The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Dear Friends and Family,

I bet you were wondering if I was ever going to post again.  Not that it's a big deal, or that you are waiting with baited breath for my next epistle, but I really do need to do better.  This is a wonderful way to journal our experience and if I wait too long between posts, I forget.  Number 1, I'm old and my brain doesn't retain details, names or numbers like it used too.  And number 2, I'm blonde.

The past two weeks have been filled with exactly what my subject line says.  "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  I am sure every missionary goes through these experiences, but I was hoping to avoid the bad and the ugly.  The good I'm OK with.  (I know, I'm a coward)  It started out with the wonderful visit of Bruce's brother and his wife Sue.  They walked into the VC on Friday night, Feb 6. It was such a wonderful surprise.  We did not know they were in St. George. I took them back to see Bruce in the Annex who was in a very interesting conversation with a gentleman.  It was only Bruce, the gentleman, Ken, Sue and myself.  As we stood there listening, it became very clear that this dude was very anti-Mormon and also Atheist.  He was raised as a Mormon, but left the church when he was 19-20 years of age.  He attended Cal-Berkeley and believes himself to be the foremost authority and historian on Mormon history.  I have dealt with other guests that have been rude, confrontational and down right ornery, but this one takes the cake.  He mocked the Prophets, ridiculed the Book of Mormon and basically laughed in our faces.  But what I still can't figure out is, he told us he has visited every Visitor Center from Palmyra to LA.  Bruce asked him why and he says he is doing research for a book he's writing on "What People Believe The After-Life Will Be." By this time I'm totally confused. He doesn't believe in an After-Life, or God, but he spends his time traveling from Visitor Center to Visitor Center, asking people what they think will happen to them when they die.  Go Figure!!!!! Finally, I told him it was closing time and Security would be coming to lock the doors. Wish I had thought of this about 1 hour earlier, but I guess it goes back to the beginning of this post. #1. I'm old and #2. I'm blonde.  But if any of you are interested in corresponding with him he gave us his email address and wants us to write to him and let him know what we think will happen to us.  Let me know if your interested. 

The ugly-----Now this is rather misleading.  Its not a bad thing but it was ugly.  On Sunday, the 15th, we gave over 590 tours at the Brigham Young Home.  We were the mid-shift, in other words we over lapped the morning shift by 2 hours and the afternoon shift by 2 hours. We finished our shift at 3 and I looked at the front porch to see at least 40 people waiting.  Both Brother and Sister Kaona had groups of 20-30 and I couldn't find Bruce.  I went around the house and Bruce had another group of 40-50.  I looked at Bruce and told him we had to get organized or we were going to have Mutiny on the Brigham Young grounds.  We lined up Bruce's group at the front door and gave them all the History then told them to line up and we would take them through the house in groups of 10.  One "Old" man ( I can say that, because I'm old---remember) came up to Bruce and said his group was there first and what was he going to do about it.  Bruce explained that he had just come around the house to find this group waiting and he would do the best he could. "Old Man" was not satisfied, he got in Bruce's face and challenged him again as to what he was going to do about it.  Now you all know the Holy Ghost works in mysterious ways and I have to say, this is one of my favorites.  Bruce did not loose his cool.  He simply told the "Old Man" that he would be happy to give him a full refund.  "Old Man" was not impressed but was flustered enough to turn around and walk away.  We then lined them up, and I took 10 at a time through the house.  We got Bruce's group through, then did the same thing to the next group of 40.  After we finished up these two groups, I walked out the back door and Sister Kaona had 70-90 out under the tree in the back yard.  I told her to give the history then line them up and Bruce would stay downstairs and move them through, then send them to me upstairs..  It was UGLY!!! By The Way, Elder Kaona had another group of 20-30 in the office.  Needless to say, Bruce and I did not leave.  We did a double shift and by the time we got home, we just sat and looked at the wall.  We were so tired we couldn't take our clothes off.  We had both lost our voices and after ascending "Step Historic Steps" 20 times we hurt every where.  OK enough of the UGLY.

Now the Good, and there was soooooo much good.  You already know Ken and Sue, Bruce's brother and his wife, visited.  The first night was rough, but we got together with them again on Saturday night and had a wonderful visit with them and Sue's brother Brent and his wife Ellen. We are so blessed with wonderful extended family, and love visits from them.  Then the next weekend, Valentines Day/President's Day weekend, the Phantoms gathered for their annual V-Day, Parade of Homes, Hiking and Biking weekend.  We had dinner on Friday night, the 13th and their were 18 of us.  Richard and Dana Christensen, and Steve and Joan Burke joined us for the first time. Richard and Dana were leaving on Monday for Bulgaria.  They are serving an 18 month CES mission.  They have been working very hard with the MTC learning Bulgarian for the past 6 months, and Dana was able to give her testimony in Bulgarian.  I was impressed, since I took 3 years of Spanish in High School and can count to 20 and ask where the bathroom is.  I think they are very brave and can't wait to hear how things are going.  Steve and Joan Burke have moved to St. George so now we can visit with them all the time.  This was the first time we had seen Richard and Dana in over 30 years.  It was such a wonderful weekend.  I know laughter is the best medicine and all my aliments are cured for a few months. Then last but not least both my sisters and my mother were here for the weekend.  Julie and her husband, stayed with their son Brett and attended about 6 soccer games, a couple of cheer leading competitions and a few other events.  Linda, my mom and my niece went and  scoured all the garage sales,then went to the Parade of Homes.  (The Parade of Homes brings in 30,000 visitors each year) 

Both of us had wonderful teaching moments with visitors from all over the country.  Bruce had a couple from England who could not get enough.  They just wanted more and more and more. They kept asking him," why haven't we heard of this doctrine before". " It just makes sense".   These moments make all the BAD experiences disappear.

Last but not least, we had our Hi-Bye Party for the Leishmans who are leaving and the Burts, the Fullers and the Cleverlys who have just arrived.  We had a wonderful night getting to know them and you can see by the pictures that we had a carnival.  Foot-long hot dogs, coleslaw, chocolate fountain, caramel popcorn, lemonade etc.  What a wonderful group of people we love 'em all.

Well its time to close.  We survived "The Good", "The Bad" and "The Ugly".  We are sure we will have all of the above again, but hope we have learned something to turn it all GOOD!  We send love to all.  Please be safe.

Love, Bruce and Dawna

(Elder and Sister)

Happy Birthday to our beautiful, talented, pregnant daughter, Jodi.  We hope your day was filled with all your favorite things.