Chloe with Grandparents

Just 10 days before our mission began, we had the chance to go down to Arizona for our youngest grandson's blessing. He holds a special place in my heart. Samuel Todd Hadlock was born premature and I had the opportunity when he was only one month old to go down and take care of him for 5 days and nights. He only could eat 2 ounces of formula at a time and had to eat every two hours when I got there. His mother, Amy Jo, was exhausted after having an emergency c-section and trying to care for a newborn and 2 year old Joseph. So when I found out the blessing was going to take place over the 4th of July weekend, we decided to drive down. I had just had double carpal tunnel surgery and my mother was up from Washington to take care of me. Adam was in between work and so it worked out that we took a surprise trip to Arizona. Amy Jo was thrilled to have so much family show up unexpectedly and my sister who lives down there was excited to see my mother also. Chloe was such a sweetie, and concerned about Grandma's hurt hands...I had huge bandages on both arms that the doctor did not want me to remove. She would hold my "pinkie" finger when ever she would come snuggle with Grandma. Her family had been staying in California while Dad had work there but came back to Arizona that weekend to be there for the blessing also. Six of our nine grandkids enjoyed being together. We missed Sterling and Tami and their three sons and wished that they would have been able to come.

During the time I was recuperating, we had the opportunity to go with my mom to a zone conference luncheon. We also stopped in a couple of times to begin our training with Brother and Sister Babcock from the mission office. They were lovely people who soon took us under their wing. Yesterday was their last day of their mission and they are now headed to the beach for a month of fun with their grandkids. We grew to love them dearly in the short time we were together. We attended a very spiritual meeting with them, where all the departing missionaries gave their final testimonies. The whole chapel was full of the families of the missionaries who had come to take them home and many investigators or members who had been taught by these great young people. We were truly taught by the Holy Ghost that day. We had a surprise visitor come to our mission this week who also taught many great truths. Elder David A. Bednar met for a full day with some of the elders and sisters. Then he taught all of us for three hours about listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

This has been a full week at the mission. One day Grandpa and I had to take 4 missionaries up to the Mexican Consult to get their visas to be able to travel to Mexico. They had been temporarily staying in the Provo mission until it was the right time for them to go. Another dozen or so missionaries met us there who were also leaving for Mexico but had been staying with Salt Lake elders while they were waiting. I knew one of the elders but I wasn't sure how. Then he figured it out! He had lived in Budge Hall at BYU for a couple of semesters when I was the custodial supervisor there. We were both out of our element but it was fun to become re-acquainted!

Grandpa has been learning how to close down apartments. When we find member homes, where they will allow missionaries to live with them, free of charge, we are then able to have the missionaries move into the new member home. Today, we went to meet with a Brother Powell who was a former stake president. He had lost his wife two years ago to cancer and wasn't going to be able to now go and serve a mission as they had planned for years. He felt his wife would have been pleased with his decision to open up his entire basement for the elders to move in with him. President Brown helped us put together a check list to go over with members and so we completed the inspection and then called the elders with the good news... It is amazing how much love the members in this mission have for the missionaries serving here.

Our Sprint phone changeover has taken a new twist. President Brown decided to eliminate the down time when the missionaries would have no phone service, so we have been asked to attend zone conferences next week in St. George and in Ferron and program their phones during the zone conference. He said he would give them time to blue tooth all their contacts from the old phones to the new phones that day. Not sure yet, but we might have to drive the big van down. A set of bunk beds in Monroe are needing to be moved out of a home that elders had been living in. We handle the furniture needs and there are storage sheds in Provo and St. George but nowhere in between...Not sure where we should store them. Well, I guess we will have another question for the President tomorrow. This week he is in the office holding personal interviews with the missionaries so we can catch him in between. Sister Brown is a nurse and keeps the missionaries healthy if they have allergies etc. During the zone conference luncheons there is a doctor who meets with any missionaries who have medical concerns. We made it through transfer week ok. I'm amazed how fast 6 weeks go by! Still having fun, missing the Babcocks who really had a handle on all the varied duties for Housing Coordinators, but oh so thankful for the opportunity we have to serve.