These Women Inspire and Strengthen Me

My visiting teaching companion, Katie Taylor, arranged for us to have a picnic with Myrtle today. Our friend, Linda Huxel, came too. We've missed Linda since she moved to a different ward (congregation). We had a lot of fun, and it was a gorgeous day! The boys really enjoyed playing with each other and chasing the squirrels.

Myrtle has been through so much since I have known her. She has been in and out of the hospital, rehab centers. But she has truly trusted in God, and she's worked hard to get where she is now.  She's just zipping around with her walker. She's going up and down stairs, and she' taking care of herself. She's changed a lot of her diet for the better which hasn't been easy. Myrtle has been to church twice recently, and she touched my heart as she shared her testimony that God has been good to her and that she is living proof that God is real. Her doctors have told her that she would never walk again and that she'd never be off oxygen, but she's walking and she doesn't need oxygen now. She thanked God for her blessings and I am inspired by her.

I have visited Myrtle for three years now, and it has been a wonderful experience! I will truly miss her, but now we are lifelong friends. John calls her grandma Myrtle, and we will always remember her.

Visiting teaching is a program of watch care in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In our relief society, which is the organization for women in my church, each woman is assigned a visiting teaching companion, and those two companions are usually assigned to two or three women in their congregation. "Visiting teachers sincerely come to know and love each sister (or woman in the church), help her strengthen her faith, and give service. … Taking into account each sister’s individual needs and circumstances, visiting teachers have regular contact (monthly if possible) with those they are assigned. When a personal visit is not possible, visiting teachers may use phone calls, letters, e-mail, or other means to watch over and strengthen sisters." (Purpose of Visiting Teaching)
Sometimes the women you are assigned are in your age and stage of life, and sometimes not. We help each other, and we support each other especially in times of need. This is a way to make sure that everyone in the church is okay and has the support that they need. Often my visiting teaching companions become some of my best friends - life-long friends, Katie certainly has, as well as my last companion, Kjirsti.

(It wasn't exactly a dream spot for photographers...but I guessed you could say we're stylish in our cheetah print.)

Although it is an assignment, visiting teaching is a great opportunity to get to know some truly wonderful women who have a lot of wisdom and a lot to teach me. It is also a great opportunity to bridge the gap between generations and received wisdom floor from those who are different from me. My visiting teachers have been a great strength to me: they have listened to my concerns, called my just to say hi and see how I'm doing, visited me when I was lonely, helped me with a huge garage sale, brought me dinner, weeded my garden, lent me a shoulder to cry on, helped me pack and move, helped me clean my house, strengthened my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, taught me how to be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. 

 I have also have had countless opportunities to serve in these same ways, and whenever I serve, I feel I am blessed as much as or more than the sisters I am serving. There would be a lot more love in the world if all women could have visiting teachers, and be visiting teachers! (and you can, just let me know if you're interested in finding out more.) 

A good friend of mine, Teri, recently asked me jokingly if Mormon's had more than 24 hours in a day. The answer is no. We don't have any more time than anyone else, and sometimes I feel so busy that I am overwhelmed. I know there are times in my life that I can do more to serve others than times when I am the one in need. But that is the beauty of it. We all need help at some point. We all need to feel loved, we need to feel needed. We need to have our faith strengthened. Even the strongest disciple needs to be strengthened, for faith has a short shelf life. 

When I remember that Christ strengthened those who needed strengthening, He lifted up those who could not walk, He healed the sick, He befriended the friendless, He loved all people, all of us. He reached out to others and had compassion on them even when He Himself was in agony. 

Christ ministered to people one by one. He got to know them. He truly loved them. He loves all of us.

When I remember Him, I want to love as He loved. That brings true joy. And even when I myself am so burdened down, even in the times when I could not stand or walk, I could remember my sisters. I could love them and pray for them; and I have, and that has made a difference.

Memorial day with the Barkers 2014

We had a beautiful Memorial Day! The weather was absolutely gorgeous! And we had a blast with our friends Sam and Emily Barker and their sons, William and Paul.

