As I have studied, I have been reminded that “out of small things proceed that which is great.” In late March we were able to visit a maple sugar farm and learn about the process of making maple syrup from maple sap. We were able to take a tour with Elder and Sister Dixon (the other senior couple serving in the Lowell First Ward) and thoroughly enjoyed learning about syrup. We learned that it takes 40 gallons of maple sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup. Truly a great thing proceeding out of a small thing for those that love maple syrup. We saw the taps that are used to pierce the trunk and drain the syrup into pails. We have some pictures of that day and our tour of the sugar shack at Charmingfare Farm in Candia, New Hampshire and have included some of them below. In March I was able to be reunited with one of my missionary companions for my time in the Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission. Elder Michael Blackburn of Boise, ID was traveling here on business and was able to attend our Spanish Group in the Lowell Ward and visit a bit with us. Mike and I were in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) together and then went to the same mission. We then became companions just before the one-year mark of our missions. We had great success together. We were paired together at a pivotal point in my mission where I was about ready to call it quits. His easy going and positive demeanor literally rescued me at the point. All missionaries experience a time of trial on their mission and Mike Blackburn was what I needed. Below is a then and now picture of us. We haven’t changed a bit! (Sarcasm intended here.) One of our most eagerly anticipated experiences is to attend the temple with friends who have been recently baptized. We were able to help one such friend, Jordan Lucas, prepare his grandfather’s name for baptism and confirmation in the temple and then drive him and Sisters Cattani and Evans to the temple in Belmont, MA. Their Jordan was baptized and confirmed for his grandfather and a few of my family names. He was then able to baptize Sister Cattani and Sister Evans for some of my family names. It was a very special experience to be able to assist with this. Jordan is a good guy and we are glad we’ve been able to help in this regard. In early April our son Mark, his wife Bonnie, and our grandsons Hayden, Jace, and Oliver drove from Kentucky to spend the coldest spring break in the history of mankind with us! It was wonderful to see family again and enjoy how much our grandsons had grown! We were able to spend a freezing day at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, and then drive up the beautiful New Hampshire coast to Portsmouth, NH and tour the USS Albacore submarine museum. Our grandsons were amazed at how small things are on a submarine, especially the berthing compartments with the bunks (racks in navy terminology). We also saw some lighthouses in Portsmouth. We were able to then go and tour the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in South Royalton, Vermont and receive a tour from the senior couple that serve there. That was a special experience for the family. We then were able to go to the Rauner Special Collections library at Dartmouth College and view a rare first edition copy of the Book of Mormon. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is akin to seeing a Guttenberg Bible. These editions are rare and not easily seen by the public. But at the Rauner Special Collections Library, all I needed to do was exchange my drivers license and the book was brought out for us to view and gently handle. One person was allowed to change to pages. This book means a lot to me and it was interesting to see the layout of the printing as it first appeared. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. Our visit with family rounded out with an approved trip to Boston and a tour of the USS Constitution. It was another cold day so the rest of that day was spent in the Boston Children’s Museum, which the boys thoroughly enjoyed and I highly recommend it future visitors. Another Zone Conference has come and gone. These conferences are the anchor that holds each six-week transfer period together in a young missionary’s life. Senior missionaries are not subject to transfers, so we stay where we are, and the young missionaries come and go. Each time one of them leaves our beloved Lowell District, we lament the loss and then welcome a new one in to take their place. These young missionaries become our focus and an extension of our family. This past transfer saw our Hermana Fife finishing her mission and returning home. We’ve been able to associate with her for the entirety of our mission as she was here in Lowell when we arrived, and never left the state of Massachusetts during her mission. Sister Cattani, who is nearly our neighbor in San Tan Valley, AZ, also returned home, as well as our district leader, Elder Apolonio, who returned to his native Brazil. We are very proud of our Lowell District and call it the “promised land” of the mission. We feel it our duty to spoil the missionaries as much as possible. After nearly a year’s delay we drove to Stockbridge in western Massachusetts and visited the Norman Rockwell Museum. Norman Rockwell was able to capture American life in ways that few artists have been able to accomplish. We enjoyed viewing his many magazine covers. I had forgotten that he painted many covers for Boys Life magazine that every boy scout will remember. His attention to detail was amazing. We enjoyed a guided tour of the museum and the beautiful grounds surrounding it. We met up with Elder and Sister Banks who serve in Pittsfield, MA for lunch. They are finishing their mission at the end of this month, and we will miss our association with them. They made us feel welcome when we arrived in the mission over a year ago now and we will miss them! And lastly, it is Cambodian New Year and once again the Lowell First Ward celebrated the even with a ward party with good fellowship, good music, and good food for everyone! We truly love the people of this ward and value their friendship and welcoming spirit.
