Good Morning,
Another week has raced by and we have been in the process of gearing up for transfers. It has also been an emotional week with missionaries going home for health reasons and for others leaving a week before transfers to make school deadlines.
Monday we went to the Mission Home at 9:15 to pick up two of the four elders who were going home to make school deadlines. These were some really good elders and it was so much fun to see the wonderful men they had become. After they had eaten breakfast there was some left over food, so President suggested that they go out and serve breakfast to the workers who were there trying to fix the lawn. I thought that was a wonderful to leave their missions—serving others. We got to the airport and got them all checked in—everyone’s luggage was within weight limits!! Last transfer we had a sister whose luggage was overweight because of lots of bottles of shampoo etc. and it cost $100 extra. She could have bought a lot of shampoo for $100. We are getting more insistent that they weigh their luggage and even out the weight between their two suitcases. Dad even bought a luggage scale this week so that we can take it and let the missionaries weigh their suitcases before heading out to the airport.
We got back to the office around 11 and worked their until about 3:30 when President and Sister Caplin came in to go over transfer logistics and phone concerns. Dad received a call from Elder Larry Y. Wilson asking about a car he was having delivered to the mission office and wondered if we had seen it. Apparently he will be going emeritus status in October and moving to McLean, VA to be close to their children/grandchildren. Elder Wilson grew up in my home ward and even invited me to dinner when he and his wife were living in student housing at Stanford. He was working on his masters there and invited me to meet a fellow that he knew. Luckily nothing came from that.
In the evening the sisters living in our complex came over to get their mail and we had a chance to hear how their day went. It is always to hear how about those they are teaching.
Tuesday Dad made a trip to deliver the mail to the zone that we are in charge of and when he got back, I decided to go home and rest for a bit and then go back to the office. Dad left his phone in the car and I couldn’t get in touch with him to come and get me when I was ready to go back, so I worked on some projects that needed concentration. While I was working, I got a call from President Caplin asking if we could take an Elder to the airport and I said that we could. I called one of the other office couples in the office and asked him to have Dad call me. I told him what was needed so he left to take get the elder. It was a tight enough time window especially with traffic that he went straight to get the elder instead of swinging by to pick me up. Although I enjoy going with the missionaries, it was nice to have time to fix dinner in a more leisurely manner. Most of the time we get home around 6 and that is late to start thinking about dinner. One companionship of sisters came to get their mail and one of the sisters said that she found out today that she needed to go home for health reasons. We will miss her and she was trying to see the bright side of things.
Wednesday was another day in the office. The housing person and reference person went home this week for a wedding, and they had an MLS couple come in to help out. There wasn’t enough for them to do—they were there just for the emergency type stuff—and they didn’t have too many of those things. Consequently, they were a bit chatty and it was a bit harder to get things done. Dad and I were in the office by ourselves toward the end of the day when President stopped by. I think that it had been a very busy week for them and he ended up talking with Dad about some of the stresses. They decided together that there many things that Dad can take off his shoulders and do for him leaving President more time and energy for things that only he can do. We are also in the process of eliminating the office elders position. This will allow the elders to be out finding and teaching rather than doing office stuff. That will mean that senior office couples will have to pick up the slack. President asked Dad to work with the office elders to get the job description and then start getting off loaded. There is nothing here so constant as change.
Thursday Dad and I went to pick up David (our friend who came into the office back in March) to take him to his parole check in. He is now coming to church every week and has told us that we don’t need to take him any more—he needs to get himself there. The ward he lives in and the missionaries that serve there have been fantastic. They have made him feel so welcome.
After dropping him off back home we were back in the office. There were missionaries coming and going most of the morning. Although it is SO much fun to see them and feel of their spirit, we find ourselves visiting with them rather than working. That just means that we stay a little later after everyone else has gone.
Friday I spent the morning getting the arrival-departure report ready. I had done it on Tuesday while at home, but with all of the changes happening I had to do it again. Then we got notification that one of our missionaries coming from the Philippines didn't get her visa for the USA and will not be coming here until her visa arrives. We also got notification that one our visa waiters that was coming to our mission while waiting for his visa to arrive had it arrive--at 2 p.m. Another set of changes on that report. No thing so constant as change.
My ministering sister (self appointed) decided to go on a mission, sold her home, and got her little house on the Jersey shore ready to rent out and is now in the final stages of getting ready to enter the MTC the first of September. Some of her friends were having a get together to visit and say good-bye, so I went to that Friday evening. It was nice for me because it was a very small group and that is easier than being the only one there that doesn’t know the whole group. Most of those there were people that I recognize from church and I sat by a woman who just recently returned from Honduras after serving as mission president/wife. It was fun to hear of the similarities/differences between our two missions. One of the biggest was they had NO senior missionary couples.
