Baylee - Sick Companions, Tranfers, and all that Fun Stuff!‏

May 30 2016

Hola Mi Familia y Mis Amigos! :)

How is everyone doing this week?? I hope well! This week is graduation for my little brother Jace!! I cant believe how fast that one came! And also, my dear sister and mission buddy, Brielle, is heading back home to start up real life again!! Wow, and just yesterday we were all playing in the backyard on the trampoline, sliding down the staircase, and riding bikes all over the neighborhood! Crazy....

Well, this week was one to remember, thats for sure...LOL here is what happened!

- Monday night, we had an FHE with the f. Castillo. They are awesome! The dad, Walter, was the Bishop before, and him and his wife have two boys. Their poldest son just got back from his mission in Uruguay. Our lesson was on the need for the members to support us in the missionary work. We played the human spider web game with them, them we did practices of sharing the Gospel with a friend. It was super fun!

- Tuesday we found a reference which we received ffrom the Church system of Referral Manager. His name is Baltazar and he really wants to learn. We were also able to teach his family. ]Wow, I now understand so much better why we are encouraged to find and teach families. The difference in teaching families and teaching individuals is astounding! I felt the love the Lord has for each of them, and I felt this pressing anxiety that they need to progress in this path. It was almost overwhelming!  and WAY COOL!

- Thrusday morning, we had planned to got to our District meeting, but then the Hna.s in Sechura called us to inform us that they were heading to Piura right then and there because Hna. Tiñini has collapsed to the floor in convulsions during their comp. prayer. So we made all the necessary calls and we joined them at the clinic to help. We passed the whole day there with them. From about 11 AM until 3 PM. And the doctors didnt do anythig, just told Presidente that theyt needed to make an appointment witht the nuerologist to get a brain scan...so that was an adventure! 

- When we got back to the room in the afternoon Thursday, a whole other adventure began. Hna. Apeña was so out of it and looked like she was dying, but she didnt want to tell me what was wrong beause she "didnt watnt o b other me". But I foudn that she was reading in the health guide about throat pain. So I checked her for strep, but then I touched he forehead and she was burning up. I took he temp. and it was 102 degrees F...Oh my goodness. So we called Hna. RAsmussen, and began quite an adeventure. I was up until about 12 or 12:30 AM Thursday night trying to help her get her super high fever down. It has been hard for Hna. Apeña to find the energy to get up. It is like a heavy weight is put on her, but there are no other symtptoms, so we have no idea waht is wrong. But I am grateful I am able to help her through this rough time. She has all the desire in the world to work and teach, it is just proving extremely difficult as a consequence of the fever, the zapping of her energy, the heavy weight on her eyes, and the chills that plague her...She is making me so worried. Today is day five of this mess. Everyday I have been able to go out and proselyte just a little buit with a member while Hna. Apeña stayed with our Pensionista. It hs been a different expereince, teaching with members and without my companion....In all of this, I have felt the Spirit helping us through. Some truly wonderful members from both our ward, Ramon Castilla, and the Elders ward, Jorge Chavez, have been there to help us out. As I have knelt each mornign to do personal study all alone, the Spirit has accompanied me. I have prayed earnestly and also fasted for the benefit of Hna. Apeña. She is all I have been thinking about these past couple days,. My love for her has increased ten fold. Even though it has been rough, and I am so tired from from getting up in the middle of the night to take her temperature and re-wet the wash cloth on her forehead, I am grateful to be with her right now. It has been a trial and a blessing. She is still having a rough time today, so we are calling to mission offices to get plans to go to the clinic and get her checked up. We need to know what is wrong. But, Mom, I AM FINE! LOL :)

- Saturday we had our last District meeting of the transfer. It was a good meeting, as always! I made us No Bake Cookies and the Elders were so crazy happy! Also, I received 5 letters from home! Thanks Mom, Nikkie, Bri, and the Fremont Peak YW!! :) You are all the best! 

-Saturday night, we received our new transfers...And we didnt get transferred! LOL we are staying together once again, so I will once again complete 6 months in one area. I only have two areas!! How crazy is that!? But there is one change, we are now is the District in San Bernardo, no longer with the Zone LEaders and the Elders in Jorge Chavez...That made us both a little sad because this District has abeen a ton of fun, but its all good. We will make this one fun too! 

