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.