We have been so blessed. 

We have our ups and downs, 
but keep learning wonderful life lessons.
  
I keep having to remember the talk by Pres. Uchtdorf

STOP IT

On a mission it is easy to have all sorts of concerns.  I need to stop it and rely on the Lord. 

I then see my blessings and see how I am helped.  
I don't need to worry.

Temple Trip with Kim and Carl Lewis

We went to the temple with a wonderful couple who were recently baptized.  They were baptized for our family names.  We all so enjoyed it.  Wonderful Trip!!!

On the Friday after Halloween, to celebrate Ron's birthday, we went to the Nauvoo Temple.  Friday night we did initiatories and Saturday we did an endowment and 3 hours of sealings.  We were very tired, but I felt such joy in my heart.  Many of the names gave me a special feeling. 

 It was a glorious day.

We are now filming in the courthouse of Muscatine.  

We arrive on Monday - work, check into the Fairfield Inn, and work and stay until Friday, then drive back to Oskaloosa where our apartment is. 

  

Friday I do laundry, Saturday, we pack and prepare meals for the next week, and Sunday we do missionary work - visiting people and going with the missionaries. 

It doesn't always work that way. Today, a Saturday, we went to a missionary discussion and had a family and the elders to supper.  Going with the flow works well too.

In the Muscatine Courthouse

We started filming in this room, but too may people needed go into it to file etc.  So we moved the camera into a very, very small room - more like a closet where they kept a computer.

The lights to the room are up those stairs, so when filming there we would need to turn the light on for people who needed to use the area - which was a lot.  So up and down and up and down we would go, turning it on for people.
I am glad we moved! 

Stairs to the attic where over a hundred very large books are that we have to film.

We are Blessed

We have had a lot of very spiritual experiences.  

We have been able to visit people and be guided in what we should say and do. 

We have been directed to go places and see people.  

What a blessing to be able to experience such wonderful promptings by the Holy Ghost.   

Nelson Farm and Museum

After the Oskaloosa, Courthouse we got to film at the Nelson Farm and Museum just outside of Oskaloosa.   What fun!  Hard work of course and hot at times, but what a setting.  We could wander and look at the museum when we weren't filming.  Amy the person in charge of the Museum was great.  She had us help out with activities for their big celebration, and we got to give tours of the 1940's store to the home school children.  The missionaries helped out also. They helped us with games, and the people and children loved them.  We did egg toss, three legged race, etc.  I have great memories of filming there.  It took us about 7 weeks. 

Amy (the person in charge of the museum) In Her Office

She knows everything about museums and how to take care of things.  She hums everywhere she goes.  She says it warns people she is coming.  Fun!

Ron looking cool in museum

Ron putting on a hair cutting apron we bought.  Works great to keep us cleaner.

We filmed on the second floor and the bathrooms were in the basement.  Good exercise.

Centerville Branch - Will miss them

A lot has happened.  We are now in Oskaloosa and already done with the courthouse. In the courthouse we filmed from 3 different offices and the attic.  We were set up in a mediation room that had no windows - so it was great for us.  The only problem was that when it was very hot outside 90's to 105 (which has been most of the time), it was very hot in there.  The people were nice though and it went ok.  Our camera equipment had some malfunctions so they sent us new parts.  We hope that eliminates the problems we have been having. 

 The attic was unique.  It had a dirt floor from years of dust and bats etc.  The books have gotten very dirty on the outside, but on the inside the pages are still pretty nice. 

Attic of Courthouse

 We are moving to a living history farm museum to film tomorrow.  That should be fun also.  We will be in a storage area - very close quarters.  The lady in charge is nice and was going to work in Great Falls, but changed her mind.  We will work Tuesday - Saturday.  Fun change.


We went to the corn festival on the square.  The only problem is that the corn harvest is terrible because of lack of rain.  It has been the worst drought in 50 years.  The corn instead of being green and tall is all yellow and brown like it would be in the late fall. 

One of the few that tried to fill with hot air

We went to a balloon festival in Indianola.  Winds made it so they couldn't fly.  We also went to the state fair with the other senior missionaries and had a barbecue and testimony meeting.  It was very spiritual.  It really makes it nice to be able to talk to people who understand what we are going through and to just have fun. 

Famous butter cow

Biggest pig

Famous Chocolate moose

We Love our new apartment. 

We have our own laundry plus two bedrooms.  

We have a king size bed and nice living room furniture. 

 It is a joy to come home and relax. 




