Business as usual but always time for hugs.

Our mail person, Teresa, is the best! Every day she brings in letters and boxes and big smiles and hugs. Friday she was lamenting that we, the office missionaries, always seems to be leaving her. We all assured her that we would be staying for at least another year. Sweet lady!

I don’t have a lot to share this week. I have been busy getting the pre-mission health information gathered for the missionaries coming in November. I go through the information so I will know what medications etc that I will need to be prepared to help them with. Some will need to find local doctors as soon as they arrive so that they will have time to schedule appointments to get medication refills that can’t be prescribed from their home physicians. Others have allergies that I need to be aware of and then there are the diabetics and those with illnesses that require special attention. 

At the moment, we are expecting 22 missionaries but are likely to have more at the last minute. Those going to foreign countries that have not yet received their visas are sent to state side missions to serve while waiting. Thus we call them “visa waiters.” We love them all. They are great young people whether they will be with us for 2 days or 2 years.

We are having a sisters’ conference next week so I have been shopping for food and other supplies with Sisters Barker and Crump. I have helped set up the speakers, music, and program with Sister Cornelius. More to come next week.

I went with President and Sister Cornelius on Tuesday for interviews in Roseburg, an hour and a half away. Always enjoyable to visit with the missionaries. I didn’t get any pictures. Next time!!

I spoiled myself with missionary meals though. Wednesday evening I went to dinner at Mandy’s Family Restaurant with three beautiful sisters.

Sisters Vanis, Crouch, and Campbell

Breakfast for dinner – a favorite! Chicken and waffle with over easy eggs.
Had to bring half home for leftovers.

Saturday I went to lunch and then ice cream with two sisters and three elders.

Sisters Crouch and Campbell and Elders Walton, Jardine, and Smith

We went to the Dough Co before going to Salt and Straw for the ice cream

We went to the Dough Co before going to Salt and Straw for the ice cream

Matching outfit day at the office on Thursday 

Sister Eastman

It has been colder here this week. Only had rain one and a half days. The rest were bright and crisp. Walking is wonderful and the best way to start the day.

Tuesday walking with Sisters Barker and Crump and Elder Crump

This mama nutria and her 3 babies are often by the walkway along the river. 

Nutria, a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, were brought to the United States for their fur in the 1880s. They were introduced to Oregon in the 1930s. Farming nutria fur was marketed as a quick and easy way to make money. When the nutria fur market collapsed in the late 1940s, however, thousands of nutria were released. Because of their prolific and mobile nature, the population quickly spread throughout western Oregon.

From a distance, nutria or coypu (Myocastor coypus) can be mistaken for beaver, but it is a smaller animal with a thin, pointed tail. Nutria have prominent orange incisors and are about two feet long, with fur that ranges from yellowish to dark brown. Their hind feet are webbed to facilitate swimming, and their noses, eyes, and ears are set high on their heads. Nutria live in freshwater marshes and wetlands and can adapt relatively easily to different habitats.

 

Love this sunrise over the river

Wednesday the sky was clear enough to see the moon and Venus

Saturday morning it was really cold. Frost everywhere and mist rising from a pond.

Frost on the grasses and leaves

The trees are gorgeous!

Sister and Elder Crump walked with me on Saturday. Because we didn’t have to be in the office, we waited until it was light outside. We walked to a different area than we usually walk. I don’t know what this “monument” was to represent but I thought it was interesting. 

I believe that these birds are cormorants. 

We walked along the path in front of the Stadium at the University of Oregon.

There must have been a high school band competition or something going on there. There were busloads of students arriving and some already practicing on the grassy areas. 

Rather dreary music

Sunday morning view of the beautiful blue sky and trees looking off my apartment deck

Because of the nature of my calling, I don’t share a lot of what I do, but the health problems that missionaries have are most often colds, flu, preparation day activity injuries from basketball or volleyball, homesickness, etc. I love being able to be a nurse, grandma, mentor, or whatever need must be filled. I don’t like that people get sick but I do like being able to help them. I have several area doctors and the nurses at Missionary Medical that offer support and advice and are helpful in many ways. I value the guidance I received from the Spirit as well. I’m sure you know and are tired of the repetition but I am blessed beyond measure to serve in this capacity.

I love my Savior.

I love you my family and friends. Have a blessed week ahead.

The fog, clouds and rain are upon us

Monday morning, Sister Barker and I walked in the rain.  Neither of us was singing but it was not too bad.  She is a good sport to go with me.  Sister and Elder Crump joined us on a few other days.  The rest of the week was a mixture of fog and heavy mist with intermittent moments of actual rain.  

