Time Flies...

It looks like my journal entry has turned into a monthly event instead of weekly.  Either we have been very busy or I have not made very good use of the limited time that I have at home.  Both are true.  So I am trying to learn how to use my limited time better.

How about the highlights of each week since my last entry on July 17th:

July 20-26

We did not get to teach Clara's friend yet.  Her friend canceled the first appointment because she was sick, and we have not been able to set another appointment to date.  We hope things will settle down in her life soon so that she will receive our message.

MOVING FORWARD WITH FAMILY HISTORY INITIATIVE
We met with Eleni Franklin to get the ball rolling on working with the members of White Plains 1st Ward to get them excited about doing family history.  Sister Ramon told us that she wanted us to start in First Ward and Eleni and her husband will soon be going to Greece for three or four months.  Eleni wanted to get this off the ground before they left, so she made some sign-up sheets and passed them around in the meetings on Sunday and we have about 30 people to visit now to answer questions or help them get started or solve problems with their family history.  I have mentioned that I have a Bachelor's degree in Genealogical Research Technology and it was soon construed to be a Master's Degree.  Now everyone thinks that I know a lot more than I do, but I am trying to stay one step ahead so that I can hopefully answer their questions or find out where to get the answers.  So far it is working.  We are so appreciative of Eleni for taking the steps to get this started for us!  We have had some fun visits with members doing their family history.

July 27-Aug 2

TWO NEW SISTER MISSIONARIES
We met with the two new single sister missionaries--also Women Auxiliary Specialists--who just arrived in the mission.  We drove to Anacostia and had lunch with them and talked about what we have been doing so that they will have some ideas as they begin figuring out their role in the Seneca Stake.  Sister McIllece is from Sandy, Utah and Sister Crosbie is from Australia.  They are real go-getters.  President Cooke told them that he wants their main emphasis to be contacting and teaching as in "proselyting missionaries" without actually knocking on doors.  They are excited and enthusiastic about their assignment.  They certainly don't need to take any suggestions from us.  They just talk to everyone they see in their apartment complex and have looked for ways to serve the community in their area.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS GAME
On the 2nd, we rode with Elder and Sister Biolo and went to the Washington Nationals baseball game as a mission.  DC South Mission was also in attendance.  Bad weather was in the forecast, but the weather was perfect and we had a very enjoyable time.

A sea of Washington Nationals fans

Craners, Kendricks, and Biolos with Sister Moraga and I

With our Zone leaders, Elder Giles and Elder Treasure 

 More of the Elders

 Elder Treasure and Elder Giles helping the Cheerleader

 Nationals player Bryce Harper who is LDS

We enjoyed the game.  I thought it would be amazing to look up into the crowd and see all of the missionaries sitting together, but they did not sell one big block of seats.  The missionaries were just kind of scattered around in small clusters on the side of the stadium opposite the jumbotron.  They did not zoom in on the missionaries either, so that was not as big a deal as I thought it would be.  Maybe the biggest excitement of the evening was when we got back to the Metro.  We arrived and got to the platform just as a train was getting ready to depart.  I should know by now that I need to slow down for Sister Moraga.  Well, I looked back as I approached the train and saw Sister Moraga and the Biolos right behind me.  I went ahead and stepped onto the train and looked back to watch them get on.  Instead I watched the doors close in front of my face.  I tried to signal that I would see them at the end of the line and then took the first available seat, which was after some of the people got off at the next stop.  I waited at the end of the line with some trepidation, since it was about 11:00 p.m. by now and there were not many people around.  I tried to stay in view of the people in the train that was waiting to depart soon so that they could watch me be mugged by someone lurking in the darkness behind me and hopefully come to my rescue.  (As you can tell, my imagination tried to run away with me).  The train with my companions arrived minutes before the departing train left the station, so all was well.  I had to laugh at Sister Biolo because she was so worried about my safety.  She was so relieved to see me standing there when they arrived, and frankly so was I.

August 3-9

TREATS BEFORE TRANSFERS
We went to Lexington Park and took the four sister missionaries to Sweet Frog for a yogurt treat before their transfer the following day.  We will miss working with Sister Sottili and Sister Johnson who are going back to the Visitor's Center.

