tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28732127487638286042024-03-21T12:15:51.284-07:00We're Loving It!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-17978499931905048992015-01-04T14:49:00.002-08:002015-01-04T16:22:18.605-08:00Blessings and Tender Mercies -- Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The biggest blessing of the mission has been serving with my very best friend. Younger missionaries serve with several different companions over the course of their mission and are transferred to different areas every few months. We are based in Jacksonville for the entire 18 months and, gratefully, do not have to adjust to a new companion. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another blessing of being a senior missionary is that the rules for us are not as strict as for the younger missionaries. We can text or call home whenever we wish and our families can come and visit. All but 5 of our 19 grandchildren were able to visit us last year, along with their parents. A couple of friends from 40 years ago who live on the East Coast also stopped by for a visit. Then in September, we made a flying trip back to Salt Lake to attend the wedding of our oldest granddaughter.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We can use our own computers, ipads, smart phones, etc. and can have a TV if we choose. We decided we didn't want the expense or distraction of a TV, and I have to say it has been quite restful without it. We keep up with the news by reading it on the internet.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">November 28, 2014 we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary by taking a short trip to Washington D.C. (pictures below). We have several high school and college friends who also celebrated 50 years in 2014. How wonderful to know so many couples have stayed together. An interesting side note, we celebrated our first anniversary here at Camp Lejeune, NC, and completed the circle by spending our 50th here, also.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Bob wants to know how the couple on the left "metamorphosized" into the couple on the right.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We were thrilled to attend the DC temple. It is so beautiful and has a mural inside that I have always loved. To make it even more special, the night we arrived the Christmas lights were turned on on the temple grounds. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the visitor's center there were nativities from 90 countries on display. Such a special treat! For those of you familiar with "The District", we were able to watch "8 Stories", a video display of before, during and after of the 8 missionaries featured in "The District." Loved it! So much growth and change during and after their missions.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We took a bus tour of Washington -- the Capitol, White House, various monuments, and Arlington Cemetery. Sorry no pictures as it was very rainy that day. We decided we would never want to live in Washington because of the traffic. It was horrendous. We also took our first ride on a big city subway or metro, which was a little scary for two old people originally from rural Arkansas.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> One of our fun assignments is working with the Young Single Adults, some of who are Marines. We got to chaperone the New Year's Eve dance with about 40 YSAs from around the area. The theme was "Here we glow again," and as you can see, neon shirts, glo-sticks, beads and glasses were very popular. I texted my kids back home at midnight and they were all impressed we had managed to stay up so late. When they were little. we would set the clocks ahead and ring in the New Year at 10 o'clock. After all, it was midnight on the East Coast!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On New Year's Day, after eating Hopping John, greens, and cornbread, we took a drive to Swansboro and sat in a swing in a little park at the edge of the water. This entire mission, I have been trying to see a dolphin in real life People keep assuring me they are frequently seen, especially in Swansboro as well as near the beaches. Well, so far we have seen zero. This was yet another attempt as the dolphins supposedly play near this park in the late afternoon. We bombed out on seeing dolphins, but did catch a beautiful sunset and some interesting wildlife.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are enjoying the milder winters here in North Carolina. Our daughter, Shannon, who is staying in our house in Salt Lake while we are away, called last week to tell us it was -2 degrees with a wind chill of -11 and that the hot water pipe in the kitchen had frozen. Brr! Meanwhile, in NC we are in a rainy season which means lots of parking lot swimming pools and overflowing ditches, but temperatures in the 50's and 60's most days. We often wake up to fog that it is eerily beautiful -- and the moisture is great for my skin.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We hope to make the best use of our final three months. We have several projects we are trying to complete and we want to leave things in good shape for our replacements. This has been an awesome experience!</span><br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-21748219214393116802014-12-31T16:24:00.000-08:002014-12-31T16:31:38.767-08:00Blessings, Tender Mercies and Small Miracles--Part 1<h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">CHEAPER GAS PRICES</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gas prices have been falling In less than a month prices have dropped </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by 50 cents a gallon. I know other parts of the country have prices below $2.00, but we are thrilled with our cheaper gas prices and hope the decline continues. This has been such a blessing to us as we drive A LOT in our daily tasks. We have driven 55,000+ miles during the past 15 months. Our car has held up well and we have had no major problems with it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">NORTH CAROLINA IS GREEN EVEN IN THE WINTER</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is amazing how green North Carolina is even in the middle of winter. In addition to all the pines, there are leafed trees like live oaks, white oaks and magnolias that stay green year round. Then today as we were driving back to our apartment after a meeting, I saw these two trees blooming with color the last day of December. Does anyone know what kind they are? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I LOVE OUR BACKYARD WILDLIFE</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The antics of our backyard squirrels and the birds that visit our feeders have kept us entertained. Cardinals are my very favorite bird, although the mockingbird is a close second. I will miss them (and the dogwood tree outside our kitchen window) when we return to Utah. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMw4ye1Omy5OEriIZcRc-d-2TE_SqCdZP1GKSLA5VZSZ6RC9SGkbpbrkvWQMnQQJq01t42dRN4pCQ9kbH3_HHYxaOi9xml38FDISqTOdMqECavPLUxljyzoC_uTIT2AP45yiwXTQKgxwo/s1600/cardinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMw4ye1Omy5OEriIZcRc-d-2TE_SqCdZP1GKSLA5VZSZ6RC9SGkbpbrkvWQMnQQJq01t42dRN4pCQ9kbH3_HHYxaOi9xml38FDISqTOdMqECavPLUxljyzoC_uTIT2AP45yiwXTQKgxwo/s1600/cardinal.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>PROGRESS IN WALKING</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don't know if you can read the smaller numbers on my Fitbit printout, but I have been able to walk 2 miles or so a day or 5,000-6,000 steps. Some days I have reached 10,000. Yay me! I still need to use the one arm crutch because of a weak SI joint on the right side, but my knees have given me absolutely no problems and I am enjoying walking again. Stairs are a challenge and I am not setting any speed records, but I feel good. Bob and I have been blessed with good health and have not had a single day missed because of illness. The pollen, mold, and pet dander (every home we visit seems to have several rather large pets) sometimes cause our allergies to flare up, but we have been able to keep these under control. Now if we can just make it through this flu season.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>WE ARE HAVING FUN</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Serving a mission can, at times, be exhausting, overwhelming, and discouraging. Things do not always work out as planned. But along the way there are lighthearted moments that make the hard times easier.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whether it is learning the actions to "Twelve Days of Christmas" from President Bernhisel. . . . .</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcN81DKOqi5-Y1Ut0HWzk_6xKbk2FSPuskyOAiK9OIxFfijb0oArR2gGb-A9R5l_aXMFBwZLZbmYd-upH3N9M5Q5b3omzUcEfyI2HKOqLf53K5-X_9oRSOby1DmmdaSt4o6w7gJIsN5c/s1600/elf+missionary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcN81DKOqi5-Y1Ut0HWzk_6xKbk2FSPuskyOAiK9OIxFfijb0oArR2gGb-A9R5l_aXMFBwZLZbmYd-upH3N9M5Q5b3omzUcEfyI2HKOqLf53K5-X_9oRSOby1DmmdaSt4o6w7gJIsN5c/s1600/elf+missionary.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">enjoying a district meeting with elders in elf costumes. . . . .</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmaWezqTaIjaSiGyW-cyDIADzl0lTgoAT4QPhbg6aKz9jPq1QoeT9c-eEiWwxz5oo9nOrGC1fYvWwLCMdlk4HtVmDrpL-loZUUkzMR9bzhu8fr_Xx7ArbIgYmotDhNjem6nRd_LLiD5E/s1600/ryan+gatton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmaWezqTaIjaSiGyW-cyDIADzl0lTgoAT4QPhbg6aKz9jPq1QoeT9c-eEiWwxz5oo9nOrGC1fYvWwLCMdlk4HtVmDrpL-loZUUkzMR9bzhu8fr_Xx7ArbIgYmotDhNjem6nRd_LLiD5E/s1600/ryan+gatton.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">or sharing a laugh with some of our crazy members, we have found joy in the journey.</span><br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-78381211094615422382014-10-30T17:53:00.000-07:002014-10-31T03:31:58.235-07:00Shepherds, Lost Sheep and Super Heroes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMkaF9az6f5LguZsSGvmaPwWiYB5BWHfaeeqm2vQh09gjwOYtcuOdQj1Bi3TiJ3VS-bap_GSdE4Gyso0vFTv1qsTxDWn8jU3zgmtvTwrPkONCreYn6qyPINifYeeJEq41R40Yhi_xEDw/s1600/id.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMkaF9az6f5LguZsSGvmaPwWiYB5BWHfaeeqm2vQh09gjwOYtcuOdQj1Bi3TiJ3VS-bap_GSdE4Gyso0vFTv1qsTxDWn8jU3zgmtvTwrPkONCreYn6qyPINifYeeJEq41R40Yhi_xEDw/s1600/id.JPG" height="189" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When we first arrived in North Carolina we were instructed to have business cards made with our contact information to pass along to those with whom we worked. We chose this picture to go on the card to remind us how important each individual is to the Lord.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The picture also reminds me of one of my favorite stories about a man visiting Morocco as part of an official government delegation (true story.) He was in a caravan of black limousines traveling through the beautiful Moroccan countryside at considerable speed, when suddenly, the limousine in which he was riding stopped. The man could see there had been an accident up ahead.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">An old shepherd, in long, flowing robes, was standing near the lead limousine in conversation with the driver. A small flock of fifteen or twenty sheep stood nearby. The king's vehicle had struck and injured one of the lambs belonging to the old shepherd. The driver was explaining to him the law of the land. Because it was a vehicle belonging to the king that had injured the lamb, the shepherd was entitled to one hundred times its value at maturity. However, under the same law, the lamb must be slain and the meat divided among the people. The interpreter explained that the old shepherd would not accept the money, that they never did.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When asked why, the interpreter replied. "Because of the love he has for each of his sheep."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The old shepherd reached down, lifted the injured lamb in his arms, and placed it in a large pouch on the front of his robe. He kept stroking its head, repeating the same word over and over again. The interpreter explained that the shepherd was calling the lamb by name, that each of the sheep had a name.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just as the interpreter had predicted, the money was refused, and the old shepherd with his small flock of sheep, with the injured one tucked safely in the pouch of his robe, disappeared into the desert.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I studied a little more about sheep I learned several interesting things. First, lambs have a propensity for getting lost. They can be helpless against predators. And they are gregarious, social creatures that do better in numbers. The parallels with those we are called to serve in Jacksonville are not lost on us.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fortunately, we are blessed to have many shepherds and super heroes here that are constantly reaching out to help and lift others. Let me introduce you to a few of them.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is amazing to me that there are over 88,000 LDS missionaries currently serving around the world. Most are young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who have put school, work, sports, and romantic relationships on hold while they serve the Lord. They, or their families or friends, pay their way and they live frugally without TV, video games or many of the conveniences that most people today take for granted In addition to their youthful exuberance and energy, they show a genuine caring for the people they teach and serve along with a maturity and understanding beyond their years. We have worked with some outstanding young men and women during our stay in Jacksonville and have learned much from them. I hope you can see in this picture of our two current sister missionaries with a recent convert between them that they have an inner light, a glow, about them. People often comment that it is that glow or sparkle that makes them want to know what makes these young people different. They have perpetual, beaming smiles and seem to find joy and humor even when riding bikes in a downpour or when an appointment falls through. As one family expressed it, "We love for the missionaries to come to our house. It makes our home a happier place when they are there." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brother Scriptures/Captain Moroni</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPexjJ2T2vD3Sy7rD1QOqiuFfUZnSwg5NuAF8d3N8AdLFNjdjwTcEFGHjEU0ogH5W0W3zRJHEAd5_xMtBVxFZGbhoZbhuoKvxHuvbpcT8pMscMr2oX5v8eZirQTppaZ7tM18oY4idHl_Y/s1600/brooke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPexjJ2T2vD3Sy7rD1QOqiuFfUZnSwg5NuAF8d3N8AdLFNjdjwTcEFGHjEU0ogH5W0W3zRJHEAd5_xMtBVxFZGbhoZbhuoKvxHuvbpcT8pMscMr2oX5v8eZirQTppaZ7tM18oY4idHl_Y/s1600/brooke.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1MMRg9-Hci5_9SXNHwKCWgVaWdEGwmHw6fzd3Zs5bwYeanos_JPE33PBFc2JFAOB-eg6qP49NvnS6nX3nLWz5mx08N5Aj4qGGgYtpjzf9x3GvxNRQkvTKE7n8aNBiNnimVUlbLsamjQ/s1600/josh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1MMRg9-Hci5_9SXNHwKCWgVaWdEGwmHw6fzd3Zs5bwYeanos_JPE33PBFc2JFAOB-eg6qP49NvnS6nX3nLWz5mx08N5Aj4qGGgYtpjzf9x3GvxNRQkvTKE7n8aNBiNnimVUlbLsamjQ/s1600/josh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1MMRg9-Hci5_9SXNHwKCWgVaWdEGwmHw6fzd3Zs5bwYeanos_JPE33PBFc2JFAOB-eg6qP49NvnS6nX3nLWz5mx08N5Aj4qGGgYtpjzf9x3GvxNRQkvTKE7n8aNBiNnimVUlbLsamjQ/s1600/josh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1MMRg9-Hci5_9SXNHwKCWgVaWdEGwmHw6fzd3Zs5bwYeanos_JPE33PBFc2JFAOB-eg6qP49NvnS6nX3nLWz5mx08N5Aj4qGGgYtpjzf9x3GvxNRQkvTKE7n8aNBiNnimVUlbLsamjQ/s1600/josh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of the first members we met after arriving in Jacksonville was Josh Alexander. As he describes himself he is a retired Marine, student, construction worker, husband, father of 2 and a rescued lost sheep who wants to help others like himself. He posts a blog on Facebook called "Brother Scriptures" where he shares personal experiences, inspirational quotes and scriptures. His latest project is to post each of the 180+ short videos from Mormon Messages and explain how they relate to his life. He is a lover of all things Scottish and plans to compete in the Highland Games next year. He thinks all men should wear beards and own a kilt. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Brooke, The Smile That Never Stops</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brooke is one of our not so secret weapons. She is like a people magnet. People are drawn to her positive attitude and radiant smile. She is a great example to other young women in the military that you can be good at your job and still maintain your standards. Last year she was twice selected "Sailor of the Quarter."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She is always inviting others to come to activities and makes certain everyone feels accepted and included. She loves doing service projects such as building homes with Habitat for Humanity, helping in the soup kitchen, and while serving in Spain, helping nearby schools and orphanages. And she is marvelous baker and is known for her tasty cookies. </span></div>
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The Energizer Bunny Member Missionary</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This beautiful woman is like the energizer bunny
missionary extraordinaire in our ward. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever we encounter a less active or part member Marine
family we can pretty much count on this woman already being their friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is funny and caring and compassionate
and makes friends wherever she goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She accepts others just as they are, while encouraging and supporting
them to grow in the gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or by
just letting them know she is there for them if they need help.</span></div>
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I met her mother when she came for the blessing of the
newest baby and she told me that her daughter sometimes felt sad that she
hadn’t served a mission like some of her siblings, but, that in actuality, this
daughter and her husband had brought more people into the gospel than the
others put together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The power of
one dedicated and loving person has made a difference in many lives.<br />
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Special Helpers That Go Above and Beyond</h3>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That Glenda Good Witch in the picture is our Relief Society President with her family at the Fall Festival. The baby "lion" was borrowed from another family for the occasion. This incredible woman accepted the calling to be the RS president even though her Marine husband is deployed overseas and she has two special needs children at home. Like RS Presidents around the globe she carries a very heavy load, second only to the bishop, and does her level best to see that the needs of individuals and families in the ward are met. In addition, she works with the missionaries providing meals, transportation and acting as a companion when needed. At the very time she could easily ask for help for her own family, she is reaching out to help others. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The guy with the white shirt and big smile is our Gospel Essentials Sunday School teacher. Each week he manages to prepare a lesson for a class composed of investigators, new and/or returning members as well as long time members well versed in the scriptures and he still makes it relevant to each one. As a Marine Sergeant he also is a great example to the younger Marines. Like so many of the ward members he goes out of his way to welcome each new Marine or Marine family, remembers their names and makes certain they feel "at home." He is a very active and effective ward missionary,</span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->John is former Air Force, now working as a civilian contractor with the Marine Corps. He has military ID which allows him to come on base and he has been a wonderful support to us at Camp Johnson. He comes to our Sunday meetings there and relates well with the young people. Having served in Afghanistan he has street cred and can give them sound advice about how to stay strong spiritually in the military and pitfalls to watch out for. He also helps us with our ARP meetings. Having an additional "body" at our small meetings is nice. He attends Institute and is very knowledgeable about the scriptures and adds a lot to the classes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are so many others I could write about, but, hopefully, this gives you a taste of the awesome people we work with. As each person uses his or her unique talents we see miracles happening--which is the subject of my third post in this series, coming soon.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-41779141420690017452014-10-25T18:37:00.004-07:002014-10-26T16:34:47.714-07:00It's About the One<br />
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Serving the One</h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On Sunday morning before regular services in the ward, we go to Camp Johnson to hold what is sometimes called "Battlefield Sacrament." When Marines are unable to attend the local ward because of training or schooling, we hold a shortened service on base. In our case, we meet at 8:15 in the base chapel in the kitchen while the Protestants hold their services in the main room. Our attendance varies. We have had as many as 8, but we average 2 or 3. With the military budget cuts there are fewer and fewer Marines being recruited or accepted overall, and thus fewer Mormon Marines coming to Camp Lejeune (Camp Johnson is one of the smaller bases within Camp Lejeune). Today we had only one young man at services. But to support that one young man there were two elders (young missionaries), an instructor who is Mormon and teaches at Camp Johnson who comes before going to his ward meetings, and Bob and me. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This young man who was the one in attendance today has faithfully attended every Sunday while at MOS school and has expressed how much it has meant to him. He will be graduating in November and currently is ranked second in his class, which is quite an honor. When he completes his schooling he will return home and be assigned to a reserve unit. He has asked for and received a waiver to serve an LDS mission. The Marines will allow him to put his reserve service on hold until he returns from his two year mission.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are often asked if it is worth the effort for so few. Our response is that each one is so important. Trying to maintain a testimony and live the gospel while serving in the Marine Corps is quite a challenge and if we can be of help and offer encouragement to just one person at a critical time, we feel our time is well spent.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We provide Sunday Sacrament and Monday Family Home Evening on base. Some of the Marines we have worked with have said that before coming to meetings they felt like they were the only Mormon, or perhaps the only Christian, on the entire base. One of the reasons we invite the Elders and the Sister Missionaries to come with us is to give our Marines a chance to be with someone their own age who also loves the gospel. One Monday night a month the whole YSA group from the ward (about 15-20 young people) come out to Johnson and conduct the Family Home Evening. We have great treats and then games -- the favorite this sumer seemed to be Ultimate Frisbee on the field next to the chapel. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxwFaJwIaGUY4ge5n_sXcyn4ijHL6Bckx_CXI_mR0L9J9RUFgqtWvFHtysHFiAo8eyyTXQE1NAWEqzuExoZx-g1ytdRHECgZnr1x-S8gcYIeuI4U78_lVLghawzEq24sILJruy5veum0/s1600/madison.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxwFaJwIaGUY4ge5n_sXcyn4ijHL6Bckx_CXI_mR0L9J9RUFgqtWvFHtysHFiAo8eyyTXQE1NAWEqzuExoZx-g1ytdRHECgZnr1x-S8gcYIeuI4U78_lVLghawzEq24sILJruy5veum0/s1600/madison.JPG" height="320" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madison -- Camp Pendleton </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0ZPWJ4YJOliC0JFJksBI1udg7jIPTd7fQIP9Q9Bl36CBwWH_lzhC5ahaCnzDPnkX_AdL4PE5bOFNRu-Pay3r2LuytTTrx7TE10LUcuuTK7MGx6MK8qTJG4n782WC74r243IKcZBbODE/s1600/isaac.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0ZPWJ4YJOliC0JFJksBI1udg7jIPTd7fQIP9Q9Bl36CBwWH_lzhC5ahaCnzDPnkX_AdL4PE5bOFNRu-Pay3r2LuytTTrx7TE10LUcuuTK7MGx6MK8qTJG4n782WC74r243IKcZBbODE/s1600/isaac.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaac -- Reservist, Southern Calif.<br />
Plans to go on a mission.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> These are a few of the most recent </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Marines who hold a special place in our hearts. They faced difficult challenges and sometimes struggled, but came out on top.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHUTqVWSM10CPETzvIPz5lL7UgMVF9RcR5m11bSXA8y_JiVn4-0BSkdaNI669FzxCCsS_hThW0v391LGKrosVJ4qVNa3aZrFkKG-qGz7YQ0Y3HPCdiI4HC99H0r2DpACsKL3wfYvb7gs/s1600/cp;by.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHUTqVWSM10CPETzvIPz5lL7UgMVF9RcR5m11bSXA8y_JiVn4-0BSkdaNI669FzxCCsS_hThW0v391LGKrosVJ4qVNa3aZrFkKG-qGz7YQ0Y3HPCdiI4HC99H0r2DpACsKL3wfYvb7gs/s1600/cp;by.JPG" height="320" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colby -- Beaufort Air Station, SC<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabF-PtPluuUTOAlXeLW7AXu_J_0DMhgLJ7MGuT7GzApZQaQA_cSYXofvGzW2ymUrqKNX2PkNK3Egahr9iuf6zxpOD4G7tTckWD0JMV-Hb1NH3lrEliuKwJzVFRcg8UhYUo2iTG8L-pUY/s1600/chad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabF-PtPluuUTOAlXeLW7AXu_J_0DMhgLJ7MGuT7GzApZQaQA_cSYXofvGzW2ymUrqKNX2PkNK3Egahr9iuf6zxpOD4G7tTckWD0JMV-Hb1NH3lrEliuKwJzVFRcg8UhYUo2iTG8L-pUY/s1600/chad.JPG" height="400" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chad - Okinawa, Japan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpat7wKhlvME3Khx1F2blamJpRrvpoUhyJYvOCOtkpHxlHKTWDLkCD33_Mm6NTHNQ-m89d6MshEV6LQmiKP3E8RDugRTJiGUWyKOQMtQStHS80dC3w_OFe6KEJ5HseXGSiIEPBSKl09Ts/s1600/kira.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpat7wKhlvME3Khx1F2blamJpRrvpoUhyJYvOCOtkpHxlHKTWDLkCD33_Mm6NTHNQ-m89d6MshEV6LQmiKP3E8RDugRTJiGUWyKOQMtQStHS80dC3w_OFe6KEJ5HseXGSiIEPBSKl09Ts/s1600/kira.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kira -- Reservist, Southern Calif.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pictured below are two of our Marines who are currently or will soon be serving LDS missions. I think they must call Marines to the most challenging missions because they figure they can handle tough situations.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfal0K2CuZtyDDMKigxHL1zRDznaGoNFdxeKBZehZPETXbZOm2fqRnHd1Ic-gsrCnSspW2l0wdgw7cu0IB4iNIaZLvK8_vDt7zA3SIzUTAu671mzAGmSbaqwo6vExaxbu3t8QpqzSnfY/s1600/nate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfal0K2CuZtyDDMKigxHL1zRDznaGoNFdxeKBZehZPETXbZOm2fqRnHd1Ic-gsrCnSspW2l0wdgw7cu0IB4iNIaZLvK8_vDt7zA3SIzUTAu671mzAGmSbaqwo6vExaxbu3t8QpqzSnfY/s1600/nate.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate waiting to start his mission<br />
(Nate is the one in dress blues in the middle. :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabKgcsMYHlI-T9HdSJjG_SPHhIl8HOe1FOhtja_NpCu_u_jVeqYWQA-Vx4cR6uSqpACOt5W5ahAEtuMPdP24fMparioUDhCKKTvswradEdUHOskFYAIAUQ8q8Z4aDLmiWls_U7JkS0LE/s1600/luis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabKgcsMYHlI-T9HdSJjG_SPHhIl8HOe1FOhtja_NpCu_u_jVeqYWQA-Vx4cR6uSqpACOt5W5ahAEtuMPdP24fMparioUDhCKKTvswradEdUHOskFYAIAUQ8q8Z4aDLmiWls_U7JkS0LE/s1600/luis.JPG" height="400" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luis --serving in Bangledore, India<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One righteous and faithful person can
influence many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This</span> young Marine stood firm in the face of ridicule and temptation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luis (pictured above) was a personable young man with a
strong testimony, but he also wanted to be friends with his fellow Marines and he wanted to be seen as a team player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although he
was harassed for not drinking or using tobacco, he tried not to appear
judgmental and explained this was his own personal choice, just as their choice
to use was their personal choice.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Members of his platoon made plans to celebrate the birthday
of one of their friends and invited Luis to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asked what their plans were and was told they were going
out to eat and then to a hookah bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He accepted the invitation to go to dinner but said he would just return
to base afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To leave and
return to base he had to have a battle buddy, who naturally would need to
return to base after the dinner with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His buddy agreed and all looked fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after dinner, the group decided to go to a strip
club instead and while his battle buddy wasn’t interested in the hookah bar she
was curious about the strip club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dilemma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He couldn’t return
to base alone and he didn’t want to go to the strip club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He chose to stand outside and wait for his buddies in the
cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few minutes his
battle buddy came to stand with him and they called a cab to return to
base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His example inspired me, and
I know it has touched others who either knew Luis or heard his story from us.
