February 2017 Transfer Week, Valentine's Day, and One-Year Anniversary

Elder and Sister Hartzell at the entrance to the LR AFB

Elder Hartzell at the War Memorial on the LR AFB

The Rasmussens, the Hesses, the Sorensens, and Sister Hartzell looking at one of the many planes on the AFB museum park.

Gary and Harper on the tramp when we stayed at their house the end of January

Pat doing Harper's hair--that's a smile not a grimace on Harper's face!!

 Dear Family and Friends,
 Last Monday, February 13, I woke up feeling a little off (probably ate too many of those good ribs Larry made), so I drank broth and 7-up all morning and felt good again by the afternoon.  It was the Monday of Transfer Week, which means it was the P-day that a lot of missionaries come to our building to hang out all day while their companions go to the Temple in Memphis, and they await them or maybe their new companions.  Many people got new companions that day.  Jim & I worked on the Transfer Board in IMOS and submitted it first thing Tuesday morning.  It took 1 ½ hours.  Then I worked on all the Monday emails, forwarded President’s newsletter to all the Senior Missionaries, took phone calls, worked on the History and the Calendar.  We left with the Sorensens at 3:30 to go to the Mission Home and help finish getting the Departure Dinner ready.  Sister Wakolo had made ham, potato casserole, Cookie Salad, and I made the green bean casserole, did the rolls, all of us made a tossed salad and cut up a lot of fruit.  Sister Wakolo also made rice and a delicious Curry.  We gathered at 5:30 after they came back from the Temple, prayed and ate.  I was able to take a little time to have a nice visit with Brent, as we always do on Monday.  We cleaned everything up, washed and put away the big dishes, loaded the dishwasher and got it running, drove home and found out that we had left our briefcase there so had to drive all the way back, I ran in and got it, then drove all the way home again (a ½ hour drive).  Relaxed, watched TV, and went to bed.

            Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, it rained all day and was real dark and gloomy outside, and full of light in the Office.  The sister missionaries who work in the ward gave us candy and hearts and cards.  They are wonderful!! (of course, a lot of it came from one of their moms who is real good at making sure the holidays are well-celebrated!)  We got a new Office Elder, Elder Croft, in the Office, and said goodbye to Elder Lindstrom.  Worked on most of the same stuff as yesterday, plus tried to get things finished up on some iPad issues several of the missionaries are having, including a couple of the missionaries who have gone home.  We left at 4:00 to go to the Pinnacle Mountain building to help with the Arrival Dinner there and meet the new missionaries who just came in.  Our missionary who was coming from the Philippines (we have had his Recommendation since July) was supposed to come in at 5:45 p.m. but missed his connection in Chicago because of long lines at Customs so didn’t get in to Little Rock until 10:00.  He is so excited to be here, as are they all!!  We had one missionary who had gone home with a health issue the beginning of December, come back.  We love those success stories!!  We ate Teriyaki Chicken and rice for dinner, more fruit, more tossed salad, and more Cookie Salad.  We ate, cleaned up, and headed home.

Pat with her Valentine's Day bouquet

            Wednesday, February 15, is our ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!  Quite a significant day!!  We went to the Pinnacle Mountain (PM) chapel for Training.  Our part takes about 35 minutes, including a bike video that Elder Hartzell showed.  We want the missionaries to be careful on their bikes and take good care of them.  Then we went back to the Office to input the Trainers and their new missionaries into IMOS and submit it.  However, we found that the new Filipino missionary was still showing up in the Philippines and not in our mission.  So I contacted several people to make sure the change was made.  It finally was changed on Thursday.  We had a new Senior Couple, the Schanks, who arrived in Little Rock and went to the PM chapel to meet with President Wakolo and go out to dinner with the Wakolo family.  Then they spent the night in a hotel that we had arranged.

I worked on inputting all the new missionary information including their parents’ contact information, into Outlook (our internet email), and into the 4-year Address List, and made necessary changes in IMOS.  Went grocery shopping, did laundry, and took it easy.

