Winter Speeds Along

It's mid-January. It's been two weeks since transfers, and we are still busy trying to catch up on the tasks that follow. As we transition into a new transfer cycle for 2013, the next two transfers will last only five weeks rather than six weeks. We think we'll stay busy indefinitely with all this wonderful growth. We have a very large group of missionaries arriving in February (projected at 16 rather than a usual 8-10). About 50/50 sisters and elders.  In March, the fourteen arrivals will be mostly sisters, and they will be the first group to arrive after a shortened training timeframe in the MTC (13 days rather than 3 weeks and 2.5 weeks for those learning a new language rather than 6 weeks). Only seven missionaries are going home through March. All this means our Housing Coordinator will be very busy signing leases for new apartments and furnishing them. We're grateful that Bill and Ann Tewalt from the Snellville Ward have been called as local service missionaries. They will spend 10-15 hours a week assisting in mission office and housing work. The "younger" missionaries responding to the prophet's call for 18-year old elders and 19-year sisters will start arriving with our March and April groups. We are all very curious to see what changes and adaptations the age change will bring.

Elder Connors and Sister Connors oversaw the cleaning and preparation of office space for the Atkins, the new full-time nurse and specialist missionaries. Two poorly used rooms (mostly storage of outdated supplies) in the office are now a tidy office and book room. Sister Atkin has been busy with medical calls from the day they arrived on January 4. Elder Atkins is helping incoming missionaries make arrangements for bicycles which is becoming a full-time job as we add more missionaries and ask sisters to also ride bicycles. We've also helped him learn what is needed to manage and order the missionary supplies (books, pamphlets, and the like). The Atkins will take one leg of the airport runs during Transfer Week, too. When you throw in Sister Connors taking responsibility to implement the new phone system and hardware and networking a new copy/fax machine along with helping all the new folks access and learn the software, systems and tools, things have been very busy. Once we get fully organized in our space and everyone can work independently, we'll be able to offer first class service and have time to breathe and enjoy our assignments in a very rich and enjoyable way.  Next week we have the quarterly Senior Couples Family Home Evening at the Mission Home. There will be sixteen of us!  It's always a delightful, pleasant evening.

January in Georgia is a daily surprise. It rains like crazy; warms up again; gets gloomy. We've experienced heavy frost on the cars in the morning and wind chills in the teens. We've had several shirtsleeve days while hearing reports from home in Utah of 20-inch snowfall and near zero or below temperatures. We think we picked a good winter to be away from the Wasatch Front. It's winter there for sure!  Two Saturdays ago we took the Halls and Atkins in the mission van for a loop tour of the northern parts of the mission. We saw the mist hiding the waters of Lake Lanier, enjoyed a great lunch in Dahlonega, and looped through the foothills to Ellijay and back.

Last Saturday we traveled with the Atkins to a baptism in the John's Creek Spanish Branch. It was Elder Tarver's first baptism (we've taken him under our wing), and we promised we would attend. The entire service was in Spanish, but we totally enjoyed it.  We plan to attend more Saturday and Sunday baptisms on a regular basis.  From time to time we'll attend our Sunday meetings at another Branch or Ward. It's hard to believe we only have 8 months left, and we want to continue to bond with our missionaries at every opportunity and feel more a part of the "whole" mission and its work.

While it feels there is not too much else that is unique to report, our days are busy and happy. We had more sad, but Christ-like love filled, confidential experiences as more missionaries left for home this past month. We also had an awesome group of very prepared and motivated missionaries arrive.

After a few emergency tests to be sure Elder Connors wasn't having acute gall bladder problems, his health is stable. The tests were part of a frustrating, doctor had no news but sent us to the emergency room for extra tests experience. It felt like a classic TV drama. The hospital was over-crowded; his needs were not urgent, but he was old, with white-coat elevated blood pressure. A simple physician follow-up appointment after an ultrasound lasted from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m.! Tests have ruled out all the bad things. He also saw a hand doctor who can't find anything definitive about his deteriorating dexterity. Other symptoms have settled down. We miss our Utah health network! At least we left the passing of a kidney stone this month to our son, Michael, back at home. Ouch! Old age or otherwise, we've resolved to postpone further non-fruitful testing until we get home. Through it all, however, we are happy and very grateful for the many blessings that have kept us safe and healthy and able as senior missionaries. We see the Lord's blessings and care every day!

A Memorable Winter Day

There is always so much writing to catch up on! We just completed another Transfer Week, bidding goodbye to eleven missionaries and welcoming seven. We also welcomed another couple in the mission office. The Atkins are from Frenchtown, Montana. We love them already. Sister Atkin is our mission nurse and Elder Atkin will assist her and help us as a specialist by learning and helping us improve many of our services. We continue to organize and gear up for a 50% increase in missionaries.

Today's entry, however, is intended to share a story of personal blessing. Missionaries are frequently counseled that their family will be blessed as they serve their mission. We express gratitude for the fulfillment of this promise every day. Yesterday in Georgia we enjoyed a balmy 70 degree day (unseasonably warm). Back in Utah, however, our family members along the Wasatch Front were digging out in frigid temperatures from 20+ inches of snow. They also participated in a blessing that was not one we anticipated when we left for our mission.  A long-time family wish was fulfilled. Here is the account we've pieced together from emails and a phone call from our son.

