Georgia Christmas 2012

It poured all afternoon on Christmas Eve.
I went on a brief excursion, and the Georgia Patrol pulled me over
to remind me that it is Georgia Law to have lights on during a rainstorm.

It is really weird to have a rainy drizzle for Christmas Eve.  It has been cold and cloudy which makes it seem more like December though, so we like it.  The decorations here really brighten up the winter grey - they are mostly traditional with lots of wreaths, garland and red bows.  They are spotlighted in many cases,  and there are few lighted houses.

It has been a little difficult this last week, for us (me really) to keep up enthusiasm for making appointments as I remember how busy everyone is at this time of year.  Then, I remind myself that we have a message that is the most important thing they could hear this season or during their lifetime.  It is worth more than a few minutes to those wanting to know the truth - especially during this season celebrating His birth.

We are making Christmas muffins and caramels to take to some of our new friends.  We just want them to know we are thinking of them, and it feels more like Christmas to us,  as we smell the muffins baking.  Doug has already made his list, and we will be busy just saying Merry Christmas and dropping them off the next few days.

We have been helping a new member family move.  Business has been slow at their optical company. They lost their home, and thought they would be homeless for Christmas, but thanks to a member, found a doublewide that they could afford (no heat or air conditioning).    There are three generations, so it will be tight, but everyone has a good attitude.  We hope it will work out for them.  It is the Daniels family (one of the Dianes)

We have been helping them clean - scrub out cabinets - lay new shelf paper.  Doug is especially good at making shelf paper fit.   No one has lived in the home for awhile, so there is much cleaning and fixing to be done (lots of cockroaches).  They hope to be in the new place in time to put up their tree Christmas Eve.

The only Christmas many of our families have is from registering their children at Goodwill or some other charity.  They have made their homes cozy and are grateful they have something for Christmas morning.  Many have food stamps so they have enough to eat.

Once again we are grateful for our resources;  for having what we need;  for being able to sustain ourselves;  for the special gift of good health and energy.  We encounter so many people our age who cannot get around, or out, never mind do things like take a walk, go shopping, come to church, rake leaves, help others in a physical sense.  We have been truly blessed!

Christmas Visits - just a sampling!

Maddie  -  our age, but born without elbows.  She weighs less than 100 pounds I'm sure, but has always done things for herself.  She has a daughter and grandchildren who live on properties around hers.  She lives in a small trailer and has two tiny dogs.  We usually visit her outside under the trees.  She spends most of the day, raking up the leaves and acorns as they fall.

Now it is cold, we squeeze into her smoking porch.  She is content, though it seems to us that she needs so many things. She is not able to get out unless someone brings her, and it takes her awhile to get moving in the mornings, thus, no church, even if someone could pick her up.  Doug left her his reading glasses on one visit, so she could read her medicines and maybe the scriptures.

She is always delighted to see us, as she has never lost her love of the church which she attended as a child, but we have not been able to help her understand the greater blessings she could have, that she is missing.

Ronald - about 50.  He is in a tiny subsidized apartment trying to get a handle on pain medication addiction, which has caused him to lose his family and former support.  He is a good man but is so lonely.  He is not invited back home for the holidays.  He is grateful for the part-time employment he has working for the mental health offices (maintenance), and for his tiny shabby place that he shares with a roommate.

He has no transportation - we have no buses here in Dublin.  There are no members that live out where he lives.  We are not sure he is in a place where he is ready to come out, but we are trying to let him know that someone knows he is out there.  Our little bag of goodies (oranges etc) in the red and green bag, was the only touch of Christmas in the apartment.  (To our surprise he accepted our invitation to pick him up for Church Sunday and for Christmas Eve dinner at our house.  We were delighted.

Mildred - age 84.  She lives alone in a cozy little brick house in the black section of Dublin.  There were no Christmas decorations anywhere.  Her son lives two hours away.  She can't drive that far, and it is difficult for his family to spend the whole holiday on the road fetching and bringing her back home.  They are willing, but she wants to come home at night, and they of course want her to stay for a week or so.  She seems content to talk to them on the phone, but it makes for a quiet holiday.  To our surprise, she also agreed to have us pick her up for church Sunday and dinner Monday.

Christmas Eve Dinner

As we visited, we found people who were all alone for Christmas.  They were delighted to be invited for dinner.  We continued to find others with no family around, so now we will have to use both our tables.  We will have an age range from 17 to 84.  No one knows each other, so it should be an interesting evening.  We also invited the Young Elders.  They will have to bring their own chairs and dishes, but they understand about these missionary apartments, so they won't mind.

Dinner went well.  Sister Ogburn didn't come.  Everyone else joined in to make it a fun evening.  One guest said that his mother was shot and his father then killed himself Christmas Eve, so it is a hard time for him.  We hope this is the beginning of some good Christmas memories.

Another Sister (with the 17 year old son), said that this has been such a difficult time for her this year.  They didn't even put up any decorations.  We were happy to share ours.

