Week 17 - August 19-25

This week, as zone leader, Elder Koberstein or I was assigned to write and article for the zone weekly newspaper called the "International Express".  Elder Koberstein had already written an article for both the "Vineyard" (mission newspaper) and the "International Express" (zone newspaper).  It was sadly my turn.  Writing has never been high on my list of fun things to do but with the Lords help I can accomplish this task too.  I spent part of this week reading carefully articles by previous zone leaders and assistant zone leaders and praying about what I should write.  I decided to share the following experience from my childhood.  Believing children learn about family history very young.  As parents and grandparents we can affect that learning by sharing our experiences with them.

"I have been richly blessed with parents who shared family history with me as a child. My father often told stories around the table from his life and the lives of ancestors. As a child my siblings and I would coax him to tell us the stories over and over. One of my favorite stories was about my grandfather Hale receiving his mission call."

My father with his children

In the winter of 1899, Benjamin Walter Hale received a mission call to the South Western States Mission. He was reluctant about going to such a humid area because he had a severe health problem of quinsy, which is an acute inflammation of the tonsils. He coughed and choked terribly each time he got a cold and needed special care to get well. Papa went to discuss it with his bishop, Osborne Low, Sr., who felt impressed that he should go. Bishop Low said, “Benny, I feel you shouldn’t turn down this call, but that you should go and try to the best of your ability to be a good missionary and the Lord will surely bless you.” After pausing a moment, he added, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do Benny. If you will take this mission call and try to the best of your ability to be a good missionary and serve the Lord, I’ll take the quinsy for you while you’re gone.” Papa jumped to his feet and said, “Bishop, let’s shake hands on that deal, so that it will be binding before man and God.” After shaking hands, my father returned home and told his mother that Bishop Low had agreed to take care of the quinsy for him while he was gone on his mission, so he had decided to go. Grandma hurried and helped him get ready. Papa left Star Valley in the middle of December. He went to Grantsville for a couple of weeks to visit his father and his half brothers and sisters. Grandpa drove him to Salt Lake City where papa was set apart by Apostle Heber J. Grant on January 3, 1900. He was assigned to labor in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas where he faithfully served until April 1902. Papa never had trouble with quinsy during his mission, but he received a letter from home saying that Bishop Low was terribly sick with quinsy. In fact, for a while they thought he was going to die. He continued to struggle with it all during Benjamin’s mission. When father completed his mission, Bishop Low was very happy to see him and said, “Oh, Benny, I’m glad that you are home again. Here you can have your quinsy back again. I’ve taken good care of it for you while you have been gone.” Papa started having quinsy as before, but Bishop Low never again got quinsy during the fifty years he lived in Star Valley. This experience has been a strong testimony to my father, our family, and Bishop Low that if we are humble, prayerful, and obedient, the Lord will provide a way for us to accomplish what he has asked us to do.

Elder Benjamin Walter Hale on the right and companion 1900-2

This week Salt Lake City has been blessed with some clouds and scattered rain.  It has cleaned some of the smoke from the Utah and California fires.  This is a picture I took Friday from the parking lot as Elder Koberstein and I left the Family History Library.  If you look carefully you will see the spires of the Salt Lake Temple, roof of the tabernacle and the log cabin between the Family History Library on the right and Church History Museum on the left.  

Elder Koberstein has biked home to Bountiful every day this week.  He got rained on Wednesday and was a little wet when he got home.  Friday he was sprinkled on but not really wet.  Biking is an enjoyable part of his day.

Saturday all seventeen pairs of zone leaders and the deaf zone were invited to President Fenn's home for real Italian pizza.  In the picture President Fenn is demonstrating how to roll out the crust the Italian way (by throwing it in the air).  The pizza was baked in the brick oven behind him and tasted delicious.  A fun evening.

We had a beautiful sunset to enjoy on the drive home, a colorful benefit of all the smoke.  A beautiful ending to a wonderful day of preparation.

THOUGHT FOR YOU

Never stop striving for the best that is within you.  Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart.  But don't close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day's ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life.  -Dieter F. Uchtdorf