Today is the last day of March and the temperature is 78-80*. Unbelievable when one and a half weeks ago we had 8-10 inches of snow. I guess Missouri does not have spring!

I have talked to several people and must report that my back is doing better. I still have that pain about 3 inches over from my spine, but it no longer goes down my leg. I am very careful about bending over because that seems to put something out and then it takes a while to get it back where it belongs. I am going to see my therapist one more time.

But I have to tell you about the crazy thing that happened this past Sunday and Monday. I actually took a pic of my face but decided to delete it. No one should see that face! Anyway, on Sunday evening I started getting bumps all over my body. Welts, you know, like hives. Around my waist, under my arms, between my legs and halfway down to my knees, under my breasts. I was a real mess. They itched a little. That afternoon Doug and I had both had way too long naps. So when I finally went to bed at 11:20, I could not sleep and neither could Doug. I finally got up at 12:57 and came out to the computer to try and find out what was wrong with me. As I sat here I could feel a wave start at my chin and go right up my jaw nearly to my ear. It felt like slow moving water just running slowly under my skin. I got up and looked in the mirror and sure enough, my jaw was swollen and my lower lip looked like all those lips of women who pay money to get their lips plumped up! and I didn't have to pay for it!

So I spent two hours looking up everything I could think of that might be wrong with me. At 3am, I laid on the couch and slept till 7. Got up and Doug looked at me and whoa! I started to talk and could not talk. I tried to clear my throat and could not do that. My voice was nearly gone. Tried to bite my cheek like I do a lot and could not do that. My breathing was never affected, but my throat and vocal chords definitely were.

I was sitting in the bathroom once again trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Suddenly a word popped into my head. It was STRAWBERRIES! I walked out and said to Doug, I am having an allergic reaction to strawberries. I knew that was it. We started eating strawberries on 4 March for Dad's birthday and have had them in our frig most of the time this month. We got some beautiful ones at Costco on Friday and on Sunday I ate quite a few. But all month I have had swellings in one jaw or another, one eye or another, little finger tip size itchy places under my arms and didn't really think much about it. The swelling would go away during the day and that was it.

I was feeling fine and following a good itch after my shower, I got ready and went upstairs to Sister Bouy who is the nurse. She said to take 2 Benadryl and so I did. Went to work and everyone there said I need to go do the doctor, so Doug called and we went. I did not want to go because I believe I had learned my lesson. The doc took my temp, BP, weight, looked at ears, listened to heart, pushed on belly and that was it. Then I had a little blood drawn to test a couple of things. Didn't look at anything on my body and the swelling on my jaw had gone down a lot by then. She just sent two prescriptions to the drug store and said bye. We went to Walgreens to find out what the Epie pen would cost and found that we would have to pay $42 of the $200 cost and I thought we have one of those already, we don't need another that will expire and the other prescription was for steroids. Well, I told the druggist I was not going to take that. So we left. The swelling is gone, I am not eating strawberries right now but feel confident that I can eat them in moderation in a while.

I told you about Elder Snow coming and trying to teach us to listen to the Spirit. I have thought about that a lot for the past week, and for the past few years I have really been trying to see the Lord more in my life and giving Him credit and thanks and taking action according to the promptings. Trying to be aware of when He is prompting me and helping me make decisions. Well, the word STRAWBERRIES popped into my head out of nowhere and I recognized immediately that it was the spirit telling me what was wrong. I know that he used strawberries,
to show me that even in the physical and temporal things, He is there to help me. Elder Snow said we just need to be quiet more and pause and not just blurt out an answer that we already know, but listen and maybe we will learn something else. The Spirit speaks in quiet times and is soft, but you definitely get it in your head and heart.

I have felt so good about the experience and hope that I can pause and be more aware in all aspects of my life.

Loves and hugs to all. All is well.

