July 20, 2012



One of my favorite country stores on the way to Raleigh. 



The Camp Geiger Chapel where we help with services every Sunday. 

July 14, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,
It seems like our mission keeps shifting gears every few weeks with emphasis on different things.  We finished teaching the  first series of 4 Resiliency Classes last sunday.  it turned out to be a very interesting class since we had 5 women and a husband who just returned from a year deployment at Guantanimo in the class.  It was good to get the deployed spouses perspective and especially hear about the things that were the most important to him.  3 LDS husbands left this week for deployment on Navy ships to the coast of Africa. 
The Tuesday night Young Single Adults group had a lively time when after the Gospel Discussion they played Curses and ate popcorn.  It was a lot of fun. 
The marine spouse of a member got baptized Wednesday evening and that was very special to witness. 
The two ward's RS and YW are going to be working on a project to make soft military dolls for the younger children who have dads deployed.  I saw the idea in an Era magazine and the wards seem interested in helping.  You take a full length digital photo of a deployed spouse, print it on fabric, sew on a backing and stuff them to make a soft doll.  Sounds like something I could do don't you think.  I knew I brought my machine for some reason besides fixing missionary pants. 
The greatest news of the week came when we got approval from the Camp Lejeune Chaplain's office for a home evening/gospel study hour at Camp Johnson on Monday evenings at the chapel there on a regular basis.  We have had several LDS trainees there in the past that don't have cars, can't leave base and would like to participate in some church activity.  We will see how this works out.  The LDS Chaplain got that approved and he has been a great support. 
Tuesday we did drive the two sister missionaries to Raleigh where they exchanged companions.  We were packed to the hilt in our small car with their luggage.  The next day we drove the new sister companionship to Wilmington for a 2 hour District/Zone meeting and ate at a very good mexican restaurant before heading home. 
We have had heat, rain, beautiful flowering trees and big billowy clouds this week. 
Love,   

Elder and Sister Johnson

Grape Myrtle Tree in Bloom

June 30, 2012

June 30, 2012
Dear Mormony Peoples (as one of our YSA would say),
The question of the day is:  What is a Thunder Chicken? A clue is in a photo on our mission blog.
It was 108 degrees in our car yesterday morning when we went out to get some ice cream for the Sunday YSA Fireside.  The outside temp was 100.  We and everyone else just travel from air conditioned quarters to air conditioned car.  We made a mad dash to a home near the base to deliver the ice cream to their freezer. 
Our new mission president left a voicemessage on the phone saying "stay in if possible".  And this is only the beginning of the hot season here. 
Aside from that life is good.
The work continues in spite of us.  The YSA had a fun activity night Tuesday playing games and eating.  I made the food and one marine and 5 young women showed up.  Three of the young ladies are from Albertson west of here.  They are all Harper decendents.  They say everyone in Albertson are related to the Harpers but their ancestors came to the Americas  from England early on in settlement time.
The Resiliency class Sunday went really well and we had a lot of great discussions including some from a non member who attended and asked me why we wear white underclothes.  What would your answer be? 
Monday we had four elders over for supper, I cooked all day Tuesday for the YSA, took some fruit salad to our neighbor upstairs who just had surgery,  we fed all 10 missionaries in our district lunch Wednesday after meeting at the church, I took rocks to the Military Wives Support Group Thursday evening and was worrying about what to fix for Resiliency class treats and Fireside treats Sunday and was asked to do the refreshments for the baptism today.  I murmurred so someone else is taking care of today. 
You probably are so busy this 4th of July week you won't read this e-mail but it does me good to write it anyway.
Happy 4th Holiday.
 Love, Sister Grandma Johnson     

