News from Georgia

We received a preparation packet from our Mission President and have talked with the mission office staff, so we're learning more about our destination and assignment. It looks like we will be supporting the Madison Georgia Branch in the Athens Georgia Stake, which is the largest of the six stakes within the Georgia Atlanta North Mission. The Branch serves an area of about 10 x 25 miles, and in googling it we see a small chapel with about 20 parking spots. Having attended small branches during travel, we know we will quickly become well-acquainted with the members. Madison is about 50 miles east of Atlanta. We've enjoyed phone calls with the mission office staff, Brother and Sister Coe and Sister Bolt and already love the warm greetings and Georgian accents! We think they live locally and serve at the mission office during daytime hours as service missionaries. 

We've talked with friends at the temple and elsewhere who have past and current connections with the Atlanta area mission. What we learn makes us even more excited, and we're receiving excellent practical advice as well.  It looks like we'll meet several missionaries to whom we can pass along grandparent greetings. 

We will finish our service as ordinance workers at the Bountiful Temple tomorrow, February 17.  We have loved our time there and will miss our friends, associates, and patrons. We tearfully composed thank you notes to the workers and temple presidency. Our temple service has been wonderful preparation for full-time missionary service.

We will continue to wrap up the house and mission packing and cleaning next week. We have a week of travel planned starting February 28 to see visit family in Arizona and St. George, and spend time with friends in San Diego where we'll take in a temple session. We have started to prepare messages for speaking in Sacrament Meeting on March 11. Next day we'll begin a week of immersion at the MTC. The couple we are replacing in Madison will end their service on March 21, so it looks like we'll head out to Georgia on March 19, the Monday after we finish up at the MTC.  It is, and is going to continue to be, a busy and happy few weeks.