We are still here!!

Greetings AGAIN from Washington!!  We will have many more pictures to share with you!  Gil and I are having a fantastic time.  We are truly seeing miracles in the lives of our missionaries.  Watching them grown "into themselves" is like, literally, watching grass grow.  The Missionary Program is truly the most amazing preparation for life and leadership.  These young missionaries are amazing in their commitment and desire to serve their Savior and those around them.  The are constantly finding opportunities to serve the communities around them as well as sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those seeking happiness in their lives.  Along with our exploration of the local area, we ventured off to Utah in March to attend the marriage of our oldest grandson, Taylor, and his sweetheart, Rachel, in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on a beautiful spring day.  I will label the individual photos.  We are truly in the right mission for us.....miles of beautiful trees, green grass all year and clear air.  The local residents are complaining re: the number of rainy days, and we are loving it.  The rain here is not the gully washers of Tennessee - just gentle rain, sometimes more of a mist and very rare thunder/lightning.  I think we have seen lightning once since we arrived.  President and Sister McAteer are so loving and kind.  The love in this mission is almost palpable.  What a joy!  The chronological order of the photos is all out of whack, but enjoy!!

Hermanas Spencer/Mangum - Great Spanish-speaking Sisters

Zone Leaders - Petitta/Trotter

Easter Finery!!

Elder Ramirez/Watson at Peruvian Restaurant

Sister McPhie Birthday at Stuffy's/Longview WA

Barbeque Pork/Brisket for Lunch

And they THINK they are so TOUGH!

The Softer Side!

Long Beach , WA Baptism with Elders Mangum/Burciaga

View of the Pacific Ocean for Look-out

Cape Disappointment State Park, WA

Cannon Beach, OR

Vancouver WA - Where snow and grass/flowers can co-exist!

Long Beach, WA

Oyster Shells

TE Undersea Cable Systems - docked in Astoria, OR

A few more photos.....

Always serving!!

Wonder how they put the top on him...

Total Mission Christmas Party 2016 - Senior Missionaries opted out of the photo....

We Survived the Washington Snow!

We are still here having a great time and finally most (not all) of the snow has melted.  Church was cancelled for January 8th and 15th.  Our apartment is locate in northern Vancouver (where I 5 and 205 intersect if you have map) and we had more than a foot of snow practically over night.  This is unheard of in this area.  As a result, there are no snow plows.  Once we got out of our parking place with the help of three neighbors, Gil had to park by the office until we were blessed with rain and above freezing temperatures last Tuesday.  We had a bit of cabin fever when we couldn't get out, but the beauty was spectacular.  Local parking lots were resembled tobaggan runs and many trees were down with the weight of the snow.

Gil and I continue to love our mission and those amazing people we serve with and for.  Such a blessing to try to lighten the load of our valiant young missionaries as they serve tirelessly through snow, illness and minor injuries.  They were amazing with the service they provided shoveling sidewalks and pushing stranded motorists.

We are blessed to serve with a totally committed inspiring Mission Presidency/Wives as well:  Pres/Sister McAteer, Pres/Sister Christianson, Pres/Sister Stone and Elder/Sister Anderson.  They are wonderfully involved with the Mission and Missionaries and it is a joy to know them.

As missionaries come and go, we attend and participate in Trainer/Trainee, Mission Leadership Council and weekly office meetings as well as Zone Conferences.  While I am involved with Missionary Health, I, also, keep the Mission History and take minutes of most meetings.  I appreciate the extra duties to keep busy.  In addition to entering baptism records and temple recommends into the computer, Gil also processes referrals and assists Elders Lowder and Turner with furniture and cars.  Oop!  Almost forgot - he, also, forwards all mail that comes by USPS and notifies each missionary if he or she receives a package.  He is quite the popular guy!

Occasionally, we have the opportunity to treat missionaries to lunch - probably more fun for us than them!

Last, but not least - we had a great Christmas!  The entire mission gathered together at a local Stake Center.  We enjoyed a talent show starring our talented and sometimes hilarious missionaries as well as President and Sister McAteer.  The Stake provided a delicious turkey dinner for the entire mission. We attended Church on Christmas Day and then came home for a quiet ham dinner.  We have enjoyed the leftover ham in many dishes and soups since.

Photos to follow!!

Lunch/Meeting with New Missionaries and Trainers 1/3/17

Three of the new Elders are awaiting visas for Trinidad

Night of the white-out Snowstorm

View from our bedroom window - Hospital in the background

Missionary Work is tiring!