Well, there ya go. My week, in a nut shell! I love you all so very much! Sé que cada desafío en este mundo es por nuestro beneficio y tenemos que confiar en el Señor y seguir adelante. Sean fuertes y valientes siempre! Les quiero bastante!! :)

-- 

<<< HERMANA BUCHANAN >>>

~ ~ ~ PERU PIURA MISSION ~ ~ ~

Brielle - Homeward Bound!!!

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

SANTIAGO MISSION

Issued solemnly this 26th day of May 2016 by the Homeward Bound Committee of the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission to the family, friends, and loved ones of the beloved Hermana Buchanan.

By virtue of the astounding, if not mind-boggling eighteen wonderfully accumulated months composed in equal parts of dirt, sun, sweat, tears, and incredible joy in the service of the Lord, the Homeward Bound Committee has decreed that the time has come for these callused, blistered, tired, and dirty feet to take a rest.  Soon this Hermana will again be entering into the wicked gentile world, wearing out-of-style clothing and tanned from the neck up and the elbows down, but full of love for the gospel.

As chairman of the committee responsible for the homeward bound missionaries departing from the Dominican Republic Santiago Mission, it is my duty and privilege to inform you of the return of Hermana Buchanan of Wyoming, USA, after a completed service to the Lord as a missionary of the previously mentioned mission.  She will arrive on Friday, the 2nd day of June 2016.

           

In making proper preparations to welcome home Hermana Buchanan back into organized society, it is advised to keep in mind the confined, unusual, and foreign environment that has influenced her life for the past eighteen months.  One would be advised to stock the kitchen with plenty of mom’s home cooking and goodies such as pizza, Oreo cookies, M&M’s. chocolate chip cookies, and of course, your missionary’s favorite dish.  It would be wise, in order to prevent further damage, to dispose of any signs of moldy bread, white cheese, powdered milk, cabbage, mondogo (cow guts), goat head soup, chicken feet, tripita (small intestines), yucca (a kind of boiled root that instantly turns to cement upon making contact with the stomach lining), sugar cane, and Clorox-purified or boiled drinking water. Try to be understanding when your missionary has frequent, uncontrollable cravings for arroz con leche (Dominican rice pudding), habichuelas con dulce (Dominican sweet bean drink), “la bandera” (beans/rice/meat dish representing the country’s flag), mangos, avocados, and platanos fritos (fried plantain).

 Don’t take it personally offensive when your missionary sifts through flour, sugar, or rice looking for ants, or examines her food for any bugs before she actually takes a bite.  Don’t be alarmed when she washes her fruits and vegetables with Clorox water.  Do not think of her deranged when she spits out bones and raw spices onto the floor.  Do not be disturbed when she eats with her elbows on the table, uses only a spoon, uses her shirt as a napkin, and throws leftovers out the window.  You will need to remind her what a garbage can is used for and where it is located.

Be sure to have a full tank of hot water so your missionary can enjoy her first hot shower in a long time.  Do not be surprised when she wears her flip-flops in the shower, wears bug repellent as perfume, uses Raid as an air freshener and a butcher knife as a can opener, dumps three buckets of water down the toilet to flush it, or throws toilet paper in the garbage can.  You will need to point out that the garden hose is not to be used to clean the house due to the damage it may cause to things called carpet and furniture.  Tell her there are machines that cut the grass and she will no longer have to use a machete.  You can also tell her it is not necessary to set up a mosquito net around her bed each night, and that she will not need candles and matches at her bedside. Yes, you will need to remind her that the camping trip is now over.

If she is made aware of an illness of any kind, she will have the tendency to prescribe drinking something with lemon in it, that being the general cure for everything in the Dominican Republic.  And if lemons don’t work, the magic cream will.  So for any headache, cough, cold, toothache, or other bodily ailment, it would be suggested to purchase the twenty-cent tin of “Vi Va Po Ru”, otherwise known as “Vicks Vapor Rub”.

