This morning we received an Internet referral we were excited to meet Zachary. We called and left a message then went about our day with hopeful anticipation. It was so cold,icy and slick but we were careful driving and walking. We talked with a Doc Halladay at the local hardware store for about an hour about the community and what if anything could be done to improve the economics of the community.
Had a discussions with Dave at Frances BBQ. We met with the Traveling Elders,then the Bishop, Ward Mission Leader. It was a semi successful meeting. Moore will happen as we continue to learn the ward better.
After dinner we called Zachary again......here is the let down....some of his friends was playing a joke on him so he said.
I was so saddened by this and I hadn't even placed the call.
The weather is nasty.i am wiped out and it is just 8:00.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Our first P-day
This week has been full of new adventures. We were able to witness 3 baptisms and confirmations. Vickie has stepped out of her comfort zone and will be playing the piano for RS.
Pray that The Lord will only let them hear the good notes. We love this little house we have to live in as it take only an hour to clean it. Vickie is grateful everyday for the garage. It is cold starting again this week. Nothing like Elder Hafen in Minnesota. We were able to teach with the traveling elders on Saturday. We are setting up 5 possibly 6 more baptisms for february 9th. We have so much work and not enough energy but we are getting there. We love it.
Pray that The Lord will only let them hear the good notes. We love this little house we have to live in as it take only an hour to clean it. Vickie is grateful everyday for the garage. It is cold starting again this week. Nothing like Elder Hafen in Minnesota. We were able to teach with the traveling elders on Saturday. We are setting up 5 possibly 6 more baptisms for february 9th. We have so much work and not enough energy but we are getting there. We love it.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Fridays twists and turns
Today we traveled with the Bishop and his wife to visit members. Can I say I need those motion sickness bands the roads are so winding and up and down I feel so yucky by the time we get to our destinationI guess I need to be the driver. Today went to Linda Smith and Kelly Jones home a mother and daughter who have health issues. Wednesday night we went to the church and met many of the members. Most are related to one another. Spent time with the Bishopric learning about the members. Some hurt feelings have caused some not to come out to church anymore. If we only realize as people that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth and no one should allow someone to keep them away from Christ love. I have started studying The Peacegiver by James Ferrell again for my upcoming talk. It is so clear to me how important it is to love other completely and to forgive people. I want to add a thought from the book will edit tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
District Meeting in Cookeville
The big Barn Owl sitting on the tall broken Birch tree was worth the nauseating ride of twists and turns over hill and down as we followed the GPS from Tompkinsville to Cookeville through SR163. It was cold and raining. Dark for daytime as the clouds hung low touching the treetops but we persevered. The trees were barren as it is winter and a dry sphagnum Moss like vine hung from their tops to the ground giving off an eery feeling as we drove. Elder Donaldson felt the strain in his arms as he drove the winding road with dips and hills and sharp curves. We drove for one hour and thirty minutes.
We had allowed us plenty of time to arrive at the Church building on time. Arriving with 20 minutes to spare we stopped to buy me crackers to alleviate the nauseating headache. We were late and our GPS wouldn't give us the final destination..".House Number not Valid"! Just as if on que our phone rang, "Elder Johnson our DL (district leader) called to check on us and he gave us further instruction. Elder Donaldson as always got us to the church immediately.
We were spiritually fed as we listened to these fine young missionaries teach us how to teach.
The most important part I came away with is to listen to understand.Prayer, commit.
After our meeting we took a group pictures because Elder Ferrie is leaving in a week to go home.
We then went to lunch with Elder and Sister Wrigley. We got to know them better.
We needed to find us a bed so off we went in search of a bed. We were successful at Sears. Shopping isn't a huge thing in Cookeville and null and void in Tompkinsville.:) Everyone is so helpful and kind.
We even got directions for a much better drive home. We will be making a map and directions binder for us. The time was one hour. It was so much safer especially with the road less winding around and sharp ups and downs. We had to stop and visit our local Walmart for a few supples that we had forgotten the day before. It is still cold and wet.
