T

This is my cherry tomato plant on  Thanksgiving morning!
The zinnias, geranium and chrysanthemums I planted a month or more ago are all blooming, as the leaves are falling from the trees.  Kind of crazy.

I survived the 110+ days and am loving the cooler weather now, especially when I see the cold, snowy weather in Bountiful.  I do miss the beauty of the snow, though.

This past couple of weeks, my training for scanning of books has begun.  The Sister who is teaching me is only at the ROC a couple of days each week.  Her 90 year old mother suffered a stroke recently so she is needing to spend more time caring for her.  I'm finding that there is much more to the process than just scanning.  Copyright issues have to be understood.  There are several steps for each book.  I think it will be interesting once I learn but iti will take time.

It was wonderful to spend Thanksgiving with Scott and Julie and two granddaughters and their families, including 3 great grandchildren.  I'm looking forward to the week between Christmas and New Years when Kevin and his family, including two little great grands, will be here to visit.  Not sure how many more visits I will have through the remainder of my time here because Scott & Julie have been called to serve in the Palmyra Temple for one year, beginning 17 May.  I'm glad they will return the month before I leave.

It's hard to explain how blessed I feel to be serving this  mission.  Much of the work could be done at home on my computer.  It's the opportunity to get to know and associate with really good people who dedicate hours each week to serving at the ROC.  There is such a loving and accepting spirit there.   The twice-daily devotionals in which each one, over 3 months-time has the opportunity to share their thoughts about the monthly theme, give insights into their personalities, struggles, and joys.  This  month's theme has been "Count Your Blessings.  It's amazing that with about 20 people sharing each month, the variety of ways at looking at the theme are inspiring.  With this month's theme, of course, there were many who shared ways in which they see the Lord's blessings in their lives.

As I thought about the above paragraph, I thought I might be giving an incorrect impression.  At home in Bountiful, I am blessed with wonderful family and friends who are examples to me.  It's different somehow when 90 people are engaged in the same work, helping each other decipher difficult handwriting, and sharing life.

I give a sister a ride to Church each Sunday.  She is nearly blind.  She uses a walker which I put into the back of my car.  She needs help maneuvering around people and benches, and her legs give her some problems.  She used to come in a wheelchair and, it seemed to me, that she was kind of "invisible " to others.  She now sits on the bench with Sister T and me.  I take her walker to the back.  People interact with her more.  She is teaching me much about  living with very little vision.  She lives by herself in an assisted living facility.   She gets a ride to the grocery store and has the help of a personal shopper provided by the stores.  She cooks her own meals because she doesn't like the food prepared by the facility.  I am certainly understanding more deeply how blessed I am to have my vision.

This is becoming a long post--makes up for going so long without.  I have an abscessed tooth that has presented a challenge to two dentists (one an endodontist).  They have drilled two of the three root canals but can't find the 3rd one.  I am now waiting for the endodontist's cone x-ray to be repaired.  He is confident that will allow him to identify where this elusive canal is.  The Lord has blessed me that I feel no pain.  

I have enjoyed studying the New Testatment this year with the "Come, Follow Me" curriculum.  And, studying the Book of Mormon each day continues to be a blessing to me.  The more I study, the more I recognize how much we need our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  We are preparing for His Second Coming and it's helpful to understand what happened in the world before His birth--seeing similarities in our day.

I've talked about the wonderful young Service Missionaries at the ROC and this is one who was sharing thoughts about his blessings.  He has a cute sense of humor and jokes with us older ones.  He has MD and expects that he has 5-10 years remaining on this earth.  Without any self-pity, and sharing his reality with us, he told of his blessings, including the opportunity to serve with others at the ROC.  It was a very touching few minutes.  He has a nice singing voice, which is diminishing because he is losing lung capacity.  He sings with the Millenial Choir and Sister Tolman and I look forward to attending their concert on Friday.  We have been able to listen to him practicing a solo number he will be singing at a missionary conference.  The song is entitled "Does The Journey Seem Long." It is a beautiful hymn and the words are especially poignant being sung by this young man.

