The Other Side of Town

Brother Bell suggested that we ride with him into the shattered part of Christchurch.  Many of the pictures we took are blurry—taken from the window of a moving car.  We came back with many questions.  Where will all of these people live?  Are we just taking up space here that is needed by others?  How will they ever get back to normal?  Where and when will the next one hit?

Army and police are at every intersection that leads into the heart of downtown where all the loss of life took place.  Out in the residential area, there was not nearly the loss of life, but property damage is tremendous and the roads are nearly impassable.

These huge piles of dirt line the sides of all the roads.  They are the remnants of the liquefaction.

New Zealand and Christchurch had the nicest roads.  Now….

Notice the SUV across the river, stuck in a sink hole.

This bus has been stuck in front of Candace’s house for three days.

This stretch of road sank to the level of the lake that is off to the left.

Miriam and her family have been living in this tent, afraid to go in their house that was hammered by the quake.

Twenty five seconds can turn people’s lives upside down, as can a few words from a Doctor.  My heart right now is with my nieces Sonja and Alisa.  I love you both.

Emergency 101

I’ve attended many emergency preparedness classes offered by Relief Societies in my day.  I have listened and heard, but some of it has gone in one ear and out the other.  The situation in Christchurch following the February 22 earthquake has helped me see how important that information is.  There are certain things that are essential, others would just make life more pleasant.  We are in the part of town which sustained the least damage.  We spend our time in buildings that are quite earthquake proof, for they have withstood all of the previous rumblings with very little damage.  So, realizing that we have many amenities that others do not, I still present my list of necessities.

#1 WATER.  To my children—if you have not filled up those 50 gallon drums we gave you for Christmas a while ago, do so now!  Even though we are part of the 20% of the population to have water restored, it has to be boiled before we can drink it or use it to wash dishes, etc.  Because our mission president has been adamant about all his missionaries having a 72 hour emergency kit, John has been filling every used container with water.  We have a good supply of drinking water and I’m grateful for that.  However, for those with no water stored, drinking water has to be trucked into the city and people must wait in long lines to receive it.  Bottled water in the stores is completely gone. 

The water situation is a difficult one for someone like me with OCD (of the cleanliness variety) and hypochondria (I hear about the fear of bacteria born diseases from contaminated water and think maybe I have cholera).  The pumps that pump sewage to the facilities are gone, and so the sewage is getting into the rivers.  They are afraid that water will seep down and contaminate the drinking water.  Which leads me to #2 on my list…

#2 PORT-A-POTTY.  Again, to my children—some day that wonderful port-a-potty we gave you for Christmas one year, might become your most valuable asset.  We have been told not to flush our toilets and to dig a hole in the back yard.  When Vicky Steenblik gave her lesson on being prepared for just this type of thing, I ran right out and bought everything on her list.  Mine is downstairs in my basement in Bountiful—I should have made it part of my 100 pounds of luggage I got to bring.  Martin Bourne has been very resourceful and I am extremely jealous of the loo he made for his family.  They said we could use it any time, but it is rather inconvenient—a 15 minute walk from our flat.

Nice private spot in the backyard…

Sheltered from the elements…

All that is necessary to take care of business.

#3 BATTERY OPERATED RADIO AND FLASHLIGHTS WITH BATTERIES IN THEM.  Right after the earthquake there was no power for about 6 or 7 hours, at least for us.  40% of the city is still without power after 48 hours.  The pitch darkness can be very frightening—working flashlights are a good thing.  Also, we knew that the quake had been a bad one, we could not get away from the institute building because the traffic was horrendous, and we had no way of knowing what was going on in other parts of the city.  Many of the students had family spread all over and they were eager to hear what was going on.  The phone systems became jammed immediately, and yesterday, people were still receiving texts that had been sent 24 hours earlier.  We did listen to the radios in our cars.  They were our only access to news.  I received a call on our cell phone from Jill about 2 hours after the quake.  She told me of the news coverage she was watching.  Hers was the first sense we had of the awful destruction.  News gets to people outside the emergency zone, but a radio is very useful for those in the middle of the mess.

#4  A CAR FULL OF FUEL.  You know those people who never let their car be less than 1/2 full?  They’re brilliant.  We have very little gas and, should we have to leave this area in a hurry, we would be out of luck.  For two days we have been trying to find a gas station that is open.  We finally found one this morning, but had to wait in a long line and we found that those who didn’t go out early this morning are out of luck.  Most of the gas stations have signs out, “NO FUEL”.

