Anita and John Cushing, President, Gordon and Roma Thomas
The Thomas couple grew up in Emery County, Utah and knew my parents. What a small world!
Well this is the first time I have wrapped two weeks up in one to report on. Rest assured it is not because there was less happening, but perhaps just the opposite and I didn’t take the time to record things as they were occurring.
During these two weeks we interviewed the missionaries north, west and east of Eugene. Those in Corvallis, Salem, the Coast, Klamath Falls and Bend. It is always great to see them. I have relearned the powerful potential of the statement made by the Lord as recorded in Mathew, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” As I visit with these missionaries I feel closer to them and closer to the Savior. I believe that they too grow closer to the Lord in these visits. It is a great blessing in my life and I pray it is in theirs too.
On Sunday, April 26, Mom and I spoke in the Roseburg stake conference. The stake president, Pres. Hopkins, invited us to take 10 to 15 minutes each to speak. As the meeting went on it seemed to me that the meeting was overscheduled and during the rest hymn I offered to cut our talks back to a brief testimony so he could have adequate time to speak. Pres. Hopkins told me he only wanted 5 minutes to share his testimony and for us to take our scheduled time. I felt very uncomfortable with that but he assured me that it was what he wanted us to do. Well, we cut back,but we did leave him with 10 minutes and he seemed very happy with his limited time. I still felt a bit guilty. Afterwards we had a lovely dinner with the Smiths who live in that stake. He is serving as one of my counselors.
During these last two weeks one of our wonderful neighbors, Tom Reynolds, who has befriended all of the mission presidents who lived here for at least the last 10 years, passed away. His sweet wife, Lu, continues to treat us like we are a part of her family. We called the last two mission presidents and let them know of Tom’s passing. Lu was so touched that they would both call her right away and offer their heartfelt condolences. John and Anita Cushing who served here as the mission president from 2002 to 2005 made a trip out here with another couple, Gordon and Norma Thomas, who had served with them, and they went to Tom's memorial service. We could not attend the service because we had previously made a commitment to speak in Burns and needed to be traveling when the service was scheduled. We had the privilege of having the Cushings and the Thomases stay in the mission home with us. They also stayed after we left for our other mission duties. It was wonderful to visit with them and to realize again the great men and women who went before us that have set a high bar and paved the way for this work to move forward. We love them all for who they are and what they have done.
On Sunday May 3, 2009 we attended church in Burns and spoke during the 3rd hour of their church service. It was great to be in that ward. A lot of the people there earn their living by farming or raising cattle. When they pray for rain it is done with a lot of faith and earnest desire. After church we drove down to Lakeview and spoke at a fireside there. Both of these towns are fairly small and are 90 minutes or more from their stake office or any other full-time missionaries. We are blessed to have a wonderful senior couple serving in both of these towns and they are doing great jobs.
While we were attending church in Burns on the 3rd, our children were gathered together in Los Angeles where our son, Ryan, was blessing their first child, a boy named Bennett. That is our sixth grandchild and our first grandson. Of course, we wish we could have been there, but we are very pleased to know our children sustain us in this calling and each other at this special time in Ryan and Rachel’s life. A baby boy was blessed in the ward we attended, so it made me feel a little bit like I was there with my family.
During these two weeks we interviewed the missionaries north, west and east of Eugene. Those in Corvallis, Salem, the Coast, Klamath Falls and Bend. It is always great to see them. I have relearned the powerful potential of the statement made by the Lord as recorded in Mathew, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” As I visit with these missionaries I feel closer to them and closer to the Savior. I believe that they too grow closer to the Lord in these visits. It is a great blessing in my life and I pray it is in theirs too.
On Sunday, April 26, Mom and I spoke in the Roseburg stake conference. The stake president, Pres. Hopkins, invited us to take 10 to 15 minutes each to speak. As the meeting went on it seemed to me that the meeting was overscheduled and during the rest hymn I offered to cut our talks back to a brief testimony so he could have adequate time to speak. Pres. Hopkins told me he only wanted 5 minutes to share his testimony and for us to take our scheduled time. I felt very uncomfortable with that but he assured me that it was what he wanted us to do. Well, we cut back,but we did leave him with 10 minutes and he seemed very happy with his limited time. I still felt a bit guilty. Afterwards we had a lovely dinner with the Smiths who live in that stake. He is serving as one of my counselors.
During these last two weeks one of our wonderful neighbors, Tom Reynolds, who has befriended all of the mission presidents who lived here for at least the last 10 years, passed away. His sweet wife, Lu, continues to treat us like we are a part of her family. We called the last two mission presidents and let them know of Tom’s passing. Lu was so touched that they would both call her right away and offer their heartfelt condolences. John and Anita Cushing who served here as the mission president from 2002 to 2005 made a trip out here with another couple, Gordon and Norma Thomas, who had served with them, and they went to Tom's memorial service. We could not attend the service because we had previously made a commitment to speak in Burns and needed to be traveling when the service was scheduled. We had the privilege of having the Cushings and the Thomases stay in the mission home with us. They also stayed after we left for our other mission duties. It was wonderful to visit with them and to realize again the great men and women who went before us that have set a high bar and paved the way for this work to move forward. We love them all for who they are and what they have done.
On Sunday May 3, 2009 we attended church in Burns and spoke during the 3rd hour of their church service. It was great to be in that ward. A lot of the people there earn their living by farming or raising cattle. When they pray for rain it is done with a lot of faith and earnest desire. After church we drove down to Lakeview and spoke at a fireside there. Both of these towns are fairly small and are 90 minutes or more from their stake office or any other full-time missionaries. We are blessed to have a wonderful senior couple serving in both of these towns and they are doing great jobs.
While we were attending church in Burns on the 3rd, our children were gathered together in Los Angeles where our son, Ryan, was blessing their first child, a boy named Bennett. That is our sixth grandchild and our first grandson. Of course, we wish we could have been there, but we are very pleased to know our children sustain us in this calling and each other at this special time in Ryan and Rachel’s life. A baby boy was blessed in the ward we attended, so it made me feel a little bit like I was there with my family.
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