Christmas Book

In this part of the Rochester Mission our Site Supervisors, Elder & Sister Searle, are making a book for each of us for Christmas.  It is to have blessings, tender mercies and spiritual experiences of the missionaries serving here in the Palmyra area.  We were each asked to submit something for the book.  Here is what we've submitted.  We decided on this because it's not too personal and it's very different than most will submit, we think.

Tender Mercies, Blessings & Miracles have been part of our mission since before we actually left home.  From the very time our acceptance letter was mailed away we have been the recipients of miracles.  The Lord is good and has given much more to us than we can ever offer in our service here in the Cradle of the Restoration, or ever.

We know that because we are here serving full time, our families back home have been blessed with blessings that we have all been praying for, for a very long time. 

Here we see tender mercies almost daily.  One happened shortly after arriving here but started back home just one week before we entered the MTC.  Elder Poulson has, for years, carried a “Gratitude Rock” in his pocket.  Each evening he places it on the dresser along with his keys, wallet and change.  Each morning he places it back into his pocket. Morning and evening and several times each day he touches his “Gratitude Rock” and pauses for just a moment as he reflects on all of the blessings in his life.  His rock helps him to remember to have a grateful heart.  Every once in a while, he will surrender his rock to a friend or family member who hears his story and wants a “gratitude rock” too. 

Shortly before our mission, Elder Poulson gave his long-time gratitude rock to a family member.  It was a sweet gesture on Elder Poulson’s part but now he needed to find another “special rock”.  He decided to go up into the American Fork Canyon, find a special rock from one of our favorite places, and take it on his mission. 

He searched along the river bank and found several “candidates”.  While he was searching, I decided to search for a rock too.  I walked along the bank near our picnic table looking for a special rock.  I spied a rock partly buried in the dirt; it was dark with a stripe of white across it.  I dug it out and brushed it off and there was the almost perfect heart-shaped rock with a white stripe right through the middle.  It was the perfect rock.  I hurried back to Elder Poulson handed him the rock and watched a great big smile develop as he realized it was a heart.  He vowed to always carry it and never give that one away.

Fast forward to a month into our mission and here is the “rest of the story”:

One morning we were assigned to transplant some vinca at the very top of the Hill Cumorah. It was a beautiful day and we were mostly alone near Moroni as we dug up and then replanted vinca in bare spots along the path that leads to the monument.

Elder Poulson commented, “We are digging in the very same hill that Moroni dug in”. 

And then he said, “It would be cool to find another heart-shaped rock right here on the Hill Cumorah”.

It was just a few minutes later than Elder Poulson exclaimed, “Here, look at this”.

I looked, and there in his palm was a small, perfectly heart-shaped rock.  And then, he gave his “find” to me.  (I ask you, what are the chances of that happening.)

I don’t carry it with me for fear of losing it.  It is small and reminds me of the “conversation hearts” we all purchase at Valentine’s.  But I keep it with my ear rings and every day I see it and remember just one of the thousands of “Tender Mercies” from the Lord.

Part of what I was assigned to do this past week was to put up the tree and nativity sets at our 4 sites.  Here is the tree I set up at the Smith Farm in the Welcome Center. 

Here are two of our site missionaries who were more than happy to help with the decorations.  Winter has set in and the site missionaries have very little traffic through the sites and they get awfully bored.  This is Sister Howell and Sister Hansen.  Their husbands were around, one taking this picture and the other in the office.  We are making eternal friends here on our mission.