Joys of life

I can't believe we are at the end of another month. Time really does fly when you get old.

We had Sister missionaries over for dinner on both Monday night and again on Wednesday night; a different companionship each night. We love having these young people in our home and always appreciate the sweet spirit they bring with them. We had leftovers both nights simply because the Sisters just don't pack it away like the Elders do.

A companionship of three Elders was in the office this week and one of them asked Sister Taggart when they could come to our place for dinner. So this Thursday we will have the three of them over.

I reconfigured 15 iPads this week from missionaries that had gone home. This enables me to issue those to other missionaries. I now have zero cars for sale, but will have 7 more within the next month or so. I am just waiting for 7 new ones to arrive so I can pull more out of service. I will likely have 15-20 more to sell before the end of the year.

The picture below is of the 5 missionaries who came in this week to be certified to drive the 12 passenger transfer van. These are all zone leaders and many of the missionaries in them zones are either on bikes or public transportation. So whenever there is a meeting, transfers, etc. quite a few missionaries need to be shuttled to and from. The transfer van, trailer and two mini vans make that easier. I love these young men and can always count on a few laughs when they are around.


Sister Taggart has devoted two walls of her cubicle to pictures of missionaries. She started that just a few weeks ago. It has been fun to see a missionaries face light up when they find their picture on her wall. Or to hear a missionary say, "you don't have my picture up. What do I need to do to get my picture on your wall?" Her reply is usually just, get me a picture and I will put it up.

I had a sister missionary this week, who when mailing me something usually puts stickers of a cute note inside, say that she couldn't do that anymore because she realized that other senior missionaries in the office might feel bad that I was the favorite for her and her companion. How thoughtful.

I was able to help give two priesthood blessings this week to other missionaries. I realize what a great blessing it is to be able to bear the priesthood of God and to see its power to heal and to bless when coupled with faith.

I relaxed and watched the BYU/UCONN football game Friday night as Claudia relaxed and made several outfits for herself on her sewing machine. Life is good.

Oh, the real highlight of the week is that our tax refund check finally arrived this week. So obviously the IRS has now been able to prove that I am the real Bruce Wayne Taggart. It is such a relief to know that I really am me.

I love my life, I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, I love my family and I love being able to serve. There are still challenges and struggles but life is rich and wonderful when you strive to put the Lord first and do your best to keep His commandments. Have a great week. We get tomorrow off so we are super excited.

Elder Taggart

"you're the best....."

We are almost to September again. How did that happen? I blame it on technology. I am receiving phone calls, Facebook chats and texts all day long. You might think having 200 young friends would be like having the following of a rock star. I've never though of our missionaries as  paparazzi but it must be what it feels like.

"Sister Taggart, how do you cook corn on the cob and how do you know when it is done?"

At least ten times this week I've heard, "Sister Taggart, you're the best." The best what, I ask myself? The best at answering the phone? The best at solving mysteries? The best at answering your questions?

Two Elders were needed in Suamico,Wisconsin to help move an investigator in. I look at Suamico on Google Earth, pick up the phone and dial the Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission office and their rock star says, "I'll have two Elders there in the morning." The secretaries in these offices wield such power. And then the response, "Thanks, Sister Taggart. You're the best." Heady stuff.

I received 28 name tags in the mail for my missionaries. The response, "You're the best." Really? They pay for them. I just go online and order them and for that I'm the best? I should have become computer literate years ago.

"Sister Taggart, I think our mail is being stolen. Could you write me a letter to see. Thanks, you're the best." A pretty creative way of getting my autograph, I might add.

A Facebook chat requesting a Book of Mormon in the Tamil language would have gone unobserved in days of old. I check those messages each morning and respond, "Are they from India or Sri Lanka?" Who is this person and what have they done with the old Claudia? SIRI and I are tight and she helps answer the questions I can't answer.

We walked out of the elevator one day to dollar bills floating from the second story of the bank. $6,000 to be exact. They modified the ice bucket challenge and collected dollar bills instead.  The next day, as we left, the guard approached us "excuse me, were you two here yesterday when the money floated down? we are missing $1 and we need to search you. He was kidding but rock stars always have scandal follow them. I could see the headlines, SENIOR MISSIONARIES CAUGHT STEALING A DOLLAR FROM ALS CHARITY FUND TO PURCHASE TWO 49 CENT ICE CREAM CONES FROM MCDONALDS!!!! Not so good to be closely followed and scrutinized.

