Saying good-bye to Huntington Beach

Random memories associated with our 2 years in Huntington Beach include:

* Being a "widow" with 6 kids much of the time

* Kathi's beginning love affair with guinea pigs & learning that they can't be left out in the

sun very long (especially if they are black)

* Young Jim's love affair with books (or most likely his love of competition)

* Debbie's continuing love of dancing and dancing lessons (she was getting good!) She even

gave lessons to the neighbor kids on our back patio.

* Jeanie's special friendship with Stephanie, our blind next door neighbor

* Rochelle, the quiet achiever in school, great reader and student, but not as competitive as

Jim.

* A little two-year-old boy on his seagull-decorated tricycle, dressed as a cricket, riding in

the 24th of July Primary celebration.

* A visit from my good friend, Irene Laycock, who came from Novato to do a

Primary workshop for our teachers.

* A trip back to Novato by myself to speak at a Primary workshop for her. I drove

all the way without getting lost. Those who know me know that that is a near miracle.

* Spending a lot of money buying our first encyclopedias, Childcraft, and Science Year books

We wanted our children to have good books available to help them with school work.

* Discovering that renters rarely take care of someone else's property. I'm talking about our

home back in Novato that we rented. When Jim drove there to check on it he found it a

wreck, so we decided to fix it up and put it on the market.

After two years in Huntington Beach, Jim received a change of responsibility at Hughes, and a transfer to the facility in Canoga Park. He would no longer be the director over field engineering which meant no more long-distance traveling ... Yea! He was made a supervisor over design requirements for missiles and missile launchers being used in the Vietnam war. So here we go again ... another move. But this time we had the hope that this move would be a permanent one.

Another Test of Faith

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2010

I was not the only one to have a church leadership problem in Huntington Beach. I only include these negative experiences because I want anyone who reads this blog, especially my family, to know that we all have experiences in this life that could test our testimony of the truth if we let them. Priesthood leaders are not perfect. They make mistakes. But we can either let these weaknesses drive us away from Christ and His church or we can learn to be understanding, compassionate, and patient as we all grow in the gospel.

This was a challenge that Jim had while he was serving as Young Men's president. The incident took place at a fathers and sons outing where the traditional planned balloon fight was in progress. The boys and their leaders were all involved, having a great time when someone noticed that not a single member of the stake presidency was participating in the activity. Instead, they were all sitting and visiting in their nice dry trailer in which they had camped. The boys AND their leaders decided it was time for them to get a little wet like the the rest of them. Knowing Jim, I'm sure he was right there helping to make this decision. He has been known to throw the first balloon at any such event. But instead of balloons, they were waiting with buckets of water as they called out to the stake president in his camper. But it was his counselor that opened the door and stepped out. The Jim and his counselor let him have it with buckets of water and took off running. The not-so-happy counselor began chasing and yelling at them. As he ran, he stumbled and fell, bruising his pride. Now he was REALLY mad. He got up, stood in the bed of a nearby truck, and yelled at the boys, fathers and their leaders in not-so nice language that if anyone threw one more balloon that he would "beat them within an inch of their life." The boys were shocked at that response, as were the leaders, and most of them and their fathers packed up and went home. This annual fathers and sons camping experience was ruined.

It was a month or so later that Jim went in for his temple interview, and wouldn't you know, it was this counselor who did the interviewing. When he was asked if he had any bad feelings toward any priesthood leader, he responded that he had problems with him, the counselor, and he told him why. He told him that he thought his language and actions were unworthy of a stake priesthood leader. Not knowing what to do, the counselor sent him to see the Stake President.

It was at the next stake conference that is leader humbled himself enough to apologize to all the members of the stake, especially the boys, for his inappropriate behavior. Jim was able to raise his arm to sustain this man, and thereafter held no grudges. That was humbling for him as well.

As I said, we can learn from these kinds of experiences, or we can become bitter and resentful. But I choose to not let anyone, not even my priesthood leaders, destroy my testimony or drive me away from the Church. Christ is perfect and His church is true. That I cannot and will not deny for any reason. And I know Jim feels the same way.