A Thanksgiving Message From Romania

Below is part of an email I received from my daughter, Katie, who was working in an Romanian orphanage. I think it sums up Thanksgiving for me.

Email from Katie; Nov 24, 2005
Having my first Thanksgiving in another country has brought a lot more meaning to the holiday for me. The missionaries and we interns met together today for a Thanksgiving. One of the neighborhood boys saw us, and came over, and we let him stay. He has probably never seen so much food for one meal in his life.
After living in a foreign country, especially one so close to its communist history, I realize that we truly do live in a country of freedom and opportunities. The Romanian people are still essentially imprisoned in this country. A few can get visas, but the money to leave is hard to find. Many of the young people sneak into other countries to work, or get visas to go to school. Many more will never see another land. Many adults have never left, and never will leave. To them, America sounds like a dream, a promised land.

Here, a person can go to college for 15 years, and make the same amount of money a high school graduate does. Once a college graduate finishes their schooling, the government assigns them a place of employment. They will most likely work there until they die. It is near to impossible to find a job, and retirement is a joke. The country lives on bribes, because if it didn't everyone would starve.

[In Romania] Religious freedom is a creation on paper. Perhaps in other cities it is different, but in Lasi, it is the Orthodox Church that calls the shots. The [LDS] missionaries had to leave our neighboring country of Moldovia, because one priest didn't like them proselyting, and he complained to the government. Here, the contacts are many, but they are ostracized from their friends and neighbors for talking to the missionaries. The orthodox priest threaten them with eternal damnation, and in such a society, you cannot live if your social contacts turn their back on you. The current members [of our church] truly are pioneers in their own right.

America has its problems. In fact, it has many of them, but after seeing some of the problems that are in the rest of the world, there is very little Americans should complain about. Especially everyone I know. Each one of us has a place to live, not only a place to live, but also it is pretty, and if you want to have a bigger house, or a yard, it is actually there to find. While good jobs may be hard to find, they exist, and they pay enough to live on. If you want a second job, or a different job, it is possible to find; maybe not the perfect job, but there are enough available. We have the opportunity to attend school, or to not attend (and home-school, or go to VC [Jr College], or do whatever we want). If we want to be a neurosurgeon, or a lawyer, or a writer, or an artist, we can. It may take determination, hard work, (and a lot of scholarship applications), but it is still available.

I have met a mother with 5 children. Her youngest is 4 months old. He was premature, and lived for 3 months in a hospital. When he left the hospital, she did not have enough money to care for him, so he came to our orphanage. Now he is back in the hospital with meningitis, a side effect of his being in the hospital for 3 months. He spends all his days alone, because his mother cannot leave her other children to care for him, and his father is desperately trying to work, to [support] their family, so that their baby can come home.

I have met a 17 year old with a 2-year-old son. She is a drunk, and homeless, and so is the absentee father. Her son is with her. Now, I know our country has situations like this also, but here, this girl believes there is no hope for her. She has nowhere to go, and no way to get a job or an apartment. There are no programs to help her, even if she knew where to look. There are no fast food or waitress jobs for her to get without an education. Most girls in her position turn to theft, begging, or prostitution. She doesn't know that she is worth more than how she is living.

I have two parents who love me, and a brother and a sister, and two little boys that I love like brothers, (editor's note: 2 day care boys). I have a fiancé who is amazing. I have had the chance to go to college. I have worked full time, and part time, I have had jobs I loved, and I know of at least two jobs that would take me back without a moment's hesitation. I have grown up in a house. I have had amazing pets, and room to run around and be a kid. I have friends who love me, and who look out for me. I have had music. My family has had access to pianos, flutes, saxophones, trombones, trumpets, guitars, and other instruments!
What ever I want, I can have, it might not be easy or immediate, but I can still have it. Life isn't easy for anyone, and there are hard things we must all deal with. I have had as many opportunities as I wanted to make. My parents have worked hard to help me get these things. I have the gospel, and I have had the opportunity to bring the gospel to others. God is in my life, just as he is in everyone's, but I have the blessing of being able to recognize his work.

