Live Deliberately

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,

to front only the essential facts of life,

and see if I could not learn what it had to teach,

and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Henry David Thoreau while at Walden Pond in Concord MA

3 February 2015

Dear Elder Heflin,

Happy 19^th Birthday, Riley.  We are thinking of you in cold CT as we enjoy verano in

Valparaíso, Chile.  We hope you are back in the saddle after a week of flu and that snowstorm of the century!  

We have been reading both El Libro de Mormón and The Book of Mormon for one month now.  We’ll finish them in two more months.  Here are some references to check:

2 Ne 15:25; 19:12,17,21; 20:4; 24:27; 25:17; 28:32 and Jacob 6:2,4,5 and Mosiah 1:14.  

Our merciful and long-suffering Lord is ever ready to help. His “arm is lengthened out all the day long” (2 Ne. 28:32), and even if His arm goes ungrasped, it was unarguably there!
 "According to the Desire of our Hearts," Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, October 1996. 

We have found that the footnotes are more helpful for the Isaiah chapters in the LdM.

We also found some good references concerning counsel from the Lord: 2 Ne 15:19, 27:27 and 28:9 and 30. Also, Jacob 4:10 and Jacob 5:22. 

“He not only knows what is best for you.  He also anxiously wants YOU to choose what is best for you.”  From last October conference talk by President Uchtdorf, “Living the Gospel Joyful.”

So, “Why?” you ask, did we begin our letter to you with a quote by Henry David Thoreau?  Because when your Mom was 3, we lived at Ft. Devens, MA, for 3 months while Grandpa completed an Army course before heading to Korea for 1 year.  

Our favorite place to visit in the area was Kimball Farm Ice Cream.  They gave you such huge amounts for a reasonable price.  We lived on the post at Devens in a motorhome which we parked at Robbins Pond.  It was a time of reflection for us, like Thoreau’s time at Walden Pond.  Spring was coming and life was simple.  A bus picked Angie up for Kindergarten; and Chrissie, Patty and Grandma enjoyed nature around the pond, while Grandpa went to his training.  We used the restroom/showers available at the pond.  One day we drove to visit Walden Pond near Concord, MA, and saw the spot they thought might have been HDT’s simple home.

We also took a trip in to Boston.  On Sundays, we went to church in Ayer. We went to Worcester and enjoyed the trees filled with blossoms. 

 We have some connections with your companion, Elder McBride.  Growing up in St. David, we played sports in Pima.  Grandpa mostly remembers Rodney Green as a great football and basketball competitor.  In the area were the McBrides and Cluffs.  We remember Reuben McBride and Cal Cluff.  At the U of A we knew Rick and Ramona Goodman Lines and Lynette Mattice.  Maybe he knows of them.  Philemon C. Merrill, Grandma’s ancestor was born in New York in 1820, was baptized in 1839 by Joel H. Johnson, and is buried in the Safford Cemetery.  He was in the Mormon Battalion and settled St. David, AZ.

If you are able to go into FamilySearch and look at your family tree, you will find connections to your mission area:

1635 – John Merrill (12 generations back from you) was buried in 1712 

in the Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford, CT.

20 March 1630 – Thomas Holcomb left England on the “Mary and John” – a ship carrying Puritans to Plymouth, Massachusetts.

30 May 1630 – landed at Nantasket.

 Roger Clap who was on board kept in his diary, "So we came, by the good hand of God, through the deep comfortably, having preaching and expounding of the Word of God every day for ten weeks together, by our ministers."

1633 – Thomas settled at Dorchester.

December 1, 1634 – drew land in lottery and on March 14, 1634 made a Freeman.

1635 – 60 dissenters, among whom was Thomas Holcomb, went to establish homes in what was later known as the Windsor settlement.

Thomas Holcomb (b 7 Apr 1605) and Elizabeth Ferguson (b abt 1612) had 12 children.

Four of their children are connected to our lines:

1. Mary Holcomb(1635) has descendants Gibson line through Burr, and Merrill and Robinson lines through Griswold.

2. Abigail Holcomb (1638) has descendants from the Merrill line through Phelps.

3. Joshua Holcomb (1640) has descendants from the Arzberger/Cartwright line through Alford.

4. Nathaniel Holcomb (1650) has descendants from the Cartwright line through Messenger.

December 1, 1844 – Ann Cook and Daniel Stark were married for Time and Eternity in Suffolk Hall in Boston, before a large Mormon congregation.