"Sister Taggart--a referral you texted us turned out to be a vacant lot. But after we went back home we called his phone number. He answered but he is Chinese and speaks very little English. He said he lived across the street from the vacant lot. Could we find someone to teach him in Chinese? A guy in our ward just got back from his mission in Hong Kong. Guess what???They live in the same apartment building. Thanks so much, Sister Taggart, you're the best." I click a button to send a text---The Creator of the Universe lines up all the necessary people to teach someone His Gospel--and I'm the best?  I don't think so!

This week our "Sulfer shower sisters" get to move. For 2 months (since their other apartment burned down) they have showered with water that smelled like Yellowstone....and made their hair smell like rotten eggs too. Glad to know they will now smell like shampoo again.

One of our Assistants to the President had oral surgery this week so I bought him jello, chocolate milk, puddings, soups, juices, Popsicles, and applesauce. He laughed and thought it unnecessary until the deadening wore off. You guessed it, "You're the best. How did you know what would taste so good to me?"  This one had nothing to do with technology or even  dumb luck. Experience...and I'm the best.

Thank heavens we work in a bank. We get a 3 day weekend, so to speak. Phone calls and texts keep coming in but I can be a homebody......the best.

Love,

Sister Taggart   

Crazy week

Boy, it has been a crazy busy week. Monday, we received 10 new missionaries, 3 Elders and 7 Sisters. I drove the 12 passenger van and trailer to the airport to pick up their luggage. They then got on the "L" train and went to downtown Chicago. On the train ride, they are expected to co tact as many people as they can and give away a Book of Mormon to someone who shows interest. While they saw downtown and had lunch, I drove their luggage back to the mission home, unloaded it, went to the office for a few hours and then drove to the train station in Skokie to pick all of them up. After having a quick dinner, we then went back to the mission home and provided training on our various responsibilities. We got home about 9:30 and dropped into bed.

Tuesday, Claudia dropped me off at the stake center at 7:30 so I could everything set up to get their iPads set up and ready to use. But since the guy in SLC who creates their Apple ID's had been out of the office for four days with family medical issues, I didn't have their Apple ID's. Thus we were not able to set their iPads up which created yet another challenge for later to activate them one at a time. At the transfer meeting that day over half of the companionships in the mission were changed creating apple cart upset. We got back to the mission office at about 12:30. At 1:00 droves of missionaries stopped by to get supplies, have some lunch which the three office Sisters fix every transfer, and to just visit with each other before heading to their apartments. We left the office tired and headed to the mission home where we had dinner and a testimony meeting with the 13 missionaries who were going home the next morning. It was really hard to see these missionaries go home because they have become ours. We have been here most of their mission and have so grown to love them. Powerful young people finished this chapter and headed home to begin the next chapter in their journey.

Wednesday and Thursday were absolute nightmares for me. SLC decide to push a software out to all iPads with no notification to anyone. They sent an email to the missionaries on Tuesday letting them know of this change, but the missionaries can only access that email account on Monday, so none of them knew about it. This change caused Gospel library, LDS Tools, LDS Music and the Book of Mormon app to disappear. So my phone went crazy with calls from missionaries wondering what was wrong with their iPad. After 4 phone calls and 2 emails to SLC, I was finally able to find out what had happened. The apps were supposed to reload automatically but they didn't for most missionaries. So then after 2 more phone calls to SLC I found out how to have them download them again without creating problems. I finally sent an email asking SLC to please send an email to the mission offices before they do something like that so that someone's know before the chaos begins. Thursday night we visited a family who hasn't been to church for years and were warmly received. So we will continue to visit them and see if we can make a difference in their lives for good.

Friday morning, I got a panic text message from the lady who cleans and works at the mission home. She needed us to come over there and help her clean and prepare the house for the wedding reception that night for the mission presidents son and new bride. From Monday to Thursday about 25 family members of the wedding party arrived and many stayed at the mission home. So, when they left to go to the temple, we got the panic text to come help since the house had been trashed. So for two hours we vacuumed, swept and picked up all kinds of things that adults should have done themselves. But I guess since they were guests, they didn't feel the need to do so. We grabbed a quick, unhealthy, late lunch at McDonalds and went back to the office to get our normal work done. We went straight from the office back to the mission home and spent the rest of the night until 10 pm serving and cleaning up at the wedding reception.

In between all of this, I showed cars twice and sold another one leaving me with none to be sold for right now, did the laundry, went to Costco to pick up prescriptions, had various phone calls about car problems, etc. ok, now I know why I was wiped out yesterday and felt the need to relax and put a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle together.

