Time to send in an update on the Felsteds! At the top of the order we have Caroline. She is generally left to last, so let’s start with her this month.
Caroline has un-remarkably good grades considering she is in 5th grade for the second time. One hundred percent on everything is standard. She is playing Ethel Tothelmeier in the play, “The Music Man.” Ethel is an unmarried spinster who is Mayor Shin’s wife’s good friend who is the pianist for the Grecian scene. She is one of the Pick A Little ladies and is a mid-lead. Good enough! Caroline enjoyed great success in last year’s play, “The Whipping Boy,” and has learned that being unafraid to over play a part is a good thing. She is hysterical in this role. Caroline’s play will be performed on April 26th and 27th. Unfortunately for me, April 26th is Reid’s wedding date. Sadly, I will be unable to attend Reid’s wedding because I will be reveling in Caroline’s dramatic triumph on that day. Caroline and I are enjoying reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder series each night and I am delighted that she simply enjoys my company. Caroline is also continuing her piano study, but isn’t much interested in it. Living in a house with many older people is both a blessing and a curse for Caroline. Recently Stacy and Rose went on a temple trip. Scott took Caroline and me out to dinner that night. That never happens at our house! The not-so-great part is that Caroline stays up later than she ought to, most nights. Last Friday she came home from school and we went through her backpack, put away her lunchbox, etc. Then she disappeared while I finished my BYU-I work on the computer. An hour and a half later I went to look for her. I walked all around the house calling, “Caroline! Caroline!” No answer. I wandered into her empty room and called a few more times. Finally I heard a mysterious, small, quavering voice dreamily squeak, “I am not Rose.” The voice was coming from a trundle bed under Caroline’s bed. I lifted the bed skirt and repeatedly called, “Caroline! Caroline!” but she had spoken in her sleep and could not wake up! She was delighted to report last Monday that she has been selected to be on the math team at her school. It is fun to see her thrive where she is at. She reports that she loves public school. Caroline is a person who finds it easy to bloom where she is planted.
Rose has remarkably good grades for a person who is working a year ahead of where she is supposed to be. That is mostly due to the fact that she is a responsible person. The Barrus’ duty gene is strong in her. Hey! Doing things out of a sense of duty is a good quality that will keep you safe while you’re figuring out why you do these things! I am amazed to see that Rose regularly helps teach her Geometry class. I would not have thought that possible a couple of years ago. She has so much more confidence now. She is the one who is excelling in piano. Rose still swears that she hates the piano and is going to kill herself if we insist she continue lessons, but I rarely have to remind her to practice, and indeed, she spends many happy hours at the piano. Rose is a study in contrasts. All day she is taciturn and prickly, and then at precisely 10 p.m., while I am getting into bed, she lies next to me and starts to talk. Patience is a virtue that the Lord is determined to help me develop. I must say the Lord is quite persistent and that His persistence is paying off. Lucky Rose! (Lucky ME!) Rose has blossomed socially this year. There is a young man whom she is smitten with. He is a good boy and returns the admiration for Rose. Rose bought a new dress last month so that she could attend the English Country Dance at her school. This good young man sought her out and danced with her several times. Rose absolutely floated home and giggled for days on end. I love that girl!
Stacy is getting ready to graduate from high school. She earned high marks last semester (her lowest grade was a 89) for the first time in high school! Hallelujah! She is busy cleaning houses and babysitting and has also applied to work at Chick-fil-A. She is good at saving her money now that she sees college in her sights. Good for her! At Stacy’s and Rose’s school they regularly have deep discussions about varied topics. I like that they are encouraged to speak their minds and listen respectfully to each other’s opinions. Stacy was incensed one day after class. Stacy reported that their discussion had been about the nature of God and that “ALL” of the other kids believed in a vengeful God who was ready, even eager, to condemn us. Actually, is seems that many Christian denominations believe that the Christians are exempt from His condemnation because they have ‘confessed’ Christ and so he picks up their tab, but that those who are NOT Christian are damned for no greater wrong than not knowing about Christ. Stacy fought the good fight by contending that God is our loving Father who wants nothing but to bless us, is willing and anxious to forgive us, and is patient and kind. She ranted on and on for quite a while. Apparently, she had not felt she was successful in changing anyone’s mind, but I was happy to hear that SHE clearly understood the most important thing about Heavenly Father. Stacy has a real testimony of the nature of God, and she may have planted some seeds, as well. This past school year she has been finishing up her final Value Goals in her Personal Progress Program. She had begun reading the Book of Mormon as part of that value project, but wasn’t getting much out of it. She then stopped reading it and began again, only this time she prayed each time before reading. Stacy decided to read the Book of Mormon only as long as she could really focus on it. She hasn’t worried about finishing it quickly. She reports that her testimony has grown in leaps and bounds. It is remarkable how changing the WHY you are doing something, brings dramatic results. The WHY we are doing what we are doing, is even more important that the WHAT we are doing.
Ruth is still living in Riverton and discovering real life. I was able to see her during the time I was in Utah for Abby’s wedding and we spent a good amount of time together. It was balm to my soul. Ruth also was able to see a doctor about her thyroid and get on the correct dose of her medicine. Ruth loves her Single’s Ward and has some good friends.
