Life of a Missionary...Revealed

 The last couple of weeks we have prepared and taught some lessons, visited the sick, retained a new doctor, paid some bills, ordered new sheets and a coat, lived through both Christmas and New Years Eve, baked and delivered holiday cookies to members and investigators, cleaned, shopped, did laundry, prepared meals, avoided cold and snow, "Facetimed" our families, talked with our grand children, survived another transfer, fed missionaries, knitted caps for newborns, traveled to Marquette for district meetings, reported to the mission president, felt the Spirit of the Lord and just enjoyed our service opportunity. Those of you who have served missions will recognize the many mundane things that missionaries do. It seems, as Senior Missionaries, that is all we do...but then again our clothes aren't strewn all over our apartment and our dishes are done more than once a week.


 Oh another thing; the missionaries were out of the monthly miles they are allowed for their car with one day to go in the month so being good missionaries they went tracting all day the 31st. They reported finding 5 individuals who invited them back. I reminded them that activity equals opportunity. Because they chose the harder path, it (activity) brought them success (opportunity). It's a true principle of life that works for all of us. If you want success in life one way is to learn to do the worthwhile things others refuse to do.


 And finally for you Genealogy/Family History buffs. If you haven't seen this already make a note because it is soooo cool. Enjoy. 
https://lds.org/youth/family-history/serve?lang=eng#see-my-family-tree

For your enjoyment what follows is the conversion story of Shari Lane a member of the branch, a nurse and the first convert to be baptized in the Iron Mountain Branch.

Shari Lane’s Conversion Story:

  Iron Mountain Branch

I was 21 years old; my husband was in the Air Force, stationed at Grissom AFB, Indiana.  We were renting a mobile home, which was located in the middle of a field, out in cow country.

One day, there was a knock at the door, and there stood a man who said, "Would you like to save money on your car insurance?" There had been a blizzard the night before, and the snow was hip deep.  He had braved walking across the field in that deep snow! So I took pity on him and invited him in for a piece of homemade bread, that I’d baked that morning, and a cup of coffee.

He answered, "The bread sounds great, but I’ll pass on the coffee."

"I suppose everyone gives you a cup of coffee, you’re probably all coffee’d out, hey!"

"Actually, I don’t drink coffee – it’s against my Church’s beliefs, and it’s against my personal convictions."

"What on earth kind of church doesn’t drink coffee?”

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; I’m a Mormon."

The first words out of my mouth were, "Wow! How many wives do you have?"

He laughed and explained the Church does not practice polygamy, as most people think.  But I knew nothing about the Mormon Church, so I started asking questions about what they believe.

Two hours later, we were still sitting at my kitchen table, my Bible open, and I was asking one question after another!  The poor guy was a new convert, baptized just 6 months previous.

I was raised Baptist, and knew my Bible well!  He apologized for not having all the answers, but he said that surely I was not the 1st to ask these questions.  And if the Church didn’t have the answers, it would have never have stood this long.

And he knew a couple of fellows who knew the answers to any questions I might have!  He said he’d send the missionaries to talk to me, but in the meantime, would I like to come to dinner and meet his wife and kids?

"Oh, your wife would shoot you if you brought home a stranger for dinner without letting her know!"

"No, really, she loves to be imposed upon!"

He gave me directions, and since my husband wasn’t going to be home for supper that night, I went.  What a wonderful family! Their home was so "homey", and their 2 little boys were so happy!  Sure enough, his wife was delighted to have a stranger walk in for supper!  We talked of food storage, and a living Prophet and Apostles. Their beliefs were fascinating, and I wanted to know more!  The wife invited me to a Relief Society social.

A few days later, she and I went to the Chapel where there was a gathering of "Sisters", and long tables of food.  The thing that struck me, was that the women were incredible!  I kept thinking that if any one of them were placed in the midst of a crowd, they would stand out somehow – they would glow!   I was certain that every head would turn and everyone would be aware that they were in the presence of someone very special.

The girl smiled and said, "Isn’t that wonderful!"

"You mean you believe me?"

 "Of course, we all lived in the spirit before this life, and we knew one another!"  She told me about the pre-existence, (and about a book called "Added Upon", which I have since read.)

 Wow!  I was hooked!  This Church had the answers I had been searching for, for many years.  And their answers made so much sense.  A living Prophet and Apostles, the counsel to have food storage, the knowledge of the pre-existence and much more!

 My Husband and I started the discussions with the missionaries, but the Air Force decided to give him an "early out", and we left the area very quickly.  We came to the UP, where we wanted to make our home and raise a family.  I soon realized the LDS Church was not to be found here.

 The next 3 years, there was an empty space inside of me that just kept growing bigger, and more empty.  I prayed for 3 years that the Lord would show me "The Truth", and I vowed to follow Christ.

 At La Leche League, I met a gal, Laurie, who was moving out of Niagara, and we were moving in.  Her toddler fell down the basement stairs and needed stitches.  She came to my door and asked if I'd keep her nursing infant while she took her little girl to the ER.

 When Laurie returned, I told her I thought I might be pregnant again.  She was leaving the next day, but she gave me her new address and said to drop a Christmas card and let her know if I was. I thought to myself, I don’t even know this gal, I’m not going to write to her.

 A few months went by, and I was indeed pregnant – but sadly I miscarried the baby.  I was very sorrowful, and my Husband freaked out.  He wouldn’t let me talk about it, and I didn’t know anyone there.

One day, I was looking for something in a desk drawer, and found Laurie’s address. Starved for someone to talk to, I sat down and poured my heart out in a letter, and sent it to her.

 A week later, her answer arrived. She too had lost a baby recently, and she said my feelings were very much like hers. In the course of the letter, she referred to Heavenly Father, and Relief Society.  I threw the letter up in the air and shouted for joy! I had found the Church again!

 Laurie lived 50 miles away; I got directions at a gas station.  When I knocked at her door, she looked confused, "I didn’t expect to see you again, come on in, what are you doing in Escanaba?"

"I came to see you!"

 "Wow, all the way out here, just to see me?"  She sat me down at the table with her daughter and a bowl of chili.  She looked really confused!

 "Where is the Church?" I blurted out!

 "Well… I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; I’m a Mormon….."

 "Yes, I know, that’s why I’m here!  Where is the Church?"

 She nearly fell off her chair! Three families with young children had recently moved into the Iron Mountain area, and they were taking turns meeting at each other’s houses. They had just received a pair of missionaries.