Please do not be disturbed when she wears the same clothes for a week, judges travel time by how long it takes to walk, prays in Spanish, asks to share a scripture and pray at the end of each meal, or eats her food in thirty seconds flat to run off to an appointment.

In addition, your missionary may become extremely upset when told that she will no longer have to scales cliffs, wade through streams, throw rocks at vicious dogs, or jump fences to get to her next appointment. Before handing her the car keys, she will need to review correct and courteous driving skills, due to the fact that she has become Dominicanized in the rules of the road and traffic laws.  The symptoms of such a condition are:  driving the wrong way down one-way streets, using stop signs and stop lights only as suggestions, constantly blaring the horn, bribing or simply not stopping for the police, running over chickens, hitting motorcycles, and using the arm as a turn signal.  Also remind her of the purpose of the lines on the road—where they came from, why they are there, and where they go.

This poor wasted servant of the Lord will probably scream, run wild, and become violent if you should mention shots, worm pills, cockroaches, mosquitoes, tarantulas, rats, bats, biting ants, and fleas, biking in the rain, burning tires, gun, knife and machete fights, rock throwing, and “frecos” (overly aggressive friendly Dominican men that want to do more than make an acquaintance on the premise of changing their martial status).

For the first few weeks your missionary is home, accept with understanding her broken English.  A simple request for a translation may be necessary when she involuntarily breaks into a dialogue known as “Spanglish”.

Take into consideration her state of mind when she calls you “Elder” or “Hermana” and insists that it is a rule not to tell you her first name and that Hermana is sufficient.  Do not be bothered if she walks in the door and yells “Saludos” instead of just knocking, says “con permiso” before entering a room, hisses at people to get their attention, points with her lips or face, wrinkles her nose when she doesn’t understand, shakes her index finger to say no, asks everyone how they liked the meeting, or carries her backpack everywhere.  Do not judge her crazy when her only topic of conversation is the Dominican Republic and the missionary work, or think she is a religious fanatic when she preaches to friends or strangers about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, reverence in church meetings, and the importance of family home evening.  Do not be embarrassed when she says “adios” to everyone she sees, or “buen provecho” to everyone she sees eating. She will definitely have a great tendency to shake hands or kiss cheeks with everyone when meeting and parting.  Also when asked to run to the store between noon and two pm, do not be alarmed if she replies by saying, “We can’t, they’re closed!”  Just patiently remind her that she is in the United States now.

All are hereby warned and duly cautioned to treat the newly delivered missionary with great

care, courtesy, affection, and love. Humour her in every possible way.  Remain calm when she

jumps out of bed at 6:30am to exercise, have devotional, and beat everyone to the

bathroom.  She is used to having a companion twenty-four hours a day, so don’t be surprised if

she follows you around and wants to have companionship study and prayer.  She will surely be

suffering from “Dominicanitis”, an extreme love for the Dominican people, so please try to

understand when she gets a faraway look in her eyes, tears brim, and she quietly excuses

herself from the room.  She will be thinking of that faraway land and the people that she has

grown to love and who have changed her life.  But broken hearts are mended with lots of love,

hugs, and chocolate chip cookies.  With a little bit of patience, tolerance, kindness, and time,

she will once again resemble the pre-mission loved one you once knew.  However, when she

does not respond to her given name, you may be able to catch her attention by

shouting:  Hermana, Blanca, Americana, CIA, Mormona, Linda, Bakana, Gringa,

Chic, and if all else fails try psssssssssssst!

So send no more mail to this address because this is it—SHE IS COMING HOME!!!!!  The Homeward Bound Committee thanks you for giving close attention to these matters and hopes that this information will be of assistance in giving your missionary a warm welcome home.

 Sincerely, 

See You Soon

President, Homeward Bound Committee

Dominican Republic

Santiago Mission

Brielle - Jueves 26 mayo 2016‏

May 26 2016

Bueno.... That week flew......