Sunday, 6 October 2019

What a great weekend.  I have always looked forward to General Conference weekends in April and October.  So much is happening.  The Lord is moving His work forward at a fast pace.  The Prophets and Apostles are as watchmen on the tower, warning us of the dangers of this day, and teaching of the power of our Savior, Jesus Christ, to guide and strengthen us.  These are exciting times.  Eight more  Temple locations were announced.  There are 166 operating Temples around the world with about 50 more announced, or in process of being renovated, or constructed.  People throughout the world will be able to attend temples much closer to where they live.

The weather was a little warmer this week--back into the mid to high 90s.  The forecast is for that to change on Thursday, putting us into the 80s for highs, with lows in the 50s and low 60s.  Very happy about that.

My cherry tomato plant now has 2 little blossoms.  The other plant doesn't have a blossom yet but is growing.

We are having more and more people coming to serve in the ROC which means Sister T and I will be helping with training.   I enjoy that.  One of the new people will be in our room, at the desk next to mine, all day on Tuesdays and mornings on Thursdays.  She came on Thursday and I think she will catch on very quickly.  I would guess she's in her 50s or early 60s.  However, I'm terrible at guessing ages.  I am not positive, but think I'm the 5th oldest person serving.  There is a  a man and a woman both 90, and a  woman and a man, both 87.  

We have been given some new projects this past week which I am enjoying.  There are 4 or 5 now that I rotate between.  It's nice to have a change and it keeps my mind sharp because the instructions for each project differ as do the forms.  

29 September 2019
This is a photo I took at Joe's Farm Grill, a restaurant in Gilbert.  It's a Tamarind tree.  The main trunks (2) lie on their sides and then new shoots grow straight up.  There are signs posted saying Do Not Climb.  The first reason stated is because you may fall.  The 2nd reason, a more compelling reason from my perspective, is you may be stung by scorpions.  I've never seen a tree grow like that and it is massive.

The zinnia seeds I planted a week ago yesterday afternoon are now about 2 inches high.  I've never seen a seed germinate that quickly.  My tomato plants look healthy and may have grown a bit, but no blossoms yet.  There are two large pecan trees out my kitchen window (the back yard of the "big" house) and I learned yesterday that they will soon be ripe.  How nice to have fresh pecans for the picking.

One of the perks of my mission, is living 20 minutes away from my oldest son and his wife.  Julie threw Scott a surprise retirement party on Friday evening and I was able to be a part of that.  I went over ahead of time and helped Julie and her friend decorate and prepare.  The look on Scott's face when he saw his friends in the kitchen and heard them shout "Congratulations" confirmed that he had no idea Julie had planned the party.  It was such an enjoyable evening that I would have missed, but for my mission.

I am enjoying my scripture study time each morning.  I've just finished reading in the Book of Mormon, 3rd and 4th Nephi which tell of the events on this continent following the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He taught the people the things he had taught in the Old World.  The people believed him, were baptized and became a righteous people and, for more than 200 years, they enjoyed peace.  Little by little pride crept in and they became a wicked people.  There were terrible wars with thousands being killed on both sides.  I thought how similar the world is today.  People came to America for religious freedom and for a few hundred years we were known as a Christian nation.  It is sad to see that changing, and so dramatically in relatively few years.   Christians are now persecuted.  Anti-semitism is rearing it's ugly head again.   Until we accept and live the teachings of Jesus Christ, things will not get better.  I can see clearly why the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourage it's members to read in the Book of Mormon each day for it is another, a 2nd witness of Jesus Christ.  It gives hope and teaches of His power and love.

