Happy 9th Anniversary

Mission Transfer Day

We received 19 new missionaries Monday, February 3rd.

Tuesday morning, February 4th they all gathered at the 

Charlotte Mission Office for their first breakfast in North Carolina 

The traditional mission breakfast is fresh fruit (pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries and bananas), orange juice and chocolate milk, a delicious egg, sausage, cheese and 

 YES,  GRITS casserole. I'm liking the grits! 

Oh and since this is the place where Krispy Kream Donuts originated, they were served too!

After breakfast the new missionaries had a full day of training and orientation

 by President and Sister Craven and the Assistants. 

We were privileged to attend some of the classes.

We also had the traditional photos taken in front of the mission office,
all the new missionaries in a group photo
and with President and Sister Craven,

Transfers 

At 2:30 PM about half the missionaries from our mission began arriving at the Office to find out where they would be transferred and who their new companions would be. The building was full of excitement. It was great. These missionaries are truly inspiring to be around. I just love them!

Happy Day! We finally got to see Sister Hatton-Ward! She looks great!

There are wonderful ward members who help transport the missionaries to their apartments.

Sister Knight and Sister Beck (new companions) and Sister Hatton-Ward saying goodbye.

Sister Hatton-Ward and Sister GramaCindy

Wednesday morning we took Sister Hatton-Ward's bike to her new area apartment in Matthews, did an apartment inspection (which I'm happy to say,they keep a very organized clean apartment!), and got to hug her and her new companions, Sister Simmons and Sister Jacot.

Later that day we received an early Anniversary Package from Annette. Love getting mail!

Saturday morning, with the van and trailer loaded, Elder and Sister Andrus, Elder and Sister Cornelius and Elder and Sister Urban headed on an 9 1/2 hour trip to pick up an unused dresser in York, South Carolina, remove a broken washing machine and replace it with a refurbished washer in Fort Mill, South Carolina, remove furnishings and household items from a Senior Missionary apartment in Catawba, South Carolina, pick up a Sister's broken bike in Pineville, North Carolina and then got a call from a missionary who was in a bike accident in Matthews (he went to ER to be checked out and luckily just has a badly sprained wrist and bruises)....We went to check him out and then loaded his badly damaged bike in the last inch of space in the trailer.

Here's a basic map of our Saturday Adventure

I know that sounds boring but it really was fun! We are  enjoying the camaraderie with the other Senior Missionary couples.  We ate lunch at a delicious Noodles Restaurant in Fort Mill, South Carolina and later stopped at Cook Out in Rock Hill for Milkshakes and onion rings

 (healthy dinner, I know!) 

We saw some really beautiful country! Lake Wylie is gorgeous. I cheated on these photos

(Google photos helped me out) because pictures taken from the middle seat of a 

12 passenger van wouldn't have been that great!

Today we attended the first Ward Council meeting of our New Harrisburg Ward at 7:30 AM. Our new bishopric is getting the ward well organized and the council has great ideas for reaching out to unify the members and investigators too. There are 6 of us who are full time missionaries in the ward and they include us in all the planning. We've been asked to teach a Book of Mormon class on Tuesday evenings and we're excited for the opportunity to help in the ward and 

to study the Book of Mormon in depth.

Our First Walk

This afternoon we were able to take our first exploratory walk 

around our new neighborhood. I don't know if I mentioned that we have train tracks close to our complex. We really noticed it the first couple of nights we lived here but now we hardly notice the train whistle and thunderous clanking of the train! Today while we were walking we heard the train so we walked out to the street and up the road a piece to see if we could get a picture of the train. We made it in time to get a couple of photos and figure the train was about 10 minutes long. 

How many cars that is, who knows!

We're standing in a Baptist church parking lot taking the photo

This is the view looking back at our apartment complex (behind the trees)

Nine Years

On February 10, 2005 Tom and I were married. Looking at this photo still makes me giggle at the wonderful memory of that day. This marriage has been a tender mercy, 

a gift from our Heavenly Father for us and for our families. We are so very grateful!

It is a great reminder to me that the Lord knows each one of us by name, by our hearts, and by our sorrows. He prepares wonderful blessings for us 

if we trust in Him and keep His commandments.

I know the Lord knows the beginning from the end. We can't always see it.... 

In the Bible, the Lord said to Abraham, "My name is Jehovah, and I know the end 

from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee" (Abr. 2:8)

That's a promise to all of His children.

God love us, each one of us. He is our Heavenly Father and wants us to be happy.

We know this is true!

We won't be taking a trip this year but we will be celebrating our 9th Anniversary

by serving the Lord on our special day.

We thought we were old then..........

We send our love to y'all!