Easter in Georgia

The azaleas were fading when we arrived two weeks ago and flowering bulbs were long gone, but the signs of spring in Georgia are everywhere. Homeowners are mowing lawns and pruning the ever-growing shrubs as they tidy their homes. Mulch (usually dense pine straw) is being freshened. The baseball diamonds, walking trails, and play fields at the Gwinnett County Park down the road (ironically called Mountain Park Park) are packed every night. It's prime outdoor time in Georgia with temperatures in the 70's to low 80's.

Easter Morn was bright and pleasant in Georgia. Our meetings at the Lilburn Ward begin at noon; the Centerville Ward precedes the Lilburn Ward and the Stone Mountain Spanish-speaking Ward shares the same Primary and Mutual, with their Sacrament Meeting ending the day. We enjoyed a lovely Sacrament Meeting and attended the Gospel Principles class with the other full-time missionaries. Elder Briggs, one of the Assistants to the President in the mission, taught a lesson based on the atonement. About a dozen new or prospective members were in attendance. There were 40-something sisters in Relief Society - everything feels pretty much like attending Church along the Wasatch Front. We continue to meet people who know people we know back in Utah. The Church network becomes family and it was a sweet, memorable Easter day. Our missionary preparations have helped us understand and appreciate more than ever the love and atoning sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. We are humbled.

After Church, our landlords, the Clarks invited us to dinner along with their daughter, Jackie, and her three daughters. Jackie's husband Blaine is working in Dubai. (Sunday dinners would become tradition during our mission.) It was great to get better acquainted. Brother and Sister Clark met each other in Iowa where she was attending school as a young 18-year old. They joined the Church after marrying and returning to Brazil. They returned to the US so Don could obtain a degree from BYU. After living for many years in several South American countries in the for-profit world, he took a job under the direction of the Presiding Bishopric as a Director of Temporal Affairs. Those opportunities led them to live in Peru, Puerto Rico, Brazil, the Southeast States, and elsewhere. They just returned to Lilburn after being away for nearly five years as mission president, MTC president, temple presidency in Brazil and Spain and are getting settled and catching up . Sister Clark (Zaza) is petite and adorable; born in Czechoslovakia with interesting stories of difficult years with family in refugee camps. We laughed and laughed over stories as we got acquainted. We sense a good fit, and we are so grateful. We're anxious to get to know and fellowship ward and mission families in the weeks ahead.