Saturday we got a slow start and decided to go to a 10 o’clock baptism so that we would have the entire afternoon to do the errands/chores we need to do that we don’t make time during the week to get done. There were three people being baptized and it was a wonderful baptism. Two were from Mongolia and the other was from Peru. The two from Mongolia were a mother and her 11 year old daughter. After the baptism all three bore their testimonies which were good, but the one that we enjoyed the most was the young girl. She was a little reticent about doing it, but she did a great job—so poised and articulate. Another thing that made it so nice was that there were so many people from the ward there to support them.
On the way home from the baptism we stopped at Costco to get supplies for the Train the Trainer luncheon and picked up a few things that we needed. I forgot the list at the office, so here’s hoping that I remembered everything—I’ll check on Monday morning to make sure.
We came home, had lunch, got laundry started and then went to finish up our grocery shopping for the week. That evening, Dad went to the office to work on some things that needed attention and I stayed home and worked on the 5 credit cards that the office has. It was a little more laid back day, so was quite nice.
Church today was very good. My ministering sister gave her talk before leaving on her mission and she did a really good job. I think of what great faith it must have taken for her to decide to go. She is an only child and both of her parents are gone. She has lived here in Burke for 38 years and the ward people are her only family with the exception of a few cousins living in New Jersey. As I mentioned In getting ready to go on her mission she sold her home thus making it very difficult for her to return to this area when she is done with her mission. She is saying good-bye, not see you later, to many of her friends here. Anyway, she did a really good job on her talk.
We came home and talked with you kids and that is always a joy, then it was time for our zoom meeting with President and Sister Caplin and one of the new senior missionary couples that will be coming here mid September. President wanted to visit with them to see what types of things they would like to do so that dad could help find a good place to have them work. It is important to have people doing meaningful things while out here serving. This new couple seems like a very sharp, capable couple. After the zoom telephone call, we ate a quick dinner and went to the Come Follow Me Fireside. We really love that fireside because we get to hear the conversion story of some of the recent converts in our mission and it is always faith promoting.
Now it is time to go to bed so we are ready for the upcoming transfer week.
We love you lots and are grateful for your good choices.
Love,
Mom
Another week has raced by and we have been in the process of gearing up for transfers. It has also been an emotional week with missionaries going home for health reasons and for others leaving a week before transfers to make school deadlines.
Monday we went to the Mission Home at 9:15 to pick up two of the four elders who were going home to make school deadlines. These were some really good elders and it was so much fun to see the wonderful men they had become. After they had eaten breakfast there was some left over food, so President suggested that they go out and serve breakfast to the workers who were there trying to fix the lawn. I thought that was a wonderful to leave their missions—serving others. We got to the airport and got them all checked in—everyone’s luggage was within weight limits!! Last transfer we had a sister whose luggage was overweight because of lots of bottles of shampoo etc. and it cost $100 extra. She could have bought a lot of shampoo for $100. We are getting more insistent that they weigh their luggage and even out the weight between their two suitcases. Dad even bought a luggage scale this week so that we can take it and let the missionaries weigh their suitcases before heading out to the airport.
We got back to the office around 11 and worked their until about 3:30 when President and Sister Caplin came in to go over transfer logistics and phone concerns. Dad received a call from Elder Larry Y. Wilson asking about a car he was having delivered to the mission office and wondered if we had seen it. Apparently he will be going emeritus status in October and moving to McLean, VA to be close to their children/grandchildren. Elder Wilson grew up in my home ward and even invited me to dinner when he and his wife were living in student housing at Stanford. He was working on his masters there and invited me to meet a fellow that he knew. Luckily nothing came from that.
In the evening the sisters living in our complex came over to get their mail and we had a chance to hear how their day went. It is always to hear how about those they are teaching.
Tuesday Dad made a trip to deliver the mail to the zone that we are in charge of and when he got back, I decided to go home and rest for a bit and then go back to the office. Dad left his phone in the car and I couldn’t get in touch with him to come and get me when I was ready to go back, so I worked on some projects that needed concentration. While I was working, I got a call from President Caplin asking if we could take an Elder to the airport and I said that we could. I called one of the other office couples in the office and asked him to have Dad call me. I told him what was needed so he left to take get the elder. It was a tight enough time window especially with traffic that he went straight to get the elder instead of swinging by to pick me up. Although I enjoy going with the missionaries, it was nice to have time to fix dinner in a more leisurely manner. Most of the time we get home around 6 and that is late to start thinking about dinner. One companionship of sisters came to get their mail and one of the sisters said that she found out today that she needed to go home for health reasons. We will miss her and she was trying to see the bright side of things.
