Picture of the returning missionaries, the Rosenthals – from the office, and us at the Portland Temple.
This was a week # 6 and the pace was very different than what a normal week # 6 will be. It was transfer week, but there were no incoming missionaries, so this experience will not be typical.
Specifics for this week – ending 8-2-08
The transfers went very smoothly. In the OEM the I-5 runs up and down the highway and the assistants drive up and down it twice picking up and dropping off the missionaries affected by the transfer. I spent Tuesday interviewing returning missionaries and Sister Macdonald spends several days getting ready to feed them on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
On Wednesday we took all of the returning missionaries (and three that are going home in about 2 weeks - mid transfer to get back into school) to the Portland Temple. It is a beautiful temple and there was a great spirit of peace having everyone together there. One of the office couples – the Rosenthals – came with us and drove the van. Sister Rosenthal had names for all of us to do as well. There were 21 of us in total.
On Wednesday night we had 12 missionaries stay at our home (2 of the returning missionaries were picked up by their parents.) I found they don’t do a lot of sleeping, but they are quite enough that we get a little sleep.
At 3:00 am on Thursday I wake up everyone who may have gone to sleep and at 4:00 am the assistants and I take them to the airport. I am happy to report that I was able to go back to sleep for a couple of hours when I returned from the airport at about 5:45 am.
Intermingled with the activities of the week the tooth ache that I have been coping with for a couple of weeks was no longer willing to stay in the back ground. Tuesday I was able to call and get into a dentist – He was LDS and made time for me – only to find out that I would need to see an endodontist to have a root canal. This was schedule for Friday – also an LDS man who made concessions to get me in “fast” although it didn’t feel fast when the tooth was hurting. Anyway after three days of prescription pain killers and some herbal help as well I found relief on Friday when the root canal was finished.
Another thing that happen this week that I think is worth recording is that one of our missionaries got a speeding ticket. He was doing 83 in a 55 mph zone. He called the office and the vehicle coordinator told him he had to call me. I could tell he was shaking in his boots to have to tell me. I of course told him to be smart and drive safe in the future etc., but evidently I was not as hard on him as he had expected. I hope he will remember this in 20 years when his child comes home with the same report and that he will be as kind to that child as his mission president was to him.
Sister Macdonald and I enjoyed our first P-Day of our mission on Saturday. In the morning I spoke with the assistants at an Aaronic Priesthood encampment for the Santa Clara Stake. It seems like every where I go I run into someone who knows someone I do. This week it was a member of the stake presidency whose son had married Keith and Ada Wilson’s daughter. When I got home I found that Sister Macdonald had spent the morning talking to various missionaries and medical personnel about different health concerns etc. Anyway we finally got off about 2:00 in the afternoon and hiked Spencer Butte. It is the most predominate landmark in Eugene and rises ~ 2,000 feet higher then most of the city. There is a great view from up there. In route we met folks from Sandy Utah who were here participating in senior track and field events. Anyway it was fun to just get out and walk and see some of the beauty around us.
This morning as I write this it is Sunday and we have no scheduled talks to give and look forward to a Sabbath day when we will be able to read and reflect on the scriptures, attend our meetings, no doubt handle an issue or two on the telephone, talk to some of the children and just relax a little bit. As you know these plans are definitely subject to change. :>)
Specifics for this week – ending 8-2-08
The transfers went very smoothly. In the OEM the I-5 runs up and down the highway and the assistants drive up and down it twice picking up and dropping off the missionaries affected by the transfer. I spent Tuesday interviewing returning missionaries and Sister Macdonald spends several days getting ready to feed them on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
On Wednesday we took all of the returning missionaries (and three that are going home in about 2 weeks - mid transfer to get back into school) to the Portland Temple. It is a beautiful temple and there was a great spirit of peace having everyone together there. One of the office couples – the Rosenthals – came with us and drove the van. Sister Rosenthal had names for all of us to do as well. There were 21 of us in total.
On Wednesday night we had 12 missionaries stay at our home (2 of the returning missionaries were picked up by their parents.) I found they don’t do a lot of sleeping, but they are quite enough that we get a little sleep.
At 3:00 am on Thursday I wake up everyone who may have gone to sleep and at 4:00 am the assistants and I take them to the airport. I am happy to report that I was able to go back to sleep for a couple of hours when I returned from the airport at about 5:45 am.
Intermingled with the activities of the week the tooth ache that I have been coping with for a couple of weeks was no longer willing to stay in the back ground. Tuesday I was able to call and get into a dentist – He was LDS and made time for me – only to find out that I would need to see an endodontist to have a root canal. This was schedule for Friday – also an LDS man who made concessions to get me in “fast” although it didn’t feel fast when the tooth was hurting. Anyway after three days of prescription pain killers and some herbal help as well I found relief on Friday when the root canal was finished.
Another thing that happen this week that I think is worth recording is that one of our missionaries got a speeding ticket. He was doing 83 in a 55 mph zone. He called the office and the vehicle coordinator told him he had to call me. I could tell he was shaking in his boots to have to tell me. I of course told him to be smart and drive safe in the future etc., but evidently I was not as hard on him as he had expected. I hope he will remember this in 20 years when his child comes home with the same report and that he will be as kind to that child as his mission president was to him.
Sister Macdonald and I enjoyed our first P-Day of our mission on Saturday. In the morning I spoke with the assistants at an Aaronic Priesthood encampment for the Santa Clara Stake. It seems like every where I go I run into someone who knows someone I do. This week it was a member of the stake presidency whose son had married Keith and Ada Wilson’s daughter. When I got home I found that Sister Macdonald had spent the morning talking to various missionaries and medical personnel about different health concerns etc. Anyway we finally got off about 2:00 in the afternoon and hiked Spencer Butte. It is the most predominate landmark in Eugene and rises ~ 2,000 feet higher then most of the city. There is a great view from up there. In route we met folks from Sandy Utah who were here participating in senior track and field events. Anyway it was fun to just get out and walk and see some of the beauty around us.
This morning as I write this it is Sunday and we have no scheduled talks to give and look forward to a Sabbath day when we will be able to read and reflect on the scriptures, attend our meetings, no doubt handle an issue or two on the telephone, talk to some of the children and just relax a little bit. As you know these plans are definitely subject to change. :>)
1 comments:
It's good to hear how things are going. Sounds like they are good. You are in our prayers. Thanks for your example.
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