LUCY'S RETURN

Blue Ridge Mountains

The movies are for the grandchildren.
This week has been a great one.  We got Lucy back with a new fuse harness.  She runs like she should.  We had a Chevy Impala for a loner. It was O.K., but Nothing like Lucy.
We had a Zone Conference in Asheville.  We have that road memorized and just let Lucy go.  President Craven and his sweet wife and the assistants train us so well.  We love what we learn.  Dad had a horacious headache so he had a rough time but still learned.  We love our training times.

driving to Asheville

                                      

Elder Frampton, asst to Pres. He is from Orem  Won't see him because of the change

Elder Fullmer, asst to Pres released this month Lives in Dr. McKell's ward.

On the way home we went through the gorge (the only way to get home) and saw this sign.

Now who do you know who gives a lube job and has a thrift store all in the same place?

 We got up at 5 to make it to this meeting in Asheville, went to a RS activity on the way home and got home at 9:30.  Makes for a long day.
We had a few extra minutes today and decided to go to the Methodist Cemetery we had heard about where the supposed real father of Abraham Lincoln is buried.  It was very interesting and a beautiful setting but no one takes care of it and the church hasn't been used for years.  It's sad.

1869

Confederate Soldier (the headstone, not Granddad!)

We love going to the Frady's.  He cooks the most wonderful meals and loves to cook.  We have never had the same thing twice and we eat there every week.  He is really coming along with the lessons.  He's is such a good man.  We really love them.

Snap thinks he's a dog.  Loves this table. His mother's name is  Ginger.

This is how Cori calls them to go in their coop for the night.

practice

The couple missionaries from the mission home came today to see our apartment.  They don't know if there will be a replacement or not and they wanted to know what belonged to the mission and what was the branches.  We had a good visit.
We love this country and the beauty that surrounds us.  The people are so friendly and nice.

Great tree for a saddle

Storm the cat is waiting

Bird Waiting

Goldfinch

The Smokey Mts.

home still used

Thurs. Apr. 12th We started out again this morning in good time & canvassed toward Princeton.  We found the people to be quite friendly. We arrived at Princeton about eleven o'clock and got our mail  I received four letters, one from Estella, one from Elder Montgomery, one from Bro. Head and one fro Sister Gales.  After getting us some hose supporters and stamps we went down to West's and stayed the remainder of the day  I also wrote a letter to Aunt Ann.
Tues. May 29th  At ten AM we left Mr. Herriet's and went to Bro. Sullivan's.  We planted tobacco 'till noon.
Wed. May 30th  We left Bro. Radford's in good time and walked four and a half miles to Kenly.  From there we canvassed six miles west of Kenly and at night we stayed with a friend by the name of Thomas Stancil and were treated very friendly.

MISSIONARY MOTHER

I just stick my camera out the window as we travel.  The trees grow right to the edge of the highway.  There is no shoulder.

It rains so much here.  Our friend's huge garden was washed completely out with 6 inches.  Only 3 days in the next 7 will we have rain.  We love the rain.  They have shut the dams to fill the lakes for the summer recreationers.  It is absolutely beautiful.
All these beautiful places we show you are on our P-Days or on our way to a lesson or visit.  There is beauty everywhere; even in the rain.  Monday we took Lucy to the Buick dealer.  Elder Bayles had been told by the neighbor's friend to check the fuses in the relay box which is under the back seat with our battery.  How strange.  It looked bad so he bought a new fuse for $17.00  and it started right up.   Clint told us to have the Buick dealer check it just to be sure.  We did and left her there over night.
We waited in a little park for the Silkers to come.  We read this sign:

notice the name Bayles as the thief

  
We then headed down the Nantahala Gorge to meet Elder and Sister Silker.  The water was so high it was overflowing the banks.  It was amazingly wonderful.

The Silkers had heard about Bryson City and the 3 beautiful water falls so we decided to go see them.  It was about a 3 mile hike once we got to the park but so worth it.  Every place you go is beautiful here.  We love it 

artist along the river

We stopped to see where the Appalachian Trail headed out from the gorge and walked it a bit.  It comes and goes all over the Smokey Mts.

