We're OFF!

Friday, May 29, 2015

We had packed for days.  Robert had said, "No more.  That's it.  We're full."  Then I went into the front closet to get my scriptures and saw our jackets.  I came out with my arms full and said, "Jackets, Robert, we have to have jackets in Salt Lake City.  He stuffed them in.  Then I went in our closet and there were all of our shoes.  He found a bag and put them in.  Finally I said, "Why don't we ship that box of winter clothes UPS and then we'll have room for another box."  The problem was, that was the first box we had packed and it was on the very bottom.  He found another box and just unloaded it--stuffed things into corners and empty spaces and we kept putting in more.  I couldn't imagine how we would unload it when we reached the apartment, but that was a problem for another day.

Thursday night Matthew and Meghan and Mason came to say good by and brought us a beautiful leather-bound missionary journal.  Now if I can just get up the courage to write in something so pretty!  Brenda and Laura brought a bag of goodies for the trip--including  what I consider "book club" cookies--yumm. Scott Schabatka brought Robert the other laptop and Debbie Childress came to say good by.  She had just gotten home from New York City and had great pictures to share.  We dropped into bed at ll:00, exhausted.

We made a last sweep through the house.  Surely we had everything we could possibly take and everything was as neat as we could leave it.  The fridge wasn't cleaned out.  Matthew and Meghan said they'd get it later.

We passed lots of flooded areas in Texas.  There has been so much rain for weeks.  We were headed for Lubbock to see Josh and Blanca and Robert's "Little Buddy" Aaron.  We were talking, I guess, and passed one of our turns.  Josh called and Robert told him, "We're getting close now.  We just passed the sign to Midland-Odessa."  Josh said, "You ARE kidding, right?"  Midland-Odessa is west Texas!  No, we weren't kidding.  We had  to head back.  We met up with them at Jason's Deli and had a good visit.  Aaron had tubes put in his ears that morning and we felt the noise in the restaurant hurt his ears.  But it was fun to visit.

We got back on the road and headed toward Clovis.  We had forgotten to get gas in Lubbock, so had to pull in the first station we saw.  You couldn't pay at the pump, so Robert headed into the station just as the sky bottomed out.  There was sleet mixed with rain and it was freezing cold!  He got back in the car soaked through.  The storm alert alarm on the radio kept going off.  We had a hard time understanding the guy.  Finally realized he was saying, "Danger!  Alert!  Danger! Tornado warning. Seek shelter immediately.  Your life is in peril!  Danger!" Wow, where? Finally realized he was saying "Roosevelt County" and I found us on the map--sure enough, we were in Roosevelt County! The sky was totally black and the rain was coming in sheets.  The streets were immediately flooded and we were driving through several inches of water.  I felt we should get a motel and stay there. Robert could see it clearing ahead and we kept going.  The sky cleared and it was so bright we could hardly see.  It looked like bright white rocks along the railroad tracks and we realized it was sleet piled up.  There was even a snow plow ready to clear the roads!  We made it to Santa Rosa before we stopped.  Quite a start to our Big Adventure.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Lots more driving, then got into Provo Saturday night.  We drove through town and found the MTC (the Missionary Training Center).

We'd go through those gates on Monday!  It's all seeming more "real" all the time. We found a motel and tried to just unpack what we would need for two nights.  On Sunday we picked a road and drove until we found a steeple and pulled in about 5 to 9:00.  Sure enough, we were there in time for church. They announced some missionaries who had just gotten their calls--two for Japan.  They have adventures ahead of them, too.  It was good to go back to the motel, relax, do some laundry, and get ready for Week 1.

Monday, June 1, 2015 (We're not going to the middle of the ocean; that's as far as I could reach!)

Our first day at the MTC!  We checked in about l0:00 A.M. and received our orientation materials. In the afternoon we met the MTC presidency and their wives.  The opening song was "Called to Serve" (surprise!) and as we sat there singing, I had like a little electric jolt--I would never have believed I would one day be sitting in the MTC, singing with a room full of missionaries.  It brought me to tears.  What a special experience this is--to meet other couples from so many places, going all over the world--to Thailand, Bulgaria, Atlanta, Nauvoo, the Polynesian Cultural Center--each so wonderful and so exciting.  When I asked the Nauvoo sister if they were going to sing and play instruments, she put her arms out and started singing, "Welcome to Nauvoo!"  I asked the Polynesian Cultural Center sister if she had requested that and she said, "No."  I thought, "You just said you'd go and they pulled the PCC out of a hat?!"  Amazing!  The couples are so fun and so interesting.  One sister, headed to Atlanta, is here and so is her granddaughter, headed to Canada.  How cool is that?

Elder Taylor, the senior couple coordinator, urged us to get a journal and record impressions as they come.  We have the beautiful one M & M gave us before we left, so we got a spiral notebook at the bookstore and are using that for now.

David Chinn is over teaching the senior couples, so he told Elder Taylor we were coming and Elder Taylor loves teasing Robert, who loves it.  When Robert introduced us he said, "We're from southeast Texas and we hope to be able to understand the foreign language in Salt Lake City." Everyone seemed to pick up on that and they all laughed and many came and commented to us later. As Lola said before we left home, when we leave the mission, even if I know the computer better than he does, if someone mentions my name, someone else will say, "Oh, you mean that lady who was here with Robert?"  Exactly.

