The weather has been so beautiful!  We've been in the low 90's, high 80's with night temperatures dropping into the mid-60's.  I looked at the weather forecast for the next few days and it's calling for some thunder showers, but they don't always happen.  The interesting part of the weather report was the 99% humidity.  We must be getting used to it because I never would have guessed the humidity as being that high.  The humidity was the thing that worried me the most about coming here to South Carolina, but other than the month of July it just hasn't been that bothersome to me.  With that said of course, I don't have to work outside in it most of the time.  Some of our moves into new apartments have left many elders and sisters pretty sweaty though!!

On Monday night I made one of our favorite dishes, Cajun Jambalaya.  It is pretty spicy and has three meats in it, chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage.  We cook the sausage on the BBQ first before adding it to the pot.  I put the sausage on the grill and came back into the fifth wheel to do some prep.  Well...I forgot about the sausage.  When I looked out the window and saw smoke billowing out of the BBQ I knew it wasn't good.  I quickly went out to rescue the sausage and this is what I found.

Not suited for human consumption.  I have never so totally destroyed anything on the BBQ like this one.  It was pretty funny.  I immediately called Elder France who was at the store and he brought me more, but he did want to pose with the slightly overcooked meat.  Funny guy.

   

On Wednesday we finally got the keys to a new apartment in Summerville.  The two sisters that we moved were pretty excited about that!  They had been staying in a two bedroom, one bath apartment with four other sisters since transfers!  I heard not one complaint.  They were all eager to tell me that it had been just fine and they had worked out a bathroom schedule in the morning to every one's satisfaction.  What wonderful sisters we have.  It is such a joy to serve with them.

Sister Walker on the left and Sister Chatterton on the right.

Elder Johnson and Elder Adams helped Elder France move all the furniture up to the sister's new second floor apartment.

After our big move, we headed back for the office to do some paperwork.  There's always something to do!  Two of our elders showed up, so I did what I almost always do...I got my camera to take pictures for moms who read my blog.  Here you go Sister Marberger!  Your handsome missionary and his companion Elder Judd.

 

On Thursday we went to Greenville for another move.  Two of our elders got to move into a newly refurbished apartment with new stove, dishwasher and refrigerator plus new carpeting will be installed tomorrow.  They are very happy!!  We took the truck and trailer up to load their things and help get everything switched around.

Elder Farnsworth in the yellow T shirt and Elder Muir in the blue one.  They did an awesome job.  They had everything in containers and ready to be loaded when we got there.  We brought a couple of extra containers to put their freezer and refrigerator items in but that was all.  We took them out to lunch at the southern buffet called Green Tomato.  It was all very good food.  Great place to go in Greenville.

Friday was a very intense day in the office with training and staff lunch and meetings.  President Holm's adoptive parents were in town for a visit so we all went to Atlanta Bread for lunch.  They have a conference room there and we always try to reserve it for our luncheons.  Everything on the menu always turns out to be very good.

Going around the table from left Sister Holm, President Holm, Elder Mihlberger, Sister Mihlberger, Sister Decker, Elder Decker, Sister Fenton, Elder Fenton and of course Elder France.

                                                      It was a day for lots of pictures.

These were taken in the President's office in front of the map of our mission.

Elder Decker and Elder France. 

 

                                              Sister Decker and I in the office lobby.

                                 The Fenton's (on the right) will be working in the office.

Elder France and I with our wonderful assistants to the President, Elder Brimhall on the left and Elder Stadel on the right.

Friday night dinner with the Mihlberger's.

Saturday morning sausage and gravy with our current branch elders.

 

What a blessing to serve with such outstanding elders and sisters!  What a blessing to serve in South Carolina.  This opportunity to serve has certainly blessed our lives.

Love y'all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My goodness, here we are into September already!  Some of the leaves are starting to turn color and fall, but the weather is staying very toasty.  It was over ninety today.  The rain that came down almost daily and by the bucket full in July has ceased which is a very good thing.  We did have a very loud thunder and lightning storm a few nights ago that lit up the night sky, however.  I guess that's just part of the weather pattern in the summer in South Carolina.

Sunday we had our elders over for dinner.  We really enjoy the time we are able to spend with these fine young men!  It's so much fun to visit with them and get to know them better.  It was the last opportunity before transfers to have them over and we're glad we did as changes are coming.

Elder Bailey and Sister Canaan will both be transferred to another area of the mission.  Sister Canaan is not in our branch, but she lives very close to the mission office so we see her often.

 

Elder Nissen, Elder AhKuoi and Elder Bailey all ready to eat well and share a spiritual thought with us.

As Monday was Labor Day we stayed home in the morning and worked around the house.  Doyle washed and waxed the car, which made us both very happy.  We really dislike a dirty car and it's pretty hard to keep it clean when it's out in the open all the time.  Then we went into the office for a couple hours to do some paperwork, did some shopping and then went to Saluda Park with the Mihlberger's to go for a walk.  This is a picture of the Saluda River at 7pm with temperatures in the high 80's and the thick mist rising and falling over the water.  It was very interesting to see.

This is a picture of the bog that is in the park.  Imagine what might be lurking beneath the surface of the green and scarlet vegetation that sits on top of the water.

 

On Tuesday, we opened our last apartment for this week in Lexington.  We had the help of Elder Winn, Elder Appleton, Elder Oviatt and Elder Harris.  They just moved out of this apartment and the owner came in and replaced the carpet, painted and took care of several other maintenance items so we could get it set up for sisters who will move in tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Wednesday and another transfer will take place.  All the new elders and sister were picked up at the airport yesterday.  Tomorrow at transfers they will all learn which area they will serve in.  We love transfers.  It is a mix of happy and sad, but always uplifting to hear the testimonies of the departing missionaries.

Here they are!  The incoming missionaries...22 sisters and 11 elders I believe.  What an exciting and tiring past two days they have had!

Sister Titus...this is for you!!

New companionship's...

Old companionship's...

And more new companionship's!  Sister Chatterton, on the right, is on loan from Temple Square and Sister Walker on the left is now a seasoned missionary.

The chapel is a hub of activity after transfers are announced.  Lots of hugs, a few tears and much conversation.  Many members help out by providing transportation for the missionaries.  They bring them to the chapel, sit through transfers (which everyone always loves) and then take the new companionship back home.  As you can see from this picture there are lots of sisters now.  Our mission will have 101 sisters by November.  When President Holm got here in July of 2011 there were 20.  My how we've grown.

We are so blessed to be here in South Carolina, to be a part of this wonderful mission, watching young missionaries as they learn and grow in the gospel and help others to do the same by inviting them to come unto Christ.  Miracles are happening all around us.  Elder Mihlberger will baptize a man tomorrow that left the church 30 years ago and has wanted to come back but never did.  Elder and Sister Mihlberger went to visit his wife and found him.  It has been a joy for us to see the joy in Elder Mihlberger as he talks about this wonderful experience.  The work is never done.  We simply do not know who we will meet or who we will impact as we go about being missionaries.  What a wonderful time this is for us.  We know that the Lord is out ahead of all of this and we are thankful  for our many blessings.

 

Love y'all