Sunday, April 2, 2017

Prepare for Transfers- March 26

Dear Family and Friends,
            Last Sunday was lovely.  We ended the day with good visits with Christi and all her family except Connor.  Also did a “We Chat” with Shawn and got to see his fun photos of his weekend in Shanghai.
            Monday was warm—got up to 83 degrees!!  I worked on emails and the 4-year address list.  Jim found an apartment in Morrilton for a new Senior Couple, it was blessing because he didn’t know until Saturday where they were going to be assigned.  We had a good Staff Meeting with President Wakolo, but Sister Wakolo was at home, sick with the flu.  We talked about our schedule for this week and next.  Went home, made dinner, had a good visit with Brent, and had a nice relaxing evening.
            Tuesday I worked on the 4-year list off and on all day, finally finishing it at 4:45!!  Hooray!!  It was hard to add in all the email addresses.  I also printed up 5 of the 13 missionary letters for their binders.  Several sets of missionaries were in and out of the Office because their cars were getting either new or replacement Tiwis (those are the devices that tell missionaries if they are driving too fast or unsafely—like having Mom with them).  Also dealt with iPad issues.  Came home and exercised, cut up a bunch of peppers for the freezer, watched TV.  Jim had a very busy day dealing with three new apartment issues, especially the one in Morrilton, and is struggling with allergies and maybe a cold.
            Wednesday it cooled off again and was in the low 60’s.  We to the Pinnacle Mountain building for training the 3 new ASL sister missionaries who just arrived on Tuesday.  Then went to the Office and printed up the new 4-year address list and put them in the “Mission Memories” binders.  Also 4 more letters to the President, Jim & I did the IMOS Transfer Board for the 3 new missionaries.  Jim didn’t feel good, does have a cold to go along with the allergies, and I took him home at 3:00 and he slept until I got home at 6:00.  He also started taking Coldeze and took it all day Thursday and Friday.  I finished up at the Office, did the grocery shopping, came home and we ate dinner, then I did 3 batches of laundry, and we watched TV and rested.
            Thursday Jim felt a little better and went to the Office for the day.  He was very tired by the end.  We had MLC (Mission Leadership Conference) in the building—32 of our best missionary leaders learning how to do their jobs even better.  Had a phone visit with my sister, Lois, while we got lunch for the missionaries at Jimmy John’s and they were delicious!  Did an order from Staples, sent the emails and photos to the parents of the new ASL missionaries.  At about 2:00 our new Senior Couple came from Sandy, UT, named Wies.  They are lovely people.  He is legally blind, only having about 10 percent of his vision so he can see outlines of people but no details.  She had to do all the driving to get here.  We showed them around and visited with them until President was done with his meetings.  Then he talked to them between 3:45 and 4:30.  We just worked at our desks, finishing things up, then took the Wieses to dinner at Chiles, then to their hotel to spend the night.  They are great people and will be wonderful MLS missionaries in Morrilton.  The Hesses also were in the Office for part of the day and left soon after the Wieses arrived.  Jim was exhausted from the cold symptoms and sinus headache and after dealing with all the apartment issues and finances for the week so far, by the time we got home at 6:15, he laid down for an hour nap, then we watched TV and rested.
            Friday was pretty quiet in the Office.  Not many people came in or called, except for Elder and Sister Sorensen got calls about cars and media orders.  I printed up the last 4 Presidents letters and finished the “Mission Memories” Departure Binders.  Also printed up the Departure and Arrival Programs for next Monday and Tuesday nights, and got the envelope ready to pass out their passports (only had one for the group), and to collect all their cards:  health, money, and gas.  The Assistants were in the Office Thursday night to work on the Transfer lists, and came in at the end of the day to try to finish.  We got some things collected from the supply shed for the Wies apartment for the office elders to pick up tomorrow morning, before leaving for Morrilton. Jim felt a little better today and was able to finish all the needed things for housing and finances.  There are routine reports to check and data entry to do each week, so this is an ongoing process.   Also, as we were leaving the Sherwood Sisters came in, Sister Burk and Bradford, so we took them to dinner at Casa Mexicana.  Had good food and good visits.  Sister Burk is from Colorado Springs, and Sister Bradford is a 2-Transfer missionary from Bentonville, AR, so is going home on Tuesday.  Had a quiet evening at home.  It was raining hard when we went to bed.
            Saturday we worked on emails, cleaned our bathrooms and kitchen, and read and took naps.  Jim felt pretty good all day, and I started sneezing a lot and being more stuffy, so started on the Coldeze and other medicines.  So we didn’t do any sightseeing.  We cleaned up in the afternoon, rested, read, and I went to the Women’s dinner and Conference.  They served “Café Rio” style dinner and it was yummy!!  I got to know Sister Stuckey and Sister Nance and Sister Burrup better--great sisters in the Little Rock Ward.  Went home and took medicine and watched a little TV, then went to bed and slept great.  Jim read and worked on family history while I was gone.
            Sunday it is 60 degrees outside and supposed to warm up to 75.  Having a lovely quiet morning.
            Missionary share:  “This past week I had a very awesome experience.  In my personal study I was studying some things that people will consider it as a deep doctrine.  During my study there’s a feeling hit me that I will always remember to keep on following it every time that I receive it.  I felt it, and can almost hear the words, ‘This is not the time to study things that you want to study.  Is it going to help you in this mission, and your investigators?’  The last questions really hit me.  I immediately closed my deep doctrinal studies, and go straight to Preach My Gospel, and start studying on Chapter 4.  It’s an amazing feeling.  It’s good to know that there’s someone that is guiding me in my studies.”

We love you all Elder and Sister Hartzell

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