We have been having a great opportunity going out with the missionaries.  We are their ride to visit investigators out of town which has allow us some great spiritual experiences.  We get to listen to the spirit and bare our testimonies.  The couple we are visiting are so wonderful and sincere.  We are in a branch with a new church building.  What a blessing.  We got to talk in sacrament meeting which made it my 4th talk since I have been on our mission.  I taught RS Sunday and Ron taught Sunday School a couple of weeks ago.  We have gotten to help with a wedding, a baptism, moving people, and cleaning the church.  There are a lot of people investigating the church which makes the gospel essentials class great.  We have many teachers from the local college here - William Penn, and now the students are arriving.    The people are so varied.  It is a great branch.  The people are nice and loving.

Here are the school kids from Pella Iowa parading in Dutch costumes during the celebration of Tulip Days in this very Dutch city.  Listen to the words of "We are from Pella Iowa".  A heartwarming tribute to midwestern pride here in Iowa.

Can you believe these skies over Corydon, IA before a front moved in.  When I was in the barbers chair he went out to roll his windows up, and then started taking pictures of the sky.  I went and joined him and am glad I did.  This are common in Iowa but not in Montana, to my knowledge.

This is an acrylic I did from our home in Humeston, IA looking at the pond.  I've never painted a scene that took longer, going from snow and bare leaves to grass and leaves on the hickories and oaks.  Sis. Frank from 1st Ward suggested to me that I should post my artwork as I do it.  She has a degree in art from BYU-Idaho and gave me some pointers before our mission.

After watching Dutch descendents wash the streets and then have Dutch dancing and crowning of the Tulip Days Queen at Pella IA we were treated to what seemed like all the school kids from Pella dressed in native Dutch garb.  Listen to their words showing their midwestern spirit.

We're nearly finished at the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, IA, having photographed about 10,000 images of probate records weekly(actually weakly initially) since February.  We will move to the local Wayne County courthouse for 3 weeks photographing divorce records and court minutes.  Then off to Oskaloosa.  We will miss our many friends we've made at the museum and at our Centerville Branch.  Finally making some good contacts with less active members.  Will try to put on this blog some video we took at the Pella IA Tulip Festival of school kids singing they were from Pella Iowa all dressed in Dutch costumes.  Place was founded in the 1840's by Dutch immigrants, and they've had a tulip festival for the last 70 plus years.

We are just leaving for work. We will be living in the cottage in June (building see first)

Springtime at the Bed and Breakfast.

Ron eating frogs legs and kimchi. Yuck!

We went to the Nauvoo Temple yesterday. We got to climb to the bell tower. (around 75 spiral steps up.) We were right below the statue of Moroni. The view was beautiful. We went on the spiral staircase 5th floor to the basement floor where the baptismal font is. When at top floor (5th) you can look down all the way to the basement. I climbed a lot of steps that day. I am amazed I could do it

Being pulled by tractor. You can see Mormon Trail

At Mount Pisgah you can see the Mormon Trail, dugouts, a replica of a cabin, ride behind a tractor to see how big an area it was.  See the spring.  He uses wires to find out where graves and cabins are.  It is like water witching and really works.  We tried it, and you can see where small graves were compared to big graves.  It is very interesting.

Mt Pisgah The man in orange owns the land and gives wonderful tours.

Basement filming

Stack of records

Inside entrance area of Museum

Prairie Trails Museum

We are Constantly Learning

Learning it costs more than you think to be on a mission.

Learning how the people love to live in their small towns and have pride in their community.

Learning how to catch mice (4 so far) and not get upset when you see them run across the floor.

Learning that you can get very tired filming records and that it is easy to make mistakes.

Learning that you really need to pray and listen to the spirit for help so that even if you do make mistakes it is ok.

Learning how beautiful it is here in the Spring and that the birds sound wonderful in the morning and evening. They are so beautiful and there are so many varieties.

Learning that going to bed early feels great, although the early morning not so much.

Learning that you can get along without the internet at your home and that it is not so bad to sit in your car on a lonely road in the dark where you can get internet reception to Skype with your children.

Learning the importance of always thinking positively of your partner. This causes us to be happy with one another and enjoy being together. We need that!

Learning that you can get along without stores that you like - although that is a tough one. Corydon has a dollar general, a Pamida, grocery store, an older hardware store, and sort of fast food in the gas stations. If we want to drive (an hour away), there are small walmarts and a couple of fast food places. We have a couple of restaurants and a movie theater owned by the community. (There are other stores such as twice used things and cellular one.)

