Snow, Scout Centennial, Zimbabwe Charity, Aging

Dear Family,

These warm days of fall are a gift! Since we've already had a storm that piled more than four inches of snow on our patio table, I know the cold is coming, but while sitting on a sun-warmed boulder with a slightly cool breeze at your back and looking out over the fall-bright valley through clear blue skies, it is easy to ignore the warnings of impending winter.

In October, we seemed to focus on Scouts and Zimbabwe--but not at the same time! We were privileged to participate in several activities celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Church and their affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America, including a tour of some excellent new exhibits at the Church Art Museum. One was an interactive presentation filled with fun Scout facts, history and activities, and the other was a marvelous collection of paintings by Norman Rockwell depicting Scouting through the years. Listening to the docent explain both of those exhibits and viewing the artifacts and original oils made me proud to be an American, a Latter-day Saint and a supporter of Scouting.

The BSA held their national conference in Salt Lake City, and in celebration, the Church produced a blockbuster show in the Conference Center commemorating their long partnership (did you know the Church was the first group to charter with the Boy Scouts?) for the thousands of attendees as well as area Scouts and leaders. One part of the event was a choir of 350 Cub Scouts, and I was lucky enough to be assigned to attend the rehearsals. It was amazing to watch the very engaging director as he taught and managed all those active bodies and minds sufficiently long enough to teach them to sing their songs with accuracy and spirit. I'll never be able to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" again without remembering his fascinating stories of its origin and seeing those hundreds of young, mesmerized faces following him as he paced up and down the aisle carrying a quart jar of yellow “pus” (pudding) while animatedly relating the story of seven-year old Joseph Smith’s leg surgery that same year of 1812.

If you haven't seen the show, you can still watch it at http://scouts100.lds.org. It was amazing: there were boys rappelling from the ceiling of the Conference Center, others "kayaking" in the air above the choir seats--which were filled with an Eagle Scout choir of sons, fathers and grandfathers and finally, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The Founding Fathers, the Reformers, the Pilgrims, the Pioneers, tents and campfires, Pinewood derby and obstacle course—you name it, they were there, as well as half a dozen lookout towers and hundreds of Scouts in costumes from various points in history. It was a knock-your-socks off presentation for all the non-members gathered from around the US, a great reminder of the high ideals and family values for which Scouting has been lauded as a tool in helping boys become good men.

On Halloween day, the general Primary presidency hosted a brunch for the wives of the BSA leadership. It was held in the Relief Society Building, and when a short history of the building was given where they learned that women had donated all the funds for the building and were told what influence and responsibilities women have had in the Church throughout our history up until today, you could almost hear their minds buzzing with surprise. The board got to set up, serve and clean up the beautiful decorations and food; it was a fun opportunity to work together.

We also had the chance to be involved with an intriguing charitable organization this last month. At one of our board meetings, three very blond, tanned and fit women came to speak to us. They are all stalwart members of the Church as well as pro golfers on the European circuit. One is from Zimbabwe, another hails from South Africa, and the third is the only one who looks like you would expect from her country of origin: Norway. To make a long and fascinating story short, they began a charitable organization some years ago to help the many people in Zimbabwe who suffer from cataracts receive that simple surgery that dramatically changes their lives. Here’s a link to their website: http://eyes4zimbabwe.org/

Since then, their efforts have branched out to include school supplies and hygiene kits and high-protein food and newborn kits and hand- or foot-powered sewing machines, etc., etc. as well as medical and dental supplies. The Church has been very generous, donating large amounts of Admit (nutritional porridge) as well as Bibles, copies of the Book of Mormon and lots of other supplies, and they give them the use of one of their huge warehouses to store and organize the donated supplies. The rest is donated by people they contact here in the States. They finish the collecting and start the packing around General Conference time each year, and it takes most of the month. This year they filled eight shipping containers with goods to distribute in Zimbabwe and Mozambique; the containers are used in the destination country for secure storage because the unemployment rate is so high (95%) that people are desperate enough to steal anything.

We got to help them package some of the supplies, and in return, they gave Bruce and me a free golfing lesson at the driving range. That was great fun, to see the ball go whizzing out of sight, after just a few pointers on how to stand, etc. Those of you who are golfers would love to have ten minutes with these women, who are apparently famous in their arena, and they really know their stuff! I’m thinking that we should plan a sibling couples trip to Zimbabwe to help them distribute some of the supplies out in the bush country, and then do a photo safari at a nearby national park (with a female LDS guide!) and then top off our trip with some time at Victoria Falls and maybe Mount Kilimanjaro. Anybody game to go?!

Bruce is keeping busy with his early-morning temple shift, campouts with the 12 & 13 yr. old Scouts and working to add some new building projects to their portfolio. He has also spent considerable time visiting his father in Illinois or talking on the phone concerning his care. Burton turned 97 last week, and watching him, I’ve decided that growing old gracefully only happens to a certain point, and then I’d rather move on. It is difficult to watch someone you love deteriorate physically and mentally and not be able to do one thing about it. It is a comfort to remember him as he was up until a few years ago, when all his mental capacity was intact. When I see him struggle, I think, “Wouldn’t it be great to be ‘twinkled,’ to be changed to an immortal state in an instant rather than have to suffer long and hard as this mortal body wears out?” But that is part of the Plan, I guess, to learn through experience and demonstrate our faith in Heavenly Father’s perfect plan, individualized for each of us. Sigh….

We send our warmest welcome to the new babies and fiancé, and great big hugs to all. We are so blessed to know and be influenced by each of you; when we see the good you do, wherever you are, we are awed and grateful for the way you are carrying on the legacy of your wonderful grandparents!

With all our prayers and love

(Aunt) Jean & (Uncle) Bruce