Grandma & Grandpa Idaho: Fall is now starting

Dear Family and Friends

We would like to report that we are tried. this week was a little wild with 28 missionaries coming in on Wednesday and 14 going home. When they come in we don't need to do much but when they go home I have journals to put together that includes their letters for two years to the president and his to them. They have letter and certificates of release and pictures and assignment histories with companions. I also send them a packet called the trunky packet that includes what they are to do before going home. Then I do all the correspondence between the parent stake president and church travel to make sure they are going home to the right airport etc. etc. I can do these through the 6 weeks that come from one transfer to the next but sometimes there are missionaries that need to go home before their release date and I had 6 of those this past week so I am a little rushed on that stuff. We had to take one of those missionaries to the airport this week because the president didn't have time to do it. It was the missionary dad mentioned in the last week blog who made a mistake and needed to go home to repent. We felt bad for him he has been out for 16 months. But we think he will repent and continue a much wiser son of God. How grateful we are for repentance and the ability to be forgiven. Every time we forgive someone or repent we grow stronger in our spiritual commitment. It helps are spiritual muscle building is what dad said in Sunday School today. We had our second choir practice and had a few more women this time but low in the men area. I am used in primary when they don't have a piano player and I have taught lessons for teacher that need a sub. I like being used in the ward. We did find out that word got out that we tended the Johnston boys overnight and I had another ward member ask about it and I had to tell her that we don't normally do tending. It just happened to be a circumstance that we could do it for this family that have kind of adopted us as Tennessee grandparents. We were afraid a little that word would get out that we did that and so we had to tell the lady asking that we really don't have time. We work everyday of the week and only have Saturday to prepare for the week.
After a busy week at the office we decided to make the most of the weekend. On Friday after we were done at the office we left to go to Dollywood for the evening. We met the office couples there and went to a show which was fun and then had dinner and then left and got home about 7:00. The next day dad and I had planned to go to Sky Top apple orchard and pick some apples and enjoy the apple cider and doughnuts that they do during their fall harvest time. We had been there with Rob and Flori and when we went it was cold and rainy and no one was there this time it was warm and sunny and everyone was there. We really feel there were at least 2000 people there they had a traffic jam just getting up the road that goes to the orchard. It took us about a half hour to go from the turn off to the parking area. We thought it was an out of the way place but we were mistaken. We did invite a sister in our ward that moved from New York City to come with us. Her name is Linsey Barlow and she lives alone and she was delighted to come with us. She didn't mind hanging out with a bunch of old people like us. We took the Tesla and so we had to charge and the charging station is near an outlet mall and she found some good deals so she was way excited about the shopping. We like her a lot and hope she can fit into the ward and find a good man to marry but if not she is strong and believes that the Lord has a plan for her if she stays faithful. She really does have her heart and head right.
This week we have zone training so we will be on the road a fair amount and in meetings most of the days this week and next. However this coming week end we are going to Abington VA. to do a bike ride that is all down hill for 17 miles. We are going as senior couple for an activity. We plan to stay overnight Friday night and then do the bike ride. It should be fun. We have not been on bike very much so our seater ends might not like it after a couple of hours of riding.
We pray for you always and hope you know we miss you but know that you are going forward with the things that are most important for you to do right now. Thank you everyone for supporting each other as a family. So glad to know you like spending time with each other without us. Maybe even more without us. Love you. Sister Christensen, Mom and Grandma