TRAVELING HOME

Our map home

What beautiful country we have been serving in.

This was posted the 9th but written starting July 6th.  I just haven't had time to blog.  I will try to get caught up.
It was fun to go to church with Kristin’s family.  It felt weird to be in such a large congregation.  Not even our stake conference was that large.  Both Baylie and Kristin bore their testimonies.  We love testimony Sunday, especially when we hear such pure testimonies from our family; makes ours stronger.

We came home and napped some more.  We must really be tired.  We had no idea.

The Dragon's tail is in our new mission boundaries.  It is 11 miles long and 118 curves.  It is very dangerous because there are so many motorcycles on it.  The bikers come from all over for the ride.

Tree of shame.  Motorcycles that have crashed.

One of many horse shoe turns.

Dam where the Fugitive was filmed.  I forgot to put this in an earlier blog.

Back to the now blog:

table decor

It was so much fun to be with Kristin’s family.  Baylie gave a beautiful Home Evening lesson on repentance.  She  really told it the way it is.  Brought back many memories.

During our visit with Kristin, back in Utah, our Lily was baptized by her father.  We are so proud of her decision to be a member of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  She is making the right decisions.

We got up Monday morning and after a breakfast of biscuits and eggs we headed out.  We came across a Wells Fargo  Bank (We haven’t had one for 18 months) and cashed the first check we have cashed since leaving Provo.  It felt so weird walking in a bank.  Of course I told two people about the church.

We traveled all day and ended in Paducha, Kentucky.  KING SIZE BED.  WOW!!!!  It has been pretty but absolutely no mountains.  Quite a shock after the Smokeys for 9 months.

We traveled to St. Louis, MO and saw the arch.  It was fun because I can remember traveling back and forth to BYU from Dayton while it was being built.  It’s amazing.  We also passed Busch Stadium.

We passed the Missouri River many times.  Read D&C 121:33.  We had to memorize from here to the end of the chapter.  We love it.

Here we were driving down the freeway and guess who had to go to the  you know where.  While desperately looking for a place, Elder Bayles said,  “That’s the temple.”  He hurried and switched lanes and we got there just in the nick of time.  It is so beautiful.

 

We left there for Independence, MO and the information center.  We had a wonderful tour.  We then went right to another free Marriott.

While traveling we listed to a CD by missionaries singing.  One of the songs was "The hardest thing I ever did was tell my mother good-bye, but now the hardest thing was telling the people I grew to love good-bye."  We were both crying so hard we decided to not listen to that tape again.

                                          Missouri River

July 10^th we spent the whole day visiting Church history sites.  We started by driving to Kansas City and Council Bluffs.  We visited the visitor’s center and Liberty Jail.  They did a great job of making it the way it was.  I cannot even slightly imagine what those great men went through with complete faith in our Father.

 Joseph Smith prayed to our Father asking,  “Oh God, where art thou?” and was answered, “My son, peace be unto thy soul;”  Read D & C 121:1-8.  You might as well continue on to the end of the chapter.  We were invited by President Craven to memorize 33-to the end.  It’s beautiful and powerful.  It strengthened our testimonies greatly.

At Council Bluffs we saw a movie on the Mormon Batallion.  Ephraim K. Hanks was 20 when he joined.  It was a very good movie. 

We saw the Kanesville Tabernacle (replica of the very first tabernacle in the church)but our favorite thing was going into town and seeing the sculpts of Blair Buswell. Elder Bayles was his bishop at one time.  He’s an incredibly talented man. He wrote that this work was his Mt. Rushmore.

We then went to Winter Quarters and saw the temple and pioneer cemetery.  There is always such a great spirit at temple sites. 

We loved this day and enjoyed it thoroughly.  We just wish we had more time to stay but we headed to Kearney, Mo. for another free Marriott.

We were so tired but traveled all day so we could get home when everyone could be there from Utah.  The kids kept calling to see where we were and how much longer it would take.  We were so tired but we had to sally forth.  Only dad drove the entire way.

We drove in at 8:00 to a huge sign on the window signed by all of the family and yellow ribbons and balloons everywhere.  The grands were standing on the brick wall waiting and of course we both started crying.  We have done a lot of that. 

