Preparations

January 29   Preparing for our adventure.

   Many things happening as we are in our final stages of preparations.

We spoke in Sacrament meeting Jan 15th (very short notice to everyone ....sorry about that one).  Lynn & Barbara Archibald, our dear friends from our Czech/Slovak Mission, made the trip from Idaho and spent some precious moments with us in our home.  We have a deep love for our Fellow Senior Missionaries.  Dale & Jackie Andersen was with us, sweet treasured friends with whom we worked together with in the Temple.    Other wonderful family members and friends attended Church with us or popped in to show their love and support.  Each of you are deeply appreciated, whether we were able to see you that day, or read your E-Mails.......thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

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We were thrilled when Doug & Barbara Davies (soon to be President & Sister Davies of the San Pablo Mission in the Philippines .... July this year) messaged us and we arranged to get together.    We will serve on the same island, and hope to he able to 'run into' each other sometime during our overlapping service!       Barbara and I were inseparable friends through our Elementary, Junior High, and High school years.    What a marvelous tender mercy Heavenly Father has blest us both with!!

 

Ashley, Kole, and I traveled d the first week in January to Alexandria Virginia to assist Matt and Jenni Bell As

they prepared to move from their tiny 2 bedroom apartment into a 3 bedroom home with a yard in Stanford, Virginia.       Freezing cold weather nor icy roads did not slow us down from boxing up, packing away, scrubbing and cleaning, and moving this special little family of 4 to their new home!   Ashley, Kole, and I stole a morning and were able to spend a few hours bracing against the cold and wind to enjoy the Lincoln Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.   Loved the feelings of inspiration and deep appreciation from our inspired and courageous forefathers in America!  God Bless this great nation ..... may our current leaders lead us forward as their predecessors of old did.

This photo is of us with the dear dedicated Davies!   They will be fantastic Mission President & Wife team!!!


Tharon's shoulder surgery was successful, and we are at week 7 in the progression of his recuperation and healing.    We are attending the marvelous MTC (Missionary Training Center) last week and this coming week ..... and he is fitting in Physical Therapy sessions.       We will soon be ready to fly out of this cold into a land filled with people of warm hearts, humble belief in Christ, and many who are seeking the truth found in the pages of the Book of Mormon.  There will be myriads of humanitarian needs .... we pray that we will be instruments in His hands to serve these people in the way that the Savior taught.

Included above was our picture from January 23rd ..... first day as official Missionaries .....pointing to the little group of Philippine Islands that we will soon call HOME for 18 months.  😃🤗

DEC. 24, 2016 - gathering receiving blankets for Filipino Newborns.

Sister McClure ( current Humanitarian Missionary that we will be replacing) shared information with me concerning a project she has been working on.  She has organized the Making and gathering receiving blankets for the little new born babies on Luzon.  The hospitals do not have access to any type of blankets or cloth, and because of budget needs, they send the newborns home wrapped in newsprint, old pieces of tarp, or with nothing.  

So I have undertaken to gather 'gently used', slightly worn, or new receiving blankets to the Baguio Mission Office in San Fernando on Luzon Island.  I have given out information to 2 Stakes here in Brigham City to include our Brigham City sisters in putting together this service project.   I will cover the cost of shipping the packages that are filled with the gathered receiving blankets.  When in the Philippines, the donated receiving blankets will be distributed to the General and local hospitals so that the babies can be swaddled when they are sent home with their mothers.     It will also become useful to the new mother as she cares for this new little life.          I am excited to gather these blankets so that we can help in a tiny way, and serve these sweet Filipino people.
     We have people in Malad, Idaho also giving of their Time and Talent in sewing these little receiving blankets.   Our hearts are already filled to overflowing as we have so many here that are willing to share and give this service to little Filippino people on the other side of the world.   There are so many big-hearted and giving people who surround us.     Thank you .... each of you who include the Missionaries in your prayers, and who are willing to share of your time, talents, and means to bless the lives of others.

Jan. 2, 2017

    Still at home.        Trying to get our Rental Units prepared for new Management and get our family and personal lives all in order.
    Barbara Kimber Davies (married to Doug Davies) contacted us over the holidays and shared with us the amazing news that they have been called as New Mission President and wife in the PHILIPPINES, SAN PABLO MISSION and starting in July of this year.     Fantastic news!!     Doug will be a wonderful Mission President!!
   With this news, it became a Priority to sit down together and do a quick 'life' catch up and talk about preparing for serving in the Philippines and how a Senior Couple gets ready and prepared to serve a foreign mission and leave their homes and family for a couple of years.   International Driver's Licenses / Phone systems / International Banking / Medications / Immunizations.        
   Really, it was great to sit down and talk together and compare notes on what we have heard in regards to the Philippines.    We will probably not run into each other there, unless we find out that Barbara is bringing someone up to the Manila MTC.   It would be grand to run into each other there.

   As we get closer to our 'Enter the MTC date', we become more excited and are feeling more and more the promptings of the Spirit.  
   Both Tharon and I have been released from our Temple Ordinance Worker calling.    We miss being in the House of the Lord every Tuesday and Wednesday morning.  Those wonderful and dedicated workers there have became like extended family to us.  
    

This is me and my granddaughter, McKenzie Jo, looking over the donated Receiving Blankets that we will be shipping to the Philippines.     We are doing a 'pre-mission' project to gather receiving blankets that will be taken into the local and general hospitals there.    The new-born babies there are sent home in newsprint or old pieces of Tattered tarps.    We are accepting any gently used or new receiving blankets of lightweight flannel (1 layer ... minimum of 30"x30" with hemmed edges).    I will mail off a package before I leave home (around Jan. 20th).     I am working with 2 stakes here in Brigham City, and hopefully one in Salt Lake , who I will give the money for the shipping costs - and they will have Stake Service Projects to make and collect these receiving blankets.       Hopefully, we will be able to gather a fairly good supply for us to be able to get into the hands of the Labor & Delivery areas in these hospitals.