September 21, 2019

Yay!  Success, finally.  To the left is my living room with the pictures of my great grands on the shelves and a picture I found that says "Then Sings My Soul."  That's how I feel about this mission.  "How Great Thou Art" is one of my favorite hymns and the words "then sings my soul" seem to crescendo in each verse.  To the right is my kitchen table where I eat my meals and where I do my scripture study.  I found 3 things to frame:  The top one says "Be Still and Know That I Am God."  Below, a picture of the Savior with outstretched arms and to the right "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." 

The landlord had very short notice that I would be the tenant in the casita, and not more young elders.  There are some things that need repairing and painting.  He's committed to do some of them.  He's happy to have me as the tenant and, since I'll be here for 23 months, I think he's more willing to do the work.

So, little by little it is feeling more like home, a missionary home, that is.  All of the furniture is furnished by the mission.  I even bought a tomato plant and a cherry tomato plant this afternoon.  At home, I would be cleaning up the garden and yard for winter.  Here, it is just now planting season.  I planted the tomatoes, a geranium and a packet of zinnia seeds. 


This is the view from my front door--I am blessed to be able to use the carport that is attached to the "big" house.  The patch of dirt outside my front door is where I planted.  There are times of the day that it is in full sun so I hope things will grow.  Ripe tomatoes all winter, right outside of my door would be so great.

Our theme for devotionals at the ROC this month is "Did you Think To Pray?"  I have been inspired and uplifted by each of the devotionals this week.  This theme has invited, it seems, the sharing of a lot of personal experiences, which I enjoy very much.  I feel I have learned much about praying and I feel my prayers have improved, as a result.  We are so blessed to know our Father in Heaven , to know that He wants us to pray and that He hears each sincere, heartfelt prayer.  As I look back on my life, I see how He has been watching over me, guiding me, and blessing me.

Reading in 3 Nephi this past couple of weeks has touched me deeply.  I don't remember ever being aware of how often Jesus spoke of being commanded of the Father to say or do specific things.  It is abundantly clear that they are two separate Beings who are One in Spirit and desires for each of us.

Sister Tolman and I have been invited to the home of one of the sisters in the Ward, tomorrow evening.  This is the first time we've been invited into the home of a member of the ward.  The homes I've seen in this area are, for the most part, very humble.  This sister actually lives in an apartment on a street I haven't heard of before.

I'm trying to share photos this week.

L: My desk and "closet."  The window looks out on a neighbors backyard.

R: My bed, nightstand and dresser. 

This is all in my bedroom.

The floors throughout are the same tile.  I've tried to move the photos around and don't know why they won't go where I want them to.
 There are just two rooms, plus the bathroom: the living/kitchen and the bedroom/office.   The table serves as the place to eat as well as my study area.  It's been interesting to realize how well I can get along in so little space.

I'm very thankful to have a washer and dryer inside.  The original apartment I was to move into had the washer and dryer outside and was shared with two other apartments.  This is so much nicer.  It is a stackable, as you can see, but I just wash once a week and it works well  The fridge and stove are old, but work well.  I have pictures of my kids and their families, as they were at the time they were taken, on the fridge.  (It's hard to get everyone together for pictures, when some live on the East coast and in various places.)

Last evening, Scott and Julie came and hung pictures in my living room area.  I've tried everything I know how to post the pictures of that area.   They hung shelves on which I have photos of my great grandchildren. 

To the right is my workspace at the ROC.  There are 4 offices, plus the main office and a gathering room where we have our twice-daily devotionals, as well as where we have lunch.  I'll try to remember to take a picture of that area.  Each of the four offices are shared, with each person having a computer and a 2nd monitor.  Everything we do is on computer.  The space where the chair is turned toward the camera is my desk.  Sister Tolman's is the one closest to the camera.    There are 2 couples and 4 single people who share the other desks.  They come in different days and/or just morning or just afternoon.  It may look small but it doesn't feel that way.  And, again, everything we do is on the computer.

