ARK NEEDED

winter Smokeys

This week was our turn to go to the food bank.  We do Tuesday and Friday the third week of every month.  We enjoy helping people when they need it.  They are so sweet and thankful. We met the "lost" son of a Bishop from Florida.  He said he wasn't a member anymore.  Elder Bayles assured him that he was, and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. (His request)
We went to visit some home teaching families this week.  The family that has such a messy house was so excited because the boys took us upstairs to see their rooms.  They were so nice and clean. We'll work on the rest of the house next month.

high water

dry field after  5 days of rain

Hiawasee River after rain

The rain has gotten so bad that the bridge by the high school broke and with it the plumbing of the end of town.  Wal-Mart has no bathrooms or water and neither do the schools or the hotels.  It has rained for 9 days straight with over 9 inches of rain.  We are in a flood warning for a few days.  We are fine because we live on a hill.  Today we found out that we were not supposed to drink the city water for the last week.  They let people know by radio which we do not have so we have been drinking the water.  So far so good, no sickness.

On the way to dist meeting.  Makes us miss Granny.  

Elder Bayles gave a great dist. training meeting.  I love getting together with other missionaries.  After meeting we ate at a place called The Cookie Jar, then Elder Bayles took me to Alexanders to do some birthday shopping.  I spent a bundle and it was so much fun.

We have had 9 days of rain without stopping.  Today was finally a bright, sunny but cold day.  It was good to have the rain stop.
We spent the morning getting the RS room ready for the wedding.  We went to the food bank again and then finished the shopping for the wedding. We will be glad when it is over but feel so good to be instrumental in getting these two married.  They have lived together for 7 years and have 2 boys, hers from a previous relationship, and a girl together.  It is so important to be a family under the marriage covenant.  I hope they will be happy.  They are moving to a new home Monday in that they have not had water for over a month.  Their landlord is horrible.  They will be on the HUD program.  We just hope they will do better with their finances.
We were to meet the bride and groom at 10:00 Friday morning.  We waited until 11:30 and when they didn't show we left.  They had slept through their alarm and were still in bed because their son had vomited all night.  My patience is really being tried on this mission.
The wedding was today at 3:00.  The bride and groom got there at 2:30 not dressed and without the punch. We found out the best man, Hyrum's broth er was somewhere on his way from the NC beach.  We waited an hour and a half until his family finally got here.  There were only about 20 people there so not many had to wait.  They were very good about it ad it all turned out very well.  The bride was beautiful and everything was beautiful. Elder Bayles escorted the bride down the aisle of the Relief Society room.  They wanted to dance after so we didn't get home until 6:30 because Elder Bayles and I had to clean the church.  We're so proud of their decision to get married and actually do it.  It was wonderful.

Today is JALEN'S third birthday.  What  a wonderful little boy.  I was so afraid we would lose him after he was born.  The courts in Virginia were so slow to get all his records together.  It took 6 months to finalize and I was so afraid he would get sent back to Virginia.  I was afraid to get too involved with him for fear we couldn't keep him.  I'm so gad he is ours for eternity.  He is such a keeper.  We are so blessed.
The 20th is Dianne's birthday.  I am so glad Clark found her or was it she found him?  I remember when Clark described her to us and when I told him to go get her he said, "But she's a  molly Mormon!"  No wonder they have a little one named Molly.  What a blessing she is in our family.  I love the way she loves our son and grandchildren.  She's such a good wife and mother. Clark hit gold when he found her.  She is an incredible person.

We had a wonderful Sabbath day.  We were invited to Robyn's mother's house for dinner because of my birthday tomorrow.  They live up on a mountain top in Tennessee.  It is a beautiful spot.

 We had a lovely dinner and afterwards a beautiful cake and ice cream.  After dessert they brought in the gifts. Robyn and her daughter gave me a beautiful black cape.

  I can't wait to wear it Sunday in our freezing chapel. Grandma made me a beautiful fleece batted and tied quilt with eagles on it.  It looks so warm and cozy.  It has really been cold here at night but we're just too tight to buy a blanket.  We keep the furnace at 65 so it does get chilly.  We will enjoy  the blanket.

daughter, great grand, mother

  Kristin called and she will probably be here when we return tonight.  She wants to spend my birthday with us.  We think she's getting nervous that in a few months we won't be so close.  She arrived safely and we are enjoying the chaos.
We continue to work hard trying very hard not to see the end.  We love this work  teaching others  to come unto Him and reteaching others to return to the fold. Our Father in Heaven wants us back home, in His arms so much.  Our prayer is that one day we can all be worthy to embrace our Father and Savior as an eternal family.

Fri. Oct 7th  After bidding all the saints goodbye, we left Kinston on the ten o'clock trains & went to Goldsboro, here we changed trains.  Having to wait about two & a half hours we decided to visit a family of Saints & take dinner with then, but on arriving at their house we found there wasn't anybody at home.  We went back to the depot & waited until the train came, then we went to Princeton, a distance of about fifteen miles & got our mail from here we walked to a family of friends by the name of West, a distance of three miles, & stayed over  night with them.