4 February 1846 – Left New York on the Brooklyn with Elder Samuel Brannan.  Some historians think that “Captain Richardson hoped to escape the graveyard of ships that sank at the Horn and to make port at Valparaíso, Chile [!!].  Fierce winds carried them backwards three days and nights. In desperate need of supplies, they headed for the island of Juan Fernandez.  The fruit trees were loaded with fruit.  This was the best cure for the scurvy plaguing the Mormons aboard the Brooklyn. Five weeks later (146 days after leaving NYC) they landed in Honolulu (29 June 1846).  Upon reaching San Francisco, they were housed at the deserted Mission Delores.  They bought land in San Jose and later….”

So here we are on our missions… trying to do our best each day to fulfill “Our Purpose”… hopping cheerfully out of bed and shouting “This day is a great day to bring souls to Christ!”

Love you, Riley.

Kiddos

17 January 2015

Dear Family,

It was Zone Meeting on Tuesday and interviews with the President on Friday in our apartments.  The training was great!  After transfers we still have our District Leader, Elder Pava and his companion, Elder Webster.  Elder Webster has been in the mission for six months and has only been in one area – the O’Higgins Ward.  He is our Snowflake cousin so we are happy to keep him here!   There were 4 in the Zone who have only been in the mission for 2 weeks – one new Elder from the United States who is in our District and 3 who are native speakers with 2 of those being hermanitas.  They bore sweet testimonies:  “I have just been out two weeks, but already I look at people differently….  I am glad to go out and preach the gospel for my King….  I love everything about the mission.  Even getting up early!!...  I have a big testimony of prayer.  If investigators pray, they will be OK….  I don’t want my weakness to impede the work.”  We are enjoying the reading of both the LdM and the BoM.   

Elder Webster is playing the piano.  His companion is still Elder Pava, our District Leader

Bautizar–Retener–Reactivar

One Elder spoke of a 13-year old boy in his ward who came up to him and asked him “Why do you dress up for church?”  The Elder spoke of the sacrament and of respect.  The next Sunday, the boy had spent his own money on a suit and brought his tithing.  Amar los mandamientos!!   (Love the Commandments)–you will be happy!!!

On Friday we left the cementerio a little early to meet President Kähnlein at our apartment for interviews.  Two assistants came with him.  We enjoyed a great spirit.  ...Very ambitious to meet with every missionary in his/her apartment!

 Even though your Dad/Grandpa is now Elder Gibson, I still call him “Dad”.  A lot of times in our prayers when it is Dad/Grandpa’s turn, he will say, “And bless our kiddos.”  The other night he said, “And bless our children and their kiddos…”.  I think it is so neat to hear him say that.  We sent some pictures of  Don to Karyn Gibson in Colorado.  Here is one we sent to her:

  It looks like the boys are enjoying a “choc chip cook”….   So proud of you, Gavin, for providing that wonderful Family Home Evening lesson and activity.  We are proud of all of you and of all your many talents.  Thanks for being sweet kiddos.

Love You!!

¡Oh, está todo bien!

Here is our report of our time with the Gibson family who visited us for Christmas….The Metro de Santiago is beautiful and immaculate.  This was our mode of transportation using the bip! card.   Kris (and the tour book) was our guide to the sites and feel of Santiago.  Before our joining them on 23 December – Brett, Kris, Sadie and Colton had been in Buenos Aires and Bariloche, Argentina - then with Kris’ former mission companion just inside of Chile –  and now with us.

From our hotel widow we saw The Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest building in Chile and in South America at 980 ft.  Area around it is referred to as Sanhattan for its glitzy skyscrapers and North American feel.  Brett and Kris enjoy and treated us to very wonderful and delicious meals at amazing restaurants… and treated us all to fun flavors of helado whenever we felt the need….

December 23: took metro and saw Pabellón Paris Bldg which was designed to represent Chile at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris.  Then in to Parque Quinta Normal  where was the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, many picnic areas, playgrounds and an artificial lake.  Also there – the Museo Ferraviario – with collections of steam locomotives that served the Ferrocarril Transandino that until 1971 connected Los Andes to Chile with Mendoza in Argentina (154 miles) across the precarious peaks of the Andes. 