At 9 a.m. on January 12, 2013, a dozen or more Petersen and Christensen family members gathered at the Mt. Olympus trailhead parking lot on Wasatch Blvd in Salt Lake City to dedicate a plaque at the base of Pete's Rock. The plaque honors Linda's father, Christian O'Dell Petersen. The three-day storm made travel dangerous statewide. Brother Thyce was unable to get up from St. George, but Brother Ron had left Arizona earlier and arrived safely Thursday evening. He led the family as spokesperson while representatives from the Wasatch Mountain Club (WMC) and Salt Lake County led the dedication ceremony. It was snowing and about 15 degrees from what we hear. Dad's grandchildren braved the storm to attend and each shared a short memory. The family included Ron, our son, Michael, Wendy and family, our son, David, and Petersen cousins, Michelle Erickson and two of her children, Steve Petersen, Christine Petersen, and Laura Andersen. Cousin Vickie Smoot was also there. We are now anxiously awaiting a copy of the video Ron and television station KSL took so we can see, hear, and enjoy the happy occasion!

Our blog entry today is a thank you we emailed to Julie Kilgore, the Wasatch Mountain Club member who coordinated the event.  This entry is more a bit of personal history and an expression of appreciation for the work done by others. The thank you message follows this photo of the plaque. Generations have been blessed in a way we did not anticipate when we left nine months ago.

Linda Petersen Connors here. Thank you for all you have done to bring together the honorary plaque at Pete’s Rock!  It looks marvelous in the photos I saw today. Dad loved a cold, winter day. I can see his smile and watering nose now. (I mentioned to my brother how Dad loved Dr. Zhivago. He thrilled many, many times about the sense of cold in the movie and the crystallized winter scenes.)

My husband, Ray, and I are currently serving an LDS mission in the Atlanta Georgia area. We are sorry that we were not able to attend yesterday’s dedication, but our hearts were there with our family and community. Our sincere and deep appreciation to you, to the many within the WMC who have tossed around this idea for years, and to Salt Lake County for making this happen. Coordinating such an effort brings many challenges, and we see patience has resulted in a lasting solution improved by new technology, government cooperation, and improved perspective. Undoubtedly your professional engineering background helped you facilitate this wonderful result. Thank you. 

With our personal records back in Utah and missionary duties that require our full attention for most of every day, I had to rely on my capable brothers to represent our family and give you information about dad. I so appreciate and love them. I just learned by email on Thursday evening that family members would make remarks at the dedication. I’m sure Ron spoke well. Since I couldn't speak publicly, and for my personal record, I’ll make a comment here. If there is anything of value, please feel free to pass it along to Club Members and your contacts at Salt Lake County.

I am the baby sister who had far fewer opportunities than my brothers to be “on the trail” with my father and the Wasatch Mountain Club. As I grew into capability, my father’s abilities slowed. My brother Ron spent many hours with the Club, but has lived outside Utah since college. He passed along Pete stories and shared the family passion by facilitating mountain adventures for his children. Thyce, too, lived out-of-state for many years. His daughters were able to enjoy their early years around grandma and grandpa, learn of their active past, and take their turn at a make-hiking-fun experience craftily conceived by Pete as he took them hiking below ski lift chairs one spring to search for breakfast money. Our two sons were privileged to spend their full childhood with my parents, inspecting the photo walls in the shoe shop and hearing Dad’s stories firsthand at home, and as he patiently led us on many a family hike. Each of our sons has been inspired by their grandfather to explore mountain and trail and life, in their own way, with passion and adventure. Too bad we weren't able to get Dad to also share our family's love for the red rock and deserts of Utah, too!  He was an alpine man through and through!

In looking back, I don’t have as many specific Pete’s Rock and childhood trail memories as my brothers, but my parents’ obvious passion for the sport of rock-climbing, the WMC, and Pete’s Rock left a lasting impression on me. I enjoyed visits to Pete’s Rock mostly because of my parent’s enthusiasm.  My strong impressions are that it was not only about love of rock-climbing, and teaching, and a resourceful use of location, but about friendship and social ties. Pete’s Rock was a connecting link between valley and mountain, between working life and avocation, between friend and stranger.  My more frequent experiences with Dad were on the hiking trail where he shared his love of mountain and his associations with the Wasatch Mountain Club. The connections he described on these outings were more of those between man and God.

Pete and Pinky (as the Club members knew my mom) passed away just three months apart from each other in 2001 and early 2002.  I recall my cousin, Vickie, contacting me after their death when she learned the county was considering removing the climbing route numbers painted on the rock. I immediately wrote Salt Lake County with my concerns. The concerns were not because the numbers were on “Pete’s” Rock, but because the rock and its numbers and story of how they were used and taught are history; they stand as tribute to a generation of recreational pioneers. I wasn’t sure anyone would care at that point in time, and after a very stressful year, I had energy to do no more than share my opinion. 

Time has passed, and someone else has cared. Thank you. Thanks to the Wasatch Mountain Club for continued community outreach. Thanks to Salt Lake County. Thanks for sharing the story of Pete’s Rock with future generations of outdoorsmen and passers-by.

Christmas 2012: Merry, Bright, and Joyous

Merry Christmas!  It's a quiet, rainy Christmas afternoon.  We'll be preparing dinner for some elders later, so will take the opportunity now to catch up on events. We have been so busy the past few weeks. This quiet morning is allowing us to enjoy some peaceful reflection on our blessings and the birth and life Christmas celebrates.

