Muddy Buddies!

One of the dads of one of the girls on Brittney's basketball team mentioned to me a couple years ago when he was working the scoreboard and I was keeping the stats book that he was going to be playing in a mud volleyball tournament later in the day. It sounded like a whole lot of fun to me, so this year I got a team together to play in the Danville mud volleyball tournament.
Our new next door neighbors, the Freestones, and some friends from church, the Ruggieris played with Brittney and I. Our team name was "the muddy buddies". We had a lot of fun playing in the mud.
Our first game was scheduled for 8:45 in the morning. When we got there, we realized that the last game wasn't scheduled until 7:00 that night.
We won the first game we played. It was still chilly outside, so we didn't do a whole lot of diving in the mud, but the mud felt good on our feet.
The next game we played we lost. Noah and I decided after that game that our friend, Todd was still too clean, so we took care of that.
It was a double elimination tournament, so I held nothing back on the last game, and Brittney said I actually did really well up at the net, but we still lost. We didn't feel too bad though, we had spent the morning there and weren't anxious to stay all day.
I was a bit scary looking when it was all over with. I won't gross you out by telling you what happens when you dive in the mud without plugging your nose.
You won't see many faces scarier than this at Halloween!

Ten years ago today I arrived in the mission field

"We arrived in the beautiful city of Barcelona today. It clean, green, and blue. The flight (Madrid to Barcelona) was short and enjoyable." The Spain, Barcelona mission had approximately 180 missionaries. President Clate Wheeler Mask Jr. and his wife, Carol "Pollyanna" Mask oversaw our assignments and well-being while serving. When President Mask met us at the airport, I didn't recognize him. He wasn't as tall as he looked in his picture in the MTC and he spoke Spanish much more fluently than I expected, so I thought we was a senior native Spanish missionary that had come to help pick up the missionaries and I wondered why President Mask hadn't come to the airport. It wasn't until we arrived at the mission office and he gave us our official welcome that I realized who he was. In the next year I will describe some of the neat experiences I had with Presidente and Hermana Mask as we called them. I learned a great deal from them that I still remember and often reflect on. I love them and am grateful to have served in the Spain, Barcelona "Lighthouse" mission with them.
That night "we went to sing (at a plaza in the middle of the city) with all the Elders in Barcelona. The members were excited to sing with us. It started pouring (rain). There was a waterfall on the stairs to the Metro (subway). We were soaked when we got to the mission home (pictured above)."

The next day I met my new mission companion, Elder Woodbury. We soon figured out that we were both descended from the same great-great-great grandpa, Franklin D. Richards. Of course since I was a brand new missionary right from the MTC, and Elder Woodbury had been out serving for a year, I knew everything there was to know about being a missionary, and Elder Woodbury didn't know anything. We got along fine, but we did have a difference of opinion from time to time. It wasn't until a few months later that I realized Elder Woodbury really was a great missionary and knew what he was doing after all.
Mataro was the first area I was assigned to serve in. It was right on the Mediterranean Sea, we could see the sea from our 7th floor apartment. Elder Woodbury and I shared an apartment with Elder Barrott and Elder Brunson. By the way, Elder is a title for all male missionaries. I met faithful saints in Mataro, many of whom were the first members of the church in their family, the pioneers of Spain. While there, Elder Woodbury and I taught Joaquin, a gentleman who had heart problems. I remember he came to hear me speak in church my first week there. Remember, my talk was given in Spanish, and at this point, I still had a lot of Spanish to learn. Luis was another man we taught in Mataro. He always gave us large soda crackers to eat. Mataro sparked my love for the people of Spain, love for the faithful members of the church in Spain, and love for representing Jesus Christ as a missionary.

Clinton Lake

For the second year in a row we spent Labor Day at Clinton Lake. It has a very nice beach with warm water to play in. Our good friends, the Hills, Wheelers and Andrus' went with us and we had a lot of fun. We played with this amazing ball that skipped like a schoolgirl across the top of the water. We grilled hamburgers, played Frisbee in the water, and did a lot of swimming. Hopefully we'll get to go back again next summer.
Here is Brittney chasing after the seagulls.
Jason designed and built this amazing sandcastle. He'll be graduating in architecture next year and looking for work if any of you want a house that looks like that.
Joshua, Aaron, Bruce and Jason. Sorry girls, these beach dudes are all taken (except Joshua).