America is not the only place where all these things are possible, but by no means does every country have these opportunities. Today is a day to say "Thank You" and a day to give these things to those who don't yet have them.

Conversations With Elisabeth (Libby)

Libby was telling about lions and how Simba says "RAWR"! The then looks at the fire and said "and the fire says, 'Ahh! I'm on fire!'"

Libby likes drawing the letter "W". She calls them "double me's". One day she said she was drawing "double Libbys". Then she drew some "double 'timmys" (Kimmys), and some "double mamas"

One evening Libby wanted to watch her belly dancing video, so Kim set it up for her. Later she was in the hallway crying. "What's wrong?" Kim asked. "I just want to wear my stupid bra!". (She couldn't find her sea-shell bra, like Ariel wears, and you obviously should never belly dance without one.

Libby has informed the family that she needs to use the big potty seat because she has a "big bottom".

Libby and Katie were making chocolate chip cookies and Libby said, "chocolate and cookies I am eating, but not salad!"

Kim was singing "Burn Baby Burn" to Julianna and Libby asks, "Kim is the baby burning?"

Joke by Elisabeth: "What do frogs say?" "I don't know, what?" "MOOOO!" (She thinks that is hysterical)

One day Kim asked Libby is she was taking a "cat nap" or a "mermaid nap". Libby replied, "I'm taking a princess nap because I'm a princess!"

Libby: "I am helping daddy fix your light Kimmy"
Kim: "OK, just don't get in his way."
Libby: "Well, I am NOT in his way, Kimmy, I am not in his way. I am in MY way."
Kim: "You're in your way?"
Libby: "Yeah, this is my way...and I am in it!"

Kim: "That's pretty cool, Libby"
Libby: "Well, I AM pretty cool!"

One Sunday, Libby was upset with Kim because Kim wasn't wearing her "Sunday Shoes", (she was wearing close-toed flats instead of her normal heels). Kim said "I am wearing shoes on Sunday, so that makes them 'Sunday shoes'".
Libby glared and said, "No Kimmy, those are your 'neakers."

Kim's home-teachers drop by to visit and they brought some cookies. Libby was sitting naked on the couch, so as Kim is dragging her to the back room she points and yells, "Kimmy! That one has food!"

Celebrating the 4th

The afternoon of July 4th found us at a friends house having a BBQ. Afterwards we all went over to the baseball fields to wait for the annual fireworks display. This years display was quite good. It got a little slow in the middle and there weren't quite as many of the "specialty" mortars, but the finale was spectacular so overall it was a really good show. 

George, and Lisa Morgan and Dalton, (their charge)

Danise Cook and her granddaughter.

Keith and Dalton

Some weird guy having some chips.  The chocolate chip cookies, (the box on the ice chest), are next.

My Very 1st 5K Race!

The Annual Beecroft 5k run is held every year on Memorial Day and has reached its 30th consecutive year.   This year I wanted to participate in it.  Running in a 5K race was something that I wanted to accomplish for my self.  Kathy decided that she would also run in the race.

We decided to go as a family and we even took Charlie with us.  Keith walked with Charlie along side the bike path that is used for the course.  But Charlie didn't like the fact that Kathy was running off with out him and he eventually got away from Keith and ran along the course path until he found Kathy.  Charlie then ran alongside Kathy, escorting her through to the finish line.

My time was 39 minutes and 15 seconds, finishing 127th out of 202 participants, (12th in my age group). Kathy finished in 42 minutes and was 4th in her age group.

Kathy, Keith, myself, (and Charlie), before the race.

Happy Mother's Day Mom

As Mother's Day approaches I want to tell you a little bit about my Mom.