That was 1977, and I was baptized in Timm’s Lake, near Pembine -- the 1st baptism in the Iron Mountain Branch.

Merry Christmas 2011

We hope that, like us, you are enjoying the special spirit of the

Savior’s birth and life that we are experiencing this wonderful time of year

May we keep that spirit this Christmas season and always

Is our fervent prayer

Merry Christmas

From

Elder and Sister Johnson

Red Kettle and Heavenly Stars

 What's that rriiinnggging in our ears? It's the sound of Christmas, more specifically the sound of Salvation Army bells. This past week we had the opportunity to be volunteer bell ringers. We were stationed in the ante way at our local Shopko. It was a totally gratifying experience. Around 50% of all of the shoppers stopped and donated. The Salvation Army is a great organization for helping families that are down on their luck. Most all of the money gets to its intended destination. We had one little girl who on her why past the kettle dropped in some coins. She was obviously struggling with giving up all of her coins to the cause. She decided to keep one for her favorite charity, herself. Her mother joined her just outside the outer doors and what ensued was a philosophical discussion about the merits of giving versus keeping. "Keeping" won, as she didn't donate her remaining coin...it was a cute parenting moment.

 Christmas is coming, I know that isn't news. We have been receiving cards and ornaments for our little tree all this week. A special surprise was a card and a note we received from a less active member we met in Watersmeet. This was the member who had been baptized 20 years ago and had received virtually no fellowshipping because she lives 100 miles away from the branch. In the note she commented that she has been reading the Book of Mormon we gave her. We sent her a card and a note and 2 Christmas DVDs. We will drive over in January, visit her and pick up the DVDs. This year we have decided to celebrate the season at home, just the two of us. It will be the first time in 45 years it will be just us. We will definitely miss everyone but we are looking forward to alone time as well. We won't be totally alone as we plan to video chat with every family. If you want to get in on the fun you (non-family) had better call and claim a time. 
 One of the important signs of the Savior's birth was the new star seen in the Near East. According to the B of M, residents in the new world observed a day, a night and a day with no darkness as the sun set. Now I want to share with you another witness. This one is recorded by Ignatius one of the early church fathers who is reported to have been the "Third Bishop of Antioch" and who lived during the time John received the "Revelation" on Patmos.

“A star shone forth in heaven above all the other stars, the light 

of which was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, 

formed a chorus to this star, and its light was exceedingly great 

above them all. And there was agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle came, so unlike to everything else [in the heavens]. Hence 

every kind of magic was destroyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was removed, and the old kingdom 

abolished, God Himself being manifested in human form 

for the renewal of eternal life”.

Ignatius to the Ephesians, XIX

 We visited with a sister who is recovering from surgery for a strangulated hernia. She has needed hernia surgery for around 15 years. Instead of just sending her home...again they decided this time to operate. She is happy. This is the mother of the husband of the family we teach each week. She grew up in Ogden but has spent most of her life in the U. P. She is a great support for what we are planning to do for her family. Being back in a rehabilitation center brought back memories from when I was serving at Wasatch Villa. Some of you will remember visiting the Villa and performing around Christmas and at other times. I have very fond memories of the residents and the service I was able to give. I also have vivid memories of visits by President Monson and his playing the piano for the residents.


A great week,
Merry Christmas from Elder and Sister Johnson pleased to be in the service of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ the Lord

Lambeau, Split Rock and Dishes

 So the high today (Sunday) is in the 40s and just 3 days ago the high was in single digits and we had noticed small lakes and rivers were freezing over. This kind of weather makes me homesick for Utah weather. Here in the "sunbelt", where we live, at the bottom of the U.P. we do have fluctuations. If we lived north on the Keweenaw peninsula we would be in the path of lake effect snow. When the temps were around 5 degrees here it was snowing 5-6 inches daily in Houghton. Living in the South has its benefits even here in the U.P.
 Monday we left around noon to take our missionaries to Green Bay so they could be with the other zone missionaries for a zone p-day. Their goal was a Lambeau Field tour followed by basket and dodge ball.

We stayed overnight and prepared for the next day by taking a nap, eating at the best fast-food eatery ever, Culvers (There is one down by Fashion Place mall and a new one coming to Lehi) and then we had pizza delivered. I think we also had some conversations about some of the families we are teaching. So...a great p-day for us. We met at the local meetinghouse at 7:30 the following morning to pick up a third missionary and travel to the Manitowoc ward for a special Zone conference. This conference was called by Pres. Jones to help us know how to be more effective over the holiday season. We practiced some on how to leave a holiday DVD with an interested individual or family. Hint, don't just give it, loan it so you have an excuse to go back and pick it up. When you do go back if they haven't taken the time to watch it ask if you can sit down and watch it with them. We are also enjoying "Mr. Kreuger's Christmas" and "Joy to the World" along with the families we are teaching. If it has been a while, viewing one of both of these DVDs is a great idea for your FHE this week or next.
 Each week as we travel north to Crystal Falls to visit with the Carlson family we pass an unique sight, a tree that was growing right up and out of a rock. It's called Split Rock, what else.

To me this tree represents the determination of the early settlers of the U.P. We have met locals whose families have been here over many generations. They have outlasted hard rock mining, extreme cold, burnt pastys and beaver stew. Through it all they have lived honorable, mostly religious lives. Can you tell...we really respect these people.
 Sister Johnson and I taught the importance of the scriptures and of reading the scriptures at the Carlsons this week. We hope these weekly lessons help inspire the Carlsons into activity. Jason Murra, the other L. A. we are teaching, has told us the lessons are making a big difference for him.
 Yesterday we attended the branch Christmas party. It was attended by about 55 people including 4-5 non-members. The party was basically food and lots of it. This will surprise a lot of people but afterwards Sister Johnson and I washed all of the dishes, by Sister Johnson and I, I mean I washed the dishes and she rinsed and dried. See, I knew you would be surprised.

Christmas is coming...embrace it,
Elder G-pa and Sister G-ma

December in the U.P.

 Well the deer hunt is done. The newspaper reported that they harvested 150 deer inside the city limits of Iron Mountain and Kingsford. The meat is given to local charities. We have seen piles of hides, carcasses hanging from rafters and trees and surprisingly few on the front fenders of the cars and trucks. Only one bear hide has been visible and no moose, elk or reindeer. Considering the time of year that should make the youngsters very happy.

