Well church was cancelled today because it has been snowing non-stop since 9 last night and is now forecast to continue until 6 am tomorrow. We are forecast to get at least 12-14 inches in most areas and up to 18-20 in others. Later today, we are supposed to have wind gusts up to 40 mph which will cause drifting and poor visibility. So I am sitting comfortably in our warm condo looking at the serene scene outside as I type.
Yesterday, before the snow started, they said that we had only received 15 inches of snow so far this winter as compared to 50 inches by this date last winter. So we have been blessed so far to have a mild and somewhat balmy winter. We are grateful for that.
At a Zone training meeting the president was taking about the Christlike attribute of patience. He asked the missionaries what patience was. One Elder said, "Elder Taggart is a great example of patience. It doesn't matter if we call him about an accident, a problem with our car, a cracked, lost or stolen iPad, a cell phone that is having issues or anything else; he is always calm and patient with us." He then said, "He has mastered that Christlike attribute". I'm not sure that is true and I'm sure some of my children would disagree that it is. But it was a nice compliment anyway. That is something I have spent many years working on.
Thursday I had a missionary call to tell me that they had been at the library and he now was not able to find his iPad. He thought he had left it at the library. The next morning, they went back to the library and sadly it had not been turned in by anyone. So he called me again to let me know. I notified my contact in SLC who has the ability to send a signal to a lost device that will disable it and make it so it is no longer usable by anyone. Saturday morning he called me saying that he found it; he had left it at a member's home. By then he was somewhat in a panic that his iPad may be disabled before I could get someone to reverse my previous request. So tomorrow I will try to cancel that request and hope they didn't act quickly on my request.
Someone from Salt Lake called on Friday asking that all senior missionaries respond to them letting them know what monthly average costs are here. They need this so they can update information sent to new senior missionaries on what to prepare to spend each month. The average cost for a senior apartment is $1,200 per month. Gas is $280 and food is $450. I found it interesting that in the 23 months we will be here, we will spend over $1,000 to do laundry. That is crazy since we have a perfectly good washer and dryer sitting in our home not being used.
We have 23 new missionaries who will arrive tomorrow depending on flights that are being cancelled or delayed. Wednesday, 21 will leave after having completed their mission here. So I will spend much time in a 12 passenger van towing a trailer Monday-Wednesday getting missionaries and their luggage to and from the airport as well as to and from the temple for their last visit there. This snow should make for delightful travels.
We are grateful to be here, we love the people, we love the missionaries, we miss our family and pray that they will claim the blessings promised for our service and sacrifice, we love the Lord and this great work of helping others to come unto Christ. It is a great time to be alive and to be able to give back. We love you and pray the Lord's choicest blessings may be yours.
Elder Taggart
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