Today is Easter

Easter is a special day. We enjoyed a wonderful Easter because of the Tenisingh family. We picked up our new friends and took them to church with us. The dad is the Branch President in Rosignol, Guyana, the Mom is called Silvie and the daughter is Rachel. The daughter is 14, "almost 15", she says. Our friends, the Bullocks, who are serving in Guyana had told us that this family was coming and we should try to find them. We were very fortunate that last Thursday it was a holiday here for Easter and our office was closed. We went to the temple that morning and ended up in the session in which Brother and Sister Tenisingh were receiving their own endowments. We figured it out by the end of the session and introduced ourselves in the Celestial Room. English speakers are few and far between. We asked if we could attend their sealing session and they were happy to invite us. I was privileged to act as proxy for their first daughter who had died at age four. The temple president, President Harris talked with them in his kind and loving way and explained the sealing ceremony and its significance. He showed them the opposing mirrors and talked about the effect of this ceremony of their lives for all of eternity if they keep their covenants. Rachel came in after the parents were sealed to each other and she and I (as a stand in for their other daughter) placed our hands on the hands of her parents and were sealed to them forever. It was a very special experience. It was a blessing for us to have been able to participate. The parents have been in the temple all day Friday and Saturday. Rachel was able to do baptisms for the dead on each of those days as well. They brought family names and have been able to do proxy work for some of their parents and grandparents.
Our Sacrament Meeting is in Spanish of course. The Tenisingh family recognized many of the temple workers they have gotten to know over the last few days and there were also people from Guadalupe and Martinique they had met as well. Rachel went to the stand to bear her testimony. Her father followed her. I was amazed at how clearly Rachel expressed herself in front of the congregation. She said that she did not speak Spanish and had no choice but to bear her testimony in English which was the only language she knew. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity for their family to come here and receive the blessings of the temple. She bore her testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the restoration of the gospel. Her father followed her. He is more difficult to understand but he told of what he knew to be true and explained how he knew it. He described reading the scriptures and praying about them and told of several principles that were most important to him. These are people who have very, very little of what the world values but they are comfortable and confident of what they know is important. The mom and I were a long way from the aisle but she asked me to go up with her so she could bear her testimony. We had to wait a few minutes because the floodgates were opened for those who wanted to bear their testimonies but couldn't do so in Spanish. Several decided to go ahead and speak in English too. During a small pause we climbed over everyone and went up. I bore my testimony and Sister Tenisingh did so also. She spoke very clearly at the microphone. When she speaks with her husband I have a harder time understanding her but she communicated her faith and testimony very clearly to us American speakers during testimony meeting. Rachel is always easy to understand but the parents use some vocabulary that is completely new to us and their pronunciation is unique to Guyana and influenced by the British. They are sweet, kind people who spend an amazing amount of time and effort to support and help the Saints in their branch in Guyana.
They came home with us for dinner. I'm not sure what I was thinking, we had fajitas and rice and pineapple with brownies for dessert. Not traditional American Easter fare but it worked with what we had and could put together. We had arranged for them to meet with the family history people at 4:00 to learn more information about Family Search to share in Guyana. But until then we drove around the Colonial area of Santo Domingo and got as close to the ocean as the rocky cliffs would let us here in Santo Domingo. Rachel loved the ocean and was happy to have the spray blow on her as she took photos of the water. There were more waves than usual and they splashed up the blow holes and made an impressive showing for us. They were amazed as how blue the water is. As we certainly noticed, the rivers and the oceans are brown with mud in Guyana. They also have a special treat this evening. President Johnson of the Area will hold a fireside for the people here attending the temple at 8:00 PM.
Unfortunately we have commitments tomorrow but we will hope to meet with them again on Tuesday before they return home on Wednesday. It is unlikely that they will ever be able to afford another family trip to the temple but their covenants and memories will be an important part of their lives forever. Someday Rachel plans to return to be sealed to her future husband in the temple. Or perhaps by then there will be a temple closer to their own country.
Dad was on the program to give the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting so he didn't bear his testimony in church today but wanted to write to each of you today:

Dear Children,

On this Easter day, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I would like you all to know that I know that Jesus Christ was in fact resurrected. He lives. We also will be resurrected after we die. Our lives are meant to be a stepping stone into eternity. If we choose the right and follow the Savior’s example we will be able to live with Him. If we don’t follow the Savior we will still be resurrected but to a glory less than what we are capable of. We are children of Our Father in Heaven. We have the potential to become like him but only by obedience to His laws and ordinances. May each of you strive to choose the right and follow the Savior. Love one another, do good to those in need, forgive each other and judge not that we be not judged. I love each of you. (see also Moses 6:53-62)

Love

Dad P.

