Looking back over six years ago, when grandpa had bouts with kidney stones for several consecutive years, grandpa found himself in the hospital for six excruciating days battling not one, but two kidney stones. After being released from the hospital and visiting with a specialist about part of one kidney stone that had been removed (the bottom line being there was no reliable reason why grandpa was manufacturing kidney stones, and that re-occurrences were most likely to continue and probably increase), grandpa made a covenenant with Heavenly Father. The covenant was: (1) Grandpa would do everything he could do to keep from having kidney stones (which only amounted to, each day, praying, drinking a very large glass of orange juice and lots and lots of water); (2) If Heavenly Father would bless grandpa that he would have no more kidney stones, so it would safe for grandpa to go anywhere the Lord wanted he and grandma to go on a mission; that, (3) Grandpa and grandma would go anywhere and do anything the Lord called them to do, and that they would go on as many missions as they could. [This was a pretty good covenant for grandpa because grandpa probably would have gone anywhere and done anything Heavenly Father wanted him to do anyway.] After six plus years of faithfully drinking lots of orange juice and water and regularly renewing this covenant with Heavenly Father, there have been no kidney stones, and, grandma and grandpa have been called to Hong Kong of the Asia Area!
Looking back five years ago, when plans were set in operation for Grant to immediately come into the business full time, and for Ben to do so after three years of CPA experience, and then for them to take over and start buying the business by May 1, 2008 when grandma and grandpa would leave for their first mission - after a lot of hard and smart work, Stewardship Meetings, and prayers asking for the Lord's help and guidance - mission accomplished (!), more smoothly and seamlessly than we could have hoped for!
Looking back several years ago, when a brilliant beauty from India came into Jared's life, after a couple of years of investigation and Sirisha deciding on her own that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ was true, some of what would be the "last alligning stars" for grandma and grandpa to go on their first mission, began their slow but sure gravitational allignment.
Looking back about a couple of years ago, unbeknownst to any of us: a fantastic missionary named Elder de Lisle was finishing his own tremendous service; and a tall, talented and beautiful daughter of God, named Childs, was going through trials that would help her know for sure what she wanted eternally; and more precious stars were continually coming into allignment.
Looking back about one year ago, stars began to rapidly allign:
- First, Haley Olson said "yes", and the individual prayers of a dozen people and the Temple Prayer Rolls became shorter;
- Jared got a job at a prestigious law firm that was beyond his greatest expectations;
- In rapid but splendorous succession Haley was sealed to Ty, Hilary was sealed to Chad, and Eric was sealed to Elizabeth;
- Sirisha said "yes" for an August wedding so Jared would have "two shots" at the Virginia bar;
- Jared and Eric took their bar exams, and the individual prayers of a dozen people and the Temple Prayer Rolls become shorter when Eric was notified of his great accomplishment and Jared was finally notified of an almost miraculous victory;
- In the mean time, grandma and grandpa had submitted mission papers and received a call from Heavenly Father to Hong Kong, to leave in July - no, mid-May - no, the 1st of May - no, the 21st of April - and, finally the 28th of April;
- Elder and Sister Olson received permission to return home for Jared and Sirisha's marriage;
- The last call date of April 28 was inspired so - grandpa could sell one car, and then the other car just two days before entering the MTC; the Saturday (two days) before Monday April 21st (when grandma and grandpa were otherwise to have been in the MTC) the sprinkler line broke (floodinig the fruit room), the hot water heater began steadily leaking, the solar water storage tank bottom appeared frighteningly rusty, and the downstairs toilet broke, but all were fixed during the last week before entering the MTC, when grandma and grandpa did all their mission shopping, finally sold the last car, gave their "farewell" talks, gave the family a patriarchal blessing, and had the "last supper" of "Mama Olson's lasagna";
- Along with all the above: (1) All of grandma and grandpa's married (and soon to be married) children are financially, physically, mentally and spiritually able to stand on their own two feet; (2) The married siblings and families are already bonding together, helping each other, continuing important and valuable traditions of group FHEs, once/month birthday celebrations, and FLP Retreats, as if grandma and grandpa didn't need to stay home; and, (3) Grandma's wonderful four sisters in Arizona are banding together to care for our ailing matriarch (great-grandma Pearl) saying with their actions and sacrifices (just as great-grandma Pearl has verbally said) - we need Ron and Charlene to go on this mission (and others).
Well, maybe all these (and other) "alligning stars" are only the result of conincidence, hard and smart work, and good luck. Yea.....right! But grandma and grandpa Olson - and you - know that "SOMEONE ELSE IN CHARGE OF THIS WORK"! And, it hasn't been easy, but it has been worth it!