 We headed back home to get Lucy because the place closed at 6:30.  We got there at 6:05 and they were closed so we had to leave her there.
The next morning we headed to the Buick place at 8:00 and got Lucy and returned the truck be had borrowed to Bro. Frady and then went to Hiwassee Dam to give our investigator there another lesson.  She is so ready and reads the Book Of Mormon every day.  Sometimes she reads a chapter 2 or 3 times so she gets it all.  She's amazing.  Please pray for her because she is in a difficult marriage.  We teach her at work.  She is 44 years old but her husband is 63.  She has a beautiful daughter who is graduating from HS this month.  She will be going off to college this summer.  The mother is a security gate person at a private community on the lake.  When we got ready to leave Lucy would not start.  Ouch!  Elder Bayles jiggled the fuse and she started right up.  Tender Mercies.

full dam   

where we saw the geese with Erik  full now

We went back to the Buick dealer to tell our tale.  They rechecked her and said everything was fine.
We worked the food kitchen for a few hours and then went to Family Home Evening with our dear friends.  We had a birthday party for 2 of the sisters.  We took them a cake and ice cream.  They loved it.  We left there to go to Frady's for dinner.  It was chicken tacos.  So yummy. He had some questions about the ministry of Christ and His age and years He spent which Elder Bayles answered. He is such a good man.  (both of them)  They have a female Pyrenees puppy to raise for their male.  The puppy and the baby goat have become fast friends.  We love being with these people.

Thy also have chickens

We always love dist meeting.

Gomm, Elder, E Silker, Gosselin
me, S Silker

Our little mother had her gall bladder out and is not doing well.  She has a lot of pain.

Thursday mad it 2 months left and we are just not ready to leave at all.  We still have so much more to do.  We have 4 investigators who know the gospel is true but just can't make that decision to get it done.  Our lady at the dam is coming along so well.  We met at 10:30. In our planning session we decided to give her the message of the doctrine of Christ found in 2 Nephi 31.  When we got there we asked if she had any questions and she replied that she had been reading in 2 Nephi 31.  Do you believe it?  The Lord is so in control of missionary work.  She loved that chapter.  We had given her the DVD of the restoration and she said it just ended too soon.  She said she could feel how Joseph felt because for the first time she knew how she felt was right and she was not the only one in her congregation going to hell.  She said she had the right feeling in her inability to believe how her preacher was teaching.  She said she felt such a closeness to the prophet Joseph. She knows he was a prophet of God.  She has no doubt.  She is ready to be baptized but she has to have her husband's permission.  The Lord will provide a way.

Iris on way to Asheville

Poppys on the highway to Asheville

We left there and headed for Bryson City, more than an hour away.  We needed to go there to get a baptism jump suit for a man getting baptized Sat.  who needs a 4X.  There are sisters there.  We invited them to go to lunch with us and they were so excited.  They are wonderful and work so hard.  We then headed for Asheville so Elder Bayles   could give a baptism interview.  The lady did just fine.  He loves dong that.  We then turned around and headed back to Murphy.  We got home at 8:00; very tired.  It was a 13 hour day.  We were so tired we didn't even eat dinner.  I love the way the missionaries look to Elder Bayles for guidance.  He is such a good missionary.

We have been very sad over the finding of the 3 girls who had been imprisoned in a home.  We pray for their  needs and hope they can find peace.

We had quite an experience visiting a man we home teach who is in jail.  He is in for attempted murder.  He is the man with the pigs.  It is so sad to see him there.  We could only talk to him by phone through a TV.  When we got in Lucy she would not start.  We have had it so when Elder Bayles finally got her to go we headed once again to the Buick dealer. 

checking electrical system through the trunk

 They have now decided it is an electrical problem.  They had to order a new unit but the closest one is in LA so we won't have a car until Mon. or Tues.  They gave us a brand new Chevy Impala to drive.  We have to go to Asheville Tuesday, so this will save us miles on Lucy.

We took the Frady's to dinner in Blairsville Friday and had a wonderful time.  He will be baptized one day.
Today we got up early to fill the font with water.  The baptism was so wonderful.  The Blairsville elders are doing such a great job.  They have no chapel so they do baptisms in our church.  They both had to do it because the candidate was so large and needed help.  He passed out after, in the water, so it was good two were there.

We visited a less active after and then headed to our family..  She was headed to the hospital for the third time because she is just hurting so much from her surgery.  We took them dinner and flowers.  We got home at 6:00 so it was another full day, 10 hours.  We love full days.  When we got home we had a package from Tiff.
Life is great.  We love ya'all so very much.

