Homemade Bread

February 8, 2015

     I miss Kirsten's homemade bread. I crave a shrimp taco and cheese enchilada with green sauce from Licano's. Yesterday, Sister Jensen guided us out to Haun's Mill again and, returning, we found some homemade bread in Jamesport. The Mennonites run a bakery there. Kirsten, it was almost as good as yours. Man, I was happy about it. As for tacos out here....I'm still on the lookout for a good one.
      It's funny how little things can make us happy. I am seeing that in serving as the mission secretary. It's just little things I do BUT I am still following directions from the secretary manual. Computer Talk is not comfortable to me. It may never be but I can be happy in the trying. Any time my elder comes in the office I have a question or a problem for him to fix. He was gone on Friday and BOOM! I deleted all the saved Documents. They were gone. No matter what I did or what I tried. All I could do was ask Heavenly Father again for help. It seems that is what I do most alone in that office-pray, pray, pray.... After what seemed like an eternity, I found them! So small to a real secretary. So BIG to a pretend secretary like me. I cannot deny Heavenly Father's tender care in my behalf as I continue to stretch and grow with each project. If I don't EVER learn computer skills I can't help but know that my Heavenly Father knows my name and my needs. That makes me so happy. 
      President Vest has directed the missionaries to quit "hanging around" the office. (my words.......sure his were more formal) That has taken a bit of zest from the place. I do understand the reasoning but now it seems like a lawyer's office without the elevator music. Kind of serious and solemn.  Now, the minute a set of missionaries tiptoe in  to drop off an important document I jump up and creep over to quietly shake their hands so I do not disturb the work of others. That makes me so happy.
     Our Sailor turned six and our Noah will be 11 this week. Our Jordy continues to study each day for the bar exam which he will take close to the end of the month. The Hatch turtle passed away this week and our Kortney went house hunting up to NAU for next fall while Jett made the winning basket at his game. Life in our Seaman family goes on and on and on....These are still and will be our happy highlights as we serve out here. We see our family being blessed  in their various endeavors. As for me, I am finding joy in a good piece of homemade bread, a finished job in the office, or an outing with my elder and whoever else we can fit in the truck. 

All my love,
Sister Seaman

Finding Joy

     I continue to move missionaries all over the mission.  I will be in Albany on Tuesday moving a set of Sister missionaries from a members home to an old beat up apartment (because there isn't anything better) in the middle of a real small, old town. Albany is in the far north reaches of our mission. It must be a little lonely for them.  Everything is old there. The work must be hard for them, but I think they like it.  I am getting to know the freeways, highways and roads etc. here in Missouri.  I like it.  I even find myself whistling now and laughing at myself out loud because I am funny when I am alone. I wonder if I am finding joy?
     Speaking of joy.  We went up to Jamesport yesterday.  It is an Amish community with the horse and buggies and plain clothes.  The tourists like to see them and buy their stuff. There are a few antique/junk stores there also.  A senior sister in our building ask to go there.  We took the Garretts with us too.  John Garrett  and his wife, Trixey (sp).  They are the ones that were serving a mission in Oregon and got in a real bad car accident.  A logging truck lost its brakes above them on some switchbacks, lost control, turned over and the logs rolled down and crushed their car.  John got the worst of it. A log fell on the roof of their car and landed right between them. Kinda.  John got hit on the back of the head and shoulder and hand. And it crushed some things inside.  He died several times on the way to the hospital.  He was in a coma for several weeks.  He had two strokes in that time. They didn't think he would live, but he did.  They didn't think he would walk or talk again but he did.  He had to learn to do everything all over again. He doesn't have any skull  bone in the back of his head.  His left shoulder is re-built and still doesn't work well.  He shuffles a little when he walks.  His thought and speech processes are a little different than yours or mine.  They came back to finish their mission.   (Remind when I get home to tell you the whole story.) He has taught himself to be a story-teller. He is teaching himself Spanish (because they are serving in a Spanish branch.)  It is fascinating.   He is one of the happiest people I know.  He has found joy.  I am drawn to him. There seems to be a big connection between REAL sacrifice/service and being happy.
     Haun's Mill has been a real question in my mind.  With Sister Jensen's help we found it yesterday (I didn't find it the first time.)  It is in a lonely place and it was real muddy.  I took a picture of the post that identifies the place and a plaque.  The church owns it now.  It is a vacant grassy meadow about the size of a football field. The grass is mowed.  It is in the bottom land on Shoal Creek.  Nothing else.  Nothing to describe the horror that occurred there.  There is a rumor that the church recently brought in cadaver dogs to try to find the grave sites and the well which apparently had several bodies thrown it.  Nobody knows the results if there really are any.  This must of been a real trial for the saints.  Stay the course and live with joy.

Sincerely,
Elder Seaman



There are 2 bald eagles in this picture.  There were 4 but 2 flew off when I pulled up.

Identifying post at Haun's Mill

1949 Plaque at Haun's Mill

Homemade Bread from the Amish Bakery and a note from the young
sisters across the hall.