We did not have to drive anywhere on the day of the quake, but those who did said it was horrible.  It took them hours to cover a distance that usually takes minutes.  It would have been horrible to be stuck in a traffic jam and run out of fuel.

This bumper to bumper traffic in front of the institute went on for hours after the quake.  People who traveled across town said there were holes the size of swimming pools in the road with cars in them.

Lines to get into the gas station.  This line was shorter than most because they were only selling diesel.

#5 FUEL FOR COOKING.  Fill an extra tank for your BBQ grill.  Our friends the Bells live on the east side of the city, a part of town that got hit hard.  They have three children with their families who live very near them.  Two of their three children’s homes were destroyed.  They are living in tents in their backyards.  The Bell’s house weathered the shaking well, but they are still without water or electricity and we heard on the news that it might be well over a week before they get it back on.  They can’t drink the water without boiling it, and they need fuel to boil the water.  I think the Bells are going to move in with us for a while and I wish they’d bring their kids, too. 

#6 FOOD.  I put this a little further down the list because I am amazed at how far you can stretch food that you have at home.  Our fridge was nearly empty and our cupboards were bare, but we could keep ourselves going pretty well and the grocery stores were the first things to open up.  It was interesting as we shopped this morning to see what was not available in the store—the basics.  There was very little flour and the bottled water and milk were completely gone.  Have the basics and some cans of food that don’t need to be cooked.

We have all been advised to stay home, to drive as little as possible, and to stay away from the central city.  We have still not seen the damage personally—we see what is on TV and we hear from people who have driven through.  The army is out and police arrest people who go into the CBD (central business district).  It is dangerous and they are still attempting to recover missing people from the rubble.  They have also suggested that anyone who can, should leave the city.  They have offered very inexpensive domestic flights and the airport is flying people out by the thousands.  Many are going, but that is not a possibility for so many more.   The schools and universities are out indefinitely.  I’m very worried about what will happen to this city.  So many people will be without jobs and without places to live.  There will be a severe housing shortage—I think I heard on the news last night that 2 out of 3 homes were damaged. 

We still haven’t heard from many of our students.  We know that Patty’s house was destroyed, and we have heard that there was no loss of life amongst the members.  The church buildings, however, are a different story.  The September earthquake left two of the four churches in the city uninhabitable.  We have heard that this one may have wiped out the other two.  No word yet on whether there will be church meetings on Sunday.  We are planning on institute tonight for all who are still left in Christchurch and would like to be with their friends. 

Those of you have been reading this blog all along might remember a part of town called Lyttleton where the main port or harbor for Christchurch is located (December 4th blog).  The epicenter for this quake was in Lyttleton and that little town that reminded me of Park City is mostly destroyed.  Also, in that same blog, are pictures of Canterbury Cathedral, a beautiful building and one of Christchurch’s famous landmarks.  It was destroyed.  In my November 27th blog I showed pictures of Sumner, one of our favorite spots with a beautiful beach.  It, too, sustained major damage.

The aftershocks continue, but there don’t seem to be as many—either that or we’re getting used to them.  We are blessed to have such good and kind friends.  The Bournes have fed us and offered the use of their loo.  The young adults have checked on us and been concerned about our well-being.  The Bells keep us entertained and laughing.  Our friends and family at home have been so concerned and we have loved hearing from so many of you.  We have been spared, but so many have not.  It is heartbreaking to watch people still waiting and hoping that their loved ones will be found alive.  Life is such a blessing.  Hug those who are close to you, and hug my family for me if you see them.  We love you all so much!

We are still planning our trip down south this coming weekend.  It will be nice to have a daily shower and to use flushing toilets. 

Shaken But All In One Piece

Jill suggested that I write a short post just to let everyone know that we are alive and okay after this afternoon’s earthquake.  At 1:00 p.m. we were at the institute visiting with people who had dropped in for a chat (today was the first day of University), when the building started shaking much more severely then anything we have experienced in the past.  Many of those with us had experienced the September earthquake and said this one felt worse.  It felt worse because the epicenter was much closer and the quake was very shallow.  The institute building is strong and weathered the shaking well.  Our flat is undamaged as well.  The roads around our home have deep potholes in places and other sections are raised up.  We are without water, but the power just came on after six hours.  Other than that, we see very little damage here.  The city center, and the eastern side of the city closer to the ocean, are badly damaged. 

