Our Friends, Elder and Sister Western

We will miss Elder and Sister Western so much.  They have become such good friends. Their one year mission ends this week and they will head back to their home in Alpine, Utah.  This past Sunday Elder Western’s sister LuAnn Hemmingway and her husband Mike came to Arcade to visit with them.  The four decided to come over to the Cattaraugus area and drive down to Lake Erie.  We had a pleasant visit in our apartment then followed them down to the beach and took some photos.  Brother Hemmingway was mission president of the Rochester New York Mission just prior to President Christianson.  He and his wife were interested in returning and visiting their old mission area after being home for three years.

Corn Soup Open House

After attending the worldwide missionary broadcast Elder Jeppesen and I determined to move ahead with an idea presented by having open houses in our Cattaraugus Meetinghouse.  I was not optimistic we would draw anyone in but was willing to try on the hopes of finding more investigators.  Elder Jeppesen and I spent considerable time gathering information for a historical summary of the Branch and of the Meetinghouse.  I typed these up and mounted the information and photos on a large foam board.  As we gathered this information I learned that there were three phases of construction making up the lovely little meetinghouse and that these were paid for in large part by the making and selling of corn soup and corn bread on the reservation.  We ordered a sign that said “Open House, public invited,” put a notice in the Pennysaver, and started having open houses at the church on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 2-8 pm.  The open house was barely attended at first but it made the Branch Presidency start talking about ways to entice people to visit.  President Jones had often told us how much the Indians like their traditional corn soup, always stating in the same breath, it’s not easy to make, but the people love it!  One evening President Jones taught we six missionaries how to make corn soup.  It’s a long, laborious process involving cooking Iroquois white corn in boiling water filled with ashes from hard wood trees for hours until the outer shell is dissolved, then scrubbing the corn with serious muscle power until the eyes are all removed.  After this, a lump of salt pork and a few kidney beans are added and it is cooked again for several hours.  With this new idea, a free bowl of corn soup for everyone who visits, the open houses began to draw a few more visitors.  We had a new sign made to add to the former.  This one saying, “Corn Soup, free.”  Hopefully, the attendance will continue to grow.  Our plan is to make corn soup and have the open house on Fridays and Saturdays every weekend.  Already we have seen our corn soup open houses show results.  Who knows where it will lead.  We Just tell our visitors, “This nice Meetinghouse was built with the sales of corn soup.  Now we want to say ‘Thank You’ back.”  It seems to be an effective, enticing angle.

Mike and Marlene Sternisha go to the Temple

It has been one year since Mike and Marlene Sternisha were baptized.  Last month we were able to be their escorts as they went through the temple for their own endowments.  It was a beautiful summer day.  Sixteen others accompanied them in the session and witnessed their sealing.  Ten of the sixteen were young missionaries who also taught, visited and came to love Brother and Sister Sternisha. 

The Fields of Southwestern New York

The area here is always lush and green.  Elder Jeppesen is awed by the farming enterprises we see as we drive throughout the mission area.  We have been watching the fields on the intersection of Brant/Reservation Road and Milestrip.  The first year was planted in cabbage but because the season was so dry, even with an overhead sprinkler the cabbage was unable to grow as it should. The inside was too hard so they simply plowed many acres of cabbage back into the ground.  This year it was planted with tomatoes.  The effort was very labor intensive, with plastic sheeting covering the mounds, a drip system with fertilizer added to the water, and staked up so the tomatoes could be supported.  We were told these could be picked green and shipped.  They grew to plants of all sizes.  We were totally amazed at how fast they grew once all the labor involved in planting was completed.

With the Senior Couples in Letchworth Park

The Senior Couples working at the church history sites in Palmyra get together every two weeks for socials.  We are always invited to these but it is just too far to travel.  Still, it is so fun to get together with the other seniors, especially those who are MLS (Member Leader Support) missionaries like we are.  It is therapeutic to share experiences and frustrations and a strong bond naturally develops.  We have so enjoyed getting together with the Westerns, the Woods, and more recently, the Snarrs, the Youngs, and the Woodworths.  They are all such inspiring people.   On August 16 we arranged to meet in the beautiful Letchworth Park.  We hiked to the railroad tressel above the falls, took some great photos, and had a delicious dinner at the Glen Iris Inn.  The Westerns were aware it was my birthday the next day and had ordered a scrumptious chocolate birthday cake from the restaurant so we could all enjoy birthday cake for dessert.  It was a birthday dinner to remember. 

Jackie is Baptized!

