Cars, churches, and BS'rs...(can sister Casper really say that?)

It's Saturday again and time to remember all that has happened this week.  Weather wise it has been glorious!!!!  Between 75 & 80 something and not too bad on humidity and the sun has been shinning and of course everything is sosooooooooooooooo green. Last Saturday it was about 90 & 90% humidity and for the first time I was sticky and uncomfortable.  Elder Casper has been uncomfortable before, but last week was a first for me.

 

Saturday we did spend some time at the office – Elder Casper had an accident he was dealing with and I always have LOTS to get done.  We only meant to go in for an hour and 4 hours later we wrapped it up and came home.

Elder Casper, the senior & Elder Casper, the Younger ; Elder Mills (1^st Assistant) & President Irion are dealing with a tricky situation.  The Tennessee Knoxville mission has to give 5 cars to the Tennessee Nashville Mission.  That means several of our companionships will be losing cars and will be bike or walking—no none wants to do it, but we are obedient and so they are working things out to figure who loses what and who goes where.  In addition we have transfers on the 28^th with 18 new missionaries coming in on the 27^th – 8 missionaries going home on the 29^th – and some of our visa waiters are starting to go to their assigned missions.  There is excitement and joy and consternation and frustration and every other emotion you can imagine.   The priesthood is working hard to make it happen and make it fair – glad I am not responsible.  I only have to listen to some of the weeping & wailing & gnashing of teeth at the outcome. (again sister Casper has had 5 teenagers... I'm sure she is use to all of this)

Sunday, President & Sister Irion spoke in our ward.  Great meeting – they are so good.  It was fun to watch the investigators watch and listen.  The investigators really pay attention!    Our girls, Sister Preston & Sister Malloy had 3 investigators there – Elder Christensen & Davis had 3 investigators there & Elder Lutu and Hunter had one and then a less active member they are trying to help.  Great meeting for them to be at.

A week ago Friday – Elder Casper got the Tennessee Knoxville mission blog, http://tkmcars.blogspot.com up and running. (Wow, Papa is growing up in this tech savvy world)  He also sent a blast email out to the Mission Stake Presidents and Bishop’s letting them know the cars were now ready to be sold.   On Monday he received a call from a counselor in the Rocky Face Spanish branch (we are in Tennessee remember) wanting to come see a car.  He came on Wednesday – liked what he saw – his wife liked the car too – went to his credit union and got a check and bought the first car.    He wasn’t able to get it until yesterday – check had to be sent to Salt Lake & salt Lake had to send the title to Tennessee, but yesterday he came and got the car.  They put a temporary tag on it to get it to Rocky Face so Elder Casper has the Tennessee plate off the car – I think he is going to frame it.     On Thursday he sold another car – returned missionary getting a car for school and work.  This car has repairs being taken care of and then the elder will get it.    In theory – the remaining 5 he needs to sell have been sold to one guy who is going to bring in a check this Monday.  I think the guy is a BS’er but what do I know.  By this time next week all the cars could be sold and gone and Elder Casper will feel as if he had died and gone to Heaven.   Both Elder Casper’s maybe in Nashville on Friday as the take the cars we need to give to that mission down to them.  As hard as the giving the cars up is – I think  they will both be glad when it has been done.

I spent the week getting materials ready for new missionaries and transfer day.

I need to tell you about the churches here.  There are not only churches on every corner – but all down the blocks.  I have never seen so many or seen so many different names.  My favorite are the civil war area churches – still active – really interesting small buildings and the all have a cemetery with them.  It is really special.    We go from that to great, huge, majestic and absolutely incredibly beautiful facilities!!!  The different denominations are side by side or across the street from each other and they  are breathtaking.  Then every once in a while you will see an LDS building and it is so comforting – it is coming home.  There is a church we pass everyday on our way to the Mission office or church or the store or wherever we are going.  It is the Fuse Church – and sports complex.  It has a sign saying come worship physically and spiritually and it is huge.  The signs are also orange – don’t know if that has meaning or not.     So lots of churches with lots of attendance.     When you go to a restaurant, you see families & individuals bow their heads for a blessing on the food.  Sometimes they pray silently and sometimes verbally and everyone is very respectful.   Then you go outside and see the sign for the South’s largest adult store – anything you want you can get.

We also have just a fun time with the squirrels – real animals.  As we lay in bed at night we can hear them drop on to the roof and run across. It is kind of fun.

90% of the time we have it together...

Another busy week in Tennessee!!!!! 

I keep thinking I am going to get enough of a handle on things that the pace will slow.  We really are doing well – for 90% of the time we both know what we are doing and get it done quickly and if not perfect at least well done.  Then that 10% slips in and throws you for a loop.  President Irion says “welcome to the club”!   just like life do you think?

 

Saturday we just did our usual stuff – laundry, grocery shopping, I had my hair done, Elder Casper bought a TV and VCR.  Just small ones – we will not get TV but can play DVD’s – so I have put in some old, old, old Sherlock Holmes.  These are from the 1^st black & white TV series of Sherlock Holmes and it is a hoot to watch.