    Thanksgiving Morning at Stone Mountain Lake

To begin, we'll share our Christmas greeting sent by email and letter to friends and family:

Sing the Song of Redeeming Love…       

The Christmas season draws our hearts and minds to our Savior and to the remarkable events that foretold and announced His birth. The songs of Christmas describe a humble birth, unnoticed by a sleeping world. But to those who were seeking, the alleluias of the heavenly hosts rang out in joyous refrain, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men.” Do you ever feel like you have been in those choirs? Do you aspire to be? The heavens have shouted for joy many times. The morning stars sang together at the foundation of the earth. The Prophet Joseph Smith acclaimed the restored gospel in psalm:

Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud, and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven. (D&C 128:23)

Our experiences as missionaries for Christ’s restored church have deepened our understanding and gratitude for His birth, His life, and His atonement. Countless numbers of Heavenly Father’s children are still slumbering, unaware of the joyous news. We are grateful for our opportunity to help spread the word throughout the world. What better time than Christmas to invite us all to (again) come unto Christ, to experience a change of heart, and to sing the song of redeeming love. (See Alma 5:26)

May He bless you and yours this Christmas and in the year ahead. 

                                                                                                        Elder and Sister Connors

We can only describe the past weeks as joyful and busy. We'll recount in reverse from our Christmas greeting to the events preceding. We've enjoyed visiting some of our convert and investigator families the past few days, sharing with them a Christmas message and a "whenever" breakfast goody bag. The Chases, the Howards, Sister Roca (who has returned), and a special visit last night that we will remember for a long time. Several others we want to see are working draining holiday jobs, and we will catch up to them when they can recover. One, Ibiri Boateng, was baptized on December 16. Unfortunately, he had to postpone his December 23 confirmation because he was working for 36 straight hours - Walmart's gift to their stocking employees!  Born in Ghana, Obi (as he's known) has been in the U.S. for 14 years. With most of his family in DC, he's been in Georgia for about 2 years. He immediately recognized the truth when Elders Hanny and Edmunds taught him and totally turned away from old habits to new. We enjoyed having dinner with him at the Lilburn Ward Christmas Party. He speaks French and is delighted that Sister Paepaetaata from Tahiti is now serving in the ward and he can speak his favorite language with her! We feel blessed that we'll be able to continue working with and getting to know him better.

We had a bittersweet visit last night with Mercy and Malyssa Ansah last night. Merci is from Ghana, too. A single parent and member, she's been delaying the baptism for her 9-year old daughter, Malyssa. Malyssa is a cutie with lots of energy who charms everyone she meets. We called ahead and arranged a 7 p.m. visit. A secret Santa from the ward had dropped off a large box of gifts to the mission office for us to deliver along with our goodies.  As Mercy invited us in, we noticed the pile of boxes and the unassembled bed frame in the living room of the tiny apartment.  The stack of boxes have been there since Sister Connors first met them. With no storage, they can only keep their extras in the boxes. However, the borrowed sofa they were using previously had been returned to its owner, so there was only one computer chair to sit on, a sofa table, a small desk and a television. There were only those items, and a sad Malyssa wrapped up in blankets on the floor. Sick with the stomach flu, she had little desire to do more than say "hello" and "thank you."  There was (by mom's choice) no tree, no decorations. This little girl who is usually ready with a big smile and hug and curiosity about what you have to offer was having a sad Christmas. We had to hold back the tears until we closed the door behind as we left.  It will be an image we'll keep in our hearts and minds. We hope another visit from Sister Allen and Paepaetaata who were arriving at 8 p.m. helped to cheer them, too. Our Christmas Eve ended with prayers for this beautiful child and struggling mother, and a commitment to find them a small sofa or chairs. It was a blessed  humility experience for our Christmas Eve. We know the Lord knows and is aware and will work the experience to their benefit.

Today, Christmas Day, we learned about a mission vehicle with a vandalized windshield. The incident reports can come at any time of any day. We are helping to filter some other disobedience distractions that may end in more early missionary departures (the 2nd time this month). Satan works so hard to tempt these missionaries into disobedience. We can't tell the story; it breaks our hearts when we hear and even more when we are the sounding board. But we have to recognize the challenging realities that exist in a mission right along with the joys.

Our son, David, texted us the week before Christmas to ask when was our Preparation Day. He surprised us with a one day visit as our Christmas gift. He flew in on Friday evening. We picked him up at the airport and spent a chilled windy Saturday with him, going to see the view from atop Stone Mountain (didn't stay long) and then to downtown Atlanta to visit the World of Coca-Cola and Olympic Park.

Then it was tacos at Los Hermanos, that favorite local taqueria, and a nice visit with Don and Zaza Clark. Sunday morning he picked up a rental car, rendezvoused with a former Alaska missionary friend, and then drove 560 miles to Mobile, AL where he is picking up a car to drive it back to Utah for friend Darren Webster. We so enjoyed a relaxed low-key day with him. He looks good, is eating healthier, and recovering well from some major dental surgery. It gave us great joy and peace of mind to spend time with him. We love him and are proud of the person he is. His Christmas gift to himself was to be another "solo" trip on the road. Last year he celebrated by hiking to Delicate Arch on Christmas morning to watch the sunrise after we shared family Christmas on Christmas Eve. He's celebrated the holiday in Panama, Alaska, and elsewhere. The life of a bachelor. He's now driven every state except Hawaii. However, his Christmas Day driving plans have been foiled. FedEx didn't get the purchase check to the dealer, so he's held up in Mobile until Wednesday. He'll make a discovery somewhere today, we're sure.

