April 15TH - 21ST

An exciting week we had this past week. Weather has turned to spring and we are excited to get our garden planted on the patio.  We bought a tomato plant, a cucumber plant, and have a Sweet Potato that we are going to grow.  Sister White wants a strawberry so we got one of them also.  It is warm enough that we planted the plants, but have to move them in some nights because of cold temperatures.

This week we had our Senior Dinner, which we have once a month. Sister White and Sister Holt were in charge and we had a good time with all the Senior couples in the Trail Center and Invited Guests. It is kind of strange to not have some of the couples attend, since we have had a split with the Mission Couples and Trail Center Couples.  It was fun having all together.  Orange Chicken, Funeral Potatoes, Cooked Carrots, and Fruit.  For dessert we had Ice Cream Sundaes.

Easter weekend was really nice, We have a meeting every Saturday Morning, this past week is was centered on the Atonement and Resurrection of the Savior. All the Young Sisters sang a song, and then read the Living Christ.  Sister White and I gave the presentation of the Last week of Christs Life, with Sister White giving the Bible readings like she has taught for so many years. She is such a spiritual person and does that Bible program with such a sweet spirit.

Sunday being Easter we had Sacrament Meeting and Sunday School meetings. The Karen Sunday School Teacher had each member of the class find an Easter Egg and inside was something the represented the death and Crucifixion of Christ.  The Karen members of the class taught the lesson and such a great spirit was present.

An exciting thing happened this week. As Elder White gave a tour of the Tabernacle and talking to the couple who was there, he found out some interesting facts that relate back to his mission in 1971 in Kalamazoo Michigan.

In 1971 Elder White and his companion were following up on Temple Square referrals and were out one day in the Suburbs of Kalamazoo Michigan.  We had a referral and thought we should stop by the house to find if the person wanted to have questions answered about the time they were at Temple Square and about the Book of Mormon.  With typical referrals the person usually forgot the tour and would not want any information.

We knocked on the door and the lady told us she did not have time to talk and was very upset that we stopped.  We left the door step and something told us that we needed to see that person, being young missionaries we were bold and knew the spirit was strong, so we went to the side door and knocked.  when the lady answered my companion said, I hope you are more receptive than the lady at the front door.  She smiled and started to cry, she invited us in and we told her that the spirit was so strong that we had to visit.

Claudette Lisenger was her name and she told us the story of how she had felt a different Spirit at the Salt Lake Temple Visitors Center and had felt impressed to get a Book of Mormon.  She was upset with her pastor who basically told her that she and her husband had committed some sin because they had a handicapped child and they were no longer wanted in their Church.  She and her husband had been looking for another religion.

We taught the discussions and both Claudette and Wally were baptized into the Church of  Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They became very active while Elder White was there and even came to Salt Lake and he went to the temple with them.

Casual contact happened over the years and about 20 years ago lost contact with them. Then last Thursday, a couple from Kalamazoo came to the Kanesville Tabernacle and told Elder White the rest of the Story.

Over the years the Lisenger family had become very active in the Kalamazoo ward and was a source of great help to people in the Area.  She had served as Relief Society President for a number of years and Her and Wally served people who had need, they exemplified the Life of Christ as they showed love and compassion to many people.  They had all the younger children baptized and one daughter Penni was following in her parents example.

They had done all they were asked to do and served until their last days, both passed away about 2 years ago about the same time.  Their daughter is an example of their service.

The couple were again in the Temple on Friday and will keep in touch with Elder White with more stories of the Kalamazoo Area.  What a Missionary Payday!

Sometimes we do not know the rest of the story of people who we baptized or who we touched in the Mission field over 48 years ago, but it makes a Missionary proud to know that those who he had taught the gospel were faithful to the very end.

REMEMBER YOU TOO ARE PLANTING SEEDS!!