It is 2021 why is COVID still here?

Well just before the new year I started getting sick and was staying at home from the Mission Office through New Years. On the Sunday after New Years Sister Bartlet also started feeling ill so we went in and got tested for COVID. We did the rapid test since that was all they had left. We were there for 5 hours and then it took another 3 hours to get the results. You guessed it we tested positive. We have been in quarantine for all of January. We will return to work tomorrow.

These are two of our Missionary Sisters who were exposed to COVID for about 3 hours. Luckily they didn’t catch it. However, we had to move them from their current apartment for 10 days since they live with a 94 year old lady and we were afraid she might catch it.

 


When you can’t get out a party for New Years with anyone else you have to entertain each other by putting together a puzzle. Yes this means we are officially old. We do get to talk to each other much more while we are putting the puzzle together. It is mostly like pass me that piece or give me the box.

Well this one will be short because we have not been out to much. We are still working hard from home. I have to put together about a 200 page Mission History for 2020. That is occupying most of my time. Of corse missionaries are still getting sick and hurt so Sister Bartlett is on the phone most every day. Only a few cases of COVID but she did have a dog bite just yesterday

So there is not much else to put in the blog this time. We are blessed to have so many great friends and family who are praying for us. We are praying for you also and you are all on our mind. May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you always and the Holy Spirit dwell in your hearts and comfort and guide you. 

Love Elder and Sister Bartlett

Christmas is not over yet!

Since we could not gather together for our Zone Christmas activities we had a drive by Christmas party with the Missionaries. They drove by and we gave them their gifts and President and Sister Zimmerman gave them a gift. It was very festive.

These are our office Elders. Yes that is an amazing Christmas had. I think it came from the Mad Hatter. Everyone was in the Christmas Spirit at the Mission Office.

Yes even Sister Bartlett I got into the act with our Elf hat and ears. 

Now those with weak stomachs should not view the following video. Just warning you!

Now that you are sick to your stomach from the Flossing Elf we can continue.

I will call this the Covid angel. Sister Bartlett created it from some of the many face masks we have don’t worry they were not used ones.

To close this blog I will include a couple of poem’s I wrote.

I will call it “Christmas Is”

“Christmas is about Jesus Christ,

And his humble birth.

Christmas is about the Angels,

Declaring he came to earth.

Christmas is about the holy family,

In a manger mild.

Christmas is about the shepherds,

Come to see the child.

I hope you enjoyed that. Now I will include a poem I wrote about our “Sunday before Christmas”.

‘Twas the Sunday before Christmas at 6:30 am,

the Phone started ringing which startled up poor Sam.

The Missionary exclaimed that he threw up all night,

and the pain in his stomach gave us great fright.

To the closet we rose to get ready to go,

do you think we had time to fix breakfast, oh no.

Down the road in our car to his side we did fly, 

then on to the emergency room, no lie.

Due to the Covid they did not let us in,

we waited in the car for 5 hours and then.

The doctors decided his appendix was done,

so in a few hours he didn’t have one.

But that is not all that did happen this day,

for two Elders did call us much in dismay.

They were exposed to the Covid virus last Saturday,

and did’t find out till it was today.

We told them they had to stay socially distant,

don’t visit Missionaries or friends right this instant.

You would think that was all that could happen this day,

but there is more story so read on all the way.

For a Sister did call us just a few minutes later,

a dog did bite her while she was visiting a neighbor.

To the Urgent care Sister Bartlett did send,

to see if the doctors her wound there could mend.

After that we did jump when the phone gave a ring,

an Elder who wanted a bike us to bring.

No church did we get for our worship that day,

we did it together with each other did pray.

That no more would our Missionaries have a mishap,

so we could lay down for a long winters nap.

But much to our surprise another did call,

from his leg an ingrown hair he did pull.

Now infection and a sore he does have,

suffering with pain and nothing for salve.

No more did the phone ring and it ended all bright,

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

We love you all and hope you had a very Merry Christmas

From Elder and Sister Bartlett

Miracle Christmas and a Covid free New Year

First there was Covid and then earthquakes and then firs and now Covid raises it’s ugly head again. That is ok because we are celebrating the greatest miracle ever to happen on earth. That is the miracle of the birth or our Savior Jesus Christ. Joy to the World is what He brought. I want you all to get in the mood for this season by watching “The Christ Child” by following this link. https://youtube.com/watch?v=umwLi5n3WtM&feature=share 

Sister Bartlett decided to be creative using face masks. You need something to do with all those left over masks.

