2 Weeks for the Price of One!

 Well, we had a week get away from us, so you get 2 for the price of one.  We have been on the run and sorry to have missed a week.  We've had a couple of fun P-Days.  The first was a District P-Day which we do once a transfer.  On this day, we played frisbee as we waited for everyone to arrive at the park and then we played some volleyball.  I sat out because I didn't want to take a chance on twisting my knee.  But we had a good time.  We went to brunch at Raspberries afterward.  We all definitely like being together-and they even like having the old people with them.

That was transfer week which can be hard and exciting all at once.  We get the video call on Wednesdays and transfers are on Friday.  The call came and each companionship was being affected.  Our cute Sister Baker was going to move to Auburn and she had a really hard time at the thought of leaving.  We took her and Sister Okusi for ice cream to say goodbye and the Atwoods joined us. Saying Goodbye is always hard!

Because we had several of our past missionaries leaving, we decided to drive into the office for transfers.  Transfers are always fun - full of excited missionaries as they meet up with former companions and meet new comps.  We were able to see Sister Oliverson, Sister Thompson, (both were going home) Sister Erickson, Sister Hafen, and give one last hug to Sister Baker.  

On Saturday, we had our friends, the Morgans and the Joneses come to our home for a shish kabob party. We were excited to share one of our favorite meals with them.  We had such a great time.  After we ate we played Tensies with dice and Cover Your Assets.  We love these people and are feeling the time slipping away.  These are people we may never see again in this lifetime, but we have made an eternal friendship with them. 

Our second week was just as busy.  Maybe even more so.  We decided to go to visit Howe Caverns for our P-Day.  You see, we have a bucket list of things we want to see before we come home.  On Sunday the car was running a bit rough and had some trouble shifting from low to high gears.  Mike figured it was our transmission going out on us.  We got up early and ran to Autozone to check on a diagnostic tool.  The diagnostic said it was the mass air flow sensor.  So we ordered the part but it would not be in until the next day.  They told us we would be okay to drive it.  As we were getting ready to get onto the the Thruway our car started sputtering and cutting out and it was hard to accelerate. It felt like it was just going to die.  We pulled off and started to go home on the back roads.  As we started to pass an auto shop, Mike pulled in to see if they would do another diagnostic (because he was sure it was the transmission).  That guy said it was the same thing as Autozone. As we drove away, it felt a little better so we decided to drive to Norwich to the car museum, which was another thing on our list of want to see.  The drive was rainy but nice.  We enjoyed the car museum.  Mike loves old cars and this was a really nice collection of cars.  

When we came out of the museum, our car wouldn't start.  It would turn over and then sputter off.  After about 5 or 6 tries we started up the little hill and it wouldn't go.  We started it again and tried again-it died.  We finally got it turned around and went back to the parking lot.  We said a prayer.  It was raining hard.  We finally got it going, struggled up the hill and started out of town.  It still wouldn't accelerate.  Finally we got moving.  It seemed to work a bit better at higher speeds.  We limped and prayer for over an hour to get home.  As we pulled into Rome, Mike wanted one more opinion- that transmission was still in his head.  We went to Bravos-a place that had worked on our car before.  Their diagnostic was the same.   We made an appointment for August 21st.  What would we do for another couple of weeks?  Well, we've been getting where we need to be.  It just has to be babied a bit.  Stopping at a red light is fun, as it tries to die.  Pulling out of our driveway is exciting as we pray no one is coming behind us as we try to get it to go.  All in all, we are so blessed.  At least it's not completely dead. LOL! Please pray for our car.  It has to get us home to Utah in a couple of months.

Our week was good.  We had our temple prep class on Tuesday and it was awesome. We love the temple.  We love being able to teach about it. 

Wednesday was a crazy day.  We went to Whitesboro to our District Council.  We love our district and because it was the first council after transfers, we spent some time getting to know each other.  Then we dived into Preach My Gospel and talked about the importance of conversion.  We had lunch together, like we always do and then Mike and I headed to Hamilton.  We had gotten a text from Sister DePoe's mom saying that a package she had sent had been delivered.  Well, that apartment had been closed out a month ago and so we told her we would go pick it up and pray that the package was still there.  We drove to Hamilton, stopped at our favorite Amish stand, grabbed some green beans and headed to the apartment.  Luckily, the package was still sitting on the front porch-two days later.  We headed to Liverpool to our mission office.  We dropped off the package, shared the green beans with the office couples and headed to Costco. We had been given the assignment (or Mike volunteered) to grab some things for our ward picnic that would be held on Saturday.  We did shopping for the ward and grabbed a few things for us, filled the tank and headed for home.  It was a busy day and we were tired.