Speaking of FedEx, we still have about 50 missionary Christmas boxes in the mission office that arrived on Monday.  We couldn't get the USPS boxes and 100 cards and letters re-addressed before the Post Office closed. We will probably get more on Wednesday, so it will be another all-day mail marathon and multiple trips to the Post Office. We have the best mail carriers. One day we received four deliveries, one of them with nothing in the truck but our missionaries' boxes!  No, you can't wait until a week before Christmas to get a package to a missionary!  But many loved ones tried!  After Thanksgiving we started storing  all packages in the mission office, leapfrogging the older packages back into delivery once we were assured we would have at least once package for each missionary for our Mission Christmas party. We ended up with hundreds of packages of all sizes saved at the Mission Office and hundreds more forwarded on. Packages everywhere! Why didn't we take a photo of all those gifts!? Too busy!  Mail and packages have been the primary focus of the month, along with helping our new couple, Elder and Sister Hall, learn and adapt into the mission office routine. Some days we felt like we were sinking and have some catch up to do to be totally afloat again. However, it has brought great joy to bring these wonderful missionaries happiness.

We had our mission party on Wednesday, December 19, at the Stake Annex next to the Mission Office. It's the only time of year that all of the missionaries get together. We had a great catered turkey and stuffing dinner. The Halls helped us provide and put together little candy bags and a summarized bookmark of Elder Ballard's talk about Be Anxiously Engaged. A bee theme in the talk led to the Bee Merry and Bright greeting tag and Bits of Honey mixed with other candy. We saw a wonderful slide show of life in the mission for 2012. We we had an amazing talent show:  Sister Paepaetaata performed island dances; Elders Dennie, Boman, MacDonald, Hemsley, and McConnehey created a happy rhythm and rap "I Get No Mail for Chistmas" parody; Sister Waterworth played her flute; Elder McConnehey gave an amazing jazz piano improv rendition of "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission"; Elder Rallison juggled; Elder McAllister balanced everything from a music stand to a full size banquet table on his chin (and got down and up on the floor while balancing); senior Elder Lee shared some favorite country songs; Elder Beenfield created a movie trailer sound effect number; senior Sister Lundgren sang The Lord's Prayer; Elder Fetuli played his ukulele as he sang "How Can I Become Like Him?", a touching reflection about dozens of Book of Mormon prophets and the Savior. It brought tears to our eyes. Elder Campbell concluded with a reverent and beautiful "The First Noel" vocal solo. The program ended as President and Sister Wolfert expressed their love, and it was time to finally find and open the many gift(s) we had transported from the mission office. It was a wonderful four hours!  Unfortunately our camera battery went dead and our few photos of the event are lost in action!

Other December highlights include:

• Welcoming Sister Kathleen and Elder Richard Hall from Orem, UT.  They replace Mike and Rosemary Bolt as the Finance Secretary and Housing Coordinator. We already love them so much!
• Soccer playoffs on Preparation Day with the Obers and Clarks and our first visit to a Chick-fil-a Dwarf House

• The Lilburn Ward Christmas Party; it was your typical Ward Christmas Party, but very enjoyable.
• A great empty-nester Family Home Evening. Len and Darlene Holladay (yes, Holladay, Utah is named after his family) shared their infamous and great hand-drawn and wonderfully told recitation of "The Grinch That Stole Christmas." They started the tradition with their family in the 1960's, after seeing the book in the Spokane newspaper (before its mass publication).
• A lovely senior missionary dinner at a local Italian restaurant. 

• A visit to one of two well-known Nativity Celebrations in the Atlanta Area. We attended the event in Roswell with the Halls. Another was held the week before in Gainesville. It was a great community missionary event that draws thousands to see nearly a thousand amazing nativity displays and enjoy musical numbers from local talent. It was beautiful and spiritual.   

• Catching the amazing nutcracker collection window display in tiny, downtown Lilburn.

• Shopping for sub-for-Santa events.
• Helping Zaza and her granddaughters decorate the Christmas tree.
• Attending the Sugar Hill Choir Christmas Concert. It was another wonderful community event and tugged at our hearts already missing being part of the Orchard Stake Concert at home.
• Working two preparations days: one driving to Jonesboro to get a totaled car out of impound; another deep cleaning and organizing the mission office in preparation for another new couple (mission nurse and husband) who will arrive in January. That effort is still in progress. So much to do!

• Helping the Halls transition into their jobs.
• Improvising with copy and fax machines down and installing a totally new phone system and hardware two days ago.
• AND...notifications of new missionaries are arrive at an amazing rate, so comes the handling all of the correspondence, paperwork, and logistics that come with it. January arrivals will be a fairly standard seven.  February?  Seventeen and counting (mostly sisters).  March?  Thirteen and counting; they will be among the first group to enter the mission field after only 10 days in the MTC. April? Eight and counting. Our collective minds are spinning thinking about what it will be mean in terms of expansion as we may gain 100 additional missionaries in our ranks. It will be an especially busy time for the Housing Coordinator. Furniture donations have started and every week we have people dropping housing items off to the office of the storage unit. How many new areas will we open? Everyone needs to bring a bike. Where will we store the bikes until their owners arrive? How will we find 12-week trainers for 30 sisters when we only have twelve sisters right now?  It's exciting, and there couldn't be a better Christmas and New Year gift.

