(The Desert, part 4)
Defiant, but fearing the consequence which rebellion would bring me soon,
I clutch my burden and push towards him, my feet dragging against the dry desert dunes.
O, so unfortunate the circumstance that has brought to me a humble companion,
Two men entrenched in sand, hopeless and alone in this wide, arid canyon.
Despite my stomach's incessant cry, I give to the man my meager food,
And though it is not much, the service seems to have lightened the mood.
The man points his feeble finger at the sky and mutters something aloud;
His speech is lowly and weak, but with concerted effort he says the word "cloud."
My eyes follow his point to find that which now shades us from the sun above,
A lonely cloud in sky protects us, I know it must be the sign of Somebody's love.
(Part 5 next week)
It has now been a fun-filled week in the land of the North. We've had a bit more snow in the past few days, so we begin the month of February with some powdery pavement and fluffy roads.
Elder Driscoll, my companion, has been on his mission for about 18 months now. He's from a small town (population 3000) in the northwest panhandle of Florida, and he's just about as Southern as they come. He is also a great example of somebody that can recognize and follow the subtle promptings of the Spirit, and I've been able to learn much from him in the short week or so that I've been here.
We are currently working with a wonderful and diverse family. The husband, Mark, is First Nations; his wife, Jackie, is from the Philippines. Mark and Jackie were baptized into the church on Christmas Eve 2015. Mark and Jackie have 4 children, and two of them are working toward baptism near the end of February. Their first language is Tagalog, so the teaching hasn't been easy. However, I now know the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Tagalog, so I suppose it is a learning experience for each of us.
The Nechako ward is filled with some great members, and I'm hoping to stay here for a bit of time. It's pretty small for a ward, and we don't have a ward mission leader, but the Bishop is working hard to make up for the callings that have yet to be filled. This Bishop is also a mortgage broker and a pig farmer. We pray for him often.
-Elder Reynolds