His fellow Marines selected him as the most inspirational and motivational
student in his school and he received this honor at his graduation ceremony.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0EMJxw7nWuztMoj5YV6P2t8gtz73KXj7ADo-6HnytJshsePiQGyJH5HdilWK-Q7xEeQQSDrypVtZdzlxsEzQrzNXT_4ln8-28SyIboWtcNb3P027TaQBUtIksGS6n4_hfotfBuC6nsA/s1600/kyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0EMJxw7nWuztMoj5YV6P2t8gtz73KXj7ADo-6HnytJshsePiQGyJH5HdilWK-Q7xEeQQSDrypVtZdzlxsEzQrzNXT_4ln8-28SyIboWtcNb3P027TaQBUtIksGS6n4_hfotfBuC6nsA/s1600/kyle.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyle</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We worked with another young Marine who, at first glance, seemed
an unlikely hero. He was of a slight build, shy and didn’t have much to
say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered in the beginning
how he had ever survived basic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was the only LDS Marine at a remote part of Camp Lejeune where he was in school
for his military specialty—repairing generators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a 45 minute ride for him to attend the ward, but each
week he wanted to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a
lot of opportunity to visit with him as we picked him up and took him back each
week and we came to see that our first impression was deceiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although not the typical muscular,
rough and tough Marine, he had a fierce determination to succeed as a Marine
and as a Latter Day Saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> One of our first encounters with Kyle was when he requested a blessing of comfort to help him deal with the suicide of a Marine in his barracks. The Chaplain on base offered his counseling service, but Kyle insisted that he would be fine, he only wanted a priesthood blessing by the senior missionaries. He instructed the chaplain on how to contact us, and Bob and the other senior missionary elder met him at the base chapel to give him a blessing. Kyle then proceeded to help other Marines deal with the tragedy.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One Sunday Kyle told us he wanted to bring a friend to church,
a young man from his platoon who was interested in church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were, of course, delighted to
provide a ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kyle, the LDS
Marine, took it upon himself to talk with the base chaplain to arrange for him and his friend to leave base and attend Institute (Scripture study class) on Tuesdays so Kade (the
friend) could have lessons Sunday and Tuesday with the missionaries. It is not
usual that Marines in training can leave base during the week so I’m not sure
how he managed this, but he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He also arranged for the missionaries to have use of a room in the base chapel
when needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He answered his
friend’s questions and encouraged him to go forward with his baptism—which took
place after Kyle had already left for Camp Pendleton. His quiet persistence and his steady faithfulness made a
difference and his example will be something I will long remember.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Like a pebble dropped into a stream, the influence and example of one
person echoes through the lives of many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been amazing to watch how the Lord uses one to reach
the one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So to those we
spoke about at the beginning of this blog who wondered if we were ever discouraged, no, we are not discouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we help only one person, it will have been worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-89134154592134523352014-10-17T16:41:00.001-07:002014-10-19T04:26:20.368-07:00One Year Gone!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMAw0SO17wGlB2321cnGT3DSpaL-dhQqotakQJacCNuCu4EdbIWzW7pfLVFzUw8zJrGO5Fom12KkRt4lV5a31iWXz0QfxUSAiL4OCIQvF-dUER4vYHhhwI0VqSgP3HHUtQTEu-QeUadg/s1600/distritc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMAw0SO17wGlB2321cnGT3DSpaL-dhQqotakQJacCNuCu4EdbIWzW7pfLVFzUw8zJrGO5Fom12KkRt4lV5a31iWXz0QfxUSAiL4OCIQvF-dUER4vYHhhwI0VqSgP3HHUtQTEu-QeUadg/s1600/distritc.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacksonville District Missionaries, October 2014</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It seems impossible, but we have been on our mission a little over a year. Once we hit the half way point, time has just flown. We have very mixed feelings about returning home. We, of course, look forward to being with family and friends, but we will so miss being in North Carolina. We have loved the area and the people. It has been such an honor and a joy to work with such outstanding sisters and elders. They are truly incredible and I have seen miracles happen here. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have learned so much and now that we finally have a handle on what to do and how to do it (at least to some degree), it is almost time to leave. One of the advantages to being senior missionaries (we think) is that you get to serve your whole mission with your best friend and you don't change areas. The downside is that we get very attached to and care so much for the people we teach and work with and then they get deployed, transferred, or go home. They go. We stay. But we carry each of them in our hearts.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have seen many amazing things happen during our time here. In fact, we sometimes refer to Jacksonville as " Miracleville." My next post will be about some of the inspiring individuals we have come to know and love and some of the blessings and "tender mercies" we have experienced. So this post will be more general in content.</span><br />
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The Mullet Festival (the fish, not the hairstyle)</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVHmxH-Y1HO5AIGQABIyBcFBcIXfMxwzFpf4pNH5QwMucDQnrvMDpYXwPN51ruh4rLFnSVJou2HfyV7360HxjScMOFnGAfPypY-X9PuMx21EM_WfsrDjck0zicpmYujBS_RsjmU2d3NI/s1600/elvis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVHmxH-Y1HO5AIGQABIyBcFBcIXfMxwzFpf4pNH5QwMucDQnrvMDpYXwPN51ruh4rLFnSVJou2HfyV7360HxjScMOFnGAfPypY-X9PuMx21EM_WfsrDjck0zicpmYujBS_RsjmU2d3NI/s1600/elvis.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">The day started with a parade. I love small town parades, especially Southern ones. Of course, there was an Elvis in a pink cadillac to lead off. Swansboro has a vintage 50's diner on main street that is totally devoted to Elvis and Marilyn Monroe posters and memorabilia, There is even a life-sized cardboard cutout of Elvis in the corner of the women's restroom that greets you as you enter with, "Hi. I'm Elvis. Glad to meet you." A little freaky the first time you encounter it.</span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Being on the coast, there were several floats of ships and pirates. The pirate Blackbeard often used the inlets near here to land his ships. One of his ships laden with treasure sunk in the waters off Morehead City, not far from Swansboro. It was recently discovered and they are in the process of salvaging the cargo. People here are very proud of their pirate heritage.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is a parade without a good marching band. Being loyal members of the Marching Razorbacks while at the University of Arkansas, Bob and I were pleased to see that marching bands are still a big deal in the South with lots of marching competitions and half time shows at local football games.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> And, of course, there were lots of beauty queens riding in convertibles. Tiny Miss Swansboro, Little Miss, Young Miss, Teen Miss and then the official Miss Swansboro. Remember "Toddlers and Tiaras"? Pageants are big below the Mason-Dixon Line.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Interesting Facts About North Carolina</span></h3>
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I read that there are 39 different kinds of spiders in North Carolina. Most are not dangerous, but they can be huge and sure look like they could cause harm. This is a garden spider, very helpful in controlling insects. It weaves a beautiful circle web with a zigzag design woven in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmMb43RZWJ-dYkaQoYfRhyphenhyphenFFF_0UpdNhHg-EiRQX4Uq03x_Y-biwBpdR6fO5xAxg8Yyo7Yi-CZ_ix17XMmSOsejETlpJjzY-jBSWJtWJvrM-LTgvxZtl3O67RDp7wKVRcDgU5xJymTiA/s1600/cornsnake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmMb43RZWJ-dYkaQoYfRhyphenhyphenFFF_0UpdNhHg-EiRQX4Uq03x_Y-biwBpdR6fO5xAxg8Yyo7Yi-CZ_ix17XMmSOsejETlpJjzY-jBSWJtWJvrM-LTgvxZtl3O67RDp7wKVRcDgU5xJymTiA/s1600/cornsnake.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lots of snakes here but mostly away from populated areas. This corn snake might look like bad news, but is very helpful to farmers in keeping down the population of rats and mice. There are more poisonous snakes in the South than in the rest of the country. In addition to rattlers, there are cottonmouths, water moccasins, and coral snakes (very deadly). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7kU5Ca2pt3MaiaO14yUgPbJaPnzKoXSSJZZtBD5Ds5ckwV2t3KKEa7Py7K85f7jFV2DperyVyrE7DgJ4ONHQ_oV_feXQlhvweDMxHwSXEKMR673NguNHnVG66eQOUxLC-eKfmGzesrM/s1600/copperhead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7kU5Ca2pt3MaiaO14yUgPbJaPnzKoXSSJZZtBD5Ds5ckwV2t3KKEa7Py7K85f7jFV2DperyVyrE7DgJ4ONHQ_oV_feXQlhvweDMxHwSXEKMR673NguNHnVG66eQOUxLC-eKfmGzesrM/s1600/copperhead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7kU5Ca2pt3MaiaO14yUgPbJaPnzKoXSSJZZtBD5Ds5ckwV2t3KKEa7Py7K85f7jFV2DperyVyrE7DgJ4ONHQ_oV_feXQlhvweDMxHwSXEKMR673NguNHnVG66eQOUxLC-eKfmGzesrM/s1600/copperhead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7kU5Ca2pt3MaiaO14yUgPbJaPnzKoXSSJZZtBD5Ds5ckwV2t3KKEa7Py7K85f7jFV2DperyVyrE7DgJ4ONHQ_oV_feXQlhvweDMxHwSXEKMR673NguNHnVG66eQOUxLC-eKfmGzesrM/s1600/copperhead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7kU5Ca2pt3MaiaO14yUgPbJaPnzKoXSSJZZtBD5Ds5ckwV2t3KKEa7Py7K85f7jFV2DperyVyrE7DgJ4ONHQ_oV_feXQlhvweDMxHwSXEKMR673NguNHnVG66eQOUxLC-eKfmGzesrM/s1600/copperhead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7kU5Ca2pt3MaiaO14yUgPbJaPnzKoXSSJZZtBD5Ds5ckwV2t3KKEa7Py7K85f7jFV2DperyVyrE7DgJ4ONHQ_oV_feXQlhvweDMxHwSXEKMR673NguNHnVG66eQOUxLC-eKfmGzesrM/s1600/copperhead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pNzbFTEuhd5wtvxuulSnqrxAiSpIT8gox0YkZLgJ2afJSG7fsNpcqRHCN87sk1v4x7jEKhBwLzql0dnODB4puMZ8CoP32UlPBDODULXtYflLgrG4sjEq4WCpryGXv9o2D6VF07f6Gjw/s1600/state+ship.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pNzbFTEuhd5wtvxuulSnqrxAiSpIT8gox0YkZLgJ2afJSG7fsNpcqRHCN87sk1v4x7jEKhBwLzql0dnODB4puMZ8CoP32UlPBDODULXtYflLgrG4sjEq4WCpryGXv9o2D6VF07f6Gjw/s1600/state+ship.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How many states can claim a state ship and a state sea shell?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scotch Bonnet</td></tr>
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Thought for the Day:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2_mX6WhcymOZ4KF00_Q3J81hFiJXSQLq9qqwQ1fZ94cX3Omj0kXhp8b5MijL2E1uqVhU55tWfIQatGOtAvheq0PIcj5cSMNL1nOsDCzEHrI92s0h4fp18UXk9NFlpxdhjIXGhyphenhyphenCpOEg/s1600/be+a+light.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2_mX6WhcymOZ4KF00_Q3J81hFiJXSQLq9qqwQ1fZ94cX3Omj0kXhp8b5MijL2E1uqVhU55tWfIQatGOtAvheq0PIcj5cSMNL1nOsDCzEHrI92s0h4fp18UXk9NFlpxdhjIXGhyphenhyphenCpOEg/s1600/be+a+light.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Serving, learning and growing in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.<br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-52575232462483769762014-09-13T14:56:00.000-07:002014-09-13T14:56:05.380-07:00Hello, September!<h3>
How Can It Be A Year Already?</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgchHqZnZZlAbIg1m1CWvZFoYNaQuwrsgprKTcxSBzq8xTTpFZ9ptpvbJZ3mdfXiQa58ykgS9ucnXwim3HaoO-xXX8njAK6w-pCfP9VmMeXNoKhMgUt833yheRZn0ykRbIJfgLrz1AsU/s1600/hello+sept.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgchHqZnZZlAbIg1m1CWvZFoYNaQuwrsgprKTcxSBzq8xTTpFZ9ptpvbJZ3mdfXiQa58ykgS9ucnXwim3HaoO-xXX8njAK6w-pCfP9VmMeXNoKhMgUt833yheRZn0ykRbIJfgLrz1AsU/s1600/hello+sept.JPG" height="400" width="252" /></a></div>
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Although the temperatures are still warm here, there are hints of fall all around. The crepe myrtle trees, which have bloomed beautifully all summer long, are beginning to fade and a few of the maples are sporting tinges of color. Our favorite farmer's market is displaying pumpkins and gourds along side the watermelons, beans and tomatoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIaFFlcK_EdcIvbdxPe7Ad07lsE46UyysRICEndz3cGjTqNOUwyvkV3YWybfKDGHTy4wN8N_biLvjfyW_Az80H5jnaKikegkaGDf_Z0goUuvovGpzXJmPcy5fBM0DaO8hXeFBjz7HXbQ/s1600/boiled+peanuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIaFFlcK_EdcIvbdxPe7Ad07lsE46UyysRICEndz3cGjTqNOUwyvkV3YWybfKDGHTy4wN8N_biLvjfyW_Az80H5jnaKikegkaGDf_Z0goUuvovGpzXJmPcy5fBM0DaO8hXeFBjz7HXbQ/s1600/boiled+peanuts.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
It is also time for that southern treat, boiled peanuts, as the new crop of peanuts is being harvested. Bob has pronounced these quite tasty.<br />
The fresh peanuts are washed and then placed in boiling, salted water to cook until the shells have softened, but still hold their shape.<br />
For you history buffs, this dish was around during the Civil War when Southern troops were issued peanuts as part of their rations.<br />
Like the peanuts themselves, the custom of boiling peanuts originated in Africa.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbwHobAbk_X-vJ5QoCLLIWHjEkqQX1ID8eo3OcqtCRX4SvnSOXn7SGVxrI0GKXES1X3GWXe2JSaw99UeOQDUvNiqZiFWQwe5T7sCEEqaEJcIllvYHilzvgPmBaaVz45O5B3tYrXIHGNg/s1600/truck+sweating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbwHobAbk_X-vJ5QoCLLIWHjEkqQX1ID8eo3OcqtCRX4SvnSOXn7SGVxrI0GKXES1X3GWXe2JSaw99UeOQDUvNiqZiFWQwe5T7sCEEqaEJcIllvYHilzvgPmBaaVz45O5B3tYrXIHGNg/s1600/truck+sweating.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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The summer has been fairly mild, with temperatures usually in the upper 80's or low 90's. I think our hottest day was 96. Of course, we do have humidity. We tell everyone it is so humid even our trucks sweat in Jacksonville. Many mornings we wake to windows completely fogged over. And we have had LOTS of rain. The thunder and lightening storms are pretty spectacular. We love going to sleep to the sound of the rain. By the way, trucks like this crew cab are very popular with the young Marines. You see them all over Jacksonville, especially on the weekend up and down the main drag,</div>
Western Boulevard.<br />
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The rain brings out these tiny green frogs. We see them all around in front of our apartment and a few have even managed to find a way into our screened in back porch. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY2oOCZ3y59KNQZyuU3I4FuZi-WpErAkGannlE9bnmvAkgriWW3hYqWiP7a9-KypMznAf633CmAA4Yk47_GPLrxEiLrfuG-9_x4LvdZym9bCByGPqOlYacVnElLgtMJTZvnhpZWVH_tk/s1600/squirrel+at+hummingbird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY2oOCZ3y59KNQZyuU3I4FuZi-WpErAkGannlE9bnmvAkgriWW3hYqWiP7a9-KypMznAf633CmAA4Yk47_GPLrxEiLrfuG-9_x4LvdZym9bCByGPqOlYacVnElLgtMJTZvnhpZWVH_tk/s1600/squirrel+at+hummingbird.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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Update on our continuing battle with the backyard squirrels: one bird feeder seems to be difficult enough that they don't bother it much. There is one intrepid brown squirrel that has managed to hang precariously by wrapping himself around this feeder. He falls a lot and so doesn't attempt it too often. The other squirrels are content to devour the seeds from the feeder hanging in the dogwood tree. They, however, have managed to master the hummingbird feeder. They climb up the slick metal pole and then down to the feeder where they hang on and tilt the feeder enough so that they can drink the sugar water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVKOEMXPkPkZeUw5zmay4I5Oh83MjVYD2HEuV5Bnhju3WpDJOU4pdmcwICBI7fUMow2b67puc-f-N5oj17dgrb65C9Qp1rf4r3_EdYAVmbxGiwPzzKVqeY_FfRtLu3vlA6S-fBs0H71o/s1600/sunset.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVKOEMXPkPkZeUw5zmay4I5Oh83MjVYD2HEuV5Bnhju3WpDJOU4pdmcwICBI7fUMow2b67puc-f-N5oj17dgrb65C9Qp1rf4r3_EdYAVmbxGiwPzzKVqeY_FfRtLu3vlA6S-fBs0H71o/s1600/sunset.JPG" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sunsets here on the coast are rather spectacular. This was taken in Swansboro, a former fishing village now turned tourist attraction. Swansboro reminds me a little of the old Park City -- narrow streets, turn of the century homes, lots of speciality shops. Sunsets through the pines in town are also something to behold.<br />
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The fences leading into Camp Lejeune are often filled with banners welcoming home husbands, dads, and buddies who are returning from deployment. We have several members of the ward that are currently deployed and we really miss them. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for Dad.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UWjJ36hnvIxfXaUJDxg1uPdz1pS1__KTjcSjAFcO_i2N-8I6AtHdu8_btt0Q9sFcUVg-GijnjwEc5plTvKWCoTXGwRkLc3lR67JmVtylyuYuSCPJ0d7nE3yqM54MVVITeE3RUltiQjg/s1600/group+hug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UWjJ36hnvIxfXaUJDxg1uPdz1pS1__KTjcSjAFcO_i2N-8I6AtHdu8_btt0Q9sFcUVg-GijnjwEc5plTvKWCoTXGwRkLc3lR67JmVtylyuYuSCPJ0d7nE3yqM54MVVITeE3RUltiQjg/s1600/group+hug.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group Hug.</td></tr>
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With the frequent deployments, the bishop has a difficult job keeping the ward staffed. Lots of turnover. In addition, Marines generally stay in an area only 2 or 3 years and then are stationed elsewhere. As one elder who had served in Jacksonville his first 6 months said on being transferred --" I want to come back and visit in a couple of years, but it will probably be a whole new ward by then."<br />
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Two of our YSA members were married in the<br />
Raleigh Temple this past month. They are both big "Dr. Who" fans and the reception reflected that theme. The groom and groomsmen all wore bow ties, and the napkins on the table were folded like bow ties with a message written in Gallifreyan wrapped around the middle. I have no idea what it said. The wedding cake featured the bride and groom entering Tardis. It was a fun reception. </div>
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It is hard to believe we will have been out on our mission a year by the end of September. The time has passed quickly and we face the prospect of returning home in April with a little sadness. We have loved living in North Carolina and have met so many wonderful people. The work is sometimes exhausting, but we have learned so much and treasure our experiences.</div>
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One thing we have learned is that attitude does makes a big difference. Missions require a lot of hard work and a sound knowledge of the gospel, but it your attitude that makes the difference. We have come to truly love those we serve and have had numerous times when we have been blessed with inspiration as to what we needed to do or say. We have learned to find joy and laughter along the way. <br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-73567869194606848302014-07-11T13:33:00.003-07:002014-07-12T08:54:45.293-07:00A Southern Girl Returns to the South<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Although born and raised in Arkansas, I never really thought of myself as Southern. We lived in the northern part of a border state and my parents were Yankees (from nearby Kansas--but which, by definition, is Yankee territory). In addition, my great grandfathers (all four) fought for the Union during the Civil War, known in the South as The War of Northern Aggression or The War Between the States. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If I'd labeled myself growing up, I would probably have identified myself as someone from the Ozark Mountains, with its fiercely stubborn, independent, colorful, mostly Scotch-Irish population. However, after spending the past 9 months in North Carolina, I have found that I am more Southern than I realized.</span><br />
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How Southern Am I?</h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Recently, there was a quiz posted on Facebook, "How Southern Are You?" <a href="http://www.playbuzz.com/countryoutfitterstyle10/are-you-really-southern">http://www.playbuzz.com/countryoutfitterstyle10/are-you-really-southern</a></span></h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I got all but one correct. My favorite question was #13 --" If a person from New York has lived in Georgia for 30 years, that person is considered to be -- a. Yankee b. Lost c. Southern (by default) or d. Someone from NY who has lived in Georgia for 30 years." The answer is "d." I laughed and laughed about this one, as my mother was dearly loved in the small town of Arkansas where she lived until she was in her nineties, but she was always "that nice woman that came from up north."</span><br />
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Echoes of My Childhood</h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As we have become more settled in our area, I have begun to notice how many things seem so familiar to me. For example, respect for elders and for country is ingrained in the south. Children are taught to say "yes ma'am" and "yes sir" as a matter of courtesy, and conversations with adults of all ages are peppered with these expressions. You would never call an older person in the South by a first name, unless preceded by a title, such as, Miss Saundra.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The South has a greater percentage of the population serving in the military than any other part of the country. Patriotism runs deep and most families have at least one person who has or is serving the country. A substantial number of Southerners in the Armed Services qualify as sharpshooters. Must be a result of all the hunting they do growing up. We see a lot of trucks with hunting dogs in carriers in the back end. North Carolina even has a state dog -- the Plott hound.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plott Hound -- North Carolina state dog<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Much of the South remains rural or small town, although, of course, there are many up and coming cities also. This is Bible Belt country where people still bow their heads and ask a blessing on the food in public restaurants, often while holding hands around the table. "Have a blessed day" is a common expression. Churches dot the landscape. Even when people think we are misguided and a little weird, they are courteous and share with us many common beliefs. They love God and believe mightily in prayer.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Driving to Raleigh we passed a little town with streets turning off the highway named "grateful," "thankful," and "blessed." </span></div>