Our newest investigator, Jackie Jamieson, was baptized September 7.  We were privileged to take her and the Elders to see the church history sites in Palmyra. Sister Jamieson’s son Clarence became acquainted with Elder Wood in their home ward on the Salt River Reservation.  Clarence learned Elder Wood was coming to Cattaraugus and asked him to find and teach his mother.  Sister Jamieson lives with four other children and three grandchildren in a mobile home on the Rez.  She has many relatives and friends on the Rez but none except Clarence is interested in the church.  Sister Jamieson traveled to Arizona last year and visited with Clarence and his wife and children.  The spirit touched her strongly as she visited the Mesa Temple with them and she realized she had to change her life.  We have been inspired by her strength and determination. The family is already being blessed because of her decision.  Sister Jamieson was taught the lessons in our apartment. Clarence was able to fly home and baptize and confirm his mother.  Jackie has so much influence on so many here.  Our love and prayers are with her as she makes these major changes.

Jeri, Dan, Hayden, Jack and Libby Visit New York

When we think of high points in our mission it always includes those special visits from family and friends back home.  Just a short time before Jeri’s family came out to visit, their oldest son Hayden received his mission call to Neuquen, Argentina.  Our oldest grandchild!  It was so wonderful having them with us as we toured the church history sites and wandered through the sacred grove.  Hayden left for the MTC just shortly after their visit.  We were able to get a photo of our handsome missionary standing next to the “apostle tree” and see him once more before he left.  Such a good time—Jeri, Dan, Hayden, Jack and Libby—all here in New York with Grandpa and Grandma!  They even timed it so they were able to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant with us.  It meant so much!

While at the Kirtland Temple site we met a young family dressed like Joseph Smith, Emma and their children.  The mother is writing a children’s book and the family was visiting church history sites to take photos for illustrating the book.  She took our name and email address.   Who knows, maybe down the road we will be able to purchase a copy of her book. 

A Fun Birthday Party for Three

Elder Wood has a special “in” with the folks here, being ¾ Navaho and ¼ Pima Indian.  His home is on the Salt River Pima Reservation near Scottsdale Arizona.  Elder Wood celebrated his 25^th birthday August 19, 2013.  For my birthday Elder Wood gave me a beautiful glass bead Indian necklace he made.  With my birthday on the 17^th and our neighbor in the apartment Kirk Magnus’ birthday on the 18^th, we all got together for a fun birthday celebration in the backyard.  Kirk and Rachel (his wife? You never know) made Buffalo Wings and Pizza for us.  We invited the Gowanda Elders too.  After dinner we played “Minute to win it” games.  We had a great time!  Kirk and Rachel find it difficult to understand what we missionaries are all about as reflected in Rachel’s comment at the end of the party, “So this is what a G rated party is like!”  Both have serious drug and alcohol problems.  We have tried to help but they are not yet ready.  Nevertheless we have become good friends. Rachel is a great cook.  We swap dishes and recipes often. Kirk is a generous-hearted guy and raised a beautiful garden out back.  He has shared all his produce with us this year and it’s been great.  The water here is not drinkable and he has brought us jugs of water from an artesian well since we first arrived.  Did I say they before they’ve become good friends?  Kirk tells everyone how much he’s going to miss us when we leave.

Our Young Elders

It doesn’t take long for us to become quite attached to the young Elders serving with us in the branch. We are often taking them with us to visit the sites or traveling to district and/or zone meetings. Taking them out for lunch afterwards is a weekly affair.  When district meeting is in Freedom Branch (Arcade) our Cattaraugus group joins the Freedom group and we go to the Pizza Hut buffet.  On the opposite week when the meeting is in Cattaraugus we go to the Native Pride Restaurant on the Rez.  This little excursion gives us a chance to catch up with the latest from our senior cohorts the Westerns, and gives the young Elders a chance to socialize.  Until recently when Elder Jeppesen was released as Branch Mission Leader, we held the weekly missionary meetings in our apartment and fed the missionaries lunch afterward.   The young Elders living in the apartment below us have also learned they like my chocolate chip cookies and frequently stop in at the end of their day to share experiences and have cookies or root beer floats.

Elder Van Leeuwen celebrated his birthday with us in July so after our dinner I served his favorite dessert, rice pudding. (see photo)

The new mission President, President Francis decided to add two more missionaries to serve in our area.  The Branch area was divided in half and Elder Ivie and Elder Hales now serve in the southern half.  They are living in an apartment Elder Jeppesen and I located for them in Gowanda.  We now refer to those two as the Gowanda Elders and the ones living in our complex the Angola Elders.  Last Sunday was transfer day.  We were happy to learn there were no changes in the missionaries here, but Cattaraugus is now a District of it’s own.  The drive over to Arcade (Freedom Branch) is absolutely beautiful and I’m sure we will miss it but with the Westerns leaving and us just a month later, it will help with milage.