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On March 4, 2023 it marked one year ago that we arrived in Lowell, Massachusetts and began our service in the Lowell First Ward. There is one constant truth in being a missionary, time passes more quickly than you realize. It seems impossible that that we have now served for over a year of our mission. We were able to travel to the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial this past week and drove two missionaries, Sisters Cattani and Evans, and their friend Jordan Lucas who is getting baptized on March 26. As we drove, we were able to hear the sisters teach about Joseph Smith and the restoration and feel the enthusiasm of Jordan as he shared his thoughts on the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the gospel. South Royalton, Vermont is 126 miles from Lowell. We had good weather and only a little bit of snow on the journey. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground at the memorial. We enjoyed the tour given by senior missionary couple serving there. We were surprised to learn that this couple from Pocatello, ID lived in the same ward as we did in 1984 when I was training as a reactor operator in the United States Navy. We didn’t know each other then but shared the common bond that members of the church have by living in the same congregation. Here are a few pictures from that experience: Joseph Smith’s life was one of great spiritual highs and revelatory moments, and also one of unsurpassed trials and tribulations. The truths restored through his prophetic ministry are life changing. For some these truths collide with worldly values and trends. But they remain there to lift us. I wrote a poem about truths and the fabric and structure they give to my life like stone fences in my wife’s native England and that are found here in New England as well. Stone Fences by Michael S Zollinger Stone fences across the landscape wind; each one a masterpiece passing the test of time The master mason built each fence with stones of every size Fitted in place to fill the gaps measured by the master’s eye If a stone doesn’t fit a gap it is carefully set aside And waits it’s turn to take its place within the master’s design So like this fence we build our faith in God’s eternal plan We choose each stone in our “fence of faith” from building blocks of truths At times these truths don’t fit the gaps and aren’t of immediate use Like the master we set them aside and continue with our task We select another that fits the gap and the fence is finished at last When our stone fence of truths is finished we marvel as we see; that truths once thought not to fit are a masterpiece that shapes eternity We continue to enjoy serving with our young missionaries here in the Lowell District in the Nashua Zone. Two of our missionaries are now in the last transfer of their mission and will return home on April 7. Sister Cattani from Queen Creek, AZ and Elder Apolonio from Brazil. We have enjoyed serving with them as well as the other missionaries who have served in Lowell. Sister Cattani lives one mile from our house in Arizona and before her mission, was the babysitter for our niece Tiffany Taylor. It is a small world in the church! We also have a new sister missionary (hermana), Sister Cahoon, serving in the ward and we have enjoyed getting to know her. Two of our favorite missionaries, Hermana Fife, will also head home on April 7th and is finishing her mission. She and Hermana Smedshammer (who just returned home this week) were the first Spanish speaking missionaries we served with here in Lowell. Parents of missionaries, I think you might think that you are seeing the growth in your sons and daughters from afar, but I have to tell you that I don’t think you will really comprehend it until they are home again and you see the change a mission has made in their lives. The Lowell Ward recently had a Chili and Chocolate cook off that was well attended. Sister Zollinger decided to compete in the chocolate competition (imagine that). We were very happy when our little Spanish Group took top honors in the dessert category. Here are pictures from that event and you can judge for yourself on the cake she made.