June 23, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,
I spoke too soon when I said we were getting along fine with the heat because of the air conditioning in the car, church and apartment.  We went to help the Young Single Adults get started building a shed at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store in Jacksonville this morning and I about melted into the pavement.  We left them still working at 10:30 a.m. and came home to recover.  Rain brought some relief this afternoon.
They are harvesting beets, corn, peppers, tomatos, etc. here now and there are lots of farmer's markets around to buy good produce from. 
We are into teaching the second lesson of the Church's Military Resiliency Class series for families dealing with deployment this week.  Husbands continue to come and go from deployment and most of the spouses stay here while they are gone. The information is excellent and would be good for anyone but especially married couples.  It has helped us just to study the material. 
We continue to hunt for lost marines who haven't come to church but it is hard when you don't have telephone numbers or addresses or phones that no one will answer just worried parents.  We have got a lot of great LDS marines who are looking for good LDS wives if anyone knows of anyone who would be interested.  I am not kidding. 
Preparing lessons and talks take a goodly amount of our time as does making treats for the YSA, Resiliency classes, firesides, and families we visit.  It is all enjoyable and rewarding. Juggling rides for marines from 3 different camps on base to church also requires some organization.
Last Sunday was special because after attending the two Jacksonville Wards and teaching a class we had 5 young adults show up for services at Camp Geiger.  Only two were members of the church.  One of the investigators moved to another camp on base and wants a ride to church tomorrow.  When you have more investigators than members in a church service you have to make a lot of adjustments to what is taught. 
We made our weekly mistake by going to the grandstands of what we thought were the MCT graduation ceremonies only to find out after sitting there 20 minutes we were at the change of command for a unit of the base.  They thought we looked a little out of place and directed us to a gym where the ceremonies we wanted to attend were being held.  Ooops.  We can't wear our name tags on base so they thought we were grandparents of a graduate.  We were given good up front seats when we arrived the last minute at the Marine Training Graduation. 
The Gospel is true and it is a joy to teach pure doctirne.  Love,  

Elder and Sister Johnson

______________________

June 23, 2012

The great elders and sisters from our Jacksonville/Hamstead Zone

June 19, 2012

***New Pictures***

A sign in front of a church in Half Moon

A Bogue Sound Pirate or a Pirate at Bogue Sound

June 10th, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,
I never thought I would see tar and feathers but Friday when we were driving in Richlands we saw turkey feathers all along all the sides of the road which they had just covered with a new layer of tar and gravel.  Therefore we had tarred feathers.  Since there are many turkey farms (Butterball) in this area I am sure the feathers came from hauling turkeys somewhere or hauling the feathers away.   
Last week's training by Apostle Holland to our mission is still resonating in my mind.  He didn't ask the mission president what his concerns were before the meeting and went by the spirit and the  mission president said Apostle Holland touched on all of his areas of concern in the training. Proof that the apostles do teach by the spirit.  Tuesday we had another day of mission training in Wilmington where we learned about the work of the Salvation of Man, reactivation, taking care of cars, bed bugs, other bugs, staying hydrated, teaching people not lessons and that righteous service can bring blessings vicariously.
We took a marine to the airport Friday and said a sad goodbye.  He is Aliya Nyoka from Oregon and is flying home before going to Hawaii and deployment to Afhganistan. He is the only member of the church in his family and arrived here just before we did and is gone already. 
We regularly see and hear Osprey MV22 rotary/tilt rotor helicopters come and go from the New River Marine Corps Air Station near here.  They fly like airplanes and take off and land like a helicopter.  Chris will post a photo of them on our blog. 

Our dear friend Reed Neilsen passed away last Monday in Logan after suffering from a disease of the spinal column.  He will be missed very much.  He was always so amiable, kind and told such good real life stories. We will miss him very much.   

Love the work.   Sincerely,   

Elder and Sister Johnson

These fly over our apartment all the time and land nearby at New River Harine Corps Air Station.

May 27, 2012

May 27, 2012
Dear Friends and Family
It was a great Sunday in church to see the Gospel in Action.  We received a call from a mother asking us to fellowship her son who had arrived at Camp LeJeune.  We called a church member working in the same area on base as he is to call him and invite him to church which he did.  Then Elder Johnson called him last night and offered a ride and while he was picking him up this morning I attended the ward council meeting where they coordinate missionary efforts.  I told the council he would be coming today and needed fellowship.  He was welcomed by many people in the ward the most important being other military members who he could relate to and also receive rides with to church.  The talks given in sacrament meeting were perfect for his situation and other military members took him to the Gospel Essentials class where the lesson seemed to be custom made for him.  Another single young adult then gave him a ride home from church.  I can truly say that if he decides not to participate in the Gospel while he is living at Camp Lejeune it won't be because he was not fellowshipped this week.

