P-DAY WITH THE PRESIDENT

We had a great P-day this week.  We met the Silkers and President and Sister Craven at the Nantahala Gorge at 9:00 to hike for over an hour on the Appalachian Trail.  

a car in the parking lot

It had been pouring rain all morning but we decided we were doing it rain or shine.  (It Rained 8 of the last 10 days and is supposed to rain 8 of the next 10 days.) 

Elder Bayles gave the Cravens walking sticks he had made.

on the trail

Do you believe this rock.  I think it looks like a car going over a ledge.

As soon as we got off the trail it was a deluge.  We just laughed.

 We then headed for Bryson City for lunch at the Fillin’ Station.  They make the best sandwiches, even better than Gandolfos,  We walked to a park to eat them and as soon as we finished and started to walk back to the cars another deluge.  The brethren were heroes and ran for our cars.

We then all loaded into the mission van and headed for Deep Creek Park and Falls.  It is part of the Rocky Mountain National Park.  Of course it was still raining so we put on our $1.00 rain ponchos and headed off.  It was so beautiful. 

The Cravens

We spent the rest of the afternoon there.  It was so nice to chat with the Pres. and enjoy his counsel and interests.  Couldn’t have been better.  He even called Tiffani for some advice.

We got home at 5:30 tired, wet and completely happy.

At 4:00 in the morning I was awakened by Elder Bayles hurriedly jumping out of bed.  This time a cockroach had crawled up his arm.  I have had the experience 2 nights.  We tore the bedding off, lifted the mattress and frame and found nothing.  The mattress and frame are fairly new and covered completely by a fabric sack.  We shook and shook and then put everything back in place.  As we finished making the bed and Elder Bayles picked up my pillow and shook it and the critter landed on the floor.  Another death of an undesirable intruder.  The exterminator will be here in the morning.

Tuesday we worked at the food bank and had FHE with our group.  

We had dinner with the Frady’s.  Boy, do we love them.  After dinner we shared a lesson on Priesthood blessings.  Elder Bayles then taught Jeff how to tie a tie.  What an experience.  I don’t know who was the most confused.

Yeah!  The exterminator came and juiced the whole house.

We love District meetings.  Elder Bayles does such a good job training us. It was on faith and how to get investigators to attend Sacrament meeting.  We’ll try harder.  After meeting we went to eat of course.  We love our elders.

Sillkers Mc Donald, Parkinson, Bayles

 After we got home I took some pictures of our neighbor’s (Kay) flowers.  Her lilies are so beautiful right now.

Thursday we had a meeting with a member in Robbinsville.  It is over an hour away and a beautiful ride.  All of North Carolina is beautiful.  We had an appointment but she was not there so we decided since we had 2 hours before our next apt., we would go to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and hike the 2 mile trail to a tree that is 14 feet in diameter. 

ROAD TO THE FOREST

There are also many other huge and beautiful trees.  That is where Kilmer decided to write his famous poem, “Trees”. This poem has been one of my favorites ever since high school when our choir sang it.  It expresses so many thoughts about trees. 

He enlisted in the New York National Guard and was deployed to France with the 69th Infantry Regiment (the famous "Fighting 69th") in 1917. Though he was eligible for commission as an officer and often recommended for such posts during the course of the war, Kilmer refused, stating that he would rather be a sergeant in the Fighting 69th than an officer in any other regiment. He was killed by a sniper's bullet at the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the age of 31.

                                      TREES

                                by: Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

                    I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Well, by the time we got to the forest much time had gone by and we realized that if we didn’t hurry we would be late for our next apt.  We practically ran the trail but didn’t want to go back because it was so magnificent. 

hugging trees

Wish I could blame my fall on him.

We were dripping and figured it might be just as close to the end as to the beginning so we forged onward.  When we got to the huge tree and headed back we realized we were definitely going to be late so we hurried even faster.  After I fell to the ground 2 times we slowed a bit.  I think I sprained my ankle and hurt my knee.  Oh well, it was worth it.  A little blood never hurt anyone. (Sister Bayles narrowly missed hitting her head on a huge rock when she fell the second time!  When I turned around and found her on the ground I thought she was badly injured.  Fortunately she missed the rock.)

 When we got to the car and out of the forest we called President Caron to tell him we were on our way.  He and his wife had invited us for lunch.  They live on the top of another mountain in Robbinsville in such a beautiful surrounding.  We love going there and especially love them.  It was an enjoyable time.

Today was our last day to serve at the food bank.  We love doing that.  They had a party for us to say good-by and thank you.  They are very nice people.
We then went to Possum Drop because the lady there said that dad's shirt was in.  Clay had bought a 1928 Model T Ford.  After looking inside I don't know how they drove it or kept it on the road.

We went to visit our member who is in jail.  He's been there 17 weeks and only been allowed outside 2 times for 30 minutes each.  He has seen his attorney once. (oncet in North Carolina language)  It is a sad affair.  He's the one who had all the pigs.
This sweet sister gave me some gourds she had made.  She's very talented.

Sunday was wonderful.  President Craven and Sister Craven cam to church with us so he could give us our exit interview.  When it was my turn of course I bawled. Elder Bayles said that when it was his turn President Craven showed him my tears on the table.  We had them come over after church and served a very yummy bar-b-q chicken and corn on the cob etc. It was delightful.This leaving is so darn hard to do and yet we yearn for home.  This mission has taught us so much about ourselves and each other and we have grown so much in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  We absolutely love the people we have been blessed to serve in all of North Carolina.  It has been such a wonderful experience.
We went to the special broadcast tonight and wanted to put our papers in all over again.  What a great time to be a missionary.  It was so powerful.  We had already learned about all the technology that is coming because of our meeting with Elder Evans.  He told us not to share and we didn't.  The restored gospel is to true.  We love being part of the missionary movement.  I love my companion more every day.  (So do I!)

Mon. Aug 13th  We left Bro. Kearn's this morning at 8 A.M.  & started back to Charlotte.  After walking about 7 miles we came to Ford's Mill but there was nobody to take us across the creek so we got in the boat and paddled ourselves over.  We then went on & at 1 P.M. we got to the Rocky River & got two men take us across in a row boat.  After going about three miles farther we got Bro. Geo. H. Garmon's at 5 P.M. but he was not at home.  We retired at 8 P.M.