Wednesday was another day in the office. The housing person and reference person went home this week for a wedding, and they had an MLS couple come in to help out. There wasn’t enough for them to do—they were there just for the emergency type stuff—and they didn’t have too many of those things. Consequently, they were a bit chatty and it was a bit harder to get things done. Dad and I were in the office by ourselves toward the end of the day when President stopped by. I think that it had been a very busy week for them and he ended up talking with Dad about some of the stresses. They decided together that there many things that Dad can take off his shoulders and do for him leaving President more time and energy for things that only he can do. We are also in the process of eliminating the office elders position. This will allow the elders to be out finding and teaching rather than doing office stuff. That will mean that senior office couples will have to pick up the slack. President asked Dad to work with the office elders to get the job description and then start getting off loaded. There is nothing here so constant as change.
Thursday Dad and I went to pick up David (our friend who came into the office back in March) to take him to his parole check in. He is now coming to church every week and has told us that we don’t need to take him any more—he needs to get himself there. The ward he lives in and the missionaries that serve there have been fantastic. They have made him feel so welcome.
After dropping him off back home we were back in the office. There were missionaries coming and going most of the morning. Although it is SO much fun to see them and feel of their spirit, we find ourselves visiting with them rather than working. That just means that we stay a little later after everyone else has gone.
Friday I spent the morning getting the arrival-departure report ready. I had done it on Tuesday while at home, but with all of the changes happening I had to do it again. Then we got notification that one of our missionaries coming from the Philippines didn't get her visa for the USA and will not be coming here until her visa arrives. We also got notification that one our visa waiters that was coming to our mission while waiting for his visa to arrive had it arrive--at 2 p.m. Another set of changes on that report. No thing so constant as change.
My ministering sister (self appointed) decided to go on a mission, sold her home, and got her little house on the Jersey shore ready to rent out and is now in the final stages of getting ready to enter the MTC the first of September. Some of her friends were having a get together to visit and say good-bye, so I went to that Friday evening. It was nice for me because it was a very small group and that is easier than being the only one there that doesn’t know the whole group. Most of those there were people that I recognize from church and I sat by a woman who just recently returned from Honduras after serving as mission president/wife. It was fun to hear of the similarities/differences between our two missions. One of the biggest was they had NO senior missionary couples.
Saturday we got a slow start and decided to go to a 10 o’clock baptism so that we would have the entire afternoon to do the errands/chores we need to do that we don’t make time during the week to get done. There were three people being baptized and it was a wonderful baptism. Two were from Mongolia and the other was from Peru. The two from Mongolia were a mother and her 11 year old daughter. After the baptism all three bore their testimonies which were good, but the one that we enjoyed the most was the young girl. She was a little reticent about doing it, but she did a great job—so poised and articulate. Another thing that made it so nice was that there were so many people from the ward there to support them.
On the way home from the baptism we stopped at Costco to get supplies for the Train the Trainer luncheon and picked up a few things that we needed. I forgot the list at the office, so here’s hoping that I remembered everything—I’ll check on Monday morning to make sure.
We came home, had lunch, got laundry started and then went to finish up our grocery shopping for the week. That evening, Dad went to the office to work on some things that needed attention and I stayed home and worked on the 5 credit cards that the office has. It was a little more laid back day, so was quite nice.
Church today was very good. My ministering sister gave her talk before leaving on her mission and she did a really good job. I think of what great faith it must have taken for her to decide to go. She is an only child and both of her parents are gone. She has lived here in Burke for 38 years and the ward people are her only family with the exception of a few cousins living in New Jersey. As I mentioned In getting ready to go on her mission she sold her home thus making it very difficult for her to return to this area when she is done with her mission. She is saying good-bye, not see you later, to many of her friends here. Anyway, she did a really good job on her talk.
We came home and talked with you kids and that is always a joy, then it was time for our zoom meeting with President and Sister Caplin and one of the new senior missionary couples that will be coming here mid September. President wanted to visit with them to see what types of things they would like to do so that dad could help find a good place to have them work. It is important to have people doing meaningful things while out here serving. This new couple seems like a very sharp, capable couple. After the zoom telephone call, we ate a quick dinner and went to the Come Follow Me Fireside. We really love that fireside because we get to hear the conversion story of some of the recent converts in our mission and it is always faith promoting.
Now it is time to go to bed so we are ready for the upcoming transfer week.
We love you lots and are grateful for your good choices.
Love,
Mom
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