I just talked to both of my sisters. They are terrific women. I wish I could be more like them. There are few people I admire more.
I hear inklings about their good works but I know they are largely unsung heroes.
Olivia is a person that collects "the least of these." They are drawn to her like she's honey and they're bees. Marianne is Olivia's support financially pitching in on anonymous gifts and taking care of Olivia's children in a pinch and helping whenever she can. (Although Marianne's busy enough in her own right taking in a motherless boy in addition to her own five.)
There's a family that Olivia adopted...or they adopted her. She's given them furniture, clothes, countless rides to town and who knows what all. They are Mexican immigrants. They don't speak English, don't own a vehicle (although they can't drive anyway). They arrived in Starr Valley with little more than their clothes.
Here's a picture stolen from her blog of Olivia taking their kids to get a Christmas tree:
It is in my sweet sister's nature to just do things like that.
She told me a few days ago that this family was moving. They were supposed to be gone by today but Olivia heard that they hadn't left yet.
She immediately wondered if they needed any help. That's how she is. She was ready to offer them a place to stay if that was needed until they could get on their way.
She tried to call them but didn't reach them.
She couldn't get them out of her head. My sister who lives her life by promptings of the Spirit, abandoned her own house, her own middle-of-Christmas preparations that nearly every woman in America is engaged in right now and drove to their house.
She found that they had a ride to their destination (Texas) and that a man was coming from Los Angeles to pick them up. While she was there, the dad answered a phone call. It was the man from Los Angeles. He said that they'd have to meet him in Las Vegas which is 400 miles away. The dad's face fell when he heard this news. This little destitute family had no way to make it to Las Vegas and so no way to make it to their family and opportunities in Texas.
Olivia rallied my mom and Marianne who were ready and willing to pitch in to buy them bus tickets to Las Vegas. Then Olivia found out the family was going to pay their ride an exorbitant sum for the trip. She found them bus tickets all the way to Texas.
Then she realized the bus left in an hour.
She helped them pack up their meager possessions and hustled them to Elko...a 45 minute drive...to the bus.
Marianne happily agreed to keep Olivia's kids while she was gone.
Olivia got them loaded on the bus and charmed the cranky man who said their bag was overweight to let it slide. She wished the Cranky Man Merry Christmas and said good-bye to her friends. They were wearing nice coats she'd provided and taking gifts other kind people had given them.
Olivia called me on her drive home.
She told me she still had a lot of work to do and wasn't ready for Christmas yet. Marianne had already told me the story of how Olivia was spending her day.
I have to think that Olivia, who truly chose the better part, is a lot more ready for Christmas than the rest of us.
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