Snow in Cabo 11/10/08

Snow in Cabo 
11/10/08

Weather:
Snow, lots of it
Temp -5.5 and falling
Wind 10-15 mph (makes for cold cheeks)

First, thank you Emily. That was so sweet to ask your sister to write my uncle's name in the sand. I am just blown-away by the imagery of that simple act. For those of you who want to know what this is about, go to www.sandwritten.blogspot.com and see. Emily is a soft, gentle soul with a sensitivity to people's personal loss. I love you Emily. Thank you.

There is snow in Cabo. For the uninitiated, Cabo is our storage room. It is attached to the extra bedroom and is an enclosed balcony that was filled with junk when we first moved it. During the summer, It faces south and could get in the high 90's in there with the sun coming in most summer mornings. We decided to make it into a "sun-room" and set up a chair facing the windows to get a tan. We called it the Cabo Room in honor of our time-share in Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of Baja California, because when I hung the clothes to dry in there, the humidity got close to 100% and with the temperature, well, it was like Cabo.

Well, several weeks ago we "closed Cabo" because of the frost. (See the earlier blog) Over the weekend, it snowed pretty steadily and there was snow on the windowsill giving it a winter coat. Now that winter is settling in, we will not be visiting Cabo again unless it is to get the shredded cabbage & carrot mixture in the two jars recently placed there after Cindy got the cabbage preservation lesson from the 2nd Branch Relief Society sisters last week.

This is going to be our world for the next 6 months. They say it starts to get really cold in mid November and hits its peak around February. Then it gradually gets warmer (less below zero) until spring; around late April.

We walked home in the falling snow for the first time tonight. We had to stay late (7:45) and it was pretty dark so we took the long way down Kirova Street to the right (south) from the office, then right again (west) down Sacco & Vanzetti to our house. It was slippery, windy, and cold. My cheeks were burning when I finally got inside our building. I see why people wrap their scarves around their faces. We will learn how to deal with the cold.

Thursday we will go shopping (Fri's District Meeting). I am going to look for some "skid-pads" for my shoes. Elder Worthen showed his to me and I think that is the ticket. It is like the non-slip strips you put in the tub. We'll see.

This is us just after coming into the apartment tonight. That is the hall leading to the kitchen. You can't see the snow that was covering our coats because it melted on the way up in the stinky elevator. Do I look Russian yet?

We had the Young Singles in on Sunday night. At church, I asked one of them if the weather would stop some of them from coming. She looked at me like I had just said the earth was flat and retorted, "This is Siberia. We'll be there"; and they were.

There are a lot of things that people do without here and there are a lot of things that just don't work. However, the people have a tremendous capacity to suffer through and cold, while not their friend, is not feared. They are like a severly abused child looking at a teacher who has just swatted it on the bottom, with a look like "is that the best you've got?" They will live and work through the Siberian Winter and be glad for the spring, but having not feared the cold.

What a country.
DS

My Uncle Don Died Tuesday 11/7/08

My Uncle Don Died Tuesday 
11/7/08

My uncle Don died Tuesday. It seems a little strange at 66 years old to be talking about my uncle, but there it is. He was the last sibling of my father, the last Simmons of that generation, and aunt Louise is now the "last man standing".

When I think of Don, I see a big, blond, mountain of a man. At least he seemed that way to me as I visited him and Louise in Utah from time to time as a child. My first trip was on the Greyhound bus wearing my Cub Scout uniform because my dad said people would take care of me if I was dressed that way; and they did.

I remember the white dog with the brown spots, the sabers, the cherry tree branch that broke because me, John, and Larry were all sitting on it, picking cherries and didn't consider the strain of that one branch. I remember shooting firecrackers wrapped in mud with a slingshot over the street and irrigation ditch toward the old stone church the night of the 4th of July. I remember Don trying to teach me to water ski on Flathead Lake, shoot the 22 in the back pasture, and play the potato. I remember the nights laying on the grass, watching the stars and listening to his stories; watching Louise walking on his back to relieve pain; and watching him pick up concrete blocks like they were donuts. I remember hand-cranked ice cream and him eating a mixing bowl of it. I remember listening to his stories about he and my dad, about his time in the service, and about his family.