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Things I Love About the South</h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Expressions are colorful and memorable. The 2nd Ward bishop, speaking at a baptism, was cautioning a new convert to choose his friends carefully. He commented, "When you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas." Some other expressions I have heard here that I remember from my childhood -- "Mad as a wet hen." "It's a pretty fer piece down the road."They live over yonder." "I reckon" (meaning I guess so). "Slower than molasses." (which is pretty slow). "Happy as a tick on a fat dog." (can't get much happier than that).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some expressions may need a little more explanation. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Catawampus or cattywampus" -- sideways</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Cain't never could" --you never will if you don't try</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Bless your heart!" --usually uttered when the speaker believes the recipient to be sweet but misguided or stupid or needs to grow up.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Tea" -- everywhere else this is a hot drink made from a bag of tea leaves steeped in hot water. In the South it is a syrupy-sweet concoction served over ice with every meal in the biggest glass possible. Also referred to as Sweet Tea and available in huge containers at every fast food restaurant next to the soft drink dispenser.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Fixing" --about to do something. Example: " I'm fixing to go to the store."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Directly" -- pretty soon. Example: "I'll be there directly."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Spell "--to feel faint or light headed. Example: "Aunt Bee had one of her spells last night."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can also mean a measure of time. Example: "Come up on the porch and sit a spell."</span><br />
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Families and Family Stories </h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Southerners are deeply loyal to their families and treasure sharing family stories and legends. There are still stories relating to family involvement in the Civil War. More Civil War battles were fought in North Carolina than in any other state. There are monuments and battlegrounds all over this part of the state and many of the families claim a war hero or two. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">An interesting fact about North Carolina is the respect given to small cemeteries. I am told that there is a law prohibiting the removal of graves and headstones, even if in the middle of a field. So you often see small cemeteries with 4 or 5 graves, fenced in and left in the middle of farmland or right next to the side of the road under a tree.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, living close to the ocean there are some great fish stories. I never knew that one needed such a variety of fishing poles to go fishing, but we see trucks with ten or twelve poles lined up in racks in the back of pick-ups.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And then, of course, there are great tales of pirates like Blackbeard who maintained a home base in the Carolinas. Recently, Blackbeard's sunken ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, was located off the coast of Beaufort, NC, not far from us -- complete with treasure still aboard. Other salvaged ship wrecks are on display in the state aquariums scattered around the state and serve as the base for coral reefs to form.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Parts of Camp Lejeune serve as wildlife protection areas and you can see a variety of wildlife as you drive around the base. One of the great true "tall tales" is that there is a 12 foot alligator that lives in the water hazard on the main base golf course. One of our ward members took this picture when he went to retrieve his ball from the water -- and decided when the gator surfaced and started toward him that he didn't need the ball that bad.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lastly. everyone seems to have a hurricane story. We have learned that hurricanes less than a level 3 are taken as nothing to get excited about. Some even like to go and watch the storm from the beach or use it as an excuse to celebrate at home. Major hurricanes are the basis for some great survival tales. Snow storms, on the other hand, freak people out and everything closes down even when it is only predicted to occur.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are having a great time collecting our own stories to share. We love our area and the people we have met. It is amazing to look back and see how much we have learned and grown during the past 9 months (and how much we still need to learn and grow). Our mission president is an avid mountain climber and often tells us the joy is in the climb to the top, not the summit itself--and we have found this to be true. It has been a challenging, but rewarding, journey thus far.</span></div>
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-24220167984298161812014-06-20T17:47:00.004-07:002014-06-21T05:44:44.915-07:00Farewell to Spring! Hello Summer!<h3>
Looking Back on the First Day of Summer</h3>
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Spring continued to be amazing here in North Carolina. One of the wonderful things about spring in Coastal Carolina is that it comes early and stays late. We are just now hitting temperatures in the upper 80's and low 90's. However, I believe summer is now here and hot humid weather will be with us for quite awhile.<br />
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Once the azaleas, Bradford pears and dogwoods quit blooming, a new cast of trees started showing off. First came the magnolias and gardenias.</div>
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Looking like glowing white candles, the first buds appeared on the magnolia trees.<br />
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Opening, they revealed a beautiful waxy white flower with a heavenly fragrance.<br />
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There are evidentially several kinds of magnolia trees with the most common here being the stately grandiflora. The trees are huge and you see them everywhere. They stay green all winter and lose some of their leaves when new leaves form in the spring. Did you know magnolias were around during the age of the dinosaurs? They were one of the first flowering trees to appear after the conifers.<br />
(Sorry, once a teacher always a teacher). <br />
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The mimosa trees add lovely color to the late spring. Mother used to have a smaller mimosa tree in her yard in Green Forest. These seem larger to me, but maybe this one is just older.<br />
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The crepe myrtles are just beginning to bloom and they come in an astonishing array of colors -- white, pink, purple, and red. I love this tree. Even the trunk and bark are beautiful. <br />
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On my early morning walk I spied these gorgeous hydrangeas. I know hydrangeas come in pink and white, also, but I have only see them in this lovely blue color -- probably because of the acidic soil from all the pine needles.<br />
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Most of the yards in our neighborhood do not have lots of flowers, as in flower beds. The trees and bushes provide the color. <br />
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Locally grown tomatoes, cucumbers and squash have been available since May along with strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. Many of the young families make an outing to go berry-picking in the local fields. We decided it was just fine to buy from the local stands. It's a little hard to pick in a skirt or white shirt and tie.<br />
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The Activity Day girls (ages 8-11) in Primary (the children's auxiliary organization in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) sponsored a wonderful Mother's Day "Ball" for all mothers in the ward. Each received a scroll summoning them to the Royal Ball.<br />
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The room and tables were quite festive. As we entered, the name of a Disney princess or character was taped to our backs and before we could receive our crown we had to guess who we were by asking yes or no questions. The young men from Mutual served the food and lemonade. The girls led the mothers in a couple of enthusiastic line dances and then each Mom was presented with a special gift to remember the occasion. So cute!<br />
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Friday nights are our "date nights." Usually, we try out one of the local restaurants. This particular night we ate seafood on the patio by the pier. It was quite charming and very relaxing.<br />
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This graceful cypress tree was right beside our table at the restaurant. Notice the Spanish moss. I've been trying to figure out why some trees are loaded with Spanish moss and other nearby trees of the same species have none. The moss gives an eerie look to the tree, especially at dusk.<br />
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For those of you following our on-going battle with the bird seed robbing squirrels, we have so far managed to hang one bird feeder that has not been conquered -- yet. We decided to admit defeat with the other feeder and just enjoy their acrobatic moves as they pull out the seeds. One plus is that they scatter a lot of seeds in the process and so provide food for the ground birds such as the flicker and mourning doves.<br />
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One day we watched one of the squirrels perform all kinds of rather parkour-like stunts. He would run up a tree and do a back flip off about a third of the way up, run around in circles and do it again. Then he took off up the tree at a rapid pace and leapt from tree to tree only to come down and repeat the whole show. Bob wondered if some of the seeds had fermented. :)<br />
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Despite the competition with the squirrels, we have had new birds at our feeders.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tufted Titmouse, isn't he cute?<br />
Had a hard time identifying this one.</td></tr>
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This flycatcher kept flying into our window<br />
each morning -- not hard, just fluttering<br />
against the pane. For several days he<br />
arrived at the same time and would flutter<br />
against the window, fly to a tree and then<br />
return. Maybe he saw his reflection?<br />
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Each month the senior missionaries have an activity--usually seeing some of the sights within our mission.<br />
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In April we had a Senior Conference in Wilmington. We had a great training session and a guest speaker who told us a little about the history of Wilmington and of the history of our church in this area. The first missionaries arrived in the early 1900's, but the church didn't really start to grow until in the 60's. Now there are several wards and a stake in Wilmington. It would not surprise me if someday a small temple is built here.<br />
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We took side trips to Fort Fisher and to a large state run aquarium. Fort Fisher was the last southern port to fall during the Civil War. Once it fell to the Union, General Lee was no longer able to receive arms and supplies. Prior to this, blockade runners had managed to sneak through the lines and bring back supplies that were shipped to Richmond, VA by rail. Once this route was closed Lee was forced to surrender. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Fisher</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't see this too well, but we are in the Natural Science Museum in Raleigh for our May Senior Activity. Behind us are displays of plants and animals native to North Carolina. Upstairs there are skeletons of the whales that frequented the coast in times past. From a distance we thought they were dinosaur skeletons. We found the varying sizes and features of the different whales quite fascinating.<br />
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Skeleton of a Right Whale<br />
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So let the summer begin. We took the sister missionaries to the beach in late May, before the big beach season to hunt for shells and shark teeth and enjoy a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful day with a cool breeze and only a few families enjoying the spring weather.<br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-77586170998415695642014-06-09T18:34:00.004-07:002014-06-09T18:34:52.968-07:00On a Mission, Always Expect the Unexpected<h3>
The Best Laid Plans Often Go Awry</h3>
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We do our best to plan out our week, scheduling visits and preparation around recurring obligations such as conducting Sacrament Meeting and holding Family Home Evening for Marines at Camp Johnson, working with the Family History Center, leading the Addiction Recovery Program, and supporting Institute class. Visits to families of deployed soldiers and families with new babies, searching for the "lost sheep" in the Jacksonville area, visiting new member move-ins, and providing support to our missionaries (usually rides, meals, or help with investigators) keep us pretty busy.<br />
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Just when we have a day planned out, there is often a "monkey wrench" thrown into the works and we must replan and adjust. For example, Monday is usually our preparation day and I had a list of things to take care of today and was looking forward to starting off the week running several errands, finishing this blog and "getting organized." Then last night after a long day of Sunday meetings and activities, plus an extra unexpected meeting after church, we received a text from one of our young Marines asking if we could pick her up from the Wilmington airport Monday morning and bring her back to base. We left at 8:30, picked her up at 10:30 and returned to the apartment about 12:30. Just in time to get ingredients to fix a dinner to take in to a new mother. </div>
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Last week, Bob and Elder Abney were called to give four blessings. This little boy was running a high fever for several days and was quite miserable. The Navy doctor said it was just a virus, but he kept getting worse. After the blessing, she took him back, saw a different doctor, and found out he had a double ear infection. He is back to his usual rambunctious self. Then right after they gave this blessing, a young couple called from the Greenville Hospital (about an hour and a half away) and asked for a blessing for their little girl (3 weeks old) who was having seizures. The mother was from the Greenville area which is why they went there rather than here in Jacksonville. The call for the third blessing came after we were already in bed and ready to turn out the lights. This call was from a Marine way out in the country who was in a lot of pain and wanted a blessing of comfort. Then Wednesday when we were at the Family History Center, one of the ward members came and asked for a blessing as she was having a hard time shaking a bad chest cold even with antibiotics. Bob is always honored to use his priesthood to bless others and he has had many opportunities to do so on our mission.</div>
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Then there are happy surprises, like last week we had 21 at Family Home Evening at Johnson (usually have 2or 3 on a good night.). The Young Single Adult group from the ward had arranged to come out and meet with the LDS Marines on base. They did the whole thing -- lesson, treats, conducting. The Chaplain's assistant told us Sunday that when she told the Chaplain how many had attended Monday night he didn't believe her (we always leave a slip with how many were in attendance so they can count this in their report). She assured him that it was true -- she could tell from the amount of trash in the garbage can and that we were very careful to be accurate. He laughed and said, "What did they do, bus them in?" Which was pretty much what we did, only we brought them in cars rather than by bus. We did have 5 of our own from Johnson which is pretty good for us. We have a good group in training right now and so our numbers are up. Three are cute women Marines and they reach out and invite their friends. Funny how that has increased our count.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going to Columbia, Medellin</td></tr>
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Another happy surprise has been that two of the Marines we worked with at Camp Johnson have received mission calls. They enlisted as reservists and the Marine Corps grants a two year deferment for missionaries, so when they went home they sent in their mission papers. One is going to India, Bangladore and the other to Columbia, Medellin.<br />
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It sometimes seems as if the military does everything possible to make it difficult for Marines in training to attend any type of religious service on a consistent basis. However, a couple of weeks ago, a sergeant brought one of the Mormon Marines under his command out to Johnson from Main Side (about a 20-30 minute drive) and stayed through Family Home Evening to take him back. He said he knew how hard it was to attend church when he was new to the Marine Corps (he is Baptist) and he wanted to help someone who had a desire to stay active in his church. He even volunteered to drop him off at the ward on Sundays as he drove to his own church, but we have been able to arrange rides. What an unexpected blessing from a rough, tough sergeant.<br />
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Another wonderful surprise was discovering the Nelson family, whom we had known in Salt Lake on our Inner City Mission, were living in Jacksonville and were in our ward. In fact, Erlene is our Relief Society President. Her oldest daughter just graduated high school and will be attending BYU on a full ride scholarship. It really is a small world.<br />
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We love working with the great missionaries here in Jacksonville. They keep us amazed (and entertained). <br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-28902960114300444472014-05-15T03:58:00.000-07:002014-05-15T07:04:33.796-07:00Spring Has Been Full of Surprises!<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Surprise All Mission Conference</h3>
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Imagine our surprise and delight when we received a call one Friday (May 2) inviting us to a special all-mission conference in Raleigh the next morning. Elder Neil L. Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve was to speak along with three Seventies -- Elder Parker, Elder Piper and Elder Martinez. It was a once in a mission experience. Elder Anderson insisted on shaking hands with each person present and then he and the others gave us wonderful counsel and instruction. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Spring in North Carolina is Spectacular!</span></div>
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It seems like every week there is a new spring surprise. I was delighted to see the dogwoods bloom. They are my favorites -- such graceful little trees. Note the pink dogwood just to the left of the two white dogwoods. Azaleas are in bloom all over town. We even have several around our apartment complex and two right outside our back door. As we drive along the highway the dogwood is like lace spread among the other trees.<br />
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One of the first trees to bloom here is the Bradford Pear. These are the trees planted in honor of the 241 Americans killed in the Beirut bombing in 1983. I posted a picture of these trees in the fall when they had turned gorgeous shades of red and orange. Evidentially, these grow well in NC as we saw them all along the highway on our way to Raleigh.<br />
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I only have my ipad or iphone to take pictures so you can't really see all the true colors, but use your imagination. So many shades of green. I remember in Brazil visiting a home which sat on top of a hill and the host was doing a watercolor of the valley below. I was fascinated as he mixed the colors for the trees and I think it was the first time I had ever really looked at the various shades of green -- no trees were the same exact shade and even on a single tree the color varied due to light and shadow. Our world is really quite amazing. </div>
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Sometimes when I step outside or when we are driving to one of our meetings, I encounter yet another springtime surprise. The bush in the picture on the left was green all winter and then one morning bright red leaves appeared. Then a few days later white balls of flowers were all over the bush. I have seen some of these bushes in nearby yards the size of trees (10-15 ft tall). Can anyone tell me what they are? The picture on the right shows wisteria growing in the trees. We rounded a bend in the road and there were all these purple vines entwined in the tall trees. A beautiful sight, but as my sister, Carol, points out, unfortunately the wisteria eventually kills the host tree. </div>
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One of the spring surprises was not quite so pleasant. We found that all those beautiful pine trees surrounding us produce an abundance of golden pollen. For several days we would wake up to find the sidewalks and cars covered with pollen -- and I do mean, covered! It really did a number on my allergies but zyrtec came to the rescue and I am now able to breathe normally and sleep at night.</div>
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Advantages To Being a Senior Missionary</h3>
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Every month or so, an excursion is offered to Senior Missionaries to explore some interesting sites in</div>
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the mission. We are not always able to attend these as the time and driving involved does not always mesh with our commitments here. However, we were able to enjoy a fun day in Raleigh visiting the gardens and chapel at Duke University. We also visited the basement kitchen where Institute is held for Mormon students attending Duke and had the privilege of seeing a rare 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon in the Duke Library Special Collections section.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1830 edition of the Book of Mormon</td></tr>
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We Do Keep Busy</h3>
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Lest you think we spend all our time enjoying the beauties of nature and attending conferences, we do manage to keep busy.</div>