The Jennings 3

Mother's Day was much harder than last year.  I don't know why but I really missed everyone.  Church was very hard and I must say that tears came easily.  I thought I was tougher than that.  After church a sister in the branch invited us to dinner at the church.   She always has us there.  It was very nice.  Our less active mother gave the Relief Society lesson.  She hasn't come to church for 40 years until we found her.  She gave such a wonderful lesson and I was more nervous than she was.  She's going with the youth to do baptisms for the dead Saturday.  We are so proud of her.  She has taught us so much.
We went to visit the Murrays to learn how they did at their son's baptism in Provo.  We had a great talk and they are wonderful.  We put it right out there and they agreed they needed to be baptized.  The father said he knew he would.  We just can't get a date.  We told him he had 2 months.  We hurried home because it was 7:30 and we had not been home since 8:30.  We love it when we can be teaching the restored Gospel.
As a mother I could not be happier than I am today knowing that our children love the Lord and are teaching our grandchildren the gospel.  You have all far surpassed my fondest dreams and prayers for you.  I learn so much from your examples and by doing this my testimony has grown so much.  My greatest wish and prayer is that we can always remain a forever family.   We are trying daily to be worthy of that blessing.  There is no way to express our love for you, for your eternal mates and those absolutely perfect grandchildren,  Thank you so much for making this life the joy it is.  There can be no greater joy.

Jan.20,1906  We got up in good time and after eating breakfast& getting our reports ready we went to Princeton and mailed them. We then went to Bro. Easton's & had a shave.  After dinner we went to the creek & had a bath. (Jan)  We the got ready & walked five miles to the Neuse Islands where we had meeting appointed for the next day.  On our way down there the mosquitoes got after us.  We stayed at Bro. Massey's all night.
Wed. Feb 14th   We got up in good time and after eating breakfast we went back to Smith's and as Bro Beasley was going to see about getting him an oxen he asked me to go with him so I had a nice buggy ride for about seven miles.  On our way back we called at Sam Smith's  (Sister Smith's son) who was sick to see him a few minutes  Mollie and Uonoire were there and were going home so I let Mollie have my place and Uonoire and I walked back.

TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE, HERE WE COME

April 29th was a great P-Day.  It was the first time we have been able to go with the elders.  They were so excited.  It must be hard to be in a district with 2 couples and only 2 elders.  They don't have the miles to go anywhere so are at our mercy.  They are wonderful, obedient elders.

Elder Gomm and Elder Gosselin

We started by making a turn at the Standing Indian Campground.  We got to our parking place and began the hike.  It was so beautiful and we saw so many beautiful things in the woods. (They don't call them mountains here; they call them woods.)  The Franklin RS Pres., Sister Jones, came to tell us about the flowers.  We hiked a mile and a half to the largest poplar tree east of the Miss.

foam flower

sitting on a vine

in the woods

the group

base of the tree

half way up

more wisdom

resting rock  (notice my cane)

Jack in the pulpit flower

red trillium

white trillium

yellow trillium

chick weed

Sorry about all the pictures but this is going to end up our mission scrapbook when Kristin has the time so we want the pictures.  After our hike back up the the mountain we had our peanut butter sandwiches and water and headed for the Appalachian Trail (Appalatchan)

trail sign to show distance

The white mark shows it is the AP Trail.  Other colors show other trails.

RM in the middle Brian Chidester

Most amazing thing--the guy in the middle we met at this shelter (forgot to take a pic)  He just happens to be a RM from the place where Elder Gomm lives.  He is hiking alone but meets up with someone every now and again and hikes with them for awhile.  He had been out a week and plans to reach Maine in August or Sept.
On the way into this area is a non-denominatioal church.  They hold meetings every 1st Sunday.

We can't remember if we have shown you the Blairsville Georgia Chapel.  These Elders have had 6 baptisms since we have been here.

hope you can see the sign above his head
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Elders in the chapel

We have been trying very hard to visit everyone in the branch but we are putting 2,500 miles on Lucy every month and most people do not want anything to do with us yet they do not want their names removed.  Go figure.  We have had some luck and 3 families are going to church that were not when we arrived.  Another one comes but not every week.  We are determined to go hard right up to release day.  We had a very good lesson with one of our investigators this week.  He'll make it in his own time but he'll make it.  We love him  and his sweet wife so much.  He cooks a wicked  venison back strap.  It melts in your mouth.

