Meeting New Friends & Glenn Curtis Museum May 28 - June 3

Sister Pickup, Sister Hallows, Sister Boulter, Elder Pickup

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Every trip to the E.B. Grandin Building  strengthens our connections back home.  These sweet Sister missionaries served with Rachel and joyfully took us on a tour of the visitor center and printing press.                                                                                    I was reminded of the miracles surrounding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.  What a treasure that this ancient record was preserved for our day.

It's translation and publication are miraculous.  This sleepy little village of Palmyra is an unlikely setting for a young man such as E. B. Grandin to determine to set up a then 'state of the art' printing press.  But here it stood.  Available, just long enough to print the holy transcript that is the Book of Mormon.  Truly this was a heavenly orchestration.  For more information and photos you can visit. Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site

At the Grandin Building Print Shop

  I love King Benjamin's teaching from the Book of Mormon that I was studying this week.  As with all of the teachings of ancient and current prophets, we come to know and understand God and our own responsibilities to following Him.

 "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another---I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.  and behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandment ye should prosper in the land; ....there fore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.  And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you.  And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever....And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. for behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.  O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."  Mosiah 2:21-24, 41

One of the original bridges across the Erie Canal

The temple continues to be a sweet place to serve God and His children.  This week held some tender and miraculous moments.  We continue to cross paths with those who have connections; 

-a couple here from Woodland, WA, 

-strangers who new a Doug Pickup in Texas

-missionaries who served with Rachel

-Elder and Sister Gills who knew Kevin and Holly in Sunnyside

-a former roommates of Rachel.

I will expound on the later.  

When I received my schedule for Saturday, I noticed I had a lot of down time. 

I was asked to help in the waiting room for groups coming to do baptisms. They arrived early so I was able to fill my time there well but still had about 30 or 40 minutes before my next assignment. So I decided to sit by the window that looks out over the Sacred Grove and read from the Pearl of Great Price. 

I hadn't gotten very far when the coordinator came up and asked if I would help.

Earlier in the waiting room I noticed two ladies who came in.   It soon became obvious that one was there for her  own endowments. But when the temple was called about their appointment this was not indicated. With haste and love,  preparations  were soon in place for her. Because I had some time, I was asked to be her assistant. It was a sweet experience and she was so joyful to be there. Her escort ended up being one of the missionaries that had taught her,  Lindsey Loveless.  I had a chance to visit with Lindsay's mother in the hall. She looked at my name tag and anxiously asked 

“Do you know any Pickups in Utah?”

“Yes”, I said.

And she answered “Do you know a Sean Pickup?”  

“Yes  I know him well, he is my son.”

And then her smile brightened and I soon learned that Rachel and Lindsay were roommates before their missions and that they had become close and dear friends.  Lindsay was also in Sean’s physics class at BYU.

This special tender mercy from God -coordinating events today-added a sweetness to an already remarkable moment. Of all the workers who could have helped that day, I was the one! 

The Lord is kind and mindful as we go about His work and provides gentle, simple moments that remind us of His love and goodness. 

Temple Missionaries on our Monday excursion to the Glenn Curtis Museum

P-40 aircraft restoration

Glenn Curtiss Museum

We enjoyed learning about Glenn Curtis and his remarkable inventions.  This is a plane, or rather two planes, that crashed during training exercises.  The pieces were rescued some years later and they are using them to create a model.  Looking close you can see the old mixed with the n

P-40 aircraft restoration

So many interesting planes

The "June Bug"

1907 Curtiss 40 hp V8 2  - speeds up to 140mph

Glen Curtis was something of a dare devil.   

Settling in with a few of our own things.

Reunion week at home.  Enjoyed the warmth of our reunion shirt quilt.