Memories for Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day 2012 and a quiet day for us. Church Headquarters is closed so the Mission Office is closed as well. We took an hour's drive earlier in the day to see the Conyers Zone area of the Mission. It lies south of Lilburn and hooks a bit around towards the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. For the most part, the landscape is much older, less hilly, and more rural than the other areas we have visited north of Lilburn. At some point, we'll drive to the outer reaches in Hartwell to have a Saturday lunch with the couple out there. We're told the Dahlonega and Helen areas are great tourists spots, so of course, we'll make visit there but not on Memorial Day Weekend. The atmosphere on Memorial Day felt strange to us - we don't know where all the people have gone. Maybe that's it. They're gone. We encountered uncrowded roads, and closed strip malls, even the parking lots at the grocery stores and major retailers and restaurants are quiet. There are few people out and about in the parks as well. Cemeteries here are associated with the Churches rather than municipalities and are most always filled with silk flowers. We noticed a few flags in subdivisions, but nary one car in the many cemeteries we passed. We missed taking flowers to the parents and grandparents graves, but their memories are in our hearts and minds today. Maybe holidays are nap times or escape times in Georgia. We'll have to learn more.

The greatest memory we will have for this weekend is that our sweet investigator, Dana Roca, who felt the spirit so strongly in an earlier meeting was baptized yesterday. Just two weeks ago she said she needed to defer possibly until July so she could make new living arrangements with her boyfriend and feel good about her baptism. Earlier last week she had a bit of a meltdown which led to many prayers and her taking up the courage to move housing and commit. She asked Elder Connors to baptize her. What a compliment. Her rambunctious daughter and friend, Sarai and JoJo, quieted right down after the baptism. The spirit caught their attention. Sweet Jasper (7 months) stayed contentedly with Sister Wolfert. Dana brought the children's father, Will, to Church and he is expressing interest in learning more. Dana also bore a very powerful and sure testimony of the truthfulness of the Church and a witness of the influence of the Holy Ghost. Sisters Scott, Harnish, and Thomas have taught her well. She is trying to find a place to live within the Lilburn Ward. That would be wonderful so we can continue to see and work with her.

We took the Assistants to lunch today and are doing some housecleaning. Our P-days have been busy with yard projects, and we've had long days (11 hours on Friday) at the mission office this month. There has been more teaching with the sisters, too. It was sweet to meet with the Knudsens again with them and learn that Johnathan is making slow but gradual improvement from his brain trauma.

This Saturday evening as we were learning how to ammonia soak the red Georgia clay stains out of our work shoes and clothes and relaxing after a grocery shopping trip, the Clarks invited us to a high school graduation open house in Alpharetta with their good friends. So off we went with them, finding new routes north into newer, upscale neighborhoods. When we arrived, we saw two bikes at the front door and predicted we'd meet missionaries inside. Sure enough. Elder Dalton and Elder Miller were there. It's wonderful how members invite the missionaries whenever they are having a party or social gathering. Life is very different here in the mission field, but the large group environment is great for the missionaries. We rarely invited missionaries to dinner in Utah because we knew the larger families were more enjoyable for them than a visit with empty nesters. We'll have to be more imaginative when we return and make it a "block" party! This afternoon we're attending a social for the empty nesters and Young Singles in the area at the Kotters. We'll finally learn what that trash can dinner is! (It turned out to be meat and veggies cooked over the coals in mini-aluminum trash cans. Yummy sides and great company, too!)

Thunderstorms and More

We spent our very first evening in Lilburn listening to rain noisily pattering down the rain gutters. We know now it will be a frequent experience. Even on days without rain in the forecast, evenings often are blessed with short spurts of rumbling thunder and light rain. The height thunderclouds reach to in the skies here is amazing! We'll no longer have our desert skins. Even when it doesn't rain, we often have to squeegee the dense dew from our car windows in the morning.

Last night we enjoyed a dinner and Family Home Evening with the other senior couples in the mission at the Mission Home. During the dinner, sunny, warm evening skies darkened instantly as a major cloudburst let loose. An hour later, the sun was shining. The climate here helps to explain the rolling hills that make up northern Georgia. Surely they were formed by centuries of rain falling, running, and eroding the clay around the granite dome that underlies the multi-state area.