Sister missionaries backed into a parked motorcycle this week causing it to tip over. This broke the gear shift, fender and kick-stand. I found out, not from the missionaries, but from the insurance company, that this wasn't just any motorcycle. No, it was a female police officer's, and it is her only transportation. So she wants the insurance co to rent her a motorcycle until hers can be fixed.

Another Sister, who, whole leaving the church parking lot, hit the curb with not just one, but with both right front and rear wheels. The rear tire blew out and the front had a big bulge in it. Two knew tires and an alignment later, they were back on the road thinking nothing of what had happened.

Yesterday we had an amazing thunder/lightning storm. We had planned to go for a walk on the forest, but decided not to because of the storm forecast. As we watched and listened to the pouring rain, bright flashes of lightning and very load claps of thunder, I was glad we decided not to go to the forest.

We were blessed to have the stamina to survive a crazy week and amongst all of the chaos and stress, we enjoyed being with each other, we enjoyed the spirit of testimony and we felt Gods love as we pressed forward. The gospel is true; it changes lives and helps people to find joy and peace. May you have a wonderful week; we pray for a calmer one. Love you.

Elder Taggart

Letter from the edge or Who moved my cheese?

Aug 24

This week was a 14 page journal entry. Don't worry, you won't get the whole scoop. To add to the frantic pace, somebody turned on the heat AND humidity to make the air unbreathable and the heat unbearable.

Monday and Tuesday were transfers. Instead of two or three coming in, we had 10 arriving different times and different terminals. Elder Taggart was in charge of the truck and trailer and picking up luggage. Someone had left the hitch on the truck and it was gone. (and we're never to refer to them as kids!) Quick thinking had him removing the hitch from the transfer van and he made the pickup of luggage on time. We did training both days. Tuesday was interesting for Elder Taggart. He has 10 new missionaries trying to activate 10 new Ipads but Salt Lake had changed the Apple ID # and we didn't have it because the man who should have notified us was out with family issues. To add to the frenzy, Elder Crook had gone in for surgery on a detached retina on Monday so we were short staffed. My stress was 68 changes--10 new, 13 out--5 apartment changes, and a general shuffle. From our President's perspective, he was not only housing new missionaries all wide eyed and missing home, he was housing 13 out-going the next day with testimony meeting and interviews and feelings of sadness, BUT ALSO the first of their wedding party began to arrive, 3 on Monday (3 days early) and 4 on Tuesday (1 day early). On any week but transfer week, houseguests can be managed in the mission home but really, 13  missionaries plus 7 family.....where do we put them all? And I thought transfers were hard on their own. Let me say, the 13 going home this time ripped my heart out. They were our leadership, the ones who showed us the ropes when we got here, some of the older and wiser. It hurt to let them go.

Let's pause for a minute....add into the mix Sister Woodbury's mom is dying of pancreatic cancer in it's last stages. She lives in Colorado and her daughter is here. Our president's wife bore a beautiful testimony of the Plan of Salvation and enduring faithfully to the end. Someone ask her if she loves it. (the mission) She said no, she doesn't love "it" but she loves the people. I agree.

So what do I have to whine about ? Wed. it took the President 3 trips to O'Hare to deliver the departing missionaries to their flights, then 4 more trips to O'Hare and Midway to pick up the 15 family members for the wedding on Friday. And what was I doing? Normally our phone hasn't been ringing much, but that all changes on transfer week....and Sister Crook wasn't there because she had to take care of the one-eyed bandit, or Crook.
Mom #1....Where are my son's contact lenses? They arrived at your office Aug. 13 because a Sister Crook signed for them but my son doesn't have them. ( 5 phone calls later I had connected the son with the lenses and soothed the irate mother.)
Missionary....."Sister Taggart, could you type me a letter of residency?"
Mom # 2.....My son is on a bike in Chicago and is having problems getting groceries. (what is he buying, watermelons?)  I suggested he could call a ward member or his district leaders who have a car.
Missionary...."Sister Taggart, I need a new name tag."
Missionary...."Sister Taggart, do we have a Book of Mormon in Romanian?
Mom #3.....My daughters mail keeps coming back "return to sender". What are you going to do to get it to her? (Become a mailman?)
Elder....."My suitcase never made it to my new apartment on Tuesday. Where is it?"
Mom #4....Do you have the Christmas list out yet for missionaries in need?
Elder who went home....."Sister Crook has my passport. Can you mail it to me?"
Elder...."My apartment was left filthy by the Elders who were here.What should I do?" (You are in south Chicago and they are now up in Buffalo Grove. I suggest you roll up your sleeves and start cleaning.)

