Transfers!

4 March 2015

Hello family and friends,

As some of you know we have been transferred to Concordia, KS. We were very surprised because we expected to be in one place our whole mission, but here we are. We left Lamar, Colorado last Sunday evening and drove to Dodge City in heavy snow all the way. Then we went on to Wichita the next morning. 

Our last Sunday in Lamar was a very sweet day. Everyone was shocked and saddened that we were leaving. We had many sincere and tender goodbyes. We did make a lot of friends in the five weeks we were there.

We may have told you about Brother and Sister Beard in a previous letter. We met Karen and Brad on our very first day - in fact they were the first family we visited. They have not been to church for several years, We have been visiting them, and we have developed a close friendship. They live fifty miles from the chapel, but they have started coming on Sundays again now. Sister Beard had a serious back injury that caused constant pain, and she could not stand or walk without help. She has needed an operation since early November but has not been able to get insurance approval and could not get the hospital to schedule the surgery. She requested that Elder Gorden give her a blessing. After she was anointed with oil, he blessed her that the pain would subside and that the surgery would be scheduled without further delay. He promised that she would have a successful operation and her health would be restored. It was an exceptionally spiritual experience for all of us. 

She told us two days later that she had slept well for the first nights in many months. The next Monday after the blessing on Friday night, the insurance company called to tell her the hospital would be in touch with them to schedule the surgery. On Tuesday the hospital did call, and arranged for the surgery on February 23^rd in Wichita. We told her we would go with them to the hospital. (What we did not realize was that it would be a one-way trip for us.) Her surgery was very complicated and complex. They opened through her stomach to repair two discs in her back, then turned her over and operated through her back to insert metal rods in her spine. The whole procedure was done without any problems and was completed in less time than expected. She was walking down the hospital hall with us the next day. All four of us feel that they are the reason we were assigned to the Lamar ward for that time. The Beards want us to go with them when they attend the temple for the first time later this year in Denver. Of course, we happily await that day.

After taking an extra day off in Wichita, we traveled on to our new area. Concordia is about two hours north of Wichita in North Central Kansas. The population is about 5,000, and it is an old town with lots of old, large homes. We actually live in one that has been turned into a duplex. It is a quaint little town with lots of character. Unlike the flat High Plains of Colorado, there is a lot more "life" here, but it still has its challenges. There are many small towns around us, and the distances are not as difficult as they were in Lamar.

The branch is small with only about 35-40 people in attendance at church. There are about 6 youth total and 4 or 5 kids in primary. It is nothing like what we are used to in Rogers. We were pleased to see that the few members that attend seem very solid. The Branch President has already asked us to teach a Temple Preparation Class like we just did in Lamar, so we have our lessons already prepared.

One of the first people we met Sunday was a counselor in the branch presidency, and the first thing he told us was we have a speaking assignment in Sacrament meeting next Sunday. They are obviously hungry to hear from someone new!

We traveled to Salina, Kansas, Tuesday morning for our weekly District Meeting. There were 10 of us. We enjoyed meeting with that group of missionaries. Tuesday night we fixed dinner for the young elders, and we had our first meeting with the branch mission leader. He is a policeman and was wearing his uniform. Before our meeting he gave us an interesting demonstration of his taser. The charge emits for a full five seconds. That seemed SO long when he showed us. It would be well not to ever be on the receiving end of a taser!

On Sunday, it was announced that there is a branch temple trip to the Kansas City Temple on March 21^st. We hope we might see some of you there. The next temple trip for the Concordia Branch is to the Winter Quarters Temple in Omaha. We are about the same distance from both.  

It is time to head out the door to see some people this morning. We are going to two little towns called Belleville and Scandia. We hope you are all doing well and prospering. We are always thinking of you. 

Love,

Elder Gorden & Sister Gorden