At a recent zone conference I was impressed by a young sister missionary who used the line, "we all have to find the right tools to face our giants in life." This made me reflect on the story of David and Goliath and how David chose five smooth stones to use in his sling against the giant. He only needed one stone to do the job, but he was prepared with four extras. I have observed in life that it is always good to have a backup plan and to have the right tool/weapon for the job. I wrote a poem about this and will share it here. Stones to Face my Giants by Michael S. Zollinger David often used stones for his flock’s protection; he used them oft without hesitation The stones were shaped smooth and even; by the streams brisk current in the shadows hidden Now with the giant he’d soon be facing he chose five more his journey pacing Five he knew would do the task; four more than needed just in case He knew that God would make him sure even with that Giant lurking there The first stone was Faith in the living God The second was courage when none else believed The third was truth that cuts through doubt The fourth for heart to see it through The fifth and last for humility of spirit; not to boast or even close to it And with these stones of virtue so needed; he slayed the Giant and saved a people Our giants today are no less daunting, and of these same stone carved virtues we can’t be found wanting Faith leads to all let it do the talking and then Courage to act and heed a prompting Truth slices through doubt and then shadows do flee Our Heart that is pure shines through in the dark; with Humility of Spirit we take on our part The giants in life will stand in our way but with these smooth stone virtues we too them can slay One year ago, today we entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. It was a fitting today to begin our missionary journey together. It is one year later, and it is hard to believe that we have been serving for twelve months! Time has flown by most of the time and we are still enjoying our service in Lowell, Massachusetts. Today we returned from errands and found a package on our doorstep. Some lovely gifts from the Thomas family in Taos, New Mexico. Sister Zollinger and I grew to love the people of the Taos Ward and have many fond memories of our visits to Taos over the 15 years that I served in the stake presidency of the Santa Fe New Mexico Stake. It became our home away from home. The gifts were unique to Taos and will hold a special place in our heart. A couple of Saturdays ago we had the blessing of attending the Boston Massachusetts Temple with a group of new members who had been baptized recently in the Lowell First Ward and three of the young women in the ward. Sister Zollinger and I had helped two of the couples find family names for their first visit to the temple. With the recent changes to how baptisms and confirmations are performed, the husbands were able to baptize their wives for their family. In one case for the mother and grandmother of the sister and the grandmother of another. To start things off the young women who have done this before led the way to show the new members how it is done. What a great experience to see them do this in the temple. The day started out very cold with temperatures below zero outside. Inside, however, it was very warm with knowledge of the ordinances being performed for their ancestors. Here is a picture outside that day of those who went. ![]() Front row left to right; Sister Vogboundy, Sister Montalvo, Sister Stone, Sister Morey, Sister Owen; Middle row left to right; Brother Stone, Brother Phomoa, Brother Syndergaard, Sister Owen, Sister Zollinger; Back row left to right; Elder Zollinger, Brother Baker, Brother Harrington, Brother Montalvo. Last Saturday we had a Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) in the Spanish Group and I taught the lesson. I used an object lesson with a uncooked egg, water, and salt to teach the principal of how by doing simple things in our lives we can improve our outlook and float above our troubles and become happy. Here is Mr. Egg who starred in the lesson. February is a month of special dates in our family. February 6, 2004 we adopted our daughters in the Ukraine, February 13, 2004 we arrived back with them in the United States. February is also the month of Sister Zollinger’s birthday. I wrote up the experience of adopting our daughters for our family so that everyone would know all the miracles that took place along the way. Here is that story if you are interested in reading about it. It isn't short and please excuse my writing ability. ![]()
In the past year we've met many special missionaries. One of those is Hermana Isabella Fife who was here in Lowell when we got here and served the first ten months of her mission in Lowell. We still get to see her and her companions from time to time. We like to spoil our missionaries occasionally! Until next time!