This week the priority was for the Ohio births, deaths and marriages and that required us to help each other decipher writing.  They are from the 1700s and 1800s and the writing can be beautiful but difficult to discern the way they wrote some letters.  And, it appears that they are pages filmed from family Bibles, in some instances, so different people writing and then adding information.  Sadly, there are children listed by name, but no birth, death or marriage information.

I was standing at the kitchen sink Friday morning and something caught my attention on the floor to my left.  At first glance I saw a huge, orange-ish bug and panicked for a minute.  When I looked more closely, I was relieved to see that it was on it's back, legs up--dead!!!.  My hand vacuum took care of him.  I have no idea how he got into the kitchen, nor how he died.  Just thankful he did--die, that is.

Sister Tolman received a phone call from a young man who had served a mission in California when she and her family lived there, 30 years ago.  Brian and his wife, Callie, and two children live in Mesa and they invited us to dinner this week.  What a treat.  They are a delightful couple with
a sweet 6 year old daughter and a bright and charming 9 year old son.  When we walked into the kitchen and met Callie, she asked which one of us was from Bountiful  She took me into a hallway and asked if I recognized a couple in a photo.  Her parents are Ron and Shirlee Knighton, who served in the Bountiful Temple presidency a few years ago.  Sister Knighton and I both go to the same person for haircuts and have happened to be there a few times at the same time and it's been fun to chat with her.  What a small world.

So, while Sister Tolman and Brian reminisced about their time in California, Callie brought me up to date on her parents and family.   Brian smoked a filet mignon and a rib steak.  I have never had filet mignon before and it was the most tender, delicious meat I've ever had.    Brian is a pilot with Sky West Airlines.  It's always interesting how lives are interconnected.

Last evening we visited a woman we met in Church.  She lives in an assisted living center.  She is legally blind--can see shadows, and is in a wheelchair because her balance is not good.  She is 68 years old and has had a lot of challenges in her life.  She is lonely and in an hour's visit we learned all about her life.  We will visit her again.

I

Sunday, 8 September 2019

It's been another good week at the ROC.  On Friday, I worked on a new project--Maine births, death and marriages.  It looks to me like it's scanned from a family Bible.  The handwriting takes some serious pondering to recognize just what is written.  The information is very sketchy. We index what we can decipher, asking each other to help decipher words.  The Lord is helping us to begin recognizing how letters were written (this is in the 1700s-1800s) and to make sense of what was written. We can't make assumptions, such as whether a child is male or female by the name.  We just index what is written to the best of our ability.

I'm hearing of the coming of Fall at home and realizing that Fall (meaning cooler temps) will come in November some time.  And things are backwards:  looking forward to walking to the ROC and for exercise, in the winter months.  My mind still forgets, as I am leaving an air conditioned building, that it's hot outside.  We went to a program a week or so ago, in the evening.  As I was getting ready to  leave, I wondered if I should take a sweater, and then remembered where I am--no sweater needed.

I'm thankful I have some deciduous trees outside my windows, so I will be able to enjoy the Fall colors.  Or do they turn here, with no cold temps?

I've been asked to give a devotional thought on Wednesday--9/11.  The theme at the ROC this month is "Did You Think To Pray?"  It's been inspiring to hear the thoughts others have shared thus far this month.  I have chosen to talk about the importance of recognizing and acknowledging how our Heavenly Father blesses us each day.  The blessings can be very small, or large.   I am thankful to be able to find my way around, and for protection from the fire, of my family and home two weeks ago, and so many things in between.  

I have enjoyed reading Paul's writings in the New Testament and have been able to understand them this time through better than ever before.  His writings used to seem so confusing to me but now they are very clear.  He was a powerful Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I'm also gaining an ever deeper understanding of the Book of Mormon as I study it each day.  Helaman 14 and 15 this morning were particularly powerful.

Sunday, 18 August 2019

I haven't been able to add to my blog because I couldn't figure out how to add to it.  Thankfully, my son and daughter-in-law knew how and showed me this evening.

