The beginning of the “lasts” in my mission

As the day of my release draws ever nearer, I am filled with much emotion. This week marks the last of the interviews with missionaries. I am blessed to have been able to spend time with the sisters and elders one on one as we visited with them while they waited for their turn to be interviewed by the president. 

They have asked for pictures with me which I am happy to have in my memory book. (My blog is my journal and the way I will keep my thoughts and memories available to re-read and cherish.) I’ve been invited to lunches and dinners and we’ve shared thoughts and re-lived experiences that have been fun. 

I look forward in 2 ½ weeks to being with my family and friends at home but I am going to miss these sisters and elders who have become my mission family.

Monday, I had lunch at Shari’s with one of the districts in the Santa Clara Zone. We laughed a lot and I enjoyed the company.

Sisters Tippetts and Thomas, Elders Roberson, Smith, Yardley, Thacker, Baker, Ludwig, and Kunz

Tuesday were interviews in Eugene for the Springfield Zone but unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures. 

Wednesday we were again in Eugene for the Eugene Zone.

Sister Johnson

Sister Wensel 

Sister Wells

Elder WrightElder Wright

Wednesday evening, I had dinner with Sisters White and Palmer. Gotta love the windy hairdo!!

Thursday we traveled to Roseburg for that zone’s interviews. I got quite a few “sick” calls so I didn’t get a lot of pictures. I did get a picture with Josie Huffaker who finished her mission last June and had returned for a visit.

Friday was the last interview of this transfer period held in North Bend for the Coos Bay Zone. We were a little early so President turned off to see a lighthouse close to the highway. He turned a little early and we ended up at the sand dunes. 

We did eventually see the lighthouse but I didn’t get a picture of that.

Interview pictures

Sister Jeffords

Sister Thomas

Elder Miller

President and Sister Cornelius, Elders Miller and Jones

Saturday, I did laundry and went grocery shopping. Also had lunch with Elders Baker and Ludwig.

And had dinner with Elders Bogle and Williams and Sisters Zollinger and Wensel.

Monday morning I walked along the river. The moon was amazing. 

The colorful sunrise

The heron under the bridge

Wednesday I walked at the prairie. There was a mist over the grassy area. The picture really doesn’t show the full beauty.

The days have been cooler and there have been some thunder storms and rain. I saw this leave on the sidewalk Saturday as I walked along the river. Truly Fall is in the air with evidence on the ground.

Sunday in Relief Society we discussed a talk given in last April’s General Conference by Elder Ronald A. Rasband titled Words Matter. 

Elder Rasband taught that words set a tone. They voice our thoughts, feelings, and experiences, for good or bad. He emphasizes the profound impact of words with their ability to connect us, represent our beliefs and influence our actions. He talks about the importance of the Lord’s words, the words of prophets, and our own words and urges us to use words thoughtfully and with love.

The Lord’s words and the words of the prophets can guide and direct us and help us to remain faithful and steadfast.

Our words and the words of others can lift us or tear us apart. To quote Elder Rasband:

“Our words can be supportive or angry, joyful or mean, compassionate or tossed aside. In the heat of the moment, words can sting and sink painfully deep into the soul—and stay there. Our words on the internet, texting, social media, or tweets take on a life of their own. So be careful what you say and how you say it. In our families, especially with husbands, wives, and children, our words can bring us together or drive a wedge between us.

Let me suggest three simple phrases that we can use to take the sting out of difficulties and differences, lift, and reassure each other:

“Thank you.”

“I am sorry.”

And “I love you.”

Do not save these humble phrases for a special event or catastrophe. Use them often and sincerely, for they show regard for others. Talk is growing cheap; do not follow that pattern.

We can say “thank you” on the elevator, in the parking lot, at the market, in the office, in a queue, or with our neighbors or friends. We can say “I am sorry” when we make a mistake, miss a meeting, forget a birthday, or see someone in pain. We can say “I love you,” and those words carry the message “I am thinking about you,” “I care about you,” “I am here for you,” or “You are everything to me.””