That same day at another condensed church meeting we hold for marines who can't leave Camp Geiger we had a former missionary companion for Jordan Byington come and bring a marine friend who he had been teaching the gospel discussions to on the artillery field. The investigator will stay on Camp Lejeune and Jordan's friend will go to 29 Palms in California for more training this week.   The sad part about this calling is the goings.  One young adult left last week for Afganistan and another got his orders to go to Hawaii and then go to Afganistan.  One marine is leaving his family and wife who is expecting in September to go to Africa for 6 months. 

Tuesday the other 6 younger missionaries, 2 YS adults and we two helped at the Re-Store- a D.I. type store that supports the Habitat for Humanity projects.

We returned Saturday  with 3 YSAs to do the same.  The muscled marines demolished unusable furniture, we cleaned windows and another young lady priced goods. One of the store supervisors is a 82 year old man who is the son of a slave. 

Those are just some of the happenings this week on our mission. Happy Memorial Day remembering those we love.   Love, Sister Johnson
 

Elder and Sister Johnson

June, 1, 2012

May 10, 2012

***New Pictures***

These are photos of the very beautiful and touching Jacksonville, NC Memorial Park.  Included are memorials to the Beirut, Lebanon victims, a Memorial Beam from the 9/11 disaster, the Vietnam Memorial  listing everyone who died in that war and a group of marines gathered at the Vietnam Memorial.

Love, Sister Johnson

May 3, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,
We are 36 feet above sea level here and the only way you can see above the trees is to go over a bridge or overpass. On the way home from church we do go over an ocean inlet (New River) which is always so beautiful-especially at sunset.  Miss those mountains and valley views. The new food of the week is mustard greens.  Had it with fresh flounder and a sweet potato.   Does that sound southern enough.

I forgot to tell you about a miracle for me last week.  I started having a lot of pain in my right hip all of the sudden and within a few hours I could barely walk.  I took a non inflammitory pill left over from my shoulder surgery, said a heartfelt prayer and went to bed.  We had volunteered to help a sister clean her base house for inspection the next morning and I didn't see how I could possibly do it.  By  morning I was mobile again and able to help.  I called the mission doctor who lives in Atlanta, Georgia and he diagnosed it over the phone as bursitis.  I am most grateful for healing.

Tuesday we had 10 young adults show up for Gospel study night at the church.  The topic was our Heavenly Father and refreshments was strawberry pie.  They consumed both with great vigor.  What a great group of young adults.  Two sisters drove here from Wilmington to see their boy friends. Most are planning on driving to a YSA dance in Raleigh this Friday.

P day was spent getting registered at the base hospital so I could get some booster immunizations I needed and shopping at the MX (base exchange) and commissary. Sign on the wall in the hospital registration office reads: "A call from the operating forces is not a disruption of our daily routine." The Camp Lejeune title says: Expeditionaroy Forces in Readiness.  There are 19 Military Commands at the base including one Navy unit.  The base has 80 live fire ranges.  Military personel in this area are greatly affected by decisions by the President to deploy.

We meet weekly for a district missionary meeting and a great J2 ward missionary correlation meeting.   The 6 elders and 2 sisters in our district work very hard.  We give them rides occasionally.

I need to correct something I said last letter.  Brother Copelands from Smithfield received the Navy Cross not star.

That is all for now.   Love, Sister and Brother Johnson



the May 3 moon as seen from NC.



Our apartment is the ground level one with the light on.  It faces east but seems like it faces south.  

April 24, 2012



Papa at the beach



Sister Baldy and Sister Walsh enjoyed gathering shells



pelicans following waves to catch fish



an inland shark.