 Sisters Johnson, Moraga, Berthalon, Sottili, and Fifita

ODDS AND ENDS

We met with four sisters from White Plains 1st this week (and two brothers) to help them with family history on familysearch.org.  We hope there will be much more work to do here as the members get involved.

We took two sisters to the temple, Sister Ren and Sister Simmons, and met up with Tamara Ross from 2nd Ward to attend the 4:00 session as part of Stake Temple Day.  What a great experience!  Saturday we drove to Anacostia chapel to attend the baptism of a young couple, Jonathan and Angelise.  Angelise's 9-year-old daughter was going to be baptized also, but she got nervous and would not go through with it.  They arranged to baptize her the following week without a crowd.

Following the baptism we drove up to the Mission Home with the Biolos to attend the Senior Missionaries barbecue.  We were a little late getting there, but there was plenty of food and plenty of fun to be had.  There are now 27 couples and 7 single sisters serving in the Washington D.C. North Mission.

August 10-16

After many months of going back to the same houses and knocking on doors to try and meet some of the less active sisters in the wards, we have been able to meet a few of them and find out that they are not so opposed to our visits.  I think the birthday cupcakes that we take out on their birthdays and inspirational messages that we leave each month have helped to soften hearts and help them to just see us as new friends.

WEDDING DAY FOR JONATHAN AND ANGELISE
Thursday the 15th of August was a busy, fun day.  We had Zone training all morning at the Stake Center.  Then we drove to Anacostia chapel to attend the wedding of their most recent converts, Jonathan and Angelise.  One of the Anacostia elders, Elder Archibald, had been to culinary school and had experience in setting up and serving special events, so he wanted to make the day special for them.  The couple did not have a lot of money so the Elders said they would arrange a small reception at the chapel.  Elder Archibald made the cake and they decorated the room with items that the ward members provided.  The elders made some of the refreshments and ward members provided some of the food as well.  Everything worked out so well.  They had just the right amount of table cloths and just the right amount of lights to make the room lovely.  Everyone was very surprised at how well it turned out.  The Elders were so excited to give this service and couldn't wait to see the reaction of the family and the ward members.  We had fun just watching their excitement.

Jonathan and Angelise

Wedding cake, a creation of Elder Archibald

August 17-23

We have now helped quite a few of the sisters in White Plains 1st Ward and some of the brethren as well to encourage more family history work.  The Relief Society has asked us to help plan the September Enrichment Night activity around family history.  Our goal is not to plan, organize, and pull off an amazing event.  We want to give invitations to serve and have the ward members actually do the presentations and preparation so that they will own the event and gain a greater appreciation and desire to continue with family history work.  I love being able to do more with family history while I am here.  In some of my limited spare time, I like to go through the branches of my family tree and look for ways I can improve the information that is there.

TAKING CHRIS FOR CHEMO

Wednesday Sister Moraga and I split up to give service in two areas at the same time because there was an overlap in our schedule.  She went to Lexington Park to do splits with the young sisters, and I drove Chris Emerson to her 3rd of nine consecutive chemotherapy sessions before her reevaluation and next steps.  We took her a couple of weeks ago and then she went alone the next week.  She got in trouble from the hospital staff because it is not safe for her if they have to give her pain medication, which they did have to do this time.

While I was sitting in the hospital waiting with her my phone rang.  I wasn't going to answer it but when I saw the name Pres. Cooke show up on the caller ID I really didn't want to answer it.  For the second time in a couple of weeks I was outside of the mission boundaries, and this time I was not with my companion.  Neither of these is a violation of mission rules really.  Sister Moraga and I do not have to be together all of the time.  And it is okay if we go a few miles outside of the mission without permission such as when we drive to the airport.  It is probably a good idea to let them know though.  But for some reason I felt very uncomfortable having to talk to the President today.  He has an uncanny way of knowing when things are not right.  For instance, the Elders who were previously in Lexington Park had decided to attend a sporting event without getting approval (which they probably would not have been given even if they had asked).  President Cooke just happened to call and check on them while they were out having fun.  Unfortunately, I believe those elders were sent home.  So I did swallow a lump and answer the phone.  As it turns out, my phone has Pres. Cooke's name entered for the Mission Office number.  It was really Sister Colson from the Mission Office and she dialed my number mistakenly.  It was a good reminder that we need to be sure we follow the mission rules.