And did I mention, Elder Taggart sold 2 cars again this week? And we got into one of our less-active Home Teaching families. Murphy's Law, this would be the week they chose to let us in. She is a member, he is not. He was raised in the Czech Republic under communist rule as an atheist. His story is fascinating . They invited us back next month. The West Chicago office staff came to our office to say goodbye. They are going home. That night I had Mexican leftovers, Elder Taggart had Italian leftovers. I fixed a Chinese salad to go with it. Welcome to our frig.

I don't even want to tell you about Friday. Abbotts were planning on being out of the office shopping for the wedding salad. Crooks were out of the office for a doctor appointment and then Sister Crook came in to field phone calls from her children. We got a panic phone call from the mission home around 10 AM from Julie, the housekeeper. HELP!!! She needed to get the luncheon ready for the wedding party, have the Woodbury's 2 grandchildren over to the temple before that for the pictures, and the whole mission home "reception ready" after 25 houseguests had trashed the place getting ready that morning. So we left Abbotts to man the phones and we hurried to the rescue. May I just say how much I love mopping floors and cleaning toilets wearing a dress....NOT!! In 3 hours we had the mission home cleaned up and lunch in the ovens so we could hurry back so the Abbotts could leave and do their errands. I had a page of referrals to assign and 60 letters to readdress, supplies that arrived and had to be shelved, and a few phone calls to field. At 5:30 we hurried back over to the mission home to be kitchen staff for the duration of the evening.

A wise man said, "It's a good thing this is a mission. If it were a job I'd quit, or ask for a raise."
A better quote this week for my experience was, "If the world didn't suck we'd all fall off."

I have felt like we were spinning out of control several times this week. Elder Crook is on the mend and his office is decorated in Pirate theme when he comes back. I have decided after yesterday, P-day stands for "pants day" as I mended or hemmed 3 pr. of slacks. All in all, we love serving or we would have packed up long ago. We love our missionaries or we would have disconnected the phones. And we love each other or we wouldn't be speaking at this point.
Hang on this week and know that some weeks are just like that.

Love,
Sister Taggart

Summer winding down

I am amazed to realize that summer is already winding down. Most kids go back to school sometime in the next two weeks. We have had a gorgeous summer here this year. It has only been above 90 three times this year and the humidity has been quite mild. Without having any grandkids or little children close-by we don't hear much of the excitement, fear and anticipation of a new school year.

On Monday night, we enjoyed a visit from Nicole Halversen Sofe and her little family. They were making the long drive from Seattle to Washington DC and needed a place to crash for the night. It was very enjoyable to visit and particularly to have a cute, little two year old in our home.

Other than that, it has been a pretty typical week of problems with cars, cell phones and iPads, most of which could have been solved without my help by just applying common sense. But then I remind myself that most of these young missionaries are 18-19 and really have very little experience in life. So I am grateful to be needed and able to help.

I sold another car yesterday. I met two young men from Indiana on Friday night to show them the cars we have. Originally they were gong to meet me at 4:30, but due to traffic, etc. they finally arrived at 6:20 and I got home at 7:15. I then met them again yesterday afternoon to do all of the paperwork and receive the check. So our date night and preparation day had numerous hours consumed, making it a weekend of hurrying to just get the essentials done to be ready for next weeks arrival of new missionaries and transfers of others.

In the continuing saga of our tax refund check; we received notice from the IRS that they received my paperwork back in July indicating that we didn't receive our refund they had mailed. They said that if they find out that refund check hasn't been cashed, we should see a replacement check in 45-60 days. If someone else has cashed it, it might be another 6 months before we see it.

One night this week, I received a phone call from a young sister missionary we have grown to love. She has struggled much of her mission with some health challenges and homesickness. She said, "the mission president is busy and I have already bugged him too much, so I called my favorite senior missionaries for some advice and encouragement. Earlier she missed the wedding of her sister. This week she found out that one of her brothers is getting married this fall and that her younger brother has decide to go on a mission. So she was really struggling with the tugs to be home for these family events, etc. The two of us talked to her for over an hour. We encouraged her but also told her how hard it is even for us old people to miss important family events and just the hugs and laughter of little ones. Life as a missionary is very hard at times and most at one point or another ask themselves why they are doing what they are doing. Fortunately at the end of our conversation, Sister_______ told us that she loved us and that she now knew that she needed to dig deep and finish her mission here. We do love these young people and hope that our involvement in their lives is helping them to know they are loved, that they can do hard things and that this work is bigger than any of us.

