New Month, New House, New Furniture

We have been without internet for over a week and a lot has happened.   The title gives it away!  We are finally in our house and furniture sparsely around.  We are very comfortable and it is so warm inside, which we are so grateful for.  We have meetings almost daily with the missionaries.  They are darling boys, sometimes they act as though they are 18, believe it or not.  They get out in this cold weather and start snowball fights!  We had a training meeting today.  Dad and I both had to be investigators.  I made 10 calls last night and one said to call them back Fri. or Sat.  We'll see if they answer.

 Dad goes on more appointments than I do.   The elders seem to like him along.  We are having all four and dad singing in Sacrament meeting  in two weeks.  Surprisingly, all of them carry a good tune.  That same week we are starting a choir, We have about 25 members that come to church so we'll have to see how that goes.

  Thank goodness for phones, I don't know what I would do if I couldn't hear your voices.  We are doing just fine.  We are trying to contact a lot of inactives -most are not interested or say they will see us, then not be home.  We've been here two weeks now so it is time we get moving.   Mostly trying to get settled and know our way around.  When we leave our church here today we are going to try and take a picture to show you. Frankford Branch-    it has RS room, chapel, a room for sacrament meeting, primary, small kitchen and 4 class rooms,  Bishop office, clerk, and 2 bathrooms.  Got to go, dad is in a hurry, maybe next time we can do this at home. 

Love you lots, Mom

Hi, its still cold, but a little better, about 20 degrees today. We had a zone mtg with the 4 Elders, talked about teaching etc, then they left, so Mom wanted to email you some notes.  I went to a discussion with two of the Elders yesterday. Tried to get her to come to church this Sunday, but she has a super bowl party planned. That evening, I went with the other two Elders, their appt. wouldn't answer, or wasn't there, so we went to a hospital about ten miles away and saw a lady they were trying to teach, and gave her a blessing. 

     Fun stuff!  We bought a little TV and an antenna that goes with it. It only gets local stations though. I also joined planet something fitness for $20 a month, plus $39 membership fee, so we can get in shape, I hope. We opened an account at Walgreens Pharmacy, but two days later they haven't filled our prescriptions.  I don't know the problem. 

     I am starting to learn the roads a little better, they go all over the place, and are very narrow. These houses were built in the 1800's and some earlier, I hear, when the slaves were freed. Anyway things are going good, but we are a little frustrated since we don't know many people, but to that point, neither does the church members. Each week it will get better, I hope. 

     It is a little weird going out at night in this area, very run down, and high density row homes. Anyway, all is well.   

Love ya, Elder Armstrong (dad)

picture of our church

Another day with nowhere to live......

Since the last big storm hit, it has remained around 11 to 14 degrees all day. The wind is so cold it is just bitter. They disappointed us about the apt. again today. Now they are saying tomorrow. We have keys, so dad went to bishopric meeting this morning and is dropping off a load we have in the car. 　I'm here alone with Bro. Stephensen his wife is still baby sitting in Virginia. 　I put a load of whites in the washer and he came to do a load for himself. I felt like two bits. 　We have two new elders in our district. All of these elders are very friendly and helpful.

All of you stay healthy. 　If we ever move in the apt. we will be without email until we get hooked up. 　If I don't write it is because we are not hooked up yet. 　All of you enjoy the weekend and learn a lot in church!!!!!!! 　　　　Love ya, Mom


Transfer Day-All the missionaries are getting transfers-everyone of them got a new companion. 　(About 200 of them)
Each missionary would run out in the middle of the floor and give big bear hugs! It was fun to see!

 

Sister Earl is a sister from our stake in So. Jordan. Wish I could introduce her to Taylor. 　Dad gave her a patriarchal blessing!

 

 

 The new apartment- if we ever move in:)

Our first Sunday at the branch

Today has been a very interesting day. 　We went to our branch and the first thing the stake Pres. did was come up to us and ask us to meet him in his office. 　Sacrament meeting was to start in 10 min. Anyway,　they called Dad to be 1st counselor to the Branch President. (by the way, he was 1st counselor and they made him Pres. last Sun.) 　Of course we both had to talk, then dad got set apart and we went into R S. 　Talk 　about baptizing us with fire. 　We next went to a baptism. Dad had to conduct and of course I had to play the piano.

