Another week has rushed past us.  What a wonderful blessing it is in our lives to be here in South Carolina.  Mission experiences change you.  Your heart is so full that you are much closer to the Spirit and your desire to live the commandments is greater.  Your desire to do good, love those around you and to act with sincere concern for others is manifest more consistently.  What a wonderful opportunity is before each of us to become a new creature with a new vision if we will only allow the Spirit to guide us.

Last week I failed miserably to take enough great pictures to post.  I've done much better this week.  We just got home from the zoo and I edited the 40+ pics that I took.  Even though it was pretty hot we hung in there for three hours and saw all of it.  The heat didn't stop the people from coming out.  The zoo was very busy with families, which was great to see.  Lots of strollers and small children.  Feeding the giraffes seemed to me to be the most fun for the kids.

  

The joy on their faces was fun to see.

It's been a long time since we've been to a zoo and today was the day.

This little guy was my personal favorite.

And these disgusting huge cockroaches were my least favorite.

 

The garden area was so beautiful.  We took a short rest on one of my favorite things...a swing.

 

This pond and waterfall were so pretty with the color contrast of the bright green on the pond and the purple wall painted behind it.

 

Last Sunday was our Stake Conference and we went over to the stake center which is about 14 miles from where we live.  Saturday night session was wonderful.  We had many wonderful speakers and the choir did a magnificent job on the songs.  Sunday was a full to overflowing chapel and cultural hall.  We invited two sets of Elders for dinner, but they both had prior appointments.  A couple of them wanted me to give them haircuts, so we invited them for lunch instead.  They are always so uplifting to be around.  They are great young men who have great testimonies of the gospel.

  

 

On Monday I went to Lake City to check out a rental for the Elders that President Holm wants to put there.  It was a 2 hour drive one way to get there and then I checked out the town.  I met with the realtor and went to see the house.  I ended up renting it for next transfer.  With the driving back and forth, plus stopping to check out a senior apartment along the way I got back to the office around 5pm.  Doyle had already gone home, so I checked messages and called it a day.

 

With a part of our mission becoming part of the new Georgia Macon Mission, there were notification letters that needed to be sent out to all vendors and landlords, so Tuesday was dedicated to that task as the transition is scheduled for July 1.  Our mission lost 41 Elders and Sisters to the GMM.  It was sad but also uplifting as we see the hand in the Lord in the spreading of the gospel.  It is His work that we are engaged in. 

 

Wednesday rolled around with a promise from Doyle to take me out to lunch.  He wouldn't tell me where.  He just said it was a surprise.  I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on these mystery dates, because Sam's Club really isn't a lunch date.  I believe it's closer to some form of torture!

 

On Thursday, we had our departing luncheon with the Putnam's who have completed their mission here with us.  President and Sister Holm always take all of the office staff and departing seniors out for lunch together.  We go to Atlanta Bread which is right by the office.  Some even walk over.

From the left around the table is Sister Holm, her two grandsons, President Holm, Sister Putnam, Elder Putnam, Sister Rothman, Elder France, me, Sister Mihlberger and Elder Mihlberger.

 

President and Sister Holm have a couple of their grandchildren staying with them for a while. 

They came to lunch with us on Thursday and then on Friday they came in with a surprise to show their grandpa.  I just had to get a picture of the two of them and their prize catch. 

 

And so it goes...another fun filled week in the lives of two senior missionaries.  To close out this weeks blog, I want to share a portion of a conference talk.  While the speaker was directly referring to marriage, I believe that this applies to our lives in general.

"Bring all that is good and allow Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to bring even more."

Have a great week y'all.

 

 

The weather has cooled down this week and has been really nice.  Temperatures have been in the mid to high 80's with a few clouds, but nothing serious.  It's been super nice.  I love the warmer weather.  That's easy to say for me because I have air conditioning everywhere I go.  Which I am very thankful for!  I can still remember living in western Washington and for that very short time in the summer-maybe two weeks or so-having temperatures high enough that we all wished we had air conditioning but very few people did. In eastern Washington you need air conditioning!  In South Carolina you need air conditioning!