The FHE's will be a quarterly event and will give all of us a chance for "adult" conversation as President and Sister Wolfert call it. We already love these seniors and look forward to deepening our friendships. One of the senior couples serving in a branch in the outer, rural perimeters of Georgia is completing their fifth mission. You can still hear the childhood accent that Elder Lundgren (from Twin Falls) brought with him from Norway when his family immigrated to the US. He was a mission president there, as well, with his first wife. Of the five couples here, only one other besides us is serving a first mission. We enjoyed getting to know the Christensens, the Lees, the Bolts, the Lundgrens, and the Wolferts on a personal basis. It was a evening of good food and good company, and a great thunderstorm, too!

Time Flies.....

Where have the last two weeks gone? The better question is, How have they gone?  Busy and wonderful are the answers. It wasn't long after experiencing our first Transfer Day that we were challenged by three consecutive days of Zone Conferences on Tuesday through Thursday, May 14-16. President Wolfert wanted Elder Connors to take a few minutes to talk with the missionaries about vehicles and safety at each conference and agreed to let me attend, too, to get a better feel for how the mission operates. All three days were great experiences: mingling with the missionaries that we had previously only talked to on the phone, hearing instructional and inspirational messages from President and Sister Wolfert, inspecting cars, and meeting Dr. and Sister Smalley, the Area Medical Advisors for this region of the Southeast (something like 19 missions!)  The agenda was pretty much the same each day.  We were able to deal with the vehicle inspections and still slip in and out and catch various pieces of the meetings and enjoy the wonderful meals prepared by various Stake Relief Societies for the events. The collective energy around missionary work feels so much greater here than back home. We are learning many lessons.

Our first Zone Conference was for the Marietta and Roswell Zones. We thought we had allowed adequate time for rush hour traffic and had driven up to Marietta the Saturday prior to be sure we knew the way.  We took the same I-85 to I-285 to I-75 route and arrived 45 minutes later than expected.  It took us nearly two hours for a 45 minute commute. Oops!  We have since learned the non-freeway route and will take that in August for the next Zone Conference. You don't want to hit the freeways at rush hour in greater Atlanta. Our return drive that afternoon again took nearly two hours after finally getting off the freeway where an accident had brought traffic to a halt. Fortunately, Elder Coe, the prior vehicle coordinator, drove in from Monroe to help show Elder Connors the vehicle inspection ropes for his first time. When informed that he would speak first, Elder Connors joined the meetings that started at 9 a.m. and never got out until nearly 11:30 a.m.  Thankfully Elder Coe and the 4 volunteers got the 14 inspections taken care of and all worked out well. We had prepared a certificate, a small Drive Carefully note, and two get-bonus-miles awards for the best in show cars and that went over well. Sister Connors watched the car inspection process for part of the time and that came in useful on day two.

It was here in Marietta that we got to visit with Sister Smalley and learn about the immense responsibilities for Dr. Smalley. The Church needs so many more of these medical support teams. He spends countless hours each day on the phone and on this day, he spent two hours on the phone and iPad in his car after his presentation to the missionaries. Then as the meetings ended, he and Sister Smalley were driving to the Atlanta airport where he would board an airplane to Samoa to accompany an elder leaving our mission for medical reasons. Out on Tuesday; he'll be back in Atlanta on Friday!  Dr. Smalley displays such amazing compassion and dedication. This was the second elder in two weeks to leave the mission unexpectedly. Again, our appreciation and respect grow everyday for President and Sister Wolfert and their love, dedication and skill with the multitude of challenges that befall a mission president.

The next Zone Conference was for the Athens and Sugar Hill Zones at the Suwanee Stake Center.  We knew the route and it was against commuter hours, so this time we arrived a half hour early. Elder Connors now knew he would speak about 11:30, well after inspections were finished, so we were able to greet the drivers and stage the cars as they arrived.  We had a hitch, however. None of the volunteers showed up, so we teamed up as a twosome to inspect 20 cars. It was a bright, sunny May morning in Georgia, and we were melting after two hours, sitting briefly in each car with the AC running to cool off before moving to the next car. Checking tire pressure, tread depth, body condition, interior condition, seat belts, lights, and paperwork took us at least 10 minutes per car. We returned to the building after inspections, wet from the humidity, and did our best to freshen up and look presentable.