 As you might expect, the residents here are very traditional when it comes to Christmas. There were almost no decorations up before Thanksgiving but lights are being hung everywhere. There are plenty religious messages as well. It is exciting to be a part of a community that values traditional Christmas celebrations.  Our branch Christmas party will be this coming Saturday. Sister Johnson and I are considering attending Christmas celebrations sponsored by some of the churches and organizations in the community. We received a "cute" Christmas tree from our daughter Jenny and have begun to receive ornaments from each of our families. (Pictures to follow)
 It is difficult being away from home for this special time of year as it causes some measure of homesickness. We are coping and we will survive. It also helps to rehearse the blessings with which the Lord has blessed us. We are also trying to be involved with those around us; "...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God".
 Our teaching pool is about the same. We are having to postpone some meetings because of illnesses, seasonal disruptions, weather and the like. We did talk to Lucas Kirkpatrick who requested a Bible and a Book of Mormon. His father will not allow us to come to his house to visit with him. Hopefully, however, we will be able to soon meet his father. Lucas is 21 and suggested we meet with him in town. We told him that that would be fine. We haven't been able to find a time...yet.
 Winter is starting to arrive. We have had two snow storms this week for a total of around 6 inches. There are some major snowplows in these towns and is evident that they are excited to get out and plow something, anything. Every block, it seems, has a pickup truck with a plow attached. Our landlord was here today with a snowblower on steroids. I think the long winters give the people here plenty of time to think of stuff to make and figure out how to make it hence the world's biggest working chainsaw (according to Guinness) powered by a 305 c.i. chevy, is from the U.P. This is a link to some serious silliness and other Yooper information  http://dayoopers.com/

Looking forward to the Christmas season,
Elder and Sister Johnson

Beaver Stew but not for Thanksgiving

 Sunday after church we were looking for something to eat and since we had some stew that was gifted to us by the girlfriend of the Branch President after their visit with us, we decided to try it. It was good with the usual potatoes, carrots, onions and MEAT. We both commented that it was only a little different than the stews we are used to, except a little more watery and greasy. It wasn't until Tuesday when we were at church to practice the piano and hang out with Bob Peters, our investigator, that we found out we had eaten everyone's favorite rodent...beaver.

So beaver down, now we only have deer, moose, bear, squirrel, badger, raccoon, woodpecker, raven, rabbit and bald eagle (have I left anything out?) remaining to sample.
 Earlier that evening we met the new missionary who has been assigned here replacing Elder Day and who Elder Church will train. He is from Ogden and went to Ogden High. His name is Elder Smith and, get this, his grandfather, President Peterson, was the Anchorage Alaska mission president when Jenny was there. Elder Smith looked at her picture and thought he even recognized her from visits he and his family made back then. Small world. We have arranged to meet with them each Wednesday night for dinner and correlation. Elder Smith will be a good new missionary, we are looking forward to working with them.
 Wednesday morning we met again with Sandy Carlson, her children Akasha and Gunnar and her non-member sister Tina. We gave the lesson on prophets. The kids were excited to see us arrive and were looking forward to our "primary" lesson. We got great insights about all of them including Tina who was raised Pentecostal and has a good understanding of the scriptures and concepts we were presenting. Sister Johnson had prepared for the children but for the second part of the lesson which we, due to time constraints, didn't give. The kids were out of school because of Thanksgiving. We did change the time of our future meetings to 3:30 so the kids will be home. We will bring Primary to them each week along with the "adult" lessons.
 Thanksgiving was spent with the Klatt family. They were kind to invite us. We had a traditional Thanksgiving with plenty of food and conversation Sister Johnson brought yams. This year we are especially thankful for the many blessings in our life. Imagine being able to be on a mission serving the Lord and those in the U.P. and having the Gift of the Holy Ghost manifest itself on a daily basis. To have children and grandchildren who are choosing to serve the Lord is an even greater blessing for us. Notice how these blessings are now multiplied through our service to others; friends, family and non-members alike. We have all become the Lord's instruments in bringing very real blessings to those around us. It is our testimony that these efforts, with their positive and happy results, are part of the grand design of our Heavenly Father. It is His gift to His children who trust and obey Him.
 Friday we had another meeting with Jason and this time his friend Colette was there with us. We taught prophets and scriptures. She wasn't directly involved in our discussion but she was in the room and listened to every word of our conversation. The time will soon come when we will be able challenge her to read the B of M and pray about it. We are looking forward to it. The Lord continues to put people in our way.
 Saturday was rainy, all day. The Elders had given us a request from a county fair last fall for a Bible and a Book of Mormon. We drove approximately 50 miles one way, through the rain, to see if we could find this individual. When we located him he couldn't come to the door because he was busy cutting up a deer. His wife? seemed interested so we left the books and we arranged to come back on a different day. Because of the distance, if there is interest, we will involve a member who lives in Iron River about 5-10 miles away.
 Remember, the Lord loves all of his children, stay alert to how we can serve others.

With much love,
Grandpa and Grandma Johnson

Oshkosh, A Radiator and Other Stuff

 This week was one of meetings. It all started on Monday with a pool of coolant appearing under the front of the car after we stopped at the bread store. Since the Olds is 15 years old, I was pretty sure I knew what was coming. Sure enough the radiator had a hole in it. Four hours in the dealer's waiting room and $462 later we have a new radiator. We needed it to be fixed as we had to attend two important meetings the coming week.
 Tuesday was our last district meeting with our current missionaries before transfers next week. It seems these meetings become special testimony meetings. Sister Johnson and I feel like their parents and start giving them advice before they leave because it may be the last time we see them for a while. It's a special time with special people. At the very least they seem to tolerate us. Later on we went to the church so Sis. J. could practice the piano and I could practice cribbage with Bob Peters our investigator. When we arrived the hallway was awash with books (not totally unusual for me). These were books from the library of the sister that was murdered. Most were church related and weren't purchased by anyone at the auction. By the way her children feel the auction to sell her belongings was a success in that it was all taken care of for them by the auction company. It didn't hurt that the auction brought in more money than they expected.
 Wednesday we shared with our LA mother and her non-member sister in Crystal Falls a DVD track narrated by Steve Young and Sharlene Hawkes. The title was "Myths about Mormons". It was well received and we went on to set up a weekly meeting with both of them. It is still amazing to me, although somewhat understandable, that many individuals still harbor erroneous beliefs about the church and its members. I think the "Book of Mormon" musical, the presence of mormon candidates for president and other newsworthy events will widen the dialogue and help increase understanding of what we, as a people, are all about. For all of our LDS friends and family...just remember the eyes of our friends, neighbors and indeed the world are always upon us. Remember to show them what being a disciple of Jesus Christ looks like in your everyday life.
 Thursday we got up early to leave for Oshkosh (yes, where baby and work clothes are made...by gosh) for a special training meeting with the other senior missionaries. We were with 4 other couples, President Jones, sister Jones and 2 single sisters who work in the mission office.

