June 8, 2015

Dear family and friends,

We are getting continually busier here in the mission. We are constantly finding new ways to make ourselves useful. There are always meetings to attend. We spend a lot of time driving, and the scenery is the same in every direction. Right now there are wheat fields galore! The wheat is getting tall (knee high is tall), and harvesting should begin in about two weeks we are told.

The wheat fields are starting to be ready to harvest. Sunsets are always radiant in Kansas.

A couple of weeks ago the whole mission was privileged to attend a meeting with Elder Don R. Clarke of the First Quorum of the Seventy and Brother Lee Donaldson of the missionary department. It was a five hour meeting and most of us wished it could have been longer. They taught so many wonderful things. It was a very spiritual day with instruction, stories, laughter and much doctrine taught. To share one memorable thing he said: “If you don’t like the Sabbath Day, you will hate the Millennium!”

One of the many things that stood out to us was how proud we are of our five boys. Elder Clarke was teaching the missionaries that they should maintain the same standards when they return home from the mission. One of the things he mentioned was to always keep being a representative of the Lord in appearance, in testimony, in love, and in behavior. He stressed how people who are truly converted to the Lord never fall away. The mission should change us for life. You boys have maintained all that in our eyes. Thank you! We are so proud of all our ten children and now fourteen grandchildren.

We have a weekly District Meeting on Tuesdays. Our district includes us and eight young Elders and two Sister missionaries. After the meetings we usually all go to lunch together somewhere or sometimes get take-out and bring it back to the church to eat. At the end of the month the missionaries are always out of money, though, and they bring peanut butter or Ramen noodles, etc. So last week we made a big pot of Sloppy Joe meat and fed all the missionaries sandwiches, slaw, and potato chips with a big pan of brownies for dessert. They were pretty happy. It is always fun to feed them.  They get very excited about food, and they were all very sincere in expressing their gratitude to us.

We enjoyed lunch at Wendy's with the missionaries after District Meeting.

We had a baptism scheduled for May 30th. Mom was asked to give a talk and she had it well prepared. Dad was appointed to conduct, and the font was filled with water.  Quite a few members came - some from long distances. Everyone was there and ready and waiting. It soon became evident that the soon to be new member was not going to show up, and he was not answering his phone. On the previous day he had confirmed that he was definitely coming. We were shocked as we have never heard of anything like that. Actually this was his second time to not show up. The same thing happened in May when we were out of town.  We really felt bad for the Elders that had taught him. The Zone Leaders had driven up from Salina to attend also. We all went to Dairy Queen afterwards to get ice cream to help ease the disappointment. We are learning that things are a little different around these parts. :>)

While the Zone Leaders were in town they were invited to get in Dads neck tie bag. They were very happy to take home new ties. Elder Gorden’s reputation for distinctive ties is growing throughout the mission!

The zone leaders got new ties at our house. Elder Brown (next to Elder Gorden) is from Australia. Elder Merrifield, from Utah, always says he doesn't get it when anyone tells a blonde joke. It's so funny!

Mom spoke in Sacrament Meeting last week. You know that is her favorite thing to do. Dad says each of her talks is even better than the last.  She can’t seem to go more than ten minutes, but it is a great ten minutes. Dad has often said that a lot of people give a good ten minute talk, but they give it for twenty minutes. :>) Next week she will teach Relief Society. She is getting her practice, for sure.

Last Wednesday the Elders moved in next door in our same duplex. We helped them along with a couple from the mission office. Their job is to find housing and furnishings and move the missionaries whenever they need to be transferred. This was not a transfer, though. It was just an opportunity to improve their accommodations.  After the move we all went to the local pizza place downtown. It must sound like we do a lot of eating around here. :>)

We love having the elders next door. They feel like our own boys and Mom wants to go over and check on them often, but we don't. They had dinner with us last night.

We made a stop at a place called Rock City. There are very strange round rock formations in a grassy area. Some are as big as a small house. 