Things

I had to post something on 9-9-09 because this number sequence isn't going to happen again. I suppose next year we will get 10-10-10; the year after 11-11-11; and the year after that 12-12-12.
Perhaps I can tell you something exciting that happened today. Reflecting the events through the course of the day.... I had another awkward "walking into the classroom" moment with my superintendent today - the second time in 1 week. It wasn't awkward that he came in, just at what was happening in class at the moment he walked in. He probably thinks I do all sorts of weird/bad things in my classroom. I started compiling a list of things, and will make 1 post at the end of the year with my conglomoration. I'm sure I'll have plenty since he seems to be visiting our building a lot more often this year than in the past.

On the positive side, I have 1 week remaining in my last class before I finish my master's degree.
Cool thing - I had my 9th synchronous class session on 9-9-09. I answered the same question 9 times to 9 different students during study hall, and called 9 fouls during the scrimmage game at basketball practice - what a coincidence!

I'm going to start planning my dozens party now! Doesn't it sound cool to host a dozens party on 12-12-12! I will be happy to take ideas and suggestions for such an endeavor.

Kirtland, Ohio

We also stopped off in Kirtland on our journey home. I had never been to Kirtland before, and it's a neat place to visit. I don't think I truely realized how many revelations, doctrines, and explanations were received during the Kirtland time period. Nor did I understand the persecution and sacrifices the early saints made. Since we have the luxury of living 3 1/2 hours way from Nauvoo, Bruce and I get to visit historic Nauvoo quite often. However, knowing the events in Kirtland bring new insight on the happenings in Nauvoo.
I always wondered why the Community of Christ church owned the Kirtland temple and why our church wasn't using it like our temples today. It wasn't until I was there and noticed that it wasn't built for the same purpose temples are built today. It was built as a place of worship - like a meeting house in which doctrines of the gospel were received and studied. The Kirtland temple has been through various owners and gone through many uses - like a barn; yet what once took place there was absolutely remarkable. Walking through the building, it was hard to believe that Christ and other angels appeared there, but I do know that it actually happened.
I really liked watching the video that told the Kirtland story from the perspective of the Whitney's. It gives you that everyday member perspective and the personal sacrifices the Whitney family made in order to establish Zion on earth.
Bruce and I were the only two people on our tour, so we got special privileges. We could take as many pictures as we wanted, enter rooms they don't usually show, and stand behind the counter at the Whitney store.

This picture is taken in the upstairs room of the Whitney store also known as the school of the prophets. It was in this room that the word of wisdom revelation was received. The brethren were studying Hebrew and other gospel doctrines. According to time period customs, the men often drank, smoked, and chewed tobacco during these learning sessions. Emma got tired of cleaning up the mess and approached Joseph. Joseph approached the Lord thinking this behavior probably wasn't approved by the Lord. After receiving the revelation, Joseph had the burden of telling his good friends and trusted colleagues that they were sinning and doing wrong. I would have been a little nervous to chastise my friends. However, after Joseph told the brethren, many of them got up and threw their pipe into this fireplace, vowing that they would follow the commandments of the Lord. I wondered if I am so willing to just cast my sins into the fire upon word from the prophet, or do I try to hold onto things.
This is a picture of the kitchen Emma shared in order to take care of her family. I know how nice it is for me to have a kitchen of my own that I can cook or entertain guests. This was something that Emma never really had. She always shared with someone else and always gave willingly of the few possessions she had to call her own.

We visited the saw mill and ashery where they make lye soap. Left over ashes from their cooking fires could be used to make soap which isn't worth a lot. Ash can be refined to make pot ash. Pot Ash can be refined even more through high levels of heat and trail to make something remarkable that is worth much more than a pile of ashes. In a way, we can compare ourselves to ash. We can settle to be made into soap through a small process. Or we can undergo large amounts of heat and be pushed through the refiners fire to be made into something remarkable. I know that I would rather become something valuable.