 

Fast Sunday we have the missionaries who are assigned to our ward over for dinner – so we had Sister Preston & Sister Malloy who actually live downstairs, and Elders Lutu, Hunter, Christensen & Davis over.  We just did roast, potatoes & gravy and corn on the cob but they seemed to like it.  These guys tend to really eat so we actually bought 2 large roasts – had enough we were able to send a goody box home with them.  They each probably got a half a serving at home but they got plenty while they were here. We had ice cream Sundays for desert – Elder Christensen & Davis are the Zone leaders, and on Sunday night they have to call all the district leaders and get their reports for the week.  Elder Christensen said “boy I would like to save my Sunday and come back and make our calls from here and have our Sundays then”. So,  Elder Casper invited them over.  At 8:30pm they came and had ice cream with Elder Casper and did their reports – I was tired and so I went to bed early.  It was a great day!!!!

Friday we had a couples meeting from 9 to 11:30 at the mission home.  It was also a leadership meeting during that time at the stake center so Elder Casper, the Younger was really involved with that one. We have 7 couples – two couples, the Roner’s and Casper’s are in the office.  The other 5 couples are assigned to missionary areas – they will stay in one place their entire mission, but they have a specific area they are responsible for.   It was so fun to meet together – these couples are amazing and just fun to be around. 

 Elder Bingham shared with us an experience he had had.  A young Primary boy in their ward came up to him and got really close and looked and looked in his face and then asked “how come your face is hanging”?  it was funny for all of us – we knew what he meant.

 After the meeting we met with the Leadership missionaries at the stake center for taco salad, watermelon and brownies.  Sister Irion had called on the Relief Society in the Farragut ward to help her prepare this meal for 80 and it was delicious.

 In the afternoon 2 of our 6 zone/stake missionaries joined us for a special meeting.  Our mission takes in eastern Tennessee, the Asheville stake in North Carolina, a part of Virginia, a part of Georgia, a part of Kentucky.  The distances are just too great to bring everyone in, but 2 zones got to be included.

 In the afternoon we had a meeting with Elder Erich W. Kopischke from the 70.  What an amazing afternoon!!!!  He was there for the young missionaries but we got the opportunity of being able to be taught also.   As always he taught what we already know – but put in a way to strengthen and excite and recommit all of us to doing the things we have been called to do and that we have committed to do.

 People matter and when we concentrate on people the numbers come.  We are all sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and He loves all of us.  He has also given all of us our agency – the ability to choose for ourselves and He will never take that agency away.  As missionaries we are not responsible for others decisions about accepting or not accepting the message and the gospel.  We are, however, responsible to share that message and offer the invitation to come to the Savior and to our Heavenly parents.   The spirit was so strong and so inviting – I spent half of my time in tears.  I haven’t changed – still handle everything in tears.

 Elder Casper, the Younger was busy making things go well and right during the meeting Elder Casper, the Senior received a call that a couple of Sister missionaries had had a car accident so he had to go out of the meeting to make phone calls and take care of that.  That makes 3 accidents in the 2 months that we have been here.

 Elder Casper, the Senior has another thing he is dealing with – he and Elder Casper, the younger and President Irion – they have to give 7 of the mission cars to the Tennessee Nashville Mission.  It is causing weeping and wailing and gnashing of  teeth.  I think I told you all that last week.  No one wants to give up a car so it is not a fun situation.

The Projects, baseball, and speed limits...

August already!  WOW time flies!  Here is the NEWS from KNOXVILLE:

Last Saturday Elder Casper, the Elder attended a ward priesthood breakfast and then the two of us spent 5 hours with the missionaries – Elder Lutu and Hunter, going with them to appointments.  It was an experience.

Our ward has three families who live in the “projects” and they needed to visit them.  Elder Lutu was really cute – he said ”we have to go to the projects, it will be scary, will you be ok?’   It was like going into the projects was in the movie Blindside.  In fact, the apartments look exactly the same. The missionaries can only go in if someone is there who is a member or someone they know – no tracting or contacting is allowed in that housing area.  It is really interesting.

We have had another busy week – they all seem to be busy.
We have 17 new missionaries coming in the last week of the month and to get all the supplies and their orientation books ready and all the things President & Sister Irion need so it is a lot of busy work for me.  With my great abilities – I was able to jam 3 of the machines and had to have dad’s help in getting them going again.

We have been assigned to home teach the Bishops family – cute family.  Murphy is 7 (named for Dale Murphy – the family are BIG baseball fans); Maddie is 11 going on 16; Skylar is 13 and Sterling is 17.  Bishop McKellar is an attorney and they are just really fun.  We talked about the University of Tennessee and how cool it would be to go to a Vols game (the Volunteers).  Bishop gets tickets from all kinds of clients and so they are going to take us to a game.  They are going to Virginia for the BYU game and offered to take us but that is a 5 hour drive and is a bit out of our mission area so we had to decline.

We get to see Elder Laws Casper every Monday for staff meeting.  The rest of the week is iffy.  They travel so much.  It was zone meetings this week so he has been all over the place.  President & Sister Iron took 3 zones and the assistants took the other 3.   BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Papa has been busy with the cars – we are going to be loosing cars and there is great weeping & wailing * ganashing of teeth because of it.

 Our streets are only two lane with no shoulder, no sidewalk – nothing.  The speed limit for the most part is 55 – and that is how fast folks drive,  mostly I shut my eyes and let your dad do it.  Riding bikes and walking these street is scary.  Plus they are so hilly – up and down --- up and down.
Speed limit on freeway – 6 lane – is also 55.  Strange system.