Krisitn is home

Kristin is home from the mission field. She has been so sick even in the MTC she started to have a problem with her teeth which she ultimately had to have oral surgery for in the mission field. At the same time she developed ulcers and a hiatle hernia and was incapacitated by constant pain and other complications. It got so bad her mission president gave her the green light to call Don and me whenever she wanted to. She had tests done and they ruled out gall bladder, and pancreas trouble. She finally had an upper GI done in Virginia during which they found the stomach problems.

The Saturday before we were to fly to Mongolia, she called us early in the morning in terrible pain and crying. We had been in touch every day for the week previous and we kept thinking things would improve. On this Saturday morning I told her to call her doctor AND I called the doctor. Of course, we got an on-call doctor, an associate of the doctor who had been caring for her, who told her to take percocet over the weekend OR go to a different ER for a "second opinion" because he believed she had been misdiagnosed. I wasn't happy with his response at all. She had been sick for 5 weeks.

Her mission president told Kristin's companion that their major job was to get her well so they hadn't been getting much work done. (I can't think of anything worse than being sick or having a sick companion in the mission field.) She was given a companion from Heaven!! She was so supportive and understanding. I talked to her, Sister Stoehr, several times because I wanted to know her take on the situation. Sister Stoehr reassured me that Kristin was sick, no doubt about it.

So here we were preparing to fly to Mongolia the next day, but felt we had to do something about Kristin's situation. We went to see the MTC President but were referred to the MTC District President (equivalent to a Stake President) for some advice and direction. It was a draining day!! Ultimately the decision was made to have Kristin come home and for us to put off our flight to Mongolia for two weeks and meet her in Las Vegas. Which is what we did.

We got Kristin last Tuesday night, Aug. 24th, took her to see a stake president who released her as a missionary. She cried the entire time. It was so difficult! The next day we got her in to see a gastrologist and he put her on Nexium (Travis swears by Nexium) and told her to come back in two weeks. Over the next three days, she got somewhat better. She has been able to sleep a little better every night. Every day gets a little better. It will take time for her to feel like she doesn't have a time bomb ready to explode.

Travis believes she has exactly what he has spent the last 4 years battling. He talked to me for a least an hour from the MTC and then he talked to Kristin too and we all think they have the same problem which is overactive acid with a hiatle hernia. He told me he thought he was going to die - so did Kristin, but of course you don't die from this you just think you will. He will help her learn what, when and how to eat.

In the 7 days we've had her home, she has had 5 bad days and we have seen for ourselves that she could not function as a missionary in this condition.

There is a silver lining in this story. It seems that Don and I did not have our ESL certificate (teaching English as a second language) and would have been sent back from Mongolia had we actually flown there. According to Bro. Peterson, they wouldn't have let us out of the airport in Mongolia. So now we will fly back to Provo and attend a one-day training on Friday, Sept. 3rd, get the certification and fly out of SLC on Saturday night, Sept. 4th and arrive in Mongolia Sept. 6th, Monday morning.

We aren't sure what to expect about Kristin. She needs to get better. I am praying that OUR diagnosis is correct in which case it will take her a few months to settle down. If it turns out to be something different - like a complication due to her gastric bypass, then we'll have to take it as it comes. In the meantime, she is with family and has a doctor without the stress and responsibilities of a mission. She has applied for a 10-hour a week job at Deseret Book Store. We hope she can get it together.

We are hugely disappointed that she was not able to experience the great joy and satisfaction of serving a fulltime mission. Even though she was not feeling good, she had wonderful experiences as she shared the gospel and in the two areas she served, people were baptized! What a shame that it came to this end!! I don't understand why things happen as they do. I hope that at some point in the future we will see and understand why this all turned out this way.

MTC Mongolia Bound Band of Missionaries

In front of Provo Temple on a Sunday "Temple Walk," Sister Carter with two sisters FROM Mongolia. The sister on the left has been called to Korea. She is taking a 6 week English course then will spend 12 weeks learning Korean. The sister on the right has been called to Fresno, CA. She is learning English. The tall red-head in the middle is struggling to learn the Mongolian alphabet!! These sisters are filled with faith and are so happy. Can you imagine going to a foreign country not knowing any of the language then having to learn a totally different language?? They inspire us with their eager desire to follow the Lord and serve Him. We love these darling young sisters!!

Elder Wilson, Elder Jolley, Elder Carter, Elder Reeve and Elder Huff. All are Mongolian bound.