As we were leaving for church this morning, Sister Howe saw a cardinal in the tree. I was able to get my camera out and get a pic. I tried all winter to get a pic of one against the snow, but only saw one on a bush as we stopped for a STOP sign and was not quick enough to get it. It happened today.

Then we spotted another in the next tree. Pretty good, I'd say.

Loves.

I have not reported anything about our meeting last Monday. We had a general authority here in our mission again. He was Elder Lowell Snow. He is in the Quorum of the Seventy and goes out and visits missions to see how things are.

We first met he and his wife the night before at the Liberty Jail and heard both of them talk for a few minutes. His wife reminded me of my sister Barbara. She had that kind of rare smile that some people seem to have on their face all the time. Just a pleasant, happy look.

The fireside was at the Liberty Jail and newly baptized members come and share their testimony with everyone there. There were three people who shared their testimonies. The first was a young, 36 year old guy who had a white long sleeved shirt on. His hands and fingers were covered with tats and also his neck. I am sure that his arms were probably covered too and who knows what else. But I wish you could have heard him. He was raised by a mom who was a Mormon and even went to church, but dad would not let the kids be involved. He had an extended family who were also in the church and cousins who went on missions and to church and so he knew quite a bit about the church. But he left home and had all sorts of experiences. He was into drugs, alcohol, the whole nine yards. Married and divorced and finally hit bottom and decided that his life was not what he wanted or what it should be and that Heavenly Father was missing from his life. He had been in Colorado and came back to Independence and about a year ago married again a Mormon girl and then invited the missionaries. They were in his home and he told them he wanted to be baptised. They asked him what he knew about the church. After 20 minutes of telling what he knew, the missionaries just looked at each other and Elder Taylor said, "I don't know what to say". They were amazed. Well, they taught him the rest of the lessons and he was baptised. He tried to explain what his life was like now. His wife has three teens and they are doing so much better. Well, it was quite a story and he probably talked for 15 minutes. It is just amazing how the Gospel changes lives. You really get to see it up close and personal in the missionfield.

Our meeting on Monday started at 1pm and did not end until after 5. It is amazing how you can sit for that long and just try and absorb what is coming at you. Elder Snow said that we can have life changing experiences not because of what we hear, but by what we feel and learn. I guess the Seventy just go all around and try and teach us all how to be better missionaries. A lot of the Elders and Sisters had life changing experiences.

He said yielding is being submissive and how do we become submissive, by loving something more than yourself, by wanting something and trusting. It is an act of faith. He had the AP's take over and start the discussion. They knew one hour before that they were going to do this. But he was trying to teach us how to listen to the spirit and teach with the spirit. He said over and over, don't just tell me what you already know or what you think the answer is. Pause and listen or ask a question. It is quite amazing to hear some of the Elders and Sisters ask questions and then almost a light come on as they understood what was happening. Elder Eckern asked, what is exact obedience? He wants to be exactly obedient in all things truly. The answer was that we don't want to obey the rules because they are there, but we want to be obedient because that is what the Lord would want us to do. We have a change of heart.

It was a good meeting and actually was counted as our Zone Conference for this month. We had seven zones together on Monday and then they went to Topeka and had the other five zones over there. So no car inspections for Dad this time. Whew! And he sold a car on Friday. The Presidents Toyota Avalon is not in the garage of our stake president. Dad was happy. Not we are waiting to hear if the guy in Mississippi is going to buy the other 13 cars or not.

Loves and hugs.

This was Tuesday's event. Sister Punaivaha left today. We had been in a meeting for 4 hours on Monday and she sat by me. She was very restless. When missionaries are leaving, having completed their missions, they go to the mission home on Thursday afternoon and have an interview with the President, a workshop about going to college and where to get scholarships, making a resume and finding a job, a testimony meeting and dinner and then spend the night. Then early on Friday they all pile in the van and they go to Adam-ondi-Ahman and have an experience there. Then on the way back they stop at the airport and the Pres. and his wife see that they get on the plane to wherever they are going.