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One of the things we do a lot is drive. Here we are loading bikes and suitcases to take a sister missionary to Raleigh for her transfer to a new area. We do okay if we are transporting just one missionary, but last transfer we needed to take two sisters, their luggage, and 3 bikes. It was a very tight fit even using the carrier on top. We thought we looked quite sporty, though, with the carrier and bikes. </div>
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Bob says we have put over 35.000 miles on the car since October. We visit families that are spread out over a large area. Sundays we drive all over Camp Lejeune to pick up Marines who need rides to church. Bob often spends two hours or more picking up and taking back.</div>
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We take turns driving either the sisters or the elders to Zone meetings in Wilmington (about an hour from Jacksonville). They keep us entertained. </div>
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After one Zone Meeting the elders asked us to take them to the Highway 55 restaurant for lunch. Elder Medrano, as the new elder, was challenged to take the 55 Challenge -- to eat 55 ounces of hamburger, 4 toppings, an order of fries and a drink in 30 minutes or less. The wait staff said it had been several months since anyone had been able to complete the challenge, but small and mighty Elder Medrano finished the entire meal in 20 minutes and then ordered ice cream. He said his motivation was that if he didn't eat it all it would have cost $24.99 and he would have used his food budget for the week. (It was free if he completed the challenge).<br />
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Each week we try to visit military families to provide support. Many of the wives are quite young and are far from family. Others have husbands who are deployed. In the picture on the right, the husband just returned from six months deployment overseas. They have 3 young children and it was very challenging for the wife to keep everything going as the sole adult. Please note the rolled sleeves. This is a big deal for Marines. Sleeves up in warm weather used to be a Marine trademark. Then all services were ordered to wear sleeves down year round. The Marines fought to have sleeves up reinstated and won the battle this spring. Of course, younger Marines had no idea how to roll the sleeves properly (there are exact specifications on how they should look) and it took several weeks for everyone to be properly attired.</div>
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One of the hazards that go with our job is the love affair many Marines have with large dogs. Nearly every home has at least one, sometimes two. It can make visiting a little challenging -- and noisy.</div>
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We attend a lot of graduations. This young man is very special to us. He is from Kentucky (loved his accent) and studied with the elders during his stay at Camp Lejeune. We picked him up twice a week from a rather remote part of the base and brought him to the ward for lessons with the elders. He was baptized in Kentucky this past week by a long time family friend who is a member of the LDS church. He is such a great young man and very courteous. I've never been "yes ma'am-ed" so much in my life. He will be serving in Camp Pendleton, California.</div>
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We support the YSA's in our two wards and attend most of their activities. Over half of the YSA are military. The above pictures were taken at a dinner for YSA at the Bishop's home that we helped with. His daughter, Emily, in the picture on the left, reminds me of our grandchildren. The bishop has 4 young children. The youngest is still a baby.</div>
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Bob often says missionary work is like home teaching on steroids, and in many ways this is true. In addition to sharing spiritual messages we look for opportunities to serve. I have become a facebook stalker as this often alerts me to one of our families that need a little help.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building grow boxes at the Bishop's house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washing windows and cleaning house<br />
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We have had a bumper crop of babies born in the ward the past few months. It is so fun to help welcome the little ones. </div>
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This sort of sums up how we feel. We are still learning how to do this missionary thing and are so far from perfect it isn't even funny, but we do our best and serve with a willing heart and pray daily for guidance--and then, even if we don't do much dancing, we have fun.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-39779106212461013272014-04-26T14:27:00.000-07:002014-04-26T14:43:07.982-07:00It Can't Be Almost May Already, Can It?<h3>
Welcome to Our Corner of the World</h3>
I thought it might be helpful to give a little background of the area where we are serving. The North Carolina Raleigh Mission extends a tiny bit into Virginia to the north and to Shalotte, NC, in the south, most of the larger towns in the mission being near the coast. The mission includes two military bases -- Fort Bragg (Army and Air Force) and Camp Lejeune (Marine and a few Navy support personnel). Our district, within this mission, covers Onslow County and includes Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps base in the east. The ward we are assigned to covers a large area with at least 3 towns. Driving from one end of the ward boundaries to the other takes at least 30 minutes each direction. Needless to say we put a lot of miles on our car each week just visiting ward members in outlying areas. Then on Sundays we pick up Marines from one end of Camp Lejeune to the other (45 minutes to Courthouse Bay, 15 to Johnson, 20 to Mainside, and, if there is someone training at Stone Bay, that's over an hour in the opposite direction from Courthouse Bay). We conduct Sacrament meetings at Camp Johnson on Sundays and on Mondays, Family Home Evening.<br />
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As near as Bob and I can figure out, the towns and military base here have been carved out of dense pine forests. You will see cleared tracts with houses surrounded by tall stands of pines. As you drive on the highways you have forested land on either side wherever you drive. Thick groves of trees are everywhere. Bob read that before the Europeans settled in North Carolina, a squirrel could leap from tree to tree all the way from the Carolina coast to the Mississippi River without ever needing to touch the ground.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4pJ69OiUpHlTAiJ7LZt0c9Mq33QS9d0TIjru1KQ6L3DzqCM0Tv6LMyXydM18D88rWo_9tnGJehvyk_XAdSi65Pvnc8p_yF_CHmtaogkeewiiUpHAV8af4qCxmOvCyFTaw949Crwgfi0/s1600/carolina_wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4pJ69OiUpHlTAiJ7LZt0c9Mq33QS9d0TIjru1KQ6L3DzqCM0Tv6LMyXydM18D88rWo_9tnGJehvyk_XAdSi65Pvnc8p_yF_CHmtaogkeewiiUpHAV8af4qCxmOvCyFTaw949Crwgfi0/s1600/carolina_wren.jpg" height="120" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carolina Wren</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gKrfRtXPvbSnGH8BQ8_oLbyOAJSKrjF1pIsWe5iDPCgmqG-ncUG3S4L3UuYNyeEdLVu13NfegvkJz9gtQbV2MfKzO5sEUFfvD1RD34yG1fZLd1smGhH5_sLScvZFTjhd8psECibnSHU/s1600/brown+trasher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gKrfRtXPvbSnGH8BQ8_oLbyOAJSKrjF1pIsWe5iDPCgmqG-ncUG3S4L3UuYNyeEdLVu13NfegvkJz9gtQbV2MfKzO5sEUFfvD1RD34yG1fZLd1smGhH5_sLScvZFTjhd8psECibnSHU/s1600/brown+trasher.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Trasher</td></tr>
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We even have our own miniature woodland in back of our apartment. I love looking out the kitchen window in the morning (see photo above) and watching the varied birds at our feeders. We have a pair of cardinals who come each day as well as chickadees, house finches, mourning doves, Carolina wrens, and bluebirds. One day we saw a brown bird about the size of a large robin on the ground throwing leaves and sticks up into the air and noisily moving around in sort of a circle. We discovered it was a Brown Thrasher (aptly named) and it was hunting for food.<br />
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Our investment in a bird book of Carolina birds has paid off. It has helped us identify unusual visitors to our backyard such as this Downy Woodpecker.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squirrel draining our bird feeder</td></tr>
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Of course, the bird feeders have attracted squirrels. We have rather of a <br />
love/hate relationship with them. They are fun to watch, but they are consuming large quantities of the bird seed. We bought two bird feeders that claimed to be squirrel proof. It took the squirrels almost a week, but they mastered the one feeder by hanging by their hind feet upside down and using their front paws to pull out the seeds. The feeder with the umbrella type covering has so far remained inaccessible to them, but they spend time each day studying it from various nearby branches. I'm afraid it is just a matter of time before they figure out a way.<br />
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It reminds me of when my Dad had a running battle with starlings in his mulberry tree in Green Forest, Arkansas. He devised all sorts of methods to deter them from roosting in the tree and making a purple mess in the backyard, only to have them return time and again. <br />
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Onslow county has 909 square miles of area, 142 of this is water. You cross a lot of bridges as you drive to the various towns, allowing you to travel over the intercoastal waterways. Bridges also connect the mainland to the barrier islands such as Top Sail and Emerald Isle (beautiful beaches).<br />
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European settlers arrived here in 1713. The town of Jacksonville was named after President Andrew Jackson.<br />
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There are 43.000 Marines and sailors currently stationed at Camp Lejeune and nearby facilities. There are lots of young families and, of course, lots of young single Marines, making the median age in Onslow County about 23. There are also a number of retired military in and around Jacksonville. They enjoy the mild climate, the easy access to the ocean and the closeness to military services such as medical and commissary.<br />
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North Carolina has a rich Scottish/Irish heritage. The two brawny lads on either side of the bagpipe player are former Marines (and ward members) living in the Hubert area outside Jacksonville. Gotta love the beards and kilts!<br />
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Jacksonville itself is a military town and has a widely diverse population. There are people from many different countries and every state in the Union living here. The smaller towns and rural areas are more typically Southern in make-up. I love hearing the Southern expressions and the distinctive cadence and pronunciation of words. We have been very blessed -- literally -- as people here often say "Have a blessed day" instead of "Have a good day." Then, you may be familiar with that Southern expression, "Bless his heart!" meaning he's a pain, but you just have to love him anyway. Southerners and Marines are VERY polite and answer nearly every question with "Yes ma'am" or "Yes, sir." It is sometimes distracting to carry on a conversation with so many "ma'ams" and"sirs" going on. <br />
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One of the hardest parts of our mission is watching some of our choicest Marines graduate and leave us. We become so attached to them and worry if they will be welcomed at their new duty stations by other senior missionaries and/or ward members. We struggle to find and establish contact with so many of the young Marines here that we cherish those few who are able to remain strong and faithful and are such great examples.<br />
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Our ward had 18 baptisms last year, many with military connections. It looks like we are on track to equal or surpass that number this year. Here are two of the recent baptisms:<br />
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The young man in the red shirt was baptized over April Conference weekend. His wife is a member from Japan and he wanted their family to be a forever family based on the gospel. They are such a cute couple. His parents came for the baptism and were very supportive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4w1BBwf2BLej-As4hsrh4V2XuyqCW6oNyd7dThXOEVi_tCZXf221QHZDXMShdbAMaS4bSfrIiBod5xjib81F89xNSVv5XGe_QUrpYCJbZVGsAhXOeka-qMbI2oa-WyDaZJ2X4VWIsuc/s1600/michael.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4w1BBwf2BLej-As4hsrh4V2XuyqCW6oNyd7dThXOEVi_tCZXf221QHZDXMShdbAMaS4bSfrIiBod5xjib81F89xNSVv5XGe_QUrpYCJbZVGsAhXOeka-qMbI2oa-WyDaZJ2X4VWIsuc/s1600/michael.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><br />
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The young man on the left is a Navy corpsman who studied for several months before deciding this was something he wanted. His parents came from Florida for his baptism. I love his smile and his positive attitude. <br />
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We hate saying good-bye to missionaries when they are transferred from our area. These three missionaries had been with us since we arrived in October and we really miss them. We were able to drive Sister Bush and Sister Deiter to Raleigh for the transfer. We <u>barely</u> were able to fit in all their luggage even using the carrier on top. It took real muscle power to lift the suitcases that went on top. Someone told me that one of the suitcases weighed 80 lbs. and I believe it! Sister Bush, who has a black belt in karate, loaded the suitcases here, but we had to call the elders to meet us on the way back to help unload the new sisters' suitcases from on top. We also carried 3 bikes in the bike rack (both ways). We borrowed (temporarily) the bike rack from the sisters' car. Of course, it was raining during the whole loading process and for most of the trip to Raleigh. Rain and/or sleet seems to be required weather for any transfers.<br />
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You can see there are lots of bikes to transport for the missionaries. There are usually 18-25 new missionaries at each transfer, fresh from the MTC Our senior couple in charge of transportation rushes to put the new bikes together so they will be ready to go to their new assignments. Plus missionaries already in the field who are being transferred to a new area must bring their bikes from one area to the other. It gets a little wild trying to sort out luggage and bikes for everyone at the end of the transfer meeting.<br />
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One of the things I enjoy about transfer meetings is listening to the hundred or so young voices raised in song. They sing with such enthusiasm and beauty, filling the chapel with wonderful harmonies. It makes me have goose bumps each time we are there. <br />
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I realize that I have much more I want to share, but I think I will end this blog here and start a new blog so as not to overwhelm everyone. It is hard to realize that our mission is a third of the way complete. It doesn't seem possible we have been here over 6 months. In many ways it seems as if we've just arrived, but also like we have been here longer and feel "at home." As it says in our heading, we're serving, learning and growing in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission, and we're loving it.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Spring Comes Early in North Carolina</span></div>
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Can you believe the redbuds are already in bloom? I also saw an apricot tree looking like a giant bowl of popcorn ("Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree?") and daffodils -- and dandelions -- in yards around town. Temperatures are still up and down, but mostly in the 50's and 60's with an occasional 70+.<br />
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Jacksonville receives over 54 inches of rain a year, so we have many rainy days. Fog is also common, shrouding the mornings in a misty veil. All of this moisture has been great for my skin, but I don't look forward to the humidity come summer.<br />
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Beauty Morning and Night</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KZO9CcYe-aV6MEYaeyN2yBiLcBqvqmee_IhMYyq2JG_PmkjTvUsLQPamhFijcuncPSLU1ynbCL1BWg8O57AUFg_h1-NCnkgfKiUprgS6PIcUN1_Jm3tRI6Lm1Zfbst28nDke0a6zuxs/s1600/sunrise+in+the+pines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KZO9CcYe-aV6MEYaeyN2yBiLcBqvqmee_IhMYyq2JG_PmkjTvUsLQPamhFijcuncPSLU1ynbCL1BWg8O57AUFg_h1-NCnkgfKiUprgS6PIcUN1_Jm3tRI6Lm1Zfbst28nDke0a6zuxs/s1600/sunrise+in+the+pines.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each morning I can see a view like this at sunrise from our bedroom or our kitchen window. Love seeing the sunrise through the pines.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't remember seeing purple skies at night before, at least not the deep purple we see here. Even after full sunset the skies have a deep purple cast -- very lovely. Makes one want to sing "When the deep purple falls......"<br />
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Learning About New Things</h3>
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Bob loves watching these Marine Osprey aircraft fly overhead. Which is fortunate, as we are living right under their flight path and we see several overhead every day (to the accompaniment of the artillery practice rounds being fired on base which reverberate over quite a wide area.) The osprey can fly in three different modes, as shown in this picture, and can take off vertically.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Bob's favorite mode to see them in.<br />
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Camp Lejeune is home to Montford Point where the first African-American Marines were trained during WWII. One of the markers tells the story of the first platoon to go through training. The recruits banded together after the first week of boot camp and pledged they would stick it out together no matter what was thrown at them. And they did.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccU5pj78ls5xcWMJxKPYkLzolZ-CLMVB28s0wWnvNiIk0DtfPH-paYAKuBR92Mx08cNOLK3OC6Q7UkIHVOcM_aUM5x8FtbHxhvZuHjIRsc2gBj8Yzy7Jag8simrNXti2-x_GTFr9oNGQ/s1600/monford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccU5pj78ls5xcWMJxKPYkLzolZ-CLMVB28s0wWnvNiIk0DtfPH-paYAKuBR92Mx08cNOLK3OC6Q7UkIHVOcM_aUM5x8FtbHxhvZuHjIRsc2gBj8Yzy7Jag8simrNXti2-x_GTFr9oNGQ/s1600/monford.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medals were awarded later to that first group of Marines who broke the color barrier in the Marine Corps. <br />
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<h3>
Things We Love About the South</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLVQ8MMfX2jHqplvFbmr6NFMIS2ZZNNsLsNy6TcTW6QV-1fDiyjG8CjlIH2sb9yLDTLEmMXVB73q91lioG4XjFm1QmC_T_59SRXH_QMSX5tlo7hMxzDoIXCr8xqAmV9oflm-IA9vOyZg/s1600/expectant+mother.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLVQ8MMfX2jHqplvFbmr6NFMIS2ZZNNsLsNy6TcTW6QV-1fDiyjG8CjlIH2sb9yLDTLEmMXVB73q91lioG4XjFm1QmC_T_59SRXH_QMSX5tlo7hMxzDoIXCr8xqAmV9oflm-IA9vOyZg/s1600/expectant+mother.JPG" height="194" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkscylLZv38FiSMYYMQSEBlzZHn2ME5hwdjCoDERKhrh-gdVIHqUWM_usjV8aU1TCjIk2EMvDp-xFmj2zvOnJPyxU4wLLvYBOMCSmjbNEZs-amEDD1tGZiEoIY8DN0kOfnNL6XNVLOqsA/s1600/wounded+warrior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkscylLZv38FiSMYYMQSEBlzZHn2ME5hwdjCoDERKhrh-gdVIHqUWM_usjV8aU1TCjIk2EMvDp-xFmj2zvOnJPyxU4wLLvYBOMCSmjbNEZs-amEDD1tGZiEoIY8DN0kOfnNL6XNVLOqsA/s1600/wounded+warrior.JPG" height="200" width="190" /></a><br />
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Signs seen in the Walmart parking lot --<b> Reserved for Expectant Mothers</b> and <b>Reserved for Wounded Warriors. </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYywxIMESjeR3ZOkvFQi63STk0yQyGR_EFq2bibRT6H43rcxuiff3-7DbEE4TYZRvmSLHeyWcNq1GkOF7dKTNtjOpI-EkbCubxHjdaZqedQ4pP6KevgK7HJfT9hVnb6SFzUReT1OCC6c8/s1600/wrap+around+porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYywxIMESjeR3ZOkvFQi63STk0yQyGR_EFq2bibRT6H43rcxuiff3-7DbEE4TYZRvmSLHeyWcNq1GkOF7dKTNtjOpI-EkbCubxHjdaZqedQ4pP6KevgK7HJfT9hVnb6SFzUReT1OCC6c8/s1600/wrap+around+porch.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2PKa_OR8rjBdJQw_Ga4crJC8jFbU7DAQDOfecfADTmAoMMpc7pPI11PLf3mo7pik4OaTxyfQr5EnNj2pcLHlGYJ3VqFVOHfHNxo64ykPXtjQgx3EvpemuXmpE_ixGiI9eIO9fJd39xM/s1600/screened+porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2PKa_OR8rjBdJQw_Ga4crJC8jFbU7DAQDOfecfADTmAoMMpc7pPI11PLf3mo7pik4OaTxyfQr5EnNj2pcLHlGYJ3VqFVOHfHNxo64ykPXtjQgx3EvpemuXmpE_ixGiI9eIO9fJd39xM/s1600/screened+porch.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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I love the big wrap around porches. They remind me of Mother and Dad's house in Green Forest. The kids loved to play there when it was too hot to play in the yard or when it was raining.<br />
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Screened-in back porches are wonderful in the summer.</div>
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I remember one of my colleagues who moved to </div>
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Salt Lake from North Carolina saying she looked and </div>
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Salt Lake as she felt it was a necessity, but none</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBNgWWQL3qsBa-VLqLjZqp3liHHLfh1Jupl9Hn4kugk5uzmWbU5n4mpjs53V7htTTUJ_idaAI_kYUNP8b8fM8wgq6tcadxOeRQRS-aIytE2-MAkNCvtX2m4X_V_2h3uaC8C-aHPVwPuw/s1600/cardinal+in+swansboro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBNgWWQL3qsBa-VLqLjZqp3liHHLfh1Jupl9Hn4kugk5uzmWbU5n4mpjs53V7htTTUJ_idaAI_kYUNP8b8fM8wgq6tcadxOeRQRS-aIytE2-MAkNCvtX2m4X_V_2h3uaC8C-aHPVwPuw/s1600/cardinal+in+swansboro.jpg" height="299" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqymJeTdFR0AWwGSUxVkFxiyd85TIppbGFj0LxoGPIazNwJxLFvQjzLQGsp88hbgdGjYdaYXm0NWypR-S72YhmJx-2iIGi22wtdEWm2jwHwJ3zZ3-j0zPLkqiftozWRSqpnEP-fm4hhQg/s1600/mockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqymJeTdFR0AWwGSUxVkFxiyd85TIppbGFj0LxoGPIazNwJxLFvQjzLQGsp88hbgdGjYdaYXm0NWypR-S72YhmJx-2iIGi22wtdEWm2jwHwJ3zZ3-j0zPLkqiftozWRSqpnEP-fm4hhQg/s1600/mockingbird.jpg" /></a></div>
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Two of my favorite birds are here in North Carolina and I have loved seeing them. We have a cardinal flitting around our apartment complex and there is a mockingbird in the trees by the chapel. Such a pleasure to hear and see them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbso7RqESZR1L8tEZ_pQnzUGfmhAjEkdXPxBXPspfCv8kUhy3oxiNCXwdrMihp3CEjZEGMDh-wMlxakIqk70_3AvaI-bmitajwvSmjLlCiP2jowB-Lw841eHCjJgFtGZBTDooXFFj06E/s1600/redwing+blackbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbso7RqESZR1L8tEZ_pQnzUGfmhAjEkdXPxBXPspfCv8kUhy3oxiNCXwdrMihp3CEjZEGMDh-wMlxakIqk70_3AvaI-bmitajwvSmjLlCiP2jowB-Lw841eHCjJgFtGZBTDooXFFj06E/s1600/redwing+blackbird.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