I remember a lot about Don, but the thing I remember the most is how he loved his family. He teased, he taught, and he loved. When the teasing got too much Louise would get on him and he'd chuckle. Oh how he loved him family. He also loved working in the Temple. He told me many times how much he enjoyed the people on his crew and his time working there. Now I am (was) a temple worker and he is not. What irony.

I remember Don as a good man. A real man. A really good man. He was a child in a man's body and he loved life. I never felt that he had any other interest but me when I was with him. He had a joy for life and found pleasure in even the small things. I have never met anyone who could be as excited about so little. He is just fun to be around.

Thank you Uncle Don for trying to help those Simmons boys get back into the church. Thank you for your efforts with my dad. He was a hard nut. Thank you for your example of never giving up. Thank you for our love for me and my family. I know you are still there, but I will be a little sad knowing that Louise is alone now (except for her kids, etc.) and you are not physically there at the other end of the phone when I can call. Give my love to Grampa and Gramdma Simmons and keep working on my dad. He's a good person who just lost his way.

Thank you Don. I love you. I don't know why I am crying. I know you are now free of that limiting body, to do anything you want to do. I am happy for you in that condition. It is just sad, knowing that you aren't there anymore. You have gone on another assignment in another place. I hope you can come and visit some time. I'd like that, and I could use some of your humor right now.
Love

Elder R Douglas Simmons,
Russia, Novosibirsk Mission
Financial Secretary

Here it Comes 11/7/08

Here it Comes 
11/7/08

Weather:
Rainy. Winds to 15 mph
5.1c

If you haven' seen it on the news or heard it on TV, the axis of evil has targeted the Church and one article calls for outlawing the Mormon Church.

These are the peaceful homosexuals who just want to get along, protesting in front of the Los Angeles Temple and the Salt Lake Temple. Fasten your seat belts folks. Satan is gearing up for another run at us.

What a world.
DS

ZLC and a Birthday 11 6/08

ZLC and a Birthday 
11 6/08

Weather Report
Rain-wind 20-30 mph
5.4c
It's a yucky day in the neighborhood.

Yesterday and today was Zone Leader Council, a meeting of all of the Zone Leaders from each city. Ten cities and 20 Zone Leaders gathered to receive instruction and motivation for the next 6 weeks. These pictures are taken in a circle around the room.

These are the finest of the best. They are seasoned missionaries, experienced leaders, and strong in the Gospel. As we see them and hear them, we are impressed with their maturity, with their judgment, and with their desire to take the Gospel to the elect.

The Assistants to the President (AP's) Elder West and Elder Robertson are strong, capable leaders with a major responsibility to instruct and motivate the missionaries. We love them and admire their determination to move the mission to new heights.

The Zone Leaders are responsible for the welfare, safety, and success of the missionaries in their cities. In some other missions where the member population is higher and the distance smaller, you can have several districts in a zone. Here Zone and District are synonymous except for the city of Angarsk which is part of the Irkutsk Zone because it is very close.

The evening started off with a dinner at 5pm. Some of these Elders have traveled overnight by train, some by a 6 hour plane ride, some 4-5 hours on the bus. They arrive through out the day and stay busy with other missionaries until dinner. There is no sitting around.

Sister Cindy and I went to the Tuesday evening general meeting so we had to leave the office about 4:30 to go by electric bus to the mission home. Out the front door, we go down into the Metro, pass by the usual entry and go out the other stairway that puts us on the other side of Kirova street, a 4 lane road with 6-7 lanes of traffic bent on destroying anything in the road not made of steel. We found that the Metro is a better way of crossing the street than running in the dark across a wet, pot-holed thoroughfare full of aggressive Russian drivers.

Once up on street level, we walked half a block to the bus stop. Several marshutkas (8-15 passenger vans) pull up and depart again before our electric bus arrived. It is like any other bus except it runs on electricity taken from overhead wires by two booms on the roof. There is a money taker, usually a woman, who takes each of our 10 ruble notes, gives us each a ruble coin change and a thin paper (like adding machine tape) ticket from a roll suspended around her neck on a string; all without looking at us or changing expression.