Well, since there is a plane to Tonga only twice a week, Sister Punaivaha stayed here until Tuesday. She came in the office at 11:30 to say goodbye and she was one subdued little gal. She has been rather quiet the past couple of weeks. She is sad to have her mission end, excited to be going home, sad to leave so many people behind who she loves and who love her, and just all the feelings and emotions departing missionaries have.

Well, this is her with Dad. She and Dad had a fun relationship. They joked a lot together and gave each other bad times, they usually did a little hand jive together or whatever it is called. You know, popping knuckles together, back and front, etc. and then at the end your hand pops open. It was cute and they loved doing it and they always laughed.

This is Dad giving her a hug. He said he could not hug her (it is a no-no for Elders to hug Sisters (unless it is their wife), but I said, she is going home, give her a hug. So he did.

This is the three of us. I will miss this girl. I just love her. She had me call Sister Vela (a senior) in SLC because they were going to meet in SLC and needed to know her arrival time. Vela lives in West Jordan and Puni had a three hour layover there. She was so scared because she had that layover and then flew to LAX and had another hour layover and then a 15 hour flight to Tonga, then a 45 minute boat ride to her island. Yes, she will arrive on Thursday. I explained to her about the SL airport and told her Sister Vela would be waiting at the bottom of the escalators. I hope it all went well. I need to call and she if she managed her first stopover!

This is the three of us together for the last time. Except now we want to go to Tonga!

Loves and hugs.

Crazy! I did this little blog this afternoon and then we quickly left to go to a fireside and Dad turned the computer off. I am back now and found it in the drafts but do you think I can get it to post? Gosh, all those crazy fears about losing it all come back when this happens. So I am starting over.

What a difference a day makes. Can you tell the difference in this pic and the one yesterday? We got from 8-11 inches of snow with this storm and four or five more of it was on the ground this AM. But as we came out of church at 12:15 the melting had begun. And now it is lots of slush and water and some even dry sidewalks.

Today is actually the first day of SPRING, believe it or not. And it is also a sort of anniversary for us. Yes, it is 6 months out today. We are excited and depending on how you look at the glass, either half full or half empty, we are 1/3 in back and 2/3 to go, or even two more halves to go! We are raring to begin the next part. Tomorrow we have Elder Lowell Snow here. He is one of the Seventy and will speak to half the mission tomorrow from 1-5. So half day at the office!

Whoops, forgot to put the pic in. Here it is.

Loves and hugs.

This is the Gilbert Whitney store in town. Not Newell K. Whitney, but I don't know, maybe it is his brother! Just an old store front and probably looked like this years ago. I will have to find out about it. I just love the look of it though.

The old log courthouse in town. Harry Truman actually worked in this courthouse.

This is today! I don't know if you can tell, but it has been snowing most of the day. We woke up at 5:45, our usual time, but this time because the snow plow wasvgoing through our little parking lot. The landlord really takes good care of us old folks. Plows our lot and the road down the side of our building, sometimes brushes the snow off our cars and then when all the cars have left for the day, they will push all the snow between the cars back or up or whatever it is. Kind of dreary and cold out there. Sister Stutz, Sister Bouy and I did have a little shopping trip this AM. It was fun. Now I guess we are going to dinner with the Stutz's and then either a movie or the BYU game if we can get it. Have to get dinner to our Sisters at the VC by 6. Guess it will be Subways or a pizza today!

WARM loves and hugs for all.

OK, guess what today was? TRANFER DAY! and what a day it was. The mission had a lot of changes today. More than we have ever seen. Here are some of the highlights of the day. The bus is at the stake center about 7:15 and cars and missionaries and members driving them, begin arriving. We got down there at 7:30 and this is how it looked.

This is Sister Adamson who came in to work at the VC. She has been a full pros. (proselyting) for the last six weeks and when I saw her at Zone Conference, she said she loved it and didn't ever want to come back to the VC. Well, she is back. She is coming up to Sister Frandsen.

and they grab each other in an embrace. These sisters really love each other. Sister Frandsen had surgery last week. She found a lump in her breast and they took it out. It was benign. We were all so grateful. Anyway, there are hugs all over. Between Sisters and Sisters that is.