Liz received her “Out-bound” mission call two weeks ago. She is now laboring in the Nashville TN Mission. Her first area was in Princeton, Kentucky. She said the area is very poor and the branch is even poorer. There are only 20 active members of the branch and the mission leader for the branch is 93 years old. The RS President is 91 years old. Liz said that several of the inactive members use tobacco and that they cannot understand why the Lord will punish them in the hereafter for their tobacco use. They reason, “The Lord knows how much we have to pay for the tobacco and how much we suffer because we use it, so why would he make us suffer after this life because of it?” Liz was mystified. She said she would like them to repeat their question, slowly, to themselves and see if they could answer it. Liz only stayed in that first area for 1 ½ weeks because the Mission President needed her to go to a city in Tennessee to train a sister. Before she left Temple Square, the Nashville TN mission president had called her on the phone and asked her if she would train sister missionaries. Liz answered that she would rather not. The mission president then asked her if she would have the faith to leave the final decision up to him. Bless his heart! So, Liz is working in a Young Single Adult Ward with many, many in-actives. She is doing well, even better than she knows. Liz has grown in leaps and bounds and has already done so much more than she ever thought she could. I am honestly eternally grateful that Liz has had the opportunity to serve a mission. Talk about life-changing!
Stewart is working at the MTC and loving it! He is going to BYU and loving it! He is still figuring out how to do all he needs to do, but that will come. He is obedient and willing. That is about 80% of it. He has been dating quite a bit, but doesn’t have a special someone.
Erika is doing fantastic! She is living with Brittany and working at The Heritage School as a courier. She gets to drive the kids to the airport, store, post office, doctor, etc. She said it is a little like being the “Good Aunt.” It is usually a treat for the kids to get to go somewhere, so everyone likes her. She is teaching a youth Sunday school class with another young woman, just her age. Erika loves that responsibility and has a knack for meeting individual needs. Lucky them and lucky her! She is really enjoying her last three classes at BYU. She looks happy and I am so proud of her.
I was lucky enough to get to go to Abby’s wedding in February. I had a ball! Nothing is better than having a chance to be with family and my time in Utah really re-charged my batteries. Jean and Bruce were so very generous in letting me stay at their house and use their vehicle to visit my children. I was truly pampered and well fed! That is one five star hotel and restaurant that lives up to its billing! President Alldridge of the Salt Lake Temple performed the ceremony and I was very touched by what he said in his remarks. The gist of it was that the power of the priesthood is the power of Jesus Christ, which is the power of love. The power of Christ’s love binds us to him, him to us, and us to each other. I was reminded to love those around me. That is where power is born. As we join in Christ’s love we are empowered to do all things. Anyway, I loved it! I loved being in the temple with some of my very favorite people: Jean, Bruce, Carole, Sue, Curt, David, Megumi, and Flora. Poor Megumi was so sick and still was a trooper through the temple ceremony, pictures, and the wedding breakfast. I don’t know if I could have been as chipper. David, thank you for bringing the kids to the reception! Any time spent with you and yours is time well-spent. I loved serving with Jean, Carole, and Bruce at the beautiful reception and watching Abby and Travis’ joy. It was satisfying to see Jeaner, Erika, and Paulette at the reception. Susan was so good to include my Ruth in so many of the day’s activities. That was one especially appreciated gift: Jean, Bruce, Carole, and David made it a point to listen to Ruth. That made her feel loved and helped me tremendously! Susan kept apologizing to us for the length of the activities and the overall day, but that is what made it so wonderful! I had all day to drink in the strength I get from my family. Sue did a beautiful job of going with the flow of the day’s events that I was inspired to do a better job of supporting others in the way they want things done. It was a lovely day! I even had the chance to have dinner with Connie one evening, have Erika cut my hair, and intrude on the fun chaos of Stewart and Reid’s apartment. And guess who was there to hug me? Clark! I hadn’t seen him for 3 or 4 years! Wow does he look grown-up! That should not be a shock, but somehow it was. That was a treat! Thank you, Abby, for arranging a time for me to see many of those I love and admire. It was a blessing to me.
Scott is packing his suitcase to go teach in Amsterdam and Antwerp. I can’t believe how lucky he is to have these good experiences. He will only be gone 1 week this time, but in April I believe he will go there for 2 weeks. Keep reeling in those hotel points and airline points, Honey! He is doing well. He and I have been assigned as Home Teachers to an elderly couple that has relocated here from Utah. He is Lee Jorgensen. He is a mechanical engineer who became an aeronautical engineer who worked on Apollo 11. He and his wife were in Europe when Apollo 11 was in space and Bro. Jorgensen laughed as he told us how the Europeans treated him like a king! What was amazing is that this group of guys from all over the world did all the calculations on a slide rule! Pretty impressive! He is 88 years old and still sharp as a tack even though he is tied to a wheelchair. Scott and he find lots to talk about and we are enjoying that assignment.
Thank you, one and all, for being the kind of people that are the best kind of people—full of love. I feel awfully blessed to get to be one of the many Barrus’.
We love you all—
Uncle Scott and Aunt Chris
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