OK, Here we are, all ready to go! You encouraged me and I took the bait. We now have a Spanish Completion Team Group. :)
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Brother Jensen,\
Thank you for setting this up. Can you do me a favor and modify the name. It is nice of you to put my name here but I am just an instrument as are you and many others. If you could take off the dash Cheney and must[just] make it the Spanish Completion Team that would be perfect. I did sign up to join and am wondering how the group is organized as to administration. Do you have some sharing the role. Only those who set it up and I believe those whom they identify as administrators can make changes or accept new members or send out messages.\
It would be good if we could select a couple of very dedicated administrative types who know the Spanish work very well and have them added to the list so as time goes on and you and I may come and go this Group can continue and receive guidance from those capable of giving it as time moves forward.\
I suspect we can find some great helpers for this from the existing Spanish Completion Team. Once we have things fully and carefully organized we can send out a report to all of the existing team encouraging them to join this group.\
Thanks again for this effort. I will be in St. George next week perhaps we can get together again and you can show me how it all works.\Thanks again Brother Jensen.\Elder Cheney
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Brother Jensen,\Thank you for setting this up. Can you do me a favor and modify the name. It is nice of you to put my name here but I am just an instrument as are you and many others. If you could take off the dash Cheney and must make it the Spanish Completion Team that would be perfect. LISTEN TO YOU, SO GENTLE AND RESPECTFUL. CHENEY GIVES CREDIBILITY TO ANY NAME AND THERE ARE SO MANY OF US THAT FOLLOW ON YOUR COAT TAILS, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE ABOVE PASTE i DID REMOVE IT. I did sign up to join and am wondering how the group is organized as to administration. I PRACTICED ACCEPTING MEMBERS WHEN I CREATED THE GROUP. SO I KNEW I COULD FIGURE IT OUT WHEN YOU SAID YOU SIGNED UP TO JOIN. Do you have some sharing the role. NOPE, BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO. Only those who set it up and I believe those whom they identify as administrators can make changes or accept new members or send out messages. YOU TELL ME WHO AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THEM ADMINISTRATORS.\It would be good if we could select a couple of very dedicated administrative types who know the Spanish work very well and have them added to the list so as time goes on and you and I may come and go this Group can continue and receive guidance from those capable of giving it as time moves forward. SOUNDS GREAT. I AM NOT GOOD AT CHECKING IT OFTEN/ REGULARLY. IT TOOK YOU 6 DAYS TO RESPOND TO MY EMAIL AND IT TOOK ME 6 DAYS TO RESPOND TO YOURS. I WAS REAL EXCITED AT FIRST WHEN I EMAILED YOU BUT AS TIME WANED, THE DAYS WENT BY I JUST SAT BACK AND FORGOT ABOUT IT. BUT SURE ENOUGH YOU DID RESPOND.\I suspect we can find some great helpers for this from the existing Spanish Completion Team. Once we have things fully and carefully organized we can send out a report to all of the existing team encouraging them to join this group. FULLY AND CAREFULLY ORGANIZED. . . NOT LIKE THOSE WHO REMOVE REVIEWING AND THEN INDEXING! RIGHTS. :)\Thanks again for this effort. I will be in St. George next week perhaps we can get together again and you can show me how it all works. HEAVENS IF I KNOW HOW IT ALL WORKS. BUT I WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE. YOU WERE SO CUTE ABDICATING THIS RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE. :)\Thanks again Brother Jensen. YOU ARE SO WARMLY WELCOME. FUN@@
10/2/18 Tuesday, Hello Brandon, I finished Oct 75 General Conference today. In his priesthood talk Pres. Kimball told a delightful story of a boy riding the train to LA and having the man across the aisle come sit by him. You should have heard the audience roar as one cute joke after another was told as a part of the story about the articles of faith. I repeated those to myself this evening as I was calming my mind. @@@ I want to begin by telling you a story. I suppose all of you young men learned the Articles of Faith before you became a member of the priesthood. I am wondering if you have retained in your mind those articles. I wonder if you know them word-perfect. Would you like to tell your fathers when you go home, if you know the Articles of Faith word-perfect?