This is Elder Olive. It is interesting how you are just drawn to some Elders. I just love Elder Olive. His new companion is Elder Olsen and he just arrived yesterday.

This is Elder Swapp. He is actually in Linda and Fred's ward in Orem. Such a sweet kid. We love him. He has gone out this time. And is on a bike now! The one who rolled the car upside down in the riverbed! He felt so bad but always has this smile on his face. We love him!

Sister Jacobs. Another wonderful Sister. She is going home tomorrow. We are sad. It is really hard to see these kids go home. They feel like our kids.

A Sisters pic. All Tongan kids. Sister Avauli, Sister Punivaha is going home, Elder T(he just arrived yesterday from West Valley City and does not know their language), and Sister Lasalosi. There are lots of Samoans and Tongans who live here and we have quite a few in the mission.
Someone delete this second pic.
The bus was loaded and took off at 8:20. Full of missionaries, luggage, bikes, and supplies. So back to the office we go and wait for the onslaught of missionaries. Today we had a table full of snacks. I made cookies and banana bread, took Rice Krispie treats, there were carrots, all sorts of chips, cup cakes, lots of little donuts. Almost anything your little heart would desire if you were a hard working, hungry missionary!

I just snapped this pic while sitting at my desk. There are probably 25 missionaries in the office at a time and then they switch out and a new bunch comes in. They go to breakfast, out proselyting, to the post, etc. They all have to have a companion and maybe theirs went on the bus, so they pair up with someone else and spend the day.

At 11 we went to the Community of Christ temple and had a little concert. Some of these are missionaries going home and they just got up and sang a bunch of our hymns. It was quite lovely.
These are the Sisters. Sister Burton, Sister Jacobs (going home), Sister Punivaha (going home).

We closed the office at 5 and went back to the stake center as the bus was almost here. All the people out and they begin unloading the bikes. They must have taken 15 bikes off that bus. As the bus leaves at 8:30, it makes a big loop of the mission and drops kids off and picks kids up. They are usually back by 5:15.

Bunches of bikes waiting for their front tires!

Sister Fakai (fa-ka-e) from Australia. She has the cutest accent! And Sister Avauli (ah-va-oo-le). New companions.
Elder Clayson. Notice all the ties around his neck! He told me he has a box with probably 100 ties in it. The guys switch ties with each other all the time and I guess he holds onto the box. You know, even the guys get a little tired of white shirts and suits and a new tie just kind of makes them feel good!
Elder Thomas. He is going home. Hate to see him leave too. And they always have mixed emotions about leaving. Anxious to see their families, but don't want to leave the mission.

Elder Itzep. He reminds us of Pablo. He is from Mexico. An extremely happy, choice missionary. His mother deserted him when he was very young. He has lived in Texas with his brother. A friend is picking him up and taking him back to Texas since he can't fly. I guess he is what you call illegal. How we love him. We would love to take him home with us.

I got this shot of him from a distance. He just wants to stay and be a missionary. He has loved his mission and is one of the happiest, hard workers you could know. I wonder what will become of him now. I hope he can get into the Perpetual Education program and get an education.

He was nearly in tears as he said good-bye.

This is Elder Bradwhar. So gentle and sweet. The one who fell out of the tree and smashed his face. He is doing well.

A big day. Also picked Dad up after he delivered a car to get tires on it, picked up two other senior Elders who took two cars to the body shop, typed in about 10 baptisms (and they take awhile, like 10-15 minutes each). Busy, busy, hectic day. I wore a heat pack on my back all day and it felt so good. And this afternoon the sun was shining. It was so warm you just wanted to stand outside and soak it up. Tomorrow it supposed to drop about 30 degrees with high winds and then snow is predicted for Saturday. No. We are ready for spring.