We taught an early morning seminary class today.  On the way home, John suggested that we stop at the grocery store.  Being a very inspired missionary, I suggested we wait until we had finished our work for the day.  So, now we have very little food and we think the stores will be closed for some time. 

Those are little concerns.  I am only hoping that all of our Young Single Adults and their families are safe.  Many of them, when the university was evacuated, came across the street to the institute building.  There they spent hours trying to reach family members.  Alice finally found that her mother, who was working in a 5 story building downtown, walked away unhurt when the building lay in a heap of rubble.  Patty’s father emailed her and told her to stay where she was—there was no home to come to.  David got a text from his brother saying, “We need you”, and then lost contact.  He never did get his parents.  I’m dreading the news we might receive tomorrow.  We love these kids.

The aftershocks just keep coming.  Some of them are very sizeable.  I’m sure that we won’t get much sleep tonight.  It’s amazing how powerless we really are as humans.  There’s nothing like a natural disaster to drive that point home.  All you can do is cling to the people around you.

We are well and no one needs to worry about us.  Pray for those who are suffering around us. 

Teaching No Greater Call

As a child, I loved to play school.  The far corner of the recreation room (now-a-days we would call it the family room) in my parent’s home was my classroom.  I can remember spending hours making math papers and spelling tests. There was a corkboard on the wall where I could tack the completed work of my pupils.  Pupils?  There were the obvious candidates—my five younger brothers.  Some of them were more willing than others. (Now that I think about it, I would be willing to bet that Scott had the edge on his fellow students at MIT because of his early beginnings in my class.  Maybe not, by the time he was old enough to participate I would have been beyond playing school.  Paul, though, probably should have acknowledged the jumpstart I gave him on his application for Commissioner of Church Education.)  When they had had enough, there were the Holmsteads or the Schoonmakers. 

It was not difficult for me to decide on a major in college—elementary education.  I knew it from the first semester.  I took only those courses that were required and was through in three years.  I loved my years as a teacher and when I had kids of my own and stayed home to raise them, I missed being in the classroom. 

As this mission provides so many opportunities to teach, I am remembering why I love it so much.  It is fulfilling and rewarding.  I learn so much as I prepare lessons, and I learn even more when the students share their knowledge and experience.  This week in our institute class ‘Presidents of the Church’, we finished up a two week lesson on Joseph Smith.  The first week I asked the students to spend some time during the coming week, searching their hearts to evaluate how they felt about this great prophet.  Did they know for themselves that he had seen the Father and the Son?  Did they know that he had been given authority from God to restore the church with all the ordinances necessary for exaltation?  This week I finished by asking if anyone felt comfortable sharing what they had discovered.  It was the best part of the class as several students told of their journeys to gain a firm testimony of Joseph Smith.  Their sincere and humble testimonies invited the Holy Ghost and He testified to our minds and our hearts. 

Teaching the online seminary class is a completely different experience, but a good one as well.  Students work through lessons on the computer.  These lessons help students discover principles in a scripture block and then try to get them to arrive at some application for that principle in their lives.  Their responses, usually in the form of essays, are sometimes so insightful that all I have to do is cheer them on as I respond to each one.  Others need a longer response…”Did you ever think about this?”, or “That’s true, and so is the fact that….”.   It was wonderful to hear from one mother that her sons’ attitude toward scripture study has dramatically improved.  One Grandmother wrote that her grandson doesn’t say much, but she has noticed that he comes right in from school and sits down at the computer to do seminary.  It is wonderful to see how much the Lord wants these kids to learn.  If they will give some effort, he will help them feel the spirit even when receiving lessons over the internet.

Sometimes we get to plan and prepare for the lessons we teach.  Sometimes we get no preparation.  Yesterday, after sacrament meeting in the Cashmere ward, we were asked to teach the youth class in Sunday School.  Their teacher was not there.  Last night we found that one of our early morning seminary teachers was in the hospital, and John had to teach that class at 6 a.m. this morning.  I will be teaching it tomorrow morning. 

Some of the YSA girls have been wanting to learn to sew.  They say it is very difficult to find modest clothes and think that it would be fun to make their own.  So, I started a sewing class on Saturday morning.  This Saturday we went to the fabric store and looked for patterns that would be relatively easy for beginners and learned about fabrics.  They are starting with skirts.  I’m hoping we can round up enough sewing machines for everyone and I’m hoping that each machine comes with an instruction manual or I won’t be able to thread them properly. 