The Halls are cooking dinner for the sister missionaries.  It's time for us to cook dinner for some hungry elders.  Then we'll call the "kids" for our family Christmas. They sent us wonderful gifts, and we are so grateful the Lord has them in his gracious and bounteous care. 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, one and all.

A Day in Time

So little time; so much to do.  It's been a very, very busy two weeks and no time to write about it just now. Holiday events, new office couples, equipment failures, Christmas preparations, Stake Conference - all have filled our minutes and hours. We'll catch up soon. But it is a special date - 12/12/12.  Something similar won't happen again in this century, so it seems appropriate to post something just for today.

Also, congratulations, Sister Aubree Scott, on your marriage today to Joshua Browning.  Denying until the day she left the mission in August that she would marry quickly, we all knew better. And she managed to reserve the special date for a joyous day. 

Only 87 years and 20 days until 1/1/1!

For Thy Bounteous Blessings

We love Thanksgiving and the stately cadence of many of our thanksgiving hymns. A favorite is the Primary round For Thy Bounteous Blessings:

(1) For thy bounteous blessings,
(2) For thy wondrous word,
(3) For thy loving kindness,
(4) We give thanks, O Lord.

The words of this round pretty much summarize our deep gratitude for our many blessings and for the grace and teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We just finished Thanksgiving Week, and we have much to be grateful for.  Among the most important are our testimonies, our mission, each other, ours sons, Michael and David, our daughter-in-law, Wendy, and our grandchildren, Faith, Hailey, Noah, Ammon, and Elizabeth (Lizzie).  Then we can continue on to brothers, Ron, Thyce, Kenneth, Michael, and Jeffrey, parents, aunts; all of the extended family. Add our dear converts and investigators and friends here in Georgia and back home in Utah. We can't leave out our health, this country, and the beauties of nature. The list goes on and on, and it includes scriptures, prophets, revelation, temples; again, on and on our blessings go. All of them come to us through a loving Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our blessings and activities the past two weeks have been many and varied. Each and every day in the mission office is a blessing. We love serving the elders and sisters. We've had a big baptism month, and we experienced a slight change in the schedules for Transfer Week. Because of Thanksgiving, the released elders went home on Tuesday morning, the same day we picked up a new group of elders in the afternoon.  That meant two trips to the airport with the cargo trailer behind us. We were fortunate to avoid the heavy holiday traffic which seemed to jam in the opposite directions we traveled through downtown Atlanta during the day. Elder Williams, one of the Assistants, was among those departing. We look forward to working with Elder Edmunds (from Ogden, UT) who will now work with Elder Hanny. More changes lie ahead this week. Elder and Sister Bolt, our volunteer missionaries from Lilburn, who have been the Finance and Housing coordinators, will be released at the end of November (after extending for 7 months!)  Elder and Sister Hall from Orem arrived in Georgia on Friday. They are a delightful couple, and we know we will enjoy working with them. There will be training this week, and then we'll bid the Bolts farewell. We will miss their talents and Elder Bolt's "tales."  But since the Bolts live in the Lilburn Ward, we will continue to enjoy their good company. We hope they can slow down a bit and will be able to now spend weekdays at their ranch in South Carolina and weekends at their primary home with their ward family (it's been the opposite during the mission and very tiring for them.)

We took the Halls to dinner on Friday evening to Dos Hermanos, our favorite authentic Mexican food restaurant, and helped them settle in a bit. On Saturday we introduced them to their assignments as we met a U-Haul truck at the Mission Office. It was filled with furnishings for missionary apartments donated by the Collins Hill Ward, about 15 miles east. We escorted the truck to the mission's commercial storage sheds and helped with the unloading. The three storage units are pretty much filled, and we are accepting donations from five stakes over the next five Saturdays and anytime donations from the Lilburn Stake as they arrive. Why all the donations?  President Wolfert has been working with the six stake presidents in the mission on strategies for integrating 70-100 additional missionaries in the next 6 months. Potentials include 70 new sisters; we now have only 14. What does a potential 60% increase in missionaries mean? Lots of new apartments and furnishing and supplies for them, additional vehicles, increased correspondence, paperwork, and mail, creation of new mission areas, nearly every missionary becoming a trainer, and logistics for leaders at ward, stake, mission, area, and Church levels to anticipate and administer. It's going to be great fun! As of today, however, our January arrivals are at normal levels.  Where do we store all the "stuff" in the meantime?  When will we know for a certainty how many, who, and when? We smile as we ask these questions and look forward to 2013 with anticipation and a commitment to work together.

Lisa Kotter, the Ward Relief Society president invited several investigators and new converts who did not have other family plans to her home for Thanksgiving dinner. Many of their children are friends, and it was a great fit for the families. (Lisa is the daughter of Elder Cornish of the Seventy.) The Clarks headed with the Obers to Texas for dinner with their son's family. After talking to the Stowells, a wonderful senior couple serving in Jonesboro, we decided to invite them to share Thanksgiving Day with us. They, too, couldn't find a good "we'll cook dinner for you fit", and had hit that point where a change of view felt welcome to them. So they became our Thanksgiving project. Rather than cook a meal, we spent the morning at Stone Mountain Park.

