Palmyra's Got History

The Palmyra Historical Society runs 5 museums and held a steak dinner fundraiser to help  support them..  I thought we should attend in part to show support by church members of the community.  It turned out that nearly half of the attendees were senior missionary couples and the servers were the proselyting missionaries in the area.  

The steak dinner was very good, but a lot more meat than even I wanted.  There were door prizes,(Susan won 3 post cards) a live auction and a silent auction. Susan bid on a purse in the silent auction, but didn't win it. There was an entertainer who played about 6 different instruments and sang songs from long ago. All in all, it was a good evening. 

With our fellow missionaries, the Jefferies,

The young missionaries:  Elder Astle, Sisters Braunberger, Murdock, Nielsen, Embley, and Elder Smith.

Part of the crowd.

Before the dinner, I gave the Young Farm tour to the Colorado Ericksons who are site missionaries. So that and the dinner and some shopping made for a pretty full day. (Plus our Saturday house cleaning).

Fayette's Got Talent

The missionaries from the Fayette Ward invited us over to their ward talent show.  We had a good time seeing them and the ward talent. (They have a portable stage! When is Marquette going to get one asks Sister Jones!!!)

Elder Arteaga performed a song in sign language. 

I did not ask any questions about this one as it may have been learned at a Scout Camp.  Elder Pugh puts a spaghetti noodle up his nose and it comes out his mouth. 

Sisters Redden and Fuhrman and Elder Hawkins lip synced to "Children Go Where I Send Thee."

Elder Russell mastered twirling a flaming baton after learning the art from a member in his first area.  

Friday was a busy day as Sister Jones and I helped Elders Judy and Falter teach Pam another lesson as well as doing our office work.

Keeping at it.

Guess I was just out of the picture taking mood over the weekend.  On Friday afternoon, I accompanied Elders Judy and Falter to teach a lesson to a lady named Pam.  We have a follow-up lesson on Tuesday,

Then, I met the Rowleys, who are site missionaries. We toured the historic sites  at the Young Farm with friends they had visiting from Utah.  It was a bit wet on the walk to the Waters of Brigham.

Then I met Sister Jones and the Spencers at the Palmyra Temple.

Saturday, we attended a baptism for a 10 year old boy.  He is in the Batavia Branch but the baptism was in Brockport since most of his relatives live there. After the baptism, we went to the Jefferies for dinner and played a version of Monopoly that is much quicker and merciless.

Sunday we enjoyed beautiful weather and had the Utah Ericksons (as opposed to the Colorado Ericksons) over for lunch after church..They are site missionaries who have been here since late March.  They are also assigned to attend the Batavia Branch.  

On a roll with Zone Conferences

The week after transfers, Zone Conferences are held.  This gets the new missionaries acquainted with their zone and gives them valuable instruction from President and Sister Evans.  We also have short sessions on practical topics or techniques.  This cycle, the zone leaders, teaching Sisters, Elder Spencer, and I presented,  I covered budgeting.  Every other conference, we inspect the cars and take some in for routine servicing.  I prefer working in the cold to the rain that we had on Wednesday.

The Evans's came up with an after lunch diversion which was a big hit: an egg roll.   You are paired up and roll you egg toward your opponent's egg.  The egg that cracks loses and the winner advances. 

Here are Sister Jones and my eggs:  Annlilotte (for the grandaughters) and Eggcellent.

Sister Jones won the first round, but lost in the second.  I lost in the first round.

Elder Spencer applied his engineer's analysis to pick the winning egg, "Tiwi."

Sacred Music and the Sacred Grove

The Hill Cumorah Visitor Center hosts five concerts during the spring with performances by some of the very talented missionaries and local talent which are mostly students at the Eastman School of Music.  We attended most of the concerts.  The last  session consisted of Sister Holzer with a piano solo and a vocalist, Carley Campbell and a harpist, Elizabeth Wheelwright from ESM.

The days are lengthening and the bugs are not out yet, so Sister Jones and I spent time after the concert in the Sacred Grove.  It was a very special and appropriate Easter. 

Springtime in Batavia

The Batavia Branch had a spring and Easter theme for their monthly potluck.  We provided one of 3 hams to the tasty banquet. 

New Missionaries

The returning missionaries go the the airport in the morning and the arriving come late in the afternoon.  The President and his assistants meet them and take them to  downtown Rmochester to distribute Books of Mormon to folks on the street.  Then to the mission home for dinner and an orientation from the nurse, vehicle coordinator, me in my finance secretary role, the Assistants to the President and the President.   Their day starts in Provo about 4 am, so they are pretty well zombied by the time we try to impart wisdom to them.  The APs, Elders Larson and Peters are in the background.  Elder Jones is in the back row.  His name was easy to remember. The 

Sisters are (L-R front row) Henrie, Dickey, Canova,  & Boulter; (back row) Lytle,  and interviewing with the President, Sister Meyer 

Off they go!

Five missionaries were released to go home this April.  We had gotten to know most of them and were sad to see them leave.

Sister Spencer put together the enchilada dinner with many sides. 

 Elders Winkler and Jordan with some recent converts who dropped by. 

Sisters Ankeny and Van Kampen and Elder Bennett. 

Palmyra North visits the Waters of Brigham

Once a transfer, we take the missionaries who serve around the mission office to the Young Farm to visit the history sites in the neighborhood.  These Elders were present: Broadhead kneeling, Nelson, Judy, Foltz, Falter, Norr, Gardner, Marks, and Hallstrom.

Several took the "Walther Challenge" of drinking from Trout Creek. 

Lunch back at the mission office is part of the outing.

We were joined by this couple, the McKays from Cache Valley, UT, who were touring the church history sites.  They had run into the Spencers at the grocery store and struck up a conversation, so Elder Spencer invited them on the tour.  Brother MacKay was wearing a Wood Badge belt buckle, so we had a lot to talk about... he was even a fellow Fox!  He is a third great grandson of Brigham Young as well as being distantly related to David O McKay.  His professional background was in broadcast and theater.  He and his wife had spent some interesting time in South Africa where he worked as a consultant.  He also did a Donald Duck imitation what was very entertaining.  It was a memorable and enjoyable meal. 

A fun Mission Leadership Conference

The monthly Mission Leadership Conference for Zone Leaders and Visitor Center Trainers is an opportunity for them to receive instruction from President and Sister Evans and the Assistants to the President.  It is also an opportunity for a special meal prepared by the Sisters on the mission staff.  The menu for this one was baked ham, mashed potatoes, and Sister Jones's banana pudding/vanilla wafer dessert. 

Elder Cummings dishes up.

The 40 participants at lunch,

President Evans usually has some activity to get the blood circulating.  Lightening is a favorite.  Sister Miller beat all the Elders.