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.