March 2005 Letter

 Dear family and friends,


Hmm, where to begin and what to share  …


We have wondered what we might share that perhaps is just normal, run of the mill stuff for us but that may be interesting to you.  Tours are given daily at Welfare Square, mostly by the Temple Square sister missionaries or by management of the Bishop’s Storehouse and Host Services from the Church Office when it is dignitaries from around the world.  Toni and I do get to take people on tours as well; generally a few a week.  Our tours are a little different, however.  Our tours are for young service missionaries that are deciding where they would like to serve.  When they come, our focus is to not only help them understand about Welfare Square and all that is done there along with some of the history of this place, we also focus on what our missionaries do there so they can decide if it appears to be something that they would like to do.


Here are a few things about Welfare Square that may be interesting to you too:

  • We have a Bakery that bakes over 2,500 loaves of bread each day

  • We have a cannery that bottles applesauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pancake syrup, catsup, and raspberry and strawberry jam.

  • We have a dairy products facility that pasteurizes and bottles milk and chocolate milk, makes butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheddar cheese, powder milk, cocoa mix and vanilla and chocolate pudding mixes.

    I’m not sure how much of everything that is produced at the dairy products facility each day but I do know that we produce between 160 and 180 40-pound (18 kilo) bricks of cheddar cheese 4 days each week.  

  • We have the Bishop’s Storehouse where members of the church, refugees, homeless and others are able to come with an order for food, cleaning products and hygiene items and we help them fill the order.

  • We have a thrift store (Deseret Industries) where people can come to be trained as an employee as well as receive a wage while they are doing so.  Of course this thrift store is also a place where people can come buy used items at a great bargain.  I might add that Toni loves to go over there and find items to buy from time to time, including books, kitchenware and clothing.

  • We have a partnership with over 100 non-profit organizations throughout the Salt Lake area wherein they are able to come get items that we have from the storehouse to carry out the mission of their organization.  For example, we partner with other churches that operate homeless shelters and food kitchens.  We partner with organizations that help men and women who are just getting out of jail or prison to get back on their feet.  We partner with many wonderful organizations and it is amazing to feel that we are a part of a greater cause to help those in need.


Our service missionaries are amazing!  This past week we witnessed two different missionaries on two different days as they gave something of their own (a cupcake) or purchased a treat (chocolate milk) with their own money to give to missionaries that were touring with us.  How very kind they are.

The missionaries also are often found consoling one another when they know that the other is having a challenge.  We just love being with these missionaries.


We recently cooked pancakes for the missionaries.  We have been given permission that we may do this quarterly.  For many of the missionaries this was their first experience with the pancake breakfast here but they were so happy to participate in it.  


We have another missionary that is legally blind that serves with us.  He says we all look like a blob (haha, sometimes that’s what we feel like too).  He has a limited amount of peripheral vision.  This does not stop him.  In fact, if you didn’t know he was mostly blind, you may not catch on to it without being around him for a while.  On one of the days, he was operating the plastic wrapping machine to put plastic wrap around a pallet filled with trays of bread.  To read things, he needs to get his eyes to within a couple inches of the words.  Even then it is tough.  But he still gets out there and does it.  We have learned that he loves the outdoors, he loves rock climbing, mountain biking, downhill skiing, and on and on.  Some of these, he needs to have a person with him that gives him verbal direction … but he does it.


Because we live not too far from home and because our service is typically Monday through Friday with our preparation day on Saturday, we were able to spend an evening with one of our grandsons as he recently celebrated his birthday.  In this regard, perhaps we are really spoiled.


Toni and I try to go for a short walk after we eat our lunch.  During the cold months and if it is storming, we generally do this in the warehouse that is attached to the Bishop’s Storehouse.  This past week, the weather outside has been so nice and welcoming that we have been able to go outdoors for our walk within the boundaries of Welfare Square.  That was really nice.  We could have been content to have stayed outdoors much longer but duty called and we returned to our responsibilities.  🙂


This past month, we’ve been able to attend a couple of teaching lessons with some friends that are learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is always a joy to participate in.


Some of the things that we enjoy most:

  • Our young service missionaries.  They are amazing.

  • Witnessing the missionaries overcome hurdles.

  • Opportunities to go out with the teaching missionaries.

  • Feeling the peace and love at the home of friends as they are learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  • Going to a meeting and lunch with the mission leadership and fellow senior missionaries each month when we can.

  • Helping a person in need who has come to the storehouse and who is overcome with joy that they are able to be lifted up with some help.


Some of the things that are difficult:

  • Well, there are a few difficult things but we will focus on the good things.  I will say that we have felt God’s guiding influence on us as we have needed to deal with some challenges from time to time.  We know that he directs us and that he puts words and ideas into our minds as we strive to work through challenges that come.


We are very grateful to be serving the Lord as missionaries.  We truly feel blessed.


We wish you all a blessed week.  Remember that Jesus loves you!


Love always,

Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, daughter, son, friend, neighbor, Elder & Sister

Christensen




 

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