TWTWTW

At the risk of being sacrilegious, here is a rundown of the previous week in the life of this Bishop. This was an unusually busy week. Thank goodness it is not normally this bad.

Sunday 29 May - One of the ward members has an major anxiety/stress attack at church. She ends up going to the emergency room. But not before it is discovered that she was in major need of help with cleaning up her apartment to ward off triggering DCFS notification. Lenore and I went to visit her in the hospital.

Monday, Memorial Day - a large number of ward members converge on the sister's apartment to help clean up.

Tuesday - About seven interviews with young members of the ward. Later I attend setting apart for Rachel Serna who begins mission the next day. This was at President Daw's house and was quite nice. She had several friends there for support. Three of whom were missionaries who taught her. She bore a very sweet testimony at the end of the gathering.

Wednesday - PPI with Pres. Daw

Thursday - Bishopric meeting. Meanwhile several calls for welfare assistance have been piling up and I am referring people to meet with me on Sunday. Later Pam and Shaun Thomas came to my house and I called her to be the new Young Women's President.

Friday - Sister whose apartment was cleaned up on Monday calls saying she can't find her purse, she is afraid it got thrown out on Monday. The purse is found by the end of the week. High Priest Group leader calls to say that Sister Thomas had a stroke and is in the Hospital. Later, 2:30am call from Spain Madrid Temple. One of our sisters is there to attend and forgot her temple recommend. "Sorry for waking you up..." I told them it could have been worse news. I imagined Sister Thomas expiring. We have about 30 members over the age of eighty years old.

Saturday - Baptism for Noelle Singleton. President Rodriguez needs some things from my office so I run over there. Lenore and I go visit sister Thomas at Cottonwood Hospital.

Sunday - At church for meetings that begin at 7am. We made changes in the Elder's Quorum, Young Women, Young Men presidencies and one of the counselors in Relief Society. I spoke briefly to the Young Women about Testimony. After the block we spent a bit of time setting apart almost everyone. This was another very special and sweet hour or so with these great people. Then I had three interviews with welfare needy/wanty. During these interviews there were three phone calls regarding other church matters.

I had a brief 15 minute break to go home and grab a bite/end my fast. Then there was a special Sacrament meeting for the singles ward that was being disbanded. Another very enjoyable and sweet spirit there. I thought I was going to be able to go home for an hour or so after this. But, I was told the Bishops were supposed to be at the Seminary Graduation 45 minutes early. The graduation was quite nice. Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke. But, I'm sorry, by the time it came to him I think I had about as much Sunday as I could handle. We left the graduation about 6:20.

We did receive some tender mercies during the week: The Blue Explorer started making a horrendous clunking noise in the front. I thought maybe I could ignore it for a day or two. But, It got much worse over night. I jacked it up and looked at it and played with the wheels. But, I couldn't tell anything. I was thinking that there was a CV joint, or something like that worn out. We took it in Friday morning and it ended up that four of the lug bolts were broken off. I know, I know. It would have been very easy for me to figure this out if I had only looked there. I don't know how this happened. But, I suspect that after one or two break, the added stress on the others makes short work of them. We consider it an answer to our prayers that Ailsa wasn't driving on the freeway and have the wheel come off. That would have been bad. Of course the dealer found some other things that he felt needed attention. So the entire bill came to $500. But, at least he didn't tell us we needed a whole new transmission and engine rebuild.

Despite everything else going on and dodging some rainstorms, I was able to ride the tandem with both Ailsa and Jensen this week and I think they enjoyed it.

And I got to sing "How Great the Wisdom and the Love." Which is one of my favorite Sacrament Hymns at the Singles Ward.

And.... This morning it was raining so I didn't have to get up early to ride my bike.