The Last and First Pictures of Presidents!

Just before President Hansen was taking President Pingree to his home, the AP's asked if they could get a picture of the two of them together! I was so glad, some historian I am! I forgot to get any pictures of the change. This church is so wonderful how change happens in leadership positions with much love and good will. Everyone wants what's best for the Lord's work to roll forward. And it will with much faith, love and charity.

What a beautiful family! At our first staff meeting on Friday morning President Pingree stated that the #1 thing on his mind is that the missionaries know how much they are loved; by their Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, and by my him. Everything we do in the church is done because of love and with love. When the missionaries feel that love then they too teach with love and feel love for their investigators, their companions and for all of God's children! I know the missionaries are going to love President and Sister Pingree as much as they love President and Sister Hansen.

Thank You Sister Hansen for the Flowers

Our sweet Mission Presidents wife gave each of us a beautiful minature rose plant with a very nice thank you note. What a wonderful experience it has been rubbing shoulders with President and Sister Hansen and feeling their spirit and gleaning from their graciousness. We have learned a lot from them and love them dearly!

Above is me with Sister Bowcutt and Sister Sulski. Sister Bowcutt and her husband are taking the Walker's responsibilities with finance and the apartments. Sister Sulski has been here since mid April and is the President's secretary. Below are the Howe's who will be taking over for me and Scott. They are a local couple who have been called as Service Missionaries and will start officially on July 11th but have been to the May and June transfer as well as Zone Conference in June to see what we do. It seems so weird to think about training our replacements next week. I think I'm starting to get a little "trunky"!

A Luau without the Hawaii June 18th

President and Sister Hansen with me and Scott. President Hansen served his mission in Hawaii many years ago. The sister who came and cleaned their house is from Tonga and she wanted to give them a Luau for a going away present. She also made Sister Hansen's lei from fresh flowers and leaves, it was so beautiful.

Sister Young and Sister Nance with the Hansen's.

Sister Young and Nance were asked to bring the paper goods, they always decorate the tables so cute! It was very festive. They do the dinner for the arriving missionaries the week of transfers and the tables are always decorated with pass a long cards, Book of Mormons, candy and confeti. When I do meals the missionaries are lucky to get food, I don't do the decorations! I only have so much energy!

President Hansen's grandson was at the Luau, his son Robby and family are going to school in Huntsville so they see them quite often! I am just drawn to little children, I have missed my grandchildren so much and my preschool kids as well. It has been a nice sabatical from all of that but I am definitely ready to get back into the swing of children! But I do have to say that the sister missionaries give as good a hug as I get from any child! I don't ever hug the Elders, unless they're going home, Elder Atwood below and in the middle went home in June and I had to give him a hug before he went, he felt like one of my sons. I think I saw him every day for the last 8 months, he lived right by the office and loved to stop by for this or that it seemed. He's from Raymond, Alberta, Canada and loved to quote Bruce R. McConkie.

Elder Galbraith (the tall one below) and Elder Scoresby (the Assistant's to the President) with Scott and Elder Walker. Elder Galbraith was also near the office for the last 8 months. I've seen quite a few AP's come and go but Elder Galbraith never forgot his purpose! He is a missionary, he didn't really like doing the office stuff he had to do because it took away from prosleyting and teaching. He was ALWAYS HAPPY, if he felt discouragement he never showed it, and HE LOVED HIS MISSION. He goes home in August and was transfered back into the field for his last transfer, he was so happy about that! Elder Scoresby is such a happy young man also! Whenever he comes into the office he always spreads his arms and does this little jump that reminds me so much of when Pete was a little guy and one morning when he woke up he comes into my room and spreads his arms like that and says to me, "I'm up!" It was so cute. I just love my children, even now as grown ups! It will be nice to be back home with them. We have missed our parents so much as well being out here! When you are away from family for a time you realize how important those relationships are. I HOPE with a brightness of hope (2 Nephi 31:20) that I can spend ETERNITY with my family...up and down the line.

Elders Scoresby and Galbraith, President and Sister Hansen, Sister and Elder Walker, Scott and me! It felt so different in the office last Friday because the only one out of this group that was there for staff meeting was Elder Scoresby and us! But the work moves forward! I always say that you know the gospel is true because if it wasn't a bunch of 19 year olds and "Senior" missionaries would have messsed it up a long time ago! BUT IN ALL REALITY, these missionaries out here, young and old alike are just doing the best they can to teach others about Christ as their testimonies of Him grow and as they practice those very things they teach.

Here's me and my friend Sister Walker. She has been so loving and caring to me, I am so grateful for all the friends I've made out here in the Texas Houston Mission . Isn't this quilt so beautiful? the Sisters that went to the Louetta building several years ago pieced it when they built the Houston temple to put in the R.S. room.