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As I was going to the car the other day I heard what sounded like a red-winged blackbird, but it was coming from the top of some tall pine trees. I had only seen these birds in marshy areas near cattails. But the call, "Oak-a-lee" with that raspy sound definitely made me think of a red-winged blackbird. Sure enough, not long after, the bird took flight and I could see its distinctive red shoulder patches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnmk9QDpdTPER7lOF-41zdLQvRCufqolmvS1sRYprvk2AEdOktE-WQ8cKU4rGPPzhCjQ7xa_XA3XFowyD_FrJOKk85o9A39uHNlKJnNos4eohXLYBD55_aMK97Fgl-czoB7dXC-gUuAY/s1600/black+vulture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnmk9QDpdTPER7lOF-41zdLQvRCufqolmvS1sRYprvk2AEdOktE-WQ8cKU4rGPPzhCjQ7xa_XA3XFowyD_FrJOKk85o9A39uHNlKJnNos4eohXLYBD55_aMK97Fgl-czoB7dXC-gUuAY/s1600/black+vulture.jpg" height="313" width="400" /></a></div>
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Okay, funny story about this bird. I kept seeing a lone bird like this soaring over the pines all over the place and I kept trying to figure out what kind of bird it was. It was too large for a hawk and didn't look like an eagle. I considered a vulture, but the vultures I knew had red or whitish heads and flew in groups of at least 2 or 3. Turns out this is a black vulture and it has a black head and often hunts alone. Who knew?</div>
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<h3>
The People Here Are Awesome</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogoWRHLLu7LSnzKJFtbVVZXA0mQoCbvc2mpeqtLnVl70X2cN6nmmCyvSwLfSbZhNGaBtnmtcGaE_SO7D_4sTfgVyM0LuuuqZn-Ag2VYWd1OCSLU7_Ie04SCvfAkRk0V6Uitiy2iWL3NY/s1600/nathan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogoWRHLLu7LSnzKJFtbVVZXA0mQoCbvc2mpeqtLnVl70X2cN6nmmCyvSwLfSbZhNGaBtnmtcGaE_SO7D_4sTfgVyM0LuuuqZn-Ag2VYWd1OCSLU7_Ie04SCvfAkRk0V6Uitiy2iWL3NY/s1600/nathan.JPG" height="242" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the most enjoyable parts of our mission is our interaction with the young Marines at Camp Johnson. They have finished basic training and are at Camp Johnson to receive training in their MOS (military speciality). They are with us from 1-3 months, depending on their speciality. The young man on the right is from Mesa and will be going into the Reserves. He plans to leave on a mission right away. The young man on the left is not a member of the LDS church but needed a ride to the airport, which we were happy to provide.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4RFSBy8lMCwqdXfJH-z1zvm4KaFQctNkE3VFPfVHVNG2W5fK_mcuB0u2GMANceNCaC3PrGL9E_DLyYI1gqIvYLbqJhmoFN6kMmWOYmIpJYnS-QFC5o6d537VCUZtCaKRo75HsTiDZYs/s1600/sharon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4RFSBy8lMCwqdXfJH-z1zvm4KaFQctNkE3VFPfVHVNG2W5fK_mcuB0u2GMANceNCaC3PrGL9E_DLyYI1gqIvYLbqJhmoFN6kMmWOYmIpJYnS-QFC5o6d537VCUZtCaKRo75HsTiDZYs/s1600/sharon.JPG" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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This is not a great picture of Sharon, the woman who takes care of the Camp Johnson chapel where we meet for Church and Family Home Evening, but I was lucky she let me take even one, as she hates to have her picture taken. She has been very helpful to us and is entertaining to talk with. She is Native American from Kentucky and has lots of tales to tell. When she learned I was from the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas she exclaimed, "Oh, so you're a ridge runner. I'm a stump jumper myself." Translated, ridge runner refers to hillbillies or people who ran illegal whiskey stills and ran the ridges to escape the law. Stump jumpers in her case meant hill people who cleared the land but left stumps that had to be jumped. She also introduced me to Kentucky graveyard quilts like the one above. </div>
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Notice the graveyard in the middle with tombstones. The quilts were a way to memorialize family members who had passed on. Learn something new everyday.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KrxjaCc2JjiKHnHx3J1MLldtXbUWCW9ZeV1EfcDbv-iMGuGY2UbqrCtlTMdS3KTAR2F32UMlKo0wv2ajOiJYj5N4_cTykbDXEt8LCyHgug7QGuqFqHf4cviW6EZN7zitKXoxlOo3cIo/s1600/midway+park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KrxjaCc2JjiKHnHx3J1MLldtXbUWCW9ZeV1EfcDbv-iMGuGY2UbqrCtlTMdS3KTAR2F32UMlKo0wv2ajOiJYj5N4_cTykbDXEt8LCyHgug7QGuqFqHf4cviW6EZN7zitKXoxlOo3cIo/s1600/midway+park.JPG" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
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Many of the young Marine wives are just out of their teens and are far away from family and friends. We organized a luncheon for several who live near so they could have a chance to get to know each better. It was a great success and we are thinking of having another one soon, maybe a picnic if the weather stays warmer. There were several more who wanted to come but had to work. They can be a real support to each other, especially when the husbands are deployed. The two sister missionaries came to help out and are kneeling in front.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlPo0ZBxOIhOBPMlX9HiopM1l9XXkvGEEss_2Vjba6aFAzVAZpiNUZSygNat4PojqiuDJdrF1boqxiYTiPClA0r-9gDdBF_vnjRcaVm9uW_HMekJqMmM7r098xppqu2Et379Mzo31s18/s1600/moose+and+sisters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlPo0ZBxOIhOBPMlX9HiopM1l9XXkvGEEss_2Vjba6aFAzVAZpiNUZSygNat4PojqiuDJdrF1boqxiYTiPClA0r-9gDdBF_vnjRcaVm9uW_HMekJqMmM7r098xppqu2Et379Mzo31s18/s1600/moose+and+sisters.JPG" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
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It is absolutely amazing to watch the growth and progress of recently baptized members. This young man just glows and has made big changes in his life. In fact, you might not even recognize him if you had known him a few months ago. He said the other day, "I've never been this happy." Our two awesome sister missionaries were the ones who taught him. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuzGBEOoIUzho3BvfZFnnc_COqE9hJB3AggGQNldWxa3wZ7xolICcdt9d0hceeT2Tlazd49Vxi4lg4cg1fa4D7-qDv2-2yaTMen8mHDulZ-f1XiUCNGJXtFMdqzzMhc16zPEc-5-iABA/s1600/josh+and+family.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuzGBEOoIUzho3BvfZFnnc_COqE9hJB3AggGQNldWxa3wZ7xolICcdt9d0hceeT2Tlazd49Vxi4lg4cg1fa4D7-qDv2-2yaTMen8mHDulZ-f1XiUCNGJXtFMdqzzMhc16zPEc-5-iABA/s1600/josh+and+family.JPG" height="400" width="386" /></a></div>
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The young man in the cap is a recently reactivated member. He started coming back to church last year after several years of being totally inactive. He set a goal to go to the temple and he was able to realize that goal just a few weeks ago. His mother, brother and sister came to go with him to the Raleigh temple. He is very much into his Scottish heritage (thus the beard and cap) and hopes to compete in the Highland Games in the near future. There are a lot of people with Scottish ancestry in North Carolina and the Highland Games are a big deal here. In fact, some of my Scottish ancestors lived for a time in North Carolina. His other goal this year is to fill any empty seats in the chapel with "lost sheep" like himself. Our ward is very involved in reaching out and fellowshipping new members and the less actives and this makes for a dynamic and vibrant congregation. I love our ward!!</div>
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This is not exactly a picture of a person, but it does represent the wonderful people we work with in the Addiction Recovery Program. It has been a rare privilege to be a part of this process. We are hoping to start a separate support group for spouses in the near future as we see this as a big need. </div>
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We are honored to work in such an outstanding zone in one of the best missions in the church. President Bernheisel told us this past month that there were over 600 missionaries serving in the Raleigh Mission, 80,000+ worldwide. We are in awe of these young men and women who are mature beyond their years and serve with such enthusiasm and integrity. </div>
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We Love the People</h3>
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We have met so many wonderful people here in Jacksonville and have been so graciously received. It is true what they say about Southern Hospitality and the military community is not one whit behind. Here are a few of our favorite people. </div>
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Nathan and Sadie were married in the Raleigh temple January 25, 2014. We were privileged to be able to attend their sealing. They will be living for the next couple of years here at Camp Lejeune. They are actually living in Tarawa Terrace where we lived when Bob was stationed at Camp Lejeune our first year of marriage.<br />
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Some of our cute YSAs drove the 3 hours to Raleigh to greet Nathan and Sadie as they exited the temple.<br />
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Speaking of YSAs. We chaperoned a Valentine YSA dance last weekend. There were about 70 attending from the surrounding area. Half of them were Marines stationed at Lejeune. The DJ, a parent who does this professionally, did a superb job keeping everyone dancing. This is one of several line dances that were very popular and performed with great enthusiasm.<br />
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One of our favorite things is to attend the graduations of the Marines at Camp Johnson. This is where the young Marines receive their MOS training for their specific field of work. It is the final phase of training before going "into the fleet" -- receiving their first actual assignment. Luis and Jessie were a joy to work with and we miss them. Luis finished his reserve training and will be leaving soon on a mission. Jessie will stay full time military. Jessie may be small but is very strong. She is one of the few women Marines who can do 10 pull-ups -- a lot of guy Marines can't equal that. She also won her platoon footrace the last week of training. <br />
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We Love Our Family and Friends</h3>
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Each day as we sit at our table or in our recliners to study or when we return to the apartment from being out and about, we smile when we see the faces of our children and grandchildren displayed on the cabinet in our living room. While we miss seeing them in person, we know they are being watched over in our absence. </div>
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We have received many cards, letters, and gifts from family and friends, in addition to emails, texts, and phone calls. As the Marines say, "OORAH!" to all of you!</div>
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We Love How North Carolina Is Green Even in the Winter.</h3>
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Although many of the trees do lose their leaves, there are a surprising number of trees that are not pines which stay green all winter.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZTwHadyMJE8OVVJxnMqpTxllO2bjzNOX-0FLB2zxcvYow4lgYVnNoTzGv5wN-DQ3NAEuGIGo5EOZKUBv10NDXWRDlSY-VLip8QjD5JFr3hO2Mv82xB1EcKIRz76WcFvejkkb54yCiRk/s1600/palm+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZTwHadyMJE8OVVJxnMqpTxllO2bjzNOX-0FLB2zxcvYow4lgYVnNoTzGv5wN-DQ3NAEuGIGo5EOZKUBv10NDXWRDlSY-VLip8QjD5JFr3hO2Mv82xB1EcKIRz76WcFvejkkb54yCiRk/s1600/palm+tree.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These palm trees add a touch of green to<br />
many yards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgritcXSpSIsDeYyzaq7zSyubhGwwG0phQQen0BvJcGD2NsHvcIlbfmB8x9hx4S3QWvTKBgDF6n4ujZK__wOerPLooZ00PO-AV_czn_uHZhWD9Tr5RB3Vpj0lmcBzcdMZQRwxDC5nD-c5Y/s1600/live+oak+wilmington.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgritcXSpSIsDeYyzaq7zSyubhGwwG0phQQen0BvJcGD2NsHvcIlbfmB8x9hx4S3QWvTKBgDF6n4ujZK__wOerPLooZ00PO-AV_czn_uHZhWD9Tr5RB3Vpj0lmcBzcdMZQRwxDC5nD-c5Y/s1600/live+oak+wilmington.JPG" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our favorites is the majestic live oak.<br />
They lose their leaves in the spring as new leaves<br />
form, but are green and gorgeous all winter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-kXjs8wd2TTD90RIXEsPcQvw3JPRnj4HesgJef0q7WIaTS1cVB16Xg7vk4HaejW5rEYprBcAI-qYToFQXjC-Yj_7ISLU2WrlfdorQySSDDxsXQIdj-rOjJQjG8juUiXIZVVekmgLHDI/s1600/brocolli+trees.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-kXjs8wd2TTD90RIXEsPcQvw3JPRnj4HesgJef0q7WIaTS1cVB16Xg7vk4HaejW5rEYprBcAI-qYToFQXjC-Yj_7ISLU2WrlfdorQySSDDxsXQIdj-rOjJQjG8juUiXIZVVekmgLHDI/s1600/brocolli+trees.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob's favorites are what he calls "broccoli trees." They tower over all the other trees and have straight<br />
thin trunks with no real branches until the very tops. They bend and twirl in the wind and are able to withstand very high winds, which has allowed them to do well in this tornado/hurricane prone area of the country. The white building to the side is the chapel where we meet at Camp Johnson. The suspended pipes you see carry steam heat to buildings around the base. I always wonder what would happen if a pipe ever burst.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdol23KpqiVfn049C8-lwic2GdcLj53yWB5F7sKp8MAEtnKF4o_p0I6LWKcDBzee7xKGq-xFkYG-d6H28QzkNdpe0X4UNtuks1m9gAnLDTDRTNavg8IgMHL0sj8CFK4Gg58lxJYoTCUM/s1600/crepe+myrtle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdol23KpqiVfn049C8-lwic2GdcLj53yWB5F7sKp8MAEtnKF4o_p0I6LWKcDBzee7xKGq-xFkYG-d6H28QzkNdpe0X4UNtuks1m9gAnLDTDRTNavg8IgMHL0sj8CFK4Gg58lxJYoTCUM/s1600/crepe+myrtle.JPG" height="640" width="585" /></a></td></tr>
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Even though this crepe myrtle doesn't have leaves in the winter, the bark is so beautiful. The gentlemen standing</div>
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We had to search to find out the name of this ornamental grass we see all over this area. It is called pampas grass and Bob read that it is considered an invasive species and difficult to get rid of, but it seems to do fine here and has not spread in unwanted places.<br />
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We Are Enjoying the Food (probably too much)</h3>
Being a true southern boy, Bob has taken to renewing his love affair with southern food with a vengeance. It is true that most southern food is fried and possibly not the healthiest food around, but I must say, it is delicious.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somehow they are able to fry chicken so the outside is<br />
crisp and not greasy and the inside is so moist and tender.<br />
I understand peanut oil which can be used at high temps<br />
is the secret. And no one makes biscuits like the South.<br />
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Even better than biscuits are hush puppies. Served with hamburgers as well as sea food, these are a wonderful treat. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of fresh seafood, living so close to the ocean. Shrimp Po Boy is available at most<br />
local hamburger places (not the big chains like McDonalds or Hardees).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the uninitiated, these are pork skins (also <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">called pork rinds). They are considered a delicacy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">and are eaten like potato chips. What made these</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">even better for Bob is that they were on sale buy<br /> one get </span>one free.<br />
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Watch For Favorite Things Part 2</h3>
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As we kept working on this post, we realized we have too many favorite things to put in one post, so we will save the rest for another day.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-61547392922415645172014-01-24T18:57:00.000-08:002014-01-26T03:15:28.950-08:0010 Things We've Learned (or Relearned) in 10 WeeksThe end of a year always comes with numerous "Top Ten" lists, so we thought we would add our own. These are not ranked by importance, but are a list of lessons we have learned or relearned on our mission thus far. <br />
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1. <b>"There is no comfort in the growth zone and no growth in the comfort zone."</b> This quote is from a talk given by our Mission President's wife at our last Zone Conference. It struck a chord with me. There have been many times since being on our mission that we have felt way in over our heads, but somehow we have muddled through, and, in the process, grown a lot.<br />
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2. As Gandalf says in <i>Fellowship of the Ring</i>, <b>"All we have to decide is what to do with the time given."</b> Senior missionaries have a lot of flexibility in creating their work assignments. We must decide what needs top priority each day and then remain open to the unexpected--an injured Marine who needs a blessing, a Marine wife who needs to be picked up at the airport, a member whose dog just gave birth to 10 puppies, etc. It is never dull on a mission!<br />
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3. <b>You really can care for someone you have just met. </b> Each day, we pray that we will love the area and the people who live here. It is amazing, but true, that we really do love those we meet and serve. We have been blessed to see a person as the Lord must see her -- not the somewhat messed up, struggling, hurting person the world may see, but a loved child of Heavenly Father with potential and talents.<br />
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4. I have been told that when someone is learning to play the bagpipes they must first learn to play the <b><i>drone note</i>.</b> This is the low note that stays constant underneath the melody as it is played. In a scripture class I attended, the teacher asked, "What is your drone note? What is the foundation of what you do?" I have thought about this in relation to our mission and have decided that our drone note is love -- love for the Lord and love for the people we serve. It is what makes our mission a joy, even when things don't turn out as planned or when we are tired at the end of a long week. <br />
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5. <b> "The pen is the antenna to inspiration."</b> As we write our thoughts and observations, we often see connections we may have previously overlooked. Our thinking becomes clearer. As we study and write about the scriptures, we look for patterns and for "packets of light" that illuminate key principles and then record them so we don't forget what we have discovered. It has been a delight to have dedicated time set aside to read and study each day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZMz_h4CCbRCfVKqVHSGeN5bZOiDTf4SLL_xMplP38Z-vn9hRyC1kAuVWIL6w9VzaRXBy25s40Z1GaPVeOVcXjbWDr0qmVKvverMd_iAvAv0Tgl1BF5MR-9LM2a6lIETbwrwCGIfEnIk/s1600/quad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZMz_h4CCbRCfVKqVHSGeN5bZOiDTf4SLL_xMplP38Z-vn9hRyC1kAuVWIL6w9VzaRXBy25s40Z1GaPVeOVcXjbWDr0qmVKvverMd_iAvAv0Tgl1BF5MR-9LM2a6lIETbwrwCGIfEnIk/s1600/quad.jpg" /></a>6. <b>"Out of small and simple things, great things come to pass."</b> We recently learned you can read all the standard works of scriptures in one year by reading 7 pages a day. Who knew it could be that easy? When we left for our mission, our Stake President counseled us to have kneeling couple prayer morning and night. A simple thing really -- although with our creaky knees we weren't sure we could physically manage the kneeling part. But we did. (A soft carpet in the bedroom helps.) And as promised, we have grown closer together and it has created more unity in our work.<br />
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7. One of the tenderest experiences on our mission has been working with the LDS Addiction Recovery Program. I recently shared in one of our meetings a story told by Rachel Remen in her book, <i>My Grandfather's Blessings." </i>Her Grandfather, an orthodox rabbi, had been telling the young Rachel the story of the first Passover. When he got to the part where the Israelites had safely crossed the Red Sea, the young Rachel asked "Are they so very happy Grandfather?" When the Grandfather replied that they were not very happy and even wanted to go back to Egypt, Rachel cried, "But they were suffering in Egypt. Why would they want to go back?" Her Grandfather explained that they knew how to suffer. They had done it for a long, long time and they were used to it. But they did not know to be free. He then made the thoughtful observation, "<b>The choice people have to make is never between slavery and freedom. We always have to choose between slavery and the unknown. But, whenever anyone moves toward freedom, God himself is there."</b> It is scary for someone with addictions to give up what they have used to cope with life's stresses and heartaches. It is familiar. They are used to it. As they work the steps of the Addiction Recovery Program, they learn how to move into the unknown and toward freedom one step at a time. <br />
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8. In the Book of Mormon, Lehi, a prophet during the time of Jeremiah in the Old Testament, is told to flee with his family from Jerusalem as it was to be destroyed. After going into the wilderness, Lehi realizes they will need to take scriptures with them if they are to remain true to the Lord. He sends his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain the Brass Plates which contained the writings of Moses and the prophets to that point. After two failed attempts, Nephi, Lehi's younger son, makes one last attempt by himself and is successful. In one of President Bernhisel's letters to the Raleigh Mission missionaries, he asked the question, "What would Nephi have learned by having a warm reception from Laban in trying to obtain the Brass Plates? Perhaps getting a picnic basket full of food and the request to forward fond greetings to Lehi and Sariah as they opened the gift-wrapped plates of brass would have been welcome, but would not have developed Nephi into a great leader." As we face challenges and trials, we gain strength and learn who we really are. We have found as we strive to do things we've never done before on our mission, we find new strengths to use and new weaknesses to work on.<br />
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9. Speaking of trials, in the scriptures we read <b>"In everything give thanks"</b> and I always wondered, "Really? Give thanks for troubles and hardships?" I see people struggling with heavy loads and I think, "Should they be expected to give thanks for what they are going through?" One day, I finally understood that we are not asked to give thanks FOR the trials and hardships we encounter, but, rather, IN all things we should give thanks. Even in the most difficult situations there are "tender mercies" that we can be grateful for--the kindness of a friend, the beauty of a sunrise, the comfort of a favorite poem or scripture. Sometimes, the tender mercy is so personal and unexpected that we know that it is a message sent by God that He cares and He knows what we are going through. Our burden may not be taken away, but we will feel strengthened and comforted. This is a short clip from one of my favorite talks by Elder Bednar on tender mercies.<br />
