Odd

I worked with an unusual patron in the library last week. His name was Joseph, he was in his 60's and was traveling cross country on a Greyhound to a Veteran's mental hospital in Portland, Oregon. As he told me many times during our 2 hours together, "I'm messed up." Joseph came from a seriously disfunctional home. His mother and father married against the wishes of their parents when they were just kids. Dad was a seriously abusive drunk. Even sober he had very little to do with his family. The kids were afraid of their father and ignored by their mother. Joseph hadn't heard from or seen anyone in his family for 30 years. BUT HE STILL WANTED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THEM!

So we set out to learn what we could. Turns out Dad was dead. We found him in a veteran's cemetery in New Jersey. We found Dad's parents and later found him living with his grandparents. We were able to uncover enough pieces of the puzzle to satisfy something inside Joseph. I gave him the address and phone numbers of some family history centers near his home and in Portland and gave him copies of all the documents we had found. He told me as he was leaving that he thought maybe his dad was dealing with some mental issues of his own, and it looked like he had had a bit of a rough life himself. All the while I worked with Joseph I felt a very sweet spirit. I knew that the Lord was mindful of him and was helping him through the rough spots in his life.

I got to thinking about the people who come into our library. They come from all walks of life. Many are poor and humble of circumstance. Some are wealthy, here on ski vacations, or business conventions. A good number of them might be considered odd (like Joseph) anywhere else. We have a regular patron who has growths all over his body. We have another regular who likes to tell us he is Jesus' cousin and a close relation of Moses. We have one patron who weighs 400 pounds and comes in everyday. All have a hunger for family, which I'm beginning to think of as universal. At some time in each of our lives we find ourselves looking to the past, to connect and learn about the family that came before us.

On Mother's day a great gathering of my mother's posterity filled her living room. They gave gifts, ate cake, and then started asking her questions about her life, her mother's life, etc. Little children sat spellbound as she told them stories of their ancestors.

Odd or ordinary, we are children of God. He loves us. He has a plan for us, and a big part of that plan can only be carried out in the Houses of God, by His children, for His children. What a blessing to take part in this great Plan.

(PS Weather is still miserable, but the hope for Spring continues. Just a few photos of the flowers around temple square)

It is Springtime in my Soul Today

On April 29, 2010 I awoke to a world covered in snow. Again. You've got to be kidding me! Really, it was almost May and still we're getting snow. I went to work but was having trouble getting started, feeling almost depressed through most of the morning. The snow came down thick and hard through most of the day, which did nothing to lift my spirits. I think what happened is that I had let myself believe that winter was over and that warm weather, blossoms and sunshine were what I had to look forward to. It was my expectation that led to the depression, not the weather.

Thankfully, although the weather has remained miserable, the rest of the week has been wonderful. Thursday night was a spectacular event at the conference center, "A Celebration of Family History." David and I went and my mother was able to attend with us. The program was music by the MOTAB, special films of family history stories, a message from President Eyring, and an address by David McCullough, author and historian (1776, John Adams). It was an amazing evening full of inspiring music and words that had us alternately in tears and in stitches. It was also the first time I have ever been in the assembly hall of the conference center. What an impressive, massive room!

Saturday we were fortunate to attend the sealing of my sister Laurel's latest 3 daughters to their parents. This is the stuff of Eternity, and it never fails to inspire. The sight of that enormous family in that sacred place, being sealed forever, reminds me that we are part of an even bigger family, bound by covenants and promises that are more powerful than any force on the Earth, and through our Savior Jesus Christ we can all return to our Heavenly Home. Awesome!

Today after our services, my nephew Oati was ordained a priest. He asked his cousin David to stand in the circle of his ordination. I couldn't hold back the tears as I witness this special, righteous young man exercise his Priesthood.

I'm told that it may yet snow again before this endless winter expires. OK. It seems that there is much to keep us warm.

I graduated this week! Yes, I'm no longer one of the new missionaries in my zone. I was assigned the job of mentoring a really new missionary. Sister Stanley is a sweet lady from Colorado. Except for those two facts, she reminds me a lot of me when I first started here. Her husband died near the time that mine did. She has used computers a lot, but doesn't really understand them. She has children and grandchildren she misses. She came on this mission with a leap of faith that she could learn what she needed to learn in order to be of service. Trying to help this dear sister has been humbling so far. I am not an expert at the things we are expected to know. I have learned to do a lot, but teaching someone else to do it requires vocabulary and precision that I just haven't got. (I know you need to double click there, but I don't know what "there" is called, or what would happen if you only single clicked) So if anything, the gift I am giving Sister Stanley is the permission to not know everything. My example tells her that you can still do something without knowing it all.

