Raining - - - Raining - - - Raining!

Actually, we love hearing it rain in the evening when we are snuggly inside, but it is difficult to traipse through the puddles to people's doors, at least unannounced,  so we have been forced to make more appointments than usual the past few days.

Whoa - it sounds like a huge downpour at the moment, but it is too dark to see much.  My good companion has already retired, but I am waiting for the cake to cool so I can turn it out of the pan.  We will take it to the Mitchell family having a baptism tomorrow.

Vivian will have been baptized two years this July.  She has been waiting patiently for Lamar to feel he was ready.  Tomorrow is the big day after our meeting block.  She has been up to the temple several times to participate in baptisms for the dead and she has been hoping to someday go with Lamar to be married there for Eternity.  She must be so thrilled tonight.

We have other members who are of Black descent, but many have not come since we have been here.  We have been working on that!  Vivian has been so faithful.  We hope it will help others to come too.  Jessie, their daughter is in college in Americus, GA.  Brian, their son is finishing high school in West Lauren County High.

Elder Hoskin (now in Perry), Daughter Jessica, Vivian & Lamar Mitchell,
son Brian, Elder Yeaman, Elder Atwood

Our cute little 84 year old friend Mildred Ogburn, who has been associated with the ward for years, but is still investigating, says she is coming.  She wants to be there "to see Lamar get dunked".  (Sweet, funny sentiment coming from a lady of her vintage).  She is the one waiting cautiously for cataract surgery.

She told us she wanted to come if it was not too stormy.  This morning when we left, it had quit raining, but was very overcast.  Mildred does not have a phone, so we just decided to go and get her, in case she was ready.  Sure enough, she was waiting at the door, happy to be going and meeting with people at church.  When discussing baptism, she always tells the Elders she is afraid of the water.  LaMar needed two tries to be completely immersed.  We wondered what she thought of that.

from left: Mildred Ogburn, Sister Castleton,
Bobby Watson, his wife Josefine

The South is still not integrated really.  In many respects each color just keeps to themselves.  Maybe that is one reason there are so many churches around here.  Dublin is more than half black.  Since segregation was outlawed, many caucasian families just moved to acreages out in the country, where Christian (all white) or County consolidated schools (2/3 white) are the favored choices.

Home values drop in neighborhoods, as soon as they start changing to black ownership.  It will take a lot more years to change such long held prejudices.  Schools within the City are mainly black (3 to 1) as that is who lives near them.

 I gather City schools are considered inferior by some, except for the sports teams at Dublin High.  On game night, it seems like everyone is Irish!

The Young Elders too have been filling up their days, and were so thrilled tonight with two new baptism dates.  

We were excited too, because they are contacts we sent them to.  They are grandchildren of one of our favorite matriarchs.  We hope all goes well with the rest of the discussions, as we know how pleased she will be.