Nov. 25
I love my job. The mail can be so enlightening. This Beth has some interesting mail....at least the names people use for her are a kick. She is known as BFF Bethy, Bethy Babe and this week To the Princess, Beth. Honestly? Can you believe sending mail to a missionary addressed like that? Return addresses interest me too. This week I processed a letter with a stake pres. By the name of Paul Newman. I thought he died. Maybe he has come back as a Mormon leader. I chuckled. But my LOL this week was when the return address said Grandma Woolf! What? This was a twist on Little Red Ridinghood I had not expected. Grandma married the wolf? What happened to Red Riding Hood? Did the woodsman never show up? I thought about the possibilities through the rest of the mail......which is a ton these days. Ah, Christmas is coming and these funny, funny parents send a box to an 18 year old with DO NOT OPEN TIL CHRISTMAS and think that will stick! Probably not, Mom and Dad, far away.
This week has been one of highs and lows. One of our sweet Polish sisters mother died on Monday at the age of 48. It was completely unexpected. This Sister bore a strong testimony on Thursday about the plan of salvation. She is not going home. She was promised in a blessing that her mother will now be able to share her mission, hear the gospel taught by her daughter to other investigators, and understand the big picture. What strong young people we are working with.
Several of our missionaries are facing medical challenges, like tumors, heart problems, back issues, and on and on. They work through their pain, with smiles on their faces. As it gets colder and my arthritis hurts, I just follow their example. I am not sure how I will handle Utah's cold winters but this moist, right off Lake Michigan cold is something to experience. Ah for the days of curling up in a blanket with a good book!
Novice techy from SLC apologized to me on Wednesday. I got to the iPad roll out early with Elder Taggart so I could get things ready for the lunch, set up my sewing machine, and make sure I was ready for my training bit. We had to divide the 120 missionaries into two groups so we wouldn't blow a fuse or something with all the iPads going. That meant training two separate groups. So I ran from the kitchen to the RS room where I mended pants, coats, pockets, and tears. Then back into the kitchen. Then into the chapel for training. Then back to the kitchen to serve lunch to 120. Then back to my mending.....back to the chapel again.....and on and on. This guy who the week before had called us "part time missionaries" came up to me and said, " Are you Sister Taggart? I owe you an apology. I had no idea what you did out here. I have watched you today and I can't believe everything you do. You are not part time." I assured him what he had been watching me do all day wasn't even what I do. My office job is intense too. Good to have validation.
I got my first referral this week. The postman came in and wondered what this place was. He had a stack of 20+ boxes on a cart, 100 letters, and just wondered what we did. So I explained what we all did, 50-60 hours a week....for free, paying all of our own expenses so we can be here to support 200 young missionaries inviting others in Chicago to come to Christ. He said he was a believer but he had never seen any of our missionaries. I asked him if he would like to meet some. He said yes. He said he would also like to come to one of our meetings. Did we have a chapel near him? I got his name, address, phone number and in less than a week, he was being taught by our missionaries in Logan Square. Cool, huh?
I went to my third "referral baptism" Saturday. This man was a referral from Belgium, here on a three month professor deal with the University of Chicago. He had one discussion before he left Belgium. I assigned him to missionaries in his area. One was a football player from BYU. He said to me, "He will be smart. I play football. What can I teach him?" I answered, " the gospel". Well, these two young Elders taught this scientist and he was baptized Saturday. He came up to me after to thank me for finding him missionaries so he could learn about Jesus Christ and his church on the earth today. Awesome moment for me.
We have 4 Sister missionaries coming for dinner tomorrow and two Elders coming Wed. And then Elder Taggart and I will have leftovers for Thanksgiving. Then we have to man the office Friday because Crooks are taking off for Ohio to be with family for the holiday.
We love the work. We put in 30 hours in just two days this week. We go fast so our joints don't freeze up. We love our missionaries. We miss our family but know they are being blessed because we are serving. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and if Little Red Ridinghood comes by, tell her not to go to Grandmas. It's too late.
Sister Taggart
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