Nov. 24-30, 2014

Hi Everyone,

   Another month has rushed by.  They are getting fewer and fewer, now we are worried we will soon have to go back to real life!  What an experience this has been. There is no way we could convey our emotions, only to describe this mission as totally different than anything we had ever expected, but so thankful we have had all these eye opening experiences.

   We had a lovely Thanksgiving with our 4 missionaries and sister Dee (our 84 year old half blind and deaf sister).  Dee ruled the entire time we were together. When it was time SHE was through, everyone had to conform to her wishes and go home right after dinner (even though we had games planned and songs that Elder Long was going to accompany on his guitar).  So we put the four elders in the back seat on top of each other, and Dee in the front, and went home. The missionaries seemed to enjoy themselves, however, and always appreciate a home cooked meal.  We had invited two other sisters, but both changed their mind the last minute. We took dinner into some others who couldn't get out, such as our bipolar, recovered drug addict convert who says he refuses to take out his body piercings, and quit his coffee and smoking.   

   At Sacrament meeting, Pres. Burno hadn't asked anyone to speak, so Elder Storm (our clerk assigned from another ward) volunteered his visiting family members to talk.  We ended up with speakers after all, wow!. Their daughter, two grand kids and son spoke, along with the Stake President who just happened to pop in, also spoke  on what He was thankful for.  Our meeting survived another week. I could see Dad starting to squirm, but pres. Burno was as calm as a baby. I guess he had faith that the Lord would provide, and sure enough, all worked out. What miracles come in this little branch!  

    After Church, we had pot luck dinner served from thanksgiving leftovers. Like always, more showed up for that than we had at Church, We had some interesting put-togethers, and it was like feeding the 5 thousand with 5 fishes, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Then some inactive members (that we had never met) came for a baby shower that the relief society president had put together for an inactive sister. They had a few gifts, games, punch and cookies. We probably won't see them again for a long time, but I hope so. 

   Thank you so much for your support and love. You've all bent over backwards to help us feel included... many letters, phone calls, pictures and prayers. We feel so blessed. What would people do without wonderful family and friends?  We love you all so much and are so grateful for the kindness and love.  

     Have a wonderful week, stay well and warm! 

Elder & Sister Armstrong

Nov. 17-24, 2014

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

TO

WONDERFUL

FAMILY & FRIENDS

                                                                        

   We woke up to more rain this morning.  Today is supposed to be a little warmer with more coming in by tomorrow. We haven’t received any snow like the East, and hope the Walkers are OK.  I guess Utah has a little snow as well.

   Life is good on this mission front. We pulled off another week.  Jen and Ashley were here for 5 days! Oh how we enjoyed that beautiful little girl.  She is now 10 months old, walking, and loved all the steps to climb.  Dad had stomach flu before they got here, by Mon. I had it and by Tues. Jen and Ashley were sick.  What a way to spend time with family. The baby felt so rotten that she would sometimes let me rock her.  We sure appreciated their effort to come out but sure felt bad that everyone got the bug.  To top it all off, when Jen flew home Thurs. by Fri. her other three kids, that weren’t even out here with her, came down with it.  It was really a fast, contagious bug.  Anyway, thank you Jen for all the effort! We certainly fell in love with Ashley. We left them in Illinois when Ashley was only three days old.  She has really changed and grown!

   About all we did last week was try to get everyone back on top.  That flu came on fast and leaves you as weak as a new baby kitten.  Everyone is on top this week. We hope, the rest of you don't get it!  

      Anyway, Sister Berno (choir director) says we are singing every month no matter what. This was one of those times that it was no matter what!  How does the singing go with flu?

   Today we are having a Thanksgiving Dinner with the Senior Couples.  They are always at the mission home.  It is always so good to get together with the other seniors.  That is the only  time that we are together with them.  We have to do mashed potatoes, and had to do that last week for the Zone Conf.  We have a new way of doing them, you peel, cook till done then mash them with butter, sour cream, cream cheese and salt.  Put them in the crock pot on low for two hours.  They are delicious and you can even make them the day before then heat them when you need them.  This is how I will do them for Thanksgiving.  We have the four Elders, Dee, Sabrina and Jerel coming for dinner.  We may add more if someone doesn’t have a family to go to.  By the time we do potatoes for Thanksgiving we will have done 45 pounds of potatoes.

   Pres. Burno announced Sun. that next Sun. after church everyone bring their left overs from Thanksgiving and we’ll have pot luck!  I can hardly wait!  We’ll have to let you know what was there.

   Hope all of you enjoy your wonderful families and have a very good, spiritual, loving and happy Thanksgiving.  We certainly will be thinking of all of you.  It will be fun to have Taylor and Addison home this year, you will all notice the absence of Harrison.  I hope he knows we will all be thinking of him as we are thinking of all of you.  You are all in our thoughts and  prayers. We know you are all kinda healthy and doing very well in all your pursuits.  Keep up the good work and positive attitudes. I wonder what will be different in all our lives by Thanksgiving 2015.  Time has a way of getting away from all of us, that is why we need to live in appreciation for each moment.  May we all stay well and happy and get a lot accomplished before Dec. 25^th.

  GOOD LUCK TO EACH ONE OF YOU, MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU IN YOUR ENDEVORS!

                 ELDER & SISTER ARMSTRONG ( with all the accompanying titles)   

Nov. 4-18, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

  The pass two weeks have been very different.  Our computer has been dejunked and took days to get back, then my wrist went out of service.  Jen and Ashley came back to see us and what a treat that has been getting to know this darling baby!