We had a visitor to our bed and breakfast which really surprised us. Someone would have to drive to see us. This lady was from Humeston about 5 miles away. (Our mailing address says we live in Humeston.) She came by to visit, and she knows the man who owns the MT Pisgah property. She gave us his name etc. so we can have a tour of his property. (Wasn't that nice) She also works at a quaint little cafe in Humeston. We said we would go eat there Saturday. We are glad we did because she was watching for us, and had a veterans present (a mug and hat) for Ron. (Saw our license plate) Every county has a veterans committee mandated by the state to help take care of them. She told us we could easily spend an afternoon in Humeston going to Synders and eating at her place. The food was great. It was a very quaint little place. It had art, pottery, and other things for sale. Their website is www.grassrootsgalleryandcafe.com. The downtown of Humeston is about one block. It has a couple of places to eat and a few stores. The people of southern Iowa really love and have pride in their towns.

Colene and I had our first zone conference yesterday in Des Moines. Lots of great Elders and 4 sister missionaries there. I felt that Iowa was in good hands. These conferences are intended to feed our spirits every quarter, and last from 0930 until 430. Pres. Jergensen presides but speaks only about 2 hours, while others have assignments to teach, including the assistants to the president, the fleet manager, and other missionaries. There was lots of interaction, practicing teaching and answering common questions about and objections to the Book of Mormon. Neither of us feel like we're able to answer a question by having a scripture come to our minds, but it will come as we study more and are worthy of the spirit to direct us.

Last nite I was able to set up a Saturday afternoon with a local history expert on the Mormon Trail our landlord told us about. He was very congenial and talks to about 10 buses of Mormon tourists visiting Wayne County and Garden Grove, specifically, where he is a landowner at this site where a number of cabins were made by the saints. He said the Mormon Trail and the exodus is their history and our(as latter-day saints) heritage. They enjoy the history of the exodus across Iowa as much as we do. We hope to have 3 senior missionary couples come with us as we visit trail sites with this man.

Our first roll of film passed muster, so things are going in the right direction. Our biggest challenge is feeling comfortable enough with light settings to move quickly and be productive. We have lots to film and need to get it done in a timely manner.

The people are very nice here. We were going to pay to go to the dinner for the museum, and they are letting us go free. The museum is not opened so the manager comes in and works extra hours just so we can get the filming done. I don't know if she gets paid extra or not. She has been very sweet and as helpful with everything.

I found a chiropractor, and I am so glad. After two days of standing filming records my back was killing me. (It was all the time since I left Great Falls) Thankfully the manager told me of a great person who is just on the next block - what a blessing and of course I felt I should ask her and I was blessed. I feel a million times better.

Today Ron was starting filming a new roll. I was in another room. When I walked in, I felt that Ron was filming the records backwards. I checked, and when he had put the records on the table they were upside-down. This is very easy mistake and could have cost us the film plus a couple of days in filming, but it only cost us a few minutes. We cut off the beginning of the film and started over. What a blessing. I was so grateful that I listened and obeyed the prompting. We pray before we start that we will be inspired in whatever way we need, and our prayers were answered. Thank you everyone for your prayers.

MTC Mission Map

Ron writes: This last Saturday we had the opportunity to meet members of the Centerville IA branch because most of them went to the Nauvoo temple to accompany a couple in their ward who got their endowments for the first time and were also sealed. The Nauvoo Temple is quite different in that we walk through the very front door and needed reservations for the session. Luckily, we were able to get in, meet the couple, and other members of the ward. After the couple's sealing, Colene and I were able to do temple work for my mother Rose. At the end of the day we drove 70 miles to a baptism for the branch, and got home to our house at 10 in the evening--a long day starting at 6 AM and with 7 hours of driving and meeting folks. Our branch president is an Iowa farmer. His family of grown up sons and daughters represent about 1/3 of the branch. Once the sons and daughters start having children, the White families should quickly outnumber everyone else. Our branch is located in what used to be a community dance hall located in a barn. Then it became a bar for awhile, and now has been completely rennovated and is a nice meeting place for our small branch. On Monday, 21 Feb, we went to the Corydon Museum, met our supervisor, and are now learning to do microfilming of probate records for Wayne County. It's going to be fun!

Some Things Learned the First Week at MCT

Ron writes, Oh how I wish I knew 35 years ago what we learned last week on how to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I would be a far better home teacher and missionary. The key is to help others read and study the Book of Mormon and then help them ask God through prayer if it is true. Our purpose is to open the lines of communication between the one reading the Book of Mormon and his/her Heavenly Father. Praying to find out the answer is foreign to many. Yet that is how one can become converted to the Gospel. It is not through giving wonderfully prepared lessons. We must do all we can to encourage study of the Book and prayer about it's truthfulness, and then let the Holy Ghost confirm it's truthfulness. We do our best to answer their questions and concerns, but it all comes down to them following up on commitments to read the Book. As they gain a confirmation of its truthfulness, all of their other questions will be answered.

