Exercise, Danny Boy and Coffins

Ciao, All!

TREE BASKETBALL. Well, we played basketball today with some other missionaries. I am terrible at basketball. I think I contributed like a tree. Just kind of got in the way.

But I was able to pull out the flying disc and get in some throws. So it wasn't a complete waste. But I saw some missionaries from other times of my mission -- Keller from the MTC, Thomas from Bologna/Torino, and others.

(Background: the missionaries hold the priesthood, which allows them to give people blessings. These could be to heal someone who is sick or ailing, or to comfort someone who is grieving or otherwise in need. They use consecrated (blessed) oil on the person's head, then say the prayer.) We gave a couple of blessings of health this week. It's always nice to help people out in that way, and just be guided to give words of comfort and healing 'as the Spirit directs.' And I still have Poppa Dave's vial for the oil. No salad dressing, just extra virgin olive oil. A couple of times when we didn't have oil on us, we just used some olive oil from the cupboard, blessing it, and then the individual. Since everyone has oil here.

MUSIC I LIKE. I have a couple of favorite songs I've heard here, I've decided. First, is my "dying song," "Into the West" by RotK. Seeing as, returning home, I will be going "into the west." I also really like various renditions of "Danny Boy." Also Paul Cardall's Redeemer for piano. And Nearer My God to Thee, I believe it's the Vocal Point rendition. Also Jesu Joy of Man's Salvation. That's nice, too. Just peaceful stuff. Also a bunch of Christian Rock, but that's just filler. You can't live for two years on just Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Piano Guys.

UNEXPECTED. We made an appointment with a guy we hadn't met before, and he said, come to this address. So we get there and it's a dirt road, so we park at the end of the road and start walking back.
He comes down the dirt road and waves, and he's wearing an apron made of discarded soil bags. He leads us to a garage/warehouse building that is very poorly lit.
Our eyes adjust and we see all these shovels, and some hoes, and some coffins, and we're like, "This guy is crazy and he is going to kill us."
But then he says, I work in a cemetery, as a horticulturist.
So he's only kind of crazy. I am safe, and happy, and healthy and all that.

(Background: During the Mother's Day skype, I told David that I, Mom, would not be counting down to his return, until there were 10 days left. That will be next Wednesday! David comes home on June 3!!)

Well, the next time I write, even Mom will be counting down...!

Love you!
Anziano Whitesell