My word for the year: TRUST. As I have been focusing on this word it is amazing how often I find it in the scriptures, in talks, and in my experiences. My understanding is increasing exponentially as I study and apply what I am learning.
Church News Editorial: Lessons in Trust. Week ending January 1, 2011.
1. Trust in God.
2. Trust in the Spirit.
3. Trust through obedience.
4. Trust in family relationships.
5. Trust in the Atonement
6. Become one in whom the Lord can trust.
“Trust the system” is counsel we hear from our mission presidency on a frequent basis.
The Lord shows his trust and love for us by the almost constant “tender mercies” we receive in helping our students in the Training Zone. I have come to expect them and my heart is filled with gratitude when that help from beyond the veil is forth coming.
Divine Signatures: The Confirming Hand of God, by Gerald N. Lund. P. 19-20
A mission president in Sao Paulo, Brazil, had every new missionary have an actual missionary experience his very first day in the mission. A seasoned missionary would take the new missionary out tracting, street contacting, or giving discussions. In one of the groups there was a missionary from the far north of Brazil who took about three days of travel by bus just to reach the mission home. The Brazilian elder was very shy and frightened. The senior companion said he would take the first door and told his companion to watch closely how it was done as the second door would be his.
When this young elder knocked on the second door, the senior companion stepped back and indicated for him to proceed. He shrank back. When the door opened, to the young elder’s utter astonishment, the person standing there was his older sister. She had run away from home three or four years earlier. The family had not heard from her since and had no idea where she was, or even if she was still alive. One can imagine the sweetness of that reunion and the tears of joy that were shed that night. “Not only was his sister one the first nonmembers he contacted in the mission field, but she became his first convert baptism as well. As you think about it, there were between thirteen and fourteen million people in Sao Paulo at that time.”
(Robert L Millet, “Trust begins with each of us”, Church News-week ending January 1, 2011, p. 5)
In OUR world, what can we do to help develop trust?
1. We can be more willing to trust others.
2. We can live in a way that makes us more trustworthy.
3. We can look for the beautiful and the praiseworthy in the world.
(We can look for and acknowledge the tender mercies in our lives)
4. We can learn to trust the Lord more.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Training Zone--January, 2011
We’ve had a good week at the Training Zone working with young elders. They both came with PAF files and are very computer-savvy. They were assigned to Tech Support and Data Support. My student’s parents were both the first members of their families to join the church but they have done a tremendous amount of research through Ancestry.com. It was a blessing to add to their files information on the Scottish and English lines. The church has extracted most of the old Scottish records and we were able to find give English censuses for his great-grandfather which gave us information on the children and grandchildren who did not came to the United States. The Salt Lake Temple is closed for two weeks for cleaning so we went to the Bountiful Temple. John drove one of the church vans and it was a lovely experience.
President Monson is calling again for more missionaries again this month in the Ensign. We have 34 Church Service Missionaries arriving this month so they have divided the group in half. We will have two weeks of CSM’s this month and no call back training for currently serving missionaries nor time for in-service or personal research time. They are also updating the yellow PAF manual. The pink new.FamilySearch manual which has been prepared under the direction of Sister Pethel has gone through “correlation” and is available online to the entire church.
I received more information from Henrietta Hecker Wheeler and was able to enter part of it. The new information coming online through the church websites is amazing. I have learned that often it is just an index so by going to the original images, that even more information is available. That family wants their work done and our experiences in the temple doing their names are very spiritual. Saturday I spent much of day sorting through genealogy boxes. I have so much information and it needs to be put into meaningful, concise files. The disproven and duplicate information needs to be removed. It is a hard job because I have so much emotional investment in these people but it needs to be done.