I have been reminded many times while serving here that a loving God is involved in the very details of our lives. Sometimes at the moment of trial or frustration, we might not see His involvement, but as we take time to reflect, we notice and acknowledge that He knows and sees all and that He will always be there to help us. Ofttimes His involvement almost goes unnoticed unless we pause, ponder and reflect. If we don't slow down occasionally, we are at risk of noticing His involvement in the very details.

This week, I encourage you to slow down, pause and reflect to recognize His love and involvement in your life. He loves us and cares about deeply about every detail of our lives. Open our heart and let Him show you how much He cares. We love you.

Elder Taggart

A Gangster in my hall,monotony in the office, and a marijuana summer

August 17,2014
Dear Family and Friends,
Monotony of the job. Most jobs are that way. Wake up,show up, keep up, go home and start over again the next day. Our office continues to run, however, this week we could have had some real territory disputes. In the beginning I felt like more than my fair share was dropped on my desk. I soon learned how to balance my time, juggle my assignments, prioritize essential with less important, and just "git her done." Now our "office manager" has nothing to do except
answer the phone (and 9 X out of 10 the phone calls are for Elder Taggart or myself) and prepare welcome and farewell packets. This week she started blurring boundaries as I heard her taking orders for supplies, trying to handle a referral herself, and going through the mail before bringing it to my desk. I've done all these things capably for 14 months so what am I to do? The problem is when you blurr the lines of responsibility, how can you be sure who is going to get what done? I have learned how to bite my tongue and spit blood. It is irritating especially in light of them extending their mission a few more months. Most of the time she reads novels or does crossword puzzles quietly at her desk so we will manage to keep harmony in the office.

My biggest stress this week was altering a dress for our president's wife to be worn in their son's wedding line. She has no time to shop so she ordered a dress online. When it arrived it didn't fit well. So I was asked to work my magic and make it fit. No sweat, right? I have never seen a dress made as beautifully as this one. The lining was even lined so not one seam showed! Chiffon on top of sheer polyester on top of lining! I can do this, right?....and if not, oh yeh, she won't have time to mail order another one. She also wanted a lined jacket's sleeves shortened one inch. Five hours and three fervent prayers later it was done. I was blessed with insights I never would have thought of. The final fitting was a perfect fit and the wedding will be this week. Whew!! Those made articles #105 and #106 I have done since starting my mission. Thanks Mom, 4-H, and Barbie clothes for teaching me all I know about altering clothes.

We had Nicole Halverson Sofe and family here for part of a day. We were happy to see them, provide our luxury floor bed, and catch up on our Renton friends. They were continuing on to Washington D.C. for a job and adventure. Yvette (2) was fun to watch and play with. We went for courtyard walks and even found a firefly or two which fascinated her.

We said goodbye this week to the Sister Sisters. Two widowed sisters from Colorado and Utah left comforts of home and family to drive in downtown Chicago daily, find the lost and forgotten, and make a difference in many lives. They will be missed. They are my heros. We received a new couple this week. They are from Oregon and have arranged and planned for years so they could leave their two handicapped children to serve this mission. He has been teaching himself Polish and has already found Polish people to teach the gospel. There are many amazing people here.

Elder: "My name tag just got run over by a car! Don't worry, I wasn't attached to it."

Sister: "Can we drop this referral. He just wants Hermanas. He has put his name in the referral system 6 times and if he gets Elders, he says he's not interested. He only wants Sisters and he creeps me out."      Drop him, Danno.

We sorted 2000 invitations into piles of 15, then put them into Zones. We have a General Authority coming in September and preparations are starting now. Guess who got assigned the night dinner???? Yup---me. Dumb luck, I guess.

We spent part of our P-day selling car #9 yesterday. Elder Taggart could sell just about anything. Salt Lake was sending a truck to pick up all our used vehicles and now there are only 2 left. Oops!!

Our gal above us continues her marijuana summer. Though cool enough this year to leave the door open, most nights we have to close it because of the smell. We also opened our 3rd door this week and were face to face with a motorcycle "gangster." Seems the "lady" at the other end of our hallway has a variety of guy friends. We see much of the world here. We also hear Anika at the end of the hall practicing the piano. It sounds like a honky tonk piano but to hear a child practice gives me hope.

Elder Taggart and I finished the Book of Mormon together last night for the 4th time. That also gives me hope. God lives. He loves us all---the gal down the hall, our marijuana smoker, the 6 year old Anika, and me. He has a beautiful plan that if we follow and live by, brings us as much happiness as we can handle. I know this to be true, as one Elder put it this week, "I pinkie promise, Sister Taggart."  Try reading the Book of Mormon straight through and then watch General Conference in October. You will know it is true and you will feel the Spirit through the words of His disciples in October.  Have a great week. We plan on it.....except for my tongue.