Bishop Scott had hoped to meet tonight. We will meet him tomorrow night...
I am folling to sleep whitle writing this and my dear sweet husband is in reading waiting for me. So goodnight to our friends and family.
Tomorrow we play house..cleaning,ironing,making lists,goals and preparing. Serving the Lord is Awesome...Oh I forgot the best part we have several events on saturday....."5 Baptisms" and a birthday party for an 81 year old member. The field is ripe already to Harvest.
Love each of you dearly.
Vickie and Bob
We had allowed us plenty of time to arrive at the Church building on time. Arriving with 20 minutes to spare we stopped to buy me crackers to alleviate the nauseating headache. We were late and our GPS wouldn't give us the final destination..".House Number not Valid"! Just as if on que our phone rang, "Elder Johnson our DL (district leader) called to check on us and he gave us further instruction. Elder Donaldson as always got us to the church immediately.
We were spiritually fed as we listened to these fine young missionaries teach us how to teach.
The most important part I came away with is to listen to understand.Prayer, commit.
After our meeting we took a group pictures because Elder Ferrie is leaving in a week to go home.
We then went to lunch with Elder and Sister Wrigley. We got to know them better.
We needed to find us a bed so off we went in search of a bed. We were successful at Sears. Shopping isn't a huge thing in Cookeville and null and void in Tompkinsville.:) Everyone is so helpful and kind.
We even got directions for a much better drive home. We will be making a map and directions binder for us. The time was one hour. It was so much safer especially with the road less winding around and sharp ups and downs. We had to stop and visit our local Walmart for a few supples that we had forgotten the day before. It is still cold and wet.
Bishop Scott had hoped to meet tonight. We will meet him tomorrow night...
I am folling to sleep whitle writing this and my dear sweet husband is in reading waiting for me. So goodnight to our friends and family.
Tomorrow we play house..cleaning,ironing,making lists,goals and preparing. Serving the Lord is Awesome...Oh I forgot the best part we have several events on saturday....."5 Baptisms" and a birthday party for an 81 year old member. The field is ripe already to Harvest.
Love each of you dearly.
Vickie and Bob
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Our Assignment & Challenge
We met with the Mission President for lunch on Saturday the 12th along with one of his daughters and the two AP missionaries at O'Charley's restaurant. It was very nice and we learned a lot about the mission and the mission president and his family, particularly his wife who is recovering from some serious health issues.
After lunch we went back to the President's office, sat down, and talked about our assignments. We expressed our interests to him and how we felt our skills could be best used. After some discussion he shared with us his interest in us working in an area in southern Kentucky in a small city named Tomkinsville. There is a Ward there and we will be responsible for working with less-than active and totally inactive members of the Church. Both Vickie and I are looking forward to meeting the members and the leaders of the Ward. We also feel a little trepidation. The president talked to us about the difference in the culture and cautioned us to be sensitive to the expectations of the people in this part of the world.
We are planning to meet with the Bishop and other leaders to learn from them on how we can be of the greatest help. We have already provided the missionaries with two referrals we picked up talking to the servers in two restaurants that we ate at.
Tomorrow we travel to our mission area and we begin the work....
After lunch we went back to the President's office, sat down, and talked about our assignments. We expressed our interests to him and how we felt our skills could be best used. After some discussion he shared with us his interest in us working in an area in southern Kentucky in a small city named Tomkinsville. There is a Ward there and we will be responsible for working with less-than active and totally inactive members of the Church. Both Vickie and I are looking forward to meeting the members and the leaders of the Ward. We also feel a little trepidation. The president talked to us about the difference in the culture and cautioned us to be sensitive to the expectations of the people in this part of the world.
We are planning to meet with the Bishop and other leaders to learn from them on how we can be of the greatest help. We have already provided the missionaries with two referrals we picked up talking to the servers in two restaurants that we ate at.