The park was not as crowded as it may have been on an earlier fall weekend, allowing us to enjoy a few highlights, some photos, and the tram ride to the top of Stone Mountain. We definitely need to take one of our Saturday exercise outings to take the hike to the top! We then joined the senior Kotter family (all 35 of them) for dinner. It was a full house, but the feeling was relaxed and informal. We then parted to our various apartments to connect with family by phone. Mike and Wendy and the kids were enjoying dinner in Arizona with Wendy's sister's (Jacque) family. Dave didn't return our voice message until Friday. He spent Thanksgiving alone at home - resting and giving thanks and finally posting online some enriched comments and pictures for what I'll explain next about Canguro Racing's November achievement.

I'll use David's words to tell the history of Canguro Racing: Canguro Racing formed somewhere in the mountains of Northern Utah. Or maybe amongst the saguaros of Baja, Mexico. It might just have happened on the slickrock mesas of Moab. The truth is that there is no exact date when Canguro Racing was created. Ten years ago the six of us were complete strangers. Through a shared love of the venerable Toyota Land Cruiser we all became friends. Each of us has been active in the off-roading community for over 15 years, traveled thousands of dusty, washboard miles and have served in local and national leadership positions for various volunteer organizations. Sometime over the past 18 months the timing finally worked out so we could join together for our Baja 1000 adventure. We’re excited for what lies ahead of us and are grateful to all our friends, family, and supporters, without which this would never happen.

Dave and our mutual friends, Ryan Davis, Darren Webster, Kurt Williams, Marc VanTassell, and Dave Helm (sitting in for original team member, Will Carroll) completed their goal to run and cross the finish line in the 2012 Baja 1000. The race:  Started about 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, November 15; about 200 miles for each driver; 1100 miles in all; 42 total hours; one broken power steering belt and voltage regulator; rough track conditions from rain and hurricane damage; sheer joy in their faces in the photos on the grandstand. Only one in three starting cars finished the race - the longest off road event in the world. We watched (when we could) by checking in periodically on the internet to see the marker for car #1404 (Mathilda) move along the tracker application's map route. The GPS updated their location about every two minutes. We held our breath when they stopped at places other than check points; we cheered after check point stops and as they changed drivers and continued on. And we did all this while we slept and did our mission work. Somehow in our periodic checking we hit the highlights of their movement even though we missed hours at a time.

We were at a soccer game with the Clarks (Izzie's last game of the season) on Saturday morning. We watched Mathilda jump to the finish line on our cell phone's browser about 8 a.m. The Clarks were mildly appreciative; they were much more engaged in the soccer game. But we knew what a big deal this was; a difficult challenge physically, mentally, and financially. It was the culmination of the hard work of dozens of friends. And these men are our friends, too. They finished - safely and successfully! It was cold and windy at the soccer game; Linda lingered in the backseat of the car after the others stepped out to watch the game. They thought I was hiding from the wind; I was actually crying a prayer of gratitude for the accomplishment and for the competitors and their families that I love. Our prayer (many prayers) for their safety and success were answered.  There will be much online chatter and pictures about their adventure. We'll miss most of it; but hopefully we'll be able to catch up when we get home (or watch them do it again another year!)

The satisfaction in David's voice was tangible as we talked to him after Thanksgiving. Our feelings of gratitude for the race success was stronger than we expected. It was not what we anticipated would be a 2012 thanksgiving highlight. But it is. It's more than pride in achievement; there is something noble about the friendship, and sacrifice, and determination that was part of the effort. Like the sacrifice and dedication our son, Michael, gives and receives in his role as husband and father, it is evidence of God's gifts to his righteous sons. Good comes in many forms; we see and hear of God's love every day. It's important that we acknowledge, both privately and publicly, our "bounteous" blessings.

The Lord is Ever With Us

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and there is much to be thankful for, including the Lord's watchful care over the past two weeks. Let's start at the ending.

Aeriel Chase, Matthew, and Victoria were confirmed today, two weeks later than expected. Unexpected illnesses led to emergency room visits and sidetracked them on two Sundays. After their baptism they moved into a rental home near the Lilburn building, but it was exhausting for them. First mom, then Matthew and then Dad all fell ill. We learned today talking to Mom that Matthew (extremely dehydrated and not able to walk while in the ER), was telling everyone he was a Mormon and sharing his disappointment that he was supposed to receive the Holy Ghost rather than be in the hospital. He is a natural child-missionary! The entire family was so happy today. In Gospel Principles class, Brother Chase testified about the blessings that have come to the family since they committed to the Savior and His church. And Sister Chase was laughing with a happy smile when she explained that they had to get ready for Church at grandma's house because their septic system backed up yesterday. You can see the joy of the gospel  in their faces and understand why Elder Williams felt so happy at their baptism. We're excited to be able to continue to get to know and help them more. We're already thinking about a way to enjoy a family experience with them during the holidays ahead. The other happy event from today was to turn around in the hall after Sacrament Meeting and see Dana Roca, our beloved convert who left Georgia in an urgent situation, leaving no contact information. We wondered months ago if we would ever see her again. She's back, doing well, and attended Church while in New York. What joy filled our hearts. No one in the ward knew she was back until she appeared today! The Lord has been with her. Today was a joyful end to a busy week.