Wednesday our land lord had repairmen come and fix anything that needed it.  They put in a new shower stall which was so necessary.  The bathroom looks so good now.  When they first set it out on the lawn it was in a blue plastic cover.  I about had a panic attack.  You know how I hate blue. I was so relieved when they took the cover off.  They fixed the problems in the kitchen floor and the outside gutters.  We feel like we are in a new home
We had a great time with our investigator.  This time he made us homemade biscuits and gravy with scrambles eggs.  When we were finished he asked if I liked the eggs.  When I said they were yummy he answered he was glad because he used the eggs that did not hatch.  I think every time he feeds us he tries to see if I'll hold it down.  He almost succeeded this time.  We sure do love them.
  Wednesday we found a golden contact.  She is wonderful.  She ran into a man while waiting for her husband's surgery and he told her of the restored Gospel.  She loved it.  She down loaded the scriptures on her phone and is in 2 Nephi.  She gets so excited when she tells us what she's read and how it made her feel. Please pray for her in that she lives in an all Baptist community and all of her family are Baptists.  She did find out that her grandmother was a Mormon when she found her Book of Mormon after she died..  It is a treasure to her.  She is so close to the Spirit and knows it is true.  It is so exciting for us.  She works at a development at the Hiawasee  Dam.

river and sign at dam

road by dam we went on with Erik's bunch
We love how the trees turn green and cover the road

We had a Zone meeting in Waynesville and took the elders in Lucy.  They went on exchanges so we stayed in a hotel and took them back the next afternoon

view out our hotel window

.  They are so wonderful and so obedient.  Our Zone meeting was great led by Julie Laws' son, Elder Casper.

 The news he gave us was that our mission is being divided and our zone is going to be in the Tennessee, Knoxville Mission.  It will be so nice because that mission office is 2 hours away and Charlotte is 5 1/2.  We also have to cross the Smokey Mountains to get there.  How beautiful is that?  There is a road to get there called the Dragon's tail that is 11 miles long and has 318 sharp curves.  The motor bikers come from everywhere to go on it.  Lucy will do just fine.  We will only be in that mission for 9 days so it will mean nothing to us.  We are so glad Erik came when he did so we could go across the state with him.
We stayed the night in Dillsboro which was burned to the ground by Sherman during the Civil War.  We drove by some of the sites.

court house

back of stores 

We had a few minutes before we had to get the elders so we went to a huge flea market.  Dad's paradise.

from the San Quinten Prison's death row

signs from segregation days

bought 3 jars of jam from him  love the Muscadine grape jam

On our way home we stopped at a boiled peanut stand since the elders had never tasted them.  I am completely surprised or we are becoming North Carolinian because I thought they were really good.

Elder Bayles said the place was so dirty and the man pulled them out of a very dirty pot.  They're very hot.

getting home and trading luggage

 By the time we got home with the elders we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. They don't have jam in North Carolina; not even Wal-Mart. We did buy some boiled (bold) peanuts for the elders and I had one and then another.  They were good.  We'll only buy them there from that stand from now on.
We got up Sunday morning and got in the car to go to church and it wouldn't go.  Our sweet Baptist neighbors were in their car ready to go to church and saw us and insisted we drive them to their church and then just keep their week-old car to got to our building.  The Southern people are so kind and our neighbors are the best.  You cannot believe the people who have volunteered their vehicles for us to take as long as needed.  Tennessee is the volunteer state and it's only a holler away.
The Frady's came over tonight to give us their truck to drive while we get Lucy fixed.  Elder Bayles was just pulling cookies out of the oven so they stayed awhile.  We have an appt. to teach again Tues and Thurs we are taking them to dinner for their birthday's.  Pray for him to be baptized.

Tues. Dec.19th  We all went down to the sound and had a boat ride over to the beach, and while going over one of the Elders fell out of the boat head first into water that came up under his arms.
Tues, Jan 2nd  We got up in good time and after eating breakfast we bade them all good-bye and started for our county, Elders Crowther and Whitehead were traveling with us. We walked eighteen miles to Folkstone & then from there we rode fifteen miles to Jacksonville and from there we walked eight miles to Mr. Ellis's where Elds. Crowther and Whitehead stayed over night.  Eld. Montgomery and I went about half a mile farther to Bro. Lockainy's & stayed all night.