         

(l. to r. Elder and Sister Johnson, Sister Carrol, Sister Carling, 

Sister And Elder Foutz, Elder and Sister Hunt, 

Sister and Elder Bowring, Sister and Elder Wilkes, Sister Jones and President Jones)

It was a very spiritual meeting with training and suggestions coming from both President and Sister Jones and some of the Senior Missionaries. The Foutz and the Hunts will leave early next year and the Bowrings and Wilkes leave a year from now as they are serving for just a year. We will leave with President and Sister Jones around July of 2013. These are outstanding individuals with a real love for the work and with special abilities and gifts, that are helping the units where they have been called; which, by the way, is to all of the corners of the mission. We hail from UT, AZ, WA and WY. In "civilian" life we were ranchers, business owners, educators, civil servants, stay-at-home moms plus one was a librarian and another ran an Indian trading post for 30 years. We have one common goal, to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan.

 Friday we awoke to a skiff of snow which I swept off of the deck then we visited with Jason for a lesson on prayer that Sister Johnson prepared and gave. He is getting more involved and is not so passive. I think it may be because he is now engaged and he is thinking more about the whole religion issue as his fiance' is not LDS. Sister Johnson worked some more to finish crocheting the little blue flowers and some new lists and other things for Saturday's Visit Teaching conference that are a part of her RS calling. Saturday was very cloudy and rainy with snow expected in the afternoon the VT conference came off very well and was well attended. The snow even waited until the meeting concluded. It is very helpful for our work for Sister Johnson to be involved as the RS secretary.

 Sunday we found out that Elder Day is being transferred to West Bend having been called as a DL. His companion Elder Church, who came out when we did, will stay and train a brand new elder. New elders have a special 12 week training period with extra time for study. The missionary department is suggesting that new elders who have just been trained will be the best to train the next generation. Having trained and worked to develop programs I really think this concept has a lot of merit, we shall see.

The work continues and so do we,

Elder and Sister Johnson

Appleton, Apples, Snow and Motorcycles

Our Appleton meeting last Monday with Elder Walker was fantastic. He took command of the conference right from the start giving us great counsel and encouragement. His experience as a Mission President in Tokyo gave him unique insights and abilities to talk to the young missionaries on their level. They loved him. He had a Q and A at the end of the day where he told us how the brethren decided to have the Provo Tabernacle become the Provo Temple. After the engineering studies were done and came back positive; the First Presidency talked about the temple concept for about 30 minutes then President Monson raised his arm and said I think we need to do it. By raise of hands the counselors agreed and it was announced at conference a couple of weeks later. So there you go. I visited with him after the meeting and asked him to say hello to Dave Burdett, my former Home Teaching companion, when he got back on Jon Huntsman's plane.

 Tuesday was Sister Johnson's birthday. We celebrated by attending the Chicago Temple. We were the only couple there on that weekday morning. It was a very pleasant and comforting session. After the session we drove all of the way back to Kingsford. Continuing the birthday theme we stopped at a roadside attraction, Apple Holler (look online), where practically everything on the menu contained apples in some form or another. The food was delicious. I bought her a bottle of apple butter which was incredible. (So...it wasn't all for her)

 Wednesday saw the first big snowstorm of the year. Before the blizzard got going in a serious way we visited our LA family in Crystal Falls and tried out the new snowtires I purchased. The mother had forgotten we were coming and I think because of the weather she was somewhat surprised. We stayed awhile and by coming through the storm we let her know we were serious about keeping our appointments. Upon returning home we exercised the Senior option and stayed in the rest of the day and watched it snow, and snow, and snow. We ended up with about 5 inches on the ground. Our landlord came and shoveled for us. Hooray!

 Thursday morning was pasty making day. These great seniors have some fantastic stories...like, "the time our "gang" was riding motorcycles in town and our leader on a BSA said watch this and rode his bike through town on the back wheel. This happened in front of the town cops who were eating lunch. The chief was annoyed and told a rookie cop go and get him. They chased him to and around a local lake but lost him. His gang waited for him to show but he didn't. They got on their bikes and looked for him. They finally found a track heading off of the road. He had missed a curve, flown over a barbed wire fence and hit the only tree in a farmer's field. After hitting the tree he had fallen and hit his head on the only rock exposed in the entire field and knocked himself out. He was the only guy in the group that wore a helmet and it was cracked like an egg. When he came to they picked up his bike and they all rode back into town". This probably happened in the 60's. The talk is always around mechanical things like, "the great log splitter I had with a Model A engine or the 24 motorcycles I have owned'. H. was a professional driver with over 5.5 million miles driven before he retired from that job. I asked him about hitting deer with a big rig, he said that deer were no problem but moose can really ruin your day. I feel right at home in this group.
Later we were able to teach another lesson to Jason after which we drove 45 miles to meet with an 82 year old member who came originally from SLC. We had a great visit and will see her again, we hope we can get her to come to church.

 We planned for Friday morning to look at our health insurance situation since we will have to stay with what we currently have or switch before the deadline. We made some progress but we forgot that Friday was a Holiday and some of the government offices were closed. We will continue on Monday. Sister Johnson did her pasty making thing in the afternoon. After she was finished we went to the church so she could practice for the memorial service on Saturday. While she was there I went over to Jason's to give him an asked for blessing. His friend Colette was there and before we did the blessing I was able to teach her the Restoration and give her a B of M. I did this to give her a little background so she wouldn't think we were too wierd. In church today Jason said she enjoyed the visit. It was a special experience.

We ended the week by finishing our pasty obligation, we then went to Wausaukee for a memorial service for Sister Aubel who passed away this week in a nursing home at 87 years of age.  Two of her daughters live in the Branch. It was a rather large boisterous service. Sister Johnson  played for the congregation to sing.  It was nothing like you can imagine. You've got to love country people and their traditions.