Perhaps what struck me the most was the fact that the successful Whitney family were willing to pack up their profitable store that they had worked so hard to build up, and move to Missouri with the saints. They left family members and other friends behind to do what the Lord wanted them to do. They did it again when they were driven out of Missouri, and again when they were driven out of Nauvoo. Those early saints truely passed through the refiners fire to become something of much greater value than just ash. I wonder if I would do the same. The Prophet Joseph Smith said a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things does not produce the faith sufficient enough to bring salvation. Now we know what the Lord expects of us.

Palmyra, New York

You probably read earlier about our exciting trip to Montreal. We have failed to mention the exciting things we did on our way home from vacation. (I know- it was over 2 months ago, but what else can you do besides wait).
Bruce and I have both been to Palmyra before, but neither of us had seen the pageant. If you are wanting to visit the historic sites there, we suggest you do so when the pageant is not performing - you will actually see more things then.
Due to the large amount of people walking the sites, we really only had time to do 1 session and walk around the sacred grove. The wait line for the Joseph Smith home was 2 hours.

As we walked through the grove, I contemplated on how unprepared Joseph must have been to receive the answer he was given. I wondered if I ever really prepare myself to receive such a powerful answer from my Heavenly Father when I pray. I have to ask myself, would I really be willing to act on the answer God gives me? I know that he will answer my prayers, but he may not answer in the way I would expect. Thus, I need to prepare myself in order to not only receive the answer, but act on the answer as Joseph Smith did. Joseph Smith would not have played such an important role in the restoration of the gospel if he was merely casual in his prayers. Thinking of that makes me want to improve my prayers.

As we were coming out of the Palmyra temple, we heard "It's a long way from Illinois, what are you doing here?" When we turned to see the person speaking, we were surprised to see some friends of ours that used to live in our ward - the Paynes.
It's really neat to see people you know in other places. When you travel to church history sites, the world turns out to be very small indeed.
That night we saw the pageant. I didn't know what I expected it to be like, but it was much different than I expected. Elaborate costumes, cool special effects, and thousands of cast members to say the least. It was a quick (not detailed) overview of the Book of Mormon. It was pre-recorded so the acting wasn't that great - seeing that most of the actors waved their arms frantically so the audience would know who was talking. I was impressed with the performance, but it wasn't the same overwhelming feeling of peace I get when I see the Nauvoo pageant.
This is a picture of me with Nephi's daughter. She was from Nova Scotia. She and the other 5 members of her family travel to Palmyra every year to be part of the pageant. I was pretty impressed by that diligence knowing that hundreds of families throughout the world testify to thousands of people of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. What a powerful message.


It was kind of chilly, and I was glad that I brought a blanket to wear. On main street in Palmyra before the pageant, many protesters march down the street yelling things out about Mormons being frauds and needing repentance. This kind of behavior has always struck me as quite funny seeing how most of them are uninformed about what they are shouting or carrying around on signs. Most of these people have never stopped to listen to a message from the missionaries making their sayings not only inaccurate but invalid. This is why I let the truth of my beliefs resonate through my actions, deeds, and thoughts rather than just what I profess out of my mouth.
It was neat to walk through the sacred grove and know that I have a Heavenly Father who not only knows who I am and everything about me, but he also loves me and wants me to be happy. He has given me the blessings of the gospel so that I can be happy and return to live with him again.

Jargon

Propionibacterium Fruedenreichii NP24
Acetazoleamine Mucosal, Serosal
Insentec system
acaricides
gastrointestinal anthelminthes
Matrix mtealloproteinses metabolite
dihydroxyvitamin D
xylanase endogluconase
These are a few among the many phrases and words that get passed around from one scientist to another at dairy conferences. What use do these words have for anyone?
Charles Darwin once said, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent, but the one that is most responsive to change."
Could this have any relevance for us humans?


A question I have always wondered! When disease or illness arises, why do cows get taken care of immediately and humans have to go through a long process - seeing multiple doctors, getting multiple perspectives in which the solution may never arise?
Bruce's answer: "Because Dairy Scientists are smarter than doctors."

***************************************************************************
Brittney: Bruce why couldn't you be a chiropractor or something like that so it's useful for me?
Bruce: Because then I wouldn't be as smart!

You have it from the source!