   We (3 Senior Couples), did Thanksgiving for the Zone. We served about 35 missionaries. What a super experience and they appreciated it so much.  We are doing another one Mon. for the Senior Missionaries. 

   We are planing on having Thanksgiving dinner here at the house. It will be the missionaries and whoever else that doesn't have a place to go.

   Last Sun. was our Primary Sacrament Meeting.  The Sun. before we had one Primary child. This was going to be the Sun. we put everything together and have a practice.  Josephine (Primary Pres.) and I, (that makes up the entire Presidency) got fliers, phone calls, email's, bribes, pleadings and parents making commitments.  We called another practice for Sat. and went and picked up 7 kids.  We got to the church and only one of them had done anything about their talks.  We sat each one of them down and made them find a scripture that went with their talk.  We went through the songs a few times and left thinking it will take a miracle to pull this off.  Sun. morning we get to church and there were two High Council speakers that had been assigned to talk at our branch.  I went up to the Branch Pres. and told him this program had to go on no matter what.  I don't know if he liked it or not, but no way were we going through another week like the last one.  

    Anyway, the Branch Pres. got up and announced the Primary would be doing the program.  Those darling seven little kids really came through. The Spirit was so strong in the room. The kids could feel it also so strong, and delivered their talks wonderfully. They sang so beautiful and everyone said it was the best, most spiritual program they had been too.  (This was the report from the Stake).  Thank goodness it all came off that day where we had the Stake there too.

   Our prayer had been  answered.  It turned out so wonderful with 7 little kids. Heavenly Father is so aware of these special little kids in this special non functioning branch.  What a testimony builder that was to me. It was truly through the help of our Savior that it even happened.  Guess what?  The Gospel is so very true, and Heavenly Father is so aware of all His Children.  That is just a sample of how miracles are happening all the time back here. 

   We love all your encouragement! When the kids send little notes it becomes the highlight of the day.  Thanks so much for all your support and prayers. We hope you can feel them in return because all of you are certainly in them constantly.  Everyone of you are so wonderful, we are the most blessed two people in the world.

   Our new convert that was baptized 3 weeks ago then told us he didn't want anything to do with us, well now he is back in the church, we'll see what happens by this Sun.

   Have a super week. Hope things will get back to more normal by another email.

               Love you all so much, Elder and Sister Armstrong

Oct. 27 - Nov.3, 2014

Dear Love Ones,

   Another week, how can they go this fast, seems like yesterday we were driving back here.

   The week was full of helping many in our branch that are so in need!  These wonderful people really grow on us. We question their decisions but they don’t seem to get the difference between being active and letting Heavenly Father help them than throwing up their hands and almost giving up or not caring what happens! We had about 25 out to Sac. Mtg last Sun. and the leadership made up at least half of that number. In priesthood mtg. there was one investigator, three from the branch presidency, the elders quorum pres. and 4 missionaries.

 We had a Super Duper Halloween Party, (anyway it was for our branch).  We have the church on a busy store front street and we had many, many people coming to the church to trick or treat. People in the branch started giving out the candy we had for the party and the missionaries said “why didn’t we think to have pass along cards to pass out”?

   We had six different games going in 6 different rooms. The kids had to play the game in order to get candy, of course many just wanted the candy, but we pretty well stuck to our guns.  We had decorated the church the night before and many came in costumes. After the games we showed a movie, Casper the Friendly Ghost! Then we served hot dogs, fruit, and hot chocolate before cleaning up. Dad missed it most of the party because he had rented a van at the airport to take everyone to the temple Sat. morning.

   We had 8 go to the temple in our van, 3 others went down with someone else.  It was a most wonderful day. We were so thankful we were in the temple once again! Surprised that we could remember all the words in both the Session and Initiatory. I felt like I was in Heaven, and we want to get back as workers as soon as we get back home. The DC temple is very beautiful. It has 6 endowment rooms and a huge Priesthood Room where our Stake met with the Stake Pres. and the Temple Pres., who both gave wonderful talks. By the time we got home, delivered people, and got the van delivered back to the rental place, it was about 9:30, but was well worth it. I didn’t realize how much I missed the temple until I sat there so thankful to be back inside!

   We are so grateful to be back here.  Both of us bore our testimony Sun. even though our congregation was pretty sparse.  We are really going to miss these people when we have to go.  They have become our dear friends. When you get to do so much for many of them they become part of the family. One minute we are wondering why they don’t get it, and the next minute we praise them for trying so hard. Under their circumstances they are all doing what they can and what they know. Heaven help all of them, wish we could do more!

   Please all stay healthy. My little Primary class has to write in their journal each Sun.  The lesson had been on praying to Heavenly Father and asking for help for themselves and loved ones. I tell them their writing is personal and no one needs to read it but, Akua, our little 8 year old insisted that she share hers with me, and said how she worries about her mom who has lupus and is sick all the time. She then asked that Heavenly Father to please protect her mom from Ebola because she didn’t know who she would live with if she died. I thought to myself how young she is to have that worry at such a tender age. 

   Well today, Tues, we spent the day taking Rosina to the Doctor and to vote, then Dee, our blind and hearing impaired 85 year old to the drug store, to vote, and to dunkin donuts for a treat. She got mad because we took her to the wrong donut store, but we told her that was too bad. We didn’t have time to chase all over town for the one she wanted to go to. That’s our life, taxi driver and support. Tonight we have Bible Study with the missionaries, and tomorrow we take Rosina to her doctor, then Richard, our bi-polar friend, somewhere else, and then, we hope to get some meetings with the Elder’s to teach the gospel, which has really slacked off!