Most of this week has been spent in the office doing paperwork and preparing for the next transfer.  You would think that finding apartments would be an easy enough task, but in many instances that is not so.  The apartment has to be in a specific area, in a specific price range, willing to lease to a corporation, availability, willing to house elders or sisters that rotate through on a regular basis.  There are other considerations that have to be considered also, so it's just not a quick fix.  Simple availability is a big problem.  Unemployment is very high in some communities.  As a result of that many people rent their homes making the rental market very tight.

On Monday we said goodbye to our beloved Elder Lash.  President Holm took him to Georgia where he will stay until his mission is over as assistant to the new president.  He goes to the new Georgia Macon Mission where the Zittings served a few years ago.  While growth that includes new missions is a very good thing, it's hard to say goodbye.

One of the last things he did was draw his rendition of the Mihlberger's on the white board in their office.  We each have one of these in our office now and something tells me it will stay for quite some time.

 

On Wednesday Doyle, Elder Mihlberger and a few of our young strong elders unloaded a semi with furnishings for new apartments.  A big semi delivered palates totalling 2 1/2 tons of packages with furniture kits.  It was warm that morning and they worked hard to get that task accomplished.  They rearranged things in our storage sheds and got us from 4sheds to 3.  They were done by 11:30, so we took them to Zaxby's for lunch.  Zaxby's is one of the many popular chicken restaurants around the area.

  

Friday we moved some of our elders into a new apartment.  It was an easy move as they simply moved to the larger two bedroom, two bath right next door.  The down side for them was that they lost their washer and dryer because there are no hook-ups in the bigger apartment.  We took the washer and dryer to Orangeburg to the sisters there.  They were pretty happy, but that was diminished when the washer developed a leak that we did not have the tools to fix.  Hopefully someone in the ward will be able to fix the washer for them. 

 

Today we decided to go to the State Farmers Market.  It was very different from what we are used to. There are large open pavilions on the property and vendors can come in and set up with their produce or plants.  Most of the produce was in quantities designed for canning...which of course I am not set up to do in the fifth wheel..nor do I have any desire.  There were no prices on anything which we didn't like.  That makes it pretty difficult to decide if you really want the item when you don't know the price until you get up to the vendor.  We ended up leaving without a thing. But we didn't give up!  We went to another fruit stand and bought some very ripe peaches, which I brought home and used to make a peach cobbler. 

 

I'm pretty sad this week because I found out that one of my favorite neighbors sold their home and are moving to Fort Worth, Texas. They visited family in Fort Worth, put their home on the market and sold it in two days.  Amazing!  Happy for them, though, as they will be near to family.

 

Tonight is part one of stake conference. We are looking forward to hearing the messages that have been prepared.  It's interesting that no matter how life presses forward, we still need to be reminded of the things that matter most, lest we forget or at least distance ourselves.  I'm so thankful for those who are inspired to prepare those very talks that we need to hear.

 

Have a blessed week y'all!!    

 

 

Some ninety degree days this week, after all the rain we were having were welcome for me.  I love the feel of the sunshine and the warmer temperatures.  Of course, too much heat makes getting out of doors a bit of a challenge, especially in the afternoon.  Today was a glorious day with temperatures just touching ninety and clear blue skies.  We had a guided  nature walk planned for today, but by the time we called they were booked, so that didn't happen.  It was for the best because we were able to get some small odds and ends taken care of.

This past week was one of extremes.  Transfers were pretty crazy with all our new missionaries coming in.  We ended up with 36 incoming, mostly sisters.  Lots of tender testimonies were expressed by our outgoing missionaries.  We had two sisters and two elders going home, plus a set of senior missionaries.  We also lost one of our former AP's.  He's going to the new Georgia mission.  Lots of tears were shed. 

From left to right is Sister Brand, Sister Allen, Sister Putnam, Elder Lash, Elder Heywood, and in the back is Elder Putnam and Elder Powell.  Elder Lash is the new AP in Georgia.

We always look forward to this part of transfers.  All office staff get to go to the temple with the departing elders and sisters.

Our departing missionaries with President and Sister Holm.

