mission weekly report

This is our bowling activity at Zone Conference.  After meetings all morning we bowled in the afternoon and then drove back in time to go to Institute at 7:00.  After institute we had two soldiers over for dinner.  One was going to Hawaii and another, a young girl, was going to Iraq.  She's part of the Army band for her unit.  Dad's going to give her a blessing on Sunday before she goes.  We also met a young woman this week that grew up in Park City.  She was running a children's clothing store in Clayton, a small town on the St. Lawrence River.  She moved there to get away from her ex-husband.  We walked in the store and she said, "You found me."  She and her husband grew up in the church, married in the temple, had three children.  One day she walked in on him injecting crack cocaine. Her life fell apart and she no longer went to church.  She told us her whole story and seemed ready for activity for herself and her children.  We will be visiting her again.  The Spirit was so strong that we knew that someone had been praying for her.  Some of the stories break your heart.  We hope to be a support to people like her.

Sackets Harbor, NY

mission weekly report

Hi Gang,  This was on our P-day for the week, we went to a lake side town about 30 minutes away, called Sackets Harbor.  It's a tourist town, reminds me of Park City, except by a really big lake, Lake Ontario.  It is famous for a small part it played in the War of 1812.  American troops held off a British navel attack and saved the work from bad teeth or something like that.  They were having a big celebration with a parade, bands and a blessing of the boats thing in the harbor.  A catholic priest stood on a platform and blessed each ship as it passed by.  Saw some really  great looking sail boats.     

mission weekly report

mission weekly report

Hi Gang,  This a shot of some the YSA at family night playing in the Black River behind a members home.  The river runs out of the Adirondack's all the way to Lake Ontario, right through Watertown. As you can see its a good sized river, this is in no way, near the widest part.  They call it the black river because of the dark color caused by the minerals leached out of the slate stone on the bottom.  Actually it is one of the top ten cleanest river in the nation.  It runs just south of our home and we cross it every day several times.  Homes along its banks have great back yards like this one.  We had a really busy week, moved a sister whose husband is deployed  to Post from way up north.  Drove another sister with a deployed spouse to get her stranded car way out East.  Visited several other sisters with deployed spouses.  Had a great turnout for Instituted with two soldiers returning from training to be with the group.  We played the church DVD titled Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled. It is designed by the church specific for soldiers going into combat.  It is great, one soldier who got back early spring was really touched and teared up telling the group how much the church had helped him through the ordeal.  He was a MP and was really messed up upon returning.  A trip to Palmyra straitened him out and got him back on the path.  He has been on of our stalwarts. It is great just to be a small part of all this.  Mom and Dad  (keep the cards and Letters coming)   

This is a crown scene at sunset.  Just a few comments about our last few weeks:  we moved a couple, did lots of repairs for spouses of the deployed, visited about 15 people, fed the missionaries and the Young Adults, attended Institute and B of M classes in the wards, visited families on post, met new ward members, went to the Bishop's lake cottage for dinner, took a group to Pageant, etc.  We are getting more and more acquainted with the ward people.  Today at church the Brigade commander taught the Gospel Doctrine class and the couple who served here three years ago came back to visit.  We are busy and loving it!  We send our love to all of you! 

While we were waiting around as the seats filled we looked up and walking down the isle next to us was Trudy Lamb, a dear old friend from College and then our Ward.  I haven't seen her for at least 15 years.  We had time to visit and talk about our families.  Also, in the picture right behind us, the couple sitting there are the Head LDS Chaplain and his wife in the Army.  They saw our badges with the military on them and started talking to us.

A dream of mine came true this week when we attended the Hill Cumorah Pageant.  We took an investigator and a less active member down, a young married couple who lost their first baby.  She is a soldier.  They have had a rough time and looked to the church for comfort.  We had a great time!  They set up 9,000 chairs and people also sit on blankets in the front and on the sides.  It is a big outdoor party.  We got there about 4:30 (shown here) to save seats.  The weather, the people and the pageant were great!  It is an amazing production about the Book of Mormon that everyone should see!  The fact that it takes place on sacred ground is even more inspiring.

We are at the Ward on Family Home Evening with the Young Adults.  We are providing a dinner once a month now and the missionaries teach the message that night.  We have lots of fun with them.  They went to Pageant the same night we did and stayed for a Young Adult dance they have there the first night.  They are a great group of members!

This is our district.  We just finished our meeting with the Zone leader and took some fun pictures.  We always take goodies to the meeting and they love that.  We have one Elder who is six foot nine.  Our Elders and sisters are great.

New grandchild-Cael

Welcome baby Cael Corwin Larsen, born to Mark and Melanie July 3, 2008!  He is the 23rd grandchild.  We're so thrilled he's here and healthy! The only problem is that we don't get to hold him.  We are thrilled for all the family, his brothers and sisters will adore him.  We certainly are blessed!  We have shown everyone in the mission the pictures!

Mission weekly report

One of the young adult soldiers in Carthage Ward reenlisted in the Aviation Brigade for two more years.  He invited us to attend the ceremony.  It was up at the airfield.  The brigade headquarters people were there.  It was one of the few days with clear blue sky we have had.  After the swearing in the Colonel gave a little speech and said that they are way ahead of their reenlistment quota for this year.  This young soldier is a returned missionary from Idaho.  The hats were interesting.  The cowboy looking hats are of the Calvary unit. They are authorized to wear in formation if you are in a Cav. designated unit.  This unit is scheduled to deploy in Nov. o8 to Iraq. This is called a swearing in ceremony, and words of the oath reminds one of Moroni's title of liberty.  Young adult family evening continues to grow in numbers and activity.  Love Mom and Dad, we miss you.

mission weekly report

Hi gang, This is a typical housing landscape around here.  It gives a new meaning to riding lawnmowers.  They don't have to worry about watering, there a no such things as lawn sprinklers. They do mow every week, and seem to enjoy it.  You can see there is a lot of open space.  We pass this type of housing every day on the way to Post.  There is unclaimed forest land around almost all the housing, you can see that in the background.  It is very thick and contains a mixture of trees.