Thursday, the Zone Conference for the Lilburn and Conyers Zones was held at the Lilburn building.  I resumed my work in the mission office to catch up. Three high priests from the Lilburn Ward came to assist, and the process hummed like clockwork. We're catching on. Our colleagues (Elder and Sister Bolt) have never attended a Zone Conference, so I encouraged Sister Bolt to attend the meetings while I stayed to answer phones. She really enjoyed them. I was so grateful she had covered non-deferrable things (mail and phones) while we went to the other two Zone Conferences. Zone Conferences are busy, but great.  We'll be at it again in August. I'm not sure how often I'll join Elder Connors, but we know so much more about the life of the young Elders and Sisters now. We also met the other Senior Couples who are serving in the small branches.  We're having a Senior Missionary Family Home Evening tomorrow at the the Mission Home.  We're looking forward to that quarterly meeting as well.

Other highlights of the past weeks include the baptism of Sister Maggie Hackett. She has such a sweet spirit. She's been in Georgia with her daughter and grandchildren but will be moving back to New York State in early June. She committed to be baptized before leaving. She was nervous about the "immersion" because of a fear of water, but did great and bore the sweetest testimony at her baptismal service. Sister Connors led the music and Elder Connors talked about baptism. I love giving Maggie a hug each Sunday, and we will certainly miss her. Dana, our young mom, is working on some lifestyle issues but is trying to be ready for baptism in early July.  She has felt the Holy Spirit and sincerely wants that constant companionship.  We love her, too. Each Sunday as we attend Gospel Principles with these new and returning members, we feel their spirit and earnest hunger for knowledge. It's wonderful.

Events for Elder Connors included two car wrecks. Not only the accident itself, but the taking of a car out of service is a significant distraction to the work. One car is totaled; we got the phone call on our Preparation Day. Sister Hinckley and Sister Teisina were so blessed to be safe after being broadsided. Elder Connors always wonders what is up when he answers the many phone calls each day. Yesterday it was two elders in a desperate panic because their new gas card would not work. They had not followed the instructions to activate it. We drove to the mission office to get them the phone number. We're learning to program lots of numbers into our phone. Vehicle problem calls come at odd times of days while we're in various places. We're grateful for our personal safety as we sometimes drive in the big 12-passenger mission van in unfamiliar territory. The Lord protects us, but He frequently allows us to get lost when the Tom Tom sends us on routes that defy our instincts. We're starting to learn the major thoroughfares of northern Georgia and their peculiarities. It will all come together.

We enjoyed great conversations with Michael and David for Mother's Day. Beautiful flowers brightened our apartment for a week. We took a short drive through downtown Atlanta and made our phone calls from the car (the cell reception in our apartment is marginal - trees, Stone Mountain, basement location are obstacles). Ward members invited us to come along with the Clarks to a Mother's Day dinner, and we enjoyed getting to know the Duffields, Nickersons, and Rollins (young professional) families better.  A few more ward names that will "stick" for sure. We have another invite with the Clarks for a Memorial Day "trash can" dinner at the Kotters. We're curious to see what that will be. Doyle and Eulalia Kotter have served several missions, so it will be great to talk and learn from them. We've completed more yard work with the Clarks and seem to have the runoff water pretty much contained now. Our hours helping them are few and far between. They were just given a Stake Young Single Adult assignment and are very busy, too.

Lastly, but certainly not the least important, we stopped by to take some produce to the Knudsens and check in. We missed them (they are rarely home), but have been encouraged that Brother Knudsen is beginning to respond to commands and trying to talk. We pray that Sister Knudsen will stay encouraged and strong.  We follow her posts on Facebook and our thoughts and prayers are with that sweet family.  Linda's brother, Thyce, should be released today after successful knee replacement surgery.  Life goes on, and the Lord is aware of us all each day.

