Opportunities and Blessings

We have been given a rare opportunity to hold Sacrament Meeting for trainees of the Special Forces at Camp Mackall. A member in the other stake, called us and invited us to meet the Chaplain at Camp Mackall. Camp Mackall is a small installation about 5 miles away from the edge of Fort Bragg. We drive through Fort Bragg, about a 40 minute drive, and then another 10 or so miles. The security at Camp Mackall is real tight. We can't get in at the Camp with our ID cards alone. The ID cards do work at regular military installations. But at Mackall we have to be escorted by the Chaplain or his assistant just to enter the gate. It is a special privilege that we did not know would happen but we are so pleased that the Lord helped in the process. With little communication from the "outside world" the trainees here will be able to have the sacrament during their long training cycles. 

Other great things are happening here. When soldiers and families move from one base to another we have a great network of Senior Military Relations Missionaries around the world that contact each other to notify of in coming and outgoing soldiers.  Recently we were notified of a new family coming from states away and with the wife's phone number we were able to contact them and find that they needed help finding a place to live, as they had chosen to live off post. After telling me of the situation I posted the request on the ward facebook page and within about an hour we had a "two for one blessing" occur. One family was trying to get out of their lease and the other family liked the house. The deal was done and we felt privileged to have been some help...through the "network" of Senior Missionay work.

Tonight we are having PIE NIGHT to help young couples in one of our ward get acquainted.  We continue to hold Family Home Evenings and Strengthening Your Marriage Classes. We love our missionary work and the wonderful people who we have come to know.  They work hard and serve one another and their country. What a blessing.

The Busy Month of May

We spent the month of May doing a variety of things with the Military Families with whom we work. We gave a total of 15 Family Home Evening lessons.  We try to strengthen families and set an example of what a Family Home Evening should be like. We also spent time going out to find those whose names are on the Ward lists but no one in the ward knows them. We usually find that these people have moved but occasionally we find someone whom we can encourage.  We attended the “Break the Fast” activity for the 3^rd Ward and socialized with the members many of which are in the military.  We were able to attend the Temple with a couple who received their endowments and attended the baptism of a child whose parents recently joined the church. We also attended the baptism of 2 children whose families are active military families. Elder Mauerman was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting on the topic of missionary work. Sister Mauerman attended night RS with both wards to mingle with the Sisters and offer encouragement and friendship. Sister Mauerman also attended a surprise baby shower for one of the military wives. We also volunteered to teach a Primary class for a young couple who had been on leave and didn’t make it back in town in time to teach. We attended bi/monthly missionary correlations meetings and Ward Councils in two wards and one YSA branch. We helped to inform the wards/branch of any in coming and out going military families and single soldiers that we learn about through the Military Relations Missionaries serving around the world or that we notify of their coming to a new area.

We volunteered for a few activities this month with the USO. These activities included helping with crafts and visiting with moms at the Story time Hour on post. We filled “runners bags” for the Run for the Troops and we helped with the Carolina Panthers Kids Field Day Camp.  Sister Mauerman also helped sew two quilts for children whose father is deployed. The patchwork quilts had a variety of pictures with dad and the kids. We also attended a volunteer’s breakfast where we were able to mingle with other volunteers and talk about the service each of us (them and us )offers and why we are here in North Carolina.

We held a Resiliency Class for 3 couples in the Fayetteville 3^rd Ward during the month of May.

We are so happy to be serving in this way and continually pray that we are doing all the Lord wants us to do.   

I know this work is what Heavenly Father wants us to be doing.  Some days are slow for us but then we come upon some days where we can really see that the Lord led us to that door at the right time.   As the time of the Second Coming draws ever closer we feel blessed to encourage others to renew those spiritual feelings they once had. We see a difference when they take time to read the scriptures (and we read the scriptures) the spirit is able to work with us to stir us up to a remembrance of the Lord and his atonement for all mankind.  His atonement will work in our lives and can bless us everyday when we allow it.
 

Preparation Day

On preparation day we got to
go visit the Fayetteville Rose

 Garden with another Senior Couple

 in our area. The gardens 

 were not as big as we expected but the roses
were beautiful.

We had a nice time and a little bit of fun too.

