HAVE SCRIPTURES, WILL TRAVEL

Monday we decided the Blairsville elders needed a fun P-Day.  In that they are the only elders in our area they never get to do fun things with other elders.  We knew Elder Cook was being transferred so we planed a fun Monday.  We went to Highlands to see the falls that we saw with Kristin.  They loved it and had a great day.  We followed the Callisaja River up the mountain to Highlands; waterfall after waterfall.

hiked on the Appalachian Trail

On Wednesday we had to get up at 4:15 AM so we could take the elders 4 hours to Statesville for the transfer meeting.  We love being with the missionaries and President Craven and his wife.  It is such a lift.  It so happened that the day was a tornado warning. It hit the hardest an hour and a half  from our house.  Did severe damage and some didn't make it. R's trailer shook and her daughter was in tornado mode for 2 and a half hours due to windows blowing out in her school,  The bus didn't get her home until 5:30  The members of the church and the missionaries were blessed with our Savior's tender mercies.  We drove in complete darkness with the rain never letting up.  The Nantahala Gorge was so high and the road was icy.  When we got to the meeting it was fun in that we saw so many missionaries we had served with our first 9 months.  They were great and so filled with the spirit of missionary work.

last day as companions

Elder Gosselin & new companion  Elder Leno

Elder Neiner & Cook

 One of the new sisters was a beautiful girl I had taught in third grade.  Way to make me feel old.  She was overwhelmed by everything.  There were 2 elders from Provo High but we never met them.  Hopefully we will see them next meeting and see if they know those great youth in the 9th ward.  Our new Zone leader was our leader in Greensboro and we love him.  We are so pleased to work with him again.

A  mission asst. Elder Stanley was one to go home.  We will so miss him and his great training.  He loved to watch me bawl as we would sing the mission song.  We went out to dinner with our new elder, Elder Leno and Elder Gosselin and then headed back home.  The tornado warning was even stronger and the trip was very hard.  The rain was very fierce and the fog prevented us from seeing       anything.

 We were worn completely out by the time we got home.  Going back through the gorge was amazing.  It was like driving next to the ocean the waves were so high.  Water falls were coming down the mountain on our left every few feet.  It was both scary and beautiful at the same time.

  We arrived home at 8:30 very tired since we had been going since 4:15 AM.
Thursday I taught the missionary prep class.  I think it went well. (She did an excellent job)

Ashley turned 18 on Friday.  We were just holding her in our arms the other day.  It is such a blessing to see our grandchildren grow and develop into such amazing people.  Ashley has been such a joy to watch.  We love the way she keeps herself so clean and chaste.  She radiates a daughter of God who knows who she is and what is expected of her.  She has parents who will always give her loving help and tender nurturing.  We love the way she lives her testimony of our Savior.  We love you Ash!
 Friday Elder Bayles trained us at district meeting.  We took the missionaries to lunch.  After lunch Sister Silker and I trapped two women in the bathroom and taught the first lesson.  They love Mitt Romney but were very relieved to learn we are not a cult and that we believe in Christ.  We bore very strong testimonies right there in the bathroom. After hugs we headed to Asheville for Elder Bayles to interview someone for baptism.  After the interview we once again headed home through the gorge.  We got home at 8:30, again tired but uplifted.
Saturday we headed to Georgia to help some members put a new porch on the home of a member that we have been fellow shipping.  At about noon it started snowing but we thought nothing of it until about 3 inches had stayed on the ground. We headed home and will finish another day because of being in the mountains where the snow was really coming down.

snow in Georgia mountains

home on 5 acres in Georgia mts for $250,000
mill at the right of gateway

 It was so slow going that we went right to our dinner appointment up another holler across the mountains.  We had a wonderful time with a wonderful family.

 We were very happy when we got off the frozen roads and arrived home  safely.  When we got home we learned church would be cancelled the next day.

What a great day to study.  Because church was cancelled for weather we studied all day.  I didn't know I could do that.  It was so rejuvenating.  We loved it.
I love my companion and how he encourages me in doing better.

Mon. Oct 10th We left Bro. West's about six o'clock and walked to  Pine Level, a distance of three miles  We took the train here & rode to Raleigh, we got off the train here & had to wait until half past three o'clock in the afternoon for another train to go to Hillsboro.  During our stay in  Raleigh we walked around town and went through the Museum of N.C.  We also had our picture taken.  When the time came we took the train & went to Hillsboro, arriving there about five o'clock P.M.  From here we had to walk six miles to a family by the name of Gates.  We got off the road twice & had to walk back about a mile each time, but we finally got here about eight o'clock and after eating a hearty supper retired for the night.