Week Four

Does that mean we've been in Vermont for a month?  YUP!  Today is Isaac's birthday and we arrived here on the 16th of August.  It's funny because it seems to have gone fast and yet we feel like we have been here for longer than that.  

Yesterday we had stake conference.  The stake here is most of Vermont with a sliver of New York and a sliver of New Hampshire so some people have to travel a great distance for Stake Conference.  They usually send it over video to other chapels but this time they wanted the stake to come together.  Elder Dudley of the Seventy was the visiting authority.  It was a great conference.  We had a YSA lunch after the conference with Elder Dudley and the stake presidency.  I made 6 pans of Chicken Divan over rice.  It darn near killed me.😂 (That story later)

 The elders you see above are the ZL's that we work with all the time.  (Elder Ellsworth and Elder Edstrom) We love them--they have basically been our salvation so far.

 This is Elder Dudley with Sister Tucker on the left and her daughter (who is ALSO Sister Tucker cause she is serving a service mission) on the right.  (More about sister Tucker later)

 (That's me and Ken in the back)

 Elder Dudley addressing the YSA's

Group photo with Elder Dudley and the Stake Presidency and some of

their children.

(Here's what I wrote in my journal about Sunday)

"I got up at 5:00 this morning just because I woke up for some reason.  I got in the shower and got ready and then started to put the chicken divan together.  I had planned to make a small one for Ashley (one of our YSA’s) who is a vegetarian.  I was just going to leave the meat out.  Then I realized that the sauce has chicken soup in it.  AAARRRRHHHGGG.  So I had to hurry and ad-lib and create a vegetarian sauce.  I said a prayer of gratitude that God woke me up so early or I would have been a mess. (This is my small miracle of the week) Anyway, we got out the door by 9:00 so we could unload everything before the crowds came.  Conference was really nice and they had a great turnout.  After conference we hurried and set up the RS room for lunch.  In this building the kitchen is about as far away from the RS room as is possible.  So we had to haul everything a long way.  The lunch turned out great and everyone seemed to have plenty to eat and had a good time.  I got to know Sister Worthington (Stake president’s wife) and Sister Tucker (1st counselor’s wife) because they helped so much with the lunch.  I like them both very much.  After the lunch everyone helped clean up the RS room, but only Sister Tucker helped with the final kitchen clean up--and she was suffering from a kidney stone.  I will always love her for that.  I was exhausted and I still had to go home and find something to feed the sister missionaries.  They texted about 4:00 and needed a ride, but they mistakenly texted Ken’s phone and he never checks it so we didn’t see it until 5:00.  They needed a ride so we drove to South Burlington and picked them up.  I had managed to throw together some chicken with creamed peas and potatoes.  It wasn't much but they are so gracious and sweet—Sister Smith and Sister Hendricks.  After we took them home, I was EXHAUSTED.  I couldn’t sleep because of the pain in my knees and so I got up about 4 and took a flexural and a celebrex and went back to bed."

So today was a rest and recuperate day.  I've spent the time working on YSA records and trying to put together an email and text list.  We've also been studying Preach My Gospel and I'm learning how to use Area Book.  The Elders make it look so easy.  I feel my age!

I was thinking a lot about the temple today and feeling a bit sad because I won't be able to attend the temple until we get home from our mission.  If any of you go, we would appreciate some extra prayers for our health.  And your personal prayers would be welcomed also.