First Transfers and A Special Moment

The past week brought more new experiences.  It was Transfer Week!  A group of new missionaries arrived on Tuesday and eight elders and two sisters left for home on Thursday.  Transfers create a monumental three days for President and Sister Wolfert and the Assistants and Elder and Sister Bolt. After meeting the new missionaries and picking up their luggage at the airport; the President and the Assistants take the new missionaries and board MARTA and ride the train to North Atlanta so the new missionaries can enjoy their first experience proselyting.  The Bolts transport the luggage to the pickup point and then take the missionaries with their luggage from the train station to the Mission Home. Sister Wolfert is responsible for dinners on Tuesday and Wednesday for incoming and outgoing missionaries, breakfast (quite the menu we understand) on Wednesday and Thursday, plus housing them all (a dozen beds plus mattresses and several bathrooms). Sister Wolfert has some helpers but does most of the cooking herself.  Don't know has she does it! 

Wednesday is a big day in the Mission Office.  The day begins before 8 a.m. with a half hour of training by Elder Connors on the vehicles (5 minutes for Sis Connors on mail and baptismal records).  More training by the Finance Coordinator and President Wolfert. Then Elder Connors has to do paperwork for switching drivers and cars. Areas (a companionship) that are gaining and losing companions travel to the Mission Office on Transfer Day, so we have lots of missionaries in the parking lot, Church, and Mission Office for several hours. We saw several missionaries graciously leave overcoats coats and bikes behind which were welcomed by some of the new arrivals who came from humble circumstances and had great need. What a happy morning it was. Missionaries leave with bittersweet feelings, and missionaries arrive with enthusiasm and trepidation.  (Other companion changes not involving new or departing missionaries take place at additional locations throughout the mission.) About noon the various new companionships team up and drive off to their new locations. President and Sister Wolfert take the departing missionaries to the Atlanta Temple; then back to the Mission Home for dinner. 

At 7 p.m. a fireside is held in the Lilburn Chapel. The Wolferts speak and each departing missionary bears his or her testimony. As President Wolfert said, they bore "pure" testimony, with direct and appropriate witness of Gospel truths; their testimonies were sweet, strong, and "pure."  Sweet Sister Thomas (from Richfield, UT) sang a solo. She has the most beautiful voice, eyes, smile and spirit. We'll miss her. We were glad we got to meet several departing missionaries we had not met in person before. Outstanding all!  Members and investigators are invited to attend these farewell meetings; we had a record turnout this transfer and ran out of refreshments. We helped with the setup and cleanup. Sister Wolfert has asked us (the Connors) to manage the entire refreshment activity in the future. With all else she has to do (they also go home to a private meeting at the Mission Home after the Fireside), it will be a big relief for her.

Thursday night Sister Connors attended the ward Relief Society's Talent Show. Members here seem to love Broadway - quite the performances with hubbies and solos. We also enjoyed refreshments and craft displays. Sister Black (the Atlanta Temple Matron) is the most amazing quilter! The ward member names are finally starting to stick. Friday Sister Connors did a chapel walk-through with another new investigator - Jenny - who had walked into the Mission Office the week before and wanted to learn more about our Church. Using the paintings in the Stake Center, Sister Scott and Sister Harnish (on her 2nd day in Lilburn) taught her and I assisted. We invited her to Church on Sunday and gave her a Book of Mormon. She agreed to begin reading  and "try" to attend if she didn't attend one of the other churches she was investigating.  She did come Sunday! 

We came home Wednesday night late to see that Don Clark (landlord) had started trimming trees. After being gone for so many years, there is much outdoor catch up for the Clarks. Saturday started out with Ray and Don going to the driving range to hit a bucket of balls (with a round of golf planned for a future free day), and Linda shopped for shoes she forgot to pack. By noon we could be found helping the Clarks with raking, cleanup, and creating a small rock-lined path to direct rainwater (that has meandered through the sloping yard and prevented grass growth) to the adjacent flood control creek on the side yard. They have broken sprinklers, a major sink hole, overgrown trees, and tree roots; we want to help them out, and it's a good way to get some exercise, provide service, and be a bit creative, too.

We were introduced to Dos Hermanos, a great Mexican restaurant, Friday evening with the Clarks. It's the strip mall restaurant, and you would drive by it without a recommendation, But it is great! We enjoyed another nice family dinner with them on Sunday. We were promised by our home Stake President that we would make eternal friends on our mission. That promise has already been fulfilled. Saturday night we drove about 30 minutes north to the Sugar Hill Stake Center in Suwanee where the 50-member Stake Choir was putting on a public patriotic concert with the Gwinnett County Band. The band and choir were excellent, and it was a great program. We met several additional missionaries in person and were glad we made the effort.  Suwanee is a lovely community. 

