First few days in the mission June 28th 2008 & Week 2 July 6th 2008

Holy Smokes – We are in the saddle now! The MTC was a wonderful experience and so have been the first few days in the mission field, but the pressures are never ending. The home phone rings constantly and we are also trying to get unpack – a first for Mom and me after 30 years in the same house, but we will be OK.

We stopped in Bend on the way to see President Fugal and had a zone conference in route. As near as I can tell we where the only MPs who did that, and it was great.

I am also likely to be the only MP (or at least one of very few) whose predecessor flew off in his private jet to go home. Today I called several Elders just to say hi and I found out that I had shocked them by my call.

I have spoken to several stake presidents and the area 70 today on a host of issues. Tonight I have a teaching appointment with some Elders. I think they are wondering what that is about.

The door bell has rung consistently with well wishers – both members and non members alike. It has been very heart warming, and it has also made it very hard to unpack, but I have been grateful for the interruptions. The mail man stopped and rang the door bell and welcomed us to Oregon and visited for a while.

There gave also been a bunch of special considerations about possible baptisms that I have had to handle and will need to interview them.

Week 2

July 6th 2008

In our mission we are just starting interview weeks. So we traveled just over 500 miles this week and went to the southern part of the mission – down to Medford where there is a small temple.

I interviewed about 70 missionaries this week – both in the south and here in Eugene - and was very impressed with the vast majority of them. This next week we will head north to Corvallis and Salem and also have interviews in Coos Bay on the coast. I will also speak at an Aaronic Priesthood camp on Monday and Mom and I are scheduled to speak at a fireside in a couple weeks. I figure if we mess up real bad at these first few talks the invitations to speak in the future will drop way off. What do you think of that plan?

An Elder mother's called me this week – always a potential for concern – and she asked for permission to call her son because her husband was in an ATV accident. As she was a bit upset at the time of the call, I was very worried for the family but was happy to find out it was not too bad.

I went out with Elders Anderson and Lambeth on Saturday night and visited with a non member that DeLynn Heaps from Orem (Scott’s Father) had introduced me to in Utah about a month or so ago. It was fun to be personally involved in the follow-up on a referral and “real missionary work.” The man and his wife (who has been baptized 20 years ago and until 6 months or so ago was active) live down a real long dirt lane where I was glad I was driving a higher profile vehicle – the mission car is a Chrysler Pacifica – and I still hit bottom a few times. I had told him I would stop by and see him, but he was a bit surprised to see me. The Sister committed to come back to church today and he said he would come too.

After hundreds and hundreds of nights in hotels over the years, and never leaving anything behind, we left Mom’s her bag with her curling iron, blow dryer and her make-up in a hotel in Medford. Fortunately we did not have meetings the next day and UPS – for a small fortune – was able to get the bag here the same day it was picked up in the hotel and all was well on the Macdonald home front.

The couples in the office are great and are very willing to do more things. Speaking about office couples the really big news is that the Strattons got their mission call last week and are heading to our mission in August to work in the office. We are really excited to have them here.

We met with the Stake Presidents and their wives in Medford area over dinner on Tuesday. It was really nice to feel like we have some built in friends in the area. On the 4th of July we had dinner at the Lyman’s home and they were kind enough to drive us around the city and help us figure out how it is laid out.

We have the church’s doctor for the area coming by this morning, are going on a prep day activity with a district in the morning and basically just immersing ourselves in this work.

I interviewed two of the investigators with special considerations this week and gave permission for them to be baptized.