Week 4

 I have waited too long to do this because now I can’t remember what happened last week.  Keith continued with the grading.  It rained on Wednesday so they came home early, tried to go out early Thursday morning at the usual time, but came back because it was too wet, then went back out in the afternoon.  They have completed all the local roads and moved across the highway to the rougher, steeper, rockier pastures.  Elder Layton and the local cowboy graded on Saturday.  We went to the temple and shopped, of course, while we were there. 
The temple was full with missionaries and Abilene Stake members. We didn’t see anyone we knew from our branch, in the session, however Pres. Richardson, Allyson (Pres. daughter), the two sister missionaries, and the new convert, Danny Mannard were there to do baptisms.  Lubbock Temple runs on Texas time which is at least 10 to 20 minutes late.  So does the Branch.  Anyway, or session was full, the spirit still came, not one person used a temple name because of all the family names everyone prepares. 
After the temple, we shopped for project fabric, yarn for Erica and Lexi’s projects, ate at McDonalds in Wal-mart.  Erica is going to come and force us to try some different dining, which I would love to but you know Keith.  We did travel home by a different route so saw a little more of Texas.
I had a fun adventure while I was mowing.  I needed to pick up some big piles of grass someone had raked up some time ago.  I used a pitchfork because of spiders, snakes, etc.  And, of course, under the first pile was a Gila monster!  He wasn’t huge.  I was amazed that he moved so slow, didn’t just dash away to a hole.  Sis. Layton gave me a bucket and I was able to get him in it, set him upon the rock fence until I finished mowing, however the wind was blowing and it blew my bucket off the fence and the Gila monster escaped!  I was sad, wanted to take a picture of him.  Keith found this picture on line and this is what he looked like.



Keith also took pictures of the large grasshoppers.  The pictures really don’t do them justice, but here it is.



School went better last week.  Still am sad for the children, but admire the teachers.  Our humanitarian projects are coming along.  We should receive a shipment of fabrics, batting, etc. from Sister Hynes in SLC tomorrow.  Sister Layton has her bibs completed, but we are waiting for batting for more quilts.  We have four lap quilts ready.  We will take what we have ready to the nursing home tomorrow when we go to school.
This is part of Keith’s talk last week.  Good memories.
When I was in Primary, about nine or ten years old, we were called Blazers and Trekers in those days. My teacher’s name was Sister Summerville. I remember very well that we had to learn the song, “I’ll Go Where you Want Me to Go” for a Primary program. I am sure she worked hard trying to get a few notes out of us. I still remember standing on the stage. There were three or four other boys my age, barely whispering the words to the song. I feel sorry for Sister Summerville now. She worked so hard with us, but the off-take is, that the song has remained with me to this day. I sing it to myself. Here are some of the words.

 It may not be on the mountain height
 Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle’s front
 My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll go where you want me to go.
There’s surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth’s harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life’s short day
For Jesus the crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,
And know thou lovest me,
I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I’ll be what you want me to be.

When I sang that song this week, a scripture from Esther came into my mind. Mortecai , Queen Esther’s uncle learns of Haman’s plan to have all the Jews in the Persian Empire killed. They are both Jews. He tells her: Esther 4:14 … and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this.

Heavenly Father was, I think, telling me that our preparation to this point in our lives, was to bring us to a time like this, to a place like this, to a branch like this, to a people like this, to labor like this, even for Jesus the Crucified. We testify that Heavenly Father knows us by name and all about the minute details of our lives and nothing happens by chance. His whole desire is to bless us and have us return to be in His presence again. May Heavenly Father use us to answer someone else’s prayers.