We are both excited to work with the less actives of our new branch or ward for two weeks when we get to Iowa about 13 February. After we do that, we will be taught how to microfilm by our supervisor. This week we are learning to capture record images with a digital camera, something we may or may not use in Iowa. Interesting tidbit we learned today to the question of how the Church safely preserves all it's digital images and other documents. Answer: First, they keep it on two hard drives on servers located in different locations. The servers will automatically backup the hard drives before they start to go bad. Additionally, the data is stored on three separate tapes. I guess the expression would have to be for Church images, five times and you're out. That is a lot of backups!

The MTC is really wonderful. We went to the Mt. Timpanogas Temple and did initiatories today, and I realized that the feeling that is in the Temple is in the MTC. You feel like you are in a world apart. No TV no radio etc. just a lot of young elders and sisters and seniors who are all very nice and helpful. (You do have Internet and you can do what you want in your room)

The housing is great. We are in a building that has a bookstore, mailroom, dry cleaning, exercise rooms etc. On our floor you can get to it only by swiping your id card in the elevator, so no young elders can go there. There are couches on your floor a room with refrigerator microwave, tables, couches etc, so if you want to leave your room you can. There is an ice machine, a couple of food machines and exercise equipment room. (In another building there is lots of free washing machines. Bring your own soap or buy it in the bookstore. Friday night is a great time to wash laundry – no elders.) The room is just like a motel room. The bed is quite comfortable. You soon get used to being in the same room with your husband although Ron has gone downstairs to exercise in the big exercise area alone and as adults you are not glued together although it feels natural to be together. Some senior missionaries are staying at the Marriot Hotel. You eat with everyone. Around 2000 missionaries eating in 1 to 1 ½ hour time period. You have a lot of choices and the food is good. You meet an awful lot of people during meal times. One elder who was adopted from a Russian orphanage is going to the Ukraine. The next day he walked by and said hi my new friends. They are all just really sweet.

The first day you arrive in your Sunday clothes. (You will be wearing them the rest of the time except when in your room or exercising.) You will be issued nametags, keys, and a room. You set up your room, eat and then go to orientation, You have inspirational talks and are divided up into groups of 8. Our large group has around 70 seniors who arrived when we did. They are going all over the world - The East Indies, Philippines, Hong Kong, etc. Your lessons begin at 8 AM. You go to large group meetings to be inspired or hear senior missionaries tell how it really is. Those meetings are great. We did study preach my gospel, but in a different way than I thought. You actually teach the gospel using the lessons. You practice on volunteers who pretend to be nonmembers. (that can be a spiritual experience and very intimating at least to me) You are on camera so your teacher can watch and critique you. You are given wonderful ideas about how to teach. I found those teaching sessions scary at first. I learned a lot of teaching techniques that work. They do show you things in the Preach My Gospel book so you can effectively use the book. You are to study in your free time, but we rarely had time to read all the assignments because when you are back in your room you want to go to bed. (You might want to study the first two lessons and find scriptures to support the lessons that you like. That would have helped me to be not so stressed) Your day classes end around 4:30. Tuesday nights, you have devotionals (We had Elder Holland and Elder Nelson to celebrate 50 years of MTC and rededicate some buildings. It was great,) Wednesday and Thursday night, we learned word and excel. Others had tutors to help them with their language. Saturday was great. P Day! You can go where you want after you check out and tell them where you are going. Sunday is full of devotionals and meetings.

Next week we start to study camera work. Others stay and learn whatever they are doing unless they are member support, and they left after a week.

Honestly this week has been hard at times for me because I get stressed out by teaching in front of a camera etc, and I was still tired from packing. I think it made me better prepared for a real missionary experience though, and I made some great friends. If I didn’t get so nervous about stuff, I would have really enjoyed the whole experience. (They ask for volunteers for playing hymns, and I did some but you know me, I got nervous - so silly) Also Ron and I have had to really grow in our relationship. When you have to prepare a lesson together in 20 minutes and then present it, things can be a little hard. You have two different ideas and two different ways of teaching. We have had to really talk and express how we feel. We are learning to work together and appreciate our differences. When you are tired, it is easy to get grouchy, but we have also found inspiration that has helped us deal with our differences, and I think our relationship has already grown. Maybe that is part of the MTC also.