April Work and Activities

   I spent some time this past week repairing shirts and pants for two different Elders and some for Keith too.  The Elders just say "you can do that?"   or "how do you know how to do that?"  I repaired a zipper for one Elder and he was amazed.  We enjoy what we can do for them.  We took a companionship to the Temple on Friday for one of their two trips a year to the temple.  We called for a reservation but the Temple was full so we thought we would just read scriptures while waiting but luckily we took our clothes and got in on a cancellation.
We are so spoiled at home. We don't have to make Temple reservations and can get in on a session at any time. The Raleigh Temple is one of the small temples with small ordinance rooms and fewer sessions during the week. Plus it is an hour and fifteen minutes away.  So spoiled!!
We are also spoiled with members on every corner and neighborhood.  We drive A LOT of miles out here to find people, to go to district meetings etc. Our ward house is pretty close so that is nice.  When we spend ALL DAY at church on Sundays it is nice not to have a long drive home at the end of the day.

I also went to Activity Days and helped the girls sew "jean bags" to carry their scriptures in.  We cut the legs off old pairs of jeans and then sewed them up at the bottom and sides so they formed a bag that already had pockets for their Articles of Faith cards etc.  They also had a Stake Activity for the girls. Each ward represented various women of the scriptures.  The Fort Bragg girls were the Mothers of the Stripling Warriors.  I got to help sew them some simple dresses and head pieces for that 

 activity. We continue to help the Ward Missionaries look for unknown members that are on their ward lists.  Sorry to say most of the time they are military families that have already moved away to another duty station before we get there.

We have had the opportunity to attend the Temple with two different military couples who have been sealed in the temple and two or three more will be going soon.  It has been a nice opportunity for us to meet these couples and go with them. The young Elder and Sister Missionaries are the ones who have taught them but we, as Senior Missionaries, get the blessing of going with them because the young missionaries can't always go out of their areas to attend.


We have come home to a couple of guests lately.  Surprises just before we opened our apartment door.

Special Missionary Conference

May 3, 2014

Today was an unexpected pleasure. It all started yesterday afternoon. We received a text from the mission office. Telling us that there would be a mission wide meeting in Knightdale (near Raleigh) about an hour and a half drive from here. We rescheduled our appointment for Saturday night, and made arrangements to pick up the Elders that don’t have a car. This morning early we got a text from the ward mission leader of the third ward asking us to come to a ward mission correlation meeting. So we hurried to the church and met with the mission leader, and the Elders and Sisters. When that was over we had just enough time to eat lunch, pick up the Elders and travel to Knightdale. When we got there the whole mission was there so we got see Elders and Sisters that we know who had been transferred away from our area. All the Senior missionaries were there too. Then our mission president’s wife came in, later our mission president came. We sang a few hymns, as is customary at all missionary meetings and had a few minutes of quiet reflection while we waited for the meeting to start. 

Then Elder Neil L. Anderson of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles came into the Chapel. With him, were two stake presidents from the area, Anthony F. Parker from the sixth quorum of the Seventy; an area seventy, 

Elder Paul B. Pieper First from the quorum of seventy,  and Elder Hugo E. Martinez, from the Second Quorum of the Seventy.  

Elder Parker is a large black North Carolinian with a North Carolina drawl. It was inspirational to hear him he bore a powerful testimony and told his conversion story.

We also heard from a Stake President, Elder Martinez, Elder Pieper, and then from Elder Neil L. Andersen.

Elder Anderson told how Elder L. Tom Perry was scheduled to visit North Carolina that weekend. Elder Perry, Elder Anderson and another Apostle were in an elevator together at the church office building. Elder Perry had just returned from an extensive trip and was exhausted. (He is 92 years of age) The other Apostle suggested to Elder Perry that he get someone else to take his place. Who could I get asked Elder Perry? Elder Anderson was thinking I have this Saturday free for a change, I will get to mow my lawn and do my spring yard work. Then the spirit prompted his to say I can take your place Elder Perry, I don’t have any other assignment this weekend.

Elder Anderson and our mission president, President Bernhisel were in the same stake years ago in Florida and knew each other. When Elder Anderson got the call to come to North Carolina he called President Bernhisel and said let’s have a missionary conference as well, while I am there.

The first thing Elder Anderson did was have the missionaries file past and shake hands with him, as well as the Seventies and the Stake Presidents that were there. Each and every one of the missionaries at that meeting had the experience of shaking hands with an Apostle of the Lord, and three of the Lord’s Seventies. 

He called on Elder Holt the Zone Leader of the Fayetteville West Zone. (Yes the zone where sister Mauerman and I work.) Interacting with Elder Holt, he explained that the pattern of the Savior was to have people come to him individually, I remembered that he had the Nephites come to him individually and see the marks in his hands and feet and that he blessed the children individually.  (3 Nephi 11, John 20)

He taught us that missionary work takes place on the individual level, one person at a time.

