Lunch in Logansport

Recently I traveled with two dear friends to Logansport to meet another friend from Fort Wayne for lunch.

Kathy Nimmer, Lisa Connolly, me, and Gayla Sorenson.

Gayla is one of the matrons at the Indianapolis Temple, and if you look closely, you can see the gold and white bracelet (made by Kathy) that I gave her as a Christmas gift last Christmas. (I'm wearing mine, too.) Gayla loved the bracelet and was intrigued when she learned that Kathy was blind and asked to meet her.

Nacho, of course, came along and she was thrilled to meet him, too.

We had a lovely lunch and Gayla and Kathy hit it off so well that they would like to get together for lunch again. (Lisa is leaving on a mission and won't be able to join us.)

 

A close up of the bracelet. Isn't it beautiful?

When I gave the temple matrons their bracelets, I included a letter sharing with them how the bracelet had been made and why I wanted them to have it. Here is the text:

December, 2021

This chain mail bracelet in temple colors of white and gold was made for you by my friend, Kathy Nimmer. There is an interesting story that goes along with the bracelet, one that makes me think of you and your service here in the temple.

Kathy is one of my dearest friends and one of the most multi-faceted, talented, and interesting people I know. A former teaching colleague of mine, Kathy was Indiana’s 2015 Teacher of the Year and then one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year in 2016. She has been to the White House and met President Obama, won Dolly Parton’s Chasing Rainbows Award in 2016, and has countless other awards for her teaching. 

These accomplishments are all the more amazing when you discover that Kathy is totally blind.

Kathy is guided by Nacho, a yellow Lab from from Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization that provides guide dogs free of charge to the visually impaired at a cost of roughly $50,000 to $60,000 per dog. Since she is a devout Christian and believes in giving back to others, all proceeds from Kathy’s bracelets are donated to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

For me, the bracelet symbolizes two things. One is the gifts, talents, and challenges that Heavenly Father gives us, and how He then blesses us when we do our best to love and serve our fellow human beings. The other is how the chain mail symbolically connects to “putting on the full armor of God.” With His help, we can rise above our limitations, stand up to those fiery darts, and do good in this world.

You have “put on the full armor of God” and are using your gifts and talents to rise to those challenges. Our temple and the lives of patrons and ordinance workers have been blessed as a result of your faith and your selfless sacrifices. So, it seemed fitting that Kathy, someone who is also rising above the many challenges in her life, should make you something to remind you of how wonderfully you are rising above your own. 

Merry Christmas!