Pres. and Sister Meacham, the mission president and his wife, were the first two visas granted in the last year. Elder Wilson left for Mongolia on August 24th. He is the first young American missionary to be granted a visa in a year. The other three elders are awaiting their visas. We hope that when we go to the MTC again on Sept. 1st, they are all gone to Mongolia!!

Elder Reeve was in the Marine Reserves. He received his mission call in January and was supposed to enter the MTC in March. However, he had some training obligation he had to fill for the Marines and had to put off his entrance and mission to the end of May. He said that if he had entered the MTC on schedule, he would not be going to Mongolia. We are so thankful for this miracle because WE LOVE ELDER REEVE!!

There are many, many prayers offered for visas at the MTC. Mexico and South American countries have been very sluggish about issuing visas, in addition to Mongolia.

Here we are again with the flag of Mongolia AND a couple of extra Polynesian elders who showed up. There are hundreds of MTC missionaries who go for their "Temple Walks". It's sweet to see!

The Temple grounds are beautiful and a welcomed change of scene for the missionaries who are not allowed to leave the MTC campus. This is the fountain in the front of the temple looking down on the valley and Utah Lake.

The flowers are just gorgeous! It's a quiet place and holy ground - a very nice place to spend a little time on the Sabbath Day.

Yucca Valley folks will recognize Elder Ryan Shigley with his companion on their temple walk. This was the Sunday before he left the MTC for Norway. We ran into him on our way to the temple. He seems happy and ready to be in the mission field. What a great young man!!

A Joyful Reunion with "Sister Brugger" - still sisters in the Lord

"Sister Puckett and Sister Brugger"

We were companions in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from November 1977 to January 1978. Not a long time but long enough to become dear to one another. I was Marianne's first companion and she was my last companion over 32 years ago. She was a darling then and an even sweeter person today. Back then she was "Sister Brugger" and I was "Sister Puckett."

Together we had some very special experiences which made an eternal impact on me. I remember preparing to teach a man who was not Christian but whose wife was a member of the Church. Teaching a non-Christian was new to me and I wondered out loud how we would convince this man about Jesus Christ. My "junior companion" knew exactly how to go about it - we would teach him about Joseph Smith seeing God, the Father and Jesus Christ. The Spirit would witness to him that it was true and he would know by a power beyond anything we had. This man did join the Church.

Another experience we shared was when our mission president, Pres. Scott, gave us one 24-hour period to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover. He told us about Parley Pratt's experience of reading the entire book without stopping to eat or sleep. Every missionary in the mission would do likewise. It was a powerful experience for me. I didn't finish reading that day and got to the end of the book of Ether. Sister Brugger, on the other hand, read the entire book. Her reaction has stayed with me ever since. She pointed out how that Jesus Christ was spoken of on nearly every page of the book. Years later when the official title was changed to The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I knew exactly why. I loved Sister Brugger's insight.

We went tracting in the pouring rain, ran after city buses, prayed together, taught the gospel together and laughed and cried together. We learned from one another - me more than she! She helped me finish my mission well. She was a blessing to me then and we have stayed in touch over the years until about three years ago when my Christmas card came back. We came back into contact with one another when she happened to pass "Sister Puckett" at the MTC. It was my niece, Jill Puckett who gave Marianne information which brought us back in touch with one another.

Seeing Marianne again after all these years was a joy! She is real. She does not put on airs. She is as genuine a person as I have ever met and I loved being with her. In fact, she welcomed us into her home where we stayed three nights and two days then she and her husband, Frank took us to the MTC. We got to meet their four daughters and two sons-in-law who are lovely people. They opened their home and hearts to Don and me. We ate Marianne's canned beats and pickles and homemade bread and her specialty soups. And we never grew tired of visiting and remembering. It was so fun - a joyful time.

This is Julianna the pastry chef.

She baked these cupcakes in our honor.

They were as yummy as they were pretty to look at!

This is Ann Marie.

She served her mission in Spain

and works in registration on the night shift at the local hospital ER.

I'm sorry I did not get pictures of the Christina or Sarah, their other two daughters. They are darling girls!! They love each other and are happy to be together.

Marianne's present calling is to tutor individual missionaries at the MTC. She will go whenever she is needed to read and discuss the Book of Mormon with young, struggling missionaries. Frank serves as a counselor in an MTC branch presidency. There are between 50 and 70 missionaries in a branch. Frank is gone most of the day on Sunday as he helps lead and strengthen young missionaries. It is a perfect calling for a former stake president and bishop.

