All week I have wondered where Waldo is.....and Sister Grant.....and Elder Clingo.....and Elder Gonzales. With transfers, it is like apple cart upset. You get 28 new missionaries in and 10 leaving so vacancies have to be filled, " greenies" need a trainer, new areas need missionaries and cars and phones and apartments all line up.....supposedly. As the mail secretary, all mail comes into the office and I readdress it and send it to individual apartments.( this protects our missionaries and the mail....especially during transfers.) if I can't find an Elder or Sister, how could the US Postal Service find them? So I study the transfer board, the list of companionships, the list of new apartments and hope the right Elder or Sister gets the letter.
The corn is as high as an elephants eye.....just thought I would report that. We went to Indiana today to inspect cars and the corn fields look great. We drove through Gary, Indiana and it is such an industrial mess, houses boarded up, black and brown and rust town. Then not ten miles away we pull into Valparaiso, Indiana and it is beautiful....large homes, forests, nice parks, etc. I think the "haves" and the " have nots" in this country will at some point need to be addressed. It is a stark contrast here every time we drive anywhere.
In our meeting this Monday, the President was shocked Senior couples pay $100 a month their whole mission for furnishings and yet we got most of ours from the hand-me-down storage unit and Goodwill. We also pay our utilities and ours should be high this month because we have had the air conditioner on constantly.(sorry, Brianne,we are old). He thought we had been taken care of like the mission home was. Hahaha. I wouldn't trade them places for their nice house. Their life is crazier than ours. We have settled in and quite like our home....although we are wondering if the smell could be a dead person buried under the floor.(you can never get rid of stale tobacco smoke in the walls)
We got to go to the temple Saturday. We are literally 5 minutes from the temple. It was a good experience. Our stake president thanked us for being in his stake, attending two wards, and " just blending in." We home teach in one ward, are on the missionary committee in the other ward and sit through two entire blocks each Sunday. This week we also attended a family history fireside where Bruce and Susan Anderson spoke. Susie Albrechtsen Anderson was so shocked and thrilled to see her cousin here. She about squeezed me to death. She used Severen Albrechtsen ( grandpa) as the example as she showed us how to do different things on the new Family Tree. She gave Christine credit for much of the work and sings your praises for learning Danish, documenting records, etc. when it was all over, she hugged me more and invited us to Thanksgiving dinner. Bloomington is out of our mission so we will have to get special permission but it would be fun to be in my cousin's home here in Illinois.
We had a Senior couple express disgust in their living accommodations this week and they will be moving to downtown Chicago into a townhouse. I asked Elder Taggart, " can we do that?" He said no. I meant....how do you dare express disgust and move out of these hilarious living accommodations? We laugh every day about the dance we do in kitchen or bathroom so we aren't in the others way while getting ready or preparing a meal. It is funny and fun. And our apartment is so much nicer than most. How can you complain? So we are sticking it out right where we are. What is that smell? Lol
Our mission president meets with us for 2-4 hours each Monday to evaluate, plan, iron out details, sign things, approve other things, etc. this week he told Elder Crook and Elder Taggart that part of their roles here are to be father figures to these missionaries. 40% of the missionaries in this mission were raised without a father in their lives daily. The toll this takes on youth is harsh. We have both adopted missionaries. It is hard not to have favorites.
I have been helping on car inspections during zone meetings. This week we have done surprise inspections. As I watch Elder Taggart, I am reminded how lovingly he would teach our own children how to keep a car clean, how to check tire pressure, how to change a tire. He treats each car like he would for one of his own children. He expects certain things and he lovingly reminds them this is the Lords car for the Lords work and should be treated accordingly. I admire how he deals with people through accidents, mishaps, and just dumb choices. He's great.
The "Crookism" for the week: "I wonder what happens to a person who is scared half to death twice. Is he dead?" We just had dinner at their house tonight. We walk out our glass door, around the barrier, and into their glass door. We are both learning a lot.....about life, people, each other, and the Gospel. Our job is not to jump in and play the piano, lead the music, speak, organize, correct, judge, expound all our experience and knowledge, lead, or counsel. Our jobs are to help the missionaries succeed and listen and love. That is it. Our president says..."Be a light, not a judge." Good counsel for us all. I have started alterations and mending.....oh boy! This will be the first group of missionaries to outgrow their suits because they are still growing in height. They think I'm amazing when I can stitch up a split pair of pants or a pocket that caught and tore on a bike handle. It is fun to serve these missionaries.
Time for bed. Hope you let your lights shine. Hugs are free. Focus on loving rather than judging. It is contagious . Oh yes....thank you for the fun box, Todd and Julie. I cried when I saw the roll of quarters. I know what that costs. The detergent, toothpaste, floss, pictures, letters hit at a good time. Everyone in the office was jealous. They need quarters for laundry too.lol
We love you. We miss you. We hope you are helping others see who Christ is when they see you.
Love,
Sister Taggart
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