Mushrooms by the river

This picture came up in my memories on FB from seven years ago October 22.  This was taken out on Fire Island beach during my NYC mission.  Great memories and making new great memories now.

I really don’t mind rain and cloudy days.  It makes me want to bake bread and make soup!  I have done neither of these but the inclination is there nonetheless.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were interview days for the three zones here in Eugene.  The missionaries came to the office at their appointed times to visit with President Cornelius and Sister Cornelius and I listened to each of them recite a memorized scripture and enjoyed interacting and visiting with them.  It is really delightful to be with them.  

Monday, I went to lunch with 2 of the sisters that had come to the office on their preparation day to pick up supplies.  We went to the Dough Co for calzones.

Sister Budge and Palmer

Pepperoni calzone

Monday evening, Sister and Elder Barker and Sister and Elder Crump and I went to a late dinner and then to Salt and Straw for ice cream.  I run with the best crowd!!

Elder and Sister Barker

Elder and Sister Crump

Dinner on Tuesday evening.  Love a salad!!

After interviews on Thursday, I went to a Red Cross Blood Drive being held in the stake center next to the office to donate.  

Friday our interviews were in Corvallis.  Since it was not far out of the way, President wanted to visit with the senior missionary couples at Camp Alpine.  We toured the camp to see how things were going.  The pond/lake had been drained for the winter and new grass had been planted in many camp sites.  A parking lot had been enlarged and everything looked good.  The assistants to the president were more than excited to take the tour in a cart.  

Elders Kynaston and Varty

Sister Cornelius

Saturday, I drove back to Corvallis (about an hour each way) to take some medication to a missionary there.  

Often there are areas here that remind me a lot of my time in New Zealand.  This row of trees along the highway reminds me of the roads I used to drive a lot in the north island through the farm land.

The package of medication hadn’t arrived to the office until after we had left on Friday and the missionary needed the medication so it gave me an excuse (not that I need an excuse LOL) to take some missionaries out to lunch.  I had invited others to join us but they had already made appointments for lunch and or lessons.  I was lucky to be joined by four wonderful missionaries at Panera where I had a fuji apple salad – YUM - but no picture, and then off to an ice cream store before heading back to Eugene.

Sisters Richins and Huffaker – Elders Asay and Fawson

It has been a great week.  I enjoy my time with the missionaries and also being able to enjoy my time in nature walking along the river and the meadows/wetlands.

I very much receive blessings of every kind when I serve the Lord and others.  I recognize that everything I have is a gift and blessing from my loving Father in Heaven.  

 There is a hymn that I love.  The words describe my feelings better than I can:

Because I Have Been Given Much

Because I have been given much,

I too must give;

Because of thy great bounty Lord,

Each day I live;

I shall divide my gifts from thee

With every brother that I see

Who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered, fed

By thy good care;

I cannot see another’s lack and I not share;

My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,

my roof's safe shelter overhead

That he too may be comforted.

 Because I have been blessed by

thy great love dear Lord;

I’ll share thy love again

According to thy word;

I shall give love to those in need,

I’ll show that love by word and deed;

Thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed.

 
I will try in every way I can to share what I have been given.  I fall short in so many ways but I’ll never quit trying.

I love my Savior.

I love you my family and friends.

Free to good home one pair new and unused solar eclipse glasses

Saturday morning I went with Sister Cornelius, Sister and Elder Crump to the wetlands or meadow north of Eugene to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse.   The only thing we saw were clouds and fog.  Oh well, maybe next time.  We did get a good walk though.

The predicted time to see the best view of the ring of fire was 9:13

This was our view of the sun at 9:13

Free to good home one pair new and unused solar eclipse glasses

The morning wasn’t a total loss.  Sister and Elder Crump invited me to join them for breakfast.  Elder Crump made hootenanny pancake that was really good and then we played games for a while.  

President Cornelius sent this to me.  Made me giggle so thought I would share.

Because of zone conferences and travel time, I was only able to walk on Monday and Tuesday mornings and of course, as I mentioned, on Saturday.  The skies were clear and beautiful on Monday.

I really like spider webs. They are so interesting and intricate. I believe that this is the web of a wolf spider but there are a lot of varieties of wolf spiders so I might be wrong but the web is fascinating whatever creature created it!

Tuesday, Sister and Elder Crump were game enough to walk with me in the rain out at the meadow/wetlands.

Tuesday was the weekly planning meeting in the office where I got to see some sweet sisters.

Tuesday evening I enjoyed dinner at The Dough Co with assistants to the president and two other elders who are on special assignment to go on exchanges with the zone leaders and to help out as needed in the mission.   We had calzone at the Dough Company.

