February 25, 2024

I DID IT!!!!! I finally passed out my first Book of Mormon!! I was so excited!! I don't have any pictures to document it but I promise it really happened!! We have a Family History center in our building. If you google Family History Centers it will show that ours is open on Tuesday mornings but it really isn't. We have had several people show up over the last year thinking that it was. Since I am the only one in our office that knows how to do Family History I am the one to usually help them. Last Tuesday we had (2) women come in who wanted to use the Library. As I walked them to the Library they told me they were not of our faith and that they were mother and daughter. They were older and very nice. The mother commented on how beautiful the pictures of the Savior were in the hallway and I told her she was welcome to walk around and look at the pictures. Pretty soon she stopped at the picture right outside the Family History center. It is a large picture of the First Vision. As she looked at it she turned to me and said that she did not understand what it was a picture of.

This is the picture she was looking at. There was no way to explain the picture except to tell her of the First Vision and what it means to our church. As I finished that story I also told her about the Book of Mormon and that it is another testament of Jesus Christ. I told her I had one in our office I would like to give her and that if she read the introduction it would tell her a little more about our church and what we believed in. She said she would like that and after they were done in the Family History center she stopped back in our office and I was able to give it to her. It was so thrilling!!! Now that I have had that experience once I am excited to find other opportunities :).

The rest of this week was the lull before the storm. Next week we have transfers and then zone conferences but this week was quieter. That was good because it allowed us time to work with the Bready's and help get them oriented to the office. Monday was President's Day so President Phillips took all the office staff out to bunch to welcome the Breadys. There were 18 of us. We continue to be amazed at the generosity of the Phillips. We have eaten often enough now at Black Bear Diner to feel at home.

Last Sunday night we had District Council at our house and the Sisters stayed behind to enjoy the luxury of sitting on a couch. Who knew that sitting on a couch would be considered a luxury?

Elder Rowan's week was quiet also. The week previous all the missionaries in the mission were in the green which means that no one had any driving violations. That doesn't happen often so it is always exciting. There was a small fender bender and a bike was stolen but that is all par for the course. We received a new Mission Transit last week and as Elder Rowan was studying the paperwork he realized that they sent us a van without All Wheel Drive. Since we have to drive it over the mountain in the winter with icy and snowy conditions that is not acceptable. Elder Rowan was able to get on the phone with the Area Vehicle people and work out a trade. It turns out they sent Portland an All Wheel Drive van and they really don't have need for it since their boundaries are so small. So we will trade with them when their Transit comes in and all will be well.

We did some cleaning and some shopping for the mission this week too. The kitchen in the building was really in need of some attention and I just couldn't stand it anymore. What we really need is for the (2) Ward Relief Society's to come in and clean house and organize the kitchen. But without their input we did the best we could and it looks much better now. We picked up some paper products for our dinners, some office supplies, some floor mats for the Bready's, and best of all, some office chairs for the Bready's that ended up being only $19.98! Another mission miracle!

Saturday night was busy with both a Sister's Devotional and our District Council. We love these opportunities to spend more time with our young missionaries. The Sister's Devotionals are always so sweet and tender and this one was no exception as the Sisters shared their love for the Savior and what he has done for them. District Council was excellent too and I especially enjoyed our discussion on how to help get the members more excited about missionary work.

I would also like to give a shout out to the angels we have here on earth. When we left on our mission we were really worried about Rachel and how she would do while we were gone. We have prayed often that people would rise up and be there for her when she needed them. We have seen that happen over and over again. Sometimes it is her sister-in-law who has them over for holidays, sometimes it is Chris' mom who enjoys talking to her, and sometimes it is people we don't even know. Rachel often needs to have her pants hemmed because they are to long. I usually always do this for her. Rachel learned to sew in high school but has not had much practice since then. Recently she had several pairs of pants that needed hemming. She had a sister she ministers to that needed company who also happens to be a great seamstress. Rachel asked her if she would teach her how to hem her pants. This sweet sister spent 3.5 hrs with Rachel teaching her how to thread her sewing machine and then how to pin her pants to know how long she wanted them, and then how to cut and sew them. Rachel was thrilled with the results and so proud of what she learned.

It was beautiful weather Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Since it was our "P" day on Saturday we decided to drive out to the coast and do some exploring. We have figured out we can get to Lincoln City in 1 hr 10 min so we really need to go out there more often. We went towards Lincoln City and made a loop going north up to Pacific City and then back. We found a waterfall, Drift Creek Falls, that we want to hike at some point. It is a 3.1 mile hike so we need to get in better shape first. We drove through the forest towards the trail head and we know that it will be beautiful. Then we checked out the area near Three Rocks before making our way to Neskowin Beach. There is a Ghost Forest we were hoping to see at Neskowin Beach but it was high tide and you can only see it at low tide so we will have to try another time. But it was a beautiful little beach and we enjoyed walking on it.

From there we went to Pacific City and had lunch at the Pelican Brewing Company. It is a popular place so we waited a long time and then ended up being disappointed in our lunch. But it had beautiful views and was a fun day just being out and enjoying the sun and the ocean so it was still a win!!