Love,
Sister Taggart

Does anyone want my mission phone?

I think I found my new part-time retirement job for when we get home; used car salesman. I sold a car on Monday night and then another one on Wednesday night. That makes 8 vehicles sold in the past two months. At a mere $1,000 per vehicle, that would be a nice retirement supplement. I still have 3 more ready to sell. We have 7 new vehicles on order, 6 cars and 1 truck, so I will have several more to sell once the new ones arrive. I get calls all the time like, "Do you have any cars for $2,000?" Or, "I'll give you $8,000 cash for that Ford Fusion." The price on that car is $10,425 I reply. Yes, but I have cash; will you sell it for $8,000?

I had two sister missionaries come into the office this week to hand deliver their DVR (daily vehicle report for the month). They had gone over miles and were nervous to give me the report. In the envelope with their DVR were two $1 bills. On one of them, they had written, "Sorry we went over miles, buy something nice for yourself. Love, ________. On one they also wrote, $1 for you and on the other one they wrote "and $1 for her". Now, how could I get upset with them for going over miles after such a generous gift?

With another DVR, that came in the mail, there was a coupon from Subway for a free 6 inch sandwich as their offering for going over miles. But the coupon had expired. I guess it's the thought that counts, right? Oh how we love these young missionaries.

Here are some phone conversations, Facebook chats, or text messages that came in just yesterday. Mind you, yesterday was our preparation day (our day off so to speak). Two Sisters, "Elder Taggart, we have a flat tire, what should we do? Put the spare on and take it to Pep Boys to get it fixed. We don't know how to do that. Are there some Elders or a member close by that could help you? They sent a text later indicating that Elders had rescued them and it was only a nail. Two Sisters, "Elder Taggart, our car is in the shop for two hours getting new brakes as you asked us to do. But we have an appointment in an hour. What should we do? Call the other Sisters in your area and see if they can give you a ride. Oh, that's a good idea. Two Elders at 8:30 pm, "Elder Taggart, We accidentally locked the keys to the van and our apartment in the van. What should we do? Pray really hard that the presidents assistants are close to the office so they bring you the spare set of keys from my office. Otherwise, find someone you can sleep with for the night. I had no intention of driving 25 miles to the South side of Chicago that time of night. A text from an Elder, "Elder Taggart, my iPad screen broke, what should I do? It still works but the screen is really cracked. When I got up, it was connected to the charger and I totally forgot, so when I grabbed it, the cord made it slip out of my hand and broke when it hit the floor. I'm sorry. The best thing to do is have a good cry and then pray that Elder Taggart is in a generous mood and will replace it, haha. The next time you are in the office, I will give you a replacement.

Moms and dads, please teach your daughters how to change a tire. And please teach your kids some basic coping and life skills. I didn't think the big red "A" emblazoned on my chest was for answer man. It's a good thing I love these young people.


On a brighter note, we drove an hour North to a beautiful state beach park. We sat under a tree on a section of beach that was a bit rocky, watching the swimmers, sail-boarders and numerous motor and sailboats. The swimmers were all on a beautiful sandy beach not far from us. Below is a picture of my companion I have loved for many years. We sat there for a couple hours just enjoying the sun, the breeze and the beauty of nature. Lake Michigan is so large, it really reminds us of the ocean. You can see nothing but water for miles and miles except along the coastline you are on.


I decide to call the IRS since we still haven't seen our tax refund after the identity theft. After a long wait on hold, they told me that they had mailed it almost a month ago. Supposedly it was mailed to the mission office but we have never seen it. So I got to fill out some more paperwork letting them know the check never arrived. It hasn't cleared any bank, so hopefully it really did just get lost. But now that means we wait even longer. But the good news is that they have now proven that I really am me.

We honestly do love what we are doing. And we love being able to do it together side by side. We do what we do because we love the Lord and are so grateful for the many blessings he continues to give us. His gospel is true and following Him is the on,y way to true happiness in this world and the next. Have an awesome week.