With love, The Johnsons

Wood Pecking, an Arrest and Ralph

"What is that knocking sound? It sounds like someone is tapping on the side of the house". And so it was. A small Downey Woodpecker had dropped by to see what our house tasted like or more likely to see if he could scare up any bugs to eat. This, the morning after a deer was just standing in our driveway checking us out as we came home. Is this the greatest place for wildlife...or what! What follows is an article that appeared in the November 1st edition of The Iron Mountain Daily News CRYSTAL FALLS - Officials from the Iron County Sheriff's Department have announced that David Anthony Levack, 44, of Kingsford is scheduled to be arrested today on charges related to the Sept. 27 homicide of Joyce Johnson, 81, of Crystal Falls. Iron County Sheriff Mark Valesano said that Levack is charged with the following felonies: one count of homicide open murder, one count of homicide felony murder, one count of first degree home invasion, and one count of witness intimidation. Levack will also be treated as a habitual offender-third. If convicted, Levack faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. According to court records, Levack had been scheduled for a trial on felony stolen property charges in Iron County Trial Court on Sept. 27. The victim and main witness in the case, Johnson, was found deceased the same day. Her death was ruled a homicide. Levack was wanted for questioning, but was not located until Oct. 3 in Iron Mountain. When approached by officials from the Michigan State Police, Levack allegedly waved a six-inch filet knife at them and himself. As a result, Levack also faces felony charges of carrying a concealed weapon and felonious assault in Dickinson County. Dickinson County Prosecutor Stephanie Brule said during Levack's preliminary examination that further charges against Levack related to an alleged meth lab bust in Kingsford will likely be filed shortly. Levack was being held on a $100,000 bond in the Dickinson County Jail as of this morning.  Maybe now some of the other branch members who were scheduled to testify won't be as frightened as they have been. We made arrangements with a LA family to visit with them once a week. We will bring church to them even if they can't seem to come to church. He works Sundays and they have but one car and live 30 miles away. She was baptized 3 years ago and he is a lifelong member. They have 2 children ages 9 and 7. We hope to re-energize them. It will help that he has applied for a different job with more money and a better working schedule. Sunday shifts are the rule in this part of the country. We need to thank our Heavenly Father for jobs where we are able to use the Sabbath as the Lord intended. We did spend a lot of time on the road this week; first at District Meeting in Marquette that was attended by our ZLs for the first time, then looking for members as our appointments all re-scheduled. At the end of one road lives a 60 year old member and her 40 year old daughter along with goats, chickens, and various other animals on immaculate property. They weren't home but we are anxious to meet these sisters living at the end of "civilization" yet, by all appearences, being totally in control of a challenging environment. On Friday we ate our lunch in the town of Ralph. It is like many similar places we have seen; when a new main highway is built all of the "Ralphs" slowly began to die. There was however a nice new tavern, probably the most successful business in Ralph. The countryside is teeming with hunters getting everything ready for the gun hunt in a couple of weeks. On the news some hunters were complaining that the 700 or so wolves in the UP were taking too many of the estimated 200,000 deer and not leaving them any. Really. After church today we are headed to Chicago and the temple via Appleton after a Monday conference with 3 of the mission zones/stakes. Elder Walker of the Seventy will be in attendance. He is the chairman of the temple committee and has been at the dedications of recent temples around the world. We are excited. Standard time greetings to you all, Elder and Sister Johnson

Eating, Eating, Eating and more Eating

Last Sunday we invited the Branch President and his girl friend to dinner after church. She is an interesting person. A former prosecuting attorney with a depth and breadth of experience. She hasn't shown much interest in the church however, just interest in President Berry. We watched the movie "17 Miracles" after we ate. What a well done movie though somewhat of a tearjerker as you might guess. If you haven't seen it, we would recommend it.
We took Sister J's favorite fall treat to district meeting on Tuesday...donuts and apple cider. The missionaries loved them. We took the IM Elders with us this week again and because they moved the time up for the meeting we didn't have time for lunch so we stopped at McDonalds on our way home for McRIBs. It's a tradition, every time they have them for sale I eat some. That evening we went to the Branch were Sister J. Practiced the piano and I was able to meet with Bob Peters our investigator. He has had "pet problems" that have kept him from church.
Wednesday was our day in Crystal Falls. We picked up the DVD we had left with Janeice, she seemed glad to see us and said she is open for us to call back. We took the "Testaments" DVD to a LA member who lives in CF. We found out where more people don't live including a member who wasn't in a rest home close to the address we were given. We continued working until it was time to hurry home so we could feed the Elders. Sister J. made calzones which were deliscious. We took the opportunity for a correlation meeting and were able to help each other with some information. We planned the presentation we are preparing for our Sunday combined meeting.
On Thursday we had a great meeting with Jason, the subject this week was the H.G. and the Gift of the H.G. The more we teach and talk with people the more we are convinced of the importance of the H.G. That evening we attended the dinner for Breen Senior Center volunteers. What a wonderful group of volunteers. Now we are bound to be there for the next year so we can eat at next year's dinner.
Everywhere you go you see 50 lb. bags of food for deer. It's not that they want the deer to be fed but this food is bait. Apples, corn, beets and rutabagas is the bait of choice. Hunters will spread the bait and often wait in deer blinds for them to come into range. This is not a legal way to hunt in other states but here there are so many deer that it is sanctioned. The other thing we have noticed is that all of this hunted game is definitely used for food. We haven't been offered any yet but we think it is just a matter of time. Later that night our DLs stopped by on the their way home to Houghton with the case of B of Ms we would be using on Sunday. We invited them to stay and eat with us. That was spaghetti night and they were appreciative.
Saturday we stopped at the library to make copies for Sunday and then later went to Hermansville to see if we could locate a member that lives there. No luck...yet. I think we ate normally this day unless you count lunch at DQ.
Today, Sunday, we had a good Sacrament meeting after Sister J. realized there was nobody playing the piano and sat down and provided the music for the meeting. When SS Was about to start I was asked to teach GD as the teacher hadn't shown up. I was so glad for the I-pad. The scriptures were all linked to the lesson so that it was easier to "effectively" teach. Sister J. was teaching the youth as usual. During the third hour we gave a presentation to the combined branch teaching them an easy method to present the B of M to any friends or acquaintances they feel would be interested. It was well received. Since it was the last Sunday of the month we helped with a potluck lunch after meetings.
So, this was a week when we had PLENTY TO EAT.
Excuse me we're hungry! your well fed Senior Missionaries.

