Mar 2 2008

March 2, 2008

Our last Sunday in Cibecue! What a strange feeling! We truly know the meaning of the word “bittersweet” as we struggled with being so excited to getting close to going home and yet so sad to be leaving the mission and the Apache people we’ve grown to love. Since it’s Fast Sunday we both bore our testimonies and then left some time to hear from the members of the Branch. Elder and Sister Lamm and Elder and Sister Lefkowitz came down to be here with us, and we’ve mentioned that Sharon was here. Elder Lefler came but not Elder Lindsey. Bro Perkins from the High Council also came. There were over 60 people in attendance.

Robert gave a wonderful testimony. He’s such a good speaker. I have no idea what I said. It was very hard to do. I don’t often get emotional, but I struggled today. After we were finished, Maxine Bonito, Myrna Ivins, Paula Ivins, Irene Murphy, Abbitt Ivins and President Bonito bore their testimonies. They all thanked us for the time we’ve spent here and said they appreciated the times we’ve been here for them. Maxine said the missionaries are like farmers…God plants seeds then the missionaries come and water the seeds and tend them and help them grow. We loved that. Paula and Abbitt and Myrna said we had helped them through some difficult times. They said there was always a sense of peace when we come. Paula said that her dad, Cecil, has a sign in his house that says, “Peace, be still.” She wondered a lot about why he had that and what it meant, so recently she went outside and prayed for understanding. Before her prayer she said she could hear a lot of noises around her house, a truck starting, wood chopping, and others. After her prayer it was just silent. She couldn’t hear any of those sounds any more and in her heart she understood what “Peace, be still means.” She felt that peace all day and even mentioned it to her boss at work. Abbitt mentioned that we had been at his wedding and that he had turned to Robert for advice and counsel. President talked about the tables, which was really very funny, because when we came he wouldn’t let anyone borrow the tables and Robert “opened that door again” as President put it. He said Robert was finally able to convince him that it’s a service the church needs to provide for the community and he was glad about that. Fernando Thompson didn’t bear his testimony, but he was conducting, and he said he hears a lot of talk in the community about the couple living by the church and that we had gained a good name for ourselves here.

I was a little worried when we planned this whole meeting because I feel so strongly that Sacrament meeting is about the Savior and shouldn’t be about any person. It seemed that everyone gave credit to Heavenly Father for anything we had done, and thanked Him for sending us here to them. That made me feel better. It was amazing to listen to people thank God for the little bit of service we were able to render.

After the meeting we had our Fast Sunday Lunch, but of course they had planned a special dinner for us. They served Apache Tacos, which means beans, cheese, olives and lettuce wrapped in fry bread. Sharon brought a half sheet cake and wrote on it, “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.” Sister McNeil also brought a half sheet cake and Thelma made cake.

Yesterday when the Scouts came home Robert helped Bro Wilcock unload the van. There was a long branch off a Yucca Plant in the back and Robert grabbed it to throw it out, thinking one of the boys had brought it home. Bro Wilcock stopped him and said he needed it. Today just as the dinner started he presented that stick to Robert, as a gift for being assistant scoutmaster. However the stick looked quite different today. Bro Wilcock had cut it down, sanded it smooth, and decorated it with an eagle’s feather, an assistant scoutmaster patch, a bandana, a tag with the troop number on it, and a compass. He had engraved Cibecue Scouts on it. It was an awesome gift. Plus there’s an interesting story to it. He found the stick at the confluence of Cibecue Creek and the Salt River, and carried it around with him during the whole camping trip. On Saturday Casper Thompson tried to go across the creek and got caught in the current. He got pushed up again a rock and couldn’t move. His life probably wasn’t at risk, but they didn’t quite know what to do for him. So Bro Wilcock grabbed the stick, which happened to be just the right length to reach Casper and pull him back to the right side of the creek.

Sister Wilcock also gave us a book, “The Life History of Joseph Smith as told by his mother, Lucy Mack Smith.” Many members wrote in the book and on the card they gave us. It was very sweet. Elder and Sister Lamm gave us an authentic burden basket made by a lady they know in Whiteriver and also two tie tacks that Elder Lamm made for Robert, one from an Idaho opal and one from an arrowhead. They are beautiful. Roma gave us a gift, but said it was from Casper. It was a beaded keychain Casper made for Robert and a yarn doll Mary Thompson, Casper’s grandmother, made for me. These were the dolls I taught them to make one Ladies’ Night, so thought it was very cute she would give me one. Irene Murphy made me a pair of earrings shaped like cradleboards. And Brandy Tessay came up during Sacrament meeting and handed me a tissue filled with little rocks. She said they were special rocks that glow and they were for me. She was so cute because she came right up against my arm and put her head on my shoulder when she gave it to me.

We forgot something about Friday night. After we got home from Tucson Ricky called and wanted us to come over. We were all changed into our comfy clothes and didn’t want to go anywhere, but he talked us into it. He said he had a present for us, and we grumbled all the way over there but having to go and get our own present. He had carved for us 5 wooden figures, two of them women with babies and glued them to a wood mat. He also made the clothing for the figures. One was holding a hand woven little basket and one in holding a drum with buckskin on it and one is holding a carved spear. They are quite intricate and obviously took a lot of time to make. We regretted grumbling. It is a lovely gift.

We were supposed to take Betty Lee to Show Low at 5:00 today to be interviewed by the Stake President so she can be sealed to her husband on Tuesday. Friday when we got home the truck started making a funny noise. Robert thinks we have a worn out brake. He called yesterday and made an appointment with the Chevy dealer in Show Low, but we don’t want to drive the truck any more than we have to. Pres Bonito actually agreed to drive Betty up for her interview. Maxine’s grandmother has been taken to the nursing home in Show Low and he said it would be a good chance for them to check on her. We were delighted that he was willing to do that for us.

It was so nice to have Sharon here to share this day with us. It’s so hard to describe and that makes us feel like it’s nice that someone else was here and can help us remember it. She can also give everyone feedback about how accurate we are when we write the Blog. Maybe she’ll tell you we exaggerate and try to make ourselves look good. Seriously, she has been so supportive and we loved having her here. She even helped serve lunch and said she understand why Robert and I and Cade and Andi all talk about how exhausted we are after the dinners. Thanks to her help and Sister Wilcock and Thelma I didn’t do anything for the lunch except bring a bag of cheese. That’s the first time I’ve ever sat down and actually eaten a dinner that’s been served at the Branch.

One last thought. After church we saw a police car up at Isaac’s and a policeman putting someone in the patrol car. We wondered if this was related to the woman who came to the trailer last night. Her name was Linda Narciso and she said her boyfriend beat her up, but wouldn’t say what his name was. She is 34 years old, so too old for Isaac, but Isaac has an older brother living there. We don’t know, just wondering.