Everyone joined in reading the Nativity Story from the Book of Mormon and the Bible.  We would have liked to sneak in more singing, but it was getting late.

We didn't even get a chance to show the new video from the Mumfords and Lees, but we have enjoyed it over and over.  It made us laugh out loud and shed a few tears.  What a good thing for you and Brian to do MJ when you are far away from everyone this Christmas.  It was a wonderful treat for us.

We used our computer desk as a buffet for dinner.
Note the video background.

Thinking of you all tonight!  May you feel the great love of the Savior as you draw your loved ones close this beautiful Christmas Eve.  You are very precious to us.  We send our love and Greetings!

Rain, Leaves, and Blogs

We have not had any rain to speak of, for months; then when the leaves were finally off most of the trees, it has been drizzling for days.  Our Ward (High Priest Quorum) had a leaf raking project planned, so we went ahead with it anyways.

From Left:  Sol Fordham, Ward Mission Leader
Cory Danner, Elders Quorum President
Nice of them to come to support the aging High Priests.

The technique is to rake the leaves into piles and then
push them onto large tarps and take them to the road.
The City crews come by and suction them up.

Dave Duncan and John Bates, quorum friends in the ward.
Twelve men came ready to help.  They barely finished
in the two hours they had until dark.

Doug with Rex Boland, the High Priest Group Leader

We are at Sister Nell's house.  She is the sister who at 79, walks 3 miles a day and cares for her coy pond and large lot by herself.  She battled cancer three years ago and just last week had a tumor removed from her foot.  It is killing her to be laid up.  She would not have let these leaves accumulate in normal circumstances.

It is her son-in-law going through cancer treatments now, and she usually drives them up to Macon.  Her daughter has had a stroke, and isn't able to function as well as she once did, so relies on her mother to advocate for Glen.  Also just last week, her only brother had to have his pacemaker replaced, and she was his ride and supporting advocate.







Does that sound like enough adversity for one person who is nearly 80 years old?

She is amazingly upbeat.  She somehow gets herself to church nearly every Sunday, even though we meet at 9:00.  She comes alone as her daughter is not active and her son-in-law is not a member.

She said, "What do I do, just pay money into the quorum or something?"  I told her "No, you just smile sweetly and say thanks".

She cried.

Coordinating Blog Purposes

Sorry about the Blog kerfuffle.  We joke that we are here 6 months longer than everyone else so we have time to learn how to work together.

Maybe it is true.  I know you can appreciate Doug's exuberance and spontaneity, and most of you know my need for privacy especially when it comes to family and those things most dear to my heart - so we have a ways to go in working with unity, and agreeing to the most appropriate approach.

 The important thing may be that we continue to strive

Meetings and More Meetings

Zone Meeting in Thomasville  11/27/12 (two and a half hours away)

We left in the dark at 5:15 am to pick up the young Sisters in Cochran and get to their meeting by 8:00 am.  We had sessions all day until 4:00 with a quick lunch break. The Young Elders then had leadership meetings after that, so we arrived home in the dark around 7:30 pm.  We were fortunate to have Elder Lawrence Corbridge of the Seventy instructing us all day.  We joined with the Columbus, GA Zone, so we were able to see two of the other Senior Couples, and came away with many suggestions to try to incorporate.

Thomaston is hillier than where we are, and there are more pecan groves and peach orchards.  They have a brand new church there.  The Foy's, (in light jacket), a new couple from Panguitch are serving for six months, in a branch group in the Columbus Stake.  They have only a few families in their group, but they meet separately as no one except them, has transportation to get into the branch.


Christmas Devotional from Salt Lake City  12/02/12

Most of our members watch the broadcast from home, but we came over to be sure people could get in if they decided to come to the chapel.  The Young Elders were there before us, and had the lights on.  It all seemed very welcoming.   We loved the sweet spirit we felt as we listened to each member of the first Presidency.  The music also added to the feeling of love and peace.

We couldn't find Ryan in the choir, but knowing he is there makes the music more beautiful to our ears.  We hope you were able to hear the messages and feel the Christmas spirit.  I'm sure you can pick it up online at LDS.org

Our doorway in Dublin - welcoming Christmas!

Our Missionary Tree Dublin, GA 2012
Notice the star at the top.  Doug insisted and picked it out.

Close up so you can see the ornaments.

See what a little Christmas spirit can do?

It is fun to turn on the Christmas lights when we are up early to study or later in the evening when we read scriptures together.

We are almost finished the Book of Mormon for the second time since we arrived in Georgia.  This time we are reading with the whole mission trying to finish by Christmas.

The 'Family' block was a little gift from the President Harding and family.  We could choose from faith, believe, love, etc.




























