Dear Family and Friends,
Monday we took a sister in the branch to do some shopping for her three grandchildren for Christmas. We commented on how warm the weather was and she said, “That’s because a bad storm is on the way.” In the afternoon we went to see the Kirk family and brought them some milk and orange juice that we didn’t use for the breakfast last Saturday. They haven’t been to church for a few weeks. We told them we hoped we would see them at the special Sacrament meeting this Sunday. They said they were going to try to come. A tornado warning was issued for Demopolis. We got a call from the senior missionaries in Tuscaloosa telling us about it and also from a family in the branch. The tornado touched down five miles west of our apartment and damaged twelve homes. One mobile home was completely destroyed. The family was at home when it struck. The ambulance drove past us on their way to the home. The mother was admitted to the hospital with a broken ankle and several bruises. The tornado moved to the northeast and missed Demopolis. No one in the branch was affected by it.
Tuesday we went to Tuscaloosa for our District Council. Everyone showed up but the District leader and his companion. There seemed to be some kind of problem in the use of their GPS and they drove for forty-five minutes in the wrong direction. They called us and said to start the meeting without them and they would get there as soon as they could. Of course, at that point, our ninety minute meeting would be over by the time they arrived anyway. After the meeting I went to see my doctor for the last time before we leave to come home. He seemed to be pleased with everything. I removed my bandages and showed him my burns just so Sister Owens would be happy. He said they looked good and that I was taking good care of them and they should heal just fine.
Wednesday we drove out to Greensboro to talk to Brother White’s apartment manager. He has been behind on his rent since he spent his whole benefit check to buy a car to replace his totaled vehicle a few months ago. We had coordination meeting with Brother Smith. Brother Foote, from the high council, also came as well as President James. Brother Foote had been out to the tornado site to find out how the church could help with clean up. The stake is going to have about ten or fifteen people out Saturday to help. President James said the branch could provide some lunch and snacks for them. Sister Owens and I said we would prepare the food for the crew on Saturday. Brother Foote started a group text to keep us informed as things progressed. Then Sister James and Sister Owens assembled enough goody bags so that everyone could go home from Church Sunday with a little treat. When we got home after the meeting we received our giant Christmas card from the Silver Sage ward. It was so neat to read all the notes from so many members of the ward. It made us happy (and a little homesick). That has been one of the best parts of Christmas both years that we have been here. Thank you all so much.
We stopped by the hospital Thursday morning to check on the mother that was injured in the Tornado. They told us she had been transferred to Tuscaloosa. We went to Greensboro for Book of Mormon class in the afternoon. Poor Brother White is having such a hard time. He went to Dialysis in the morning (5:30) and the machine kept alarming so they couldn’t give him his treatment. He has to go to Tuscaloosa Friday morning to have them clean out the port in his arm and then go back to Dialysis for his treatment and then he has to help his mother prepare for his sister’s funeral service on Saturday. Then Saturday he has to go at 5:30 in the morning for his scheduled Dialysis treatment and then get to the service for his sister at noon.
Friday we knocked out a few of our P-day chores and got things started for the lunch for the relief workers on Saturday. We got a pork shoulder to make pulled pork sandwiches for them. According to our group text we were going to have fifteen workers at the site on Saturday. We purchased forty buns thinking we could use the excess for our branch pot luck next week at church.
Saturday morning we went to the church to assemble the lunches and noticed the water we bought was gone along with the cooler we had borrowed. We called to confirm that the workers had taken it with them. We asked if they needed us to pick up more water and bring it out with us. Brother Foote started counting as he was talking on the phone and said it looked like they had about twenty-five there. We asked again if they needed more water and he said they hadn’t used any yet and they would probably be fine. So we went ahead and made all forty sandwiches (attachment #1) and hoped they weren’t going to be too hungry. We took some pictures of the damage. By the time we were there Saturday they had already hauled away the undercarriage of the mobile home. Everything else was blown away. You can see in the picture that the only thing left is the porch that was attached to the home (attachment #2). It is amazing to see the damage the wind did to the trees surrounding the home (attachment #3). They had also cleaned up all but one of the ten trees that had been blown down on the house on the next lot (attachment #4). Brother Foote took a picture of us with the youth that had come to help with the clean up (attachment #5).
Today for our special Sacrament meeting our primary did a Christmas program. Our primary is two of the Smith children and three other girls. Sister Smith (primary President) led the music, Sariah Smith played the piano, Elias Smith gave the opening prayer, Benjamin Smith gave the closing prayer. Brother Borden and three of the Smith boys administered the Sacrament, and President James gave the closing remarks. Our branch doesn’t rely on one family or anything like that. We had 34 people in attendance which is more than we have had in the last five weeks.
We love and appreciate all of you and the support we feel from you. We also love our Savior. We are grateful for Him and for His life and His Atonement. We have really come to appreciate the love that the people here in the south have for the Savior, regardless of their religion. We hope you all have a merry Christmas.
Keep the commandments and read your Book of Mormon every day, every day, every day.
We love y’all,
Elder and Sister Owens
No comments:
Post a Comment