December 24:  Visited Plaza de Armas so many including Casa Colorada, the Catedral Metropolitania, Correo Central, and Palacio de la Moneda which is Chile’s presidential headquarters.  We also went to the Alcántara stop which is the neighborhood of Las Condes to visit the casa de Santiago Sur Misión where Bruce and Rowene Gibson served with daughters Julie and Vickie and later Gloria after her mission in Peru (1977-1980).

 Christmas Day we had a buffet breakfast and sliding fun at the hotel and checked out at 11:30 to head to the bus station for Valparaíso.  There Brett began as our tour guide:   Up an ascensor to Museo a Cielo Abierto , a maze of winding streets and passageways painted with giant, colorful street murals by some of Chile’s best-known contemporary artists. 

Friday, the 26^th, Geff and Brett headed to Cementerio N1 (Catolico) for work.  Brett was an able assistant until Carol came with the gang later. Then Brett again was tour guide down the hill where we catch the bus home every day.  Eating our helado on the stairs, we learned about Plaza Anibal Pinto – the small, chaotic square with the old Cinzano café founded in 1896 which features live tango shows.  On the other side of the plaza is a street fountain sculpted as Neptune in 1892.  We pass by these “points of interest” every day.  We greet the shoe shine man that sits behind the fountain and never even noticed the old café….

We walked toward Sotomayer Square.  Brett pointed out the building where the El Mercurio de Valparaíso founded in 1827 – the oldest newspaper in continuous circulation in the entire Spanish-speaking world.  Up the Funicular Concepcion (Valparaíso’s first funicular).  It seemed very rickety, very steep and scary…to the Casa Mirador de Lukas.  A 1900 house that hosts a lovely museum dedicated to the life and works of Chile’s best-loved cartoonist, Renzo Antonio Pecchenino Raggi, popularly known as Lukas.  Then on to Plaza Sotomayor where you find the Monumento a los Heroes de Iquique, Comandancia Jefe de la Armada, the Bomberos and a walk to the port where we went on a boat ride on the Bay. 

Saturday, Dec 27,we went by micro bus to Viña del Mar to meet a sister who served in Kristi-Lynn’s mission.  She has 3 children,  and Sadie and Colton had instant friends. 

“Founded in 1874, Viña del Mar (Vineyard of the Sea) has its origins in a Colonial hacienda whose vineyards faced the ocean.”  We had a fun daywith pictures at the Viña Clock, to the Casino and Wolff Castle and up Avenida Peru, lunch and the Viña beach with the 5 kids and home by micro for a 6 pm baptism of a Sister who is 73 and a surprise farewell for Hermana Rivas who was leaving on Monday for the Salt Lake Temple Square mission.  Then Sunday, we all attended the O'Higgins Ward and then it was time for Brett, Kris, Sadie and Colton to meet their flight in Santiago.  What an effort.  We had a wonderful Christmas in the mission....  Thanks!

New Years Eve was spent at the home of the Hidalgo family.  An authentic Chilean meal prepared by Sister Hidalgo, the wife of the ward mission leader, included soup, many grilled meats, potatoes, rice and salads and a delicious dessert with fruits, ice cream and dulce de leche drizzled over the top.  Then back to the Smith’s apartment for fireworks which spread all up the Valparaíso Bay to bring in 2015.

 

Many greeting and hugs for the Año Nuevo.  Daniela practiced for 5 weeks, and on the first Sunday of the year,  played Come, Come Ye Saints for prelude and the opening hymn, There is a Green Hill Far Away for the Sacrament hymn, and Abide with Me for the closing.

A fun Himno we don’t have in the Hymn book:

Himno 142

Otro año más queda ya atrás;             Another year has passed;

evaluemos lo que pasó.                      Let’s evaluate what happened.

¿Puedo mejorar, puedo progresar      Can I improve, can I progress

este año que ya comenzó?                 this year that has just begun?

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

D&C 123:17

If you haven’t already read the article, “Hastening the Lord’s Work Within Our Own Souls”, take time now:

Article by Robert L. Millet (professor emeritus of ancient scripture and former dean of religious education at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah).

https://www.lds.org/church/news/hastening-the-lords-work-within-our-own-souls?cid=HPTU123014596&lang=eng