Breaking Records, Spring Break, Breaking Rules (not really)

 Breaking Records: Well, they did it. Since we got here, President and Sister Holmes have stated that their vision is to have a month when the mission reached 200 baptisms in a month. This month the goal was 161. By last Sunday, the number of baptisms was already 160 and everyone knows that 40 baptisms in a week is very achievable. The press was on and they did it. We were proud to see every young missionary we know had at least one baptism. You have to admire these young people. They have learned to set a goal based on actual commitments of friends and new members and they work to achieve it. They also set a vision based on their experience and personal/companionship expectations. The mission vision was 200.

 

The top part of the chart above is the monthly goals and actual achievements the bottom is the most recent week's goals and achievements. The photo is Sister Lakaj with a new convert who went to the temple the week after his baptism. She told the mission at the devotional how he had searched for answers the Church provided and how being baptized and baptizing others in the temple (including her) had reached something deep in his soul.

Spring Break: We did take a little spring break this week and went to the tulip fields way out on Long Island. We went with four other senior couples, most of whom live closer to the fields than we and the Barns do, so they were there earlier, but we enjoyed the morning and lunch with them. 

Close ups of some of the more exotic
looking tulips.

 

Some of the mixes of colors were especially
eye catching.

                            

At lunch with the Barnes, Humphries, Packers, not
in the picture are the Duncans (there are 2 Duncan
couples in the mission; these are the Long Island
Duncans)

They have some kind of corny photo ops among the
flowers. The woman in the light blue jacket and the
man standing behind are the Long Island Duncans.

Even though it was a cold, breezy day, we managed to enjoy the beauty of the flowers and the company of the other couples. I included the pigs because our grandson, Ollie, has a special affinity for porkers. I can't imagine these get much exercise; they would be high centered on flat land. There is a brewery on the farm, so I am quite sure they feed the pigs the mash from the brewery - especially the one who is asleep with his face in the feeding bowl. They did have other farm animals, but these deserved the photo.

This was transfer week and we toted the sister missionaries' luggage from Brooklyn 5th Ward to the Woodside building and, following the meeting where President and Sister Holmes share the time inspiring the missionaries to know their mission purpose, we picked up the luggage for the new sister. Olivia was assigned to provide the meal for the employment devotional, so I took the luggage by myself to the sisters' apartment. According to the GPS, I had arrived, but not only were there no sisters waiting for me, as they promised there would be, but there was also no apartment building. We called each other until they said to just hang on and they would find me. I was really frustrated with the GPS, until I got back to the apartment and found out that I had written the address wrong and was about 4 blocks off. It was so embarrassing. 

Waiting for the sisters.

Olivia and I reminisced on Wednesday about the events of that day, 45 years prior. I was in class at the Lewis & Clark law school when I was called to come out by a secretary from the office telling me to go home, because my wife was in labor. I rushed out and on my way home stopped at the Lovells to pick up a babysitter. Just as I was about to pull into the driveway, I saw that my mother and aunt had just pulled in. Mom knew the time was close and I knew she was on her way, but had no idea she was so close. I took the babysitter back home and went back to get Olivia. We raced to the hospital, which was just a few blocks away and about 45 minutes later welcomed Micah into the world. Just a few weeks earlier, Olivia had fired her OBGYN because he told her that he was not going to be available when Micah was likely to make his entrance. His office and the hospital where he practiced were across the Sellwood Bridge and on the other side of Portland. If she hadn't changed doctors and hospitals, I would have delivered a baby somewhere along the road. No cell phones in those days. We didn't even know the baby's sex until he was born. 

Micah almost 45 years later (he's the one with the
facial hair😁). We stayed with him and Camille
prior to entering the MTC.

Breaking the Rules (not really): We left the mission boundaries Thursday and Friday which would be breaking mission rules, seriously. However, several weeks ago, we sought for and got permission from President Holmes. I had been invited to attend the 30th Anniversary conference of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA). I was not a founding member, but joined very early on and I am considered an alumnus, I suppose. President Holmes felt it was a valid reason to be out of the mission for a few days. It turned out that only Thursday afternoon and evening represented the celebration, the rest of the time was just typical conference meetings. So, we flew out on Thursday and back home on Friday.  As we prepared to go, we were wondering if it was even worth it, considering the hassle of airport/airplane travel, packing and all that goes into such a trip. We were so glad we went, after all.

I joined in 1996, and it made all the difference in my practice.

Upon arriving at the hotel and going into the large conference room, we were immediately greeted by three of the practice building consultants who have been with the AAEPA for many years and even though we sat in the back, away from the main group, they asked if I would end the lengthy introductions (there were about 100 +/- represented there) with my intro and testimonial. I was glad to do so. During the evening, the founders recognized me and several other "alumni" with kind words and memories. We were also invited to take a group photo and other recognition. That was all very nice, but what really made the evening worth remembering was seeing my former partners and some surprise attendees. 

Becky and Bryce Rader (my 2nd partner). To our
great surprise and delight, Keenan Davis, a friend
of 50 years was there. We lost touch not long after
his wife died. We had no idea that he was in the 
the AAEPA. Even more pleasant was that he is
associated with a former and dear associate
attorney of ours, Kristen Kaminsky.

My first partner, Jerry Dorn introducing
the firm, Anderson, Dorn & Rader,
surprised us by recognizing me and Olivia
in the back.

Jerry and me with Robert Armstrong
and Sanford Fisch, the founders of AAEPA

At the dinner and gala event that evening. Also
joining us was Ryan Stodmeister and his wife. 
Ryan is a new associate who has taken over the role
of presenting the seminars and conducting initial
consultations.

Kristen Kaminsky joined us and we had a long
conversation. She remembers being with our firm
with a great deal of fondness. She has now opened
her own firm and has hired Keenan for "white hair
wisdom." "Hey, this is blond!" he said. She was
effusive in her praise and gratitude for what
she had experienced and learned with our firm. 

Keenan is one of the most positive, 
certainly the most intelligent people I
have ever known. What a wonderful
evening with him and Kristen.

Another of the most intelligent lawyers I have had
the pleasure of knowing. I was so touched by his
telling me what my influence did for the firm and
for him, personally. 

We had breakfast with Jerry and Bryce the next morning and spent much of the rest of the morning with Bryce's wife, Becky. In all, it was a wonderful several hours. We are so glad we made the trip.

We ended the week with a visit to the Brooklyn YSA Ward. We had met Bishop Kelly after stake conference last week and started a conversation that ended quickly. We happened to be on the same train, but we were only going a couple of stops. We took the opportunity to meet with him after the meetings and assess the ward's needs. After the meetings, there was a baptism. The young man being baptised seemed to be very prepared, based on the responses he volunteered during the discussion in the 2nd hour. Unfortunately, the font was not completely full and he is quite tall, so the young man who baptised him literally put his hands on Justin's stomach and chest and pushed him under. It counted, and Justin was OK with it. 

Sister Mortenson, Justin, the young man who
performed the unusual baptism, and
Sister Pickett.

Most of the ward remained afterward to witness
the baptism. That was a great show of support. I
am in the back. In front of me is Bishop Kelly and
Rasheida who gave a talk. In front of her are Elder
and Sister Duncan (the Brooklyn Duncans) and
their 3-year old granddaughter.

It was a wonderful and very full week. We are so privileged to be serving in this special area. We grow closer with the wonderful people we meet, those with whom we serve, and with each other. We see progress, even though it seems slow, but most of all we see the miracles of conversion when people grasp the vision of who they can be and change who they think they are. We are filled with gratitude.