My cousin Lynne Rasband and her brother Clyde went to San Francisco for Aunt Lillian Lennon Rasband’s funeral. She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery-Colma in San Francisco on Thursday, Janaury 20, 2011, her 101st birthday in the family plot with Uncle Ray, her sister Marie, and her parents.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Aunt Lillian Rasband--1910 to 2011--revised
Aunt Lillian Lennon Rasband died Wednesday, January 12, 2011, a week before her 101st birthday. She was at her home in San Francisco with her 24/7 caregivers. She was born January 20, 1910, in San Francisco to John Harvey Lennon and Mary Jane Daniels. Lillian had an older sister Marie who died in 1996. (Marie lived with Ray and Lillian and did beautiful croshet work. Ray and Lillian bought the yarn and Marie made many cherished gifts for family members.)
On August 14, 1941, this lovely Catholic girl married Uncle Ray Rasband in San Francisco, California. He had gone to work in California during the Great Depression and remained there the rest of his life. Uncle Ray died December 30, 1992.
Aunt Lillian and Uncle Ray never had children but were very attentive to their nieces and nephews. They often came to Utah during the summer for visits. Lillian brought her camera and some of the only pictures we have in the early 1940's were taken by her. Personal cards with crisp, uncirculated dollar bills were cherished by the nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. She decorated the envelopes with stickers and it was often the only piece of personal mail a child received all year so it was cherished and appreciated. A personal note was always enclosed. Russell Keetch once asked his mother if Aunt Lillian had her own money printing press.
Aunt Lillian kept an immaculate, organized home and it was a pleasure to visit her and Uncle Ray because we were warmly welcomed. She was a splendid tour guide for San Francisco though she never drove a car. She had a delightful sense of humor and enjoyed people. We are grateful for her caregivers for their tender 24/7 care over these last years. They have made her comfortable and become as family. She will be greatly missed. She has been a blessing to the Rasband family and is loved and appreciated by them. She has been alone for a long, long time and it is time for her to go Home to her family beyond the veil.
On August 14, 1941, this lovely Catholic girl married Uncle Ray Rasband in San Francisco, California. He had gone to work in California during the Great Depression and remained there the rest of his life. Uncle Ray died December 30, 1992. 
Aunt Lillian and Uncle Ray never had children but were very attentive to their nieces and nephews. They often came to Utah during the summer for visits. Lillian brought her camera and some of the only pictures we have in the early 1940's were taken by her. Personal cards with crisp, uncirculated dollar bills were cherished by the nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. She decorated the envelopes with stickers and it was often the only piece of personal mail a child received all year so it was cherished and appreciated. A personal note was always enclosed. Russell Keetch once asked his mother if Aunt Lillian had her own money printing press.Aunt Lillian kept an immaculate, organized home and it was a pleasure to visit her and Uncle Ray because we were warmly welcomed. She was a splendid tour guide for San Francisco though she never drove a car. She had a delightful sense of humor and enjoyed people. We are grateful for her caregivers for their tender 24/7 care over these last years. They have made her comfortable and become as family. She will be greatly missed. She has been a blessing to the Rasband family and is loved and appreciated by them. She has been alone for a long, long time and it is time for her to go Home to her family beyond the veil.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Fire!
Saturday morning, January 6, John and I were getting ready to go to the Jordan River Temple when we heard a muffled pop or explosion about 7:30 AM. A couple of minutes later I heard a fire engine turn into our street without a siren. I ran outside and saw the house two doors east of our home completely engulfed in flames. 
Roland and Victor were standing there in awe. Roland said that ten minutes before when he had picked up his newspaper, there was absolutely no problem. When asked if there was anyone in the house, they replied that everyone was out. There were two Spanish families--ten people living there. Other fire engines began coming from different directions with their sirens blaring. 
It was about 20 degrees outside and we had been in a heavy inversion for the last several days. Even before the fire, we could taste the air.
Flames billowed out of the front and back of the house. John called to me to come to the car so we could go to the temple. There was an emergency vehicle that was starting to park in front of our driveway but he moved to let us out. Already there was no was to exit the street to the east so we went around the block to get out of the subdivision.