I really loved this talk. I will pay more heed to the words of the Lord and prophets. It also made me desire to be more conscious of the things I say and how I say them. I pray that I will be more aware of the needs of others and how I can help them through my words and actions too.

I love my Savior

I love you my family and friends.

Pears, Interviews and more

President and Sister Cornelius and I began the week going to Klamath Falls and then to Medford. Busy and enjoyable week.

Out of sequence, Friday we had the morning free so we went to the Church pear orchard in Medford. From the website: The Rogue Valley is known for pears, but did you know that each year at the Medford Humanitarian Pear Orchard, more than 1.5 million pounds of pears are hand-picked by local volunteers and donated to humanitarian needs locally and worldwide? Over 100,000 pounds of fresh pears will be distributed to local food pantries in Jackson County and the other approximately 1.9 million pounds will be canned for humanitarian needs around the world. Harvest runs from August 9th to August 24th, 2024.

Here is a link to their website if you would like to read more about it.

Sister Newcomb gave me a tour. She told me that the orchard covers about 52 acres. I was really impressed with the how clean and orderly the buildings, orchard and grounds were kept.

Our missionaries join in service to help with the harvest. Here are some pictures I took that show a little of what it takes to harvest and ship the pears.

Volunteers getting their picking baskets

The picking platform. Some people ride on the platform through the orchard to pick the higher pears

Sister and Elder Newcomb on a skid-steer loader

Elder Mooy

President Cornelius

Elder DeVore

Sisters Cornelius, Sterzer, Weeks, Elder Black

Elder and Sister Newcomb

The pears are loaded on trucks and kept in a commercial cooler until semi-trucks come to carry the pears to a plant in Idaho where they are canned and shipped around the world

A large metal building where equipment and boxes are stored

Inside the building where some boxes are assembled and waiting to be filled and sent out to local food banks

Wall hangings in the office

Road signs

Pears I gleaned and brought home with me to share with missionaries here in Eugene

A group of us at the orchard

We had interviews in Klamath Falls on Tuesday morning so we left Eugene early for the 3 plus hour drive south 

Dinner with the Klamath Falls zone leaders between interviews and the devotional. Elders Atwood and Israelsen

That evening, the stake had a restoration devotional. I always enjoy these devotionals and hearing the testimony of new converts and missionaries. Afterward, we drove to Medford where we stayed for interviews.

Wednesday we had interviews with the Central Point Zone.

Elders Kalama, Nebeker, Maylin and Blake

Elders Denison, Scott, Hacking, and Ockey

Thursday were interviews with the Medford zone.

Elder Sanders

Elders DeVore and Mooy – Medford zone leaders

After interviews, Sisters Weeks and Sterzer picked me up and we went to dinner. Always nice to share a meal with the missionaries.

 
In the evenings after dinner, I worked on my weekly report and followed up on missionaries and their health. Friday after the adventure at the pear orchard, while President caught up on some work he needed to do, Sister Cornelius and I went to Medford Temple for an endowment session. We enjoyed the session with Sister and Elder Hawkins who happened to be there. 

Friday evening, we had dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant in Ashland with the stake president and his wife. No pictures but it was a delicious four course meal and most delightful company.

We stayed in Medford rather than drive back to Eugene because President Cornelius had been invited to talk at leadership training and both President and Sister Cornelius were speaking at the Saturday evening session of the Central Point Stake Conference. 

Saturday morning I finished up my weekly report and then ran some errands with them before going to the stake center for a baptism at 2:00. It was a gift to watch a sweet sister be baptized. We then waited for a time for the leadership meeting and then the conference session to begin 

The focus of the evening meeting was missionary work and helping others to come unto Christ on both sides of the veil. President and Sister Cornelius talked about how members can be missionaries and work with and help the full-time missionaries. 

The Medford Temple President and Matron spoke about the importance of family history and temple work. 

It was a spirit filled day and evening. I feel so blessed to be a part of the work that is going on in gathering Israel. I thought of a talk that I recently listened to while I was walking one morning given by Elder Marcus B Nash in October 2021 General Conference. 