During the past week or so some remarkable things have happened, that at first glance may seem completely unrelated, yet in my mind they are part of a big picture that has everything to do with why we are here on this earth.

My beautiful baby granddaughter, Derby was born. Welcoming her were her faithful parents, siblings and a multitude of loving family members, near and far.

Saturday my lovely new niece Emily Ying Osborn Fetzer was baptized. She has been studying with the missionaries here ever since her arrival in America and has a sweet assurance that what she has been taught is true. The Spirit was so powerful that I am sure that it is no coincidence that she came to this family at this time.

I attended the wedding of my nephew Jake and his lovely bride Lindsey in the Omaha, Nebraska Temple. Family members from all over the country were there to participate in this sacred event. It was a glorious occasion full of the hope and beauty that accompanies temple weddings.

My dear friend Lynn completed her Earthly mission and returned to her Heavenly home. As sad as we are to see her go, I have no doubt at all that she is having the most wonderful reunion with her loved ones on the other side.

I had the opportunity at the Family History Library to help a lovely family from Pennsylvania. They were interested in a side of their family of which they knew very little. As we found artifacts of their lives, their births, marriages, and deaths, I could tell that they were moved by the discovery. When they left, the mother expressed appreciation for the library and the service it provides. Then she said, "What a wonderful world this would be if everyone valued family as much as you do." It got me thinking about what we do. We link couples and their children, generation after generation so that this special bond can endure after death. Because we are children of God and He loves us. What a wonderful world indeed, if we all valued each other as much as God does.

So long Sandy

My mentor went home this week. I was assigned to Sandy Lewis when I first came to the family search zone back in October. Sandy is a remarkable lady to whom I owe so much thanks. She is from Colorado and came to the family history mission 2 years ago, shortly after the death of her husband. She doesn't look how you'd expect a family history genius to appear, but that is exactly what she is. When I came to the zone I was feeling so totally overwhelmed by my first 2 weeks of training, that I was tempted to give up and plead for a job greeting visitors to the Joseph Smith Building. There was so much information and I had forgotten most of it almost immediately. Sandy had me shadow her for a few days. I was amazed to watch her work with the patrons. She was friendly and confident. Some of the patrons were difficult, but she was unflappable. She made me a simple list of things I could do to help most of our patrons. She demonstrated the steps and demystified the process. She gave me the tools to do what needed to be done, and gave me permission to not know everything. With her encouragement I began to help patrons on my own, knowing she was nearby if I got in over my head.

Thank you Sandy Lewis for being my mentor. Thanks for sharing your sweet spirit with me and making my transition to the mission so smooth. Thanks for being my friend. I will miss you.

New Family Search

Years ago, faced with the problem of tremendous duplication in family history and temple work, President Hinkley got together some of the best computer minds to create a program to reduce and eventually eliminate duplication. The result of their labors is New Family Search. Almost everyday in the family history library I am called upon to help someone who comes in frustrated or confused by this program. Being new to it myself I am sometimes challenged to answer all their questions and help them solve their problem. What I am discovering is that even though some people are having trouble with it, New Family Search is really wonderfully inspired, albeit a work in progress.

I don't pretend to understand why family history is so important. I just know that it is. I don't know why we aren't just given all the information we need to redeem our dead. Why does it have to be so hard? I am lazy by nature and I'm pretty sure I would never thought of a plan that required so much effort, but I'm equally glad I'm not in charge.

So, here is my point and my testimony. The Lord wants us to do this stuff. He surely could do it himself, but we wouldn't learn much from that. So like a parent teaching a wobbly toddler to walk, He patiently gives us tools and makes us use our minds and bodies, and a lot of faith, knowing that we need the experience that will help us someday be like Him.

When you are given an opportunity to learn about New Family Search, don't be reluctant or afraid. Be grateful for this amazing tool that will help us to be involved in this great and important work.

New Year's Resolution

Our Family History Library has been pretty quiet during the holiday season, but still a few people come in needing help. One quiet day last week I was sitting by the entrance to the Family Search area with three other missionaries. They were also waiting for someone to help. Finally a lone woman entered and I whispered to the elders, "Shall we fight over her?" Graciously they allowed me to assist our lone patron. What a blessing that was to me.

My young woman was from Sweden. She was in town for a short time and wanted to do the temple work for her mother who died a few years earlier. As she talked I got a feeling of the great love she had for her mother as well as her assurance that her mother was ready and waiting for the ordinances. The Spirit was strong and I was inclined to agree with her.

