Nod to Valentines: Mission "Sweethearts"

We approach the middle of February and weather

has been on our minds. Severe storms caused a change

in Zone Conference plans and condensed three into one week - 

but more about that next week. 

Following the snow came cold winds and freezing rain.

This beautiful picture, below, of red berries with frozen branches

comes from our first-to-be-mentioned "sweetheart" who we know

as fellow members of the Canterbury Ward: Andrea Nelson.

She has given me permission to re-share something she posted

 elsewhere. Here are her inspiring words to accompany the image:

In my rush around this afternoon . . . this sight caught my eye.

I took [the picture] to remind us to slow down and see

the beauty, the successes in the small moments.

Life moves too fast.

 She also shared this image of the sparkle of frozen
rain that coated the bare tree branches, which in the wind
that followed was blown loose to embellish the snow-coat in
sounds of broken-glass tinkling and not-so-gentle crashing.
Very beautiful, though, as the bright sunshine 
reflected the next day.

Just a small pause before the "real" message to note a national

event that was "staged" just up the road from our Goffstown

apartment. The Democratic Party held their final presidential

candidate debate St. Anselm College, in advance of Tuesday's 

New Hampshire primary vote. The college campus is a destination

in my mild-weather neighborhood walking route, so it

was very close to us. We drove home through a channel of

picketing "protesters" and candidate supporters. One picture

I took the next morning shows the "corral" fencing that was thrown

up to keep those with signs safely off the roadway.

Blue police flashers were everywhere. Glad to get away home.

 Also of note, this morning the cardinal couple stayed
on Elder Warner's hanging deck feeder long enough
to be captured in a photo. The female is the one we can see;
the brighter red male was on the outside.

Next is my second mission "sweetheart",

Sister Lydia Stephenson, who acted as service

missionary in the NHM Mission office for a year,

ending last late summer, as a special office duties helper

for mission nurse Sister Larsen. Since I "inherited"

many of those clerical duties, Sister Stephenson

was very useful in training me and setting me up for success.

Due to some particular challenges, she did not serve a full-time

mission, but instead helped one or more days a week in

the Manchester chapel building where the office is located

(in addition to her regular service at the Boston Temple).

She drove down from her home northward in Plymouth to serve.

Her duties: logging print supply requests, ordering replacement 

nametags, preparing baptismal packets to be sent to 

new members, assembling and composing the "monthly" 

electronic newsletter, assisting with on-site luncheon functions,

organizing the history, and more. 

This image was taken on February 2 with Sister Christiansen

and Sister E. Smith. (The reason for their broad smiles:

their Plymouth "Branch" became a "Ward" that Sunday! Hooray!)

My third mission sweetheart is Sister Anita Nickulas.

She is a regular visitor to the office, bringing love

and encouragement for us office seniors but more

particularly for the young Elders and Sisters that 

serve in the Manchester and Bedford areas

at any given time. She has a wealth of local knowledge,

a big heart for sharing, smart opinions, helping hands,

and a heart-warming conversion story that begins

with a search for Gospel of Jesus Christ truth that

she felt lacking in her life-long Catholic Church activity.

This image of the fresh bread items in the Manchester church

kitchen represents her weekly stop at the "outlet" store

that lies on the way from her Auburn home base

to purchase gift-food to bless and simplify the lives of missionaries.

 In recent years, she has greeted each new senior office
couple with this wonderful local gift of CampMix seasonings.
Sister Nickulas is a developing quiltmaker and an oral hygenist.
We've learned many things from her, and missed her regular
visits in December and January while she recovered from surgery.
Her smile and sunny disposition cheer us.

My fourth mission "sweetheart" is Sister Iris Langley,

another member of the Manchester Ward. Having served

as an office senior in Alabama, and then as a Washington D.C

Temple missionary, Sister Langley offered herself for weekly

service because she wants to help and knows there is need.

She is a New Hampshire native and I love to listen to

her local knowledge and fascinating life story.

(It was Iris who first taught me how to say "Boscawen"

and Peabody - more about that in a later post.)

That's why I am excited when I see her come through

the mission office door. But the REAL reasons she is

a sweetheart is the help she offers to the Elders in the office.

Here, below, she is assisting Elder Warner in the tedium of

filing the monthly automobile report forms and receipts.

(Hallelujah - if she didn't help, it might have to be ME!)

 Of particular benefit to the mission function is the help
she gives to Elder Matkin, who is really filling the roles
and assignments of TWO office missionaries.
Sister Langley files apartment utility billings, notices, leases,
rent agreements, etc., which is what she is doing here.
And perhaps also helps with the missionaries' telephones
paperwork and other financial officer clerical filing tasks.
There is a lot to love in Sister Langley, including her local
knowledge and way of speaking, her cheery commitment
to Gospel living, her twinkly smile, her encouragement to us.
But one fun fact I appreciate particularly is that she has "kept"
her maiden name. Though married to three fellows (now a widow)
with different surnames, she reverted back to her family name
at the request of her father - that's family loyalty!

My fifth selection for a mission "sweetheart" is

Sister Judy Johonnette-Young, who is a member

of the Canterbury Ward where we attend.

Shown here with Sister Parry (who might represent

all of the other mission "sweethearts" - 'cause we love

them ALL), Sister Judy listens to the church meetings

as her human transcription "translators" serve

her by typing what is said into a small laptop keyboard device.

Sister Judy's story put "oil in my lamp" last autumn when she

expressed on FB her frustration at the challenge of receiving

the messages in our meetings. It was inspiring and 

heart-warming to read and see how quickly her fellow Saints

put forward offers to help, and expressed her value to

the entire congregation and their love for her.

Recently, she is looking to supplement her income by

producing crocheted products for sale.

 This day, Judy had handed off the first "batch" of scrubbers

that I had arranged for, and am sending as Valentines.

At the end of this week, we will celebrate Valentine's Day.
Though admittedly a pagan holiday, it easily morphs into
a reason to recognize and commemorate
the abundance of love with which we are surrounded.
My lamp is very full with all the "sweethearts" here.
Happy Holiday!