John was in awe of William. I loved hearing him speak such fluent Spanish. It gave me so much hope for John. The Barker's have been an inspiration to me in teaching John Spanish.

Sadly, I didn't get a better shot of Paul. He is a bit younger than John, but SO mobile! He follows everything his older brother does. It's fascinating to watch.

The boys had so much fun swinging on the swing and playing in the pool.

We had a wonderful picnic dinner! on our amazing picnic table that Seth got me for my birthday a couple years ago. So good. 

Sam and Em are expert cyclists, and Sam is helping Seth fix up his bike. That is so nice!

We have been good friends with the Barkers for the last 6 years. The whole time we've been in Cleveland. Oh how we will miss them! I don't think we good find better friends anywhere. They are the kind of people that we want to be like.

Lakeview cemetery with John and Seth memorial day weekend 2014

We went to Lakeview Cemetery to see the gravesite of my great grandfather Paul James Shepard and his parents Jerome and Teresa Jerome Shepard and Teresa Dempsey Shepard. They have a Shepard monument in Lakeview cemetery in Cleveland, and it's such a beautiful cemetery. I wanted to bring John there before we move. I'm so glad that we could go! It was a gorgeous day! We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was absolutely perfect.

Pres. James Garfield is buried here. This building is his memorial.

John wasn't too keen on pictures... He was tired.

There were a bunch of cool statues. John rock out with this guy name Sergey.

I just really felt connected to my family and my ancestors, and I feel that they are helping me in my life. I want to do the temple work for them and help my children and the rest of my family as well. I'm thankful for the blessings of the gospel that have been restored and the priesthood keys that have been restored to the earth so that the family can sealed and that people can receive power and help and strength in the temple, and I know that the hearts of the fathers are turning to the children and the hearts of the children are turning to the fathers. Mine is, and I want so much to help them.

I feel discouraged sometimes because I don't have the time that I would like to have to to work on my family history or indexing because I'm so busy as a mother of a little toddler, but I am learning that that is part of my family history too, and it's a living family history. Right now I need to give that priority, and I am learning that that’s the best thing I can do. But I have not forgotten about those that have gone before me, and are waiting for the work to be done for them. I am doing what I can, and that is enough. I have to keep my priorities straight, but there will be a time and a season in my life again when that can take more of a forefront spot. My good friend Emily Barker told me in a moment that we were despairing that we can't do more family history work as young mothers because we need to rest so that we will have enough strength to care for these endlessly energetic boys, "Our ancestors aren't going to point at us in Heaven and say, "You took a nap instead of doing family history!" When we meet them in Heaven, we will learn that our ancestors were the angles that were helping our little boys take a nap so that we could all survive these young formative years."

This is not my dad, but he has the same name as my dad. 

I wonder who he is.

Paul is my great grandfather (my dad's, dad's dad). John's great great grandfather

And Jerome and Theresa are Paul's parents, so they are my great greats and John's great great great grandparents.

Jerome owned a brick factory in Cleveland. That was unfortunately destroyed in 2009, before I even knew about it :(

The pillar in the background behind the trees is where Rockefeller is buried.

Yep, those people are my family. And there were fresh flowers on one of the graves. I wonder what family I have here in Cleveland that I don't even know about. There have to be many because Jerome and Theresa had 6 or 7 children, and they must have had many children, and so on and so forth, and many of them must have stayed in Cleveland.

When I die, please bury me in a place as beautiful as this so that people will love to come back and visit and think of me. It is such a peaceful and gorgeous place.

I’m very thankful that that I've had the opportunity to live in Cleveland which is so rich in my family history, and I'm thankful that God is blessing to be able to share that with my family. I'm excited to learn more and continue in in that work.

This Memorial Day weekend, we are remembering all our loved ones gone before us. Those who, in their own ways have fought for our freedom and prosperity, especially Seth's papa, his grandpas, and my grandma. We're so glad to know they're watching over us and we will see them again.