Let's Start with a Love Story

Here are the Cohens - married fifty odd years.   Bright, spunky, dedicated to the gospel.   They began dating in their teens; he was Jewish, she was 'sort of Catholic'.   When they decided to marry, his family disowned him.   It's a long sweet story about their families reconciling, but she said when she finally met his mother they took to each other like ducks to water!    

But here's the interesting part:   Bro. Cohen had been investigating different churches quite a while, never really finding a satisfying religion.   He once said to a pastor, 'What are you telling me with this trinity concept, that Jesus was schizophrenic?  When he prayed in the garden for his Father to remove the cup, was he talking to himself?'  When the missionaries came upon them, it all made sense, and they've never turned back.   Delightful couple!   

Okay, another sweet couple from South Ribble Ward, Emma and Darren.   When she got up to give a part in a Relief Society presentation the other night, she said in her wonderful accent, "I was pretty nervous about what to say tonight until I realized you'd all just be lookin' at me bump.   Then I relaxed."   This is their first, due in another three weeks!   

We ran into this sweet, colorful man just knocking on doors of less active people.   (I'm talking 'haven't been back in years!)   He welcomed us right in, though, and we must have visited he and his yorkies for about an hour.   He's an old farmer who finally had to move closer to town because of health issues.   He gets dizzy and falls a lot.   His wife is in the hospital with cancer.   But he's just chipper with a little 'edge' to him.   

So why did they quit coming to church?   A member of the ward said some disparaging things to her  about a relative of hers, and she just said 'that's it' and they never came back. I doubt he even remembers what was said.   Well, anyway, we're going to go back and visit.   I think he could use two more friends.   

I'm loving having the iPad on Sundays to get pictures of ward members.   We're going to print them off and hang in different areas on the wall so we can remember who's where!   It's tough belonging to two different wards and keeping everyone straight!   We can see why the President's begging for more couples out here.   Two correlation meetings, two ward councils, two Relief Society birthdays, two New Beginnings, two.....