TENNESSEE AND MISSION WORK

WE HAVE HAD ANOTHER BUSY WEEK WITH LOTS OF TRAVEL BECAUSE IT WAS ZONE TRAINING AGAIN THIS WEEK.  DAD ALWAYS GOES BUT SOMETIMES I STAY BACK AND DO OFFICE THINGS DEPENDING ON HOW BUSY MY JOB IS AND WHAT IS GOING ON THAT WEEK.  SO TO JUST EXPLAIN A LITTLE OF OUR WEEK I WILL START WITH MONDAY.  EVERY MONDAY WE MEET AS OFFICE STAFF WITH THE PRESIDENT.  WE GO OVER OUR ASSIGNMENTS WITH HIM.  DAD'S IS OF COURSE MEDICAL MINE IS BAPTISMS AND TRAVEL.  THERE IS ALSO HOUSING, FINANCES, CARS, AND CALENDAR.  WE ALSO DO A SHORT LESSON ON PREACH MY GOSPEL AND TEACH A PRINCIPLE OUT OF THE BOOK.  I HAVE TO DO IT TOMORROW.  IT ALWAYS MAKES ME A LITTLE NERVOUS BECAUSE WE ARE WITH THE PRESIDENT THAT KNOWS THAT BOOK IN AND OUT.  I HAVE TO GIVE THE LESSON CALLED (FOLLOW UP).  I THINK OF GARDENING AND HAVE MADE AN ANALOGY TO FOLLOW-UP.  YOU AS A GARDENER KNOW THAT YOU DON'T JUST PLANT THE SEEDS AND EXPECT IT TO GROW.  YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW-UP WITH WATERING, PLANT FOOD, AND CONSTANT CARE TO KEEP OUT WEEDS.  REMEMBER IF YOU HAVE ASKED ANYONE TO COMMIT TO SOMETHING EVEN IF IT IS YOUR KIDS.  YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW-UP TO REALLY MAKE THAT COMMITMENT WORK FOR THEM AND YOU.

NEXT DAY WE WENT TO CHATTANOOGA AND THEN CAME BACK AND CELEBRATED OUR ANNIVERSARY.  WE WENT TO PF CHANGS HAD LETTUCE WRAPS AND CHINESE DUMPLINGS AND FRIED RICE WHICH WE REALLY LIKED.  BEFORE WE LEFT TO DO THAT WE HAD A CALL FROM A MISSIONARY COMPANIONSHIP THAT WE HAD JUST LEFT IN CHATT.  THE CALL SAID THAT ONE OF THE ELDER'S HAD BEEN CROSSING THE RAOD WITH HIS COMPANION AND HAD BEEN HIT BY A CAR.  THEY WERE TAKING HIM TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE.  THE PRESIDENT WENT BACK TO CHATT AND SPENT THE WHOLE NIGHT IN THE ER.  THEY FINALLY GOT HOME THE NEXT DAY AT 6:00 AM JUST IN TIME FOR HIM TO CHANGE AND GET READY TO GO TO THE NEXT AREA FOR ZONE TRAINING.  WE ARE NOT SURE HOW THESE PRESIDENT'S OF MISSIONS DO IT.  SOMETIMES THEY GET VERY LITTLE SLEEP.

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WERE ZONE TRAINING.  WE USUALLY GO BY 8:30 AND GET BACK TO THE OFFICE AT 4:00 OR 5:00 DEPENDING ON TRAVEL TIME.  NOTHING LIKE THE PRESIDENT- THAT IS GONE SO MUCH.