Finally, I will end with a sign we saw driving along the coast. I would like to say, "Only in Oregon," but who knows, maybe they have Seal Crossing signs everywhere. I just know it was a 1st for us!

February 18, 2024

Happy Valentines Day from the Oregon Salem Mission!

Valentines Day for us was flowers for me and chocolates for Elder Rowan. We also got to sneak away from the mission that night with the Larsons and attend the theater version of The Chosen, Season 4, Episodes 1-3. What better way to celebrate love than to watch re-enactments of the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ, right? To be honest I really didn't see the need to see The Chosen in the theater. I would have been happy to wait until I could stream it. But it was Valentines and it seemed like a fun thing to do. We were not disappointed!!! It was so good we have plans already to go see Episodes 4-6 next week!!!! If you haven't watched The Chosen from the beginning I highly recommend it.

I enjoy listening to the podcast, This Is The Gospel. This week in honor of Valentines Day I listened to the one from February, 2020, called "Love Lessons." It was really fun but what I liked the most is that at the end of the podcast it pointed me to a scripture about what true love really is. In 4 Nephi 1:15-16 it talks about the "love of God."

"15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God."

That is what I want, the love of God to dwell in my heart and can you imagine what kind of world it would be if we all had that kind of love in our hearts? But it is not easy. Each week I work hard at it but sometimes I fail. Each time I do, I ask my Heavenly Father for forgiveness and the strenghth to do better the next time. But I know that happiness! When I am successful nothing feels better! I am so grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ, for his example and the love he shows to us.

This week we had Spanish Zone Conference Conference on Tuesday which is always a great time visiting with our Spanish missionaries. Elder Rowan especially enjoys the opportunity to speak with all of them. We served Chili Over Chips and Fruit Cups with Dip. It was our last time with some of the Spanish Sisters that we feel especially close with because they will be going home this transfer. We will miss Sister Finlayson, Sister Burt, and Sister Peterson. These sisters are so talented and have such a special spirit about them.

Other happenings in the office this week was the arrival of a few new cars. We picked up a new Transit Van for the mission and received the 1st of (8) Ford Maverik Trucks. The truck is really "fire" and the missionaries are going to be fighting over them. Since we are getting (8) of them and we have (8) zones we think they will go to the Zone Leaders so no one has hurt feelings.

We also spent some time in the office getting ready for the new missionary couple, Randy & Gladys Bready, that are replacing Sister Incze. They arrived on Saturday and we were grateful for the help of the Elders to unpack them. Many hands make light work and it went fast. We settled them into their Airbnb where they will stay for the next few weeks and then spent time the rest of the day showing them the office and having dinner and visiting. We are excited to have them here and get to know them. We are grateful for their service and already know we are going to love them!

Friday night Sister Incze feed the Elders dinner and invited us along. She is a great cook and always prepares a fantastic meal. We love these Elders but they can be a handful! The saying, boys will be boys, often comes to mind. The after dinner entertainment was watching them wrestle on the floor :).

February 11, 2024

The week started out good. Elder Rowan needed a haircut and usually I cut his hair. In the office we noticed how nice the haircuts were for our local Elders and found out that one of the Assistants, Elder Soucy, has been cutting their hair. Elder Rowan told me after his last haircut that he wanted me to learn how to use the "Guards" to taper his hair. I was really scared to try. What if I messed up? So when I found out that Elder Soucy was a pro I asked him if he would cut Elder Rowan's hair and show me how he did it. Turns out the haircut is called a "Fade." You learn something everyday! Anyway, Monday was Elder Soucy's Pday and he said he would cut Elder Rowan's hair. It turned out great!! Probably shorter than I have ever seen his hair but it looked very professional. I am not sure if I can do it next time. If Elder Soucy is still here I may need one more lesson to give me confidence :).

Monday was also our Audit day and I am happy to report that we PASSED!! The auditor was happy with everything and we have very little corrective action to take. The best part is that it is over and we won't be here next year for the next one. It really wasn't bad it is just the anticipation of the whole thing!

Late Sunday night I started coming down with a cold. It just seemed to come out of nowhere. Monday I managed through the day but by Tuesday I was feeling a little worse. We had MLC to prepare so I continued on and with cold medicine it really was manageable. Sister Incze, the mission nurse, came over in the afternoon to help us and I mentioned that I thought some of the Assistants had colds and that is where I probably got it. She proceeded to tell me that one of our other local missionaries had COVID! He had just tested that afternoon. Now I was worried so I put a mask on but it was probably too late not to infect others. The Elders had even been there that morning helping us set up. See the cute little one in the middle? Yep, Elder Nielson is the one who tested positive!

Dinner was Hawaiian Haystacks, always a winner with the missionaries. I kept my mask on and even went and ate alone in my office since I had to take my mask off to eat.

When I got home I took a COVID test because I thought there was a high probability that I caught what the missionaries had. Yep, it was positive! I was actually surprised. I have had all my COVID vaccines and even had the latest booster in late Oct but I guess there are always new strains. Now that I knew I had COVID I gave myself permission to stay home although it was too late to not infect everyone in the office. So far they are all well so praying it stays that way. I stayed home Wednesday and a few hours Thursday morning but was feeling only a little sick by then so I went back into the office. The damage was already done. At least it was a mild case and I was not nearly as sick as I was in 2022 when we got it.

