Who would have dreamed the best corn on the cob of the year would be
in mid October?! Beautiful young corn – not chewy, sticky late corn.
We are definitely enjoying the fresh foods of Fresno!
We were glad for a week without travel to catch up on paperwork at
the office and prepare for the big new experience of Zone Conferences.
Now we’ll be out of the office again for at least half of every day this week.
The missionaries submitted orders for more teaching materials,
cleaning supplies and other items like small appliances, light bulbs, furnace
filters, etc. a couple of weeks ago. We have been out shopping a few
times lately to fill all the orders. On Tuesday, all the missionaries
from the northern part of the mission will have training meetings and collect
the things they ordered. That means we package up each order and take it
to the place where they will meet. Same drill Wednesday for all the
missionaries in greater Fresno, and Thursday to the southern part of the
mission.
Tomorrow we will go apartment hunting an hour away in Merced CA, and
on Friday we have a move within Fresno. This is the first batch of
apartments I have had to find on my own. So far, so good. I can
tell you, I definitely “pray over my flocks and fields!” One town is
really difficult, but at least the missionaries for that area already have a
place of their own. They just have a commute that wastes their time and
gas.
Yesterday (Saturday) morning we went to the Fresno temple. It
is within fifteen minutes of our place. Luckily, someone had reminded us
that here one must make an appointment first. It’s a lovely small temple,
reminiscent of the one in St. Paul in some respects. We were glad to be
there. Like smaller homes, smaller temples can have a “cozy” feeling.
In Sunday School last week, the teacher gave everyone the
opportunity to tell about an experience they’d had with the Holy Ghost.
The bishop told about a time when he was young and planning to marry, but he
and his fiancée argued continually. One day while they were arguing the
thought suddenly and forcefully came to him that they should not be planning to
marry. He broke it off right away and always felt that was exactly the
right thing for both of them. Later, when he learned what the Holy Spirit
was, he finally understood where that idea had come from.
His wife Gail told about when she had gone through losing her
hearing. It was a prolonged process. Twice she heard a real voice
counsel her. The first time it said, ”You have to be patient.” After one
effort to treat her problem began, she heard the voice tell her that the
treatment was not the solution, but that it would come. Two years later
the technology for cochlear implants was sufficient for her to have one and she
has been able to function well ever since. She believes the voice she
heard to be the Holy Spirit.