Tomorrow we travel to our mission area and we begin the work....
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Made it to Brentwood
We arrived in Brentwood Thursday evening and stayed in the local Best Westen to earn more points. Vickie is still really sick with the flu. She has ran a high fever throughout the week. This has been hard on both of us. On the 11th we traveled to the office in a large business complex and met the staff. Elder Hunt is the Mission Secretary and Eldeer and Sister Rodack are assistants and take care of housing and miscellaneous things.
Elder Hunt is a retired school teacher from Oregon. He and sister Hunt have four children. We did not spend any real time with the Rodacks. They were quite busy with their duties. The President was out of the office and was interviewing some Elders up in Kentucky where the mission extends. This mission covers six stakes in starting with Nashville and they spreads out into Tennessee, Kentucky, and a small part of Illinois.
We are staying the the Belmony Suites hotel near the mission office until we see the President, we hope today. His wife is better but of course not fully recovered from her strokes and heart attack.
She is in rehab and doing quite well...they see this as a miracle.
We ho[e to see the President today and get moved into an apartment so we can begin out work. Last night we ate at a local Mc Callisters and met a lovely young lady who waited on us and she became out first referall. Her name is Laura Duff.
Elder Hunt is a retired school teacher from Oregon. He and sister Hunt have four children. We did not spend any real time with the Rodacks. They were quite busy with their duties. The President was out of the office and was interviewing some Elders up in Kentucky where the mission extends. This mission covers six stakes in starting with Nashville and they spreads out into Tennessee, Kentucky, and a small part of Illinois.
We are staying the the Belmony Suites hotel near the mission office until we see the President, we hope today. His wife is better but of course not fully recovered from her strokes and heart attack.
She is in rehab and doing quite well...they see this as a miracle.
We ho[e to see the President today and get moved into an apartment so we can begin out work. Last night we ate at a local Mc Callisters and met a lovely young lady who waited on us and she became out first referall. Her name is Laura Duff.
Monday, January 7, 2013
On the road again
After making sure that Vickie was comfortable and warm recovering from what appears to be the start of a cold, we headed off from Grants NM to Weatherford OK., our next stop. For those unfamiliat with the history and geography of our country Interstate 40 parallels the old Route 66 made famous in the 50's by the song Route 66. It was a hit song made famous by Nat King Cole and is still heard today.
I first drove on Route 66 in 1954 from Los Angeles to Tucumcari, NM in the late spring. I was on my way to Ft.Riley Kansas after graduating from OCS. It was the only time I have driven on that road since 1954. I was a newly minted 2nd Lt and ready to conquer the world. We stopped in Tucomcari today for lunch in a restaurant started in 1953. The restaurant changed hands about 15 years ago.
The town seems dead. ot much action around the town. There is a paper mill close by along with a mine of some type but not much else. Ranchers and some farmers are still around, but other thqn thqt there is not much to offer,
After we finished lunch we headed off to Weatherford. We arrived here about 7:30pm. There ae little pieces of the highway left and you can drive on them between offramps. It ia interesting that the speed limit is 55 NPH wu9le on the freeway right next to the old roadbedm the speed li,it is 75 MPH.
Enough for today....
I first drove on Route 66 in 1954 from Los Angeles to Tucumcari, NM in the late spring. I was on my way to Ft.Riley Kansas after graduating from OCS. It was the only time I have driven on that road since 1954. I was a newly minted 2nd Lt and ready to conquer the world. We stopped in Tucomcari today for lunch in a restaurant started in 1953. The restaurant changed hands about 15 years ago.
The town seems dead. ot much action around the town. There is a paper mill close by along with a mine of some type but not much else. Ranchers and some farmers are still around, but other thqn thqt there is not much to offer,
After we finished lunch we headed off to Weatherford. We arrived here about 7:30pm. There ae little pieces of the highway left and you can drive on them between offramps. It ia interesting that the speed limit is 55 NPH wu9le on the freeway right next to the old roadbedm the speed li,it is 75 MPH.
