Where is Irma?

Where is Irma?

January 17, 2016

     Today, my mind is reliving the birth of our youngest daughter 30 years ago.  Where did the time go? How can she even think to be that old? Caitlin has grown into a beautiful wife and mother with three way above average children living in her home. It has been a real adventure to birth, know, like, and love her this many years.
     Speaking of time......we had two of our elders come in the office on Monday with a referral. They had met and taught a lesson to a lady from Mexico. She was going back there, but wanted to continue with her teaching, and had actually committed to a baptism date on February 28, 2016. She wrote her name and address for the missionaries, and when they deciphered it back into English, the Church Referral system would not take it. It stated it needed a clearer address. She did not leave a phone number for them. She did tell them she knew she lived close to the Mexico City Temple and had seen it.
     So, on a whim, Sister Schlager, our new referral secretary, sent the following address down to the mission office that the Mexico Guadalajara Temple is in:

Irma ________   ___________
5036 Federico Ibariea Zapopan Jalisco Infonauit Elocolli Muniai Guadalajara Mexico

She stated "Please try to find her--and it may take a miracle, but we believe in them, right?"

The next day she received this reply: " We have received your email and it is actually in our area. We have located her address and will contact her as soon as possible. Thanks, Elder Fuentes"

     So, hopefully, by now Irma has at least one more lesson down. You may credit this to good timing; good map skills; etc. I say Elders Beyeler and Papworth are obedient young missionaries that are trying their best to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They reported back to us that they had enlisted their whole district in praying for the missionaries to find Irma. Isn't this a sweet little miracle? My grandchildren, remember this little story. There are Irmas out there waiting for you to find them

My tender love to all my family,
Sister Seaman .....aka Grandma and Mom

Change

     Today our Bishop Talimatasi was released after serving for 6 years and 1 month.  He has been a great Bishop to his people.  He was so well trained I could hardly believe what I was hearing some of the time.  He was bold to the point of hurting feelings.  He was loving to the point of excess. 
     He spoke a very broken English.  His native tongue being Samoan.  He was always saying how very much appreciated everything was.  I just love the man and his wife.  They have been so kind to us.  They like the senior and junior missionaries in their ward.  There are two senior couples, one set of sisters and one set of elders.  They throw special parties to honor them.  They ask them to eat first at ward parties.  It is a little embarrassing but you do feel appreciated.   So Bishop, I say thanks for your loyalty to the Lord and your great service to his people.
     Bishop Taviuni was called as the new Bishop.  He was the High Councilman to the Blue Mills Ward.  I am sure he is also a good man.
     Change is always with us.  What a great thing it is to be able to have the confidence in the changing of a Bishop, that everything will be essentially the same.  Especially the doctrine.
     It was a busy week this week for me and I am tired.  I have slept about 11 hours out of the last 24.  We either moved or loaded 3 apartments this week. One of the Apartments was in Chanute, Kansas, about two hours south on the southern border of the mission. I have prepared 4 apartments for the upcoming transfer this next week.  We will have 12 new missionaries coming in on Wednesday and 5 going home on Friday.  More change.
     Change will always be with us, but the gospel will always be the same.  I am grateful for that principal.  Stay the course.  I love you all.

Sincerely,
Elder Seaman