Marianne reminded me that our reunion was similar to Alma and the sons of Mosiah when they met up while traveling toward Zarahemla. They were so glad to see one another and the scripture says, "...and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord..." What added great joy to our reunion was that we are still "sisters in the Lord."

August 9 - 23 “MTC” - Missionary Training Center

Tomorrow, August 23, 2010, Don and I will leave the MTC. We have been here since the 9^th. It has been a marvelous experience! It is a wonder to see and be a part of. I want to tell just a little about the facility itself:

There are about 2,300 missionaries here at the MTC all the time. Each Monday and Tuesday about 300 leave for the mission field. Every Wednesday about 300 new missionaries come. It is something to see when the new missionaries arrive! They are dropped at the curb where missionaries who have been here a while are there to meet them and help them with their bags to their rooms. The new missionaries wear a red button sticker on their name badge for a couple of days. Everyone tries to be helpful and considerate of them. They are beautiful!!

The cafeteria feeds 2,300 missionaries three meals a day. Do the math – that is nearly 7,000 meals a day!! And the food is great! It would be fun to see just how many tons of food passes through here. I find it interesting that I’ve never been to a meal that I haven’t seen elders with a bowl of cereal – breakfast, lunch and dinner. These are growing boys! Wednesdays is BYU Creamery ice cream day. It is served at lunch and dinner. Wednesday is the day all the new missionaries enter the MTC so this is a special treat for them and everyone else.

The laundry room is equipped with over 140 dryers and more washers. Tables equipped with computers have been put in the laundry room so missionaries can write letters and emails. Preparation days run Monday through Saturday. Everyone’s preparation day is one of those 6 days, therefore the laundry room can accommodate about 380 missionaries a day!! Don and I can run four loads of wash and drying in about an hour or so. No money is used to run the machines. Instead each missionary has been given an MTC card which looks like a credit card. We swipe the card for meals in the cafeteria and to make washers and dryers run.

Preparation days are Monday through Saturday. Each district of missionaries is assigned one of those days for preparation including doing their laundry, cleaning their apartments, doing a session at the temple, performing one hour of service and then having fun on the green. Most missionaries play soccer or some other sport. For their service, elders and sisters are assigned tasks such as vacuuming, shining water fountains, scrubbing stairs, or cleaning windows and doors. This is the only time missionaries are not dressed up in tie and suit/skirts. Name tags are worn always even on work/play clothes.

The MTC is self-contained with a post office, bookstore, and health center. New facilities to house these services are under construction so that the space they are now taking up can be freed for more classrooms.

All the buildings are “M” buildings and there are 19 of them. Building M1 is the main building housing all the offices and they have large rooms with dividing walls called multipurpose rooms. A piano is in every section of the multipurpose rooms. I haven’t counted the number of pianos, but there are several – lots and lots because music is vital part of our worship. There is a music instrument room from which the talented young people who come here can borrow musical instruments. Those who would like to try-out may be selected to present musical numbers for meetings such as sacrament meetings, relief society, firesides and devotionals. We have heard marvelous vocal solos, cello solos, flute and piano solos in the two weeks we have been here.

Every Tuesday evening is a devotional. Every devotional’s opening hymn is “Called to Serve.” WOW! These young men and women blow the roof off with their voices. They love this song! Talk about an exhilarating experience!! These young people know who they are and what they are expected to do and you can hear it in their powerful singing voices.

Don and I had to go get our typhoid and meningitis vaccines. They hurt! Okay, I’m a baby! And to soothe the savage beast in missionaries young and old, the nurses keep TONS of dumdum lollypops on hand. Mostly it soothed the painful price of the shots – nearly $340 for both of us!!

One of the miracles here is that these boys and girls learn a new language in about 12 weeks. They learn to bear their testimony and to say a basic prayer and the lessons they will be teaching. We met our Mongolian bound elders here – four of them. They are choice!! They are eager to get to Mongolia. Elder Reeve a Marine reservist was supposed to enter the MTC in March but had to complete an obligation for his military unit and was delayed. If he had entered the MTC in March he would have been reassigned to a different mission and not gone to Mongolia. It was a miracle. Elders Huff, Jolley and Wilson are just choice young men. They have enjoyed learning the Mongolian language along with Elder Reeve. We are so thankful to have met them and to be laboring with them in Mongolia.