It was P day yesterday and we took the two Jacksonville sisters to North Topsail Beach.  We are lucky because it is within our mission area boundaries. Sister Baldy and Sister Walsh enjoyed gathering shells.
Papa at the beach, pelicans following waves to catch fish, the sisters on the beach, an inland shark.

April 15. 2012

Favorite road sign

April 14, 2012

****Pictures finally****

This is of us with our district which consists of left to right the Crawfords from Cedar City going to Uruguay, Brother and Sister Johnson, our trainer sister Angie Zitting Cluff, the Hawkins from Rexburg going to Anchorage, Alaska and the Grahams from Springville going to Santiago, Chili.



The beautiful flowering trees at Adam-ondi-ahman

On our way thru the Smoky Mountains

Elder Johnson at the beach in North Carolina

With the other mission couples at the North Carolina Raleigh Temple

April 11, 2012 Letter to Friends

April 11, 2012
Dear Friends,
If you want to continue to receive updates let us know. Also- would someone forward this to the Anhders and Slades and send us their e-mail addresses.  I have misplaced them. 
Some of you might not know but we are transplanted for the next 18  months and growing roots in beautiful North Carolina where the evenings are a little cool and the days just right for now.  Blue skies, lots of green trees and grass, and the Atlantic ocean borders this area. 
We have been called as Military Relations Represenatives for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base by Jacksonville, North Carolina.  It is a huge base with several different camps within the area.  It took the first week to learn where things are located and then drive to them.  Sunday night we took a marine home across the base and it took 1 1/2 hours of driving.   It is a biiiiiiiiiiiig base. We are glad we brought our Prius because of the gas prices.  There is only one strait street going thru town by the base so I think I will be permanently turned the wrong direction in my mind the whole mission. The sun sets outside our bedroom window so I am sure about that direction but only here.  Our I-phone GPS system has really helped.   
It has been a very busy week getting our apartment outfitted with the basics, finding and giving rides to marines, conducting a young single adult institute night, going to the Raleigh temple for a session with sisters from the mission, giving marines a ride and attending two wards on Sunday and helping conduct an abbreviated Sacrament/RS/Priesthood meeting on Camp Geiger Sunday evening, attending both a district conference here and zone conference in Wilmington and a ward mission correlation meeting this evening.  Denny is asleep on the sofa- he earned the rest. 
We feel blessed for the safety we have had in our travels and have a great love and appreciation for the marines we have met so far- both male and female.  We have learned much from them. 
We have been shopping at the big MCX and Commissary at Lejeune and found other nice  new facilities at Camp Geiger just 10 minutes away from where we live.  There has been a lot of new facilities built on the base and in town in support of the military.  There is a barber shop on every block (marines get haircuts every week) and a tatoo business on every other block. 
A LDS Marine Chaplain Vance has been kind to show us the ropes and invited us to his family's Easter dinner late Sunday night which was very nice. 
That is all for now.  It is getting late.  We are on Eastern Standard Time here.  We have the same phone number.  Love, Sister Johnson   
____________________

