OK, I'm back!!

We have just returned today from our last two zone conferences. We had three last week. For the last couple of months conferences have been quite different because of weather cancellations and Christmas. This time it is each zone as it normally is and that means five separate days of meetings. The same speeches are basically given at each conference, including Dad's. We have to start picking up the Sisters about 6:15 so that we can be there at 7 for Dad to begin his inspections. Since we go to all five, we can kind of choose how long to stay for sometimes leave when Dad has given his speech. That was the case at Liberty. We left and headed for the van and Dad could not find his keys. Checked every pocket and bag and went to the van and saw the keys sitting on the seat. We had to call the office and ask Elder Williams to bring us some keys. It is about 30 minutes from Independence. Got the keys and went back to the office.

We left on Monday afternoon for Wichita and spent the night at a Best Western. I got up at 5 and walked two miles. At this conference, we stayed all day. It is good to stay all day because you get to know some of the Elders and Sisters a little better. Found out that there is an Elder Allred and a Sister Stanton in the mission. They are first cousins! Their moms are sisters. Someone was taking a pic of them and he wouldn't even put his hand around her shoulder, even tho the Pres. had told them they could give hugs. They sure enjoy talking with one another.

Elder Itzep, the second Pablo in our lives, is almost ready to go home and he is from Guatamela. He was abandoned by his mother when he was very small and I don't know who raised him, but he is going home to Houston, where he has a brother. He bore his testimony and said how much the mission had changed his life. Sister Van Komen said he has more love to share (and he does) than anyone in the mission. He said, 'don't waste your time,' 'be obedient, ' and he is, then, 'testify, testify, testify'. He is a wonderful Elder.

In this zone conference, the Pres. was trying to get the missionaries to distinguish between serving a mission or becoming a missionary. They came up with ideas about what made the difference and lots of great ideas about how they were trying to become a missionary. It is quite amazing how insightful these young kids are. They are just some of the best.

Elder Zipf, who we got to know a while ago, talked about serving and said that he thought in pre earth life that he checked the box that said he would serve a mission. Then he said that when he came on the mission he found that there were a lot of little boxes to check off to become a missionary. Said that he was still trying. As I believe they all are. They learned some wonderful things from Elder Bednar about becoming a missionary and you can see how they are really trying to learn how to implement those things. The Pres. told him he was a good missionary and he and Sister Van Komen would never forget him. Elder Zipf also had a little time on the phone with Dad as he called to report an accident. They were on their way home, it was dark, on a lonely country road, and a deer jumped out on the road and they hit it. It happened so fast he said and he closed his eyes when he could see what was happening. (He was not the driver!) The deer hit the left front of the car and then the drivers side door. Thankfully they were not hurt, just shaken up a little. It must be hard to call and report an accident. Dad is good with the kids. Not like he was with his own kids! Know what I mean. I think he is so concerned about the kids and realizes that the cars can be fixed and of coarse, he doesn't have to pay for it!

Well, must go. I need some pics. As we left one conf, there was a beautiful, red cardinal sitting on a bush. If I had had my camera in my hand I would have had a pic. So beautiful! I carry my camera with me all the time, but was not quick enough that time.

Love you all every day.