At the first stop, which is about 1 1/2 miles from where we got on, we get off, cross the street back to the other side, cross another street to the right, walk to the left a block to the Mickelsen's street, turn right past the police cars parked helter-skelter in mid block by the police station,and across the street again to enter their building's iron-gated courtyard. We call it the blue building because of the blue tinted glass facade on the upper stories.

Half way back into the courtyard, we enter a security door into a glass cubicle where there is telephone keypad. we punch in 12 and the # sign, the second door opens and we are admitted into the elevator corridor. Up to the 4th floor, we ring the doorbell of number 12. Apartments here are numbered sequentially from bottom to top. You don't know what floor the apartment is on by the number because there is no floor reference.

We are the last two arrivals and we take our place at the 15 foot long dining table. The dinner is not very surprising, being selected by the AP's. It is eithr New York Pizza, Rosticks chichen sandwich and marely warm fries, or Kentucky Fried Chicken, always supplimented with something by Sister Mickelsen followed by a dessert that has to include ice cream.

This meal was the fried chicken, 4 pieces each. I got through three pieces and then contributed to the "extras" bowl that was passed to the really hungry. This is a great choice in my book. Barely warm pizza or cold fries can't hold a candle to warm Kentucky Fried Chicken, with all that grease and MSG, it is to die for. (or maybe a cause of death, not sure) We also enjoyed rice and green beans, an attempt at neutrition by Sister Mickelsen, followed by cake & a slice of ice cream. (remember the ice cream somes in a log, wrapped in a plastic bag)

After the meal we remove the chairs from the wall-side of the table and move it against said wall, enlarging the room and giving enough chairs for the ZL's. Each picture above was of a different section of the room after the Kentucky Fried Chicken, beans. rice, and rolls were consumed. We are now in President Mickelsen's home with its large living room/dining room that could easily hold 75 to 100 chairs set in rows, but we have 26 at this meeting.

The AP's conduct the meeting and give time to each of the leadership for their part. Sister Cindy and I had 10 minutes. The office elders had 30. That shows who has the most to say. Here is a little contrast between Sister Cindy's shoes and elder Worthen's.

Our big message was about the new cell phones that would give each companionship a phone. Lots of cautions and conditions to having a cell phone, but I believe it will make or elders safer (the sisters already have phones) and more efficient. It remains to be seen.

After the meeting (9:00) we all head for home and bed. The next day they meet again from 9 am until 3:30pm. This is mostly instructions and inspiration. Afterwward, we had invited the AP's and office elders to our home for birthday dinner for Elder West. As it turned out we had 18 Elders for dinner. We gave us using the table and just fed them in the parlor. We had to put a little water in the soup, so to speak, but sister Cindy came up with a great meal.

If you can't tell from the picture, Elder West is blowing out the stub of a candle that has burned down into the cake ( it is a recycle candle). The fideo below is of the happy birthday song in Russian.
What a group of great Elders. What a country.

A Phone Interview

From a telephone interview with KSL-TV November 4, 2008
"Steve said, "Barb and I and our children love our church and our faith, which allows for a wide diversity of political discourse. In our case, our diversity does not diminish in any way our or my love, respect and sustaining of the leadership of our church, which is deep and profound."
Steve declined to answer any questions, saying the statement is all he wishes to say publicly on the matter."

It is not about politics, Steve. It is about morality; a moral issue governed by a political process that is basic to our form of government. That is why the Church Leadership got involved. It is not about the politics, Steve.

The Battle for the Souls of Men 11/2/08

The Battle for the Souls of Men 
11/2/08

I was going to post this without comment but couldn't resist. I cannot remember where or when, but I remember reading a conference talk that said that there would come a day when the Saints will face persecutions much like those in Illinois and Utah for simply being faithful to their beliefs.

The Homosexual-Atheist axis of evil has been formed and we will be tested on issues more challenging than abortion, same-sex marriage, and church & state issues. Satan can make the most fallacious argument sound plausible, or even correct, given enough ink and air-time.

