Letter #86

October 12, 2008

Dear Elder Roper,

We’re freezing – want some snow? Yup, record low temperatures and the old white stuff greeted us this morning. Other than the cold takes my garden out and we don’t have a furnace, it’s pretty neat. (Climbing in bed with those cold sheets, snuggling up to Linda – it just doesn’t get any better!) I’ve been hoping my green pumpkins would have time to turn orange, but I’m afraid tonight will do the vines in. Right now, two of them look splotchy and the other two are just plain dark green. I guess green pumpkins are good too! The weatherman says that summer will return next week, but what does he know anyway? In my operating systems class, we spend quite a few lectures on scheduling algorithms. It’s always been interesting to have the students analyze the way they schedule their school work time. I also remember a fellow’s talk when he emphasized doing the hard thinks first. Anyway, I can’t remember a season when I’ve winterized the boat in warm weather – it just wouldn’t be the same, right?! So, why should this season be any different? Saturday afternoon, I was tired, dirty, and had worked all day. I had to finally just force myself to do what needed to be done. Even still, I started with the fish pond before turning to the boat. It was dark before I had the fogging oil, tools, lights, and I had to turn the sprinkler water back on. Linda helped me get the blue barrel under the outboard, but it really didn’t take long – start the motor, let it warm up, fog it until it stalled, and then break down the hoses. I don’t know if I mentioned that when we took the boat out this summer, every so often the bildge pump would come on – I figured something was leaking. Well, when I went to undo the shower hose, I found it wasn’t connected at all!! You know, what was best about the experience? I slept wonderfully last night! (There is an old story about a hired hand who could “sleep when the wind blows” because he took care of when was needed when it was needed – I’ll include it at the end of this letter.)

I hope things have gone better with your companion this week. Other than fasting and prayer, service has always been key to any relationship. Ammon, King Benjamin, and, of course, the Savior all prospered temporally and spiritually because they knew the value of service. Service in missionary work will always be more effective in bringing others to the truth than tracting, preaching, or any other form of contacting. So, son, you might consider secret acts of service for your companion – polishing shoes, making a bed, buying lunch, writing his family, leaving a note, giving a gift, asking what he would like to do, taking pictures of him and sending them to his relatives – anything that shows you care, will bring you closer as a companionship. Pride is Satan’s most effective tool. Putting others first, being first to apologize, accepting responsibility for problems – such actions show you’ve learned not to be prideful. If you both realize that you only have a few short months together, maybe both of you would try harder. I had companions I didn’t get along with. I’m sure that’s just part of a mission experience. But, for the most part, I’ve forgotten the problems and remember all the good times we had together.

For family home evening Monday, I was hoping the family would help me pick our grapes. Well, the grapes are still on the vine, but we did have a fun activity and lesson and grapes – the Lord is the husbandman, the Savior the vine, we are the branches, and the fruit is our good works. (John 15.) We’re doing our best to have FHE’s and family scripture reading.

Lee Radebaugh came and spoke to my computer ethics class on Tuesday. I was unable to get my original choose of speaker, but it turned out that I was probably more pleased with Lee’s presentation. Gina stays late on Tuesday’s for master class, and so I was able to get a lot of work done. Wednesday and Thursday were usual school days. My classes seem to be going better than they ever have, but sometimes I feel like I’m barely able to keep my nose above water. The faculty are reviewing my binder for a continuing status vote in two weeks – guess I’ll find out then if I have a job or not. (Really, I’m not concerned – just that I’ll be glad when the review is over.)

Linda spent most of Friday working on the garage and so I was pretty well committed when I arrived home. It actually took me a long time of just standing and looking before I finally could figure out where to start – the place has been such a mess. We worked until late and got a lot accomplished. I was pretty choked up from the blower dust and very tired – the bed never felt so good. Saturday morning came all too quickly and we were soon back at it starting this time on the shed. The weather report was for early afternoon rain turning to snow, but it never materialized, although it did turn pretty cold! I was only going to work until the weather got bad and then go over to Phil’s to work on a computer board for my CS 124 class next semester. But, it never did get bad and so we just kept going. We pulled everything out, put up some more shelves, and were even able to hang the blowers from the ceiling. Linda found a spot for all the garden tools and I’m finally now able to get at the mower, blower, and tiller. The shed has never looked so good! I dug down along the basement wall by the front porch and filled it back with gravel. I’m going to pour a small cement pad over it under the tap – hopefully, that will solve the water problem in the basement. Linda and I really did enjoy working together and she kept me going (that and the BYU-New Mexico game.) As I mentioned, we finished up with the boat. After a shower, Linda fixed some spaghetti and we watched Pride and Prejudice with Gina until we couldn’t stay awake any longer and retired.

We woke up to snow this morning and barely made it to sacrament meeting. (Linda had to pull me out of bed!) I enjoyed primary, maybe because I didn’t have to teach a lesson – we just practiced for the upcoming primary program. Benjamin and Holly are going to build a new home in Wiley – just 30 minutes from Plano. Saturday, Benjamin and Scott took Benjamin’s B-24 to the church and he was going to start the engines. I guess a pretty good crowd of ward guys came to watch, but things just didn’t work – turned out to be dead batteries. Still, pretty impressive and I sure wish I could have been there. Tyler, Christina’s friend, has a mission call to Ithaca, New York and leaves in January. Gina went with a high school friend to the BYU game on Saturday – we have a good time together in our rides to and from BYU. Jess and Golden have settled in, but we still have a lot of little to-do’s to catch up on before we can call the basement finished. Then, of course, there is Amanda and Jeff’s old room and the exercise room upstairs. It never ends, does it?!

Well, that’s about it for my week. We’ve thought and prayer a lot for you this week. I’m sure everything will be for your good because you’re where you should be and doing with you should be doing. Hope you are well. Tell us all about the new changes in your mission program. We’d love to hear anything about your day’s routine and the city you’re in. Take care. The Lord is very mindful of you.

Love, Dad

When The Wind Blows

Author unknown (Adapted)

Years ago a farmer who owned land along the Atlantic seacoast constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because of the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.
Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.
"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer was well satisfied with the man's work.
Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.
Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.."
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.
To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, the doors were barred, the shutters were tightly secured, everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.
The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear.
Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.
We, as believers in Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God.. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ” Mt 11:28-29

"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Ephesians 6:14-15

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