situations.  He’s forever repairing the bus, etc, with apparently inadequate tools.

Elder W. loves the Lamanite people.  He is very happy with his assignment here.  He does          not get discouraged or frustrated.  He is a good foil to my anxiousness and impatience. Meanwhile I am debating whether to stay with this program or not.  I know the work is important. But I have not made a firm spiritual commitment to it.  I am always frustrated.  I like things to proceed in an orderly manner.,..the seeming utter chaos here drives me up a wall.  I think I am slowly learning patience, tolerance, long-suffering.  I wonder how long it will take.

I am not spiritual enough in my calling here.  Spirituality is difficult to attain and maintain.  For me, I think I’ll have to learn selflessness.  I worry too much about myself.

The Lamanite program needs a great deal of work and direction.  I feel I can eventually accomplish this.  Elder C. laid an excellent foundation.  It must now be followed through.  Although my strength is organization, I cannot succeed here until I have a true, pure love for the Lamanites.  This is the only lasting motivation in this work---love.  Baptisms, attendance numbers, etc. are not valid goals.  A true love for these people and a desire to help them improve must guide a Lamanite elder’s actions.

As I intimated before, the most difficult part of our work here is lack of direction. We don’t know what to do under certain circumstances.  There is nobody to train us or guide us.  We’re like pioneers.  I feel very strongly that Elder W. and I must turn ourselves over to Heavenly Father’s guidance.  We must set precedent and make “our own “ decisions.  The program is a very “natural “ one, that must be “played by ear,” in other words, we must listen closely to the Spirit and respond instantly.

Our progress seems so slow here.  Elder M. tells us we are building a foundation.  We must build it well.  Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders.  Meanwhile we must use Elder W.’s talent of improvisation.

January 7, 1971

Another new year is here. . it is also the 4^th anniversary of my baptism.  As I look behind me many things have happened…some good, some bad…you can’t change history. I guess we can learn by it thought, but that requires objectivity.  Today is here..it’s so full!!!  It overflows into tomorrow and tomorrows’ tomorrows!  As Elder G. said, it’s the first day of the rest of my life.  It can be a marvelous beginning.  After all, we’re children of God.  We have a great and wondrous potential. Of course, each day must be lived one at a time. Always keeping the eternal goal in mind; never marring the path that will lead us back to our Heavenly family.

A little history…

Tomorrow will make my 6^th week with Elder W.  It’s been a long haul.  His love and enthusiasm have won me over.  The day he came to La Conner, the air was bustling with excitement.  The first two weeks were a ferocious burst of energy..long hours, study classes, early rising, new maps, gathering data, lots and lots of talk with everyone.  About that time the reality of our area began to settle out of the dust we’d stirred up.  We just could not change everything overnight!  As the pace slowed, I got really frustrated, impatient.  Elder W. was relaxed and easy going.  He tolerated my scathing criticism and patiently waited for me to cool off.  One time I did not “cool off” for two days!!  People are still reeling from that blast of impatience and bad temper!

Often Elder W. takes as much or more patience, than the Lamanites.  He’s sort of like 24 hour OJT for my impatience, or get an ulcer!  I’ve developed a great love for Elder W. This aids me.  It helps me to calm my temper and be more patient.  I must develop this same love for Lamanites.  I think it is coming.

The first Friday I was with Elder W. we decided to ride our bikes to Anacortes—some 11 miles away.  Somehow we got parted in La Conner.  He left without me; but he didn’t know the way!  With a 30 minute head start I gave up trying to catch hm.  I turned back and went after him with the bus.  No Elder W. anywhere between La Conner and Anacortes!  I was furious. Two hours later Elder W. arrive at the house..weary worn, and without wheels!  He had thought I was ahead of him.  He rode as fast as he could.  As he neared Anacortes he got side tracked into the refineries.  Lost, he turned around and got headed to Mount Vernon.  He was only 2 miles from Anacortes.. then paddled 10 miles to Mt. Vernon. Finally, he gave up, parked the bike, and hitch-hiked home!  He arrived home of course to be greeted by an intermittently overjoyed and furious companion.  In spite of everything, he smiled, make light of his error and carried on, regardless!  Thus goes every day of our companionship.  He blunders along full of love and compassion; I have fits!  (…and double fits when I make the blunders!) Oh, what a life! ……I am going to have to be more patient and loving.

One of our first days together Elder W. and I attended a wedding.  We assisted in every way we could we really got wrapped up in helping. We’ve also gave one of the Catholic sisters a    Book of Mormon.  Sister B. is a wonderful compassionate woman.  I hope she reads the Book of Mormon and prays about it.

As Christmas Eve approached Elder W. and I helped with the Christmas Eve community program.  L. C. was in charge. We did all we could, but faded in the back stretch as flu downed both W. and me.  We spent all day Christmas Eve helping out.  The program was a beautiful success.  There were so many happy young faces as presents were handed out.

 A few days before Christmas, T. S. arranged a Shaker Church meeting.  Elder W. and I attended it..only 7 people turned up and the service never got under way. The old Indian religion is dying.          It is a sad thing.

New Year’s Eve we went to a pow wow—the Smokehouse religion.  It was different.  It was a very spiritual meeting—but the spirits weren’t those of God or Christ or any of their angels. The worship was, in fact, the antithesis of Christianity.  Yet, the fundamental ethics that found the Smokehouse belief are very Christian.  Of course, they are not practiced outside of the pow wow; and even there, they’ve been changed.  This is the end product of the apostasy that took place on the American continent.    

Since my last Zone Conference, we’d had 2 more conference.  The first was a Lamanite Conference.  Nothing significant was accomplished or discussed. It pointed up the lack of unity amongst the Lamanite missionaries.  We’re close, yet so far apart.  I think Lamanite elders should be encouraged to write to old areas and each other.

Yesterday was zone conference. It was a very spiritual conference.  The strength of Liahona district was felt.  A very spiritual testimony meeting brought us all to tears.  Sister W. told Elder S.’s story.  He was dying of leukemia, yet he continued to fulfill his mission.  He never quit.. he actually gave his all.  Elder M. reminisced.  He’s been in the program a long time.  He has seen the growth. He knows that the work of elders of years gone buy is finally bearing fruit.

Monday Elder M. talked to P. W.  She really is enthusiastic about our work here.  As a result of her remarks Elder M. can confidently recommend that the President leave us here for a long while.    

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Conner,_Washington

  La Conner is a town in Skagit County, Washington, United States with a population of 891 at the 2010 census. it is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the month of April, the town annually hosts the majority of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival events. La Conner's Rainbow bridge connects La Conner to Fidalgo Island, which includes the gated Shelter Bay Community, the Swinomish reservation, and the city of Anacortes. The center of town—roughly bounded by 2nd, Morris, and Commercial streets and Swinomish Channel—is a historic district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

La Conner's Rainbow Bridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacortes,_Washington

Anacortes /ˌænəˈkɔːrtəs/ is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.^[5] Anacortes' population was 15,778 at the time of the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes Metropolitan Statistical Area. Anacortes is known for the Washington State Ferries dock and terminal serving Lopez Island, Shaw Island, Orcas Island, and San Juan Island, as well as Victoria, British Columbia (via Sidney, British Columbia) on Vancouver Island. There is also a Skagit County-operated ferry that serves Guemes Island, a residential island located across Guemes Channel, north of Anacortes.

Mt. Erie Park, Anacortes, WA