Wednesday we were able to get in 3 lessons. The only problem was thatwe got home at like 10 pm.... That wasn´t our fault. We had a lesson with an investigator named Eusebia and she kind of was contentious and then we had two members with us. Pte. Felipe was the branch pres. adn now is in the district presidency. He wasn´t too bad but the other member named Ruben. He is blind. was being contencious in return. So it took a long while to end the lesson in good terms. We eventually got her to comitt to read the Book of Mormon to at least try it.

Thrusday we taught Jenifer, Jeferi, and Yeuri. They are siblings. We contacted their house looking for a less active but the less active moved and they live there now. They are super receptive and love learning. We hope that when their mom comes back from Santo Domingo that we can share with her as well. 

Friday We had intercambios so i went to Navarette with Hemana Ririe. It was nice to talk some ingles for a little. We walked a lot but it was a good day. We visited with a member who is awesome. She travels to the states a lot she loved talking about the 4th of July in Florida. I am excited for good fireworks.

Saturday my comp and Hna Nauca came to Navarrete and we switched. We came home and I get changed. Then we had a lesson with a recent convert and we talked about the plan of salvation. Then we had an ingels class.

Sunday we had church. We went and visited with Familia Agustin because they didn´t make it to church and when we got there someting was wrong but she wouldn´t tell us saying everything was fine so we said ok. Then we had out meeting with the mission leader adn that took a lot of time.

MondayWE had a district meeting in Montecristi and I wanted to have the meeting in Dajabon so we could go to the Haitan Market but that didn´t ahppen... When we were proselytng we stopped by the office of the owner to pick up a document that the office needed and while we were in there the heavens poured down. It was like a mini hurricane. Strong wind and super hard rain. Nd eardrum breaking thunder seriously it hurt our ears the thunder. I went to record it and it wouldn´t do it while I was recording so like whatever.

Tuesday we had a meeting in the night and when we got to the church we were all are the cleanig the church no just weeping out the flood that happened in the church from the storm the other day. So we helped get that done then we had the meeting and then we got our p-day eve ice cream.

Wednesady we got up early so we could be at the stop at 6:30 am and when we got there there was a bus there but there was a bunch of people trying to get on the guy in charge was like where are you gong Santiago and then he asked the guy on the bus if two could fit and yes so we got on right awsay so no waiting. We got to santiago and ate breakfast and then went to the mission home to get medical stuff figured out adn then we chatted for a long time and then we went to the monument for the last time then we spent a the majority of our time in Calle del Sol. The we went ot the office and the we ate at Wendy´s and then headed home. Oh my goodness the lesson with Eusebia was super differnt this time. SHE HAS BEEN READING!!! She even said that what she has read helps her understand the Bible better it is clearer. Both Hna. Cortorreal and I were like she is feeling the Spirit. She is understanding... It was soo cool.

Welp... strange to say.... see ya´ll around... talk to you from the states..

Loves!! 

-- 

Todo Bien!!!

Hermana Buchanan

Church History Tour Talk May 22 2016

Church History Tour  - March 31 to April 10, 2016 

The first real stop on our trip was Winter Quarters, Nebraska.  We actually stayed in Laramie the first night because we had made hotel reservations there so we could watch the boys play with the Jazz Band and Choir at the UW Jazz Festival.  But PHS cancelled the trip because the I 80 had been closed the day before because of nasty weather and the forecast didn’t look good.  We said a prayer for good weather and safety and we went anyway!  (Just a little foreshadowing of what the weather would be for the majority of our trip!)   

Back to Winter Quarters!  We really only planned to see the temple, spend the night then head onward early the next morning. But when we were in Laramie I saw a Facebook post from Shawn's cousin, who is serving a mission in Omaha Mission Office.  So I messaged her and we were able to meet her at the Winter Quarters Visitor Center. She introduced us to the sister missionaries there and they took us on a tour of the Pioneer Cemetery, the Temple Grounds and the displays at the visitor center. Winter Quarters was the headquarters of the church for a short time between 1846 & 1847.  Many of the saints that had made the trek to this point suffered from exposure, poor nutrition and bad sanitation and 100's died that winter. The cemetery is unmarked, no headstones.  But church leaders at the time kept such meticulous records they know exactly where every person was buried.  It was a beautiful peaceful place. Such a reminder of the sacrifice so many made for what they knew was true. 