ON FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK WE WENT TO DO AN ACTIVITY TO CELEBRATE OUR ANNIVERSARY.  WE WENT TO MAGGIE VALLEY AND TOOK SOME BIKES THAT WE BORROWED FROM THE MISSION.  WE HAD A BIKE RACK AND WENT TO THIS AREA HOPING WE COULD FIND A BIKE TRAIL WE COULD RIDE SINCE WE HAVE NOT RIDDEN OUR BIKES SINCE WE LEFT.  THE PICTURES ARE FROM OUR LITTLE ADVENTURE.  JUST A NOTE FOR ROB'S FAMILY.  THEY TOOK ME TO MAGGIE VALLEY A FEW YEARS AGO AND IT WAS EARLY SPRING.  TREES WERE JUST BARELY BUDDING OUT.  IT LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT WHEN THERE ARE LEAVES ON THE TREES.  I TRIED TO FIND THE HOUSE WE STAYED AT AND COULD NOT FIND IT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WE FOUND THE RIGHT ROAD.  I REMEMBERED THE FARM HOUSE THAT HAD A RED ROOF THAT WE COULD SEE FROM THE PORCH.  THAT IS WHAT GAVE ME A CLUE WE WERE ON THE RIGHT ROAD.  SO I DID FIND IT.

THE ICON OF MAGGIE VALLEY

WE THEN TRAVELED THROUGH THE CHEROKEE INDIAN RESERVATION THROUGH THE SMOKEY MT. NATIONAL PARK.  THE TOWN OF CHEROKEE IS A LITTLE LIKE WHAT WE SEE IN BLACKFOOT.  SMALL RUN DOWN HOUSES AND BUSINESS AND THEN THIS BIG HOTEL BUILT WITH A CASINO.  WHEN GOING THROUGH THE PARK WE SAW SOME LITTLE SIGNS THAT SAID QUIET WALKWAY AND THEN THERE WAS A TURN OUT FOR ONE CAR.  CURIOUS I TOLD DAD TO STOP AT ONE.  WE GOT OUT AND READ A MARKER THAT SAID THIS WAS A TRAIL YOU DID NOT NEED A PACK OR BOOTS TO HIKE AND IT HAD NO DESTINATION REALLY.  SO WE WALKED AND GOT TO A FORK IN THE PATH TOOK THE LEFT AND WE WENT UP A HILL TO AN OPEN AREA THAT WAS A VERY OLD CEMETERY.  THE OLDEST WORN GRAVE MARKER THAT WE COULD SEE SAID 1820.  IT WAS KIND OF DIFFERENT TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS THIS CEMETERY.  NO SIGN NO INDICATION THAT IT WAS THERE WE JUST HAPPENED ON IT.







WE GOT HOME AND THAT NIGHT WE WENT TO TEND A FAMILIES LITTLE BOYS WHILE THE MOM AND DAD WENT ON A DATE.  THIS WAS THE FAMILY OF BOYS THAT COME AND SIT ON OUR LAPS AT CHURCH.  IT WAS FUN TO BE GRANDPARENTS AND JUST BE WITH THESE BOYS.  WE PLAYED COOTIE AND HAD TREATS AND STORIES THEN THEY WENT TO BED EXCEPT ANDREW THE LITTLEST DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO BED.

WE HAVE ENJOYED WATCHING A FEW OF THE EVENTS IN THE OLYMPICS BUT WE DIDN'T SEE EVERYTHING.  WE WERE EXCITED TO SEE THE SWIMMING AND THE TRACK AND FIELD.

WE PRAY FOR YOU AND HOPE YOUR LIVES ARE GUIDED BY PRAYER AND SCRIPTURES AND FOLLOWING A PROPHET.  WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE THESE THINGS IN OUR LIVES.  WE SEE EVERYDAY PEOPLE THAT COULD HAVE THIS BUT CHOSE NOT TO CHANGE OR DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO EVEN LOOK INTO IT.

WE FEEL SAD BECAUSE WE HAVE FINALLY DECIDED THAT ELLEN THE BANK LADY IS TRYING TO PUT US OFF AND SO WE JUST GET FEELING A LITTLE HOPELESS.  WE KNOW THAT MAYBE SOMETIME SHE WILL BE APPROACHED AGAIN AND IT WILL BE THE RIGHT TIME.

WE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT SO FAR WITH HER.  NOW IT IS UP TO HER AND HER DESIRE TO LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT.

LOVE YOU ALL   SISTER CHRISTENSEN  MOM AND GRANDMA