There are many languages being taught here at the MTC, but the language being learned by most missionaries is Spanish. To find elders or sisters who are here for 3 weeks preparing for an English-speaking mission are rare indeed. The Spanish missionaries go everywhere in the United States as well as Latin America and every Spanish-speaking country. Everywhere you look there are companions studying. The only place they do not study is the cafeteria where no books or bags are allowed.

In addition to the language, missionaries learn how to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We study Preach My Gospel, which is a remarkable book brought about under the inspiration of the Lord. And who better to instruct everyone than those who have recently returned from missions around the world. For the most part instructors are young people in their 20s, many of whom are students at Brigham Young University. They are poised, knowledgeable, experienced and confident. Don and I are, of course, with other senior missionary couples who have been seasoned in the gospel and in church service. Still, we are learning a great deal from these excellent young people. They answer our questions and concerns and do not hesitate to let us know what works and what doesn’t. We have great respect for their knowledge and experience too, having so recently come from the mission fields. They have heard it all and dealt with about every serious situation and they know how to react and teach. We are so grateful to them! They are paid for their work and their schedules here at the MTC work around their course work at the university. They are just wonderful!! It is a miraculous thing!!

The Spirit of the Lord can be felt here all the time. None of us could learn what we have to learn or do what we are required to do without the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. It is a sweet elation to the soul. It opens our minds to gospel principles and scriptural understanding. It just feels wonderful!! This doesn’t mean there are never frustrations and struggles – there are, especially among the language missionaries. Some have referred to the MTC as the "Spirit Prison" because the spirit is so strong here but they cannot leave the campus. But we seldom ever sense it because the Holy Ghost is also a comforter which teaches all things.

Years ago when I was a younger woman leaving on a mission to Canada, the MTC was one-week in Salt Lake City in an old hotel converted to accommodate the training of missionaries. What is now the MTC was, at that time, being planned. These are some of the interesting things about the facility itself. To try to describe what goes on here would take some thought and time, being spiritual in nature. It is taking “five loaves and two fish” and doing something miraculous with them. It has been a great blessing to be a part of the Missionary Training Center today.

August 3rd, Tuesday, "A Chain Forging Day"

There were a zillion things we had to do in order to be ready to leave America and go to Mongolia – renew drivers licenses and temple recommends, immunizations, get tax records in some kind of order, sort, move, cancel, change addresses, etc., etc., etc. But there was one thing which was THE MOST IMPORTANT of all the things we had to do – forge an eternal link in our family chain. We needed to make sure Grandma Williams’ ordinances were done for her so Don could be sealed to his mother.

There is a sweet Primary song written by Clive Romney entitled “A Never-ending Chain” which is probably Kristin’s favorite and one of mine:

A family should be a never-ending chain

Linking fathers and mothers to

Daughters and sons.

But only in the temple of the Lord

Can a never-ending chain be forged.

A man and wife can start a never-ending chain

When they’re sealed by the Spirit

And God’s Holy Word.

But only in the temple of the Lord

Can a never-ending chain be forged.

It has been one year since Don’s mother passed away on July 13, 2010. This required time permitted us to go to the temple and have her ordinances done for her. She never seemed to understand the gospel principles while living in this life yet she was a good soul, a good mother, a darling grandma, a wonderful and beloved friend, a darling lady. The Lord knows her heart and He has made this great provision of hope for blessings beyond the grave for her. Grandma may not have comprehended eternal truths in this life, but she did know the principles of kindness, honesty, friendship, loyalty and others. In mortality she learned how to be a nice person!! God alone will judge the intent of her heart in mortality. Don loves his mother. Her grandchildren love her. How could we think of not being with Grandma Williams in the next life??? She is not forsaken and doomed to Hell forever! And we don’t have to mourn her loss but only for a moment. What a loving Father in Heaven we have! How grateful we are to the Savior for His atonement which has made this possible!! We CAN be families forever!!!

Before leaving Yucca Valley, the youth went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead where one of the girls was proxy for Grandma. When we got to Troy and Bethany’s for our last visit before heading to the MTC and on to Mongolia, we went to the Rexburg Temple to have the rest of the ordinances performed. Grandma was sealed to Grandpa Al. She was sealed to her mother and father. And Don was sealed to Grandma and Grandpa. Don, Troy, Bethany and I took turns as proxies for all those involved. Just as the little song says, a man and wife were sealed, and mothers and fathers were sealed to daughters and sons. This work involved four generations of the family chain. It was a great day!!