Thursday, of course, was our Book of Mormon lesson.  We love our class.  We had 14 of us there which is as big of attendance as we have ever had.  We love when we have a good discussion.  We taught 2 Nephi 2 on the Fall and man did we get questions.  It seemed to go a little off at times but we brought the discussion back on topic.  I didn't get the whole lesson done because of all the questions. (Remember, we have several new converts who had been taught about Adam and Eve in a completely different light) Such a great lesson.  Next week we will finish up with agency.  That one will be good too.  I had made some cookies, that were invented in Utica, for some dinner guests that were coming to dinner on Friday so we brought some for the class.  They completely loved them.  In Mike's words, "THEY WERE YUMMY! SO YUMMY!"

These are called Half Moon Cookies. They are a chocolatey cakey cookie frosted in vanilla buttercream on half and chocolate buttercream on the other.  Holy Cow! We will be making those again.

On Friday, we ran to do service at the food pantry and then ran home to get on our mission wide zoom training.  We love learning from our missionaries. They are the best of the best, for sure.  We finished up a little shopping for a couple of things I had forgotten for our dinner with the Arkells.  Sara Arkell was a missionary here.  In fact, she and Sister Thompson were the ones who found our little home for us to rent.  She was released in February and spent her summer as an FSY counselor.  She and her parents came back to New York to visit and they were coming to our home for dinner.  Sara had requested Chicken Riggies, which is another Utica pasta dish that is all the rage here.  I was a little intimidated but our former bishop makes them all the time so he gave me the recipe with step by step instructions.  Too bad I didn't get a picture.  Sorry about that. We served the Riggies with fresh green beans, a baguette with parmesan cheese and garlic butter, grapes and the Half Moons with ice cream from Stewarts.  We had such a great time with the Arkells. They are a wonderful family!

Saturday came, with rain, and a ward picnic at Verona Beach on the shores of Oneida Lake.  We were praying that it would not rain from 12:30-3:00.  I made baked beans, heated up the left over Riggies, and Mike put together a green salad.  We loaded up everything-I mean our car was filled.  We were taking all the paper goods, water bottles, food, bags of chips, all the serving utensils, and whatever else we couldn't live without, and off we went!  Because of the rain, there weren't as many people at the beach as usually would be on a Saturday.  We found a nice place with lots of tables and started setting up. Luckily, Gail had a pop up to protect the food.  It started to rain pretty good, but luckily, it only lasted for 5 ish minutes and then it was beautiful.  We only had about 18 people show up.  We had good food and a great time.  By the time we took everything back down and loaded our car, I was ready for a nap.  On the way home, we stopped by a field that I had seen on our way so that I could get some pictures.  This place is so green, and there are wildflowers that grow everywhere.  I just had to capture it-again.  I will miss these beautiful roadways lined with homes with sprawling green yards, graveyards, farms, and wildflowers!

Sunday was a nice day too.  We were so tired, so when the Sisters told us that someone else had invited them to dinner, I was doing a happy dance inside.  We were able to spend the day without any stress.  It was awesome.  That evening, we watched "The Fighting Preacher".  Have you every seen it?  If not, you need to watch it.  It is about the Bean family who was sent to Palmyra in the early 1900's to live in the frame home and acquire the Hill Cumorah.  Such a great story and beautiful film.  We sure love it here.  Being able to spend time at the church history sites has been such a blessing.  Did you know that Jesus came to New York?  Of course you do, but to be in these places, to think of Moroni hiding for his life, carrying the plates, burying them in the Hill Cumorah, to think of Joseph listening the the religious fervor and knowing he needed to ask God which church to join.  To know that he was hated for the things he experienced, to know that there were many who believed him, were valiant and were baptized.  This is hallowed ground and we have loved being here.  Most of all, we love that our Heavenly Father provided the beautiful plan of happiness for us to truly find joy in our lives-even or especially in the hard.  To know that Jesus Christ came, lived, sacrificed for us, died and was resurrected is truly the greatest blessing and there are so many who have no idea. We, my friends, have a mighty work to do.  His work-to invite others to come unto Christ! Have a beautiful week. We love you all!