She was born and raised in Denmark, during the time of the Nazi occupation. She has told us stories of what it was like to live as a little girl in a country occupied by a violent, Fascist regime; a country later racked by the violence of a world war. I won't recount the stories here but I will say that I am amazed at some of the horrible things she witnessed and experienced.

In the years following the war, she watched as her mother slowly died a painful death from a condition that now can be easily treated and cured.

Mom wanted to come to the United States to forge a new life for herself so she put in the time and effort going through the legal process to obtain the required visas. Once here she worked hard in factories, faced bigotry, and went through the long legal process to obtain her citizenship. She became a citizen and eventually married.

In her determination to "become an American", she refused to speak anything but English in the home or abroad, (except when she didn't want us kids to know what she was saying) and staunchly followed American cultural traditions so that we would be a "typical American family". "I am an American" was her mindset, and she was determined to do things the "American way".

During much of my childhood, the same disease that killed her mother was slowly ravaging her. Living with pain was a normal part of her days. She would have died during the 1970s, except that the world of medicine had advanced enough that they were finally able to properly diagnose and treat her condition. Even with all that, she still managed to raise, (and put up with), 5 boys.

So on this Mother's day, I honor my mother's courage, determination, and dogged perseverance. Because of her I can say, (as the son of an immigrant), I AM an American.

 Mom. Post war Denmark, about age 16.

Denmark, (age unknown)

Starting a new life in America.

 

Visiting Grandma/Grandpa Ashby, (late 1960's), (I'm on mom's right, Scott on her left)

My Grandmother's Nazi issued identification papers. There was a razor blade hidden in the little ID case they are carried in.

Posted by: Duane Ashby

Stand and Devour

Thursday I was in Los Angeles with my Regional VP, (Scott), for some meetings at the convention center.  We got out at 5 pm and decided to eat dinner at the original Tommy's at Beverly and Rampart streets in LA.  This is the very first Tommy's.  It is a little building, (12 by 18) right on the corner.  This was the original hamburger "stand" and it got that name because you either eat standing up or in your car.  Around the edge of the parking lot is a wall that has a 2 X 12 plank placed about 3 1/2 feet off of the ground.  You set your food there and stand and eat it.  

One of the other things that has made Tommy's famous is their chili.  It is like no other, very thick and stiff, and tastes great.  It is one of those things that you only should enjoy as a rare special treat because you can feel your arteries hardening as you are eating.  This particular Tommy's is open 24 hours and pretty much non-stop busy.  I was talking to one of the people that work there and she said that every 2 hours they re-fill the wall mounted paper towel dispensers, (used for napkins). 

Here is the "shack" at the corner of Beverly and Rampart Streets, (small white building w/ red roof on right side of photo).  Notice it is right next to the street and it is open air and the cars and busses go whizzing by.

Here I am about to order a double chili cheese burger and fries.

Here is Scott standing in the eating area.  This is why it is called a hamburger "stand"

Posted by Duane Ashby

Classic Cars on a Saturday

On Saturday, April 10th we went to the Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard.  There are fewer vehicles there than when the museum was at its other, larger, location on the other side of the highway.  The majority of the collection on display consists of vintage Packards from different eras.  There were also a few cars of other makes and models, including a very nice, modern Shelby Mustang GT, (drool, drool).

The Packard touring sedans are still luxurious, even by today's standards and I can imagine how nice it would be to travel in one.  One of the things that consistently impressed me was the use of real wood by the manufacturers when building the interiors of cars.  It just gives the car that special something like no other.

Here are some pictures I took with my phone, (sorry about the low quality images, I forgot to bring a camera).

Keith standing next to a very nice old Packard.  A beautiful car. (look at those running boards)

This Packard looks pretty narrow, but it is an optical illusion of sorts because the back seat area was spacious.  This version was intended to be driven by a chauffeur. 

A very nice old model T.

This one is my personal favorite. A very luxurious passenger area, with lots of wood and several flower vases.  This was also was intended to be driven by a chauffeur.