Enough for today....
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Packing for 18 months
We can thank Dana for her help. Cutting my wardrobe in half was all we needed to do. With a lot of crying, and whining on my part we finally did it jewelry and shoes. NO SMALL TASK!! The Prius is packed to the brim but it is all in.
I did so well not to get sick at the MTC but it caught up with me at 5 pm saturday and hit me with a vengeance. After cooking scallops (very first time) perfectly if I do say so myself. I wrapped myself up in a blanket and then finally took a hot hot shower and medicated myself and went to bed.
We headed out today at 7 am driving to Grants, New Mexico. It has been along day and this cold is getting the best of me. Bob is healthy and going strong. He never ceases to amaze me. He is definitely my energizer bunny. I have a great companion. We arrived in NM around 5 o'clock. After 10 hours in the car we were ready to be done. We had a nice dinner.
Goodnight a longer day tomorrow.
I did so well not to get sick at the MTC but it caught up with me at 5 pm saturday and hit me with a vengeance. After cooking scallops (very first time) perfectly if I do say so myself. I wrapped myself up in a blanket and then finally took a hot hot shower and medicated myself and went to bed.
We headed out today at 7 am driving to Grants, New Mexico. It has been along day and this cold is getting the best of me. Bob is healthy and going strong. He never ceases to amaze me. He is definitely my energizer bunny. I have a great companion. We arrived in NM around 5 o'clock. After 10 hours in the car we were ready to be done. We had a nice dinner.
Goodnight a longer day tomorrow.
MTC experience!!!!!WOW
We have had quite the experience at the MTC...First off it was sooooo cold in Provo. Bob and I both had red coats among everyone else's Black,brown or blue coats....I thought we were told to dress brighter. I did receive a lot of compliments on my red cape.
Our teachers Sister Cluff and Brother Porter did not hesitate to jump into Preach My Gospel. President Petersen was full of life as he energized us with his energetic presentations. We had teaching exercises twice a day where we would prepare our lessons. What a great opportunity to teach with my dear sweet husband. Bob is so great at this. He had his doubts but on the 2nd day he knew he had this and that we could do whatever the Lord asks of us. I truly appreciate Bobs faith and willingness to be outside our comfort zone.
During our 1 week stay at the MTC can I just say the servers and organizers of the meals and facilities do an AWESOME job. There was a breakout of stomach flu (the 48 hour severe kind). Within a few hours of the first victim we were quarantined from the younger Elders and Sisters where the illness was. By the end of the week it was all contained. It was so great to partake of the spirit at the MTC. 3000 young missionaries were there with 103 Senior missionaries checking in when we did Dec. 31st. The largest group of Senior missionaries so far at one time. The MTC expects the number to more than double by April. I don't know where they will put them. Pres. Petersen said they were looking for 300 spanish teachers for the MTC.
Our teachers Sister Cluff and Brother Porter did not hesitate to jump into Preach My Gospel. President Petersen was full of life as he energized us with his energetic presentations. We had teaching exercises twice a day where we would prepare our lessons. What a great opportunity to teach with my dear sweet husband. Bob is so great at this. He had his doubts but on the 2nd day he knew he had this and that we could do whatever the Lord asks of us. I truly appreciate Bobs faith and willingness to be outside our comfort zone.
During our 1 week stay at the MTC can I just say the servers and organizers of the meals and facilities do an AWESOME job. There was a breakout of stomach flu (the 48 hour severe kind). Within a few hours of the first victim we were quarantined from the younger Elders and Sisters where the illness was. By the end of the week it was all contained. It was so great to partake of the spirit at the MTC. 3000 young missionaries were there with 103 Senior missionaries checking in when we did Dec. 31st. The largest group of Senior missionaries so far at one time. The MTC expects the number to more than double by April. I don't know where they will put them. Pres. Petersen said they were looking for 300 spanish teachers for the MTC.
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