April 9, 2012

April9, 2012
Dear Family,
So much water has passed under the bridge (literally andfiguratively) this past week it is hard to know where to begin. Wegot our internet connection today and can finally write.  We took 4 1/2days to drive here.  We especially enjoyed going to Adam-Ondi-Ahmanwhere we listened to President Uchtdorts talk in that beautiful peaceful andquiet setting.  Only one other car was there with us.  The next daywe stopped in Paducah, KY where I went in Hancock Fabric (the biggest fabricstore I have every been in) and the National Quilt Museum.  We noticeddifferent road kill once we got further East- (don't read this if youare queesy)- a baby pig, fox, turkey, possum and raccoon. 
We did see many deer and antelope at play in Wyoming. 
Continuing our several  month breakdown-a-week tradition- the water heaterwasn't working when we got here so we bathed in cold water for a day beforethey replaced it with a new one and today the dishwasher stopped working.We have a nice apartment on ground level on the west end of town. We havea large kitchen, medium sized bedroom with a 1/4 size bathroom (the sink andtoilet are kids size), another bedroom which we use as a workroom, a normalbathroom with shower and a good sized living room.  We have plenty of storagespace.  The apartment had some furniture in it but that is all so themission president asked us to furnish it since part of our mission fee pays forthat.   So.......we have been shopping, shopping, shopping thisweek.  Never spent so much money all at once onfurnishings.  Our place is actually not in thecity limits.  Our neighbors above us got a new litter of 4 kittenslast night from one of the wild cats roaming the neighborhood. 
Our address is
Elder David and Sister Carol Johnson
117 Cordell Dr.
Jacksonville, NC 28540
We got here Tuesday night, met the bishops of the two wards weserve, had district meeting the next day, went to the sister's mission dayat the Raleigh temple on Friday where we met the mission presidentand wife.  We are going to get a new mission president in July- differentthan the one we met at the MTC.
Sunday we left home at 7:30 a.m. to pick up marines at two different camps totake them to church. The plan was to drop me off at the church so therewould be more room in the car but the church was not opened so wewent to plane B. One marine was a 6'6" returned missionary fromWyoming so he was crunched to fit in the back of the Prius with two other youngmen.  We attended two wards, met a lot of members, then went to CampGeiger to learn how to conduct services there with Chaplain Vance (a churchmember) at a base chapel. We will be in charge of this meeting everySunday in the future.   I led the singing and Papa and I boreour testimonies.  Captain Vance gave a short talk after the marinesblessed and passed the sacrament.  There were three LDS marines and onenon member investigator there.  The Chaplain then taught a RS/Priesthoodshortened lesson and it all ended in an hour.  It was hard to hear becauseof other services being held in the main chapel in the same older buildingbut the spirit was strong. We were touched by the marines eagerness topartake of the sacrament on Easter and the investigators willingness to betaught. One marine had ridden in a base bus for 1 1/2 hours to get thereand we took him home later and it took us 1 1/2 hours to drive him to thefar end of Camp Legeune but he said it was worth it. Chaplain Vanceinvited us to his neighborhood west of here for Easter Dinner so wetook the marine and went.  There was the chaplain, his wife, daughterand husband, another couple and a mother and her three daughters whosehusband was deployed overseas there for dinner.    
Jacksonville is quite a bit larger than Logan and is spread out between aninlet and the New River.  So there are a lot of bridges over waterand no streets that go straight for very long.  We would be lostwithout our GPS on our phone.  I have been turned around 45 degrees everysince we got here and don't know if I can get reoriented ever.  I do know ourapartment faces east because the sun sets behind us.  There is abarbershop on every block (marines have to get a haircut every week) and atatoo parlor on every other block plus lots of eating places and cardealerships and other businesses that cater to marines. We see a lot moretobacco stores because we are near where they grow it. Local strawberriesare on and the azaleas are in full bloom and they put flowers onevery grave in the cemeteries for Easter.   
It has been beautiful weather our whole time traveling and since we gothere except for one morning of rain. Gone are the coats. 
Well that is enough for now. I need to retire for the night.   Love,Mom, Carol      

April 1, 2012

April 1, 2012
This has been an unusual but memorable Sunday for us.  We are sorry tohear Parker is still struggling with an infection.  Our prayers willcontinue to be with him and all of you.  We also pray Kurt's shouldersurgery Tuesday will go well.

As we were driving through the east side of Nebraska, the tip of Iowa and intoMissouri we saw all the destruction from the flooding of the rivers includingthe Missouri a year ago.  It was really extensive.  They stillhave some roads closed, fields still sitting in water and mud, and dikes thathaven't been repaired yet. 