The mighty change of heart happens one by one. (Mosiah 5)

After a powerful talk and testimony from Elder Anderson he walked up and down the isles interacting with the missionaries. He would ask questions and let the Elders and Sisters respond to the questions with answers from the Book of Mormon. As he listened to the answers he would fill in with the background to that scripture. He didn’t just stop with the verse from the Book of Mormon, he talked about the entire chapter. He explained to us that we should think of the Book of Mormon in terms of what is in the chapter not just the verse.

I know most of the verses that were quoted that afternoon, but I am really weak on knowing the reference where that verse came from. I came away from that meeting with hope. I can remember chapters. It looks like I have some work to do. I wonder if the Lord worked it out for Elder Anderson to come to that meeting just to help me. I’m not sure about that, but it seemed like it. I sat on the end of a row and he did come and stand next to me for quite a few minutes. I really felt as if he were there for me. I know all the other missionaries felt the same as well, isn’t it wonderful how one speaker can touch so many people in a personal way when the spirit is with him.

We continue to have opportunities to Volunteer on Post

Last week we had an opportunity to Volunteer at the For Bragg Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families. It is offered to help service members and their families ‪deal with the unique challenges they face, from deployments and homecomings to frequent relocations. 

We helped pass out these Sesame toys and USO Bandanas to all the children as they arrived at the show.







We are in the back corner on the right hand side of this picture. Handing out toys and bandanas to the children as they arrive. Lots of children where there that morning and they held three other shows also...where others volunteered.

This week we volunteered at the Pope Family Center Storytime. After a story was read we help the children make their craft items.  They seemed to have a great time.

We are glad we have the opportunity to help and it is fun to see the children enjoy themselves. It gives their moms a chance to attend a pleasant activity with their children but they don't have to plan or organize it...just show up and enjoy.

Tender Mercies and Miracles

Last night we were in the Ward Mission Leaders home for a meeting with the missionary committee and the full time Elders and Sisters in the Fort Bragg Ward. As the meeting was ending one of the Ward Missionaries told us a story about the fellow soldier he brought to church yesterday. He said he was asked by the Elders Quorum President to pick up a fellow soldier, who was here at Bragg from a National Guard unit in Arizona. He is just here for special training for about 3 weeks and doesn't have a car to get to church. So the ward missionary picked him up and on the way home he invited him to dinner so he didn't have to eat at the Mess Hall. During dinner the conversation some how turned to the name of an inactive neighbor and the soldier said "do you mean ... so and so". Yes said the ward missionary.  "Well I used to be his Bishop back when we were in such and such a unit and I got him active at that time" etc etc. They decided that while here the soldier will go visit the inactive brother. WOW   After the ward missionary told the story I said "The Lords work is amazing. Do you want to hear the rest of that story??"  So I told them the story really begins when we first arrived here.  We tried several times to get in touch with any chaplains. Finally we met one LDS chaplain and asked him to help us get permission to post our information for LDS Soldiers needing help or a list of meeting times and address to our ward building. We could already do things with ward members but we wanted to have our names available for incoming soldiers etc.  He was pretty busy by the time we met him, getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan.  We kept waiting. Finally the day before he left he got permission for us to meet with one of the head Chaplains on base.  This chaplain is not LDS but was very nice to us. We gave him our information and asked if it could be posted somewhere so other chaplains would know about LDS help if soldiers needed it. He later sent an email, more than once, reminding many chaplains about our information. So we knew our information was out there.  Well fast forward 3 months. We were out visiting one day, just a few days before General Conference,  when I heard the cell phone ring but didn't answer it in time.  We pulled over a few minutes later and I returned the call. It was from a Chaplain who is here at Bragg for just 3 weeks from Arizona, who wanted LDS information for his men. I assumed he was LDS but as the conversation got going I found he was not, but did want LDS information for some of his men.  This chaplain got our information from the Chaplain of the 3 month ago experience.  So I told him what he needed to know and told him to have his soldiers call us if they needed anything.  Well one soldier called, the one our ward missionary picked up.  Since we don't live on base I called the ward mission leader to ask if he could arrange a ride for this soldier. He called the Elders Quorum Pres who called the ward missionary who gave the soldier a ride, the one who was the Bishop who activated the neighbor. Sounds to me like the Lord is trying to get back in touch with our inactive member.  And by the way we have been talking to his wife, hoping to get in for an FHE. Tender mercies and miracles??  Yes they still happen !!