Now for the Special Moment.  After a great experience in our Sunday meetings with a skilled teacher who navigated the complex questions from investigators in the Gospel Principles class, we stayed after Church and met with the Lilburn Sister Missionaries and their investigator, Dana Roca. Dana was referred to the sisters by ward member, Susan Mancilla. Dana was joined by her daughter, Sarai (6), son, 6-month old Jasper, and Joanna (Dana's friend's 6-year old). Dana has been coming faithfully to Church and special events, bringing the children. She has felt the spirit and understands what she has been taught, but is still trying to understand the differences between the Doctrine of Christ and the teachings she has learned in her Catholic faith. Again Sister Scott (and new Sister Harnish on her 4th day in the mission) asked her to pray and invited her to ask for confirmation to prepare herself to be baptized the end of May. Dana is fearful of making a wrong decision, but knelt and offered a beautiful prayer. The spirit touched Elder Connors, and as Dana stood she found him tearful. The spirit then touched her and all of us. He said, "You know it's true."  Dana walked over and took our hands and cried openly.  Elder Connors was the conduit, and Dana did commit to baptism. We pray she will stand firm in her decision.

Whew!  It was a busy week! Things are starting to hum and our fellow missionaries are reaching out to us for assistance in many areas. It's a great and grateful feeling. Only a sure knowledge of the importance of the work could accomplish the wondrous good we see around us.

A Busy and Happy Week

Another busy week here in the Georgia Atlanta North Mission.  It was our first week in our roles as Mission Secretary and Vehicle Coordinator without our trainers. The Coes will return this coming week to assist us through our first Transfer Day (new arrivals, departures, and new companionships). Days are becoming a bit more routine. We open the doors at 8 a.m. and leave about 5 p.m.  This week, however, we stayed until nearly 7 p.m. two nights because we had technology issues and repairmen were working on systems. (As our mission progressed and we were able to assume more responsibilities, our typical office day was at least nine hours.)  Small offices are not like working in a corporate environment. We will surely learn to be flexible and resourceful as needed.  By Friday, all systems were humming again. We hosted Elder Briggs and Elder Astel, the Assistants to the President, and the Sister Missionaries assigned to the Lilburn Ward (Sister Scott and Sister Thomas) for dinner on Friday evening. We love them more and more each day.

A highlight of the week for Sister Connors was her first team up with the sister missionaries. It was a great experience. When our investigator at the first appointment was not home, Sisters Scott and Thomas immediately turned to see a car parking on the street outside the apartment. They marched up and introduced themselves to Virgilia and invited her to Church on Sunday, providing her one a "I'm a Mormon" pass along card with phone numbers and addresses. President Wolfert has challenged all missionaries to speak to at least ten people a day about the Church - regardless of the number of actual appointments on the calendar. The young sisters and elders are indeed, bold, and confident. What a great example! Our second visit was to the home of a young less active mother with three children and one on the way. Sister Knudsen's husband suffered a very serious head trauma in a work fall and is still in a semi-induced comma state after 4 weeks. It's such a sad situation. I immediately came home and went on line to learn more about them by reading their story on Sister Knudsen's blog (a luxury the young missionaries don't have). The Relief Society is reaching out and she has family nearby, but I will return with or without the sisters to offer help and a listening ear. We have seen first-hand some of what she must be experiencing when Elder Connors' brother had a serious aneurysm a decade ago. The sisters gave a great lesson related to the organization of Christ's Church and the resurrection, inviting the 8- and 11-year old to pray about setting a date for baptism. Mom seemed pretty indifferent and resolutely said she was not interested in regaining activity, but she welcomed us back anytime to work with the girls. That says something. Sister Thomas has completed her mission and will be going home this week, so the next visit will be a first for another new sister in the mission field.

Inspired by that evening, I talked openly on Friday evening to the owner of a local salon while there as a patron and Gloria accepted my offer to bring by a Book of Mormon. I'm personalizing it for her tonight and will deliver it to her on her on Tuesday when she works again along with information about golf in St. George. (She and her husband fly to Sedona, AZ to golf, and I suggested she check out St. George). Today we attended a baptism for the newest member of the Lilburn Ward, Sister (Yaman) Smith. We look forward to getting to know her personally in the weeks ahead. It's starting to feel like missionary work.

