A HAPPY MARRIAGE FOR 50 YEARS

Little battles

We have been generally happily married for 50 years.    We were wondering what is the reason that we are still together and enjoying each other.   Well, one reason is our daily battles!   Each day, for some reason, we start the day with a mini argument, or, more like a debate.   We disagree on a lot of little things.   Are we going to deliver the Book of Mormon, that we prepared with a picture of us and a testimony, to an investigator today or tomorrow.   Are we going to walk to the market or try to find a parking place.   When is Gary going to get the car washed.   Getting Kathy out of bed, ... And so on.  We are both strong willed is part of the problem.   And, Kathy gets board very fast.  For example, we find a good restaurant and Gary wants to return, but, Kathy will say "we have been there to much lets go some place else".   If we didn't have these little battles, Kathy would have been board with Gary long ago and dumped him.

The cleaning lady problem

We are gone almost all day so we have a single mom that needs the money, clean our house once a week.  We have a wall cupboard that is sort of a food pantry.   To look at it, one would say "what a mess" but, Kathy knows exactly where everything is.   When the cleaning comes, she carefully organizes the entire cupboard.  When Kathy gets home, she gets really upset and complains about the cleaning lady for hours. She puts everything back where she wants it.  Well, without saying a word to each other about the cupboard, the cleaning lady and Kathy have communicated somehow and have reached a compromise.   The cupboard is now slightly organized and slightly messy.

Here is the cupboard

The primary presentation

As we mentioned before, we are attending these meetings called hermanmientos.   We attended one this last Wednesday and it was presented by the primary.  We sat in the front row so we could here better.   The program began and the kids were delightful.   Then the speakers started.  A girl about 10 gave a talk about a scripture, she read the scripture, we could not understand a thing.  Then she stopped and pointed directly at Gary and asked him to explain this scripture!!  Everyone looked at Gary as he sat there and stammered.  How embarrassing, finally he said, sorry only English.   So, the girl ask another person, and, copying Gary, he said "only english".  This went on for a while all at Gary's expense.  Believe it or not, another little girl got up and read a story and the same thing happened again!  Well, the next day we attended another one of these meetings, but, this time we sat in the back with hoodies on.

Norea

We went with the missioneries in an area that is not doing well at all for baptisms.   We attended the ward for this area some time ago and it was very depressing.  Very few members and just a "down" attitude.  We knocked on the door of one less active and no one answered the door.  We went to another house of an inactive lady, and, she was home.  The four of us went into her house and sat down.  She told us that she taught kindergarten and she had been preparing lessons.  The missionaries taught for a while, then Gary, asked her why she doesn't come to church.  And, she bust into trears, Kathy hugged her and she cried for some time,  she began to tell her story:  her family had major problems and neither the bishop or the stake president came to help.  She was very upset with them and quit coming to church.  We talked to her a while about putting her faith only in the Savior and she would not be led wrong.  Kathy asked her if she wanted a blessing and Gary gave her a blessing in Spanish.  We asked the elders to take her to church and to ask the bishop to not confront her for a few Sundays.  She agreed.   By the way, she has gone to the Temple.  We do not know the status of her husband other than there is something major wrong.  We said goodby.  While walking, the elders shared with us what a blessing this meeting was.  They had never found her home, she is always working, and, we got a commitment for her to come to church.   We all felt that Heavenly Father had led us to this meeting to help this wonderful lady. 

Gary finally got warm