Some years ago a young Primary boy was on a train going to California in the days when we traveled on trains. He was all alone. He sat near the window watching the telephone poles go by. Across the aisle from him was a gentleman who also was going to California. The attention of the gentleman was called to this very young boy traveling all alone without friends or relatives. He was neatly dressed and well-behaved. And this gentleman was quite impressed with him.
Finally, after some time, the gentleman crossed the aisle and sat down by the young man and said to him, “Hello, young man, where are you going?”
He said, “I am going to Los Angeles.”
“Do you have relatives there?”
The boy said, “I have some relatives there. I am going to visit my grandparents. They will meet me at the station, and I will stay with them a few days during the school vacation.”
The next questions were “Where did you come from?” and “Where do you live?”
And the boy said, “Salt Lake City, Utah.”
“Oh, then,” said the gentleman, “you must be a Mormon.”
And the boy said, “Yes, I am.” There was pride in his voice.
The gentleman said, “Well, that’s interesting. I’ve wondered about the Mormons and what they believe. I’ve been through their beautiful city; I’ve noticed the beautiful buildings, the tree lined streets, the lovely homes, the beautiful rose and flower gardens, but I’ve never stopped to find out what makes them as they are. I wish I knew what they believe.”
And the boy said to him, “Well, sir, I can tell you what they believe. ‘We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.’” (A of F 1:1.
The businessman was a bit surprised but listened intently, and the boy continued, “‘We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.’” (A of F 1:2.)
And the traveling companion thought, “This is rather unusual for a mere boy to know these important things.”
The boy went on: “‘We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.’” (A of F 1:3.) And the gentleman was amazed at the knowledge and understanding of a mere boy—he was yet to be a Scout. But he continued and gave the fourth Article of Faith A of F 1:4 and said, “‘We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.’”
“That is wonderful,” said the gentleman. “I am amazed that you know so well the doctrines of your church. I commend you.”
With a good start and with encouragement, Johnny continued. “‘We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.’” (A of F 1:5.)
“That’s very solid doctrine, my boy,” the gentleman said. “I am curious now to know how they get called of God. I can understand how they would receive the call and be established with the laying on of hands, but I wonder who has the authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.”
They discussed the matter of calling and sustaining and laying on of hands. Then the lad said, “Would you like to know more?”
The gentleman thought that was very unusual for a boy in these tender years to know what the Church taught, and he said, “Yes, go on.”
So Johnny quoted, “‘We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, viz., apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.’” (A of F 1:6.)
That brought some other discussion. “You mean that your church has apostles such as James and John and Peter and Paul, and prophets such as Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Daniel, and also evangelists?”
And the boy responded quickly, “Yes, even evangelists. We call them patriarchs and they are appointed in all parts of the Church where there are stakes. And by inspiration they give to all the members of the Church, as required, what is called a patriarchal blessing. I have already had my patriarchal blessing, and I read it frequently. Now we have twelve apostles who have the same calling and the same authority as given to the apostles in the days of old.”
The gentleman came back with these questions: “Do you speak in tongues? Do you believe in revelations and prophecies?”
And the boy brightened up as he quoted, “‘We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.’” (A of F 1:7.)
The gentleman gasped. “This sounds like you believe in the Bible!”
And the boy repeated again, “We do. ‘We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.’” (A of F 1:8.)
The gentleman discerned that we believe both in the scriptures and in revelation. And the boy quoted, “‘We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.’” (A of F 1:9.) And then he continued, “‘We believe [also] in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion will be built upon this [the American] continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.’” (A of F 1:10.)
The gentleman was listening intently. He showed no interest in crossing the aisle back to his own seat. Then Johnny came in again. He said, “‘We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.’” (A of F 1:11.) He then continued, “‘We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.’” (A of F 1:12.)
And then as a final contribution, the boy repeated the thirteenth Article of Faith A of F 1:13. “‘We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.’”
This youngster relaxed now as he finished the Articles of Faith. The gentleman was clearly excited, not only at the ability of this young boy to outline the whole program of the Church, but at the very completeness of its doctrine.
He said, “You know, after I have been to Los Angeles a couple of days, I expect to go back to New York where my office is. I am going to wire my company that I will be a day or two late and that I am going to stop in Salt Lake City en route home and go to the information bureau there and hear all the things, in more detail, about what you have told me.”