The next stop on our trip was Genoa, Ohio a town in the Cleveland, OH mission where Shawn served twenty some odd years ago. We had 10 hours of driving to do that day which just happened to be the Saturday of General Conference.  So we were able to get a Internet connection and listened to General Conference while we traveled! I just love technology!! We made it to Genoa in time for the guys to watch the Priesthood session with Brother Kebker, the father of the family Shawn was able to baptized on his mission.  We were able to visit with their family learn all about the people in the mission since Shawn had left. 

The next day we traveled 7.5 hours to Susquehanna, Pennsylvania – formerly know as Harmony, PA. - home of the Priesthood Restoration Site Visitor center.  Once again we were blessed with the technology to be able to listen to General Conference as we traveled.  We made it to the Priesthood Restoration Site Visitor Center just before they were getting ready to close.  We were greeted by Brother and Sister Walker.  It was so fun to see them! Their mission as the Site directors spurred our decision to take this trip to Shawn's mission and the church Historical Sites.  We stayed at the Walkers house that night.  They shared some of their wonderful experiences with us.  The next day Bro and Sis Walker gave us a personal tour of the Priesthood restoration site.  How lucky were we! Other than the fact that cold weather was everywhere we went!  It actually snowed that night we made it to Susquehanna, something it hadn't done recently. So we woke up to snow on the ground.  I actually think it was a blessing in disguise.  The cold and snow gave us the opportunity to have private tours almost everywhere we went because no one wanted to go out in the cold, wintery weather!  Brother and Sister Walker took us to  Emma's parents home, where Joseph and Emma lived for a short time and where Joseph translated part of the Book of Mormon.  They also took us to the cabin where Joseph and Emma lived and where Joseph continued to translate the Book of Mormon with help from Emma and Oliver Cowdery acting as scribes. After we saw the homes and looked around the Visitors Center we were able to walk up the path to the wooded area where the Aaronic Priesthood was restored by John the Baptist to Joseph and Oliver. Once again it was so peaceful.  Then as we were leaving we were able to drive to the nearby Susquehanna river  and walk down to the place where Joseph and Oliver were baptized. Such an amazing experience to stand in that place and see the same river and mountain and probably even some of the trees that were there when Prophet Joseph was there. 

Next we headed to Palmyra, New York.  Once again the weather was a blessing to us.  There was actually a named winter storm(that tells you how bad it was) brewing all around us, but we seemed to miss it wherever we went.  We had a few stormy drives but when we made it to the places we wanted to visit the storms cleared.  As we neared Palmyra we left the interstate and were driving along the country road when we saw it, the Hill Cummorah covered in a blanket of snow. Really beautiful!  We went into the visitor center and they told us we could drive up to the monument on the hill.  Normally people walk up, but the cold weather convinced us to drive.  We were the only people on the hill.  It was easy to imagine a young man coming to that place because "a vision was opened to (his) mind that (he) could see the place where the plates were deposited," and "owing to the distinctness of the vision which (he) had had concerning it, (he) knew the place the instant that (he) arrived there." JSH 1:42, 50  What an amazing gift from our Heavenly Father for Joseph to be given this vision and led directly to the exact spot he would find the buried plates. It really was a miracle! 

The next day we visited the Grandin Building, the site of the 1st Publication of the Book of Mormon, the Smith Family Farm and the Sacred Grove.  At the Smith farm it was a bright, sunny day but the wind was cold and harsh!  So once again we had our own personal tour.  The missionaries at the visitor center told us that during the Summer months , especially during the Hill Cumorah Pageant, the can be hundreds of people there, so we were blessed to have chosen this specific time to see these sites. Our Senior missionary tour guide took us to the Smith's Log Home then the Frame Home that was built later and we saw the barn and cooper shop.  Then we were allowed to walk into the Sacred Grove on our own.  Like I said before the wind was pretty harsh but once we walked into the Sacred Grove we were protected from it.  We each took a separate path through the grove of trees giving us the opportunity to feel the spirit there for ourselves.  It was so quiet, I could hear the squirrels running through the trees. It brought to mind Joseph's recounting of his experience there. "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the Sun which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.  When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.  One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other-This is My Beloved Son.Hear Him!" JSH 1 16-17 Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ came to Joseph in that grove of trees!  They were there and Joseph's prayer was answered and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ began! 