There is a storm coming and the bottom line for me is that I will follow the prophet. We have turned the clock back to 1836 in Kirkland or 1844 in Nauvoo, or 1847 Nauvoo when some of the "Saints" had decided that the prophet Joseph had lost his prophetic mantel or that Brigham was usurping the leadership from Sidney Rigdon. I am going to Missouri with Joseph, I am standing firm in Nauvoo with Joseph and the 12, I am going west with Brigham.

These folks who are smarter than the prophet and the 12 are walking a very difficult path that may lead them over the river and through the misty woods into a great and spacious building. Watch your step folks.

From the San Francisco Chronicle web site.

Mormons face flak for backing Prop. 8

Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Religion Writer

Monday, October 27, 2008

All of California's Catholic bishops have all come out in favor of the measure. So have many evangelical Christians and Orthodox Jews. Yet it is Mormons, who account for 2 percent of the state population, who are catching the most heat.

Prop. 8 opponents are increasingly narrowing their focus on Mormons, harnessing technology and open-records laws in their efforts. One Web site run by a Prop. 8 opponent, Mormonsfor8.com, identifies the name and hometown of every Mormon donor. On the Daily Kos, the nation's most popular liberal blog, there is a campaign to use that information to look into the lives of Mormons who financially support Prop. 8.

The person who initiated the Daily Kos campaign to look into the lives of Mormon donors is Dante Atkins, an elected delegate to the state Democratic convention

Atkins said his goal was to "embarrass the opposition by pointing out and publicizing any contributors they may have." He said focusing on Mormons made sense. "If one religious group is putting close to the majority of the money and the effort into passing this proposition, it is fair to single them out."

The stories are true folks. They are picketing at your house. The teary lady in the forground is quoted as saying that she is afraid that her homosexual friends will hate her because she is a Mormon so she is supporting the No on Prop 8 campaign. 2 Nephi 8:7, "Fear not the reproach of men. . ." or D&C 3:7 30:1 and 122: 9, "You should not have feared man more than God. . ."

The No on Prop 8 camp is full of Mormons like Steve Young who have decided not to incur the wrath of the homosexuals. They can get nasty! Who needs it, right Steve?

What a country.
DS

A More Determined Desipelship 11/1/08

A More Determined Discipleship 
11/1/08

This was brought to my attention by an email today. I researched it and found that Elder Neal Maxwell, in a BYU devotional talk did actually make these observations that I think are being fulfilled in our times. These are direct quotes taken from his talk found in the Ensign article of February 1979 "A More Determined Discipleship".

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member (of the LDS Church) to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. (See 1 Kings 18:21.)

"President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had, 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.' (in Conference Report, Apr. 1941, p. 123). This is a hard doctrine, but it is a particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ!"

Speaking of forces that are trying to remove God and religious thought from public places, he said, "Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened."

"The Framers of the Constitution … forbade the Congress to make any law ‘respecting’ the establishment of religion, thus leaving the states free to do so (as several of them did); and they explicitly forbade the Congress to abridge ‘the free exercise’ of religion, thus giving actual religious observance a rhetorical emphasis that fully accords with the special concern we know they had for religion. It takes a special ingenuity to wring out of this a governmental indifference to religion, let alone an aggressive secularism."

"Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was,till then, unconscious of itself."

"Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
--- Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Our daughter Shannon is in the thick of the Prop 8 fight, trying to rally young single adults to follow the directions of President Monson and stand up for traditional marriage by working for the proposition's passage. Many have. Some have not. Some are indecisive. Is this not the literal fulfillment of Elder Maxwell's prophetic words? HOW LONG WILL WE HESITATE BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS? The sifting is in progress.

Many of our friends are also deeply involved in the pro-prop 8 work. Young families like our son Brian and his wife Andrea are walking precincts and making calls. Empty-nesters like Carol Shouse and Marilyn Lund are doing the same. My hat is off to you and my heart is with you. Should we not press forward in such a cause? We should all be grateful that we CAN press forward in such a cause. Some people in the world can't, and if we don't press forward we may not be able to in the future.

What a country.
DS