I am wondering how many of you know the Articles of Faith? How many of you big men, as well as the little men? Do you know them? Have you repeated them? @@@l don't think it is all the way true. . . Do You?
10/17/18 Good Wed afternoon Brandon, My interactions with Elder Howard Cheney (above) are extremely important to me. I have been II full time for 4 years and after all that work and no pay checks on this earth, being valued and appreciated means the world to me. @@@I finished a book that it took me over a month to get through, The Burning Within by Ranelle Wallace, 1995. In my opinion it was poorly written, it didn’t flow. But after reading Lois McMaster Bujold, my favorite writer on the planet, what would you expect?
Absolutely FANTASTIC!
Back to Ranelle, Although choppy and bumpy and disconnected there were some stories in this book which were startling and gripping. She dies on the way to the hospital after a single engine plane crash on the Fillmore, Utah mountains but her husband survives. They have two kids and can’t stand each other and flew up to SLC to try and start a new life. He is talented in design and makes a good living. While Ranelle is visiting the spirit world she realizes how selfish she has been most of her life. [Which of us hasn’t?] After she comes back to this world, NDE, she still is. But she knows there is a better way, she has felt God’s love and gradually makes the change. A translucent being protects her husband from being burned, except for his hands. He was burning in the plane much longer than she was. Her side had the only door into and out of the plane and he fainted for 5 minutes after she got out of the burning plane. The grossest part of the story was her fried black skin from her hands feet and face cracking and peeling off. The misery of burn victims was extremely well portrayed. @ I liked how she was just a plain old regular person and how human she acted and how broken her relationship with her husband was. Those things reminded me of how purposefully difficult this life is and that we don’t have to succeed, we just have to keep trying! We will fail. None of us can save ourselves. But don’t quit and don’t turn away from God. He knows and loves us individually even though I can’t comprehend it! In the spirit world she met a friendly son that would be born to her on earth. They were best friends. Against her doctor’s advice she decided to have third child. But it was a girl. So she had a 4th and knew his name was to be Nathaniel just like in heaven. @ Her grandmother took special care of her while she was in heaven. @ EHCheney has arrived at the conclusion that those on the other side really do step in and help us in our lives here. We need them as much as they need us. He was in tears as he testified that to us last Thursday. I love those kinds of testimonies. Don’t you believe that you have helped assigned ancestors before you came to earth and that you might help assigned descendants from heaven after you leave? We love each other and feel for each other and do all we are allowed for each other. Now, you know me. I profess no spiritual line to heaven, but I believe you and I have helpers from the other side. @@@ Fri. 10/19/18 Hello Brandon, You are my “Dear Kitty” just like the diary of Anne Frank. @Howard Cheney\Oct 18, 2018, 1:53 PM (1 day ago)\to me\Brother Jensen,\Please do not give up on me. I am so far behind in so many places. I will try this week to make some contacts that can join us as administrators and then I will put out the word to the entire completion Team explaining how they can join this group. I will also ask them again as always to do what they can to recruit members to the team in both locations. All they need to do to get on the Roster I maintain is send me an email with their name and a note that they would like to be part of the Spanish Completion Team and they will get a periodic report as to what is being accomplished and what our focus is at the moment.\See you next week?\Thank you! \Elder Cheney@@vern jensen\2:39 PM (0 minutes ago)\to Howard\Dear Elder Howard Cheney,\No urgency.\Here are some things I have learned recently as I have played around:\1- Vincenzo Papalardo and Howard Cheney did appear as administrators on the first banner page after a day or two! I took off Vincenzo but left yours on. Tease: If you won't let me put your name on the title, then at least you can be listed as an administrator. Ha.\2- I indexed over a thousand for Vincenzo Papalardo and once again it took a day or two before he was given Review rights. Once again, It looks like there is a delay.\3- Vincenzo Papalardo applied to become a member of the Bloomington Hills 2nd ward and it took a week before the request came through. I am the administrator so that is another way I have experimented.\In my opinion we are having fun. And you are a sort of partner in the adventure. Thank you. I will plan on being there next Thursday. I often go to FSCenter in the morning so by night time I am home preparing for my BoM class. But I love connecting with you and with us on those evenings.\Last meeting was really interesting about computer programs getting better and better and it may be only 3 years away from taking over indexing. Change and decay in all around I see. Oh, thou who changest not, Abide with me/US!@@@