All of the mission presidency have been mission presidents somewhere.  One of them told us to leave behind any concerns we have about home or family or anything else.  It will be resolved.  He told us when he and his wife were going to leave for Brazil for three years (as the mission president), their daughter in Tennessee was expecting her fourth child.  The doctor decided the baby had spina bifida, but could have surgery in utero, but the mom would be on bed rest for 15 weeks.  His wife said she would have to call the brethren, she couldn't leave then.  Their daughter said, "No, Mom, you go.  I've promised the Lord if you do what you're supposed to do, I'll do what I'm supposed to do and I'll be fine.  The mom went for the surgery and lined up family members to be with her a week at a time. She flew home for 2 weeks when the baby was born and all was well.  They Skyped with their family. When they came home their kids in this area were there to meet them and then he saw the daughter from Tennessee and the little girl ran to meet her grandma!  Wow, not a dry eye.  What a precious miracle.  I know God will work miracles when we're obedient--in His time frame and according to His will.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Today, Brother Petersen, the head of the teaching department said, "You are missionaries first and whatever your assignment is second."

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Sister Bursie (in our district--going to Atlanta to be in the Employment Services Office) told the story of a sister who wondered why 30% of the Book of Mormon was about the wars.  Later someone told her they were so worried about their grandchildren growing up in today's world.  She said, "It's like Satan is in a war for their souls," and she realized Moroni was such a strategist and she started re-reading the things he had done.  He stayed one step ahead of the Lamanites, but he always had to realize how much he had to work to stay ahead of Satan.  We have to be ever watchful to stay ahead of Satan.

We went to dinner with David and Rachel and darling Harrison.  So fun to visit and catch up on people we love.  Rachel's folks, Bishop Kirk and Janet, received their mission call yesterday.  They're going to Frankfurt, Germany!

Thursday, June 4, 2015

David A. Bednar--"The 20 Mark Note story"--Be good, be obedient, do what is right.  When you look back, you see the hand of the Lord.

This was our Zone at the MTC.  We think this elder looks like Trey Ruggles--such a cute, sweet guy. The lady in the back with white hair is Sister Bersie, who came in the MTC the same day as her granddaughter!  The lady in front to my right is going to the Hawaiian PCC. These were really fun people.  We thoroughly enjoyed them.

Friday, June 5, 2015

We had class in the morning and then were dismissed to attend the broadcast of L. Tom Perry's funeral.  I remember when he spoke at our stake conference maybe a year or two ago and he said they always sit in order of their call and I think even sometimes refer to each other by number.  He was #2 to Boyd K. Packer.  He said he often prayed for Elder Packer's health and well being.  I've thought of that a lot the last few days.  Russell M. Nelson is #3.

I had a coughing fit during the broadcast. (I've been doing that for a week--I think it's the dry air) and had to get up and leave.  Elder Taylor brought me a bottle of water, which was so kind.  We back inside to finish watching it in a classroom.  It was very touching to see and hear it all.

We left at noon and drove to Salt Lake to sign the lease on our apartment.  It not only has 2 bedrooms, it also has 2 bathrooms--wow!  A happy surprise.

We unloaded for several hours.  They provided grocery carts, so we loaded one with loose stuff and rolled the suitcases in--over and over again!  We tried to "put away" as we brought it in.  By evening we decided we had to make a WalMart run--we have only the one little box of canned goods Robert packed.  The WalMart is in a diverse neighborhood--every kind of food imaginable available there. Our $50. gift card plus $100 was our first shopping trip. 

Saturday, June 6, 2015

After more "putting away" we went to the Swap Meet.  The new missionaries had a 20 minute head start on the others.  It was GREAT!  They gave us BIG shopping bags and said "Fill them up--do you need clothes? sheets?  kitchen supplies?  Here it is--take whatever you need."  There was no charge for anything.  I got a casserole dish, a towel, a wonderful over-the-door shoe rack, cinnamon, a book--yay!  Robert got a vegetable steamer, a clock, a dish drainer, a bathmat--all treasures.  We put stuff away and headed back to WalMart.  We had another full list.  Every time we go to get something we realize we don't have it.  Another trip, another $100 (plus the $40 gift card).

We came home and took a nap, then went to the Family History Library Block Party.  We missed the bag pipers, but sat on the first floor with a guy who has come up with a way to search putting in minimal information--pretty interesting.  We spent about 3 hours there.

We don't have internet yet and made some calls to check out prices.  Time Warner isn't up here, so no $14.95 service.  One said $50, one said $66--yikes!  A week without internet--we're feeling cut off from the world.

Sunday, June 7, 2015 

Church isn't until l:00 so Robert decided to call Verizon and order a Jet Pack--$20/month.  That's much better.  It was a hassle on the phone, but it should be here Tuesday.  We're ready for that.

We met others in these two apartments and walked to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building together. I had forgotten my name tag and we had to go back for it.  But of course we were early, so we left with the others.  They walked a little fast for me--I was huffing and puffing.  Sea level vs. 5000 ft--huff, puff!

The temple grounds are so beautiful and lots of tourists are everywhere.  We have Relief Society and Priesthood first.  Then we went to Sunday School in the President's room with the pictures of the church presidents on the walls.  There's also a breath-taking view of the Temple.  Sacrament Meeting was in the chapel--so beautiful--white wood, beautiful chandeliers.  We introduced ourselves in every meeting.  Our branch president and his wife and a counselor and his wife are all locals.  One couple are missionaries.  Even though that's my usual nap time I stayed awake just fine.  Maybe the time will be o.k.