FINDING OUR WAY IN THE SMOKIES

See why it's named the Blue Ridge Mountains?

Now that we have settled in we have more study time in the mornings.  We love our study time.  The Book of Mormon is such a great book and we love studying Preach my Gospel.  We are learning that no matter where you serve you have appointments not kept.  It is so discouraging.  We won't give up but will go back until they say they don't want us there.
Tuesdays we have Family Home Evening with some single adults.  We read the Book of Mormon, have refreshments, and then play Chicken Foot.  You play it with dominoes and is really fun.  Ya'll
 probably know how to play it.  There are just 5 of us.
We went to visit a couple in Hanging Dog and they want to hear more.  That is so exciting.

Smokies
They live less thhan a mile from the Smoky Mt. National forest.  It is so beautiful.


Wednesday was District Meeting with the elders and the Silkers in Blairsville, Georgia.  It is always uplifting and refreshing to learn and be reminded of ways to do things better.  Brother Jesse came clear from Casewell to take us to lunch.  We met him after meeting in Murphy.  It was so good to see him.  It was like having family come.  (Don't know how I got this small print and don't know how to change it and Kristin's in the air.)

We had lunch Thursday with a member who lives as far up a mountain as you can get.  The road made us nervous after awhile in that it was so narrow and two cars could never pass.  It was a little Utopia.  She has named the bear that comes every winter.   She isn't even afraid.  She has been alone for several years since her husband died.  She's a trooper.  She lives on 15 acres of forest with only a little space for her home on the edge. She has patios everywhere.

road up

where her land begins  Hauns Mill

Check out this clothes line she uses.  It goes over a huge gully.

We are working with a family that needs so much help.  We just hope they will let us help them get things together so they can feel comfortable at church.  She is only 31 but has 3 children with the oldest one in sixth grade. They are members and want the boys baptized.  Hope we can help the Spirit make a difference in their lives.

house next to theirs

Friday was a "senior moment" day.  After studying we went to an appointment.   No show.  We went to Walmart to get things for the kids in paragraph above to do while watching conference so their parents could enjoy it.  We copied things off the web that was conference centered.  while waking out we decided to get a pretzel in that we had not eaten. Shocker.  We called Pres. Caron to talk to him about some families.  We wanted to make sure he would be home in that he lives up a mountain over an hour away.  He gave us directions on how to get there.  As we started out we realized Elder Bayles had not taken his medication.  We went home to get it.  As we were leaving home we realized that we had thrown the mission phone in the garbage when he dumped our tray.

split rail stock rack for the dog

We headed back to Walmart and went through the garbage until we found it. Yuck!

A settlement started by the Sacketts

 An hour later we finally head for Robbinsville where the president lives.  We couln't call him because you can't get service in the mountains.  We only went the wrong way twice for about 20 miles.  Their home is so nice with a stream running right in front sounding so refreshing.  Our grands would have jumped right in.  They have 19 acres of beauty.

Sure see some pretty country in our lost stages.  We loved the horses painted on this barn. It is a place for abused animals.

When we left we decided to find Pam and her son Cameron in Marble.  We were way wrong.  We called our ward mission leader twice and finally went up another mountain, past a fish hatchery to their home.  They were not home.  They never return our calls so we just have to go.  We finally got home at 8:00 tired but happy.  The kids sent us a picture of them at the BYU game.  Next year.     The picture of Kolton was so identical to Erik it was weird.  I just couldn't believe it wasn't him.
Saturday was such a great conference.  Every year I say it is the best one.  We took 2 sisters who needed rides.  We watched at the church because some of our investigators said they would be there.  No show.  No jammies.  There were 8 other people but we were happy to be with them.  We shared lunches between sessions.  Elder Bayles couldn't go to the priesthood session in that they couldn't make the satellite work.
We love being missionaries and serving the Lord.

Mon. Apr.16th  We arose in good time and after eating breakfast we went back to Bro. Massey's and stayed until after dinner writing etc.  In the afternoon we left the islands and went and saw a Mr. Howell (who was one of the school committee)to see about getting the school house to hold meeting in but he said that there was a law against holding meeting there.  We then went and saw the other committee man and he said that they were afraid if we held meeting that some one would burn it down as it is about in the same place where where our church was burnt down several years ago.  We then went up to Bro. Easton's and stayed all night.