Elders Robison, Varty, Petersen, Kynaston

For dessert we went to Salt & Straw for ice cream.

Wednesday morning the office couples met at the stake center at 7:15 to prepare for the zone conference there beginning at 9:00. We got tables and chairs set up for 90 plus people and serving tables, etc ready for lunch. The Crumps prepared the rice for teriyaki chicken (President and Sister Cornelius prepared the chicken) and I prepared the mixed vegetables. Sister Barker organized and brought everything needed for the lunch and Elder Barker got his tent or shade set up and everything ready for the car inspections at the end of the conference.

Thursday I rode down to Roseburg with Sister Barker in a new car that was being taken to Medford to exchange for an older car that is to be sold.  Elder Barker took a trailer with some furniture for an apartment in the south of the mission. 
 

 It is about a 1 ½ hour drive and we needed to get there to set up the tables, etc for lunch so we left at 6:30.  The relief society in Roseburg prepared and served the lunch so that was very nice not to have to take a lot of food there to prepare.

After the conference and car inspections we drove to Medford, 1 ½ hours, where we would stay the night for the conference on Friday. 

Mount McLoughlin dominates the northeastern sky over Medford, OR much the same way Hood does Portland and Rainier does Seattle, just on a smaller scale in cities and peaks. It's had many names, both native and not. Many still know it as Mount Pitt, named after California's Pit River. It's the sixth highest Cascade peak in Oregon but relatively unknown. From the west it looks like a pretty smooth cone but the north side it has some large gouges with a large thumb-shaped plug. It's a relatively easy hike to the summit with views that can include Shasta and Lassen Peak to the south and Crater Lake/Mt. Thielsen to the north. This is the highest peak between Shasta and South Sister.

I met up with my niece and her husband and we all had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Kay and Harvey have been called to serve in the Calgary Alberta Mission. They will leave in January. It was fun to visit with them.

Harvey and Kay Bragg, Elder and Sister Barker

We were at the stake center in Central Point/Medford at 8:00 the next morning to set up for the lunch and car inspection there.

I drove the vehicle to be sold back to Eugene that evening while Sister and Elder Barker went on south to take the furniture they had brought down.

It was a wonderful conference week.  Elder Ojideran and his wife toured the mission and presided over the conferences.  Elder Ojideran gave some great talks and instruction to the missionaries about doing their work.

Saturday after the solar eclipse/walk adventure, I did some laundry, ran a few errands and went to dinner at Sister and President Cornelius’s home.  They served shrimp tacos to me and two other sisters.  Sadly, I neglected to get pictures. 

Sunday I rode with the president and Sister Cornelius to Roseburg for a stake conference to hear them speak.  They gave great talks about being member missionaries.

The stake president in Roseburg gave a talk that really touched me.  He spoke about making our lives better by reaching out to the Savior.  If we reach out to him in all aspects of our lives, we will be happier in every way.  

He also referenced, as did other speakers, President Russell M Nelson’s talk, Think Celestial.  That was a favorite talk for me this last conference.  President Nelson had injured his back prior to conference time so he was not in attendance.  He did record his talk and you may watch it or read it.

I like the message that President Nelson gave regarding our time here on the earth:

“I have learned that Heavenly Father’s plan for us is fabulous, that what we do in this life really matters, and that the Savior’s Atonement is what makes our Father’s plan possible.

As I have wrestled with the intense pain caused by my recent injury, I have felt even deeper appreciation for Jesus Christ and the incomprehensible gift of His Atonement. Think of it! The Savior suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind” so that He can comfort us, heal us, rescue us in times of need. Jesus Christ described His experience in Gethsemane and on Calvary: “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore.” My injury has caused me to reflect again and again on “the greatness of the Holy One of Israel.”  During my healing, the Lord has manifested His divine power in peaceful and unmistakable ways.

Because of Jesus Christ’s infinite Atonement, our Heavenly Father’s plan is a perfect plan! An understanding of God’s fabulous plan takes the mystery out of life and the uncertainty out of our future. It allows each of us to choose how we will live here on earth and where we will live forever. The baseless notion that we should “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us” is one of the most absurd lies in the universe.

Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be! Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of “thinking celestial”!  Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded. We learn from the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob that “to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.”

I would invite you to read or watch this talk.  President Nelson gives us help and suggestions that will change our lives for the better if we follow his advice.  

I know that Russell M Nelson is a prophet of God.  That he is guided and directed to lead the Church.   I know that my Savior lives and has given his life for me that I may return to the presence of my Father in Heaven if I live worthily.   I know that families can be eternal – a blessing that I am grateful to have.

I love my Savior.

I love you my family and friends.