Piano lessons are progressing well.  This week we got Vine Touli ready to play for church on Sunday.  She already played a little bit before she started lessons with me, and she has much natural talent.  She has been working on three of the simplified hymns, and they sounded good enough for sacrament meeting.  I worked with Sala, her younger sister, who will be the chorister.  I can’t wait to hear how it went. 

Star, Diana, and Trubecca (all from the same family with a last name I can’t spell or say), come to piano lessons each week with an eagerness that never subsides.  Each week as they take their place at the piano, they play their assigned exercises with correctness.  They do not have a piano in their home and when I say to them, “You’ve been practicing haven’t you?”, they smile and say, “Yes.”  I ask them if they have been coming to the church to practice, and they look surprised and say, “No.  We practice on that cardboard keyboard you gave us.”   It was such fun to give them one of the electronic keyboards that the music department sent out.  They were so grateful and so excited.  Their mother couldn’t hug me tightly enough.  A wealthy couple gave a grant to the church for developing keyboarding skills so that congregations around the world can have music in their meetings.  How wonderful is that?  These courses are usually taught by senior missionaries, but sometimes members of a stake or CES workers can teach this piano course.  I’ve never loved teaching piano before but I’m loving it now.  Perhaps it is because these kids are so eager, so grateful, and some of them, so gifted.

Star, Diana, and Trubecca.  Diana is quite possibly the most angelic child I have ever met.  There is something so sweet and wonderful about her.  Look at her eyes, I think you can see it in her.

Vine Touli, ready for her debut in sacrament meeting.  Matt and his dad are very impressed.

The Touli family provided these treats for everyone after piano lessons.  They cannot afford to do this, but these people are generous to a fault.  From left to right; Sala, Matta, Lote, and Matt.  The girls are all Toulis.  Sala is probably one of the brightest and most talented kids I’ve known. 

Some of the YSA after Institute on Thursday.  They are GREAT!

There is a boy’s school somewhere near the institute.  These boys walk by every afternoon.  I think they look so cute.  I should have made my little brothers wear uniforms.  I think they would have behaved better.   

This week we have a heavy teaching schedule and then we start another trip south on Saturday.  We will be gone for four days and plan to return up the middle of the island—some places we haven’t seen before.  The weeks are flying by now.    

All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience

I realize that Joseph Smith received the revelation containing these words when he was in Liberty Jail, experiencing one of the darkest times of his life.  I have been thinking of them this week in an entirely different light, about how my life’s experiences have prepared me to do what is required on this mission.  I suppose that was God’s plan in the first place.

I have been so glad that I accepted callings—even the ones I felt totally unqualified for.  It was a frightening thing to be the gospel doctrine teacher, but those years of study and preparation gave me a background in the scriptures that is invaluable in teaching seminary and Institute classes.  Sometimes, if I pray and try really hard, I can actually retrieve some of that information from my old brain.  Every calling I have ever had taught me something new and prepared me for future assignments. 

I’ve been grateful for my experiences as a mother—even the ones I totally blew.  As these young adults speak to me of their homes and families (some of them have come from very difficult circumstances), I am a better listener and sometimes I can even offer some counsel and advice.  I feel for them, and I feel for their parents.  My children have been my best instructors in this course called “Life”.

I’m appreciative of parents who encouraged me to develop my talents and get an education.  It seems that I’m using all those education classes, and all the money spent on those degrees did not go to waste after all. I’m grateful for every class I took (well maybe not physics), every bit of research I did, and every paper I ever wrote.  If I didn’t learn something about the subject, I at least learned something about the process of learning.

It was a good thing that I accompanied so many choirs and soaked in the knowledge of so many wonderful choir directors.  From Eugene Tueller at Logan High, to Roger Hale, Margo Wilson, and Clothield Rogers, I have spent many, many hours on a piano bench listening to directors get wonderful things from non-professional choirs.  I can mimic what I have watched them do.

I was smart to take organ lessons and to go with Mary Kate to her piano lessons, so that I could observe Beverly Merrill use the skills she has honed to perfection.  I think about her every week as I teach these beautiful little piano students.  (By the way, the keyboards came from Salt Lake today.  My students in Ashburton are going to have something to practice on.  I feel so blessed to belong to a church like this; I just called the music department, told them what I needed, and I got three keyboards in a week.)  