The kids (Scott & Erik's families) gave us a tour of our home and garden. It seemed so different. The garden was beautiful. They had a pizza dinner for us. Bishop Hoopes stopped by.  When everyone left we just fell into bed.  How great it was to be in our own bed again.  We felt very empty not being in the mission field though.  It just didn’t seem right.

We spent the next day unpacking and reorganizing things.  It was so fun to see old things we had forgotten and to see the new things we had brought home.  We had dinner at Scott’s new home.  They have really worked hard and made it beautiful. 

Erik’s boys were there because Scott’s family were tending them while Erik and Shanelle were on an anniversary trip.

Next day we continued the work of getting settled in.  Clark came in first in his Olympic tri.  They came to visit and it was so good to see them.  What a great family.

We ate at Scott’s again.  Great pulled pork.

We are so missing the wonderful people we grew to love so much, but are happy to be home.  We still have a lot of tears for love of our mission.

Thurs, Sept 6th 1905  We started out again this morning in good time & walked three miles to Benaja & got our mail. From there we walked 10 miles to Reidsville.  After buying a bunch of envelopes & 10 cents worth of cakes & a can of salmon we went outside of town & ate them and had just started out again & we met a man who stoped us & ask us where we were going.  After talking with him a few minutes we found that he was a member of the Church & he ask us to go & stay all night with him & we kindly accepted the invitation. He lived about three miles out in the country.  We then went on & after going a short distance a man came along with a wagon & ask us to get on & ride.  We rode about a mile with him & had a nice talk with him upon the Gospel.  We arrived at Bro. Meal's at about 5 P.M.  We were treated very kindly.

THE LAST DAYS

18 months

Our last P-Day in the mission field and we had such a grand time.  The Silkers had invited us to go gem mining with them for some time but it rained every Monday so we decided rain or shine we would go.  It was a beautiful day and perfect weather.  We left home at 8:00 and got back at 6:30. 

 We all found some sapphire but Sister Silker found the biggest of the day, 10.35 carats)  We were so excited for her.

  It was so much  fun getting muddy and playing in the dirty water all day.  

We had a quick lunch and mined 'till we couldn't.
 We got home exhausted, showered and hit the sack.
We had a wonderful dinner with Mickey and her husband.  The Moose's name is Pitiful.

  We took our little family to dinner to say good-by.  It was the last time we would be able to see them.  We went to an all you can eat buffet which the boys loved.  We could not believe how much they ate.  We think they out ate the elders.  It was fun.
The Forth of July the new mission president, President Irion and his wife, came from Knoxville to see the Murphy area.  They stayed several hours and we showed them an apt. they may want to use for missionaries.  We think the switch will be easily done.
At five o'clock we went to the Fradys' for dinner.  We were going to fish but the constant rain prohibited it.  Elder Bayles made some walking sticks for them ad they loved them.  Cori cried.  Elder also gave Jeff a new site for his 17.  H was so surprised.  They are such good people and we love them so much.  They were the very hardest to leave  It was so difficult.  They will for sure make it to the temple.  Oh, for the record for dinner Cori fixed a spinach and fried onion salad and I had seconds.  I hate these crying good-byes but we bawled.
I just put in some pictures to remind me of Murphy when we get home.

Friday we got up and continued packing.  We figured we would be through at 5:00.  As we began loading we decided we would leave as soon as we were through in that President Irion took our keys to the church and to our house.

Tell me there's nothng else.

 We loaded and at 5:30 we drove off.  Our next door neighbor, Jim Morgan, came out of their house (Kay) and handed us $50 for gas.  What a nice man.  We decided we would buy a picture book about North Carolina instead of gas.  We have wanted one ever since we came but all books about NC are of the beaches.  We will find the one we want.
We got to Kristin's at 10:30 dead tired driving through beautiful mountains and rain, rain, rain.  We stopped at Clemson. 

 We fell into Baylie's bed and were asleep in no time.
We tended the kids while David and Kristin went to a funeral.  The kids watched a movie while we fell asleep. 

 When they got home we went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch in that it is fast Sunday tomorrow.
  We came home and fell asleep on the couch, again.

Sorry but there's no way Elder Bayles is unpacking to find grandpa's journal.  Not good planning on my part.

ASHEVILLE ZONE P-DAY (before Tennessee, Knoxville)

Asheville Zone Missionaries June 2013

What a glorious day we spent with our missionaries, the mission staff and President Craven and his sweet wife. 