Tuesday will mark 3 weeks since my arrival in Mesa.  It's been an adventure and a blessing--more than I could ever have imagined.  The Lord knew exactly what I needed and has provided it.  The ROC (Remote Operations Center) is a wonderful community of 60-70 people who are dedicated to serving the Lord in a variety of ways, all related to family history.   I am humbled to serve with them and to be a part of such a loving and supportive group.  Some come a couple of mornings a week; some a couple of afternoons, some a couple of full days, etc.  So, it's a different group each day.  The only constants are the lead missionaries, Elder and Sister Biggs, who have been there since January.  They had to learn quickly because their predecessors had to leave early because of a health problem of the husband.  Elder and Sister Johnson are the assistant leads and they were in the MTC with Sister Tolman and me.  So, the four of us are learning together.

Sunday, 1 September 2019

Thursday marked 1 month since I arrived in Mesa.  It's been wonderful!  I see the Lord's hand in my life each day.  I continue to feel safe and comfortable in my little home.  It's interesting to realize how little I really need in my life by way of creature comforts.  I do miss the sounds of my young neighbor children playing and laughing outside and, from time to time, knocking on my door to share to just to visit.

When I awoke on Friday morning, I had a message from my friend Lynda McCarver, letting me know that the mountain above my home in Bountiful was one fire and that everyone in the ward boundaries had been evacuated.  My granddaughter, Rachel, later told me that they were awakened about 1:30 a.m. to the police knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell, telling them to evacuate.

Lynda and Susan Cheney kept me informed throughout that day and yesterday.  I was so sad to learn that two homes in the Ward and a third home were destroyed.  Dan and Cherilyn Fisher lost their home and everything in it.  While there house was burning, they evacuated.  As they pulled out of their long driveway in the thick smoke, they noticed Jolene Pace holding a flashlight.  They wouldn't have been able to see her if she hadn't had the flashlight.  They evacuated her, too.

The neighbor in between the Fishers and Jolene belongs to a young family, the Youngbloods.  Their home was destroyed but their chicken coop and the chickens in it were spared.  Also, a large fish tank containing fish was spared.

The members of the Bountiful 13th Ward went to work on Saturday helping the Fishers and the Youngbloods in whatever way they could.  They are such good people.

Everyone was able to return to their homes Saturday.  Rachel and Travis reported no damage to the house and they didn't even have the smell of smoke.  That wasn't the case in homes to the north.

Miracles reported, and gratitude expressed for the firefighters who worked so hard to save the other homes.  It was a scary thing for everyone and I'm thankful that no one was injured and that more damage wasn't done.

I succeeded in finding my way home from Scott's & Julie's on Thursday evening and from the grocery store on Friday evening--without the help of the GPS!!  I sure do miss the mountains to let me know where East is.

Yesterday, Scott and Julie picked me up and we drove to Prescott to visit my granddaughter, Ashley, her husband, Jason, and adorable 6 1/2 month old Emma.  Ashley's birthday is today so we celebrated it with her yesterday.  This is definitely one of the perks of my mission, without which I would not be able to watch little Emma grow up, at least for her first couple of years.

This was transfer week in the Mission and I have 4 new Elders living in the house now.  Two are assigned to Spanish-speaking wards and 2 to English-speaking.  They are sharp young men.  One is from Bountiful, Elder Oliphant.  He said there is a Sister Gibson, also from Bountiful, serving here.

Being Labor Day tomorrow, the ROC is closed.  Sister Tolman has been sick this weekend but if she is well enough, we will visit a couple of sisters in care centers.

After so many years serving as an ordinance worker in the Bountiful Temple, I miss that blessing and miss the sisters with whom I served.  Sister Tolman and I attend the Gilbert Temple each Tuesday afternoon.  It's a beautiful temple and a blessing to be able to serve there.

