Spiritual Feast

It has been such a long time since I have written. I apologize to you all. We are now down to the 2 month mark and time is going fast, way too fast. I think we will be ready to come home even though it will be hard to leave. We live in a little bubble here, protected from the outside world and all its problems. It will be different to come back to the world.

This last 2 weeks we have had a spiritual feast. Two weeks ago we were privileged to host the Young Ambassadors from Brigham Young University. They are a performing group of 20 performers and 16 band and Tech members. We took them to various places outside of Nauvoo where they performed and shared their talents with others for free. What a choice group of young people. In that one week we grew to love them very much. The second week, another couple hosted them, but we were still able to keep in touch. At the end of their program every night they sang "I Am a Child of God". Their spirits have touched our souls in ways that cannot be expressed.

Sunday, Elder and Sister Black were two of our speakers. They told some powerful stories. I will relate Sister Black's to you and then Elder Black's tomorrow.
Sister Black's sister was expecting her 5th child. They found out before the baby was born that he would not be able to speak, that he would be mentally handicapped and most likely be in a wheel chair. Her husband left her and the children. When the baby was born, Elder Black gave him his name and a blessing. He was named Dillon and Elder Black blessed him that he would go on a mission and that he would love books.
Elder Black wondered about this and what it meant because it seemed impossible.

Years later, after her sister had remarried, her sister had the opportunity to go to a special ceremony in honor of fallen police officers in Salt Lake City. Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Council of the Twelve Apostles was one of the speakers. As he was speaking, he seemed to be looking at something and then he spotted Dillon and his stepfather. He walked toward them and went up to Dillon and said, "How old are you young man?" Sister Black's sister informed him that Dillon did not speak. Elder Packer told her that her son was on a mission. What impressed the mother of this boy and Sister Black was that an Apostle of the Lord, left the ninety and nine to search out the one. By the way, Dillon does love books. Although he cannot read them, he always carries a book with him.
Blessings come to pass, and prayers are answered in ways we do not always expect.
May we all be faithful and be patient as we wait upon the Lord.

Have a Great Day!
Love,
Elder and Sister Rawlinson, Mom and Ralph, Dad and Linda, Grandpa and Grandma. Ralph and Linda