I'm glad I touched shoulders with you

Well my heart is full tonight as I've been going through my Christmas cards one last time & rereading them again. It makes me feel close to home & to those I love & who love me. I don't know where to begin to thank everyone for your kindness & generosity to me. I can't begin to tell you the size of my cards I received. The lady we live with ask if that is all family? No I told her it's town people & friends or they are all the same. She told me that it made her want to be better with the missionaries in her ward. Thanks so much for the money, gift cards, your letters, deep blue, quilt, hanky, book, picture of Christ, & the love I felt as I read your messages. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas & was able to spend some time with family & friends. I'm sorry but I don't think I'm going to be able to get my cards out this year & probably not thank you cards but please know I do appreciate each & everyone of you. Christmas this year was spent pretty well focused oh our Savior, Jesus Christ. I never even spent one day shopping for gifts, I just can't do everything anymore that I used to be able to do. Guess you might say I'm slowing down a bit.  I never had time to talk to our kids on Christmas even though they did leave me some messages. The next morning I received a text wondering if Santa had taken me back to the North Pole or if I was still in Texas or just where I was? It gave me my laugh for the day. It's pretty tough keeping up with all the parties we've been invited to plus doing quite a bit of service also. It is so cold here I can hardly wait to get back to Randolph. I think I'm going to have to write home for some long johns or maybe I'm just getting wimpy in my senior years.  It's been fun to talk with the young elders & sisters & hear about their phone calls home. I love those young people & their dedication in serving the Lord. The highlight of my Christmas was the day after we were able to go to a baptism for a couple originally from India. They have been working with them for 2 years. I was able to help the women get ready & then we went out & watched her husband be baptized first. Great night then a non member invited us out for some REAL Chinese food. I loved the pictures ya'll sent me, thanks so much.  My thought I received in a card, There's a comforting thought at the close of the day, when I'm weary & lonely & sad, that sort of grips hold of my crusty old heard & bids it be merry & glad. It gets in my soul & it drives out the blues, and finally thrills through & through. It is just a sweet memory that chants the refrain: "I'm glad I touch shoulders with you!" Did you know you were brave, did you know you were strong? Did you know there was one learning hard? Did you know that I waited & listened & prayed, and was cheered by your simplest word? Did you know that I longed for that smile on your face, for the sound of your voice ringing true? Did you know I grew stronger & better because I had merely touched shoulders with you? I am glad that I live, that I battle & strive for the place that I know I must fill; I am thankful for sorrows, I'll meet with a grin what fortune may send, good or ill. I may not have wealth, I may not be great, but I know I shall always be true, for I have in my life that courage you gave when once I rubbed shoulders with you.  Author Unknown.  My Christmas card to you all I love everyone! My scripture   1 Corinthians 2: 9-10. Sweet dreams  Sister Putnam

Pictures from my world

There were bikes, boxes, bags & luggage on 2 sides of the church house as missionaries were being transferred.  I told Santa what I wanted & he just shook his head & said I hadn't been good enough this year but maybe next. My new companion Sister Horsburgh we're going to the rest home to play trivia. I'm learning so much from these guys, the oldest one is 97, I ask him why he was so smart, he told because he eats celery so I've been eating celery but I haven't noticed any difference yet. The beautiful plants were at the rest home. I had to go have a few adjustments on my back, neck, arm & about my whole body. The doctor won't take any money because I'm a missionary. He works on all missionaries FREE. Just a few pictures from my world.

Our greatest need is forgiveness

I'll try this again one more time I got my blog all done the other night & went to add a period at the end & some how erased everything so I just went to bed.  Last Monday I drove to Grand Prairie, Tx to pick up my new companion, Sister Horsburgh, from Australia yep she talks like Crocodile  Dundee so it's fun to listen to her. It was quite a ride down there had been a wreck & the freeway was backed up for miles, oh the joy of city living, but we made it down & back just fine. Have I told you how much I love the gps, oh I thank the Lord every night for it. We were out working this week when I got a call that Phyllis Jean needed a ride to the dr. so of course we dropped everything & went to help her. We had to pull her out on a cart with big steel wheels & then lift the cart & her in the back of the car but we got her there & back home, too much lifting for me, oh Phyllis Jean is an 80lb dog thought maybe I should clarify it's a dog not a person but either way she can't walk. However the owner treats her as one of her children. I always told Danny if there's reincarnation I want to come back as your dog but I've changed my mind I want to be Phyllis Jean. We had zone conference & I was touched by all the luggage, boxes, bikes & coats line up outside the church. They had transfers so the missionaries found out Monday night who was going & they had to take everything then they found out Tuesday afternoon where & with whom they'd be serving. Some were thrilled & some not so thrilled. It's such an awesome experience to be part of those young missionaries lives. Thirty of them were going home the next day & we were only getting 9 in so some areas will be closing down. One elder that was leaving that I met out in Allen came up & said, "Sister Putnam I love you" well let me tell you I love him cause he was the answer to one of my prayers one night when we were told we had to be out of our apartment the next morning. We had 42 stairs to pack all of my stuff & all of Sister Smith's down & load in our cars. He told us that he'd felt impressed to come out & check on that apartment not even knowing we were living there. The good Lord again answered my prayers. It's quite hard to get to know these young people then all of a sudden they are gone. He is from Germany so quite sure I'll not see him again but who knows. Someone told me that Christmas is this week wow where is the time going. My thought is from a Christmas card I received this week, "If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.  -Roy Lessin. My scripture is Alma 36:24. Have a great night. Sister Putnam