 

Once transfers are over...usually at between noon and one, we go back to the office and try to work for a couple of hours before leaving for the temple.  It is often very nearly impossible as there is so much activity with new companionship's coming in for one reason or another. 

 

In this picture we have several of our missionaries trying to put a bike rack on the car.  It was 100 degrees outside and they are getting pretty hot.  We went through at least a case of cold water that our overheated elders definitely needed.  At long last they did get the rack on properly.

Elder Phillips, Elder Lash, Elder Brimhall and Elder Cardon contemplate life together in a quick conference in the front office.

Elder Lash is the recurring artist in the mission and we never know when he is going to feel inspired. 

Because this was drawn on a white board, a picture is the only way to save it.

 

 

Sister Allen, one of our departing sisters, Sister Rothman and I at the stake center for transfers.

 

After all of the activity surrounding transfers, the day was finally over.  New missionary companions went to their new homes.  It's an exciting and exhausting day for everyone.  The next two days were spent in the office and picking up several donations from the Lexington Wards.  Friday we all had plans to go to Marion to see a concert at the Opera House there.  It was a long day because it took an hour and a half to get there and coming home involved a several mile long back-up on the freeway from construction.  But the concert was wonderful and it gave us an opportunity to do something simply social together. 

We're so grateful for times like these.  We all love this special time that we are sharing together.  This mission, at this time, for each of us is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  We are in the mission field at a historic time in the church.  Church history is being made and we are all a part of it.  What a blessing for each of us.

We love our mission!!

Have an awesome week, y'all!!  

We are beginning to experience some of the heat and humidity that South Carolina has to offer.  This past week we had temperatures up into the low nineties and at one point while on the web I saw that the humidity was 86%.  Definitely could feel it.  It rained quite a bit this past week but each time we loaded or unloaded we were blessed to be able to do so without a torrential downpour.  While driving, however, we did hit some heavy rains.

Last winter I decided to let my hair grow and hadn't cut it in about 6 months but that warmth and humidity had me seeking a cut pretty quickly.  My hair is so heavy and thick that the curl would start to go limp and it wanted to just hang in my face.  That simply would not work!!  So back to the short hair again...much to Doyle's pleasure.  He likes it short.

This Wednesday is transfers again and it is the largest ever.  We had 30 slated to come in and then last Monday got word of another 9 visa waiters.  The mission has to rent a 15 passenger van and motel rooms to accommodate all of them, in addition to all of the other vehicles we already have.  I don't know how many heads the mission home will take, but we usually have some of the new missionaries staying at the senior missionary apartments on roll aways.  It's only for two nights, so it's manageable.  The new missionaries come in at 9:30 tomorrow morning.  There's nap time, orientation time, proselyting time, a trip to see the temple and many other things that are scheduled before they meet their new companions and go to their areas after transfers at 10am Wednesday morning.  All this after coming in on the red-eye.  I'm sure their heads are just spinning.  On Wednesday morning before transfers actually happen they are given training in traffic safety (Elder Decker), mail procedures (Sister Rothman), finances (Sister Decker), housing (me) and records (Elder France).  These orientations are presented by those of us in the office.

Elder France, Sister France, Elder Decker, Sister Rothman, and Sister Decker.

Our week was spent opening new apartments all over the state.  We opened up 10 new ones in the last 9 days.  Every day we loaded out at 7am with the help of our local missionaries and headed out. We couldn't do it without them.  Every morning they showed up with happy faces and willing bodies.  With Doyle's organizational skills, we usually had all the loading done within about 30 minutes.  I prepare the list and he decides how to load it so it all fits.  The apartments are minimally furnished, but by the time we are finished, they always look pretty cozy.  The biggest thing that is missing that we are all so used to are the couches and love seat type furniture.  President Holm wants our missionaries to stay busy and productive, not lounge around on nice soft furniture.  Makes sense!!

Just got a call from my good friend Margie Rush in East Wenatchee.  She is busy preparing to go on a 4 day trek with the youth of the stake.  Now that's an adventure.  She's busy making bonnets and aprons for the young women and preparing food for everyone for the big event.  What an undertaking!  You go Margie.  All those domestic skills put to the test here.  What would your ward do without you?  Keep up the good work!!