Laying all kidding aside, it was one of the most spiritual meetings, we were all crying, the people are very new to the gospel, happy, 85% black and they were all slapping each other on the back, clapping their hands and singing at the top of their lungs. 　Pretty fun! Dad and I just got into the spirit of it all and sang the best we could. 　Afterwards, the RS Pres. took us home to feed us. What an experience-I'm going to have to let down my hair and just go with the flow and love these people for the way they are. 　I'm working hard to do just that- become one of them and love them just the way they are. 　I've been thinking how would Grandma (Westenskow) handle this, and do you know what she would do, she would get right in there and start serving them. You know her- just work as hard as we can and love every minute of it. They are wonderful people and they try so hard. They are like babies in the gospel. What an opportunity to love them and watch them grow.

Tomorrow is ML King day and I'm not sure they will do anything on our paper work for the house. We hope so. We are getting soooo ready to move in and get moving on our duties. 　When we get the house, if we do, we'll send pictures of what we will be living in.

　I think of all of you all the time. It is still a little hard to imagine what all of you are doing. We know each family is so busy, and that's the way we all want it. We pray for you in every prayer. Keep your fingers crossed for us to get our house Mon. or Tues. Will add more tomorrow if we get pictures! 　Please stay well and happy!

We made it

     We finally got to Philly. We are having kinda a shock-the city is huge, old and pretty dirty looking with people, people, people. We have been staying with the Stephenson's. He is in the presidency and has been most helpful and kind. We have been looking for housing for three days now. The Pres. called us to his office yesterday and said he may send us to the bottom of New York. That went back and forth till this morning, now we are back in downtown Philly. Two days ago they sent us out to pick out furniture for an apartment. They gave us $1000 to supply it, we get all the furniture from a consignment store the church has contact with. We got table and chairs, couch, three living room chairs, desk, two dressers and two lamps. We now, when we get the apt., have to get all the kitchen and living supplies. Had we gone to N Y, the apt. would have been ready to go.

      The weather has been pretty darn good, but still cold. We have been living on three outfits that we brought back in different suitcases. We had no idea we would still be living out of one little bag. 　We are waiting for another someone to take us back out. We are very positive today is going to be the day we find a home to call our own.　

January 3-10, 2014

We spent the rest of the week getting the house ready to leave, completing projects, banks, post office etc.　The week before was spent in the MtC, what a lovely experience that was. We did a lot of lesson study and presented discussions to other missionaries. Some people would come in from the town and pretend they were non members, some were acting interested, some would give you a rough time pretending they were very antagonistic and just give you off the wall questions.　 Sometimes it was frustrating, other times it was a lot of fun.　We would have a set discussion that we were to accomplish that period of time and some of the people would be so off on a tangent that we would never get to the subject.

　 The instructors were young returned missionaries, they were wonderful, so knowledgeable　and helpful, we totally fell in love with the two sisters that helped us.　We now have our badges so we feel like missionaries!!!!!!!

　Mon. morning, Jan. 6th, we were going to start off for Philly but all across the East were bad wind and snow storms.　We kept packing and decided no matter what we would take off Tues.　 The car was totally loaded, in fact I had about four big bags around my feet, that will have to change as we drive further.

　　First night we stayed in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the weather was good all the way there. 2nd day we went to Omaha, Nebraska.　Still good weather!　 We have been listening to CD John and Jill gave us, (the Infinite Atonement). It has been wonderful, so much information and insight. Oh how we are indebted to our Savior, (how much closer we are and want to be to the Savior) this will definitely help.

　Night three we made it to Mattoon to stay with Mike and Jen.　We hit a big blizzard about 2 hours out of Mattoon so we got here later than we anticipated.　 There is a lot of snow here, in fact today was the first day the kids have been back to school.

　Fri.10th. Today Jen was suppose to have the baby, but, because of all the bad weather many more moms went into labor so Jen was help off until tomorrow, good she has C sections and can be put off.　 Still cold freezing cold, glad we have a warm house to stay in!!!

Day 2 & 3 at the Provo MTC

  Dec. 31, 2013

  Today was a long day at the MTC, one that was not only long- but so powerful.  They put us in Districts of 4 couples, we studied Preach my Gospel and had to come up with a lesson plan to teach non-members.  We had demonstrations on the correct way, and  got oriented on what goes into these lesson plans, the questions we were to ask and how to include the scriptures.  All day long we had classes on these lesson plans.  