A Generous Birthday!

I had such a great birthday I need to say a great big THANK YOU to everyone who called, skyped, wrote letters or emails, sang Happy Birthday, wrote on my facebook wall, and the person who put the sign on the back door of the mission office telling everyone to come and tell me Happy Birthday, for the birthday cakes and ice cream and and post it notes! I not only got a happy birthday from the FedEx guy, but today when he delivered more boxes he asked how my day went on Monday! A BIG THANKS to my wonderful children and grandchildren for the letters and cards and pictures and loves and hugs (through skype) and the generosity of all of you!!! I felt an out-pouring of love. Turning 54 in Texas was worth it!

Zone Conference - A Spiritual Feast

What a wonderful, exhausting week we had last week at Zone Conference. It was so filled with the spirit and beautiful teachings from President and Sister Hansen, the Chappells, (he was just called to be in the Mission Presidency), Elder Walker and even Elder Stringfellow and I got to say a few words. About cars, phones and apartments, but we did get to bear our testimonies of this great work and what a priviledge it's been to be here in the Texas Houston Mission serving with all of this wonderful people, young and old alike. We just finished FHE with the Walkers and Sister Nance and Sister Young. It's really going to be hard saying good-bye, to the Walkers in 2 weeks and then we leave about 3 weeks after that! I've spent the last 2 Saturdays in the office trying to catch up, but I don't think it's going to happen, maybe when Sister & Elder Howe come on July 11th and we're both working on things, We're trying to get a bunch of odd's and ends done before President Hansen leaves and the Pingree's arrive. Definitely sweet and sour. Transfers are happening again next week, a week early so it's not on the same week that the new president and his family come. Wow, I can't believe a year has gone by so quickly. The Lord has been with us every step of the way! You know what? I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and IT IS TRUE, IT'S REAL and WE ARE SO LUCKY TO BE A PART OF IT!!! Enjoy the pictures of Zone Conference. Maybe at a later date I will come back and put in names but I really need to go to bed, I'm still trying to catch up from last weeks whirlwind!

I Finally Saw an Armadillo

Just this morning we were wondering who was eating our flowers, there are a herd of deer that live in a thickett just across the mission office, I know they eat lots of plants around your house. BUT now I think it might have been this little fellow! I was so excited to finally see an armadillo. I was afraid I was going to have to take a picture of the dead one that we saw on the road right across from the church near the mission office.

The armadillo was so cool because he was trying to bury himself near the sprinkler but he only buried his nose and ears and then flattened his body some and was very still. Animals are so cool. I miss my dog Dutch!

Oh, by the way, after reaching 103 by noon today we had a little front come through and it sprinkled on us and the temperature dropped to 85! Yeah!

God Does Watch Over His Missionaries

I don't have any pictures for this week! But I still wanted to post something to remind me of how much God watches over his missionaries. Friday morning right after our staff meeting a total stranger called Sister Hansen to say that she was at the scene of an accident where two missionaries car had just been hit and ambulances were on there way at that moment (we could hear them in the distance). Elder Struthers and Elder Morgan were going 50 on a highway when a car pulled out in front of them. They totally t-boned it. The airbags didn't go off, which you wonder if that was a blessing or a bad thing. Elder Struthers head hit the steering wheel and he got a bad gash on his forehead and he spent several hours waiting to have a cat-scan before they could stitch it up and Elder Morgan's chest hurt but X-rays didn't show anything. They were both blessed that they weren't hurt worse. When Scott saw the car (he had to track it down to get all of their stuff out of it) it just made him sick because the whole front end of the car was pracitically gone, there was blood and glass all over it. Tender mercies and miracles every day!

It's going to be a busy week with Zone Conference Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I've been scurrying to get the newsletter done so we can print it tomorow to give out at the conference, there's always so much to do...and that's a good thing.

My health is doing great, another tender mercy. Especially considering the weather this past month. The greater Houston area is in it's worst drought and heat spell in 75 years. For the past 2 weeks it's been in the upper 90's and reached 100 a couple of times. I just heard that at the airport for June 5 there was a new record. 105 degrees!!! And I have been feeling pretty good, the numbness in my legs is pretty much gone, occasionally I feel it, but nothing like Aug -March! So THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER.

My dad is still struggling with being in a care center and my heart not only goes out to him but to his wife Lu as well, I really think this has been harder on her than him and I acknowledge how disappointing and difficult it has been for my dad! Life is so complicated most of the time, no matter how old or young you are.

Next week I'll have lots of fun zone conference pictures on the blog!