            Thursday we dropped our car off at Sears to be serviced.  For a couple of years we have had a terrible squeal in our Highlander almost every time we started it.  When it first started squealing, we had it checked and thought it was fixed.  However, it came back over time and has gotten worse and worse.  So we left it at Sears and had the Sorensens pick us up to go to the Office.  Sears called at noon, said they were done, that they had replaced two belts that were dry and cracked, and did a few other things.  We picked it up when Sister Sorensen and I went to Jimmy Johns to get the boxed lunches for a Special MLC meeting.  NO MORE SQUEAK!!  It is wonderful!!  I think our neighbors might actually like us again!!!  J  The Special MLC meeting at the building was because we had a lot of new ZL’s and STL’s and they needed some training.  President decided to have two sets of Zone Leaders over each Zone in order to get more experienced leadership to have ready when our new mission president arrives the first of July.  The Schanks came into the Office so we got to meet and welcome them before they headed to their new assignment in Memphis.  They are full of enthusiasm and energy!!  They also brought donuts, which all in the Office enjoyed.  Also got word that our Filipino missionary was officially in our mission, so we entered him and the Schanks into IMOS and I was able to start printing up and sending out Organization reports, Companionship Rosters, Phone Rosters, and other assorted reports.  Sister Wakolo came in and gave me all the paperwork she had collected.  I sorted it, recorded it, and filed it.  Came home, exercised, made and ate Split Pea Soup (yummy!!), watched TV and went to bed.

            Friday we cleaned at the Office.  I did all the dusting and Jim did all the vacuuming, we collected garbage, and cleaned the front glass doors.  Sister Hess came in.  Things have finally slowed down enough that she can come in and help us in the Office.  Sister Sorensen is teaching her how to put together Arrival Binders.  I worked on inputting all the photos off the camera, and then sent out emails with the photos attached to all the parents of the Arriving Missionaries, and all the Departing Missionaries and their parents.  I know this is a joyous time for all of them!!  The Assistants were in the Office for a while, Elder James working on various assignments, and Elder Taleni watching the video and taking the test that will allow him to drive the big 12-passengar Transfer Van.  After work, we used a Christmas gift – a gift card for Red Lobster – and enjoyed a wonderful Valentine’s Dinner.  All week I have enjoyed some beautiful flowers that Jim bought me at the end of last week at Sam’s Club.  They have been opening up and are so lovely!!  He treats me so well!!!!

            Saturday was a gorgeous, sunny day, but still cool.  We dusted and vacuumed our apartment, recorded receipts, checked our budget (while we are on our missions, we end up with more money at the end of the month.  We feel so blessed in so many way!!), went through emails, got some smoked pork from a member of the North Little Rock ward who gave some to each companionship (there are 3 in their ward, and the three couples from the Office), and we will enjoy that for dinner tonight!!  We drove over to Burns Park, following the Sorensens and the Hesses.  There we walked along the Arkansas River up to the Big Dam Bridge, then back, then drove to the red Covered Bridge and enjoyed the peace there, then Elder Hartzell and I went to the Office so he could take care of an issue with one of the MSF cards for one of the missionaries.  Then home for some wonderful Red Lobster leftovers, movies, and a good night’s sleep.

An intricate carving in a tree trunk

A simple carving in a tree trunk below the intricate one.

Sister Hartzell with the Sorensens and the Hesses at the Big Dam Bridge

            It is foggy this morning but supposed to be in the high 60’s so it will feel nice.  There are also signs of spring with daffodils, some flowering bushes and trees beginning to bloom.

Our first signs of spring!!

            Our prayers have long lists of several missionaries, family members, and friends who are dealing with lots of health issues—physical, emotional, and mental.  We want you to know that we pray for you and hope you are each one doing well and able to feel the Spirit every day!!

            Love, Elder and Sister Hartzell