Here we are again at our local emergency room. One of our duties is the care and feeding of the young missionaries. Sometimes this has us taking them to be seen at urgent care or the ER. We don’t mind being surrogate parents for these young people. It is one of the privileges of senior missionary service. And while at the ER we get to meet a variety of interesting characters. In any metropolitan area the ER can resemble a microcosm of society. There is an older woman moaning in pain. A young feverish toddler being comforted by his mother. Another mother comforts her crying infant. A man storms out of the ER cursing at the staff for denying him painkillers. The staff take it all in stride competently plying their healer’s art. As I thought about this I couldn’t help but think of how this life is like an ER waiting room and we are all waiting to be called into the examining room to see the Master Physician. Some are patient and some are angry and others demand that their pain be taken away by any means possible. And yet though we may demand our cure, our pain numbing narcotic to take away life’s pains, only the touch of the Master can heal our hearts and souls from mortalities vexing infirmities. He heals and only He can heal. In the picture above of Christ at the Pool of Bethsaida he heals the man who cannot get himself to the water. As has been said, "Christ does not make up the difference in our lives, He is the difference." I wrote a poem recently about how Christ heals us. You might be tired of my attempts at poetry, but I include it here in hopes it can help someone. Broken Bits of Me by Michael S Zollinger I see life’s cruelty in the mirror of time How do I change this life of mine? You healed the sick; the blind to see Please take this pain away from me! Savior can’t you help me please with all the broken bits of me? Heal my heart and soul and mind; a cleansing breeze through life’s wind chime And in the stillness of the night blackness fades replaced by light. In my heart at last I see how the Master mends broken men like me. Morning breaks; my heart feels peace With thankfulness I’m on my knees I am reborn; Christ sets me free! No more broken bits of me! We continue assisting in the English classes that are held each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings at the Lowell chapel. The attendance has increased in recent weeks and there is an average of 15 to 17 Spanish and Portuguese native speakers there at any given class. The young missionaries do an excellent job facilitating this class. The students are dedicated learners. In one class I helped them learn phrases that would help in the job interviews and searches. One young man approached me a couple of classes and excitedly told me that he successfully gotten a job as a mechanic! We had practiced how to say "I have five years of experience as a mechanic," in English. It is rewarding to be able to help people. Here is a picture of a recent class. Our winter has been fairly mild but we have had some snow in the past few weeks. A family who had responsibility for snow removal made some entertaining snowmen for everyone's enjoyment. We had a recent zone conference for the Nashua, Worchester, and Exeter Zones. Our inspired mission president, Stephen Hayden, gave a day long workshop to the missionaries on how to give and receive feedback. You can tell he was corporate trainer for Apple computer in his previous life. He did a masterful job that will help these young people on their mission, but also for the rest of their working and married lives. Lastly, it has been almost one year since we entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on February 14, 2022. And yet that amount of time has passed. Here is a picture of us with our district in the MTC. It does not seem possible that amount of time as passed, and yet it has.