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10. Continuing with the theme of growth through challenges, I loved the talk by Elder Zwick where he counseled us to never limit ourselves by what we think is our capacity, but to allow Heavenly Father to expand our capacity -- and that HE WOULD! Five years ago, I was battling a rather aggressive form of Stage IV non-Hogkins Lymphoma. When I completed my last round of chemo, my sister, Joyce, sent me a poem that I brought with me to North Carolina.</div>
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A mighty wind blew night and day,</div>
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It stole the oak tree's leaves right away,</div>
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Then snapped its boughs</div>
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and pulled its bark</div>
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until the oak was tired and stark. (think me -- gaunt and no hair)</div>
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But still the oak tree held its ground</div>
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while other trees fell all around.</div>
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The weary wind gave up and spoke,</div>
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"How can you still be standing, Oak?</div>
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The oak tree said, "I know that you</div>
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can break each branch of mine in two,</div>
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carry every leaf away,</div>
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shake my limbs, and make me sway.</div>
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But I have roots stretched in the earth,</div>
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growing stronger since my birth.</div>
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You'll never touch them, for you see,</div>
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They are the deepest part of me.</div>
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Until today, I wasn't sure</div>
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of just how much I could endure.</div>
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But now I've found, with thanks to you,</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>I'm stronger than I ever knew.</b></span></div>
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So there you have our top ten for our first 10 weeks in Jacksonville. (Although it has taken me a little longer than 10 weeks to get them typed and ready to publish). </div>
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Like our masthead says, we are learning, serving and growing in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>And we're loving it!</b></span></div>
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-89147494134763599642013-12-28T19:03:00.000-08:002013-12-29T12:50:03.950-08:00Merry Christmas in North Carolina<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Christmas Memories 2013</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the famous Olympus 2nd Ward<br />
snowflakes in the window.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4p6wSSdRXiQz9iNkNnCf5ssmxjyANq3NycYKBYkXEnK37x85RhVMQXEpRXp_E4stWc-r_YkkWxzUIBq2am5FnHFThZz6drkG2tRjsu8dsA2wceKw4QD2wPwQygcPvqRsXKLUGXZ4hpKU/s1600/amararlis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4p6wSSdRXiQz9iNkNnCf5ssmxjyANq3NycYKBYkXEnK37x85RhVMQXEpRXp_E4stWc-r_YkkWxzUIBq2am5FnHFThZz6drkG2tRjsu8dsA2wceKw4QD2wPwQygcPvqRsXKLUGXZ4hpKU/s200/amararlis.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our amaryllis bloomed on Christmas<br />
Day. What a treat<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDCsJ8VK5g6VOZllQZNzFF8wpHuZweDzbR0NiROvrclr5V3FKQFgz68KSMsWSJQtJ0RHaoZb1-6SPdl0v7JX5tYh77Az5Te1mz8LMw8t1IEDahAHgHwbqxxt2BG7RsQhmQiEB2DugZuk/s1600/door.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDCsJ8VK5g6VOZllQZNzFF8wpHuZweDzbR0NiROvrclr5V3FKQFgz68KSMsWSJQtJ0RHaoZb1-6SPdl0v7JX5tYh77Az5Te1mz8LMw8t1IEDahAHgHwbqxxt2BG7RsQhmQiEB2DugZuk/s200/door.JPG" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cards from friends and family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YrQUdWdltHzD08gW-jxoCfrkjTjiBEJoYQ2VCWDQN9l9yonVo3BbCro0HTTULZmAm59l_-y_G1u0gAMr8JrEKfYPp_6CKay3Cfc_AkBhlDG6ghv87XDJ2baZ2b9t0lV4odmhMnFtUBY/s1600/small+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YrQUdWdltHzD08gW-jxoCfrkjTjiBEJoYQ2VCWDQN9l9yonVo3BbCro0HTTULZmAm59l_-y_G1u0gAMr8JrEKfYPp_6CKay3Cfc_AkBhlDG6ghv87XDJ2baZ2b9t0lV4odmhMnFtUBY/s200/small+tree.JPG" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a great picture, but the small tree<br />
is made of baby food jars.and tree<br />
lights. It was given to us by one of<br />
the members who wanted to make<br />
sure we had a tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTODFN2UQRwvM5SEeOAOyV5W2rJ67BQ43xk4BIWpG4Vbyehi6hXHlxq6mWvvc029s6hkfmwlc4H3nHdmR-kHFlQlmSqSM7M9-Nw0G4dk7ujE3_nZQvb6rG_ficAUlPdytG6t_06tMqsM0/s1600/mistletoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTODFN2UQRwvM5SEeOAOyV5W2rJ67BQ43xk4BIWpG4Vbyehi6hXHlxq6mWvvc029s6hkfmwlc4H3nHdmR-kHFlQlmSqSM7M9-Nw0G4dk7ujE3_nZQvb6rG_ficAUlPdytG6t_06tMqsM0/s200/mistletoe.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We see mistletoe all over. The traditional<br />
way for Southerners to gather it is by<br />
shooting it out of the tree with a rifle<br />
or shotgun. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWyD-_1qpRXgN0HozkOmmKwtB-C8KnN_PwkW-Qh9LxMGwXrvNV30NOmp-ZG95r68hXSRQWQ4rTqUTYKa4CMgQzhp4bvHZgOgeNmEO3moB7dvdYStNapcNByk8s9b8E3A8cIo2VspaLDs/s1600/candle+nativity.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWyD-_1qpRXgN0HozkOmmKwtB-C8KnN_PwkW-Qh9LxMGwXrvNV30NOmp-ZG95r68hXSRQWQ4rTqUTYKa4CMgQzhp4bvHZgOgeNmEO3moB7dvdYStNapcNByk8s9b8E3A8cIo2VspaLDs/s640/candle+nativity.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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We were invited to spend Christmas Eve with some ward members with young children. One woman's husband is currently deployed to Spain and the other woman's husband just returned from Afghanistan. There were 4 children between the two families--ages 6, 4, 2, and 1. After a fabulous dinner, one of the mothers used a "Candle Nativity" to retell the story of the First Christmas. As she read the verses from Luke 2 she lit the appropriate candles and we sang various carols to go along with the verses. The blue candles represent Mary and Joseph; the short white candle, the baby Jesus; the tall white candle, the angel; the 3 green short candles on the right, the shepherds; and the 3 purple ones on the left, the wise men. The kids were mesmerized and really "got" the story and retold it several times afterwards. At the end, all the candles were blown out (the kids helped and LOVED this part) except the candle representing Jesus. I thought this was a wonderful way to share the story of Christmas and made the evening very special.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYsvKksTyykvH7vD_Hd6WErOrmwf8dPWGarIF8qRYgcjUVpQd-a32EQnnGiZT-1CaOzbrlSRBF7_r5IJnVlJhdbwFKgutXzFKcbulv9hgfGxZgWTEoOqDpivhpGDGPCvi3nUm33E_anc/s1600/The+Jax+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYsvKksTyykvH7vD_Hd6WErOrmwf8dPWGarIF8qRYgcjUVpQd-a32EQnnGiZT-1CaOzbrlSRBF7_r5IJnVlJhdbwFKgutXzFKcbulv9hgfGxZgWTEoOqDpivhpGDGPCvi3nUm33E_anc/s640/The+Jax+12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jacksonville 12</td></tr>
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Our Jacksonville 12 (missionaries) traveled to Fayetteville for a Christmas Zone Conference. There were about 100 missionaries there and you haven't heard singing until you hear that many missionaries singing with gusto. We had training in the morning and then a musical program put on by the missionaries themselves after lunch. The Stake Relief Societies in Fayetteville prepared a delicious Christmas feast for us all. New from the last district missionary photo--2nd from the left, top row is our new district leader, Elder Roberts; bottom row, 2nd from the right is Sister Fowler, a newbie from Conway, Arkansas. I've got to remember to take off my glasses when we take pictures outside.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzxLUrH4G_52Bvl3AqK3SUHFa1SzgSFhzAskA2MxRmYMiEblskbRhX1USpXdr8IYhTCWKUtMjs6WWzMvClsWg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Hopefully, when you click on this video you will see our zone singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" complete with actions ala President Bernheisel. It was hilarious.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2Zs_UwT6DD0yEFYh7zT_CBVVZMx7S0kdgq-IT_pXPUc3R5ir38qd-WwCUfsxm4L9oIGNJ7iv92si6hDwPfjUd2BH5emzkfWMW0M0Y7QqJbyRVPngypHn6JXM4ebnezF6k9QCXXR6D9c/s1600/cooking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2Zs_UwT6DD0yEFYh7zT_CBVVZMx7S0kdgq-IT_pXPUc3R5ir38qd-WwCUfsxm4L9oIGNJ7iv92si6hDwPfjUd2BH5emzkfWMW0M0Y7QqJbyRVPngypHn6JXM4ebnezF6k9QCXXR6D9c/s400/cooking.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Breakfast Chef<br />
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This is a somewhat contrived picture, but I keep forgetting to take pictures when things are really happening. Bob and Elder Abney were in charge of the breakfast burrito/omelette bar at the Christmas morning breakfast at the ward. The sisters were responsible for a waffle bar. In addition, there was juice, cinnamon rolls, and clementines. Actually, I use the term "juice" somewhat loosely. We asked the young elders to bring juice and they brought fruit punch and Sunny-D and were delighted when some was left for them to take back to their apartments. In addition to the missionaries from both wards, we had about 10 Marines that were not able to go home for the holidays. After breakfast (and, of course, some basketball shoot around) we played a table game. On the tables we had piles of all different kinds of candy (Warheads, Twix, Peanut M&Ms, etc.) and a pair of dice. When a person rolled a 7 or 11 or doubles he/she got to choose one of the candies. The next person who won could either choose a new candy or take one from someone else. It got pretty heated with the Peanut M&Ms, but a good time was had by all and everyone went home with some of their favorites. We even had two Marines we had never met wander in asking if there were church services on Christmas (they had seen the cars) and they stayed for breakfast and we got their contact information. One of them was from Tremonten, Utah.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV25LB9LdZgw7Q128F3sP3qjzKSelpJDX7QHPQEo11Ji1EVWUdkobGHd1nYq4mAeSffZvf2dWkVDbsbK72D4gX21LC76rEKOqLge3tNhrU3doF9qf4lT8x6bCUniVfqm1bKkR8bIE3AZo/s1600/gifts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV25LB9LdZgw7Q128F3sP3qjzKSelpJDX7QHPQEo11Ji1EVWUdkobGHd1nYq4mAeSffZvf2dWkVDbsbK72D4gX21LC76rEKOqLge3tNhrU3doF9qf4lT8x6bCUniVfqm1bKkR8bIE3AZo/s320/gifts.JPG" width="278" /></a></div>
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During December we tried to visit each family with a deployed Marine and took them a little gift and made certain they had someplace to go or someone to spend Christmas with. <br />
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The "snowman" is really a Hershey candy bar and the CD of Christmas music was provided by my daughter, Shannon, who sent us several copies to hand out.<br />
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We were able to make special arrangements to take Marines in training at Camp Johnson off-base to attend the YSA Christmas dinner at the ward. The Marines enjoyed being in a non military, more informal setting, and, like most young men, they loved eating the home-cooked food. We hold Sunday services and Family Home Evening on Monday nights in the chapel on base, but we like to bring the Marines into some special activities at the ward when we can.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocS73Z8kBdKE-t1hOodvMOZI816h__Ozm9w3CrI0rJV8EJrmNdJV2-9mNJTRLq57urcAwNYUvQ0Fue6DBQUKJ_IRsQZQ4ISpZzAOgRMLJtHxtWApzqeGKvYWlUIugWKlgKkjeKfR7Pxo/s1600/colton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocS73Z8kBdKE-t1hOodvMOZI816h__Ozm9w3CrI0rJV8EJrmNdJV2-9mNJTRLq57urcAwNYUvQ0Fue6DBQUKJ_IRsQZQ4ISpZzAOgRMLJtHxtWApzqeGKvYWlUIugWKlgKkjeKfR7Pxo/s320/colton.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFJr3OtScSTIa9pjA6YAEWUuSj0RbJX3pb-AV8s7IXYSnnTeE85nTluEcN6S7VCg2zxLrq1c4RyxQTKnrvKD-kSPdsyNs7P1ca_64QfqmT9a0bpIbxjFBJ7j8DK2K8FDYF0Lsrww0c18/s1600/nathan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFJr3OtScSTIa9pjA6YAEWUuSj0RbJX3pb-AV8s7IXYSnnTeE85nTluEcN6S7VCg2zxLrq1c4RyxQTKnrvKD-kSPdsyNs7P1ca_64QfqmT9a0bpIbxjFBJ7j8DK2K8FDYF0Lsrww0c18/s200/nathan.JPG" width="110" /></a></td></tr>
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4 of our Marines at Camp Johnson graduated on the 20th of December. The two Marines on the right in the first picture are ours. The one with his back to the camera in the other photo placed second in his class and is receiving special recognition. (It is hard to take pictures from the back of the room). All three of these Marines were reservists and will be going back to their home towns. The other Marine, we did not get a picture of, but he will be going to Camp Pendleton. We will miss these young men and hope they will do well in whatever comes next. We have several new Marines coming to Camp Johnson after the first of the year and we look forward to getting to know them.<br />
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As we have noted before, as senior missionaries we don't get transferred to new areas like the young missionaries, but those we work with move on after training and so it is just as hard. You become so attached to them and then they leave for a new assignment.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCZgEhiYEQRMiFh4N3Fdk_-hhNlqulKRdCiwl7B27mBNeb8P63zL4LLW2-NXT575Xki6c-NgFEtQQcNGbJuGARWiYshkE6QeQ09tb0zNVTom95UgNVArjAqFxe_8abrM814ryoJn_SaY/s1600/moose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCZgEhiYEQRMiFh4N3Fdk_-hhNlqulKRdCiwl7B27mBNeb8P63zL4LLW2-NXT575Xki6c-NgFEtQQcNGbJuGARWiYshkE6QeQ09tb0zNVTom95UgNVArjAqFxe_8abrM814ryoJn_SaY/s400/moose.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our newest members with Sister Bush and Sister Fowler. </td></tr>
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We had 3 baptisms in our district in December. It has been so awesome to see the changes that have taken place in the lives of those who were baptized and the happiness they radiate. </div>
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The Addiction Recovery Program is going well. We will be doing presentations in adult classes at church soon explaining what the program is about and who might benefit from it. We have had some referrals from the local bishops already. We would like to have a group for wives and/or family members affected by addiction, but we are not there yet. We went with the J3 sister missionaries this week to visit a mother and her adult son. The mother is trying to quit smoking so she can be baptized (hence, why we were invited along). She is a very caring person who has had a lot of challenges and heartaches in her life. I hope something that we shared may be of help to her. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Last Judgement</td></tr>
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Before I close this blog I wanted to tell you about our Open House at the chapel earlier in December. We had about 50 attend and it went very well. A lot of work went into the preparation and a lot of ward members helped out. We took small groups of 10 or less on a tour beginning in the Primary room where they were greeted and one of the bishopric explained that this is the room where young children are taught about Heavenly Father and Jesus. A group of Primary aged children sang "I Am a Child of God" and "If the Savior Walked Beside Me." Then the group went to the baptismal font where two of the elders talked about the covenant we make at baptism. The tour included brief stops at the Family History Library, the Scout Room (where the scouts had set up a tent and a very realistic looking fake fire) and the room where early morning seminary and teen classes are held. In the Relief Society room were pictures of the temple and Elder Abney explained why these are sacred buildings and answered questions. In the foyer other missionaries talked about some of the art work on the walls and how they relate to our belief in Jesus Christ. In the chapel proper the bishop spoke briefly about the sacrament and what that means to Latter Day Saints. In the other foyer, Bob and I talked about the art work there. The picture above was one of ours to talk about. It is a reproduction of the painting of the Last Judgement that hangs in the Washington DC temple. I learned several things about the painting which I shared with the tour groups. First, the artist put himself and his family in the painting. Second, there are no little children on the dark side as little children under the age of 8 who die go to the Celestial Kingdom. Third, one of the visitors pointed out that Christ is making the American Sign Language signs for good and bad with his hands (open and turning upward for good, the other turning down for bad). Fourth, the artist painted he and his wife in both the light and the dark sides as he wasn't quite sure where they would wind up. The tour finished up in the Cultural Hall with cookies and treats. There was a TV playing Mormon Messages (very short inspirational videos produced by the church) and a slide presentation in another area with pictures of the inside of several temples as well as pictures of temples across the world. Even the members felt it was a special night and several commented it made them see the building in a whole new light. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-40493961708887064982013-12-08T17:48:00.000-08:002013-12-08T17:48:04.693-08:00Working Hard, But Having Fun!<h3>
A Special Wedding Anniversary</h3>
Thanksgiving was our 49th wedding anniversary. We celebrated with a scrumptious dinner with the other senior couple, the Abneys, at the home of the Cunninghams. The Cunninghams had been less active for some time, but are practically genealogy/family history) professionals, so we talked to the bishop about calling them to staff the Family History Center in the Jacksonville Ward one night a week. We have become good friends and enjoy their family a lot. They live on a beautiful wooded lot in the country. If you remember the 500 year old white oak tree from a previous post, it stands right in front of their home. Behind is a creek and lots of wildlife as well as pecan, black walnut and fruit trees. Anyway, we had a most enjoyable meal and a fun time.<br />
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The next night, Friday, we decided to go to Swansboro for our "Date Night" to a seafood restaurant that had been recommended to us and continue our Anniversary Celebration. When we arrived in Swansboro we noticed a lot of streets were blocked off but we didn't think too much about it. It turns out the day after Thanksgiving the town sponsors a Christmas Flotilla, like a Christmas Parade on the water. As luck would have it, the restaurant we were going to sets right on the waterfront and we were seated by a window overlooking the pier. We had a front row seat!! First came the spectacular sunset.<br />
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Then as darkness fell, the flotilla arrived. Not only did we enjoy fresh seafood, but we also were able to watch 17 decorated boats parade across the harbor. <br />
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We liked the Holiday Lights on the streets, too -- shells for the nearby ocean and swans in honor of the name of the town. Although, I'm not sure there are actual swans there. The town was originally named Swannborough, after Samuel Swann, an early resident, and was later shortened to Swansboro.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Christmas Parade in Jacksonville / Advertising Ward Open House</span><br />
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Last Saturday was the big Christmas Parade down Western Blvd., one of the main thoroughfares in Jacksonville. There were 5 marching bands and 10 or so floats plus lots of cars with local VIPs and police and fire vehicles. It went right in front of our ward building, so we missionaries set up a hot chocolate stand and gave out free hot cocoa (as they prefer to call it here) and let people park in the parking lot and use our rest rooms. The parade was over an hour long and the air was nippy so we had lots of takers. I think we gave out over 200 cups of cocoa.</div>
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While the senior missionaries manned the hot chocolate stand and walked rest room patrol, the elders and sister missionaries handed out flyers advertising our Open House at the church to be held December 9th. We also had signs in front facing both directions. I wish they could have been a little bigger, but we have a limited budget. The smaller signs say "Find Your Roots" inviting people to learn more about the Family History Library inside the ward building. We are hoping to have a good turn out and do a little PR as there are still a lot of misconceptions about the Mormon church here in the South.<br />
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Lots of Graduations</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcr9Pg1iqIwXXaAIaHdraFiw1wYDWmlcqp_z-GdL4oahIMwbwIKAEb0TELL2-0gX6hoKOhaIIyMKKWoYe4Epmzx-5NvefC5exhYxSYADBKcS9DO2j8LtyATfMiWWurDl2fWE-LzQTAwMc/s1600/scott.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcr9Pg1iqIwXXaAIaHdraFiw1wYDWmlcqp_z-GdL4oahIMwbwIKAEb0TELL2-0gX6hoKOhaIIyMKKWoYe4Epmzx-5NvefC5exhYxSYADBKcS9DO2j8LtyATfMiWWurDl2fWE-LzQTAwMc/s320/scott.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuMFFu-x_Lp8s_YkxuogXwIM9_KMGddko4wCPZR5pKgpi3uLCPcnIVmQBX-K7zOYPyCR-j5FMHrii8S3O2bd1iz9Z3NV3wp_2DIZNx5qK5VDHOTbDrtjsrtUidbghll1nEnV6WrY1G5w/s1600/shane.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuMFFu-x_Lp8s_YkxuogXwIM9_KMGddko4wCPZR5pKgpi3uLCPcnIVmQBX-K7zOYPyCR-j5FMHrii8S3O2bd1iz9Z3NV3wp_2DIZNx5qK5VDHOTbDrtjsrtUidbghll1nEnV6WrY1G5w/s320/shane.JPG" width="186" /></a>Each week we attend graduations of any of our young Marines who have finished their training. We take pictures to send to their families. We also find where they will be stationed and notify the missionaries there to watch and welcome them. The Marine on the right is called a Mustang --meaning he started out as enlisted and then went to OCS (Officer Candidate School) and qualified to be a 2nd Lieutenant. He was at Camp Lejeune for Financial Management Training for about 6 weeks. He was named Honor Graduate and also was picked by his fellow classmates to receive the "Gung Ho" award for having the best attitude. The Marine on the left is a returned missionary, recently married. He just finished his MOS in Supply Training and is to be stationed in California.<br />
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It is often hard on our young LDS Marines. Many of them join right out of high school and as one of them told us, "I've always been surrounded by my family, my friends, and my church. I took it all for granted. I never knew how much I needed to take the sacrament until I was in a place where it was not available (on maneuvers in the field)." They also have talked about how hard it is to remain spiritual while being surrounded by foul language and vulgarity. Even our returned missionaries who later join the Marines sometimes falter. I so admire the ones who do manage to make it through and keep trying to pray, read their scriptures, and attend church. <br />