We love each of you and are so grateful to be family! Hope you enjoyed a wonderful Easter Day as well.

Love, Mom/Jeri/Grandma

Photos and Stories

I sent Aunt Joyce (Lewis’ sister) the photos I have taken of some of you wearing Great Grandma Pettingill’s jewelry. You can see the photos on www.pettingillpages.shutterfly.com. I do not have photos of all of you children. If you wish to take a photo of yourselves and/or your children with some jewelry I would love to add it to this “collection”. They do not have to be stuffy photos. One of my favorites is of Adam clipping earrings high up on his ears.

Also, I do want to continue sending photos for birthdays but I do not have current photos. Please send me cute photos of everyone who will have a birthday! I would like the entire file (not reduced in size as for the web) so it will print well. Thank you.

It was a “performance” FHE this week. I read “The Embarrassing Tale of Little Miss Muffet” and Dad read two funny poems about marriage. One was several stanzas with variations of “I will always freely admit that I am right and she is wrong” or “she is free to believe anything that I believe”. The men all clapped. The other was from Ogden Nash and ended with…”When she is right, admit it. If you are right, “hush” up.” The brothers didn’t clap but the sisters smiled at that one. We also enjoyed singing, more poems, a skit and some impressive magic tricks. We had fun, hope you did too at your Family Home Evening.

Brother Call told a story from his mission. He is our oldest missionary; he was the youngest child born in a polygamous marriage in Mexico, was a Mexican citizen and called to serve his first mission in Mexico. He said that his life was threatened several times on his mission and told us about the scariest of those times. He and a new companion (of one week!) were on a bus traveling from one town to another. There was a town in between that did not care for the Mormon missionaries in a serious way. The bus was to have taken them to the far town but all of the rest of the passengers got off in the middle town and the bus driver refused to take only two the additional eight miles. So the missionaries got off and started to walk. When they were a little ways out of town a dozen men started following them. After a while they circled them and began hitting them with the flat sides of their machetes. Then a very drunk man in a black hat joined them with a pistol and started waving it around with the trigger cocked. He sent one of the men back to town to get two ropes and talked about hanging them from a very large tree at the side of the road. The guy with the gun was waving it in front of Elder Call’s face and saying very unkind things. He hit Elder Call in the head with the pistol hard enough to knock him out for a short time. They took all of their stuff and spilled it on the ground. The scriptures and branch records were scattered. All in all, it took a couple of hours of very real danger before they were able to get away and cross over the boundary of that town and into the next where the men were afraid to follow them. They found out later that the man in the black hat had previously killed three men. Yikes! I am grateful that we have not experienced any terror or real threats. And I trust it will stay that way. This happened probably 60 years ago.

We had a funny email exchange with one of our new bosses Brother Bennie Lilly:

Grandpa was talking about a monthly letter we receive from Salt Lake. This month we received it in English but the Spanish version was not our letter but the one directed to Central America.

• Bennie Lilly wrote back: Should we request the letter for the Caribbean in Spanish? I would be happy to do so for you, if you have not already done so.
• Grandpa replied: I think it would be good to have it in spanish. I think I have asked for it before but it only gets done on an "as asked" basis.
• I read that exchange in our emails and complained that Grandpa didn’t answer his question.
• So Grandpa sent this message: My wife let me know that I didnt answer your question. The answer is yes. It would be nice to have the letter in spanish. I guess I need to be more clear in my communications. thanks,
• Brother Lilly shot this back: Maybe it’s a man to man thing which your wife will never understand, but I understood you perfectly. You see, I have already requested a copy of the correct letter in Spanish! Occasionally it is great to get something over on the sisters (especially because it is so rare!). Talk to you soon.

Looks like our new boss is a master at interpersonal relations—he allows everyone to win.

Back when we were talking about how to hear the Holy Ghost in Sunday School, I took some notes that I think are helpful. President Packer said, “This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being.” I think that is helpful because the phrase “burning in the bosom” is not the same for everyone. I like the phrase “feeling of comfort and serenity” because that is the most I get. I would like something much more dramatic so I don’t feel like I need to question my feelings…but it is sufficient. Usually the Lord gives us answers a piece at a time without the end in sight. That is hard for a person like me who is afraid to make the wrong decision but we get what we need even when we don’t get all that we want.

I also noticed something in D&C 130:19 that never stood out to me before. “And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” We need diligence and obedience in order to increase our knowledge and intelligence. Sometimes we think we need to break free and do our own thing to increase knowledge and intelligence but No, we always need more diligence and obedience…not to keep us down but to allow us to increase our knowledge and intelligence so we can continue to progress. Obedience brings us more freedom, not less.

