HUMP DAY

Smoky Mountains

We have started teaching our new family.  We try not to put names in our blogs to respect their privacy.  They are doing so great.  The first two visits we had to just stand or sit on the front porch.  The third visit they let us in but were embarrassed.  The next visit they had cleaned the living room an it looked so good.  The nest time we took a food order and they had really cleaned.  They were so appreciative of the order.

The children helped us carry it in the house.  The next time they had cleared off the couch table and had the scriptures on it.  They are trying so hard.  A member in the ward picked the boys up and took them to Scouts.  They loved it.  They told us they would be at church Sunday and they were.  They just looked so good all dressed up in white shirts and ties.  They loved it and will be in the primary program this Sunday.  All three of them have parts.  The primary president sent them home with discs of the songs so they could learn them.  They are so excited about the church.  They have invited us to their home for dinner on Wednesday.  We're taking the bread and dessert.  We love this family.
Tuesday was "Hump Day'.   After visiting with our little family we went to FHE and played chicken foot again (after reading scriptures)  We went to visit the couple in Hanging Dog but she was very ill with the flu. Her husband told us to go back by way of Hiwassee Dam.

 It was a very winding, beautiful road around the mountains to this beautiful dam that was built  by the TVA.  It was a lovely way to celebrate our half way mark.

  We ended at the church for Relief Society.  We got home at 10:00.  Great day.
Thursday we (4 sisters in RS) decorated and/or made 1,000 desserts.  It was for a function in Murphy called Holy Smoke.  Several churches in town donate food for tasting.  People pay $7 and go from table to table tasting all the food.  They always have the Mormons make the dessert because they do such a great job. People go there before they go for their food.  We made 100 cream puffs, 400 brownies with chocolate swirls with a white and brown chocolate stick stuck in it, eclairs, carrot cake squares, 200 cream cups with kiwi, blueberries, and Mandarin oranges on top. to mention a few.  We worked all day but the people loved it.  The money earned goes to a common fund to help pay materials for someone who needs a home built.  The workers help build the home.
Friday we had interviews with President Craven and Zone meeting.  It is always good.  We took the elders from Blairsville, Georgia to save them miles.

Elders Cook and Bentley

Smoky Mts. on way to Ashville

 Sister Craven stopped in with three if their daughters and their children.  Yes, I bawled when I saw them.  In our interview President Craven asked Elder Bayles if he would assist him by doing baptism interviews for the zone leaders in that it is so far from Charlotte. When a baptismal candidate may have serious sin in their background, such as abortion, or homosexual relations, they have to be interviewed by a someone with more experience, like the Mission President, or one of his counselors, or someone else he designates.   We feel blessed that he has asked this of us.
We love the newly baptized.  Donna had us over to answer some of her questions.  She studies so hard and has such well-thought questions.  We love to talk about the gospel.
After church Sunday we went up another mountain and visited with a couple who are investigating the church.  They are so great.

Lake Chatuge on way to investigator

 Their son swims for BYU.  The mountains are so beautiful this time of year with all the different colors.  We left them to go to dinner with a couple who were in charge of Holy Smoke (friends of another faith) They live right on the river. A former senior missionary couple who were back visiting the area were also there.   It is so beautiful in this part of the Lord's world.

mountain road

We love being missionaries in North Carolina.  We love the Restored Gospel of Jesus and reading the Book of Mormon.  We love that we have an eternal family who also love what we do.
I especially love my companion.

Fri. May 11, 1905  We left Massey's at nine A.M. and walked five miles to Bro. Jack Price's, arriving there about eleven o'clock.  We stayed with him the remainder of the day, in the afternoon we went to the river and took a bath,  We also tried our luck at fishing & I caught one catfish.