One of our districts had a gingerbread house making contest. There were some original designs and some pretty artsy ones. We were part of the judging.

We were at Target and found this cool Lama Christmas Sweater. Our Daughter in Law loves Lamas so when we told here about it. She headed to Target and within 30 minutes she sent us this picture of her in the sweater. Some things you just have to have.

Our Missionaries are getting a lot of packages for Christmas. This is what the Postman brought in just one day. That was only the Postman, we also receive packages from Amazon, FedEx, UPS and others.

This is what our Mission President’s office looked like on Thursday before we started sorting Christmas packages.

On Friday we started sorting the Christmas packages into companionships to be given to Missionaries next week in a drive by Christmas giving next week. We plan to wear our Christmas elf hats we found at the dollar store. Ho Ho Ho!

To sum up this blog we would like to let you know we have been so blessed this year even though Covid is still here and unrest is happening here in the US and around the world. There are still miracles going on all around us. Each day we see videos from our Missionaries telling of the miracles that have happened that day. It is amazing what the Lord is doing in these times. More people are turning to the Lord for answers and they are finding our Missionaries in the process.

Therefore we wish you all a Christmas filled with Miracles and a cure for Covid New Year!

Love,

Elder and Sister Bartlett

2020 What’s Next? Fire!

We thought that Covid-19 was bad and then California caught fire. As of today the fires in California have burned more acreage than the whole state of Connecticut. Our Governor has started talking more about that than Covid. I have been telling our Missionaries to only breathe out. Many of our Missionaries are having headaches and other respiratory problems. I agree, we are both having headaches and burning eyes. 

 I was doing some work at the office one night and heard some tapping on the door. When I went to see what was going on there were some turkeys tapping on the Mission Office door.

I finally noticed this three story rabbit in Terminal B at the Sacramento International Airport. They have some really different artwork and this is just one example. Don’t ask me why a rabbit, we were all trying to understand that at the office.

Even with Covid and fires and election and everything else going on we still have new Missionaries coming into our Mission. This time it was only 23 and we had 15 going home so were are right at 247 Missionaries in the California Sacramento Mission. 

We also had transfers which is exciting and sad at the same time. Sad to leave current companions and excited to meet new ones.

During all of this we were able to attend our grandson’s baptism. We only took off masks long enough to get a picture.

We were also able to go to our youngest son’s Temple sealing to his wonderful wife. It was a great experience and we were finally able to go to the Temple for the first time since March. It was such a wonderful experience. 

It was wonderful to see my wife dance with her baby at his reception. We all had a great time and now it is back to work once again. We are so happy to see at least some of our family and pray for our family and friends every day. May your lives be full of happiness as ours is.

Love Elder and Sister Bartlett

More Missionaries

We are sad to see President and Sister Hymas leave. They have been a great inspiration to us during our time here in the California Sacramento Mission. We will miss them,

We will also miss Elder and Sister Mair who have finished their Mission who were our only other Senior Missionaries left in the Mission. They were our other office couple. Gladly we did get Elder and Sister Smith to replace them or we would have to run the office on our own.

We also welcomed President and Sister Zimmerman who are full of enthusiasm and love for the work and for the Missionaries. They will make a great team. 

They are the 18th couple to lead this Mission since it began back in the 1950’s. 

Even when the world is sick and dying from a virus and earthquakes and wildfires are burning and people are raging and politicians are blaming, the world God created for us is beautiful and can bring us joy. We can escape all of the hustle and bustle going on in the world to appreciate his creations and thank him for all he has given us. Painted rocks have been showing up wherever we walk. This one summed it up very well. Faith can move mountains. When the world has more faith and believes in their Heavenly then we can all have peace and harmony. 

Even with the virus forcing us all into social distancing we still had Missionaries coming into the California Sacramento Mission. At first we had Missionaries who were re-assigned because they were sent home from their foreign Missions. In May we had 15 come. In June we had 27 come. 

Just one week after our new Mission President and his wife arrived we had another 47 Missionaries come to the California Sacramento Mission which put us up to 216 Missionaries. We did have these two great Sisters go home. We found out that we are getting another 37 in August.