Saturday, 24 August 2019

I was able to add two pictures of my first day in Mesa, but not able to add text.  You can see the photos if you look at former posts.  The one on the left is the house I thought was mine.  I'm standing in front of the little Casita that is mine.  It is a converted garage, and you can see the outline of the garage door.  Yesterday, I ventured out on my own (with my GPS, of course) and found the credit union that co-ops with mine in Bountiful and a D.I. where I purchased a $7 white laminate table with shelf, to replace the awful black hard plastic that was here.  Little by little making my little casita more mine, more functional and comfortable.

Each day at the ROC, we have a morning and an afternoon devotional.  On two occasions, one of the young Church Service Missionaries (CSM) who deal with emotional/social issues, has given the devotional thought.  It is very difficult for them to stand in front of people and speak.  Elder and Sister Biggs (the lead missionaries at the ROC) are so loving and supportive of these young men that, with their enouragement, they are able to share.  The theme for this month is Scripture Power.  I have been deeply touched as I have watched them stand and share a favorite scripture, as well as their thoughts about it.    The Lord loves these young men and has provided a safe place for them where they can do something productive and important (on computers).  Just one of the many blessings of serving at the Mesa ROC.

22 August 2019
I've been in Mesa and serving at the ROC for 3 weeks now and it couldn't be better.  Having said that, let me bring you up to date on the adventures I'm experiencing.
This past Sunday afternoon, my A/C quit.  By the time I realized that it was getting warm, the thermostat was at 81.  I called the landlord and left a message.  He called soon after and then came over to see what had happened.  The A/C unit is just over a year old so should be working perfectly.  By the time he arrived, the air had come back on.  No explanation for it stopping, or starting again.

I didn't trust that it wouldn't go off again during the night, so called Scott and Julie and invited myself to be their house guest for the night.

I drove home the next morning and the air was on.  I went to the ROC and when I returned home that afternoon, no air!  Another call to the landlord who came and called the company that had installed the unit.  They said they would have a repairman come the next morning.  So, another trip to Scott's to spend the night.  

Tuesday morning about 10:30, I received a call from the landlord that the repairman had come and fixed the problem--at least temporarily--the unit needed a part he would have to obtain.  Wednesday morning, another phone call from the landlord to let me know the new part had been installed.

So wonderful to have a cool home.  Thursday morning, I woke up, reached to turn on the lamp by my bed--no light.  I thought it was a burned out bulb until I tried to turn the ceiling light on.  The power was out but I didn't know if it was just my home or a larger area.  I read scriptures by flashlight and had breakfast (it was now light outside) and tried to figure out how I was going to get ready for work when, the power came back on.  When I arrived at the ROC, I learned that a transformer had blown and it was a larger area that was without power for a couple of hours.  Positive note:  I found the box so if it goes out just in my little home, I can at least check it.

Through it all, I counted my blessings--Scott and Julie were great hosts and live only 20 minutes away, and the power came on so I could get ready for work this morning.

I have now been trained to work on the El Paso project which means deskewing and cropping newspaper articles for News Bank.  Some are from the 1920s-1940s so very interesting headlines:  "Germans invade the Baltics" and "Of the Few Smart Women in the World, the majority reside in the United States."  We couldn't believe that last one.  

My favorite project thus far is the South African records which are in Afrikaans and, sometimes, in English.  It's been a challenge--detective work to learn to read the language and to figure out their names and the names of their cities/districts.  Google translate and search to the rescue.  I can now read or recognize some of the places and the words on the form.  I'm learned it so well and done so many of the records, that others are asking for my help, which I am pleased to give them.

The weather is hot!!  No surprise.  The last two days when I got into my car at the end of the work day (3:30), the car thermostat registered 117.  I have a great A/C in the car and I live about 2 minutes from the ROC.

Sister Penny Tolman from Farmington UT and I are enjoying finding our way around this area.  We haven't gotten lost--at least not for more than a minute or two--thanks to GPS.  We are beginning to recognize streets and that helps.