Loves to all.

No pictures, no frills, just a few notes about what is going on in my life. I maybe should write this in my personal journal so that no one can read it, but what the heck. Anyway, my back is as bad as it has ever been. It is killing me! Last week I called Michelle Kruger in SLC to see if she knew anyone around here who could do Spinal Touch. No, she did not. As I told her my problem, and she has worked on my back a lot, she said, you need myofascial release. OK, whatever that is. She found two names of people who do that who are about 25 miles away. So I called one and got an appointment and went to see her on Thursday. We were talking most of the time that she worked on me. She told me that I was very tight in a couple of areas which is what every therapist that has worked on me has said. Nothing new. She also mentioned how well I responded (meaning I relaxed and she could feel it, or I pinked up in areas)to some of the things that she was doing. She also thought that I knew my body pretty well just by the things I told her. Well, the session ended and I felt pretty good when I got off the table and was able to actually bend over without pain to put those nasty panty hose back on. (And the worst thing about panty hose is going to the bathroom with them on. Pull up your skirt and your slip, pull down the panty hose and the underwear, then do the process in reverse to put yourself together again.) Well, she swiped my credit card for $75 and I gulped and signed my name. Got in the car and we stopped shortly to get a sandwich. Same old pain as I got out of the car. It is paralyzing. I cannot put my foot forward without a shooting pain in my back side and down my right leg. Back to the office and everyone wants to know if I am cured. NO!

So Friday night I do heat and ice packs, drink, drink, drink. Go to bed and get up Saturday and go to grocery store. Come home and lay on couch and take a nap with heating pad on. Saturday night is bad. I changed the clocks and so went to bed at 11:06 and at 12:08 had not closed my eyes. (very unusual for me.)I could not find a comfortable way to lay. Everything hurt. So I got out of bed and came to the couch, put ice on my back and read for an hour. Then I looked at my cell phone and it was an hour earlier so it said 1:57, which it really was but I had already jumped ahead, so I said to myself I want to see how cell phones magically know the time, even when you drive through a time zone. So for a minute I thought I would be able to see the magic happen. Well, I finally realized it was not going to happen for an hour and that is the last I remember. Got up Sunday and got ready for church and did that. Got up on Monday, and every day that I wake up I really think that it is not going to hurt anymore. You know the theory about going back through your pain before it can be better, and the therapist told me to take an epsom salts bath, which I did, and so of coarse, I would be better soon. Not so for me.

Monday I had to call and report how I felt. First I called the other therapist and after talking to her, made an appointment to see her on Wednesday. Then I had to call Jan Kelly and tell her how I was feeling. I was going to tell her that I was going to try the other therapist because she even suggested that sometimes it is good to have a couple of people work on you. And the two of them have worked together in the same office for awhile. She asked me how I felt and once again said she thought I knew my body well and then said that sometimes our emotions get all mixed up with our bodies and how they affect each other. Another thing she said earlier was that she thought I was able to let things go and not let things bother me. I told her I felt that that was right. Well, the old body, mind, spirit connection (I think that is what it is)that I remember learning from Jim Foster. Said she was going to pull out a couple of things for me to read. And she just mentioned dreams. I said, WOW, I dream a lot and have a lot of bad dreams. Nightmares, that make me wake up crying. She really got onto that and said she would get some things for me to read. So I told her that one of the problems with coming in was finances. I had told her we were on a mission at the first session. She said well, I have worked with some people and she could give me two treatments for $40 each. I said, sign me up. So I am going to see her Tuesday at 1:30. I am excited and especially about the thought that my emotions are tied up in this. I really feel that I don't hang onto things or let things bother me, but maybe they are coming out in my dreams.

