Inspired

As we sat in Sacrament meeting last week I was overcome with gratitude and filled with a testimony of the truthfulness of this work we are engaged in.  We were sitting next to our dear friends, Mike and Marlene Sternisha, who had just recently set the Aug. 10th date for their baptism.  I looked over the congregation and, surprisingly, there was not one face I didn't recognize.  As the speakers addressed the topic of the Restoration I reflected once more on Joseph Smith and the events leading up to the restoration of the gospel.  We had just returned from Palmyra, having enjoyed the Pageant and stayed at the John Young home, and even done a session at the Palmyra Temple.  Serving here in the cradle of the restoration, and more recently, reflecting often upon the great things that transpired here has been a powerful boost for my personal testimony.  I am so grateful for my knowledge and for the Prophet Joseph.   We are so blessed to "be enlisted."  "Happy are we, Happy are We."

An amazing fact about Southwestern New York that we had not anticipated is that it is made up of countless small towns, each with their own antiquated town center. As an example, here is the town center of Cattaraugus.  Each rural town also has it's own cemetery.  I'm not used to seeing such big cemeteries in such small towns, but I have to remind myself these communities have been populated much longer than those I'm acquainted with in Utah.  As we drive through our branch district it seems the minute we leave one township we drive into another.  Our Branch area includes twenty of these small towns within a 50 by 50 mile area.  This mission requires a lot of driving.  Our first month we put 2500 miles on our car.  Thank goodness we can gas up on the reservation where they don't collect state taxes so we get our gas at quite a discount.

Wampum

Every morning as we leave our apartment at the old schoolhouse we see this wampum sign sitting in the lawn across the street.  The Wampum is important to the Iroquois people.  Hundreds of years ago, back before any Europeans even knew about the new world, five Iroquois tribes, the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk, agreed to stop warring amongst themselves.  They buried their weapons of war  (sound familiar?) under a great pine tree and covenanted never to fight amongst themselves again.  The original Wampum was a wide leather belt made of white and purple shells.  This belt reminded them of their promise.  Later, the Tuscarora tribe joined their confederacy, so later on it was called the six nation confederacy, but this symbol of the Wampum is found everywhere here on the reservation as a reminder of their past.  You can find it on their advertisements, their clothes, public buildings and even on their homes.

Amish Country

It's just a quick drive from where we live to Amish country.   For Pday a couple weeks ago we took a drive through the area they call "Little Valley."  With Judy Kennedy from our branch and her friend PR as our guides, we met several Amish families.  Every one seemed happy to see us and were anxious to share their skills and time.  They all seemed to have time for us. Everyone was so friendly and conversant.  We left feeling like they were good friends. Their shops are open to the public and found on almost every farmstead.   We visited a saddle shop where they were creating flawlessly beautiful leather work; a woodworking shop that sold wooden toys; a bakery with all sorts of yummy goodies; a cheese factory; a sawmill; an iron works shop that produced lawn decor and wind chimes;  on and on.  It was a full day of meeting good folks and growing in appreciation for their skill and dedication.

Cattaraugus Branch has been doing great things lately.  We now have 11 Branch Missionaries working under Elder Jeppesen who is serving as Branch Mission Leader.  Several of the missionaries are young people at or close to missionary age, and having them work at helping us find and teach inactive branch members is a great asset.  Our Young Men's and Young Women's organizations are small but the young people are great.  Here is a photo of them stuffing tithing envelopes for the Branch President.

We spent the 4th of July with the Hocas in Gowanda.  It was a hot, humid day but the barbecued chicken was yummy and the company great.

The Zone leaders were here last week so we had the four missionaries to our apartment for dinner before Branch Missionary meeting held on Tuesday nights.  The missionaries were:  Elder Kitt, Elder Hole, Elder Teichert, and Elder Richardson.