We also helped another couple move last week. Several people in the branch helped, too. A few days before they had to move, the woman had emergency gall bladder surgery, so she did not get to finish her packing. That always makes it harder when the packing is not finished when the moving starts. At least Dad stayed out of the ambulance this time!

Our Wednesday evening Gospel Principles class is slowly growing. We've had it going for four weeks now, and last week we had 10 people there including one investigator. It was exciting to have more people attend. Three of them were from Beloit (about 45 minutes southwest of Concordia). Starting this week we are going to have a class there, too, on Thursday nights. There should be anywhere from 6-10 people at that one.

We are having it at the home of one of the members. Jess is a good man that has been inactive most of the time since he was a youth. We have had some really good meetings with him at his house and at ours, and he has made a commitment to become actively engaged. He actually passed the sacrament yesterday for the first time in about 32 years. He went with Dad to stake leadership and General Priesthood meeting in Salina on Saturday. You just never give up - no matter how long it takes.

Dad thoroughly enjoyed the meetings Saturday in Salina. He said it was very spiritual. Mom loves priesthood meetings, also. She was able to spend the afternoon in the local mall while waiting for Dad! Everyone was happy :>)

We have two teaching appointments this week. One tonight (Monday) and one Friday night. Tomorrow we will drive 80 miles to Junction City for a Zone Conference. All the missionaries (except senior couples) will be receiving iPads. It is still a pilot program, and our mission is one of the test areas. It will open a lot of areas of opportunity, and, of course, a lot of challenges, too. Our mission was reportedly selected for the testing because we have an exceptionally obedient missionary force. The missionaries are pretty excited about getting the technology to use in their work.

Sister Gorden in the kitchen at church with a couple of devoted sisters in our branch. 

Of all the things we have to be excited about, nothing surpasses our delight about the new addition to the family. Little Rudger was born six days ago, and we can’t wait to see him. Kelly has been amazing through this whole pregnancy. In light of her history with preeclampsia, Kelly and Spencer and the kids have all shown a lot of strength, and their attitude and courage has been exemplary. Elder Packer’s talk at General Conference reminded us of them when he said: “The commandment to multiply and replenish the earth has never been rescinded. It is essential to the plan of redemption and is the source of human happiness. Through the righteous exercise of this power, we may come close to our Father in Heaven and experience a fulness of joy, even godhood. The power of procreation is not an incidental part of the plan; it is the plan of happiness; it is the key to happiness.”

Later in his talk he said: “But romantic love is incomplete; it is a prelude. Love is nourished by the coming of children, who spring from that fountain of life entrusted to couples in marriage. Conception takes place in a wedded embrace between husband and wife. A tiny body begins to form after a pattern of magnificent complexity. A child comes forth in the miracle of birth, created in the image of its earthly father and mother. Within its mortal body is a spirit able to feel and perceive spiritual things."

Last month being with an apostle, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, and this month with Elder Clarke, we have been well-fed spiritually of late. Both of these brethren talked some about child raising and about marriage. More and more and even more all the time we are brought to realize how rare it is and how blessed we are to have five righteous children who were ALL married in the temple and are ALL active in the church. We fully expect the same outcome with all our grandchildren. 

Dad has said before, but never written, that parts of the scripture in Mosiah 4:13-14 seemed impossible when our kids were younger. It says, “And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another . . But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.” Sometimes it just didn’t seem that loving one another and serving one another was in their natures. But, behold! Now as adults, they do just exactly that! What a blessing it is to be parents of this amazing family.

Let us close this long letter with one final thought from Elder Packer’s talk. “And if you suppose that the full-blown rapture of young romantic love is the sum total of the possibilities which spring from the fountains of life, you have not yet lived to see the devotion and the comfort of longtime married love. . . Mature love has a bliss not even imagined by newlyweds.”

May the Lord bless each and every one of you.

All Our Love,
Elder and Sister Gorden