Since we left New Zealand we have not seen the Ocean and we were feeling a little land locked so we decided to visit the Pacific Ocean. 

This is Muir beach and we were asked to wear face masks and social distance. As you can see the people are in their own family groups. 

We had a great experience when we found a couple who were from Oakland and related to Elder Tutuila from our New Zealand Auckland Mission. We also saw these white rocks and finally figure out it was bird droppings that made them white. 

 

These wonderful Sister Missionaries Sang us this song when we delivered their car. They are willing to call any one of you and share a special song with you along with a wonderful message. Any of our Missionaries can teach anywhere in the world. They are wonderful Missionaries who have been called in these latter days for the gathering of Israel. I invite you to listen to their message.

2020 What’s next? Part 2 Covid-19 Mission

In the first part of 2020 What’s next? I concentrated on what happened before Covid-19 started and then the beginning of Covid-19. Now I will attempt to show how things changed drastically. Just before Covid-19 hit our youngest son Jarom got engaged and was planning a Temple wedding and that rug was pulled out from under him and Tatelyn (his fiancé) when all of this craziness started. All of the Temples were closed so as many couples did they decided to be married civilly and then be sealed when the Temples opened again. So here are the pictures of their wedding in May.

We were able to travel home to Utah for the wedding. Before the wedding we had a Bachelor party. Several of Jarom’s friends came and we had a good time. He wanted to do axe/hatchet throwing so we set this target up in our back yard. We just had to stop throwing when someone came walking along the horse path. I didn’t do to bad and our grandson Luke also did very well.

The wedding party was just the Bride and Groom, the Bishop who married them and both set of parents. 

We had to get a face mask picture and show some social distancing.





They tried to stay in compliance with the whole social distancing thing.



In the end true love trumped Covid-19 and the couple had to give a great big kiss.

They lived happily ever after.

In eternal love.

Swinging happily through life, hand in hand.

Carefree and hopeful for a happy and joyful future. Then........

Cake Wars began and the bliss was over.

That was ok because after the battle the peace was restored and again all things were wonderful.

Of course the pizza made everything better. But just as they were celebrating peace in their new kingdom.......

Their chariot was attacked and slogans were put thereon.


Then the balloon wars began. Just when they thought they would never see peace again. Their balloons were burst and they rode off into the sunset. And lived happily ever after, at least until the next great adventure. Temple sealing that is.

Sister Bartlett was able to spend Mother’s Day with each of her children who lived in Utah.

Happy Mother’s Day to my sweetheart.

We also were able to have some great Zoom devotionals like this one with TC Christensen who produced 17 Miracles, Ephriam’s Rescue Cokeville Miracle, Fighting Preacher etc.

Also Conlon Bonner or the Bonner family singers.

Also Hank Smith motivational speaker for EFY

We also had Steven Lund, General Young Men’s President.

It was great to hear from Steven Nelson cellist with the Piano Guys, pictured here with his daughter.

We also heard from Ganel-Lyn Connie motivational speaker.

Most dear to our hearts was of course our own President and Sister Hymas.

What we really enjoy is lessons from some of our great Missionaries. They all teach us something different and challenge us to do different things. If any of you want some uplifting lessons and challenges and promises let me know. They can teach people anywhere in the world. Some of our Missionaries have been re-assigned from other Missions from around the world. Many of them have taught people in their other Missions. One Missionary taught his own aunt who lived in another Mission in California. She was converted and his Father traveled to California and baptized her. We have had Missionaries teach their friends from home and many have been baptized. Even in social distancing the work goes on. 

I know that this is the work of the Lord. He is teaching us some valuable lessons during this time of Covid-19. This will all go away when we humble ourselves and listen to him and learn what we need to learn. These are also the Latter-days and we are preparing for his Second coming to this earth. Much needs to be done and we have to learn a new way to do that work so the world can be prepared. I know that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lives and he atoned for our sins and transgressions. He also suffered for us so that we could bring our pains and suffering to him. He loves me and he loves you. Turn your hearts to him and he will heal you and me. Seek him and hear him. The Missionaries can help you to find him. I know Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon is scripture. Read it and put it to the test and you to can know it is true. We have a Prophet on the earth today, even Russell M. Nelson. I know it and you can know it to. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.