Elder Taggart

A wedding, a shooter, and "let's head to the beach"

If someone had told me a year and a half ago what I would be doing, I would have told them they were crazy. I never knew, as I sewed away in my perfect sewing room with a view, that millions and millions of people worked in cubicles just like the one I have now and never see the sun. I never knew when the Church boasts 83,000 young missionaries around the world, what is needed as far as a support team to keep them going. I never knew how pampered I have been to go on vacations several times a year....to see children or be there for grandkids' events or just take a few days away with my hubby. I never knew how many teenagers can run a computer or Ipad like a pro but lack basic problem solving skills. I didn't imagine that after telling my own children to clean their rooms and hang up their clothes I would have 209 teenagers to tell "clean your apartment, wash your sheets weekly, clean your bathroom."

A few examples: One Elder told me this week he never does dishes. He always uses paper plates and cups. One Elder went on splits this week and noticed a "smell". (I call it the "missionary smell.") When he asked the other missionary how often he washed his sheets, he matter-of-fact explained he only took his sheets off the bed if he was transferred to another area. It came to a head this week as 2 Elders had to leave their apartment because of infestation. They had to dispose of all of their food, wash everything washable, dry clean everything else, bug bomb the place numerous times, got rid of all the furniture and STILL ended up taking cockroaches to their new apartment. Now the church is having to pay to have the new place bombed with bug bombs and the new landlord is not a happy camper.  The classic remark from one of them, "How did that cockroach get in our bottle of olive oil?"

Thus my letter to reprimand two Zone leaders who failed their apartment inspection and laughed it off. The Senior Elder over apartments laughed it off with them. So the inspectors came to me to plead their case and I got caught in the middle! Oh office politics, who knew????

We attended a wedding of the most recent convert in our ward. The President performed the ceremony in a backyard setting as rain dripped down on us. I love seeing people change their lives as Christ enters in, even if it means lots of bug bites on my legs and a dripping wet outfit. We have grown close to this family and many others in this ward. (note to self, always use insect repellent before attending a wedding.)

We had Sister missionaries to dinner Tues. night. I prepared Hawaiian haystacks because it was quick and easy. The one from Poland thought it was the most wondrous American meal she has had and wanted the recipe. LOL!!! The other Sister is from Gilbert, AZ and this meal was one of her favorites as she was growing up. Our Polish Sister brought 4 more skirts for me to alter--" hem two up 4 inches, take this waist in 2", and could you add 1 1/2 " to the waist of this skirt? I got it on sale and it's too small."  I accomplished her wishes in three hours. Two more pair of slacks for our AP and this week alterations on the wedding line dress for the wife of our President. Their son gets married this month in the Chicago Illinois Temple so both his parents can attend. (Mission Presidents are not allowed to leave their mission area for 3 years) Again, I never imagined what bringing my sewing machine would do for so many--well over 100 alterations or repairs in a year. I found out missionaries move into an apartment where clothes have been left by other missionaries who have gone home, so they bring things to me so I can make them fit them.

Thursday, Aug 7, 2014, 2:00 PM "there is a shooter still at large in this area. Please inform your missionaries they should remain vigilant and in their homes as police continue to address the problem." Our job is to help keep our missionaries safe. This e-mail came from one of our landlords. They watch and worry about our missionaries too. Phone calls went out immediately to those in that area. Gotta love Chicago.

I must confess, I have always been a homebody. Going to the office day in and day out gets to me. I have covered my gray cubicle with tropical fabric. I look forward to Saturday, P-day (Preparation day)  every single week. It breaks up the routine. I can stay home all day if I want. This week we were going to do a fun activity. Elder Taggart's phone started ringing at 7:45 AM and did not let up at all. Flat tires, broken Ipads, lost phones, cars in the shop, it never ends. 15 phone calls later we jumped in the car and headed for the shores of Lake Michigan. If they planted palm trees every so often you would think you were in Hawaii. We just walked along the sand, sat on rocks and listened to the waves coming in and out, and talked. No swimsuits or picnic or even beach chairs. We miss the water. We miss vacationing. We didn't expect that. A few hours on the beach and my batteries were charged again.

A Sister who goes home next transfer has started mourning the end of her mission. She has come to accept this as "home". She goes back to a good active family but Chicago is where she has made a difference. As you read the Book of Mormon, one theme that runs through and through is what an impact one individual can make, for good or bad. "He did cause" or "he caused" jumps out of many pages. As we face this next week, let's notice what we cause. Take a step back and see if you are making a difference. One thing I decided to do this week is to write 5 notes of praise and gratitude to 5 individuals. I don't know if it will make a difference or have any impact on those  5 missionaries but it made me feel better. I love you and miss you.

