Sigh. This week has been a crying week. I just get overwhelmed with the news from Ukraine, and there's nothing to do but cry about it sometimes. We knew things would get worse, so it's like watching a slow train wreck to hear news from friends. 

Yesterday, I finished Singing Time, cleaned up, and went to the end of Relief Society. The lesson was about increasing our compassion for others, and the teacher used the kindness of the people in Poland as an example. The pictures of refugee camps opened the water spigots in my eyes, and I just sat there and cried. And, of course, felt a little awkward about it. Then I felt the comforting thought that everyone around me was deaf, and didn't hear me sniffling - that was a small comfort! But then I laughed as my small comfort turned against me - the RS president turned around and asked me to say the closing prayer. :) I'm sure she wouldn't have asked me if she'd heard my sniffling!

Keep praying for Ukraine, friends!

Slava Ukraini

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, I just want to acknowledge the special place Ukraine has in our hearts. It was there that Marriner learned sign language. It was there God began preparing our family, before our family existed. It was there Marriner (sorta) served as Branch President for the first time.

(It wasn't very long...or very official...but we still enjoy joking about it.)

Marriner's mission companion, Elder Leonhardt (because your mission companions are always Elder and Sister) contacted Marriner this week. He's been called to coordinate refugee assistance for members of the church fleeing Ukraine, and asked Marriner to help spread his contact information to anyone he was in contact with who had fled. At first, Marriner thought he didn't know anyone, his contacts were few and staying put. But he realized that very few people would know any of the deaf members - the branch was dissolved shortly after Marriner left. So he took some vacation time one day, pulled out his pictures, tried to remember names and looked people up on FB and Linked-In. Elder Leonhardt messaged him the next day thanking him - he'd had several people contact him and say Elder Merrill had contacted them. It was a sweet experience to feel the influence of the Spirit as Marriner tried to remember names and faces from over 20 years ago! And it was hilarious to see him trying to remember Russian Sign Language! And it was such a relief to be able to do SOMETHING to help. 

Slava Ukraini. We love you!

Articles of Faith

 So Sam's Primary class is working on memorizing the Articles of Faith, which are 13 succinct statements of our basic doctrines. They're great for kids to memorize - just the right length and difficulty to be challenging but not overwhelming. I was sitting in Sam's class this week, and he said the closing prayer. "Please bless us to memorize the....(and he couldn't remember how to sign "Articles of Faith. So he fingerspelled the whole darn thing.)" After the prayer, his teacher showed him how to sign it, which is to hold your hand up like you're giving high-5, then make an "A" on the top of your palm, then an F on the bottom. Sam copied it to make sure he'd gotten it right, except he did it backwards, doing an F on top and the A on the bottom.

I started to say, "No, that would be the Farticles...." and I got really quiet and just didn't finish that sentence...