I got her registered on New Family Search, gave her quick instruction on finding and adding ancestors, quickly added her mother's information, printed her card and sent her on her way to the temple across the street. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so excited to do temple work. She fairly glowed at the prospect of sharing with her mother the ordinances of exaltation.

So as the new year arrived and I thought about resolving to make positive changes in my life I decided to love the people I serve (living and dead) a little more. I resolve to serve with more of the faith and enthusiasm I saw in that young swedish woman.

Sacrifice

I was prepared to sacrifice! I was going to grit my teeth and endure 18 months of missionary life because the Lord asked me to. The problem is that I'm having too much fun. I was counting on a little misery so I'd know I was really serving. So far, everything I've been asked to sacrifice is compensated for so greatly that I'm afraid I'm not earning any stars for my crown.

I was prepared to give up my social life. Bruce Willis wasn't answering my calls anyway. While I'm not going to find romance on the mission, I am working with the nicest bunch of people. I've met missionaries from all over the world who regardless of their circumstances (some would make you cry) just want to be of service and be a part of the great Redemptive Work. I meet people everyday who, religious or not, Christian or not, are touched by the Spirit of Elijah as they search out their ancestors.

I was prepared to leave my home. I was blessed to have my son's family be available to take care of my house. I am blessed to be able to live very comfortably in my parent's house, with all the comforts of home.

I was prepared to leave my kids and grandkids. I am blessed to have all the modern conveniences of travel and communication which have shrunk the distance between us. Phone, e-mail, texting, iChats, blogs, etc., keep me close to the ones I love. I also have been called to an area where many loved ones live, even a few cute nieces and nephews to give me my kid fix.

I was prepared to be miserable but I'm happier than I've ever been. The work that I do is a tiny, tiny contribution to the great work of the Church. Maybe less contribution than what I've done in the past, but it is incredibly satisfying. The Campus we occupy is basically the blocks around Temple Square in Salt Lake City. This is sacred ground and it is a thrill to walk these paths and feel the Spirit every day.

I wanted the Lord to be grateful for our service, but I can see He just wanted to bless us. Again!

As always we are destined to be (happily) unprofitable servants.

I can do it, I think.

Last week was my first week in the Family Search rotation. Officially. Not in training. Still, there are many seasoned family search experts to call upon, so I'm feeling not quite confident, but not too terrified. I've met some amazing people and I've been able to be of a little help to some of them. There was a delightful couple from Alaska who were so excited about their search for ancestors. He was able to tie into lines that had a lot of work already done, and she was able to find several ancestors using the library resources. After a couple of days in the library, they were telling me how grateful they were for the help and how excited they were to continue the search back home. "This is such a cool place! I can't believe you all are here to help us, and for free!"

I was feeling pretty good about my little part in helping them. I was feeling like I might be able to be of some use here after all. While basking in this positive feedback the floor manager motioned me over to help a new patron. New to me only. She was a seasoned "genealogist" who used to work in the library. "I have a flash drive full of names that are ready for temple work," she explained. "I need to get them to 'temple ready'." I explained that we don't use "temple ready" anymore, but that I could help her with new family search. She turned to me with a look of pitying disdain, and replied, "That's what I hate about this place. They put people out here who don't know anything." Instant humility!

I called an old timer over who told her, "We don't use "temple ready" anymore, but I can show you how to use new family search. I went and licked my wounds.

Ready for a new week.

I never faced a new or difficult situation in my childhood without my Mom reminding me, "The hard is the good." It sounded like hogwash to me. Hard was bad by definition! Easy was good. Familiar was good. Fun was good. Over the years I began to understand what she meant. The best things in life require effort. They often require leaving our comfort zones. The best things sometimes demand an extraordinary sacrifice from us.
Each day as I bask in the incredible Spirt that surrounds the Family History Library, I am reminded that this mission is indeed one of the best things. And yes, it is hard! My brain feels ready to explode with all the things I'm needing to learn. So Mom was right.

Saturday my 91 year old mom went riding with me through a lovely wilderness area. It wasn't easy for her. She hasn't really been a horsewoman for many, many years. But as if to reaffirm her testimony that the hard is often the good, she rode with me, enjoying nature, the rare sunshine and the beauty of God's Earth.

A Day at the Library

Well, it finally happened. I was innocently making copies, minding my own business, and a lady came up to me and said, " Do you work here? Can you help me?" My mind did a quick flash to the things I've been studying and practicing for 3 weeks. I put on my most confident smile and answered, "Yes I do. What can I help you with?" She replied, "The vending machine in the lunch room took my money but didn't give me what I wanted." Yes! I know the solution for that one. "Follow me to the access window (the only place with money) and we'll get you a refund and report the problem." SUCCESS!
Now if only I do as well with questions about family history.