Ojibwe, Gichigami and the Edmund Fitzgerald

We started our week with visits to members whose addresses were in or near the town of Watersmeet. This town is about 75 miles from home, the furtherest boundary of the branch. Sister Johnson suggested we should travel there and postpone our visit to a different city until later. Her instincts were, as usual, right on. After searching for about 20 minutes and driving by the house at least twice we noticed the house number which had been there all along. This occurred at the same moment the owner, our member, pulled into her garage. We discovered a very pleasant woman, Wendy, who had been baptized more than 20 years ago while in the service. She had never been fellowshipped outside of an occasional mailing from the branch, she said she enjoyed receiving those; and had since been baptized into at least 2 more churches. She is definitely a seeker after truth.  I asked her if she had a B of M. She wasn't sure so we gave her one and in addition to sharing the introduction with her, and it's promise, I showed her how the book starts just as Judah was about to be led away captive. She was excited because she had just begun to re-read the bible for the fourth time. The second thing I shared with her was the visit of Christ to His "Other Sheep". She commented, "I just read that" and I said to her, "now you know what He meant by that". We, of course, tied this all in to the importance of prophets then and now. When we got back to the house I send her a letter with a couple of additional things and a request for her e-mail address through which we could answer her questions.
Wednesday was a great day. It was our first interviews with President and Sister Jones since we arrived in the mission. They were complimentary and supportive of what we are doing with a couple of suggestions and some counsel. President requested that we make ourselves more available to the young elders to visit with their investigators as they want. When we asked for his counsel about temple attendance he said whenever we want to go, it is totally up to us. When we go we will take members with us. We also met our new DL who has been assigned with his new companion to the Houghton branch. We took the opportunity to take a closer look at Lake Gichigami (Superior) while we had the chance. It was called that by the Ojibwe (O-jib-wah) indians we know them as the Chippewa and is the grave of the ore ship the Edmund Fitzgerald made famous in the folk song by Gordon Lightfoot. Here is a great video chronicling the entire event.   http://youtu.be/hgI8bta-7aw?t=1s
Wednesday we visited Jason Murra who is coming along well. He will be an important addition to the branch. Later that afternoon we finally got to talk with Janiece who has her own Triple in addition to her B of M. We needed to know where she was in her interest in the church so, with her permission, I asked some direct questions. In conclusion I felt I should point out that her interest in the Mormons seems to go beyond just being kind and open minded. In Matthew 24:22 the Savior highlights his "elect" then in D&C 29:7 he explains how in the last days we (missionaries) are called to bring to pass the the gathering of His elect; and that His elect hear His voice and harden not their hearts. We testified that we felt that she and her husband were some of God's elect. We will call her next week and see if she will talk to us.
Friday was a beautiful sunny day so we exercised a senior prerogative and took a drive into WI specifically to the town of Rhinelander. There is a ward there but interestingly on a couple occasions we have had individuals who have cabins in between IM and there and told us they prefer to come here to the branch on Sundays.
Things are great for us, thanks for all of your prayers,
Elder Grandpa and Sister Grandma

Cribbage and Rutabaga

On P-day we agreed to go to the home of a recently deceased member to help sort through some of her belongings. A marvelous beloved member of the branch, she passed away under suspicious circumstances, her house represented at least 30 years of accumulated stuff. Her daughter and son-in-law were stymied as how to even begin to begin to clean and take care of the clutter. They invited an auction company to come and give them a bid on disposing of the entire house and its contents. This sister and her husband had worked and served the world over and had antiques of all sizes and varieties. The auction company said they should realize $20,000 after expenses and before the house was sold. The biggest thing, however, was the peace of mind this process brought. I hadn't realized this option even existed.
On Tuesday we started going over to the church so that Sister J can practice the piano. That same evening our adult investigator plays cribbage with the Branch President. I thought I would sit in and pick up a few pointers. As near as I can tell you get points for straights, runs, scoring 15 or 31, playing the last card, something called the "nub?" and of course the crib. There is this cute little track with streets for your pegs but you don't want to end up in the stink hole. I think I still have a lot to learn about the game before I will be able to challenge ANYONE.
On Wednesday our investigator in Iron River told us she didn't want to talk to us anymore and to please not come back. We wished her well. We visited other members whose addresses may or may not be accurate. We found another member's address where no member has ever lived. At that address, however, was a very nice family who among other things, sells maple syrup. We bought a bottle. It was great. They tap hundreds of Sugar Maples every year that grow on their property. Later that evening we were finally able to meet Jason Kopski who along with his wife has been meeting with missionaries for five or six years. They first met the missionaries in NM and now they are in MI. They are very bright people (He is an engineer and she is learning Russian) and have worn out many pairs of missionaries. she is more interested but said she had some questions others could not answer. I told her we would like to try to help her with her questions and concerns. I hope that is not pride talking. We will see.
At 6:30 Thursday morning I started our pasty making adventure that we agreed to last month. I helped peel and dice 300 pounds of potatoes and a bin of rutabagas (look it up). Sister J made dough balls on Friday. On Saturday we put it all together and made 620 pasties. People were coming to pick up the ones they had pre-ordered before we had even finished baking them all. I say we, we means the volunteers of which their were about 20 of us. Pasties are made of potatoes, ground chuck, onions, seasoning, with an occasional rutabaga all wrapped in tasty pie crust. Verrry good! Also on Saturday we attended the memorial service for the sister who just died. It was a very sad, very spiritual service.
Today we attended branch council meeting to which we able to contribute and from which take important information about the branch. These are good people with strong testimonies.
Remember to do unto others, to quote Yoda, "no try just do".
We love you,
Elder Dad and Sister Mom

