Winter Mission News

Hi Gang, This is taken at the home of the Da Silva's, a recently baptized family in Carthage. The Elders and I have been helping him with an old home he is redoing so that his family can live in it. They are a great family and a real asset to the ward.  He had to sheet rock the whole place after removing all the old lath and plaster, to upgrade the plumbing and electrical.  I worked on some finish plumbing and the Elders were sanding and taping.  We have managed to keep busy despite the weather, which has been cold and snowy.  They are running out of places to put the snow.  Huge piles are all over, they are loading it into dump trucks and dumbing it in the river.  It was kind of fun at first all the snow, but it's beginning to get old. They cancelled both wards today because of the snow.  When have you ever seen church cancelled because of the weather.  The members at Ft Drum couldn't get out of their driveways.  There was a good 2 ft over night.  At family home evening this week a recently returned soldier from Iraq brought two nonmembers friends. One was from Russia and was Jewish, the other a chaplain's assistant.  They were impressed with the building and enjoyed the change from the barracks.  We took three of the young spouses to dinner last night, two of their husbands just left for Afghanistan.  One is inactive and just lost her brother in Iraq two months ago, he had been in the Special Forces for 11 years, and now her husband is gone.  These spouses are great, it's uplifting just being around them. We miss you all, take care of the little one for us.  Love Mom and Dad

Our blog today shows our half mission conference and snow!!  The weather out here has been cold.  On Saturday we got three feet in about 4 hours from a small lake affect storm that was just over Watertown.  The Elders and Sisters are so tough.  They are out tracting in twenty below and deep snow.  We drive them here and there, but they spend a lot of time on their own.  Our half mission conference was lots of fun with presents and skits from each District.  We met a lot of missionaries that we don't normally see.  We have also done a great deal of long distance driving in terrible weather.  The last week or so we have been able to stay closer to home.  Today (Sunday) was another spiritual high day.  We pray constantly to find more young adults because most of them have gone.  The Elders called with two new names for us.  After church today we went on some visits and then went up to Sister Ortega's house to give her a blessing.  She's been having a hard time sleeping and being alone with her husband gone.  We got there and another young sister who is newly married came over.  It turns out that her husband is wanting a divorce.  They have only been married 5 months and she doesn't know what to do.  It is a temple marriage and she's devastated.  Dad gave her a blessing and told her that all would work out.  She was so encouraged and thrilled.  While there they had a another friend visiting, another spouse of a deployed soldier.  She witnessed all that went on and we asked if she was a member.  She said no but that her husband was.  We asked her name and dad knew immediately that her husbands name was Matthew.  She was so shocked.  He was on one of the lists of lost ones we had been looking for.  The Lord works in mysterious ways and we find these soldiers and inactives often by chance, ( but really by design).  We had a great visit with the three women and were thankful for the service we could give.  

Hi gang, this picture seems like a pleasant change of scene from the cold and gloom of Northern NY.  We have actually made it through our first full month of winter and so far it hasn't been as bad as everyone said.  We have suffered lake effect snow, freezing rain and record snow falls with no real problems.  There have been some white knuckled drives and even frozen windshield wiper scares but nothing has stopped our Santa Fe from making it through, of course Mom would tell a different story. The locals say that in Jan. and Feb it really starts getting cold.  So far the weather thing hasn't been that impressive.  I have hardly used by gloves.  Tuesday was one of those drive all over and transport missionaries to meetings day.  The Zone leaders were there to teach. The Elders in Watertown wrecked their car.  Which means we become their car.  We spent some of last week moving a spouse of a deployed soldier and visiting soldiers on Post with the Elders.  One of our newest YSA was put in the hospital with what was thought to be a MERSA (very bad) infection.  He went through emergency surgery. The Elders and I were able to give him a blessing right after surgery, of course he's doing fine now and it wasn't MERSA. News Years Eve we went to a members for dinner with the Elders and went to bed early. New Years day was our P-day since the weather was fair we drove to the Syracuse Mall, H&M fame, to get way.  Saturday we made our monthly trip to Clayton to visit members when we got home the Sugar bowl game was on.  How about those Utes, unbelievable, There is no one I'd rather beat than a so called BCS, SEC team, especially like that. It will be interesting to see what the BCS does with the standing.  We are doing great and love the work, thanks for all your calls on the holidays they really helped out. We miss you all, take care.  Love Mom and Dad.