Another highlight for this Sabbath is that Sister Connors' (hard to refer to myself by full name and not a pronoun in blogging this way, but I'll do it often) brother, Ron Petersen, and sister-in-law, Leslie, drove from North Carolina where they have been vacationing to attend Church with us. It was good to feel their support and let them see our surroundings. They graciously attended the baptism, and we enjoyed some missionary talk over dinner at our apartment before they returned to North Carolina. Sister Thomas sang in Sacrament Meeting and has a beautiful voice to match her beautiful spirit.

One last item to record.  Behind my desk in the Mission Office is a large reproduction of a wonderful 1831 painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner. The prior mission president, Stephen King, found and purchased it. It is the same painting (President Monson referenced in an April 2001 Priesthood Session talk entitled "To the Rescue."  (Long name: Lifeboat and Manby Apparatus going off to a stranded vessel making blue lights of distress)  President King felt a personal connection to it since he lost a family member who died while taking part in a rescue mission in stormy seas off the northern Pacific coast. Missionary work is the work of rescuing souls. If you look closely, you can see the form and light of the Savior in the clouds.  I can see why President King put it front and center when you enter the Mission Office.    

To The Rescue

A Lovely Spring Day

We ended this day having the Spanish speaking elders to dinner. Elder Tarver comes from Cleveland (6'8" semi-pro basketball player who has dramatically changed his life since joining the Church and is learning as he teaches); we love him and his enthusiasm. Elder Dowdle comes from the Portland, OR area; he is quiet, sincere, and finishes his mission at the next transfers on April 26. They wanted a simple home-cooked hamburger dinner and that's what we fixed - pan fried burgers, macaroni salad, chips, and they loved it. We discussed a few scriptural questions and learned a bit more about their work. The mission here has many Spanish branches; also Portuguese speaking elders. Next Friday, we'll have the missionaries assigned to the Lilburn Ward to dinner (the two APs and two sisters) since Sister Thomas is also leaving on the 26th.  

After a week of cooler weather (we had to use a space heater in our bedroom for a couple of nights), warm spring has returned. Sunny and nearly 80 degrees; it's been a beautiful day. Bit by bit we're doing the deeper apartment cleaning after our initial settling in. We noticed an unusual flower on the grass this afternoon after washing off the winter-dirtied patio. It had fallen from a tall, stately tree with beautiful white and yellow flowers in the top branches. It's a Yellow Poplar, also called Tulip Poplar. Beautiful! The trees here grow so tall and so straight with no mountains to create growing shadows. We're going help the Clarks with the lawn mowing (both have bad backs) while we're residents.

After getting more settled, we decided we'd better start exercising and found a great walking trail at the nearby Gwinnett County Mountain Park. Gwinnett County seems to have many parks-clean, busy and fitted with nice walking trails. They meander through groves of trees, curve around ponds, border rail lines or near- dozen baseball diamonds. We're living in a class A community. An average building lot here is probably 2 acres! The new subdivisions are more like the west with 1/2 acres lots; but any house 20 years or older is dwarfed by its large acreage with trees and rolling lawns. There is little flat ground in Gwinnett County (unless flattened for structures). We see winding roads, gullies, and rolling hills everywhere we go, but few high spots (except Stone Mountain). Everything has a very woodsy feel. We walked a couple of times this week and plan to make it a regular habit. The ongoing youth baseball, bonnet ball, and whatever ball games give us chances to stop and watch the eager sportsmen and supportive parents. We enjoyed a short walk this evening.

We took Elder and Sister Coe to lunch yesterday; it was their last full day of service in the Mission Office.  They will return to help on our first "transfer" day experience and want to attend all of the departing missionary firesides for the next year or so to say goodbye to the missionaries they have come to love so much. We love and appreciate them. It was a tearful day for Sister Coe who has no children of her own (some stepchildren) and knows each of the missionaries well. Elder Coe and Elder Connors have much in common, and they've brought out the "character" in one another. We'll miss them but plan to connect from time to time. We'll take a prep day in the future to drive the hour to their home and see Elder Coe's car collection.

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.