Sister Taggart

Illinois Chicago Mission

Enjoyable week

Last Sunday we had 4 returned missionaries over for dinner. These 4 young men from Spanish Fork, UT are here for a month assisting in the renovation work on the temple. They are all working to earn money to return to college in the fall. We had cooked two roasts, potatoes, corn on the cob, salad, rolls and of course dessert. Four 22-24 men can really our put away the groceries. Both roasts and everything but a bit of salad and a few rolls disappeared. They were delighted to have a home-cooked meal since they have been eating out every meal since arriving 3 weeks ago. Claudia is so thoughtful to think of others.

On Tuesday I had a blood draw and am pleased to say that my A1C (blood sugars) was down in a safe range and my cholesterol numbers looked great. So perhaps diet and exercise coupled with a handful of drugs, etc twice a day are working.

One of the body shops I have used quite a bit for accident repair said he would like to fix my car just as a thank you for bringing him so much work. The main damage was from my sweetheart hitting the side of the garage while backing out in WA. They even took care of the door dings, etc that have occurred while we have been been here. It does look much better. It is coming up on 100,000 miles and is still running like a charm.

We spent much of the day on Thursday preparing and serving lunch to 110 sister missionaries. They had a Sister's conference for training and uplifting instruction specific to them. The best part of that is being able to see the smiles, energy and excitement of these wonderful young women. I had a tie on that matched Claudia's outfit and we also had matching aprons on. Only the sisters get a kick out of and appreciate that. We feel of their love and do know that they enjoy being around us just as much as we enjoy seeing them.

Friday night we enjoyed a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins. A group of students from BYU Idaho and one professor were here for the 5th year to provide some fun activities and educational experiences for inner-city kids in the Hyde Park area. The lady who helps out at the mission home has helped them all of these years. She sent me a text message Thursday night asking if we would like to go to the game. They had purchased a block of tickets and had several extras. None of the other seniors joined us, but we had an enjoyable evening sitting among the kids watching the Sox defeat the Twins 10-8. The crazy thing is that we were at the game for just over 3 hours and spent almost 3 hours driving the 50 miles round trip. You've gotta love Chicago traffic.

Yesterday, we drove back down to Hyde Park for the baptisms of two young adults. These were both referral baptisms so Claudia had been involved in the process of connecting them to the missionaries who taught them since she processes and tracks all referrals. I am sure that Claudia will share details of their stories. So I will just say that we love being a part of seeing others come unto Christ and embrace his gospel.

We love life, we love each other, we love the gospel of Jesus Christ and we are loving this opportunity to be together 24/7 doing something we have talked about for 46 years. Have a blessed week and know that you are loved.


Elder Taggart

Take me out to the ballgame and "are we there yet"

Aug 3, 2014
We thought this week would be ho-hum, work as usual.....then opportunity knocks and it turned out to be a week of events.

The first event was our Sisters Conference. I was looking forward to the uplift, the association of 100 young , energetic Sisters. There would be classes on healthy eating, lifting your Spirit and an address from our President. Sister Abbott had the food covered so I figured we would have minimum time in the kitchen.  WRONG!!! Sister Crook chose to stay in the office until closer to lunch time, Sister Abbott still had things to pick up at the store.....so I was left a lone woman in the church kitchen washing pounds of blueberries and strawberries, then cutting 12 lbs. of strawberries up for the salad. Six hours of chopping, serving and clean up--no classes, no spiritual nourishment at all....I was exhausted. We had 7 of us dishing up and serving and all of us were kept busy. After catching up, because I hadn't been in the office the full day, a loving husband took me out to dinner at Kappy's. (our gangster owned hangout....he loves us)Our time together is priceless. As for the rest---I have always been responsible for my personal spiritual nourishment so I will continue my study with my companion each evening.

I received word of MaryJean's death this week and felt far away. My sister-in-law for years and mother to a dozen of my nieces and nephews, I knew the reunion at her funeral and the celebration of her life would be a great one. My condolences to those left behind.

What does the word FREE mean in your life? For Senior missionaries, it means a diversion from the normal. It means an adventure you weren't planning on. It means something outside the office or apartment. Take me out to the ball game, White Sox to be exact. Yes, free tickets in the nosebleed section of US Cellular Field. Yes indeed, folks, a real date for date night. Cost???Not exactly free, $20 for parking 1/2 mile from the field and $4 for popcorn. It was fun. It was a perfect night. 28,000 people joined our date and the noise level was something I was not used to. They won, by the way, but it didn't matter. I was with my best friend remembering the many baseball games we have sat through together. The truth of the matter....we played hookey for 6 hours that evening and 3 of those hours were spent sitting in Chicago traffic!!

Sister Taggart