Lug Nuts and the Toledo War

It is interesting...maybe, to discover that the U.P. came about because of a "war" between Ohio and Michigan. Look it up. The Toledo war.
On P-day while Sister J was getting her hair done I had some winter tires mounted on the car. Most people I talked to said I wouldn't need them where we live but then I considered we will be frequently traveling to other areas where we will encounter snow. I stored the summer tires and I will change out when winter is over. This is the first time I have ever purchased dedicated snow tires. In spite of the aggressive tread, these tires are quiet. I will let you know how they work.
On Tuesday President. Jones called about a situation in the town of Houghton. He thought we might need to travel there (100 miles) and teach a young woman who has requested baptism. Missionaries were not available to be sent there. By zone conference he found out he was going to have two "visa sitters" and could send missionaries. This has made everyone involved very happy. Houghton is a remote town on a peninsula that juts into lake Superior. They receive over 300" a year of snow.
On Wednesday we checked in with some of the interested individuals out west and received our first appointment cancellation, now we feel like real missionaries. We stopped in on the young family we had previously contacted fully expecting them to be at work but we caught the wife at home as she had been ill. We had prepared a DVD to leave with them. When I showed her she said they hadn't seen that one yet. We also brought up Mormon.org and she said she had been there often. It looks promising but we haven't even met the husband yet.
Our visits on Thursday went well. We met the non-member friend of our L.A. we are teaching and once again invited her to join us. This time she said she would some time in the future. We think our "dry Mormon" investigator is speaking out of pride after the many attempts over many years by missionaries to help him become converted. Our advantage, we won't be transferred.
After a lengthy car trip, 3 hours, to Appleton, WI for Zone Conference we were treated to a wonderful experience. This was my first Zone Conference in 50 years. The calibre and commitment of the missionaries seemed so much greater than what I remembered. We had talks and training by the mission leaders that were inspiring. One in particular, a talk given by Elder Christofferson at the annual Mission President training, is a must read. I will bring a copy home. As new, incoming missionaries we were asked to bear our testimonies. It was the same for those leaving. Boys and girls became men and women in the time they were here. We were challenged to remember the the mission goal of 300 baptized during this year. We still need 145 to be successful. We will do our part and I am confidant it will be achieved.
Sister J. finished her RS newsletter. Her calling will be a great addition to the RS here in IM. I think she is already seeing some of the ways she will be able to bless the sisters and by extension the members here in the branch.
Next week is transfers. We are losing a ZL, a sister and Dixie Tanner's nephew and strange as it seems it feels like a loss even when we know otherwise. It is amazing how quickly we have bonded to the missionaries and members.
Ta Ta for now, Elder and Sister J.

Squirrel, Stew and the Humongous Fungus

It has been raining much this week until, strangely, General Confrence came; when it stopped and turned beautiful. The rain made everything nice and green except the trees which are turning beautiful shades of red, yellow and gold. Sister J suffered from the cooler damper weather as her arthritis was acting up. It is much improved today.
We had FHE at the Klatts with the Elders and our returning teachee Br. Murra. It was a nice surprise to see he had been invited. Their son Cole, who is preparing for a mission, cooked us Navajo Tacos. If that was an indication of his abilities he is going to make someone a very happy companion. Sister Klatt prepared a very nice lesson and I brought the Elder Rasband talk on missionary selection to share. Br. Murra invited a non-member acquaintance we might be able to teach as well.
Since the Elder's car went in for repairs I volunteered to feed them lunch prior to our last District meeting, with the current make up of missionaries, before transfers in 2 weeks. We went to Hardees (Carl's Jr west...literally) and added a correlation component to make it seem official. We have decided that the Elders will focus their work within 20 miles of IM and we will work more on the outskirts (20-50 miles). Exceptions will abound I am sure.
Wednesday was our day to travel west. We were able to catch Kris Royal and have made a standing appointment for Wednesdays. She was very receptive we taught her half of a first discussion as she will need to move slower. We left a Restoration DVD and asked her to write down 3 questions, as she watched it, which we will discuss later. On the way back we drove through Crystal Falls home of the Humongous Fungus. It's big and ancient, look it up. In Florence we met and encouraged Tim Jeffords who is struggling with Parkinson's. His son Chris, Marianne's husband, was there so we were able to meet with them both. He is a trucker and is gone for long periods of time. His wife is here, however, and could be a big asset to the
branch.
On Thursday it was time to meet again with Br. Peters who attends every Sunday and who's family are all members. President Jones suggested we use Alma 32 to help those who need to know how to know. That was the lesson we gave. Elder Christofferson, in a previous Stake Conference, had pointed to this process as an upward cycle of small faith followed by a small confirmation followed by small bits of knowledge until we come to the full knowledge of Christ and his gospel and can say with total assuredness that "know", a little at first then finally we KNOW. I felt impressed to challenge him to be baptized, he said yes...when he knew. We will see if he was willing to apply the words of Alma. And yes we will try for a specific date.
We followed this visit with our scheduled one to Br. Murra. He was there and had begun to read the B of M. We taught lesson #1 in the GP manual and tried to answer his question about where suicides go in the next life. His wife died that way. We told him our goal was for him to receive the Melchizedek priesthood and go to the temple. We explained he needed an appointment with the branch president to initiate that process.
Friday we went back to our normal procedure of looking for members in far away places. In doing so we visited Sagola, Felch, Foster City and Crystal Falls again...in that order. I had an impression this past week to look for an investigator that was in the Area Book of the previous elders. They had met with and taught this 32 year old woman and her husband about 6 months ago. We found her home! she invited us in and was very cordial. We will return next week and see if we can get some teaching appointments with them. I missed it completely but Sister J noticed a copy of a print by Greg Olson on her table.
The brethren here meet at 6:00 prior to priesthood session and have a barbecue, brats and burgers. The conversation turned to other forms of food that nature provides i.e. squirrel, good barbecued; possum, greasy unless soaked in vinegar; beaver, which is a great stew meat and bear; just plain good. Things are going well but we are not particularly excited about being asked to eat with members anymore.
We love you all...this is the best time ever,
Elder and Sister J

Pasties..meat pies that have been to school

Pasties are the local ethnic food, if Cornish people are considered ethnic. It is pronounced past as in the opposite of future. It is a largish meat pie that miners could stuff in their shirts next to their bodies and carry with them into the mine. At lunch time they would put the pasty on their shovel and heat it over the candle they were using to see with. This week we stopped in at a local Senior Center to see if we could volunteer. Maria asked us if we could make pasties. We said no but we could learn. So now we will start at 5:30 a.m., once a month, and go and make pasties for a few hours. The center sells the pasties for $4.00 each to make money to help run the center.
The Menominee River is the border here between WI and MI. It empties into Green Bay between the towns of Menominee and Marinette. District meeting was in Menominee because the DL had a baptismal interview to give. Before meeting we had a very nice lunch overlooking the Bay. It was in a small park with nice play areas for the kids, you would have loved it. It was totally serene...without our beloved grandkids. Sister J took the missionaries bags of candy corn and peanuts. They loved it.
Mid-week I needed to get the car insured. BTW did you know that if you want a good price on car insurance from a MI company you will have to register your car in MI which means a change of title for the new plates and instead of the DMV you go to the Secretary of State. Having met with my future agent last week (the bear lady) I was determined to give her a B of M this week, which I did although I was a little flustered and forgot to commit her to read it.
We are continuing to visit ward members. We left the "Testaments" at a brother's house who is having a hard time with his Parkinson's. We met a brother who is coming back after 20 years, he agreed to have us come each week. We will teach him out of the Gospel Principles book. We visited another brother, a non-member, who is a regular attender. His entire family are members so we need to find his objection to baptism, we are hopeful.
It has rained a lot this week but this coming week it looks to warm up and be clear by the weekend. If it rains on you at Conference we will get it a couple of days later. Speaking of conference, we were able to stream RS Conference. WOW! They have a tradition of the men meeting for brats before Priesthood session which starts here at 7:00. It remains to be seen if there will be any sweet rolls waiting for me when I return.
Church today was...interesting...they called Sister J to be the RS secretary, can they do that? We had a fantastic HC speaker and his wife. Great topics, great spirit, great job. He is James Marker whose dad served with your grandpa Mills in a bishopric. He teaches Physiology at the University of WI at GB and like most of the saints here is very valiant and assured.
Keep the faith, it won't be long now.
Elder Dad and Sister Mom

