North Country Mission News 9/20/09

We are able to experience life changing events every week with the people around here. This week has been especially eventful. We began the week with a welcome home ceremony for those first arriving back from Iraq. They were just the few that come first to get ready for all the others. The other ceremonies we have been to have been in the gym. This one was held in hanger on the airfield and the soldiers lined up outside the hanger door and when they announced them the door opened. The Army band plays and it is so much fun to be there. It is especially meaningful to us because this is part of the groups we saw leave last fall. This week two more groups come home. The other picture is of us at the Lowville Cream Cheese festival for p day. Philadelphia Cream cheese is made in Lowville. It is about 30 minutes from us. It is a typical small town celebration where they close off the main street and have booths of food and crafts. They also have contests. etc. We met the Elders there and took them to lunch. On Sunday we had our usual beginning with Ward Conference in the Watertown Ward. The Stake Pres. was there and gave us the assignment to call everyone for deployment blessings and to have a lunch between General Conference sessions. We have another big group deploying in October. I went to Relief Society and one of our good friends came in and said she just got a text from a member at the hospital. Her husband had been having seizures that they couldn't contol for quite awhile and she had called an abulance and they had taken them to the hospital again. We ran over to the hospital to be with her and we hadn't been there five minutes when the doctor came in and told us that his breathing and heart had stopped and they did everything but could not revive him. He was gone. He is 25 years old and they have two children from her previous marriage and a little boy about a year old. It was a terrible shock, but we were just so glad we were there with her. Dad came over with the Bishop and they gave her a blessing. We stayed there for a couple of hours with her. She is a soldier and he had just gotten out because of this health. It was a very humbling experience! We came home and got a call from the Carthage Ward's Relief Society Pres.' husband saying that they had just had their baby. They were so excited an wanted us to come visit. Sometimes we get weary with so much going on, but we are so glad we are here to help and support people. We also met a man at church today who is in the military and he said that all his brothers and sisters are active in the church and he is on his third divorce and hasn't been a church for years, so it's time for him to come back. He went out and bought himself a dress shirt and came today. The time is flying by here at the end of our mission. We love the people here and it will be hard to leave, but we can't wait to be home with all of you!

Love Mom & Dad