Senior Couples Meeting at the Mission Home 12/08/12  (two and a half hours away)

We had a pot-luck dinner in the mission home.  It was great to be with the Senior Missionaries.  They have so much enthusiasm for the Gospel and their callings, it is infectious.  We each brought salads or desserts, and then they ordered sandwich wraps to go with it.  We had time for visiting as we ate, and then we shared experiences from our areas.  We were asked to respond to: One thing I am thankful for, and one thing I know for sure.

President and Sister Harding also spoke to us.  It is interesting to feel the zeal and spirit of a newly called leader.  We are in good hands!  We have 17 missionaries leaving before Christmas, but will have replaced that, plus eleven in January - eight new young sisters have been assigned here.  This is an exciting and busy time in our mission.

Outdoors at the Mission Home with President and Sister Harding

From left front:  Dan and Carol Gibson (Employment Center), Chester and Linda Seivert (Military Relations), Ramona and Gene Huffaker (Housing), Tamera and David Smalley (Medical), President and Sister Harding.

In back from left:  Nancy and Glen Curtis, David and Lynn Trammell, Us, the Castletons (all member and leader support).


Members and New Contacts

Sometimes it seems that there is not enough time to see everyone we already know, but it is still interesting to meet new contacts.

This week, one of our member friends, Sister Harrison turned 90.  We were over the day before, as we knew she would have family visiting on her actual birthday.  She had just come back from renewing her drivers license, and was trying to get her house spiffed up (vacuumed), before her son arrived the next day.  I'd love to have her spunk when I have grown up a bit more.

We tried to take her a tiny growing rose for a birthday remembrance, but the store that always carries them didn't have them today, so we took a ruffled poinsettia.  She said her son always brings her one for her birthday, so I hope we did not spoil his surprise.

We also met Wilton, a member, (70 years old) who has not come for many years (like 40).  He lives on part of the  hundreds of acres he owns in a tiny house back in the trees.  He doesn't have a phone, but he has at least 100 chickens that are free range.  He says they roost in the trees.  They are beautiful - lots of different colors.  He sometimes uses their eggs, but basically they are his pets.  He raises enough corn for them and grain to feed the deer.  He says he doesn't even notice the roosters crowing.

He has an interesting philosophy about hypocrisy in the world.  He then said there are so many wonderful people in our ward boundaries who do things for others, but never go to church.  We agree with him, but reminded him of all the promised blessings they are missing, and asked him when he was coming back.  We liked this man very much and the way he thought deeply about the important things in life.

If you need one, we could send one to you!
Or you can find it online at lds.org.
It's pretty sweet - you can watch,  listen,  print,  or download each talk just by clicking.

We had a Conference Issue Ensign that he accepted readily.  He said he had caught part of the conference on TV.  We hope he will use some of that beautiful solitude he values, to contemplate what the Prophets have told us just this year, and accept Jesus invitation to come back!

December Birthdays

We will be celebrating with you all on your special days  Happy Birthday from Dublin, Georgia !

Curious Connor 
(Mikal's) Twenty-one on December 2nd

Remember the fun we had in Banff being altogether

Sweet Hallie!

(John and Janay's 2nd)  Six on December 13th

You loved to run barefoot in our backyard in Sandy, UT

Beautiful Paige

(Chelsea's) Eighteen on December 16th

Time flies!  At the River bottom park in Lethbridge

Christian James - Sunny (CJ)

(Chelsea's youngest) Fourteen on December 30th

He is now five feet six inches tall.  I love this picture from Banff 2005 on the banks of the Bow River

Thinking also of our Canadian sons: Daryn December 22nd, and Jude December 8th (deceased) 

                                                           

We are busy and happy and we send giant hugs to each of you.  Hope you have a fantastic day!  Always remember how much we love you!

On the Home Front

Cozier Surroundings

Our only sitting area.  We don't do a lot of sitting around.

I am finally convincing Doug that a plant or two and a cozy throw is not going to detract from having a "missionary apartment," whatever that is,  and its a lot more welcoming when we finally get home in the evening.

We also have a dark red coverlet to cover the blankets on our bed, that was totally unnecessary (Doug), but I think he secretly likes the homier feel.  It was fast to pick up (no wasted missionary moments), and it will not take that much more baggage room to haul around if we get transferred - the winning argument!

The Family!

The pictures on the wall are in the front hall as you walk in.  They are 5x7, the best I had from the computer.  If you don't like yours, or have an update, we would love to have them by e-mail or otherwise.  We like to show you off, although truthfully, very few come to our apartment, so they are mostly for us.

From Left:  Laurens County,  City of Dublin.  We also cover Johnson County,

We thought you should see our missionary maps.  They started out as a joke because the young missionaries always have maps of their area all over their walls.

We started to post names of families we had actually visited with in their homes.  Then, we found it useful in planning visits, to do several while out in an area.
Now, we don't need them for location, as we know where everyone lives, but when we have a discouraging day, we can look at the maps and say to ourselves - "See, we are doing something!"

Christmas broadcast from Salt Lake City tonight!  We will think of all of you.  It is always a good thing to hear the voice of a Prophet!