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We have encountered some issues at Camp Johnson that have made it more difficult to serve the young LDS Marines based there. Because of some problems with a few young Marines in training going off base in Private Vehicles (POV) and getting into trouble, the ruling now is no private vehicles can pick up Marines in training at Camp Johnson, which, unfortunately, includes us. We had, prior to this, been picking up any young Mormon Marines that wanted to attend services in Jacksonville and taking them to the ward. We also brought them in to some YSA activities, such as the Thanksgiving Dinner. Now we must arrange to hold any regular meetings on base in the back room of the Chapel there. It is not ideal, but at least we can hold Sacrament Meeting on Sunday morning (45 minutes) and Family Home Evening on Monday nights. We are also able to communicate with them by text or facebook.<br />
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We have three young men attending services at Johnson who plan to go on missions as soon as they finish basic training. They will go into the Reserves and have a special arrangement allowing them a 2 year deferment while on a mission. <br />
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Elder Abney compares what happens to many young Marines in the military to the pride cycle in the Book of Mormon. There are a lot of "conversions" in basic training. The challenges are so intense that they are literally humbled and look forward to any kind of spiritual nourishment. Several have expressed to us that prayer and weekly church meetings were the only things that got them through boot camp. Then when they go on to MCT (combat training) and MOS (Military Occupational Speciality) they get more freedom and things are not quite as intense and they start losing that closeness and dependence on the Spirit and other things can seem more important in the moment.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Having Too Much Fun</span><br />
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One of our ward members ( the husband in less active family we have been working with) had a heart attack early Monday morning. (No, this is not the fun part! Read on.) He had a large aneurism in one of the arteries in his heart and he was very lucky it had not ruptured. The doctors put in a stent, and, amazingly, he was able to come home Wednesday. We went to the hospital in New Bern (about an hour away) as soon as they called us that Monday morning and Bob and Elder Abney gave him a blessing. When he got home from the hospital he was worried about all the yard work that needed to be done so we decided to see how we might help.<br />
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Sister Abney and I picked up branches and larger sticks while Bob mulched leaves with the riding mower. Some of you may know that Bob has long wanted his very own riding mower, so this was like the next best thing. Of course, now he is convinced that we REALLY need one for our yard in Salt Lake. I told him to dream on. Elder Abney decided to prune some dead limbs from a large cedar tree. He likes the challenge of heights, so this was right up his alley. I don't know if you can tell, but he is at the top of a very tall extension ladder. <br />
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The past two days we have spent any spare time cutting and folding snowflakes to help decorate for the Open House Monday night. We have snowflakes hanging all over the house awaiting transportation to the church. Lou (Bitner) told me you shouldn't lay more than one or two on top of each other or they will get crushed, so we have been creative in finding places they can be hung without getting knocked down as we walk around the house. I understand that Lou is claiming that the Olympus 2nd Ward snowflakes are now famous coast to coast and we are doing our part to support that claim.<br />
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Who knew a senior mission could be this much fun!</div>
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" /></h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-69362624681113783402013-11-26T19:52:00.000-08:002013-11-26T19:52:21.622-08:00New Discoveries<h3>
Has it really been 6 weeks?</h3>
Can you believe we have been here in Jacksonville 6 weeks this Friday? In some ways it seems like we have been here much longer as we are beginning to feel "at home", and in other ways it seems like we just arrived. It has been a rather steep learning curve and we are still trying to grasp the scope of our responsibilities, but some things are starting to fall into place and we don't get lost or confused nearly as often.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Some Interesting New Discoveries:</span><br />
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You can get really lost with a GPS. We call our GPS Gabi and she seems to have a tendency to lead us on long, circuitous back roads or streets to arrive at our destination. And since she is not up to date on road closures or road construction, sometimes she leads us into a real no man's land. Today we were scouting out a seaside restaurant in nearby Swansboro and she led us through back country roads and into another county when the restaurant was really just further down the road we were already on. Google maps on our iphone to the rescue! Gabi also keeps forgetting where we live and has moved our apartment from Valencia to Jennie Dr.<br />
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When night falls in Jacksonville you can literally be "in the dark." Not only are streets not laid out in any kind of grid pattern, many residential areas have few or no streetlights and many streets are missing street signs. We were driving the Elders to an appointment last week. It was after 7 and the Elders were on splits, which meant that only one Elder had actually been to the house we were looking for. As we drove around the very dark area the street we were on kept changing names and we couldn't find street signs for the street we needed. Elder Lakey finally recognized the street and we drove to the house only to discover the man they had an appointment with had to work late and wasn't there. The intrepid Elders were not to be defeated. They saw a man sitting in a car in the driveway of the home and proceeded to talk with him and ended up giving him a Book of Mormon. Bob was even very bold and shared his testimony of reading the Book of Mormon on a ship while in the Marine Corps. (The man was a Marine and worked on base with the investigator we had come to visit and both he and the investigator worked with a Marine who was Mormon and they had talked with him about the church.) <br />
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Speaking of Jacksonville streets, we have come across these rather interesting traffic islands on a few residential streets. There purpose is somewhat of a mystery and no one we have asked knows why they are there. You may not be able to see in the picture, but the island is constructed so that there is a curved cut out section in the curbside of the street so cars can swerve around the island. There is an opening through the middle to allow school buses to drive straight through and not have to swerve around, but the concrete sides are too high to allow a car to drive through without scraping. Has anyone seen these before in other places and know their purpose? Are they like speed bumps to slow down cars?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">This is what traffic looks like on Western Blvd. pretty much 24/7. Ditto, Lejeune and Marine Blvds. Which is why Bob keeps searching for back streets to get to the church and to our apartment. By the way, we did finally find downtown Jacksonville, which is pretty much City Hall and a main street. The rest of Jacksonville is spread out in all directions with lots of strip malls interspersed with housing subdivisions and pine forests. We did get a map of the Jacksonville area from City Hall. Score!</span><br />
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Ever try to breathe water? Some days the humidity here is almost 100% and the air is saturated and heavy to breathe. (Today it was 95% humidity) It's wonderful for your skin. I don't need nearly as much moisturizer as in Salt Lake. I love the foggy, misty mornings of late, but anticipate a very muggy summer.<br />
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In all the grocery stores right now there are entire display aisles filled with these huge (3-5 gallon) containers of peanut oil. I think this is because many people like to deep fry their holiday turkey. I saw signs at several restaurants advertising deep fat fried turkey for Thanksgiving (eat in or take home). Southerners do love their fried foods and fry an amazing variety of things including green tomatoes (delicious!), okra (an acquired taste, but one of Bob's and my favorites), and, of course, chicken. I will have to say, no one can fry chicken like they do in the South! It is not greasy and the crust is light and tasty while the chicken itself is very moist and delectable. I understand the secret is in the peanut oil which allows you to cook at high temps and is not heavy taste wise.<br />
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Welcome to Ellis Airport serving Jacksonville and Onslow County. It is about the size of a super Walmart and has 3 gates. As near as I can tell, you can only fly to Charlotte or Atlanta on the three regional airlines that provide service, then connect with larger airlines from there. This is where we take the Marines to catch their flights back home when they have leave. We try to provide this taxi service whenever we can as it costs $40 or more to take a regular taxi from base to the airport. Unfortunately, all the flights seem to leave very early in the morning and we need to pick up our Marines at 4 a.m. so they can make their departure time. Return flights are usually in the late afternoon.<br />
We will be taking one of our LDS Marines out at 4 Thanksgiving morning. Luckily, we can come back and take a nap before we go to a member's house for Thanksgiving dinner.<br />
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For the past few days (and nights) we have been hearing the boom of artillery practice. At first I thought it was thunder, but as it continued it became clear that it was artillery explosions. I understand it is important that they practice firing under a variety of weather conditions and temperatures as these can affect accuracy.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">I was curious to know what these trees were that I saw all over town and along the highways. The trees, when we arrived, were a rich green with shiny, waxy leaves. Recently they have started changing colors and are beautiful shades of orange and red.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"> I learned they were flowering plum trees, planted to honor the 241 American servicemen killed in the bombing of Beirut in 1983. 220 of those who died were Marines from the lst Battalion 8th Marines out of Camp Lejeune. I can't imagine the impact the deaths of so many Marines had on the people of Jacksonville. It must have been devastating. Nearly everyone here is in some way connected to the base and this left many families without husbands and fathers. In addition to the 241 trees planted in the median of the main road in front of Camp Lejeune (also called Freedom Blvd.), many individual homes also planted these beautiful tributes to the fallen Marines.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><br />This is the Beirut Memorial at Camp Johnson where we go each week to hold meetings for the LDS Marines in training there. It is located in a beautiful little park near the entrance. As you can see, on one side of the monument are the names of all those killed in the bombing and on the other side are the words "They Came in Peace." Their role in Lebanon was a peacekeeping mission to provide security and stability and was not a military action -- which made what happened doubly tragic.</span><br />
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We love the area and the people here. It really is true what they say about southern hospitality. People have been very friendly and welcoming. In the next blog I will share some of the things we have been doing and some of the touching experiences we have had. Being on a mission truly is amazing and you can see how much the Lord really cares for each individual.<br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-62017243643152289072013-11-19T18:35:00.000-08:002013-11-19T18:45:16.891-08:00And The Beat Goes On . . <h3>
Meet the Missionaries</h3>
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Our cute sister missionaries: Sister Dieter; Sister Cowley; Sister Larsen; Sister Bush.<br />
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The hardworking elders: Elder Lakey; Elder Mikelsen; Elder Galager; Elder McHann.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We have so enjoyed working with all these wonderful missionaries. The elders and sisters radiate enthusiasm for their callings. Can you see how they sort of "glow" from within? And they are noticed. We were in a restaurant at lunch one day and the man behind the counter noticed our missionary name tag and commented he has seen a lot of badges like ours around town on young men with white shirts and ties riding bicycles. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As senior missionary couples we try to attend the graduation of each of the young Marines we work with during their training at Camp Lejeune. Just before we arrived here, the Abneys were approached by one of the commanding officers while attending a graduation ceremony. He commented, "You must have a lot of children. I've seen you at several of these graduations." Sister Abney explained that they were here to serve the young LDS Marines and that they tried to care for them as if they were their own children, that they tried to wrap their arms around them and love them.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We attended a graduation at Camp Geiger this morning and have another one to go to tomorrow at Camp Johnson. The one tomorrow is for a young man we have really grown fond of. He is a returned missionary (Germany), recently married, and will be stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. He is the one we took to the airport at 4 a.m. so he could spend a three day leave with his wife who stayed in Utah while he was in training here. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sadly, two of the missionaries pictured above were transferred this week, Elder McHann and Sister Larsen. We will meet the two new missionaries tomorrow at District Meeting. As Sister Larsen said, "They send you some place and tell you to love the people and you do and then they pull you out and send you somewhere else to start all over again. Goodbyes are so hard!" I am so glad I get to stay with my best friend and companion for the whole mission--and we don't even have to move to a new location. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Temple Trip to Raleigh</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The closest temple is in Raleigh, a three hour drive. It is one of the new smaller temples. The endowment room normally seats 60, but on our session they kept adding folding chairs in the aisle for people who were waiting to attend the session. They ended up adding 10 seats. They encourage you to make a reservation for the session you plan to attend and I can see why. I liked the intimate feel of the smaller room and, of course, the spirit present is the same whether the temple is large or small. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The temple grounds are very beautiful. Even in November there are many things still in bloom. Don't know what tree or shrub this is, but we thought it was quite beautiful and it was still in full bloom.</span></div>
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Roses in November.<br />
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A spectacular tree -- with colorful, variegated bark. The bark peels off in long strips. The trunk just gleamed. The picture doesn't do it justice.<br />
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After the 8:30 a.m. temple session we went to the Mission Office and had a potluck luncheon with all the senior missionary couples. Later in the afternoon, Elder and Sister Furhman, held a workshop on Family Tree (the new LDS genealogy website). The Furhmans are record preservation specialist working in the Raleigh area. They have an interesting mission. They are serving their 18 months in 6 month segments. They serve during the late fall and winter in Raleigh, then return home to Idaho to take care of the family ranch for 6 months.</div>
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Training With Elder Baxter</h3>
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Last week we attended an all day training in Fayetteville with Elder Baxter, a dynamic speaker and inspirational teacher. He was born in Sterling, Scotland and is a convert to the church. Among other things he emphasized using clear and simple language and avoiding or explaining terms investigators may not understand (ward, stake, etc.) He even suggested using the term "God" rather than "Heavenly Father" when first contacting someone who knows little about the gospel, as most of the world has some concept of a God, but may not understand a "Heavenly Father" at first. He really emphasized the importance of using the Book of Mormon and challenging investigators to read the book for themselves and then pray about what they have read. </div>
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We enjoyed his Scottish accent and laughed when he said we should write in our journals that night that we had heard English spoken that day as it should be spoken. We had heard him speak at a devotional when we were at the MTC and appreciated hearing him again.</div>
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Mission Happenings</h2>
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Last night we helped with a Thanksgiving Dinner for the Young Single Adults. We had over 30 attend, over half of whom were Marines. Miraculously, the food stretched so that everyone had plenty and everyone seemed to have a great time. The YSAs are so supportive of each other and always go out of their way to help newcomers feel welcome. We brought a Marine from Camp Johnson who wanted to come and he brought his roommate who is not a member but has come to church several times. </div>
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Yesterday afternoon we drove <u>way</u> out in the country searching for a less active member. We finally found the address we had been given, but no one was home. (We didn't have a current phone number for her). We left an invitation to the Ward Christmas Party and just hope it was the right house. I was thinking, "Wow. This is way out in the country. Wonder why anyone would live here." About this time, Bob commented, "You know if it weren't for all our children and grandchildren living back in Utah and Colorado, I wouldn't mind living in a place like this." Go figure!</div>
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We send all of you our love.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-33805595314350055662013-11-18T05:41:00.000-08:002013-11-18T05:41:55.549-08:00Wow! What A Month!Well, we completed our first full month in Jacksonville on Friday. It was a month of learning, growing, and trying not to panic. Fortunately, we work with some great people including the other missionaries and our awesome ward leaders. <br />
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We are starting to get the hang of this military relations mission thing. In many ways it's just like home teaching/visiting teaching, only a lot more intense -- or as Bob puts it, "Home Teaching on steroids."Our responsibilities focus on five general areas: working with young LDS Marines in training at Camp Lejeune; providing support to families of deployed Marines; assisting local leaders with the YSA (Young Single Adults) program; setting up and serving as the group leaders of the LDS Addiction Recovery Program for both wards; and doing general member/leadership support in the Jacksonville 3rd ward (meaning doing whatever the bishop asks us to do).<br />
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For example, we work with the young Marines at Camp Johnson, one of the sections or camps that make up Camp Lejeune, when they are sent there for MOS (Military Occupational Speciality) training after basic. They spend anywhere from six to eight weeks at Camp Johnson depending on the training they are assigned (motor mechanic, supply, personnel administration, etc.) If they have indicated they are LDS when they go in for basic training, the senior missionaries assigned to that base try to contact them and invite them to church. Often sacrament meeting is held in the field during boot camp as they may not be able to leave the base. When they finish basic, the missionaries there pass off their contact information to whereever they are sent for MCT (Marine Combat Training) or MOS. (You may notice the Marine Corps is very fond of acronyms).<br />
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When we receive their name and phone number we text them immediately and tell them about meeting times at the Jacksonville Ward and offer to pick them up from base (as most have no transportation). We usually have several that take us up on the offer and it has been fun getting to know them. The other senior couple does the same with the Marines at French Creek and Courthouse Bay.There is a 6 a.m. Sacrament meeting at Camp Geiger which the senior missionaries are responsible for. If the Camp Johnson Marines can't leave base for whatever reason we hold a short Sacrament meeting for them there. Monday is a Family Home Evening for YSA (Young Single Adults) at the ward building and an Institute (Scripture study class)is held on Tuesdays. We may hold a separate FHE at Camp Johnson on Mondays depending on the need. I usually make a treat and we keep the lesson short. Often they will bring a friend or roommate. We have one young man who brings someone almost every week. Elder Abney (other senior couple) teaches the Institute class and we attend to lend support.<br />
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We take our Marines to the airport or pick them up there as needed. (It costs $40-50 for a taxi to the airport.) This doesn't happen a lot. However, last week we took one of our young Marines out to catch a 4:30 a.m. flight and then, after dropping him off, went with the Abneys to Raleigh to go to the temple (we had to be there by 8 a.m.) and attend a Family Tree training class.<br />