This time of year has led me to reflect on the significance of the Christmas Star that led the Wisemen to find the promised Messiah. The star led them on their journey to find the savior of all mankind and they brought him gifts that were suitable for a king. Although born in humble circumstances they recognized his greatness. I realized that in this day and age that if such a thing occurred it would have been difficult to start on such a journey to follow a "star" that would lead to the birthplace of a reputed king. The public ridicule would be intense. Would I have had the faith to follow the signs? And yet we all have the benefit of a Christmas Star in our lives through the holy scriptures and the words of the prophets, and even more importantly the influences of the spirit in our lives. The admonition to "follow that star" still rings true if we can recognize that it has never vanished from the heavens as long as we hold it in our heart. On December 14 two anniversaries were celebrated. First, it has been 44 years since I entered the Missionary Training Center (MTC) to begin my mission to the Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission. It has been so long ago that it seems it was in another lifetime. Second, it has now been 10 months since we started this mission to the New Hampshire Manchester Mission. That doesn’t seem possible either, yet here are almost one year into our 23-month mission. On December 19th we celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary. That also doesn’t seem possible. Here we are eight children and eighteen grandchildren later. We’ve grown to love the members of our Spanish group in the Lowell First Ward. One of those families we have been able to get to know is the Nerio family. Their daughter Elisabeth turned eight earlier this month and asked me to baptize and confirm her on December 21st. This I gladly did. She is a cute little girl with a big smile, and I couldn’t very well say no to her. It was a sweet experience since it has been many years since I’ve baptized anyone in Spanish. On Christmas Day and we enjoyed a beautiful Christmas program in the Lowell First Ward. The Portuguese Branch and Young Single Adult Ward joined with our ward with the English, Spanish and Khmer groups for a memorable sacrament meeting. Readings of the scriptures of the Christmas story were done in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Khmer (Cambodian) accompanied by beautiful performed musical numbers. It was a meeting to honor the Lord’s birth that perfectly framed the diversity of the Lowell congregations. We were invited to enjoy a Christmas dinner with Paul and Reta Brown and had a great time with their family. We’ve had a wonderful Christmas season that started with delivering Christmas gifts two days ago to some members of the congregation as a token of love from the ward family. We were invited on Christmas Eve to celebrate Noche Buena with members of the Spanish group. It was a fun night of visiting and games and food from Columbia, and Guatemala. Very tasty cooking and even better company. We enjoyed a Christmas Zone Conference in December The missionaries continue to amaze us with their dedication and knowledge. They got to enjoy some Christmas spirit and festivity which helps to make their separation from family more bearable. Here is the latest zone picture: And here is our district after our white elephant gift exchange on December 26, 2022: Another senior missionary couple joined us in December. Elder and Sister Dixon have been assigned to the Lowell 1st Ward to work with the Cambodian Group. They don't speak Khmer but will work with those that do. We are glad to have another set of hands in the ward. We also had the opportunity to take the Phommaa Family to see the temple grounds at the Boston Temple. Shawn and his wife Dasani and their daughter Anna were baptized on December 30th and are the newest members of the Lowell 1st Ward. Here they are at the temple: Another sweet experience occurred in December when Todd Baker, a member of the Temple Preparation Class we teach, was able to attend the Boston Temple and make sacred covenants in the company of friends from the ward. Here is a picture of us on that day. We hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas season will enjoy a very happy New Year!
It is Thanksgiving weekend, and we have much to be grateful for in this blog posting. First, we are grateful to be on this mission and to enjoy good health (except for minor illnesses and body aches). Our family is healthy and safe, and all are well. Secondly, our good friends were married and baptized this past weekend. Ramon and Cynthia live here in Lowell. We’ve known them for several months now as they began attending our Spanish group and being taught by the young missionaries. On Saturday, November 19 they were married in a ceremony conducted by our bishop. It was a lovely wedding that the members of the Spanish group decorated for and made very special for them. They are from Peru, so it was arranged for their family to view the ceremony via Zoom from Peru. Elder Zollinger was asked to escort Cynthia down the aisle, that was reminiscent of our daughter Vika’s wedding. We were able to talk to Ramon’s parents and sister via Zoom and congratulate them on their son’s wedding. Ramon’s parents have been receiving the missionaries in Cuzco and have been attending church there. The next day on Sunday, November 20, 2022, Ramon and Cynthia were baptized and confirmed members of the church in a very special service. The couple have two young sons, David (4), and Josue (3). The whole experience was special for the Spanish group as they have become beloved members of the group over the past few months. Now they will work towards making temple covenants in the future as they grow and progress in the church. Reflecting on these events and what it means to follow the word of God, I wrote a poem that reflects my thoughts and feelings: Iron Rod |
AuthorMichael Zollinger Archives
August 2022
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