We drove to St. Joseph, Missouri (noted as the starting place for the PonyExpress and death of Jessie James) last night and intended to stayfor a day but changed our minds and decided to get through St. Louison the weekend which was a wise decision.  We detoured off the interstateat St. Joseph to travel east and north to Adam-On-Diaman this morning andarrived there just as President Uchtdorf was giving his talk onforgiveness.  It was a beautiful spring/summer day with blue skies, a fewwhispy clouds, and trees just partially leafed dotted by pink blossomingtrees.  The church has done a wonderful job of preparing thesite with graveled covered roads leading to lookout points and benches to siton to view the valley.  One point is where Joseph Smith found aNephite rock alter and there was a settlement of 1000 saints on anotherpoint overlooking the valley.  The alter is no longer there but it doesfeel like a sacred valley where Christ will return someday and where Adamblessed his posterity.  The fact that is says Historical Site of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an understatement to say theleast.  We did not stop at the Hauns mill site or Far West Site(now not even listed on a road map) but passed close by. Did we tell youit is in the 80's-90's here already. No more jackets for us.  

We enjoyed listening to most of conference.  It is such a blessing tohear the leaders of the Church and President Monson on a livefeed.  Thanks for helping us get it Bret and the Nelsons. We still haveanother day and a half of driving so we will get there when we get there. We love you all and miss you already.   Love, Mom, Grandma

 

March 30, 2012

March 30, 2012
Dear Family, Friends
We made it to Warren Air Force Base west of Cheyenne.  It was a beautifuldrive today with Bear Lake in all its glory (mountains reflected in the lake,deep aqua color, interesting clouds, etc.)  We are staying in abeautiful red brick building built around 1910.  It is in the circle ofofficers quarters facing what was probably the orginal entrance to the complexwhen it was a fort for the Infantry and Calvary. It is situated equal distancesfrom Mexico and Canada and was built to protect railroad workers fromhostile Indians. The Wyoming landscape is beautiful but cut up insegments by snow fences, energy producing wind mills, oil and natural gaswells. But...the sky is free to whip up all kinds of cloud formations.
 
About this week---it was full of more instruction than we could possiblyabsorb.  After going through Church Education Classes for teachingInstitute and Seminary we had a special class on security.  **Hey-we can say we were in the MTC with David Archeletta.  He arrived 4hours before we left but we didn't see him. We did see Tia for a littlebit. 
We then headed for Salt Lake City Wednesday afternoon, had a dinner meetingwith the couple we were replacing, looked at the church art again at themuseum, walked around the new City Creek Center, hit the sack at the PlazaHotel, got to the VA Hospital early, early the next morning where Papa got anew set of hearing aids that adjust automatically to different situations, gotto our Military meeting at the church headquarters a few minutes late. Then the training began on military activation, retention, security,resiliancy, addiction.  There were 5 couples total in our group all goingto different situations.  We heard lots of very spiritual, movingexperiences of work with the military and their families.  We were givennew badges- gone are the missionary badges because now we have to wearMilitary Relations badges some of the time and no badges some of the time. Wegot treated to prime rib dinner at the cafeteria.  The church groundswere abloom with wondeful splendor in maticuously groomed flowerbeds.  Things were reving up for conference including in theMilitary office where they were having a meeting of the church militarycommittee the next day.  We spent the evening washing, packing andcleaning and finally got away just before noon today.
 
We were told our families would be blessed for our service and we pray for allof you including our friends.  We feel really good about what we are doingbut are sure we are going to have a steep learning curve during the next 18months. We were instructed to get on face book and start texting so wecould use them with the young adults.  Wish we had started with all ourteenage instructors nearby.   We left meat and other things inthe freezer if anyone wants it.  Ty and Connie said they are moving in thefirst of next week. Papa got everything packed in the Prius except abox of grape juice.  There is not one inch of unused space in ourcar.  We left the Honda in the garage.  Cat watched us pack andgo with quiet resignation.  Pet her for us sometimes. 
Larry would you forward this to Paynes and send us their e-mail address? I have misplaced it again. 
Love you all,   Carol,Grandma,       

March 23, 2012

March 23, 2012

Dear Family,
We returned home tonight from 5 days at the MTC.  It was a wonderfulexperience.  Attached is a photo of our district.  Left toright:  Brother and Sister Crawford from Cedar City going to Uruguay formember support, the Johnsons (the oldest ones in the group- when did I get soold?), Sister Angie Zitting Cluff our trainer, Brother and Sister Hawkinsfrom Rexburg going to teach  CES in Anchorage, Alaska, and Brother andSister Graham from Springville going to work with the Perpetual EducationDepartment in Santiago, Chile.