One more thought, Domingo told us a story I liked. He said that he was visiting in Santiago where he served his mission and ended up talking with a young woman who, it turns out, was an infant when Domingo taught and converted her family to the Gospel. He asked about all of the family members and had a pleasant conversation. At the end she told him, “I am so happy to meet you, your name has always been spoken of reverently in our home.” All of you future missionaries, what a special honor it will be help a family come to Jesus Christ and be lovingly remembered for the gift of the Gospel you brought to them.


We love you all, Grandma and Grandpa Pettingill

Our View of Current Events from a Distant Land

Grandpa spends time on the internet reading about the economy (I read about more important stuff like digital scrapbooking.) He tells me about what he has read and this is my recent favorite. He found this quote in the Journal of Discourses by Brigham Young.

A smart young man had just returned from college, and at the table he wished to show his parents what extraordinary advancements he had made. "Why, father," says he, "you can hardly conceive of the advance I have made."

"Well, my son," says the father, "I am sure I am glad to hear you say so, and I trust you will make a great man." There happened to be two ducks on the table for dinner, and this young man proposed to give his father a specimen of his smartness.

"Now," he says, "you see there are only two ducks, don't you?"

"Yes," answered the father.

"Well, I can prove to you that there are three ducks."

"Can you," says the father, "that's quite extraordinary really; how can you do it?"

"Well," says the son, "I will show you. That's one?"

"Yes."

"And that's two?"

"Yes."

"Well, two and one make three, don't they?"

"Quite so," says the father, "it is very extraordinary, and to show how much I appreciate it, I will eat one of these ducks, and your mother will eat the other, and we will leave the third for you."

Some of our "financiers" have made this kind of discovery, but when it comes to the practical thing they, like the boy, have got to fall back on father's duck or mother's duck. This kind of proficiency may be all very well in its place, but then we have no place for it; we want to act honestly and begin right, and then carry it out right. Let the big co-op straighten itself out, and then the little co-ops do the same, and let us stick to one another and all act one with another, and lay aside our scheming; and let us have honest, honorable men, elders of Israel who have at heart the building up of God's kingdom, to do our business, who will act for the welfare of all. That is my doctrine on that point.—JD, 20:164-165, March 2, 1879.

This is just a pretty picture of what the interior of the Dominican Republic looks like--in the month of January.



My great friend, Sue Nelson sent me this copy of notes she took from President Uchdorf's conference talk last October 2008. It is no fun to go from prosperous times to less prosperous times but it can be good for us and we do have:

HOPE …

has the power to fill our lives with happiness

is a gift of the Spirit

is a hope that through the Atonement and the power of His resurrection we shall be raised to life eternal because of our faith in the Savior.

is a principle of promise as well as a commandment.

leads to peace, mercy, rejoicing, and gladness.

is the foundation of our faith and an anchor to our souls.

is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances.

pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn.

encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father.

is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to us.

is believing and expecting our prayers will be answered.

is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.

is confidence God will keep His promises to us in the present and the future.

In God, in his goodness, and his power refreshes us with courage during difficult challenges.

upholds our faith when disobedience, disappointment, and procrastination erode faith.

braces our resolve and urges to care for our fellowmen when frustration and impatience challenge charity.

sustains us through despair.

teaches that there is reason to rejoice even when all seems dark around us.

leads to good works.

In the depth of winter, we find within us an invincible summer

This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope.

Things we hope FOR are often future events-

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we need not fear, for we will live forever

Never tasting death again

Because of His infinite Atonement we can be cleansed of sin and stand pure and holy before the judgment bar

Residing forever in peace

Being surrounded by those we love

Knowing the meaning of ultimate joy as we progress in knowledge and in happiness

Having our lives exceed our grandest expectations

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

Things we hope IN sustain us in our daily walk through temptation, trial and sorrow-

The principles of the Gospel

Jesus Christ

The goodness of God

Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

Knowledge that prayers are heard and answered

The power of God

Things will “work together for our good” as we follow the counsel of God’s prophets.

Indeed, there are times when the darkness seems unbearable. This hope gives strength to those who feel threatened by enclosing walls of fear, doubt, and despair.

We grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,” as we more perfectly live the Gospel.

And to all who suffer- to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely- I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in.

Never surrender.

Never allow despair to overcome your spirit.

Embrace and rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart.

Elder Dieter Uchtdorf, Ensign, Nov, 2008, p. 21-24.

Lots of love from Grandma/Mom/Jeri