"Roasted to a Golden Brown" - the Retirement Party

June 25, 2010 Thursday

After thirty years with the government, the last thirteen at Twenty-nine Palms Marine Base, the HRO staff threw a party in honor of Don’s retirement. Held in the officers club, the Chief of Staff, Col. Holden, civilian directors and personnel from across the bass came together to enjoy a luncheon and “roast” of Don Carter.

An unknown source furnished the staff with a nice stash of pictures of Don over his lifetime (could it have been April, his faithful daughter?) from which a slide show was put together entitled “The Man, The Myth, and the Legend.” Connie Larsen reported seeing Lisa Bowman, Mark Myrum, and Linda Barnes, along with HRO staff members Jess Cook, June Foster and Kim Martinez entering the I&L conference room where wails of mirth, laughter, and giggling could be heard for over three hours!

Don actually went over to see Mark Myrum on an important base matter while Mark was scheming and was told there was no way Mark could be interrupted from his “very special project.”

To honor Don, almost all the guests wore pink shirts. One last jab had to be made about Don who wore pink now and then to staff meetings. Don was the man! Wearing pink was a statement of manhood!! (Actually, it shows that Don doesn’t give much thought to what people think. He’s not at all self-absorbed.)

Jess reminisced that on his first day on the job in the HRO office, how shocked he was to hear “The Boss” (Don) calling an employee an idiot. Shocking Jess Cook is a feat to be sure! Jess, a hardened, retired and former Marine drill instructor could be shocked?? He did acknowledge that the employee deserved it. Those first few difficult days of HRO service, this tough ole Marine added that to his horror he learned that “The Boss” would often call one or the other members of the HRO staff an idiot! Don, being an equal opportunity kind of guy, referred to himself as an idiot too, which soothed the savage beasts in all of them.

(Years ago the staff had a shirt made with the word I-D-O-T. Someone had misspelled the word idiot, the staff got a big bang out of it and had a shirt made in Don’s honor.)

April Gibson, a former HRO employee told on Don that he could never keep a secret. In his defense, Don always told people he told the secrets to not to tell, and in case they were to tell the secret to tell that person not to tell.

Linda Barnes recounted the time when in a staff meeting with the Chief of Staff present that she and Don were accused of having an affair which resulted in her being promoted. Linda was very hurt and Don was madder than mad over it. But they got over the hurtful emotions that accusation created and over the years both Don and Linda found humor in talking about getting a “heavenly bed” when going TAD. Humor, one of Don’s natural talents, can heal many kinds of wounds.

Lisa Bowman brought up Don’s power to delegate. Don would reassure her that any and every task, job or duty would get done and then readily delegate the work to one of his staff. She stated probably the one good reason for Don to be going was that he allowed his CAC card to be used by every member of his staff. This card allowed access to highly sensitive information. Certain people in his staff knew that he left it in his front desk drawer and they also knew his password. Don had delegated the NSPS duties out he knew that if the NSPS work wasn’t done, a whole lot of people wouldn’t have gotten pay raises. He trusted his staff and his aim was to get the work done without tying his staff’s hands.

Bruce Larson remembered when a comptroller, years ago, made members in her office stay into the night to find five cents. Don thought this was absurd since the budget was into the millions of dollars. Go looking for a nickel?? Pa-leeze! At her going away Don related the details of this incident adding that the HRO didn’t think she had any sense (cents). This tongue-in-cheek statement shocked the general along with many staff members. But this is an example of the straightforward attitude of Don Carter; he told it like he saw it.

Kathy was given a gorgeous bouquet of roses from the staff. These wonderful people have been like family. Few days passed that Don didn’t tell Kathy about the challenges and work completed with zeal and keen sense of humor. When people can ease the tension with a giggle, it makes for a good workplace. It will seem so odd not being together for the annual Christmas party. Don was given a special watch, which has two faces – one clock set for California time and the other set for Mongolian time. He will wear it with pride knowing that a leader is no better than those he leads. He has always considered his staff at Twenty-nine Palms as some of the finest people he’s ever worked with.

Against his wishes, Don was awarded the meritorious service award. The Chief of Staff gave him a framed U.S. flag which had flown over the base along with a letter of thanks and congratulations from Gen. Cleardy, the commanding general of the Twenty-nine Palms base. Emails were received from Generals Zilmer, Speese, and Gurgangus – all previous commanding generals who had served at Twenty-nine. Don felt totally honored and grateful for the good wishes and memories offered. It was a party fit for Don Carter.