We ate way too well at the MTC-for example we had salmon and wild riceyesterday and there was always a great choice of all kinds of food andBYU Creamery ice cream on Wednesday (not any better than Aggie IceCream). The training was much improved over the last time we werethere.  If I go back enough times I might learn how to teach thediscussions. It is always so inspiring to see so many young elders andsisters in one place- all dressed appropriately. We did a lot of roleplaying this week.  Papa and I had two elderly female friends who agreedto a first discussion, two couples who wanted the missionary discussion, aninactive couple living in Pincher Creek, Alberta who needed somefellowshipping and we played the role of an inactive couple from our ward foranother couple to teach.  Don and Deanna Smellie left Thursday forthe Palmyra, New York historical centers mission.  We met many othercouples including one set going the do CES in Paris, France, one couple goingto the Congo, one to Transylvania, etc. Several single senior sisterswere going to serve in Nauvoo.  A much older couple- the Holts- taught ustoday.  They have been on about 5 missions.  One quote today was fromElder Holland:  "Let's lengthen our shuffle." 

Our colds are fading away- mine faster that papa's.  We will continuepacking and washing here, go to church on Sunday here then head back to the MTCSunday afternoon.  We will have 3 days of CES training then go to SaltLake where Papa has an appointment for a hearing aid fitting at the VA hospitalearly Thursday morning then we will head to the Church Office Building fora day of military training then go home for the night and head out for ourmission Friday.

For the grandkids:  What is a sea without water?  MTC

Do any of you want small hymn books, book of mormons, or other relateditems?  We get a 40% discount at the MTC bookstore which is in ourbuilding.

Well that is all for tonight. All I can say is Preach MyGospel.    Love, Mom, Grandma,  Carol
 

March 19, 2012

March 19, 2012
Dear Family,
First of all thank you all for your support.  We so appreciated havingfamily and friends there Sunday and also to the art reception. Thanks so much to Betsy, Kurt, Bret and Elizabeth for organizing the dinner anddoing so much work and thanks to all of you that helped. Thanks to all whotraveled so far to be there. 

We made it to the MTC and got strarted on this process of becomingmissionaries.  Although Sardine Canyon had snow on the road the sky wasquite beautiful with the most unusual cloud formations all over the place thismorning.
The food here is good but too plentiful, the fellow missionaries great (theyare from all over and going to all over the world but no proselytingmissionaries in the bunch), and they  have lightened up a lot on the roleof senior missionaries.  Actually they only have a small percentage of thesenior missionaries needed throughout the world but have seen an upswing in numberssince the changes announced a few months ago.  Some of the other seniorcouples here with us are called to serve Church Education System, PerpetualEducation Fund, Historical Site, and Member Support missions. Papa is the ourgroup leader. 
We can have and use our cell phones, have wi-fi connections in our room andhave a bookstore one flight up at the end of our building. Pretty spiffywouldn't you say.

We saw Tia for a couple of seconds today. She really is a student at BYU.

Saturday is our P day so we are going home Friday afternoon to finish packingand cleaning and return to the MTC Sunday. We will probably go home thenext Thursday evening and leave for the mission field on the Friday beforeconference.  How can we hear conference on the road or in a motel room allyou technology experts out there? 

Chris and Adriel were on their way to Kirsten and Kirk's today. 
We met Don and Deanna Smellie at supper and ate with them.  They areheaded to serve at the Palmyra visitors center Thursday.  We aren't theonly ones traveling to the mission field over conference weekend.  Thereare about 3 other couples going to military bases as militaryspecialists.  One couple got their calling this morning and still showedup for training.
If we attend church Sunday at the branch meetings at the MTC we are instructedto sit on the back row, keep our hands down, don't make comments or we can justsleep so we don't take learning experiences away from the youngermissionaries.

Well that is all from the relatives with the badge.  Love You AllVery Much.  Mom, Carol, Grandma