Grandma & Grandpa Idaho: Much For Which to Be Thankful

Dear Family and Friends,
This has been a very busy week. We had transfers with 19 new missionaries coming in and 12 missionaries leaving. That always makes it busy for the senior couples. We go to transfer meeting and give training. Mom talks about a few of the things she does in the office. She reminds them that they need to be nice to her because she is the one who arranges travel for them when it's time to go home. I train about using the Church insurance card and that they should always call me when they have a medical problem and before they go to the ER or to Urgent Care. I talk to them about their mental health a little as well.

Group of New Missionaries with our President and Wife and 2 girls in front of the Mission Office

This was Thanksgiving week too, of course. We got together with 2 other Senior couples, the Simes and the Fuchs (pronounced Fox) and rented a house on Willow Lake in Hendersonville, NC. We went on Wednesday evening but it took twice as long to get there due to the holiday traffic--4 hours instead of 2 hours. We visited for the evening--what was left of it by the time we got there. Then on Thursday we had a full-fledged Thanksgiving dinner. Friday we spent most of the day at the Carl Sandburg Home in Hendersonville. Carl Sandburg was a famous author, most noted for his work on Abraham Lincoln. He was also a poet. We had gone with Rob and his family before but they were remodeling the home so we didn't tour the home then but we did this time.

While Mom and I were out for an early morning walk around the lake we met a nice man that had just moved into the Willow Lake subdivision. We introduced ourselves as missionaries for our Church and he asked if we were Mormons. We said "yes" and then he got a big smile and said that he is Methodist but he has some really good friends in Utah that he met there years ago while he was working on a job there (he is a retired architect). He and his wife still keep in contact with these Mormon people and visit them at least once a year. We asked if we could come and visit him after our walk and he gave us his house number. We went to visit him and his wife and took them a candy wreath (like the ones we used to have at home). We gave him our Light the World card with our phone numbers. Today the man texted me and basically invited us to be friends with them and to stay in touch. They are really nice people and maybe some how they will be interested in the Church.

Most of all, Mom and I want you all to know that we are thankful for you and the goodness that you bring into our lives. We can't imagine what it would be like to be alone, without family. Thank you all for the support you give to us. We pray for you every day. We especially pray for our Missionary Granddaughter, Maddie. Have a great week and try not to get too stressed out about Christmas that is fast approaching. Christmas is much simpler when you are a missionary and that

is good. We can concentrate on service to others and making others happy.

Love, Dad and Mom