When we returned from the temple about 10:45 there were many vehicles parked along both side of 1300 West and doubled parked up and down the middle of 7200 South. We parked and walked into our home. There was a heated red and white tent set up in the middle of the road in front of our house for the firefighters and others to get hot drinks, etc. I saw five fire engines and numberous support vehicles. The chief was parked in front of our house.
By now the street was covered with 3-4 inches of ice from the previous storm and the frozen water for fighting the fire. Victor had moved his new truck to our driveway for safety. Because John kept the drive-way and sidewalks clear, the were a welcome place for people to stand.
Roland said the main fire lasted for about 40 minutes. When we arrived two hours later there were still fireman on the roof.
Because of the cold weather it was difficult to get sufficient water to put out the fire. They used the fire hydrant near Seigfried Kunker's home and were still spraying for hot spots for hours.
Notice the firemen on the ladder as well as those on the roof. There was still a lot of smoke. The heavy inversion made things worse.
Firefighters came from West Jordan and Murray and there may have been others as well. The Red Cross came to care for the families which were displaced
The firemen and their equipment left about noon. The house was completely gutted. From the sidewalk I could see clear through the house and there was nothing but the walls blackened standing. It happened so fast!
It was said that the fire was caused from an electrical short in the ceiling. These homes were cheaply built in 1972 and used aluminum wiring instead of copper for the electrical outlets. We replaced our home's wiring many years ago but I don't know about this house. There have been many families in and out of the house through the years.
Our street was without electricity until about 1:00 PM and it got cold inside. There wasn't a quick, easy way to heat food. I began to understood why the emergency support people brought food, hot water, emergency generators, a heated tent, etc. to provide for the firefighters and others. The only telephone that worked in our house was the one on the wall. The portable telephones were useless. I'm sure battery operated phones would have worked but they need to be recharged frequently. With the severe inversion we didn't light our wood-burning stove. It was a good learning experience. Even though we weren't injured by the fire, we were affected in ways that we didn't expect.
Roland and Victor were standing there in awe. Roland said that ten minutes before when he had picked up his newspaper, there was absolutely no problem. When asked if there was anyone in the house, they replied that everyone was out. There were two Spanish families--ten people living there. Other fire engines began coming from different directions with their sirens blaring. 
It was about 20 degrees outside and we had been in a heavy inversion for the last several days. Even before the fire, we could taste the air. 
Flames billowed out of the front and back of the house. John called to me to come to the car so we could go to the temple. There was an emergency vehicle that was starting to park in front of our driveway but he moved to let us out. Already there was no was to exit the street to the east so we went around the block to get out of the subdivision. 
When we returned from the temple about 10:45 there were many vehicles parked along both side of 1300 West and doubled parked up and down the middle of 7200 South. We parked and walked into our home. There was a heated red and white tent set up in the middle of the road in front of our house for the firefighters and others to get hot drinks, etc. I saw five fire engines and numberous support vehicles. The chief was parked in front of our house. 
By now the street was covered with 3-4 inches of ice from the previous storm and the frozen water for fighting the fire. Victor had moved his new truck to our driveway for safety. Because John kept the drive-way and sidewalks clear, the were a welcome place for people to stand.
Roland said the main fire lasted for about 40 minutes. When we arrived two hours later there were still fireman on the roof.
Because of the cold weather it was difficult to get sufficient water to put out the fire. They used the fire hydrant near Seigfried Kunker's home and were still spraying for hot spots for hours. 
Notice the firemen on the ladder as well as those on the roof. There was still a lot of smoke. The heavy inversion made things worse. 
Firefighters came from West Jordan and Murray and there may have been others as well. The Red Cross came to care for the families which were displaced
The firemen and their equipment left about noon. The house was completely gutted. From the sidewalk I could see clear through the house and there was nothing but the walls blackened standing. It happened so fast!