The Ward members are friendly and there is a good feeling there.  We had a potluck social on Monday evening with the other Senior Missionaries in the Arizona Mission.  The man who is in charge of overseeing the remodeling construction of the Mesa Temple, and his wife, showed slides of the Architectural drawings and told about the project.  The construction is expected to be finished in just over a year.

The people (60-70) part time senior and young missionaries serving at the ROC are wonderful.  It is a community of loving and dedicated people.  Some of the seniors have physical problems, including two who undergo dialysis 3 times a week and still come in to work.  The young missionaries have physical (twin brothers in motorized wheel chairs) or emotional/social challenges that preclude them serving full-time proselyting missions.  

On 7 May, as my daughter-in-law, Julie Klundt, and I were driving to Bountiful from Meridian ID, where we had attended my daughter, Julie Saunders' graduation from Idaho State University, I received the text message giving the link to my call to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I pulled over and Julie and I switched places, so I could read the text.  As I read that I had been called to serve in the Arizona Mesa Mission with assignment as a document specialist under the North America Southwest Area Family History, Julie was excited that I would be serving so close to her and Scott in Gilbert AZ.

I had been anxious about where I might be called to serve and this felt so right.  I have always enjoyed working with family history, although I didn't know what a document preservation specialist is.  I don't tolerate the heat well, so that part of the call wasn't exciting, but I was happy that I would be close to, not only, Scott and Julie, but their daughter, Ashley and her husband, Jason, and their baby girl, Emma, who live in Prescott AZ.  Also, my brother, Dennis, recently moved to Prescott.  

Senior missionaries have much more leeway, both in ability to travel and in their "spare" time, than young missionaries  I have since learned that I will be serving in the Mesa Resource Operations Center (ROC) Monday through Thursday from 8:00 to 4:30 and half a day on Friday.  I will have the weekends "off."  I will also have one additional Friday off each month.

I have also learned that I will be working with documents that have been filmed/micro-filmed, etc.prior to being released to FamilySearch.  These are birth, death, marriage records and census records, as well as other types of records, from all over the world.  I don't understand what I will be doing but it will be working on a computer, which I am comfortable doing.

This will be a new adventure for me, however, not as unique as when I served in the Baltic Mission from 2008-2010, where the culture and architecture and everything else was so completely new and different to me.

I'm looking forward to meeting new people and learning new things.  I'm thankful, at age 82, that the Lord is giving me this opportunity to serve him.

I will miss spending time with family and friends, however several have already made plans to come and visit me.

21 July 2019
A week ago tomorrow, I entered the MTC for the 3rd time in my life.  For some reason, I had some fear and trepidation but that was quickly dispelled with my first contact.  Everyone was so welcoming and ready to direct me to "the next place."  They are so organized there that things really go smoothly.

I think there were about 200 senior missionaries joining the  2100 "junior" missionaries.  I am not assigned to a companion for this mission (by choice), however, Penny Tolman from Farmington entered the MTC the same day I did and will be serving at the Mesa ROC for the same period of time.  We met Monday morning and were friends before the morning ended.  

I feel very blessed to be serving with her.  As a part of the training at the MTC, we were assigned to teach a few times and working with Sister Tolman just seemed natural and comfortable.  We had some choice experiences.

Each companionship is assigned another companionship for certain times.  We were assigned to work with Elder Michael and Sister Diana Ralphs from Ferron UT.  They will be serving as CES missionaries (teaching and working with college-age young people)in Indianapolis, Indiana.  He was a professor in the Science Department at Utah State and she was a teacher and then went back to school to become a Principal.  They are a very humble and sweet couple and we enjoyed getting to know them.   Sister Ralphs' 98-year-old mother is in a care center in Mesa and Sister Tolman and I plan to visit her there.

