12 May 2014 Mission Letter

12 May Mission Letter

 You probably think everything I do revolves around transfers or the weather and that is true. We just finished another transfer. This one was extra busy because the weekly and monthly reports came at the same time, plus we had a visa waiter to get to Brazil. We had a travel problems when the 4 elders who had finished their missions and were at the airport to go home. Because of severe stormy weather their flight was late getting there, the pilots needed sleep so the airlines needed to find others flights for them. The best they could do was send them to Minneapolis, then to Seattle, then to SLC. Their original flight was supposed to get them home at 1:00 pm or there abouts. The second flight got them home at 9:30 pm. Some of these elders had family celebrations awaiting them, appointments with their Stake President for their release interview and a lot of people waiting for them at the airport. They were so bummed! The Mission President’s wife said they were so quiet! But, then because they know how to handle disappointments, they snapped out of it and decided to just have fun.

 Here is a picture of them, with the 2 Assistants to the President, the night before at the Mission Home goofing off. They were such a great group!

Some of our best!

An interesting story. I received a phone call from a young man who said he had talked to some missionary and he thought he remembered that one of them was an Elder “so and so”. He said that he just brushed him off, but after thinking more about it, he thought he should listen to his message. I explained that I could not give out his number, but could reach him and have him call back. He said, that he did not have a phone, that he was traveling a lot, was from Nevada, but that he had a friend with a phone and the Elder could call that number. To make a long story short…..that person was actually from his hometown, someone he had worked with who wanted his phone #. Well, that’s a big “no, no”. And this elder is an obedient missionary so he let us know immediately what had happened. We may have to put a block on that number if they try phoning him again. But, I realize how easily I am tricked. Guess I need to be more suspicious! Mother’s Day was as good as it could be out here. Loved all the skyping, phone calls, etc

Best Lesson Ever

 Our Bishop taught our Relief Society lesson after the Bishopric fed us ice cream with every topping you could think of. YUM! He talked about his grandmother. She had been abused by her father. It was nothing for her to show up to school with a black eye, bruises broken arm, or a cut lip. As soon as she could, she left home and when the missionaries knocked on her door a few years later, she was touched and immediately joined. He remembers his grandmother never talking about her childhood, but always bearing her testimony about the love of God in her life, because He brought her the gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead of carrying on the tradition of abuse, she instead became the epitome of love and gentleness. The Bishop is on the right.

Mother’s Day ended with our very first ever tornado warnings …… in fact 2 of them…..with the sirens and everything. The sirens were a little far away and I couldn’t see anything. It was a stormy night with hail, rain, wind, lightning and the loudest thunder I had ever heard. It left my ears were ringing for a few minutes. However, the only close tornado that touched down was about 35 miles away. The storm kept me awake all night though wondering if I should sleep in my P day clothes and be ready to run down to the first floor….we are on the third floor. I had my purse in sight with my little flashlight and some shoes nearby. I was tired all the next day. Elder Stringham slept through it all. He said he thought he heard one thunder!!!! (Of course he sleeps with a CPAP on that muffles most noises)

Mother's Day Iowa Tornado - Far enough away we didn't worry!!

 Someone said I should include more photos. So here you go. Need to learn how to take better pictures I guess....not so blurry.

 Love to you all! Elder and Sister Stringham