January 27, 2014

The weather is still very cold here in Maryland.  Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it and it's only January.  I guess I've been a Florida girl too long.  This coming Wednesday it's supposed to get down to 1 degree, and that's not including a chill factor! 


Last week we received a wonderful gift surprise - "a new iPad!" We're so excited.  Thank you so much, Jackie and Bryan!  I use it to show church videos to the youth in my Sunday School class and we can use it in our missionary work also.  We're probably the last people on earth to have one but it's amazing.  

Last Friday we drove to Frederick to attend a missionary conference.  Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Seventy was there and gave wonderful instructions.  He is very funny and interesting and the young missionaries especially enjoyed it.  He played football both in college and professionally, so he made a lot of comparisons with teamwork, communication and working hard.  President and Sister Richards also spoke and they are always so wonderful.  We were all served a nice lunch afterwards and that is no small affair when there are about 275 people to feed. 

So, I got my results from the MRI and I do have a torn rotator cuff, which is very common.  I can decide to have shots that will not fix the problem but may take away the pain, or have arthroscopic surgery to repair it.  I'm still not completely sure what to do.  I don't want it to interfere with our mission.

Yesterday was our Branch Conference.  We had lots of visitors from the stake and I was lucky enough to have a member of the Stake Presidency attend my Sunday School class - yay!  Just what I had hoped for.  :)  

So far Elder Lewis is the Sunday School President, teaches the Gospel Doctrine class when the teacher doesn't come (which is often), and is now also the executive secretary in the branch presidency.  Being a senior missionary in a small branch is the best and we love it.  

Some people have asked us:  Why are you doing this?  Why do you leave your home, family and friends for eighteen months to come here?  The answer is simple:  Because we love Jesus Christ and we love His church.  Our faith and testimonies are deeply rooted in our hearts and therefore we would go anywhere to serve Him.  We have been blessed with good health and stamina and are thankful that we are able to be here.

  

Our first tulips of the - almost - Spring.  I feel better when I have real plants and flowers around.








The District!