The Early Bird.....mmmmm

Have I mentioned that I am happy NOT to be a young missionary?  They get up at 6:29 every morning and have a regimen of exercise and study, and by the time we see them at 9, they are already well into their day.  When we see them at 9 to do flat inspections, we also are well into our day, since I have to get up at 6 in order to be ready to be out the door at 7:15.  I don't have a terribly difficult time getting up.....it's staying awake all day that is the kicker. 

SK is doing great at driving these days and when we take off on these road trips, I invariably fall asleep for a portion of the travel.  Something about being comfortable, the motion of the car and being old.  But that sleep is sweet. 

We inspected three flats today.  All of them were clean and tidy, and the only admonishing we did in any of them was encourage them to try to manage the clutter a little better.  Sometimes though, their youth, kindness, earnestness and goodness just almost break my heart.  I always say a little prayer that the Lord will take special care of them.  I hope that they will not get too discouraged, that members here will look after them, that they will find people who are praying for divine help.



One of our sweet young missionaries gave us this sketch he drew!


We made a stop at the Costco for a large jar of Jelly Bellies for institute teacher who is getting married in two weeks.  She is 32 and her fiancee is about the same age.  They have both been working for some time.  We are having a shower for her next week and even though she has said that she needs nothing but our companionship that evening, I want to take her the candy because I know she has a weakness for those little morsels.

They were out of Jelly Bellies!!!!!

We consoled ourselves by picking up a few other basic items to get us through the next month.

Home to the paperwork.  We watched the third installment of a video presentation about serving with YSAs that is quite remarkable.  Now I will make some more goodies for the flats we will be inspecting tomorrow.

You know what that means...........getting up at 6:29.

Comments

melissa said…
Two days in a row!! I’m glad you get a little snooze in the car.
February 20, 2020 at 2:32 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Master Teacher

In the 1st Ward today, an 11-year-old boy gave a talk that was one of he best sacrament meeting talks I have ever heard.  He got up to speak and his head just barely cleared the podium.  He is small and has a shock of dark hair topping a cute slightly freckled face. It will be several years yet before his voice deepens.  He had his written talk, and he read most of it, but he was familiar enough with it that he looked up often and it seemed as if he was speaking from his heart. He began with a quote from Nephi in 2 Nephi 25:29, where Nephi prophesies about the future and then tells us how to worship the Savior. How? this boy asked us. He went on to answer his own question.  Nephi says "with all our might."  The boy then asked how that is done. He cited the story of the converts in the Congo who threw all of their idols into a massive waterfall where they were unrecoverable.  The boy said that when we worship the Savior with all our might, that mea...
Read more

Going Home

  Fifteen missionaries are returning to their homes this week.  For this Saturday night zoom conference broadcast, each bore their testimony from their flats with their companions by their sides.  SK and I teared up many times as we listened to humble, sweet and strong testimonies.  It is easy to see the difference as they get close to their release date.  It they have been faithful, there is a maturity and a sweetness that is unexplainable. Here is a smattering of what was said: There is no growth in the comfort zone.  I am about to go home to my comfort zone...but it struck me that my old comfort zone is no longer comfortable for me.  I want to be in a growth zone. The early apostles did not succeed, but they knew we would. One elder quoted Dave's poem "If."  "If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same...Hold on...even through the hardest times."  "How can I accomplish these things?  Jesus Chr...
Read more

Shark!

Image
We left our flat way too early for my taste this morning, heading out to go south to Farnborough.  Forty-eight miles, supposedly an hour and twenty minute drive.  We got into some heavy stop and go traffic and it was closer to 2 hours before we got there. We inspected the two young sisters' flat, which was beautifully clean and organized.  They are cute sisters.  They had been in London yesterday for zone conference and excitedly shared all they had heard and been taught.  They had their notes out and were very cute to repeat some great messages from President Checketts.  I hardly ever talk to him when he isn't dealing with numerous issues in the mission and in the middle of at least one or two crises, and planning the next gathering....all at the same time.  It must be that he and Deb are in a constant state of stress.  But he has cleared the half-way mark.  I wonder if he knows how highly he is esteemed by these young missionaries, who ...
Read more