One of the ways we are taught to teach the Doctrine of Jesus Christ is to visit with people (in our case, Elder and Sister Ralphs) and get to know them in about 15-20 minutes and then working together to determine a need they have that we can invite them to do.  We were able to ascertain a need for the Ralphs and then, seeking the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord, planned how we might invite them to do something that might help them.    Elder and Sister Ralphs were doing the same thing with Sister Tolman and me.  

The next day we were to follow-up to find out what they had learned as they fulfilled the invitation.  Sister Ralphs shared with us that they had gone to the Temple the night before and she received a very strong impression that they needed to call one of their daughters, which they did as soon as they left the Temple.  The news wasn't good.  It was a very tender time as she shared and I felt inspired to share an experience from Elder F. Enzio Busche's book, "Yearning for the Living God."  I am praying for them and for their daughter and we will keep in touch.

Our District in the MTC consisted of 3 couples and Sister Tolman and me.  One couple is going to a Naval base in Florida.  He is retired Military and they will be support to military families there.  Another couple will be serving as CES missionaries in Atlanta, Georgia, and the third couple, also CES missionaries, will be serving In the New Jersey Morristown Mission.

Tomorrow morning (the 22nd) I will drive to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB) for training about my specific duties.  Sister Tolman and an Elder and Sister Johnson will be there, too, as will a Sister Siders from Colorado who is going to serve in the St. George UT ROC.

Thursday, 1 August 2019
My daughter and I drove from Bountiful to Kingman AZ on Monday, and then to Mesa Tuesday morning.  We made good time and enjoyed the time together, grateful for A/C, especially when the car thermostat registered 124 for a minute, then dropped to 122.  Fortunately, it continued to drop--to 115.

I had a surprise as we pulled up to my home for the next 22 months.  I had googled the address and saw a large, lovely, 2-story home with a small concrete block home next to it.  I had been told that 4 young missionaries lived in the "big" house and I would have the "casita" next to it.  I told Julie that the house looked nice and she said, "Mom, I think yours is the converted garage in the back."  She was right.  

My two Julies were such a blessing (my daughter-in-law, Julie K who, with my son, Scott, lives in Gilbert, and my daughter, Julie S who drove me to Mesa).  They unloaded the car and helped me put things away and get settled in.  I have excellent A/C and a fan in the living room and bedroom.  I'm actually wearing a windbreaker this evening because they are so effective.

After we had pretty well put things away and, because I wasn't going to be able to begin at the ROC on Wednesday (because the lead missionary was in the hospital and he was the only one who could set me up on my computers at the ROC), the Julie S and I were going to spend the night with Scott and Julie.  We opened the door and saw the Monsoon had arrived in full force.  We waited a few minutes (Julie said they don't last too long) and then decided to go. Julie S ran out to my car and got 2 umbrellas and I put my raincoat w/hood on, and  we made a run for the car.  We got drenched but it was so warm and we just laughed and counted it a part of the adventure.  Of course, by the time we drove a block, the rain stopped.

The next part of the adventure was trying to get internet service.  Julie S. called Cox Communications and made all the arrangements for the service person to come Wednesday afternoon, which he did.  He looked around everything, inside and out, including the attic, and determined that, because this is a casita and, therefore, the address (620 1/2) is not recognized, it would take the landlord to consent to the necessary work.  I had a call into the landlord but still have not heard from him.  My son, Kevin, suggested I might be able to use my cell phone as a hotspot.  My son, Scott (through whose plan I have cell service) called Verizon and had his plan modified/changed and I have internet!

I have met the 4 young missionaries in the "big" house.  One is from England, one from Houston TX, one from Highland UT and I forget where the 4th one is from.  They don't have a car and I admire their faith and commitment to go out each day in this heat.  I don't know how they do it, other than that the Lord blesses them.  I have surely felt His love and help for me.

Tomorrow, I will begin serving at the ROC.  I'm excited to learn all that I will be doing and to meet the others with whom I will be serving.