Brandon, Can you believe the gentleness and humility and meekness of that man? Did you see him ask me not to give up on him? So sweet. I love it, because it says he has taken over the responsibility to get members into this group and that he is excited to be able to use it as a tool. How exciting for me. As you know I often feel lonely and this will give me additional possible friends. @@@ Our ward does a picnic in the park once a month. Brinkerhoff’s were there early and I asked them when they attended last? They said, last year! But since CindyB was in charge of a primary game they had to come.:) Last year I asked different people what kept them from coming to our picnic in the park and if they would want to attend. I made a deal with a few of them that they could remind me and I would try and remind them when they came. Little did I know at church Sunday that this would be the last one for the year, it gets cold and the sun goes down earlier and earlier. One of the nice things about it is that the ward covers the main dish! This month it was pulled pork sandwiches, sometimes is it hot dogs and my favorite is Subway sandwiches. Everyone who wants brings a side dish. The park is against the west side of the ward so it is extremely convenient. We got the idea from another ward. Since I wasn’t feeling depressed Sunday I decided to write Eric Yunker and invitation right then and there in priesthood opening exercises. After I sent it I thought, hey, I went to all the effort to text that one finger letter at a time, is there anyone else I could send the invite to? I picked 10 elders and forwarded it to all of them. It was so fun to get responses the rest of the day! TYHF! @My task wasn’t over. If I really wanted to get Eric there I would need to remember myself and remind him again! Since this whole experience is like a dream come true I want to document it:
Sunday, October 14, 2018 1:25 PM
Wednesday. 6 PM. Second Ward picnic in the Park! Are you available? V.
1:26 PM
maybe, thanks for the invite.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 4:29 PM
Eric, tonight is it.
I don't usually invite and remind you like this but I remembered this time. :-)
Wednesday 6 PM second Ward picnic in the Park! Are you available? V.
4:32 PM maybe. Still working but should be done.
5:16 PM. Wonderful! V.
5:18 PM do I need to bring anything?
5:33 PM I will bring a side dish for both of us. Main dishes supplied.
5:34 PM okay thanks.
5:59 PM I'm going to shower and I'll head over, wherein the Park is it?
Brandon, that might not seem like a big deal but it is a huge deal to me. Did you notice I never responded to his last question? I was already there and you know me, I keep my ringer off. You might have noticed I never responded to his inquiries immediately either. When I went to bed that night I was spinning. I felt like my prayers and efforts had been answered. Here are some things that really meant something to me: 1- KarlT went out of his way to come say Hi to seated Eric and thank him for his work on his car. 2- I pointed out key people and told their life situations. Bishop BB, McKay Bird, Julie Moss, Jesse Bird, London and mother Robb, Brayden Hustead and wife, and on and on. I was his companion for the next ~45 minutes, he got their late. I hadn't seen his text about showering so at 6:30 I was disappointed and started to give up hope. 3- I made a sign to go with my side dish: “Ten Jalapeno Refried Beans” VernJ & EricY. I went and grabbed it 4 different times. Twice to rescue it from wilting into the moist beans and twice to show Eric and BBB. 4- Bishop Beau Barney was the perfect bishop. He walked around and shook everyone's hand and AND HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO ERIC and visited with him about tennis and racquet ball etc.. I was absolutely thrilled. Thank you, thank you, thank you Bishop Barney! 5- Eric's hands were shaking. I think he has picked up some kind of palsy. He is one year older than I. @I could fill a book with all that happened but suffice it to say that I was spinning as I laid down to pray that night. @ JeffB said the sister I invited to the picnic that lives in Riplinger’s old house is a nonmember and wife to Matthew Clements. Her son almost beat me to the park he was so excited to go to the picnic. She has been friendly to me and Molly so when she said Hi as I rode by on my bike I turned around and waited my turn to talk to her and invited her to the picnic. She already knew about it. But many invites make the pathway smooth. Sidecomments: a- It might have done Eric’s business some advertising to have come. B- I didn’t eat anything. C- Pres. CameronT’s generator never worked. He was instrumental in delivering serving tables etc.. d- they had 2 big split drum campfires for making smores. E- JoshB blessed the food. F- joshb and cameronT got into a lawn wrestle. H- Cameron invited me to guide him backing up the hill after his deliveries. I- Nate