The week before last, Ray had a bout with the flu. Halloween came and went quietly (we shared our candy with the Clarks so they could give it out). Hurricane Sandy hit the upper Atlantic Seaboard; we donned our Helping Hands t-shirts and helped several dozen Lilburn Stake members at the Tucker Bishop's Storehouse to pack food boxes for relief efforts. It's wonderful how willing hands work so quickly to help the Church to be ready in advance. The hurricane was so devastating, and yet a sense of resilience and determination surfaced, too. On Saturday morning, we learned that two elders had been in a serious accident about 9 p.m. on Friday night. A woman, DUI, collided with them nearly head on; both vehicles were traveling nearly 50 mph. Another set of elders were traveling in the next lane and witnessed the accident. The woman's car went airborne after the initial contact, rolled on its side, and ended upside down. The four elders got back to their apartments about 4 a.m. after Elder Jones was checked out in the ER. Fortunately he was okay. It was a miracle the elders were not more seriously hurt. The Lord was with them.

We began our Saturday morning with housework, raking leaves and mowing the lawn (exercise felt so good). We then enjoyed an hour watching Cami Ober play soccer, and we got to know her father, Blaine Ober. Blaine came home for a week from Dubai (happens about once a year). Jackie and the girls were so happy to have him home. It was good to see them all together, even Alex flew home from BYU to spend time with them. After the soccer game we drove down to Jonesboro to see Elder Jones and Gisseman.  President Wolfert was at their apartment when we arrived; letting the elders call their parents to assure them they were okay. After a prayer of gratitude for the missionaries' protection and a plea for blessings for the reckless driver, the president left and we took the elders to dinner. They looked tired but were excited for a good meal. Unfortunately, Elder Jones, the driver, was on some medications and had to take most of his dinner home. It was only 7:30 p.m.l when we dropped them off, but we assured them it would be okay to go to bed after an exceptional 24 hours. We saw the elders on Tuesday at Zone Conference, and they are doing well. What a blessing!

The first of three Zone Conferences was held in Lilburn on Tuesday - election day.  It rained much of the morning, making car inspections fun. We experienced the same rain and colder air on Wednesday in Marietta. Ray followed the Assistants to the Stake Center in Marietta; they leave about 6:30 a.m. to be there by 8 a.m. Without traffic, it's a 45 minute drive; but there is always traffic in Atlanta. Thursday was a beautiful, but cold day for the last conference at the Sugar Hill Stake Center in Suwanee. We scraped serious frost from our car windows in the morning; a first for us in Georgia!  Ray enjoys the associations and messages at Zone Conference and also speaks during a session. The Bolts made presentations, too, so Linda was left alone at the Mission Office until they returned about 4 p.m. each day. On Tuesday evening we subbed for Don and Zaza and taught Mission Prep class.

We averaged more than 10 hour days at the office the past week. So when Saturday arrived, we did a quick housecleaning and started a loop through Cleveland, Helen, and the mountains to do some shopping for some locally produced gift items. We realized that Christmas is around the corner. We learned Cleveland is the home to Cabbage Patch, so we figured it was time to visit the Cabbage Patch Hospital to pick up a newborn for our granddaughter, Lizzie.

The fall leaves had peaked, but we did catch one breathtaking moment as we rounded a corner on the winding road to see brilliant red and yellow leaves glittering in the sun and gently dancing in the breeze like a soft veil along our path.  The Lord was blessing us in those few seconds.  It was a nice afternoon drive and we missed the crowds that clogged the roads the weekends before. We have now traveled the beginning of the Appalachian trail and highway.

Ray's hands have been getting worse, and the discomfort and frustration is wearing him out. The fear that he was having additional problems with his neck keeps nagging at him. He's back to doing his computer work with one finger typing. He felt impressed to again call Dr. Smalley, the Area Medical Advisor, to seek counsel. Dr. Smalley is an orthopedic physician and we met him at Zone Conference. We obtained a copy of Ray's pre-cervical fusion MRI from Utah. It was good to hear from Dr. Smalley after he looked at the MRI. He feels surgery is not needed and is convinced something other than pinched disks may be causing the tremors and weakness. In the short term, Ray is trying medications for muscle spasms, and in the one day he's taken them, they seem to help. He's also going to schedule another nerve conductivity test. The Lord is helping us stay here in the mission; he is with us!

The 2012 Presidential elections have been both intriguing and exhausting. Georgians like to talk politics - conservative politics. As missionaries we try to keep our conversations neutral and short, but it was hard to avoid talking about the events. Often it was a conversation starter about the Church; but so much of the talk felt like doomsday, either, or. As a precaution, mission presidents were counseled to sequester or move missionaries in areas that could be prone to possible rioting if election results caused controversy. We moved a few of our missionaries and asked the others to stay in their apartments for the night. Throughout this political year, we stated and prayed with faith that the Lord would direct the election outcomes in His wisdom for what we, as a nation, need to receive and learn. Who should we trust more than the Lord?  We will come to learn and see His hand by looking back in the future. We certainly came to respect the Romneys as individuals, even more than candidate and family. They showed such great fortitude and character in the cause.

There is much talk of the "Mormon Moment" in the press. Will the momentum continue?  Has it peaked?  The SE Area Mission Presidents were recently counseled by Elder Rasband. He affirmed that the Lord is in charge of His work and will move it forward.  We have been told to expect a 50% increase in our missionaries by mid-year 2013.  Missionary applications increased ten-fold in the weeks following the General Conference announcement that elders can now serve at age 18 and sisters at age 19. We are excited to do our part to prepare for, welcome, and build up those missionaries. Elder Rasband explained that sometimes we simply need to get out of the way. The words spoken by Joseph Smith - the Standard of Truth - say it all. The same knowledge and determination should be ours, because the Lord is and will ever be with us and directing His work.