Elder Nash gives some great examples of member missionary work and stories of people who have come unto Christ. I would encourage you to read, listen to or watch this speech.

Elder Nash ends his talk with these words: “…the gathering of Israel—the greatest cause on this earth —is our covenant responsibility. And this is our time! My invitation today is simple: share the gospel. Be you and hold up the light. Pray for heaven’s help and follow spiritual promptings. Share your life normally and naturally; invite another person to come and see, to come and help, and to come and belong: And then rejoice as you and those you love receive the promised blessings.

I know that in Christ these good tidings are preached to the meek; in Christ are the brokenhearted bound up; in Christ is liberty proclaimed to the captives; and in Christ, only in Christ, are those who mourn given beauty for ashes. Hence, the great need to make these things known!

I testify that Jesus Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith. He will finish, He will complete, our exercise of faith—however imperfect—in holding up the gospel light. He will work miracles in our lives and in the lives of all He gathers, for He is a God of miracles.”

I love being a missionary! 

I love my Savior

I love you my family and friends.

Zone Conferences and Interviews and much enjoyment

Walking with my sister, Sister Barker, along the river we stopped to get a picture with the chrome heron. In this picture of the heron alone, it appears that the clouds are catching him in flight!  The clouds look to me like a big bird with wings spread.

We also walked along the prairie path this week enjoying the flowers before they are gone and the gorgeous sunrise.

Tuesday was zone conference in Medford.   Took advantage to get as many pictures with missionaries as possible since my mission will end in just a few short weeks.

Sister Lunt

Sister Weeks

Sister Sterzer

Sister Roskelley

Sister Bean

Sister Chatwin

Sister Kukahiko

Sister Sorenson

Elders Steenblik and Montague

Wednesday was interviews in Grants Pass.  

Waiting for an interview

Elder Nilson. When I looked at the picture, it seemed to me that we look like we could be related since our faces have a similar shape.  We did a “relatives around me” search and sure enough, we are 4th cousins twice removed.

Elders Thorson and Nilson

Sisters Bullock and Hunt

There are several wild fires in the area.  There was a lot of smoke in the air on our way back to Eugene.  You can see in the pictures that the mountains in the distance are hazy and not clear.  The pictures don’t really show the smokiness well.

Thursday was zone conference in Eugene.   On my way out of my apartment to go to the conference, I was greeted by a lovely lady across the green.

Lunch break.There were about 100 missionaries at each conference.

Sister Zollinger. A lot of activity in the parking lot after conference as cars were being inspected

Friday I went to Corvallis with Sister Barker to finalize rental of an apartment.  (She is over housing.)  We took boxes and supplies for the sisters to move from one apartment to the newer one.   There are 6 sisters in Corvallis so we invited them to lunch with us at Panera.  Fun!!

Sisters McKee and Blackham

Sisters Boulter and Eubanks

Sisters McKone and Lefler

That evening after we returned to Eugene and Elder Barker finished his work at the office, the three of us went to Junction City about 25 minutes north of Eugene for the Scandinavian Festival.  There were booths where you could buy souvenirs and lots of people in native dress.

There was a program with music and dance

We at a delicious meat pie with beef, potatoes, and cheese filling.  A Finnish funnel cake and a Swedish aebleskiver

Saturday afternoon, Sister Barker and I drove south about 40 minutes to Cottage Grove to inspect an apartment there.  We took the sisters to lunch at a Mexican restaurant but we were all so hungry that we forgot to get pictures.   I did get a picture of some beautiful orange cornflowers outside their apartment while we waited for them to return from a lesson.

It has been a very busy week with a lot of travel but worth every minute and mile!!

My brother, John, sent me a warning that I thought I should share with you.  Take it for what it is worth.

Hope you enjoyed the giggle.  I am grateful for humor in my life.  I’m sure that our Father in Heaven must have a sense of humor too.  What would life be like if we couldn’t laugh!

I pray that you will have a wonderful week ahead.

I love my Savior.

I love you my family and friends.