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When the young men graduate from their training we attend their graduation and take pictures which we send to their parents. We make sure to find out where they are going to be stationed and send their contact information on to the military relations couple at that base. We try to maintain contact with the young men and women we have worked with through facebook or texting when they leave so they know that we care what happens to them.<br />
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We are also working with the spouses of deployed Marines. We have a Service Wives Group that meets once a month, usually doing some kind of service project. This month we are packing six boxes to send to one of the husbands who is serving in Afghanistan. He said some of the Marines in his platoon never get any mail, so we are sending things like hard candy, gum, chap stick, knit skull caps to wear under helmets, socks, crackers, nuts, etc. In December we are doing a cookie exchange.<br />
Sister Abney and I try to support the visiting teachers of these women and provide additional visits and help as needed. Three of the women are pregnant and they will deliver before their husbands return.<br />
In fact, it sometimes seem most of the younger women in the ward are pregnant. Nursery and Primary are very full, but we do not have many youth 12-18. <br />
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We have enjoyed working with the YSA program. We helped chaperone the Halloween Dance and had great fun even though it went well past our bedtime. Last week the Bishop hosted a soup dinner and we (Abneys and ourselves) took rolls and salad. It is a little tricky baking at sea level compared to 5000 ft. and I often burn the first batch of whatever I am baking. Monday they are having an early Thanksgiving Dinner as so many in the military will be on leave Thanksgiving week. I am to make a sweet potato casserole.<br />
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One of our more challenging assignments has been to implement/setup the LDS Addiction Recovery Program for Jacksonville. The church received permission from AA to adapt the 12 steps to reflect the Atonement and have created a powerful recovery program that has been very successful in other areas. We went forth with faith and a lot of prayers and things seem to be getting off to a good start. Lawrence and Michelle Higginson have been wonderful to provide advice and resources. They helped us get in contact with the coordinators for North and South Carolina and they have been so welcoming and provided training and advice that we desperately needed. We have held two meetings. The first week, two attended, and last week there were three. <br />
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Under general member/leadership support we have driven elders to appointments, helped with fellowshipping new members and assisted in the Family History Center. A big project in our ward right now is trying to locate all the "lost sheep." Because this is such a military town and the ward is about 75% military connected there are many move-ins and move-outs and it is difficult for the ward to keep membership records current. We have over 500 records that are either of inactive members or people no longer living in the area. We are helping by taking 20 names at a time and going to the last known address to see if the person listed is still living at the address or has moved. If they are no longer at that address, there is an 8 step process that must be followed to try to find a current address before the ward can send the record to Salt Lake. It is a tedious and time consuming undertaking for all concerned, but the ward members are very supportive and everyone is trying to do his part.<br />
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I'm sorry this is such a long post, but I needed to explain what kind of work we are doing so that future posts will make more sense. My next post will have lots of pictures, at least that is what I am planning. I love our mission!!<br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-20318105968616985912013-11-03T15:39:00.003-08:002013-11-03T15:39:45.676-08:00Things I've Learned So Far1. The average age of Jacksonville residents is 22.8 years old. Lots of young Marines and Marines with young families! I was quite excited when I ran into some middle aged and older civilians at the local Food Lion grocery store.<br />
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2. The streets are definitely not laid out in a grid pattern. You can start out going north on a street and it will curve east or west and sometimes double around and be headed south. We have discovered that, fortunately, most streets wind up feeding into Western Blvd,, Marine Blvd., or Lejeune Blvd. and this helps.<br />
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3. We have yet to find "downtown" Jacksonville, though I believe it does exist. Growth has been in all directions and all we have found are subdivisions and shopping centers branching out from the main boulevards.<br />
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4. Baking at sea level is different from baking at 5000 ft. We had several sheets of burnt cookies (also known as Cajun blackened) until I learned how to adjust the baking time.<br />
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5. We mostly see lots of fast food places, hair salons advertising Marine hair cuts, car dealers, tattoo parlors, bars, and "clubs". Bob does want to point out that there are also stores like Harbor Freight, Lowe's, and Home Depot but that I won't let him buy anything there.<br />
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6. Because there are so many young Marine families, Walmart here is huge and always packed any time of the day. Think Costco on a Saturday.<br />
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7. Camp Lejeune covers an immense amount of territory. We have spent an inordinate amount of time and gas locating the bases within Camp Lejeune where we need to pick up Marines to bring to church. Right now we work with young Marines at 4 different bases or camps, and, of course, they are on opposite ends of Camp Lejeune. In between camps there are vast tracks of forested land with miles and miles of roads. I would love to see it all from the air some day so I can envision how it fits together.<br />
We have split our responsibilities between the Abneys and ourselves so each couple is responsible for about half the base and each of us has one of the wards as our primary responsibility.<br />
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8. The flight path for Marine planes and helicopters goes right over our apartments. We often see the Osprey which looks like a cross between a plane and a helicopter. Bob tells me they can take off and land vertically.<br />
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9. Ontos still exist (at least in museums). Bob commanded a company of these anti-tank vehicles when he was in Okinawa in the 60's. He was excited to see this particular Ontos displayed in the parking lot of Sam's Club, on loan from the Marine Museum.<br />
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10. Food is more expensive here than in Salt Lake, especially milk. Pecans, however, are cheaper here and cost less than walnuts.<br />
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11. No one seems to know where a post office is located. When we ask in a store or elsewhere, people just shrug their shoulders and reply they don't ever use a post office. We have a small post office near our apartment, but it is only for picking up packages. They do not sell stamps or mail packages. Go figure.<br />
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12. Every fast food place has these huge containers of sweet iced tea on the counter next to the soft drink dispensers. Iced tea is very popular here in the South.<br />
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<span id="goog_746214297"></span><span id="goog_746214298"></span>13. North Carolinians still use hound dogs (coon dogs?) for hunting. Last week we saw 3 pick-up trucks pulled off to the side of the road next to a forested area and in the back of each pick-up were special carriers with several hounds in each. I love the sound of hounds baying. Back in East Millcreek we had a hound somewhere in the neighborhood that would set up a howl each morning and I looked forward to hearing it.<br />
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14. Siri on our Iphone has a sense of humor. I asked her to find a self service car wash nearby and she responded, "I think cars should wash themselves, don't you?" She did provide several addresses.<br />
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15. Our local YSA (Young Single Adults) program is going strong. Saturday they had an After Halloween Dance. We usually have around 15 attend Family Home Evenings on Mondays, but at the dance we had 55. They had invited other YSAs from the surrounding stakes and there was a great turnout. About half in attendance were Marines. Everyone seemed to have a good time. They seemed to include everyone and reached out to two young people with mental challenges. Lots of line dancing which they entered into with great energy and enthusiasm. The dance ended at 11:30 p.m. They cleaned up, set up chairs for Sunday School the next day and told us several times how much they enjoyed being with other young LDS members. Two of the Marines up from Wilmington came and introduced themselves, said they were from Payson, Utah. Both were returned missionaries.<br />
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Love North Carolina and the people here!!<br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-43851122665905618842013-11-02T16:56:00.001-07:002013-11-02T16:56:59.957-07:00A Great StoryLast Saturday, we drove to Fayetteville (about 2 1/2 hours from Jacksonville) to attend a Mission Training Meeting with Elder Zwick and Elder Pino of the Seventy. We left at 6:45 a.m. and took the 2 elders who serve with us in the Jacksonville 3rd Ward. One is from Idaho and the other from Clinton, Utah. The Abneys took the other 2 elders and the sisters drove their car. Next time, we will switch and take the sisters and the elders will drive their car. All of them prefer to ride with the senior missionaries to save the miles they have been assigned for their car. They have only so many miles they can drive each month and the rest of the time they ride bikes. We have a huge area to cover so they really like to conserve their miles.<br />
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It was slightly cooler when we left that morning and as we drove along these wooded highways wherever there was water (ponds, rivers) a ghostly mist was rising, also in low lying fields. It was quite beautiful.<br />
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Anyway, at the meeting, Sister Zwick told this great story about when Elder Zwick and she were called to serve preside over the Chile, Santiago South Mission. They arrived on July 4, 1989. Sister Zwick was feeling quite overwhelmed as she did not speak Spanish and she was responsible for the health and welfare of 200 young missionaries, half of whom spoke no English, in addition to her own 4 young children. She wondered why there was a 10 ft. tall fence all around the Mission Home. She was certain she would never be able to drive on roads where drivers made 4 lanes out of 2. In the midst of her lament, they received a phone call.</div>
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"President," came the voice on the other end, "You don't know me and I don't know you, but I am one of your missionaries and I am standing here in a phone booth with only my companion's overcoat on. We were doing a baptismal interview in the chapel when 7 terrorists broke in and held a gun to my head and made me take off all my clothes in front of the seminary students who were also in the chapel at the time. They poured floor wax on my clothes and set them on fire. The chapel is burning and I was wondering, President, what you want me to do."</div>
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Sister Zwick said she stood in the kitchen sobbing, saying, "I can't do this. I have to go home!" Her 10 year old son came and put his arm around her and said, "Heavenly Father will help you." "And," she concluded, " He did."</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Zwick<br />Sorry, I couldn't find one of his wife.</td></tr>
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Elder Zwick followed up with a marvelous talk, building on his wife's story. The take away moral was "Never limit yourself by what you think is your capacity, but allow Heavenly Father to expand your capacity. AND HE WILL!"</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-75897631642895267552013-10-27T18:38:00.003-07:002013-10-27T18:38:56.981-07:00We Made It!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We arrived in Jacksonville last Friday about 2 p.m., unloaded the car, changed clothes and went to a Fall Festival at the ward at 6. Since then we have kept a fairly hectic schedule learning how to navigate around our area (which is quite large), meeting the bishop and ward members, and being trained by the other senior couple who has been in the area since August. Needless to say, it has been a little overwhelming trying to process and remember everything. In between, we have tried to set up our apartment and stock our kitchen with basic supplies. Every time we think we have all we need, we discover we have missed something essential such as dish washing soap or olive oil.<br />
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We have a very nice 2 bedroom apartment which is mostly furnished. We are still waiting on a couch and a washer dryer. <br />
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We hold church services for those Marines who are restricted to base early Sunday morning (6 a.m.). For other Marines living on base but who are allowed to travel off base we go out to their barracks and pick them up and bring them to the Jacksonville wards. (There are 2 wards). Monday nights we hold Family Home Evening both in the ward house for Young Single Adults (18-30) and at Camp Johnson for those wanting to attend on base. Tuesday night is Institute at the ward house. We try to keep in touch with the young LDS Marines by text and Facebook. Their training schedules are often erratic and they are not always able to attend meetings so we try to support them in other ways. We take them treats on their birthdays and attend their graduations where we take pictures to send to their parents or spouse if they are unable to attend. In addition, we work with the wives of deployed Marines. Many Marines have had repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and it takes a toll on both the Marine and his family. There are several families in the ward with a deployed spouse with deployments lasting up to a year.<br />
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Last week the husband of one of the military wives in the ward we work with had a young Marine under his command killed in Afghanistan. At our Military Wives Group Meeting they wrote cards to the surviving soldiers expressing support and unity. The officer had told his wife that four of his soldiers had not received a single letter for weeks and that all 20 were quite shaken by the death. The art department at the high school on base has a project where they design and print cards which they provide free of charge for any group writing to the troops. The cards were all different designs and so well done.<br />
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Today in Relief Society one woman shared that her husband was suffering from severe PTSD and he had been hospitalized.. She is trying to cope with young children at home and still be a support to her husband. And this is not an isolated case.<br />
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We also are working with part member and less active families. We visited a great couple last week who live in the country. The husband has been attending church now and then, but both are very into family history. While visiting with them they indicated they would be willing to help out in the Family History Center as they love to help people learn about genealogy. The bishop is going to talk with them this week to see what can be arranged. They live quite a ways out in the country and have this magnificent oak tree in front of their house which is at least 300 years old. It is huge!<br />
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While driving us around our ward boundaries, the Abneys (the other senior couple) took us to Emerald Island, which is a barrier island just off the coast, It is a very popular vacation spot and had many beautiful beach homes. Many are rental properties but I understand they are very expensive.<br />
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We really are loving it here. The people are very friendly and it is a beautiful area of the country. We love the other missionaries -- the Abneys (the other senior couple) and 8 wonderful young missionaries (4 elders and 4 sister missionaries). And best of all there is plenty of work to be done. Please keep us in your prayers.<br />
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<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-6899450682771857702013-10-27T16:25:00.000-07:002013-10-27T16:25:14.041-07:00On Our Way<div style="text-align: justify;">
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After five months of sorting, discarding, and finding places to store 41 years of "treasures," we packed our car with what we thought we needed for the next 18 months and bid good-bye to our home in East Millcreek, Utah. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the carrier on top of the car and the full back end. In addition, we mailed 5 boxes.<br />
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Getting our house ready for our youngest daughter and her family to move in was a challenging and labor intensive task. We needed to consolidate whatever we were keeping to fit into the attic, part of a storage room and the garage. Our oldest daughter offered a room in her basement to store some of the big pieces of furniture which saved us the necessity of renting a storage unit. I always knew children would come in handy one day!<br />
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Lessons learned: You can't organize clutter. Excessive amounts of even good things is still clutter. Some choices are between good, better and best. In the end, we realized we had accumulated far more than we truly needed. We now had the opportunity of blessing others by sharing our surplus. In exchange, we experienced the joy of a simpler, more focused life.</div>
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Following our second week at the MTC, we headed across country to our mission assignment at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Along the way we were able to visit with our son, Mike, and his family in Fort Collins, Colorado and with my sister, Joyce, and family friend, Charlotte, in Kansas City.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast with Charlotte and Joyce at Village Inn<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
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We even managed to have lunch with my niece, Sharon, and her husband, Denny, as we passed through Columbia, Missouri. From Kansas on we seemed to be following a storm front across the country, driving in rain most of our trip. There was a break as we drove through the Great Smokey Mountains and we were able to see some of the beautiful fall colors.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873212748763828604.post-79515820363933980592013-10-09T18:58:00.002-07:002013-10-09T18:58:56.187-07:00First Week at the MTC<br />
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Wow! It has been an incredible first week at the MTC. We have learned so much, though, on occasion, we have felt a little like the donkey in this picture.<br />
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We arrived at the MTC Sunday night, September 29th. I'm glad we checked in the night before we were actually scheduled, as it allowed us to unpack and get settled in before the start of classes. We are on the main campus, although some senior couples are staying at the Marriott Hotel in Provo and ride a shuttle back and forth. There is also a West Campus that is self-contained where about 900 young missionaries are housed.<br />
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There were 122 senior missionaries in our group and over 2200 young missionaries are at the MTC right now. Among this senior missionary group, assignments range from things like mission office help and Member Leadership Support (which basically means anything your mission president asks you to do) to such things as Church Education, records duplication, Young Single Adult Support, Auditing, Polynesian Cultural Center, Winters Quarter Visitors Center and, of course, Military Relations Specialists. In fact, in our group, there are 6 couples assigned to Military Relations. A new couple that came in this week will be going to Katmandu, Nepal, as humanitarian missionaries overseeing a big water project. How cool is that! Another couple were told to bring their horse and trailer and levis with one suit for Sundays. They will be working on a cattle ranch in New Mexico.<br />
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Seniors from our group are being sent to Siberia, Russia, Slovenia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Chile, Philippines, Tonga, Marshall Islands, Hawaii, Australia, as well as numerous states on the US mainland. One of the military couples will stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, not far from us. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senior couples in our district</td></tr>
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Being at the MTC for General Conference was a special treat. Then Sunday evening our Devotional was a program by Vocal Point, a BYU a Capella group that was on the TV show, Sing Off, last season. Bob loves a Capella singing and so was very excited -- as were all the young missionaries, who were obviously big fans. Everyone in the group was a returned missionary and several of them shared some of their missionary experiences and challenges, as well as their testimonies as part of the program. It was very touching. Bob's eyes even leaked a bit.<br />
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I am amazed at how smoothly everything runs here. They manage to feed and house well over 2000 people and make it look it easy. There is a dry cleaners, laundry facility, alterations department, bookstore, barber shop, mail room, and gym/workout room, in addition to all the classrooms and auditoriums. There is an exercise room on our floor just for seniors with two treadmills and two recumbent bikes, so I've been riding one of the bikes each day. I have been using the Fitbit my daughter, Kristy, gave me and have been tracking how many steps I take each day (riding the bike counts). The past three days I have logged over 10,000 -- a first for me.<br />
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It has been such a joy sharing this experience with my best friend. We are growing and learning --and loving it.<br />
<img class="nopin" src="http://honeybunchblogdesign2.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sgn1wli.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163837627354906453noreply@blogger.com0