  It was New Years Eve so dad and I went to Sizzlers and had some dinner then headed back to the Assembly Hall of the MTC.  The Seniors were all given reserved seats on the main floor, they are kinda of pampering us because we are old, kinda funny but also very nice.  In class today they even told us that on the 3rd floor there were places where we could rest.  Anyway, at the devotional Elder Ellis of the 70's was the guest speaker.  He was wonderful and kind of gave us some things to think about for New Years resolutions. He showed us some clips from the movie Scrooge, how he turned his life around and learned to help and care for others.  We got home quite late and went straight to bed so we could leave for MTC next morning.

 

Jan. 1, 2014

  Happy New Year!  It  doesn't even seem like a new years, we have been in classes all day long.  To start it off, I had to play the piano by third day, so guess that will start my on going calling.  Today we (as a couple) had to meet with an investigator and teach the first discussion.  They were really members of the church who volunteer to come in and pretend they are non-members.  This couple we about our age so it was easy to relate to them.  They said they had moved to Utah and didn't know much about any church, especially the Mormons.  They lived by MOrmons and wanted to see what they believed.  We were suppose to stick to the first discussion, but they got off on so many subjects it was hard to not just give them an overview of the whole picture.  Anyway we got a pretty good rating, the one thing that they said to correct was that Dad did most of the talking, can you believe that, Dad talking more than me?

  After the first discussion we meet with our leaders and they told us more on what we should do, the last part of the day was talking about who to approach them on the second time we had been together.

  The highlights of both days was to be with Dad and see him as a missionary, he was pretty good at it and has a lot of things that I can learn from him.

  Another highlight was going to the devotional last night and see the room full of 2000 missionaries.  To see how organized they ran things down there and yet how efficiently it was run.  The church takes on big things, this is certainly one of them!!!!!!

  Our 3 days have been so wonderful, the Spirit is very strong all day long, everyone is so friendly and helpful, we love it down there.  

Our Farewell & 1st Day at the MTC

Sun. Dec. 29, 2013

　 Today was an incredible day, all of our family except Michael and family were here for Christmas. We had such a wonderful week being together. Many of the nights we just hung out together and enjoyed one another as a family. Our family is so wonderful, sensitive to each others needs, caring about each others lives and families. Everyone was so inclusive to Kristine, she was so much a part of all of us!

　　Sun. was the farewell, family all there and so encouraging and helpful. We had Sacrament meeting, we both had to talk, and three granddaughters did the music: Nicole accompanying, Morgan and Abbey on the violin, and what a wonderful job they did, playing "How Great Thou Art". 　When the meeting was over, John and Mary Louise had an open house for us at their home, all done up beautifully, and served sandwiches, fruit, veg. tray and cookies. 　It was so wonderful, we could feel the Spirit in their home as much as we did at the church. 　A lot of family and friends came over to their house -what a wonderful representation of all the love and support we had there. 　

　　Our family members are the very best in the world, each one of them plays such a wonderful part in our lives, from our own children to the grand and great grand children, brother, sister, nieces, nephews, friends, ward members, just so many, super people that have influenced our life.

Joyce with some of her nieces, sister and Kris:

John- Son

Morgan a grand daughter & Alisa daughter

Kaitlyn, Gracie, Lauren & Christian

Alisa & Curt with Joyce & Bruce

Karl's brother Bob & wife Beverly

Joyce's sister Louise & Brother Bruce

our Grand daughter Nicole, and great- grand daughters Payten (4) & Olivia (2)

 

 

At the MTC today, our first day there was mainly orientation, getting to know one another, directions, limitations, badges, pep talks, encouragement, and a strong feeling for the work we would be doing and feelings of the Spirit so strong that it would hit you every few minutes.

　　We are going to be so happy serving, so many wonderful people in the world to encourage and help us know what we are doing. I can already feel the strength of the family, we have talked to each of them, we feel of their love and prayers. How we love and pray for them also, we are going to do our best and give it all two people can that are in their 70's. The gospel is true, we know even better today than we did yesterday. 　Here we come day 2 at the MTC.