All of my challenges have taught me how to seek guidance from the Spirit—something that is essential every day on a mission.  The chance to try that process over and over has taught me that it really does work and helped me to recognize the Spirit when it comes. 

I thought that living by Felisi Iosefa for a few years in Bountiful would have helped me prepare to attend the Wainoni Ward this past Sunday.  Surely I would be able to understand something in Samoan.  Nope, not a word.

This week we attended the funeral for President Johnston.  His little Ashburton Branch sang their hearts out, and the Relief Society sisters fed all the four or five hundred people that attended. 

We had the kick-off social for Institute.  University starts again in a week.  We had quite a crowd and I taught my first class—Presidents of the Church.  Margaret asked me to make cinnamon rolls for 60.  Thanks Mom and Grandma for teaching me how to make bread with just my hands for mixing. 

Ryan, Abby, Patty, and Rigel

Trevor and Brodie

There is something so energizing and fun about being with these Young Single Adults. 

I know that people back home love seeing the beautiful sights of New Zealand.  I can’t let them down, so this week I’m posting a picture of what I think is the most beautiful thing in this country…

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY JOHNNY!!!!!

Carpe Diem

I’ve been thinking about that phrase which I have always heard translated as ‘seize the day’, but which more correctly means ‘trusting as little as possible in the future’, and another similar Latin phrase, ‘momento mori’, which means ‘remember that you are mortal’.  I have always had a tendency to wish my life away; “if I can just make it through this next week”, or “as soon as this issue is resolved”, etc.. I hope that I learn to appreciate and embrace every moment before it is too late.  There are so many good experiences, so many beautiful sights, so many wonderful people, and so many glorious feelings happening in the now.  If I’m always looking to tomorrow, or next week, I miss them entirely.  It is a blessing to know how to live in the ‘now’.  I want to learn how to do that and this mission seems to be nudging me in that direction.

Last week I wrote about Tui Jameson-Day who lost her husband in a motorcycle accident.  I finally got a picture of her so that people back home could visualize who I was talking about.  She is as beautiful on the outside as she is inside.

Wednesday night we were invited to dinner at Gordon and Colleen Ryan’s home in Kaiapoi.  Gordon is an American, and his wife is a Kiwi. 

Their home was lovely, the food was out of this world, and the conversation was fascinating.  Gordon and Colleen are both converts to the church.  Gordon’s conversion story is a common one, he was introduced to the church when some of his high school friends invited him to play on the church softball team.  He joined the church in Texas, spent some time in the marines, and then served a mission in Norway.  He got married, had three kids, was later divorced, and lived in many countries and different states in the U.S. 

Colleen’s conversion story was anything but normal.  She was raised in an entirely non-religious family.  She was married with three daughters and was the matriarch of a home where God was never discussed, prayers were never offered, and no one attended church.  She had never even thought about what happens to a person after he dies, until her best friend lost her mother.  Her friend’s children were asking questions, and Colleen was called on to give them answers.  When the kids asked where their grandmother was, Colleen said, “Well, I suppose she’s in heaven.”  She tried to recall anything she might have read or heard that she could offer as comfort to these grieving children.  This experience made her wonder for the first time and she began a quest for knowledge. For the first time in her life, she knelt down and prayed.  While on her knees, she felt something very real, and when she got up from that prayer, she knew that she had a Father in Heaven and that He loved her.  She wanted to know more.  She remembered that she and her friends, as young girls, had found it funny to ‘dial a prayer’ and giggle at the answers they received.  So, she looked in the phone book, and sure enough, there was a number for ‘dial a prayer’.  She rang the number and heard a voice quoting something from ‘Corinthians'.  The verse was applicable to what she wondered about, but she had no idea what ‘Corinthians’ was.  She wondered if it might be in the Bible.  She went to a book store and asked to purchased a Bible.

She took that Bible to a coffee shop next door and, keeping the book on her lap under the table so that no one could see it, she started looking for Corinthians.  A man walked in and asked if he could join her.  She reluctantly said, “Yes.”  He said to her, “I can help you find what you’re looking for.  I’m a Christian.”  She was so surprised because she had kept the Bible hidden.  She told him what she was looking for, he recognized the verse, and turned directly to Corinthians.  He took her to a nearby Anglican Church and introduced her to the vicar.  She attended some services there, but could make no sense of it. She was seeking more of what she felt when she prayed.