 We met in Bryson City at a park and then drove to the Smokey Mountain National Park (15 min.) to the Deep creek Falls.  The missionaries were so thrilled to be out of their Sunday clothes and into the Smokey Mountains.  We hiked for several hours and saw three beautiful falls. 

 Our Father in Heaven and His Son have given us such a green, lush forest to enjoy.  We love serving in this part of His vineyard.  After the muggy heat and sweaty faces we headed to Cherokee for a dinner put on by the Silkers and us.  We had yummy pulled pork sandwiches, (huge buns filled to overflowing) chips, watermelon, and two large cakes. 

 They ate ‘till they couldn’t eat any more.  Our Elder McDonald downed 5 sandwiches.  I almost got sick.  It reminded me when Clark ate 17 slices of French toast and I had to leave the kitchen before I got sick.

We then went into the Relief Society room to be trained by our president.  He knows just how to reach everyone.  It was so good no one wanted it to end.  Sister Craven then gave a short lesson and President Craven opened it up for testimonies.  How strong the youth of Zion are.  These missionaries are so obedient and filled with faith in our Savior.  

There is no need to fear for we will continue to be led by strong men and women in this restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  We headed home, tired, worn out, full of food and inspiration, wanting to stay for another 18 months so we could be a part of this great wave of missionary work that is coming to prepare the earth for the second coming.  It’s so exciting. 

After the meeting everyone signed the Craven's tablecloth.

 We got home at 10:30 and dropped into bed.

Tuesday morning found Elder Bayles driving to Georgia to give the elders their phone they had left.  We love them.  He had to hurry back so Lucy would be here for her eye appointment.  The window is now fixed.  

Wednesday we attended a YW cookout along the river at the Fradys’.  He is doing so well.  The 3 girls loved holding the goats and petting all the animals. 

Melanie (investigator) Elizabeth, Cherokee

The meal was yummy as usual and the Spirit strong.  After they left we stayed until 10:00 just hearing him express thanks for the peace he now has in his life knowing our Father’s plan.   Without hesitation he offered our closing prayer as we all knelt.  What a powerful thing the Gospel is.  It indeed changes lives.

Early Thursday morning we headed out to Bear Paw, by the dam to visit our progressing investigator. 

 She is so amazing.  At her Baptist church where she is a Sunday School teacher, they all come up at the same time and pray.  She prays for our Prophet and says thanks for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  She used to pray silently but now she prays vocally.  Everyone is praying at the same time and she doesn’t care if they hear her or not.  She’s absolutely amazing.  Her testimony is so strong.  She will be baptized but some things have to happen first which are already in the plan.

We took one of our home evening families for ice cream to say good-by.  It was a fun time and the children enjoyed it.  It’s so much fun to do things for other people.  We looked at the weather for the next 10 days and all of them say rain.  So far true.

We took R & R to Rib Country for dinner.  Yes we are porking it on.

old home along the Santeetlah river

Guess who fell in?  Shocker, only the wallet this time

We had a great Saturday with the Fradys.  We started by them picking us up at 8:00 A.M. and then going to Robbinsville to fish.  We spent the entire day fishing, cooking, hiking, sight-seeing and just enjoying an entire day together.  

I ate the whole thing

not the bones  It was so yummy. Another shocker.

Brother Frady wanted to show us the beauty of his country.

The highways in North Carolina.

stream

I told you it rains 8 out of 10 days.  Moss is on everything.

They gave us an absolutely beautiful day.

It was a day we needed to remember the beauty of this marvelous area.  We got home at 10:30 p.m.
I love Elder Bayles.

Tues. Aug. 14th  We left Bro. Garmon's in good time & continued on our journey.  After walking eleven miles we got to John M. Wilson's at 11:30 A.M. & stayed with them the remainder of the day.  We bot a watermelon from a negro for 15 cents.
Tues. Sept 4th 1905  We left Robinson's in good time & started for Benaja.  After walking 24 miles we arrived at Benaja at 6 P.M.  After walking about a mile farther we commenced asking for entertainment & after being refused once we got to stay with a man by the name of R.H. Chandler where we were treated very friendly.  We had quite a time fighting "chinches."