It was said that the fire was caused from an electrical short in the ceiling. These homes were cheaply built in 1972 and used aluminum wiring instead of copper for the electrical outlets. We replaced our home's wiring many years ago but I don't know about this house. There have been many families in and out of the house through the years. Our street was without electricity until about 1:00 PM and it got cold inside. There wasn't a quick, easy way to heat food. I began to understood why the emergency support people brought food, hot water, emergency generators, a heated tent, etc. to provide for the firefighters and others. The only telephone that worked in our house was the one on the wall. The portable telephones were useless. I'm sure battery operated phones would have worked but they need to be recharged frequently. With the severe inversion we didn't light our wood-burning stove. It was a good learning experience. Even though we weren't injured by the fire, we were affected in ways that we didn't expect.
We were blessed that no one was injured and that the fire did not spread. It certainly was a wake-up call to remind us how blessed and protected we are. Our hearts go out to those who lost everything in the fire. We have a greater appreciation of the policemen and firemen for the work they do in keeping us safe. It is now Sunday afternoon. About an inch on snow fell overnight and cleared out the inversion so we have beautiful blue skies framing the burned out shell of a neighbor's home.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Mission Activities Update
We had a busy week last week with call-backs in the morning and personal research in the afternoon. I'm about in the middle of the silver certification for US/Canada. It is really helpful to learn about the resources of the Family History Library as well as online sources. My goal for the new year is to finish the silver and complete the gold certification for that zone. John continues to do excellent research in the Stead lines. We have had some very spiritual experiences in the temple as these people have joyfully accepted the work.
Next week we have 17 church service missionaries (CSM's) coming in and we have 17 trainers in the Training Zone. The following week we have 22 full time missionaries (FTM's) scheduled and possibly four visa-waiters so we will have to get "rent-a-trainers" from other zones. It is fun to get to work with excellent missionaries from different places. In December we had 31 FTM's which was wonderful. We are down 100 FTM in our mission compared with last year at this time so the resources are really stretched. In the Family and Church History Mission we have about 400 FTM's, 800 CSM's, and 80 young missionaries (about 78 elders and 2 young sisters).
Next week we have 17 church service missionaries (CSM's) coming in and we have 17 trainers in the Training Zone. The following week we have 22 full time missionaries (FTM's) scheduled and possibly four visa-waiters so we will have to get "rent-a-trainers" from other zones. It is fun to get to work with excellent missionaries from different places. In December we had 31 FTM's which was wonderful. We are down 100 FTM in our mission compared with last year at this time so the resources are really stretched. In the Family and Church History Mission we have about 400 FTM's, 800 CSM's, and 80 young missionaries (about 78 elders and 2 young sisters).
Sarah DuPaix's Bridal Shower
New Year's Day we had a bridal shower at DuPaix's home for Sarah DuPaix who is being married in the Salt Lake Temple to John Southwick of West Jordan in February. They met when they were in a singing group together at Snow College before his mission to Riverside, California. 
Sarah, our bride.
The lovely DuPaix women: Jeannie, Becca, Edie, Becky, Jeannie, Debbie, Meredith. Lily is in front and Molly was asleep.
The charming Rasband women: Reva, Sonja, and Rebecca
Kim Rogers and Becky DuPaix
Reva Rasband and Kristilyn Eliason
Edie keeps track of the gifts while Zoe Keetch and Lily Wade supervise.
Krista and Karen Keetch.
Debbie in the middle with cousins from both sides: Celeste and her daughter and Julie Burningham.
Sarah, our bride.
The lovely DuPaix women: Jeannie, Becca, Edie, Becky, Jeannie, Debbie, Meredith. Lily is in front and Molly was asleep. 
The charming Rasband women: Reva, Sonja, and Rebecca
Kim Rogers and Becky DuPaix
Reva Rasband and Kristilyn Eliason
Edie keeps track of the gifts while Zoe Keetch and Lily Wade supervise. 
Krista and Karen Keetch.
Debbie in the middle with cousins from both sides: Celeste and her daughter and Julie Burningham.
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