One of Colleen’s sisters was living in America and had joined the Mormon Church.  Colleen had always thought that her sister was crazy and that the Mormon Church was way too strange, but she wrote her sister and asked her a few questions.  Her sister sent her a very long letter explaining many of the beliefs that she had embraced.  They were just too weird.  A few days later, she found that her sister had contacted the missionaries and they would be coming to Colleen’s door.  Her husband told her that she was not to let the Mormons into their house.  She prayed that she would have the strength to tell them to leave.  When they arrived on her doorstep, she said she couldn’t even open her mouth.  They came in, they taught her, and she felt as though she was on fire from head to toe.  The Spirit testified in a way that was undeniable and there was no turning back.  Much to her husband’s dismay, she was baptized within days.  Her husband told her that she could never discuss her faith in her home, she could never share her beliefs with her daughters, and her life became extremely difficult.  She lost all of her friends, she nearly got divorced, and as the years went on things only got worse.  Her husband’s heart never softened before he was killed in a boating accident.

She later married Gordon and they have split the last twenty plus years between the US and New Zealand.

Gordon was a city planner and has written several books.  If you look on Amazon you can see a list of his books—they are LDS fiction.  He’s quite the story-teller.

We knew that many of the houses around the Ryan’s home were going to be torn down due to extensive damage from the earthquake.  When we drove down their street, it looked like a beautiful neighborhood.  We told Gordon that it looked like everything was undamaged.

Gordon and Colleen Ryan’s home in Kaiapoi.

Looking across the street from Ryan’s home.

  He took us down the street and showed us…

From the middle of the road to a grove of trees 600 meters away, the earth opened up and added an additional 6 meters.  In the process, these homes were split in two.

Thursday nights are getting to be all-night marathons.  It seems there are always kids who want to stay after institute and talk.  We pray for inspiration.  We want to help these kids that we love so much.  This week we were there till after midnight, and we had to be back to the institute building by 6:30 the next morning for online seminary weekly meeting, which is held on the internet and over the phone.  Something was wrong with ‘meeting place’ and we were unable to connect.  We hope Salt Lake gets all the problems ironed out by next week.  We’ll try again.

I am finding this online seminary class very rewarding.  It takes a lot of time to manage it, but we had lots of good feed back this week and I love the kids in this class already.   They want to learn.  They want to make right choices.  They want to gain a testimony.  We feel blessed to be a small part of their lives.  

Saturday was the Christchurch Stake Picnic.  It was held at ‘The Groynes’, a lovely wooded spot for picnics and group parties.   There were volleyball games, sack races, rugby matches, an inflatable castle, face painting and a BBQ.  Every New Zealand cookout has the same food;  sausages, nothing like our hotdogs except the shape, served on a very thin slice of buttered bread, with ketchup and grilled onions.  This time they had some hamburger patties and some punch to drink as well.

The young man in the plaid shirt is Trevor Anderson, our YSA stake rep.

These guys play to win.  The cheating starts here and leads to…

Lolly scramble for the kids.  The kids, so beautiful….

Yesterday, Sunday was New Zealand Day or Waitangi Day—the equivalent of our 4th of July, but we saw very few signs of any celebration.  In 1840 a treaty was signed at Waitangi between some of the Maori people and the British.  It seems the British misrepresented a few things, the Maori people gave up many rights and sold their lands for practically nothing—all the while not even understanding the concept of ownership.  Rather than provide a time to feel unity and a sense of national pride, it seems that this day only serves to recall and dredge up hostilities.

It was also 36 or 37 degrees—very, very hot—and without air conditioners, of course everyone would be out of sorts.

At the picnic, John took a picture of the Johnstons.  He has been the President of the Ashburton Branch, one of our favorite branches to visit.  He told us about his branch members and expressed his joy that there were no problems there.  Everyone gets along so well, and when they sing…it makes you weep.

President and Sister Johnston on Saturday afternoon.  In church on Sunday, they announced that he had died in the night—a massive heart attack.  His Branch and all of us will sorely miss this wonderful man.  I am going to live in the now.  I am going to embrace the moment. 

President and Sister Johnston and members of the Ashburton Branch.  Saturday, February 5, 2011.