Farewell to Sister Esther Olsen

We went to Central Point to hear Esther's farewell speech. It was amazing. She is enthusiastic, glowing, and full of the Spirit.

I will try to remember (with the help of Grandpa's notes) what she said.

Her first point was that Heavenly Father can use us even with our imperfections. She told the story of a girl she knew at BYU who was relatively new to the church and felt her testimony wasn't very strong. A group went on a hike and that girl was having a hard time breathing so she stayed back resting on a bench. A boy came by and sat down beside her and started up a conversation. He wasn't a member so he began asking her about the Church. She was able to answer his questions and bear her testimony!

Esther said that loving others and teaching with the Spirit were the most important things she would need as a missionary. She used an analogy that God is like oxygen. We don't really think of the oxygen around us and how we need it to survive. God is around us too even though we're not aware of it. She talked about how we need to be worthy to have the Spirit with us.

Regarding love she told how when she was younger she was a handful and had a mind of her own. Her Dad would have to correct her but he always did it gently with love.  She knew he loved her even when he was correcting her.

She challenged us to give referrals to the missionaries so they wouldn't have to go tracting!

She bore strong testimony about the apostacy and restoration of the gospel in our day.

We could feel her love and strong spirit. I know she'll be a good servant of the Lord in Brazil.

Maia's dance recital

Brenda said I could blog about this. I think she doesn't have time because she's on a flight to Boston today to see Sheryl and go to a wedding on the Andrus side.  Besides that, I think she equates blogging with bragging, which as a grandmother I'm entitled to do. Right? I don't think it's bragging. I think it's keeping a journal of your life with pictures!

So, yesterday we went up to the temple and then over to Brenda's for a Mexican supper and then to see Maia's dance recital. The theme was a story about princesses and they really did look like princesses--14 little girls in beautiful costumes.

Maia's enthusiastic teacher, Heidi

After the performance with the gparents

There's always a lot going on at Brenda's. Berkeley was ironing a shirt for the prom when we arrived. Sam got up early to go running. His voice is deepening, his fingers are getting longer, and he's acquired a sense of humor. Sydney's bird died while we were gone to the recital. She mourned it fiercely, dug a hole in the flower bed to bury it, and then rallied to give us her report on Emily Dickinson, dressed in a white costume and complete with a memorized poem about a bird that is a symbol of hope. I hope that beloved pets will be resurrected too.

Mother's Day Weekend

Neil came up to do the MacDonald Forest Ultra Marathon (31 miles).  He came in first in the Masters Division (40 and over).  We were proud of him. I can't imagine running that far on forest trails and that fast.

Sisters: prospective missionary and prospective mother

After the race: we're all basking in his achievement

Em has the knack of taking good pictures of us!

After the race we went to a baptism. Eldon has been helping the missionaries with lessons for Mickey and Rose Maloney, a mother and daughter. He gave the talk on baptism and I led the singing. They are enthusiastic new members!

Then we went to dinner at Nearly Normals--a nice mother's day gift. Ken and Polly and Jason came too. And for Gelato afterwards. Yummy. I'm also happy for homemade chocolate granola from Brenda and the DVD of Les Mis from Sheryl.

Sir Andrew and Viola

We were popping buttons off our shirts watching the play Rachel and Robin were in. It was Twelfth Night by Shakespeare.

Rachel played a naive knight with a drinking problem. She evidently got the part because she could burp at will. But she filled it with confidence. She danced, she fenced, she pouted, and could she ever project!

Robin had a difficult part playing a girl who pretended to be her twin brother. She pulled the funniest faces--dismay, surprise, adoration, confusion. She seemed to feel awkward holding her lover's hand at the end of the play.

Ken and Polly sold tickets and helped run the concession stand.

Sydney, Maia and Annie at intermission.

Marvelous

I never cease to marvel how a poet can put so much into so few words.  Case in point, the song we are singing next Sunday in Primary. It's called "I Lived in Heaven."
This is just the third verse:

Jesus was chosen, and as the Messiah he came,
Conquering evil and death through his glorious name,
Giving us hope of a wonderful life yet to be--
Home in that heaven where Father is waiting for me.

And then when you put it to music, it can cause tears to come when you sing it.

Perhaps it's because I have TWO fathers waiting for me!