May 15-17 2007

May 15-17

We’re behind in our journaling because we have so much to write about that we keep trying to wait for time to write all of it. But we never find enough time so we just keep getting behind.

Tuesday we went to Tucson. We left early Tuesday morning and had a nice, relaxing day shopping, eating dinner at Tony Roma’s and watching the Jazz game. We stayed and Ray and Sharon’s condo. Thanks so much to them for letting us stay there. On the drive to Tucson we had these cards and we were asking each other questions, like we used to do with the kids when we traveled. One of the questions was, “Who has the most beautiful smile in the world?” Robert’s answer was, “My grandkids.” I loved that.

Wednesday morning we went back to Dr. Walsh, the rheumatologist. We went back before our scheduled appointment June 25 because the lung x-ryas showed that there is some scarring on Robert’s lungs. The scarring could be caused by the Methotrexate he’s beein taking for his arthritis, or it might be caused by the arthritis. Or it could be from a bad cold he’s had sometime. Dr. Walsh says we need to know what’s causing the scarring and so she wants Robert to see a pulmonologist. She set up an appointment for him June 28, and on June 27 he’s scheduled for a lung function test and also needs a CT scan one of those days. Then we’ll see Dr. Walsh again June 29. The results of all these tests will determine whether or not he can continue to take Methotrexate or if his medications needs to be changed.

The piece of news the doctor gave us that we really didn’t want was in relation to the blood tests she ordered. One of the tests was relatively new and is a predictor of the level of severity of the arthritis. The number you want on this test is around 60 and Robert’s number was over 200. This means that he has an aggressive form of arthritis and it needs to be aggressively treated. While we had hoped this test would indicate a milder infection, we are grateful that we’ve been led to a place where he can get the best treatment possible.

After the doctor we headed right back to Cibecue. Five minutes after we arrived Faith came for a piano lesson, so we hit the ground running. Also, we had a message on the answering machine from Thelma that she needed help making a card to put in Jared’s 8th grade graduation announcements inviting people to a reception for him. So between piano students (I had three--Faith, Kyesha, and Naysha) I made a card for them, printed it and Robert delivered the copies. While he was there Naysha called and begged for a ride, so that’s how she got to piano.

Just as I was leaving to take Kyesha and Naysha home, Bonitos came. They were still there when I got back, and we visited for about an hour. Last week we loaned them some money and they came to pay us back today. They are good, trustworthy people.

As soon as Bonitos left Robert went to pick up scouts. They took them to Show Low to swim and didn’t get back home until 10:30. While he was gone I did absolutely nothing. At least one of us was productive for the evening. Thirteen boys went swimming. Robert had 6 in the truck with him and they’re all still living. That alone should qualify him for the Celestial Kingdom.

Now for Thursday. The Elders arrived early this morning. Dr. Walsh gave us a prescription that needed to be filled in Show Low. Robert needed to work on a presentation for Friday and besides he was literally exhausted from Wednesday. So we split company again. I went to Show Low for the prescription and he stayed home and prepared. I met up with LaFawn Wilcock to get the letter the temple sent to Betty Lee. They send the letters to Wilcocks since so few of the people in Cibecue have mailing addresses. When I met her I told her not to tell our mission president that she saw me in town without my companion and wearing flip flops and no nylons. At least I had garments on. President Buttars says his missionaries always “go south” real fast on him out on the reservations. Guess I’m proof of that theory.

I got back to Cibecue at 2:00 and we spent the rest of the afternoon visiting people. It was really a neat day because everywhere we went for some reason the people told us incredibly spiritual experiences they’ve had. We believe the Lord truly loves these people because He speaks to them so directly and tries so hard to reach them.

For example, when we went to the temple with Alfred and Thelma the last time Thelma was crying when she came through the veil. She sat in the Celestial Room and cried for several minutes. Today she told us what happened. She said that at the veil both veil workers were crying as they helped her through the veil. As she stepped through, the receiving brother said to her that the health problems she is having would get better. She said that since that day in the temple her back problems have improved to where she can get around and do things she hasn’t been able to do for a long time. They haven’t gone away but it’s much better. Then as she came through the veil she saw her mother, who was a great influence in her life and had been through the temple also, standing in the Celestial Room. Her mother was dressed in white and very happy that Thelma was there.

Example #2. Myrna. Actually she’s example 2, 3 and 4. First of all she told us that when she was having the baby she was in a lot of pain and felt herself slipping away to another place. In this place she saw a huge staircase leading up to a door. She saw herself at the top of the staircase and she opened the door. Inside was an incredibly beautiful place where she wanted to go. Ahead of her, inside the door, were a few more steps. She realized that she had come all the way up the staircase and had only a few more steps to go until she could be in this beautiful place with her two sons. As we talked about this experience, we all felt that this was symbolic of the covenants she has already completed and the need to now complete her temple work so that she’ll have everything done to get to the Celestial Kingdom.

Then she said that after the baby’s funeral her son, Byron, came over and was very upset. He is married and has a baby, but he was crying and saying he just couldn’t understand why his two brothers were dead and why all these things happened to their family. As Myrna tried to think what to say to him, she thought of the teenage son she lost and thought, “Help me know what to say to your brother to comfort him.” Just then they heard 3 distinct knocks on the kitchen cupboard. She said they both heard them and then the house became totally silent. It seemed to her that it was her son trying to reach out and comfort his brother, and it worked. Byron felt the presence of his brother and that things were all right with him and the baby. As soon as Myrna told us this I thought of the 3 knocks at the veil in the temple and felt that once again she was getting a message about temple work.

We were there for over an hour. Before we came to her house, we had stopped at a couple of places where no one was home. Robert asked where else I thought we should go and I said I didn’t know, I really didn’t have any feelings about what we should do, and Robert said he didn’t either but maybe we should just drop by and see if Myrna was home. As we got ready to leave, Myrna said she really likes having us stop by. She said that often when she is having a particularly bad day, we stop by and when we leave she feels better and says Thank you, Lord, for sending them to me right then.

Wow! This was one of those times when we need to be sure to share with our children that there is great joy in doing the Lord’s work, and that this is His work. We want to testify to you that we have had many confirmations out here of the truthfulness of the gospel and of our personal love for the Savior and knowledge of His divinity. We may complain and get frustrated but we know this is where we are supposed to be, and the times when He communicates to us that some little thing we do is what needed to be done are truly sweet and precious moments.

Last but certainly not least we visited Betty Lee. We approached this visit with great trepidation because we want her to go to the temple on Saturday but we knew there are several conflicts for her. For one, it’s graduation and she has grandchildren graduating. Second, there’s a funeral in Whiteriver and it’s a relative of her one of her in-laws. So we pretty much expected her to back out. But when we asked her she said she had already had to postpone it once and she doesn’t want to put it off again. She wants to get to the temple and she’ll just have to miss these other things. So we’ve ended up with only us and Brother Wilcock going on Saturday, but bless her heart Betty wants to be there.

Finally we fixed dinner for the Elders and talked with them for a while, then finished up with final preparations for Robert’s training tomorrow. Beckie called and said she talked to one of the doctors at her hospital and he said that Tucson is a leading area in the field of pulmonology. He said anyone we would be seeing there should be at the top of their field. That was really good news. Thanks, Beckie.