Bears, Mustangs and Yorkies oh my...

Monday evening we had a wonderful time with The RS President and her husband. Their home is literally in the woods. Our "GPS" gave up when the road we were on turned into a logging road. Fortunately the lots all have their own numbers which makes it easy to find them. It is a large manufactured home that has been there around 30 years with a beautiful yard currently guarded by about 5 of the cutest Yorkies in existence. The people that live here are very self sufficient. They know how to plow their roads, cut wood, garden and do all of their own maintenance. Tom ended up giving me lessons in UP geology, geography and history, I ate it up. We saw deer all over. "They are like rats here" volunteered one member. And yes there is other fauna that you may not want to personally encounter like bears. While waiting for my car insurance to be transferred to MI the agent showed me pictures emailed to her of a bear lumbering across a friends yard last week. Speaking of fauna did I mention the wild turkeys everywhere, there are gobbles of them.
During the week we have been visiting "bad addresses" those on the branch list from which mail has been returned. Most existed but the members have been gone around 5 years. While thus engaged we have also met inactive members. One day way out in the country a Mustang passed us on a dirt road with UT plates. I thought to myself, I wonder, and sure enough she was headed to the same members house we were looking for. Turns out she married one of the sons of that member and was here helping her father-in-law cope with his Parkinson's...his wife had recently died. She described herself as "inactive, I smoke" but I think she might be someone we could encourage back into activity. We will mention our encounter to the RS President.
We took time to visit a local museum. We saw the actual Cornish Pump (Wikipedia) and. learned that Ford built a plant here in Kingsford to build gliders that were used in WWII. They were made of fabric and wood of which there is an abundant supply around here. Thousands were built and even used in the D-day invasion of France, hence the name of the airport...Ford. Catch a flight it's about 3 miles from our house. The Ford company had such an impact on the locals the the mascot of the HS is the Flivver (look it up).
The biggest thrill of the week was stake conference held in Green Bay. A powerful spirit was at all of the meetings and with all of the speakers. The member's love for each other and for the gospel of Christ left a lasting impression on us. We received an invitation to speak at the Houghton branch, if we do we will probably need to do so before it snows as the stories about snow at that place are legend around here. We were very warmly greeted by everyone. Almost all say what a big impact we will have here in Iron Mountain. We are praying it will be so and do appreciate your prayers in our behalf.
The mini-record is done for this week, Sister J is making the official one because she can actually type.
So long...for now, Elder J

Week one down only 99 to go!

And what a good week it was with unseasonably warm weather, in the 80s, and very beautiful blue skies. This is indeed Zion north. (I know our opinion may change in February) After time at the county fair on Labor Day where we got to rub elbows with some members, we continued to work on our new place to make it a more suitable place for us to live. Wednesday was our first District meeting in Marquette right on Lake Superior. There is a ward in Marquette with a rather large building. An older brother was manning the Family History center and had lived there 40 years serving as Branch and District President while raising 11 children. He explained that before the local AFB was decommissioned attendance was twice as high as it is today. There are 3 sets of Elders, one set of sisters and us in the district. It is very fulfilling and uplifting to sit where all of our children have sat across from these very capable and motivated young men and women, God's army, and to be even a small part of it. We are slowly getting our bearings and learning what the Lord would have us do. We received some training from our very capable district leader. Sister Johnson voluntered to play the piano and they all enjoyed the lemon cake that she made for them. There are a decent number of investigators being taught which made us feel like something was happening...note to self remember to be patient, it will come. To that end we have decided to get acquainted with the Branch members one on one. We visited 2 families yesterday and have an appointment with the current RS President on Monday whose husband is a non-member. Here is an interesting aside, Amy's grandparents the Riggs served in this very area, Iron Mountain, 30 years ago.

In Wisconsin wait it's Michigan

We arrived late the 1st of September in Kingsford MI, which for those who care is 100 miles NORTH of Green Bay. The area is fantastic, to me much like Island Park but with more people. Speaking of people they have been great. The librarian at the local library (Dickinson County) was a little grumpy however. Wearing those little black missionary tags causes various reactions...mostly positive. The local leaders were anxious to meet with us. It is a very small Branch with about 30 in attendance each Sunday. Our principal assignment will be to locate "lost" members in the area, remind them they are loved and missed and encourage them to return to activity. We are living in a house that is leased by the mission. We are the first to live in it after a complete makeover. It is not much to look at (1017 West Breen Ave., street view) but the inside is great with a king bed and a second bedroom plus a large living room that can accommodate a family. We are not suffering. You are all missed but what we are doing is enough to compensate for that. Bye for now.

On our way...but to Oregon?

We began our preparation to Wisconsin, then we decided to take that vacation we promised ourselves after we retired. This morning we find ourselves in Washinton headed for Astoria and then on to the coast. Preston, Michele and Parker are with us. We will explore for a time then it's back to Utah to finish our prepatation.

Mission Here We Come

The family will be gathering tonight to witness the opening of "The Call". It is our wish to be sent into the world to a place where the Lord can best use our talents. Where that place is, remains to be seen and will be announced later in this space. Today I am just getting re-acquainted with our blog.

So, our talents will be best used in the Wisconsin Milwaukee mission. We are VERY excited. We enter the MTC on August 22nd. For those who care, this is not a German speaking mission but it is a mission with people that speak German. We hope to regularly post to this blog over the next two years...stay tuned.