Then after dinner tonight I picked up a Mormon Times and started reading Michael McLeans column. If you don't get the Mormon Times and read it every week, you really should. There is so much good and very interesting information in that little publication that it would make it worth it to take the Deseret News. I am lucky to be out of SLC and can get it and the Church News every week for $30 a year. OK, Michael McLean was talking about his new book M 2 B (smiley face). Mission to be happy. Get on www.missiontobehappy.com. It goes back to the first of January and it is great. I have only read a few entries and know that it is going to be good for me. Read January 14 for sure. But his whole idea is this: WE TEND TO SEEK HAPPINESS, WHEN HAPPINESS IS ACTUALLY A CHOICE.

I have really rambled and don't know if I will publish this or not. Must reread it.
OK, I have reread it and I will publish. But not before I tell you this. I have been praying about this and learning that the Lord always wants to help us. I am serving him on this mission and I don't want to be in pain. I feel that the therapist talking to me about dreams and then me picking up Michael McLean and reading that is an answer to my prayers. There was also a story about what feeling the spirit feels like. Yes, He is interested in our lives and wants to help us. We just need to ask and then take the first step. I am beginning.

Humbly yours.

Yesterday we came home for lunch and looked at the mail boxes and since there were still letters sitting on top of the boxes, we knew that the mail had not come. We had lunch and headed out and noticed that the letters on top were gone. So we opened our box and WOW!



We didn't know if we had won the mail lottery, our ship had come in or what. We picked up six letters, no bills, no junk mail, all for us, and headed to the office. It was so fun. We just sat at our desks for several minutes with smiles on our faces and little tears here and there. Thank you all for your sweet letters and drawings. We love you and are so thankful for each of you.

As for my back-I ended up going to Overland Park and saw a woman who does myofascial release. I had a treatment on Thursday. I can tell that she changed some things with my muscles and back, but I still have lots of pain. I really don't know what to do. No spinal touch people around here. I actually called Michelle in SLC and asked if she know anyone out here and she got on the web and found this gal for me. I have been icing and heating it, soaking in the tub in epsom salt, and just kind of being careful not to bend over and working through the pain. I actually have to stop and stand and rub and relax before I can take a step. It is real crazy. I am tired of it. Last night I got home from work and did four loads of wash, up and down the stairs, and didn't sit down for about three hours. Once I get going I am good to go for a long time. But sit down and it begins again. So I will call her again on Monday and see what she says.

I do believe that I am getting a little more savvy on the computer. Wow! I turned a pic. It is mostly fear that I have had. Afraid that if I do anything, it will blow up or I will lose it all.

Tonight I am just going to tell you about this picture. It is called Saving the Book of Commandments. We talked about this in our study class a few days ago. It also helps that I am reading the D & C right now. It is such easy reading and goes very fast and is so modern compared to the other scriptures. I am already on Section 59 and it has only been a few days. I finished the Book of Mormon in the first 60 days that the mission was asked to do. It only took seven pages a day and usually about 25 minutes to read that much. When you think of it in that way, it is like, why don't I have 25 minutes a day to read the scriptures?!

Anyway, back to Saving the Book of Commandments. This is a pic that should be in your ward library.

Fifteen-year-old Mary Elizabeth Rollins and her thirteen-year-old sister, Caroline, lived in Independence, Missouri, when the persecutions against the Mormons began in 1833. (Right close to where we are.)

The year began peacefully. The settlement was growing as new converts moved in, land was cleared for farms, houses were built. The girls' uncle, Algernon Gilbert, owned a successful store. William Phelps had a printshop on the upper floor of his home. He published The Evening and The Morning Star for the Saints. He also printed revelations Joseph Smith had received and was going to bind them into a book called The Book Of Commandments.

By July, the non-Mormon settlers were angry about the growing number of Mormons. People had been trying to get the Mormons to move away from Jackson County. A town meeting was held and the Mormons were ordered to leave their new homes or they would be killed. Phelps and Gilbert requested three months so they could talk to the Prophet, who was in Kirtland, Ohio. It was denied. Ten days was also refused and they were told they had fifteen minutes to move out of the county.