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

What a Treat

It's Sunday evening, and we find ourselves very tired. It's been a very busy two weeks - all part of the blessings of missionary service. A rare quiet afternoon has allowed us to finally get the balance of our missionary photos quickly labeled and a link for them placed on this blog page. That's a treat! In looking back at Transfer Week, we realized it really was a big month. We had our first experience towing the utility trailer and driving the 12-passenger van to the airport to pick up missionaries. It was delightful. The ride on MARTA for a first contacting experience in Georgia usually takes the Assistants and new missionaries 1-2 hours. Elder Bolt convinced us to stop in downtown Atlanta for a quick lunch at the landmark Varsity in the 12-passenger van with the tow trailer behind. The Varsity is an indoor fast food franchise with drive-in atmosphere of long time renown. We can now say we've had our experience with the Varsity hot dog and hamburger. Sorry Georgians, the atmosphere was great, the food was school lunch quality. It was another Atlanta experience checked off. We then drove to the Doraville Station to pick up our load of missionaries, just in the nick of time.We're going to love this new assignment, and the driving is no problem.  It will be a treat!

Another new task for Sister Connors is to edit the photos that we take of the new missionaries at the mission home on arrival night. We print them and post them on a large board in the Mission Office. It's a favorite stop for all visiting missionaries to see the faces that go with the names of missionaries they hear about but rarely or never meet. The editing process was a bit stressful since I'm not an expert and had to learn new software, but next time will be easier. After editing the photos, I then take down, add, and re-arrange all the photos on the board in alphabetical order. Followed by that, I add the photos and baptisms into the Southern Star newsletter, publish it, mail it, and email it. The final step with the photos is to print two passport size photos of each new missionary and create index-sized magnetic transfer cards for each missionary to go on the transfer boards at the mission office and mission home.

Last Sunday was the baptism of Aeriel Chase and 11-year old Victoria and 9-year old Matthew. Dad, Tyler, prepared his worthiness to do the baptisms. Mom and dad were nervous, but there were few corrections and all went well.  Elder Casey Williams gave a talk before the baptism and did a great job. He bears a strong, yet quiet testimony in a confident and assured way. You could tell that this family had really touched him. His mission will be over in November.  "I've never been happier than I am at this moment," he said. And he was sincere. He had us in tears.

The Chases bore their testimonies after the baptism. Victoria read scripture with confidence, and from her words and spirit we know she reads daily. Matthew was grateful for the Book of Mormon; that God gave us another testament of Christ. Mom is sweet (probably experiencing the biggest life change). And Dad, from Brooklyn, is a talker who retold the following story Matthew had shared with us during our car ride the week before. Matthew had recognized the spirit when he heard the missionaries, and told the family who had struggled finding a Church that worked. "I think God is giving us one last chance."  I was so touched by the spirit of the baptism that I actually posted Matthew's observation on Facebook. If we look at it personally, or as a society, Matthew listens to the spirit as we all should.  He is the most amazing young man.  Typical is most ways, he is blessed with a special spiritual awareness and curiosity. The family just moved from an apartment to a rental home this week. It puts them closer to the meeting house, which is good. They struggle, as do many, with finances in today's world. They will need our support. Mom was ill today so they could not be confirmed. We plan to visit them this week and share a Primary CD as a baptism memento.

We enjoyed another spiritual treat connected with the spreading of the Gospel today. With the Presidential election now just 9 days away, the Mormon Moment continues to gain momentum. We get invitations to talk about politics everywhere we turn. We politely listen but hold back engaged opinion (we are missionaries), but it is everywhere. My Visiting Teacher is a Public Affairs Coordinator for the Southeast Region. She has been very busy helping the Priesthood Leaders to organize public affairs callings over the area, train leaders, and screen requests. In just the past two years, the Public Affairs assignment has grown from a newly created calling to become a major responsibility and opportunity. 

The Bolts had a family vacation planned for early October because they thought they would be released, so we held down the office solo that week. Sister Connors has a big spike in tasks and correspondence associated with the week of transfer and the week after. We added some new assignments, had a routine medical screening, flu shots, and much more!  Last week we had four new cars to pick up and more fun with vehicles and bicycles. Elder Connors phone rings constantly. We drove to Athens last Saturday to deliver a new bicycle to a missionary.We were treated to the most beautiful week of fall weather. Temperatures are in the 70's, with clear skies, and colorful, falling leaves. Friday night we enjoyed the Lilburn Ward and Stone Mountain Spanish Branch (Halloween) dinner and trunk or treat. It was great fun and a well-attended traditional event!  And for a change, my chili was a big hit; it was an on-the-fly recipe I'll need to save.

Yesterday we attended the BYU / Georgia Tech game in downtown Atlanta with the Clarks. We saw many ward members there and a large contingency of BYU fans. BYU played well, winning 41-17, and it was a fun experience. We're glad we agreed to buy the tickets and go along. On the streets and in the top rows of the stadium we saw several dozen missionaries from the GA Atlanta Mission. They were definitely noticed by the fans, and they represented their role and the Church well to the crowd. We went incognito of sorts, a senior missionary preparation day exception with our president's encouragement.

Tomorrow we'll return to a more normal routine in the office. The weather has cooled significantly. In missionary life, not-normal is the normal. Love it!  May the Lord treat any and all who read this blog with His love.