After Palmyra, we took a little detour from the church historical sites and  visited Niagara Falls. Then we traveled to Kirtland, Ohio. We were able to see the Newel K Whitney store and home and were able to go upstairs to the room where the brethren met for the School of the Prophets.  It was in this tiny room that Doctrine and Covenants Section 89, otherwise known as the Word of Wisdom, was presented in response to Emma's pleadings after trying unsuccessfully to clean the room when chewing tobacco had been spit all over the floor. The next day we visited the Kirtland Temple.  We were able to walk through the temple and see the place where the Savior appeared to Joseph and Oliver. Doctrine and Covenants 110:2-4 decribes this amazing event, "2 We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber. 3 His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:  4 I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father."  Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared at this same time and place to restore the priesthood Keys of their dispensation.  At the end of our tour our tour guide invited us all to sing The Spirit of God.  He asked if anyone in our group could play the piano and a young woman volunteered. Then he asked for someone to lead the singing.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity!  So I was able to lead the singing of The Spirit of God in the Kirtland Temple!  It was a special moment, imagining myself at the Kirtland Temple Dedication singing and leading this stirring hymn. 150  temples later, we all will have this opportunity in October when the Star Valley Temple is dedicated! 

After Kirtland we took another little detour from the Church Historical Sites and went to Chicago to see a Broadway show. Then we headed for Carthage, Illinois and Carthage Jail - the place where Joseph and  his brother Hyrum sealed their testimony of Jesus Christ with their blood.  Joseph and Hyrum had been captured and jailed before, but as they left their families this time, something was different.  William W. Phelps reported Joseph as saying, "“I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer’s morning: I have a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward all men: I shall die innocent.”“The Murder,” Times and Seasons, vol. 5, no. 13 (July 15, 1844), 585. & D&C 15:4 Doctrine and Covenants 135: 4-5 says that before the men lef,t Hyrum had been reading in the Book of Mormon and marked Ether 12:37, "If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father." The men then presented themselves at Carthage to answer charges of civil Disturbance.  As we toured the site, our missionary tour guide showed us the dark jail cell where the men were initially kept then he took us upstairs to the bedroom where the compassionate jailer took them to provide them some comfort, and where they were ultimately martyred.  It amazes me how anyone can question the validity of Joseph's claims.  Why would a 14 year old boy submit himself to so much ridicule if he hadn't actually seen what he had seen? Then to hold to that testimony as well as testifying of the truthfullness of all of the other amazing experiences he enjoyed while being constantly mocked and persecuted throughout the remainder of his life.  The Restored Gospel is true! 

During the Final stop of our trip we were able enjoy some of the blessings of the Restored Priesthood Keys as we all participated in ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple.  The boys were able to do Baptisms and Confirmations for the Dead while Shawn and I participated in an Endowment Session.  The Nauvoo temple is beautiful and its history, compelling. As we were travelling in the car we had been listening to a book written and recorded by John Bytheway titled, How Do I Know I Know (we kinda like John Bytheway's stuff in our family!). He quoted Elder John H Groberg when he responded to someone who was just leaving the temple that said, "Well, back to the real world.". Elder Groberg said, "I understand what you are feeling but actually it’s the other way around. You are not leaving the temple and going back to the real world your are leaving the real world, the temple, and going back to the unreal or temporary world... that which is done in the temple lasts forever..therefore, the temple is the real world..."  What a blessing we have been given by having the Temple so readily available to us!  

This trip was a wonderful  way to remember all those who sacrificed so much so that we can have the gospel so easily today.  It is way too easy for us to take for granted the convenience of the closeness and comfort of the beautiful temples and buildings we meet in; the amazing technology that allows us to hear the prophet live in general conference no matter where we are (and to be able to communicate with our missionary children weekly); and all of the scriptures and the Gospel library that are available at our fingertips in printed as well as digital form.  I am so thankful for those who went before preparing the way for us .