Before fifteen minutes had passed, the mob broke into the home of Brother Phelps. Sister Phelps was alone and quickly grabbed her sick baby and hurried with the other children to the safety of the woods close by. Mary Elizabeth and Caroline watched with horror as angry men threw the family's things into the street. Upstairs they found the valuable press and hurled it out the window to the street below. They then dumped the huge sheets of printed pages onto the pile of trash in the street. Mary Elizabeth decided to try to save the revelations. Caroline thought they would be killed, but she agreed to help.

The mob turned their backs and the girls ran into the street and filled their arms with the big pages. They were turning away when some of the mob spotted them. Squeezing through a gap in the fence, the girls were in a cornfield, hidden, by thick rows of corn stalks five to six feet high. The men searched through the corn but could not find the girls. The girls had placed the precious printed sheets on the ground and covered them with their bodies.

When they felt it safe to leave, they gathered the papers in their arms but they were lost. Mary Elizabeth was able to lead her sister to safety by looking at the tops of trees. They found Sister Phelps carrying branches to pile up to make beds for the night.

The girls gave the pages to Sister Phelps because Brother Phelps would know what to do with them. They were sad that they did not have time to read even one of the pages that they had risked their lives to save.

The pages they saved and others that were gathered were made into a book by Oliver Cowdery and he gave a copy of the book to Mary Elizabeth. The sacred writings were not lost and today are part of the Doctrine and Covenants.

It is a bit hard to realize that these things happened right here in Independence. There are a lot of people who do not like the Mormons to this day. But we are coming back! Oh, the early Saints were so brave and courageous and had such faith.

I cannot figure out how to turn this pic so I will tell you this story later.

Last week we had 5 companionships who hit the jackpot! That is the car jackpot. They all got brand new cars.

This is Elder Neilson who plays the piano very well and also signs beautifully. He is so happy and pleasant to be around.

This is Elder Bradshaw, his companion. Last summer he was doing a service project trimming trees. He fell out of a tree 15 feet up and landed on a log. It completely broke and smashed his face. Also damaged an eye. He still does not have clear vision in one eye. But he survived and got better. His mother came out here for a while to stay with him in the hospital and then care for him for a time. He is one of the miracles in the mission.

This is Elder Vogel and Elder Bergeson. They are two good missionaries. Elder Vogel is very sweet and soft spoken. They are zone leaders in this area so we see them a little more. A while ago Elder Bergeson kind of knew that they would be up for a new car and asked Dad if they could have the white Chevy Malibu. There were six new ones in the parking lot. Dad wouldn't give him a straight answer. Says he can't play favorites. But when the cars get 47,000 to 55,000 miles on them, they are out of here. So they kept looking at the new cars and then one day Dad called them and told them they were up for a new car. They came to the office and of coarse, they got the white one. Two happy elders I tell you.

It was Elder Vogel's day to drive, so he was the first to drive the new car. Here they are leaving the 'lot'.

We had to run out and get a pic of them. At least, I did, but then Dad came out too and was saluting them as they drove off.

And down the street they go. Kind of fun to be 20 years old and handed the keys to a 2010 automobile! They did come back in about five minutes because they had left their gas card in the old car.

Some great young men in the mission. All kinds of missionaries. It is a treat to be around most of them. So as of today there have been six cars go out and six come in to be fixed up and ready for sale and then we picked up three more today. So we will soon have 9 cars for sale, plus the other three or four that have been hanging around for a while now.

I do believe that Dad is cured. Have not heard him coughing today at all. As for me, I am still looking for a therapist. Saw a chiropractor two times and still not rid of the sharp dagger pain. It is so crazy. I stand up and can't take a step because the pain feels like a knife in my lower side back. But I am taking ibuprofen, a prescription muscle relaxor and icing it a lot. I can also stand up and just rub the area and the pain seems to leave. I need some good Spinal Touch. Oh, well, it will get better soon.