Bird visited with me as soon as he arrived. He was one of my 10 elders I invited. He takes Zn/Mg pill each night that puts him to sleep! I told him about Liberia being purchased on the African continent for the Blacks to be repatriated in 1820. {Liberia is a country in West Africa which was founded, established, colonized, and controlled by citizens of the United States and ex-Caribbean slaves as a colony for former African American slaves and their free black descendants. It is one of only two sovereign countries in the world that were started by citizens and ex-Caribbean slaves of a political power as a colony for former slaves of the same political power, the other being Sierra Leone, established by Great Britain. Settlement of former slaves was organised by the American Colonization Society (ACS). The mortality rate of these settlers was the highest in accurately recorded human history.[1][2] Of the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia from 1820 to 1843, only 1,819 survived until 1843.}
J- CharlieM rode his bike like I did. He works 2 days a week at the temple and 2 days a week for Satellite TV. Believe it or not he says he way undercharges for his TV visits. He is being generous on a daily basis. Tips often bless him. KimM lives off of tips working at Olive Garden. We were born a week apart so we keep close tabs on each other’s age. K- As I left 5 sisters were sitting on a blanket I passed. Joni Gardine is often friendly towards me since she taught our gospel doctrine class. I ended up kneeling and telling them my closing Sunday joke in EQ. Of course Alex Gardine topped me by saying “The Rock” got to be the rock by just doing one thing: working out for 20 years. DHO Small and simple things- was the talk Gary Caldwell taught from. By small and simple things, great things are brought to pass by the Lord. AlexG asked when he would be set apart as Pres. CT’s counselor at the beginning of Quorum. HC Emmett set him apart right then in front. Alex has a one year old son who throws a golf ball at him while he works in his home office as an attorney to get him to come play. Alex told us in his sacrament meeting testimony he is revamping his work schedule so he can play with his kids more. Everyone loved the golf ball idea. Cameron was in tears after the setting apart and was one of those who reminded us of the golf balls. Gary invited any last contributions at 1:05 before he closed the lesson. I had been waiting all class long for this opportunity. Alex was set apart today and you may have noticed he is big and complex. Pres Tolman on the other hand is small and simple. And it is through Pres Tolman that God leads this quorum. It is similar with the missionaries. Who would be converted to the church by and 18 year old? @@@ So how did I feel after making that wisecrack? GaryC mentioned to all that Alex and Cameron may want to take me out behind the chapel after church. HalD and I often make humorous comments. But not always. Sometimes we are dead serious. That was not my only funny comment that class. I love to laugh and so do many others in our quorum. But admittedly I stewed for the rest of the day about whether or not I needed to apologize. Argh! And then when I asked JodiG if AlexG had told her our closing EQ joke, I surprised myself. Did that mean I was going to feel shameful all that night as well? One more reason to be spinning. I- EricY goes rolling twice a week. It is not the same as spinning. J- There is a new water drainage contraption that has not eliminated the puddle at the bottom of the hill. Best made plans of mice and men. So funny!
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com> 
Sep 21, 2018, 2:48 PM (6 days ago) to me 
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com> 
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com> 
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com> Sep 25, 2018, 6:16 PM (2 days ago) to Howard 
vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com> Sep 26, 2018, 12:33 PM (23 hours ago) to Howard 
vern jensen 12:15 PM (4 minutes ago) to Howard 
I did a good job organizing these materials. This indexer baptized every single person in every single record! From one page they got 20 entries! So strange! The record/paste below is the top entry from that page.
Reviewing is so boring! @ When EHChenney was here last week I was able to find out how to get our stake leader the foreign language report from the church! That was a big accomplishment. @ Live and learn. Trust and try. Onward and upward. See you later. 3:09pm My good author John L Sorenson says: Archaeological evidence from all New World areas where the early Nephites and Lamanites could have lived makes clear that peoples who descended from the Jaredite era also lived during the time of Lehi’s descendants. Given Laman and Lemuel’s ambition to rule, perhaps they or their descendants ruled over and absorbed such “natives.” Nephite record keepers perhaps did not know the details of that process, but that is the best explanation that I know of for the remarkable growth in the number of Lamanites.
Our missionary work goes on!
