As we have been making preparations this last month or so
for the visit to our Mission by Area General Authority Elder Haynie,
we knew it would be a busy time. Spot on, that!
Our large territory mission was divided into halves,
instead of the usual roughly thirds for regular conferences,
and the first was held at the chapel at the Joseph Smith
Birthplace Memorial in Sharon, VT (more accurately
known these days as South Royalton).
The picture above demonstrates how the Fall foliage is
making a show for all to enjoy.
The JSBM conference was held on Tuesday.
The next day we re-grouped and traveled northeast
to Yarmouth, Maine.
Above is a foliage shot from those chapel grounds.
Below is the group picture of the officials and the missionaries
- both young and seniors, too, who attended there.
(Don't look too hard for me - it's my Ipad taking the photo!)
Playing a big part in my experience at Yarmouth is
the Dawbins family, who have accepted a 'calling'
for almost 9 years now to prepare and serve the regular
lunch meal to the two-unit Zone conference usually held
in their home town of Farmingdale, Maine. They are very
generous at what they do, and are experts at planning,
procuring, transporting, preparing, serving and presenting
wonderful and delicious meals every 6 weeks.
When we learned that changes would be in effect
for September, they altered their routine
to travel south to Yarmouth to serve us there.
This is a picture in the chapel kitchen there as they
worked to get things ready. Their youngest son Peter
had intended to be in school, but instead, responded
to 'the Spirit' which told him, while attending his seminary class
that he should come down with his folks.
Perhaps that prompting was to fill my lamp,
because that is what our interaction did.
From the first of my meetings with Peter at mid summer,
I knew there was something special and a little different
about him. So at the right moment, I questioned
Karina and Butch, his parents, and they confirmed
that Peter is "on the spectrum". I told them that an aura
about him speaks spiritually to me and makes me
think of my wonderful and special nephew Paul.
But the two are quite different: Peter spoke with long
flowing sentences, creative phrases, pointed observations,
excited recollections and humorous anecdotes.
At one point he told me about his EFY experience in August
in Utah, where he was thrilled to be in an audience to listen
to an Apostle speak. He said, "It is amazing how the Spirit
can make you feel like you are being pierced with a knife
and being hugged at the same time."
Wow!
I borrowed this picture (below) of nephew Paul and his twin
Caroline, both of whom I love dearly.
Like Peter, Paul is "on the spectrum", but his challenge
includes being non-verbal, though not always
non-expressive. Through the twenty years I've known Paul,
we have had some fun interactions, which because
they seem like a distillation of precious things,
are very poignant. Each has been logged away
in my heart, full of beauty and promise and love.
There in Yarmouth, as Peter and I prepared the dining hall
with table settings and salt and pepper and salad dressing,
and a myriad of necessary but insignificant tasks,
he rambled and talked almost without ceasing.
He had me as a captive audience, after all.
At one moment, as we chatted face to face, I looked into
his youthful and expressive features, and lo,
there was nephew Paul. It was not a vision, so to speak.
But instead, it seemed like a glimpse of what it will be like,
when we hear from Paul about what he knows and likes
and feels. I was caught off guard, and a tear
rolled down my cheek. Peter glanced at me quizzically.
I could not find words to explain.
Tears are present now as I type.
I am not sad, but introspective:
Won't that be a fun, Celestial kind of day!
