Growth and Shrinkage

           The last ward we attended in Utah was called Granger 14^th.  Boundaries were exceptionally weird, but we did have enough activity that there were two adult Sunday Schools. I don’t recall anyone having multiple callings.  It was a good ward.

          We had only been here for a couple of years when we returned to Utah for my late daughter-in-law’s funeral.  We had been invited to stay for a linger longer at the Granger 14^th.  A lot of people had moved out of the ward in that two years time.  A LOT.  I asked someone if a lot of members were on vacation.  Looking around she claimed that most of the ward was in attendance.  The ward had shrunk.

          When Jaime and I had gone back for a visit last year we were told that the Granger 14^th had dissolved. That's too bad.  Understandable, but still sad.

          The other day I received a phone call from my sister updating me on the boundary changes that had taken place within their stake (first area where Richard and I had moved to).  She, for one, was grateful for the change as there has always been an overwhelming amount of members who were not active and so did not have callings.

          Our current ward has had a lot of inactivity as well.  I have never lived in a ward where I couldn’t walk from one end to the other.  I don’t know how many miles the ward boundary covers.  I know there are some who if they visited others would take over an hour just to arrive at one another’s houses. 

          We have had six or seven convert baptisms just this year.  Most are still active.  There is one who is slipping and two that have received the discussions but have not committed to baptism – rather have listened to those who are against having them baptized.

          There is growth – such as having only six wards in our stake after we moved in.  We now currently have seven. There is also shrinkage. 

Orange and Flaming Red continues

        For those of my readers who are unfamiliar with baptisms for the dead, this site will be helpful information 

        I was asked to join a group of ward members to go down to Medford Temple with our newest member.  I had gone with the youth a few times but had never physically been in the font since I had lived in Utah.

        I had ridden in the car with our former RS president and our newest member.  On our way down the car encountered something – though none of us seemed to know what it was.  It felt like a pothole.  Our driver continued driving hoping to make it to the next exit.  Unfortunately the tire lost all air and he didn’t wish to continue driving on the rim.  We were a quarter of a mile from the rest area.

        Fortunately the tire was on the passenger’s side and he managed to remove the burnt mangled rubber that had once been a tire and replace it with a donut.  That is a few many miles to be driving on a donut!  But we made it to the temple when all the others arrived. 

        I hadn’t taken my “Wendy” hair into consideration as I entered the font.  It wasn’t until I removed a towel from around me that I saw large orange splotches and was mortified.  I had orange on my white clothes.  All the while my hair is dripping like carrot juice all over the floor.  Oh, gosh.  I remember only one time when my hair bled after I had colored it.  What was happening?  Ahhhhhhhh!

        This morning I took a shower and realized I had never added the conditioner to my hair after it had been dyed.  Perhaps if I had there would have not been the problem of bleeding out and becoming even more flaming red.

        When I exited the car (a different car than the one I had gone down in) Jaime was on the porch laughing.  I asked, “It’s my hair, isn’t it?”  YUP.  I’d take a picture, but the photo really doesn’t do it justice.