 

The Lord continues to sustain us in our efforts here in South Carolina.  We are blessed with good health and strength to be able to do the work.  We are blessed with enough computer skills to get the paperwork end of our callings taken care of.  When I have a problem I ask Doyle or the AP's to help me.  Our AP's are in the office a lot during the time surrounding transfers as they have many things to do to get ready for the changes that occur.

This is one of the new apartments we opened up for our sisters.  Doyle and I call it "The Plantation". 

That's him sitting on the porch in the top picture.  It's a little house on a beautifully manicured estate in Lugoff.  It is just the perfect size and so cute!  Whoever gets this location will be pleased indeed.  It is the true find of this transfer.  I had an apartment ready to go in this little town and it fell through at the last moment, so the Mihlbergers went there to see what they could find.  They did some super sleuthing at the local laundromat and found out about this little house.  They went to see the owner and he was ready to rent it without a lease of any kind.  I talked with him and told him we needed something on paper, so he wrote up a couple of paragraphs and that was all it took.  Some apartment complexes send me 26 pages!!

 

Life is superb!!.  We love our mission!  We love South Carolina and we love serving our Father in Heaven as we go about the work!

 

Have a great week y'all.

 

  

 

Another week has simply flown by.  It was a beautiful one!  The temperatures are slowly creeping up and we are trying to manage our utilities for the fifth wheel.  We have been  leaving the AC off when we go to the office in the morning, so it's pretty toasty inside when we return home.  I'm sure the day will come when we won't be able to do that, but for now it's working.  When we come home we turn on both AC's and in about 30 minutes it's cooled down enough to be comfortable.  I'm not doing much inside cooking.  We use the BBQ and the microwave or have something cold like a salad.  With the electricity being almost five times more expensive than at home, we try to be very careful.  On that comparative note, our gasoline here is about 60 cents less than at home in Washington.  We do like that.

We spent the last three days on the road.  On Thursday Sister Mihlberger and I went to Georgetown and Walterboro to set up utilities for our senior apartments there.  Unfortunately with the smaller towns they often require you to come into city hall to show your ID, pay the deposit and present the lease to prove that you really are the renter.  It is a huge inconvenience.  The larger utilities in the state simply allow us to call and make the arrangements.  Because it is important to have the utilities on when we actually move in, I have to make a trip to the small towns for the utilities and then return with the furniture to move in.

 

We had lunch on the boardwalk in historic downtown Georgetown.  It is charming and certainly a place I would love to return to and see the historic sites.

On Friday, Doyle and I went back to these two places and moved in to the apartments with the help of many missionaries.  Our local missionaries helped us load the truck and the trailer at 7am.

These two missionaries show their strength by handling the heavy broom and mop.

Ready to help and waiting for instruction...after they get their picture taken of course!

Our great group of helpers!!  We appreciate them so much.  They are always so willing to help us load the furniture!  We couldn't do it without them!!

Once we got to our destination we had the elders there come to help unload.  They liked the soft queen bed and wanted to negotiate exchanging it for their twin size. 

It was a long day.  Opening two apartments that are not in the same city can take a long time.  We got back into town late and then got up to do it all over again on Saturday.  This trip was about two and a half hours travel time one way.  It was a very cute little duplex.  We had help from the elders there as well.  One of them, Elder Ward was in our branch when we got here.  He is a very solid, obedient young man who became a trainer pretty quickly.  We enjoyed working with him in the branch. He currently has a brand new missionary companion that got here on the last transfer from Utah.

Elder Ward with Doyle and I.

 

Transfers are next coming up next Wednesday and we still have several apartments to get ready.  It's going to be another fast-paced week.  We are having so much fun working with the missionaries.  We get to spend time with so many of them in and out of the office.  They are a joy to be around and we see how the teachings of the gospel direct them spiritually and temporally.  They are a blessing to all those they come into contact with and we appreciate their goodness and their sacrifices.

We love our mission!!