The rest of the week was pretty quiet, just laying low and getting our work done. I was feeling much better by Saturday so we were able to go to the temple and join with some of our ward members for pie at Bannings after. Pie in Oregon really is a treat. Did you know that the Oregon State Pie is Marionberry Pie? I have to say it is one of my favorites so I understand why. All Marionberries are Blackberries but not all Blackberries are Marionberries. Maybe by the time we leave here we will be able to tell them apart :).

We have really been enjoying studying the Book of Mormon this year! The Come Follow Me Lessons are amazing and often it is like we are studying the Book of Mormon for the first time. The insights are so incredible and being able to listen to podcasts helps us to focus on the things that are important. This week we listened to both Follow Him and Come Follow Up. Interestingly they both had the same guest on their shows. It was our friend Lili Anderson who's husband Chris just died in December. She is amazing and shared some great insights. In October I set a goal to read the Book of Mormon twice more before we finished our mission. I just finished the first time of those two times and it has been a really special experience to me. I think I finally get what our prophets say about the Book of Mormon. President Monson said, "I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven's help in our lives." I testify that this is true and I can't wait to start again!

February 4, 2024

This was a much quieter week all the way around. There were no car mishaps and work in the office proceeded as normal. We had lots to catch up on so we spent some late nights getting things done but we finally feel back on top of things. When we went to the office on Monday morning we proceeded to empty the trash from the previous week. I emptied everyone's trash cans into a bigger bag. As I emptied Sister Larson's trash all of a sudden we could hear a fire alarm going off. We could not tell where the sound was coming from. We went into the hall, it wasn't there, we moved to different parts of the office and still could not identify where the sound was coming from. Just then Elder Larson arrived and could hear it too. He remembered that he had put some smoke detectors in his garbage the week before and apparently as the trash got heavier it pressed on the button and set the alarm off. So funny! It was even more funny to watch Elders Rowan & Larson going through the trash trying to find the smoke detector all while it was loudly screaming in our ears :).

A few weeks ago I mentioned that Sister Dibble in the Newberg 1st ward was going to paint me a picture on the back of a Book of Mormon. She presented it to me last Sunday and I am so honored that she took the time to paint it for me. It is her signature picture of the Sacred Grove which is very fitting for the Book of Mormon. It will be a treasured keepsake from our mission.

The first part of my week was spent processing the supply orders for the missionaries. Each zone turns in an order for the proselyting materials they want and then I check to see what we have in our supply library and submit an order for whatever we don't have on hand. They also submit orders for new missionary name tags and I process those too. The missionaries always try to slip in orders for ASL badges, badges in languages their father had, or the unusual language they have in their area such as Marshelles, etc. I try to accomodate them as along as the requests don't get out of hand. We have Book of Mormons in most of the major languages around the world in our supply library. We have English, Spanish, Russian, French, Marshelles, Thai, Chuukese, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and about 20 other languages. Today the missionaries asked me for one in Kinyarwanda. I had to look up what that was. Turns out it is the language of Rwanda in Africa.

The second part of my week was spent getting ready for our Mission Audit next week. As financial secretary I am responsible for coordinating the audit in the office. Each role in the office has a part on the audit and has to answer questions pertaining to their processes. We have been aware of this from the beginning of our mission so each one of us has reviewed out section on the audit often to make sure we were doing our duties correctly. Then the auditor will come on Monday and pull random samples of financial records, housing records, vehicle records, etc. and verify we are doing things correctly. We feel ready and that we will pass but the word "audit" always makes people nervous.

Friday we had the fun opportunity of going to see Danica honored as a senior on the high school basketball team. She has enjoyed her years of playing and has lots of great memories. There were posters & pictures of the seniors and each of the (5) seniors was called to the floor and honored with flowers, gifts, speeches, and applause! Danica had a good game (they won) making several 3 pointers and a beautiful layup! Tom has been announcing at the games this year so it was fun to see him in action too!

We were also able to fit in going to a couple of Alyssa's volleyball games. They are always fun and we love that we are close enough to support the girls in their activities!

Saturday we decided to take a girl's trip out to Lincoln City. Sister Incze (our mission nurse) will be going home in early March and wanted to see the coast one last time. It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun! We declared that we were going to call each other by our first names (which we never do) and it was so hilarous to see how awkward it was for each of us. We visited the beach and marveled at the waves, hit up some gift shops and bought ourselves Oregon Coast hoodies, and then took the Sister missionaries (Sister Cannon & Sister Garlick) in Lincoln City to lunch at Kyllo's. The sky was blue and it was almost warm. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day!

While we were gone Elder Rowan went to Salem to deliver some bikes and then looked up some of his favorite missionaries and took them to lunch. Pictured is Elder Cordray and his companion Elder Schunk.

Sunday we Sr missionaries got together and the sisters modeled their Oregon Coast hoodies. Then we had dinner with Sister Incze and played some games. We were gifted with the most beautiful sunset. What a perfect ending to the week.