We had the Stutz's and the Bouys over on Saturday night for Dad's birthday. We ate veges and dip and chips and salsa and then of coarse, strawberry short cake! We played Canadian Salad. It is a fun game with ROOK cards. We had a very enjoyable evening.

Loves and hugs to all.

I can't believe me! Here I have gone and done it again. And I thought I was pretty committed! As I look back and think about the last week, it has been an interesting one. There is always something going on around here and I guess it starts to sound a little boring I think, but there are things that I want to remember, so I do need to tell about them here since I am not really writing in a journal. Sort of a different kind of journal, but this is where I want to record mission events.



This last week, as usual, had it highs and lows. The lowest was when two Elders came in for an interview with the President. One had ripped the anterior cruciate in his right knee and was on crutches. When one Elder is down, it really puts two down, because they must be together all the time. So the healthy Elder was a bit weary of waiting for and waiting on his companion who was on the crutches. To top it all off, they stopped behind a school bus that had put its STOP sign out and got rear ended. Really rear ended. So anyway, Dad was assigned as Elder Barth's companion and off they went to the body shop here in town to get an estimate and the other elder had his interview. Good news on the estimate. Dad loves Mullins Body Shop. His estimate was $2700. Elder Barth had another one and it was for $4200, I think. So the car will be fixed here.



But the sad news, the elder on crutches was headed home. The day he arrived, his eyes looked like a deer in the headlights. I personally did not know what he was doing here. You just kind of pick up on kids real easy in that first meeting, especially after they have spent a few weeks at the MTC. He has been miserable and so the basketball accident was quite a handy excuse to get it on out of here. They came in about 10:30 and after calls to a stake president, bishop, parents, SLC to get a plane ticket, back to the apartment to pack up, and he was on the plane at 6pm. I just wonder what will become of him now. He seems like a little lost puppy. I mean a big lost puppy. My heart was heavy as he left. Missions are just not for everyone.



Last night we had a Senior Conference. there were 35 of us there at the mission home for a lovely dinner and then the President and his wife spoke to us. It was kind of about heroes and she talked about the Willey and Martin Handcart Companies. I have read that book but do you think I can remember the name of it! She has really learned to continue speaking through the tears. She gave some beautiful stories of people in the book. Read it if you have not.



Then the Pres talked about his father. Van Komen is a Dutch name and our Pres was born in Holland in 1944. But the story of his father was amazing. His father was baptized at age 12 under cover of night in a canal that the missionaries had dammed up. Too many people against the church to do it in daylight. He was also in the 1944-1945 winter that he called the starvation winter where 25,000 people died of starvation.

I am back in and trying to fix the damage. I don't know what happened, but it would not post, so I will try and rewrite and post again.

There were thousands more who suffered the effects of starvation. Father was called upon to provide food for the saints in his area. He had left the herring business and gone into the furniture business and it sounded like he made quite a lot of money. Took gelders amounting to about $30,000 and got a truckload of potatoes on the black market and brought them, under cover of night, to the church to feed the saints one meal a day. Then was called to feed the saints later on and spent hundreds of dollars for a few pounds of lentils, again underground, to feed the saints. They actually came to Utah in 1949 and that is where pres grew up. He is such a humble man. I wish I had a recording of his talk last night.

I went to the chiropractor today. Sure wish I could find a good hands on person to work on my back. I got out of the car yesterday and thought I had been stabbed in the back. I could not move. Then I sit back down and get up again and it is fine. But it happened about 5 more times today, so I went to see someone. He is a good old pop and crack kind of chiro. He did a digital scan of my back and sure enough, all the places it hurt showed up as hurting places on the print out. It is just hard to find a good therapist right off. But I think he did some good, so will see him again on Thursday and hope it is OK and begin my search again. Dad is still hacking away. Better some days and then coughing like crazy the next. He would like to get rid of his cough. That is his only symptom. No cold or fever or anything else.

But All is Well and hugs and loves and kisses to all.