Mission Journal
March 24, 2012 – Saturday
Sister
Oakley woke up very sick today. She’s
been throwing up, much like MY was on Tuesday, I suppose that’s where she got
it. We’ll keep everyone informed.
March 23, 2012 – Friday
We met a man,
LY, who can’t talk about anything but Viet Nam.
He was active in the church before he went to Viet Nam and said the war
has changed him. His wife died of cancer
not too long ago and we plan to continue to visit with him.
On the way
back into town we quickly stopped and visited with WB who was carrying
something into his house from the back of his pickup. He said he hasn’t felt well lately, but we’ll
be able to continue his lessons soon he thinks.
Next we went
to Beaver Dam and met a man who was baptized in 1997, W. W said his family doesn’t like him and since
his mother died and he’s been alone, that’s why he went back to chewing tobacco
L.
He stated that he is reading the Bible but couldn’t understand the Book
of Mormon, but after a little more inquiry we learned that he was talking about
the second book of Nephi in the chapters where Nephi is quoting from the Book
of Isaiah. We taught him the Plan of
Salvation and he said that he’d never heard anything like that before. He promised that he would come to church
Sunday and that he would read from the Book of Moses.
March 22, 2012 – Thursday
We drove to
Centertown today and met with a sister, WE, who hasn’t been to church since
fifteen years ago. She’s my age but
looks much older, I believe because of the life style she has chosen. We gave her the first lesson as if she had
never heard of the church and she has promised to read from the Book of Mormon
and come to church on Sunday.
March 21, 2012 – Wednesday
We drove to
Leitchfield this morning and had to be there by 6:15 so we could ride with them
to Clarksville and be there by 8:00 am.
There we met with the Hopkinsville zone and with President McKee and
Sister McKee. It was a very learning and
spiritual experience. The Clarksville
Stake sisters feed us lunch, so thank you Clarksville sisters. It was a very long day and we didn’t get home
until 9:00 pm, wow.
March 20, 2012 – Tuesday
Several
weeks ago I was able to help with the repair of a bathroom floor of a neighbor
of one of the members. Finally, we were
able to teach her, JA, the first lesson.
She works the deep night shift at a local factory and has family
problems. She seemed to accept the
gospel of the restoration and we hope to continue teaching her.
Next we
stopped by JY’s house and he is in the hospital in Owensboro again. His left foot is very infected and he may lose
it to gangrene. His wife, MY, said she
had been very sick with a virus and unable to keep her food down. We sprayed our hands when we got back in the
car, and hope we don’t get whatever she has.
We went back
to JS’s house and his wife answered the door and said that he is very
sick. We will have to come back at a
later time.
We saw from
JS’s driveway that JM was on her back porch playing with her dog. We walked to her back porch and she was
willing to hear the first lesson. She
seemed to be responsive and accepted a Book of Mormon and promised to read
it. Because of her work schedule we will
have to catch her when we can, but we plan to visit with her again.
March 19, 2012 – Monday
We went to
Owensboro and when we got to Wal-Mart my knee was killing me, so I told Sister
Oakley that I would set in a seat at the restaurant and wait for her. There were two other men setting as well. I struck up a conversation with them and
before the last man left I was able to give him our business card and a pass
along card. I hope he contacts us, and I
wish that I had gotten his name and phone number. I’ll have to do better next time.
March 18, 2012 – Sunday
Sister
Oakley gave her talk today, it was on prayer and how prayer can bless our
lives. If you want a copy of her talk
just ask, it’s worth it and she did a wonderful job giving it. Everyone in the chapel felt the spirit.
The young
lady, JM, who was going to work on Friday wasn’t at home when we went by her
house. She said she worked PRN as a
physical therapist, so she may be at work again.
Next we
found TH at home, he’s an inactive member.
We gave him the first lesson and I thought it went well.
Next we
finally caught ES at home. She’s the one
who’s a media referral and we were able to give her the third lesson. She is a very humble lady and said she would
come to church with us next Sunday.
March 17, 2012 – Saturday
The Spanish
speaking missionaries came up from Bowling Green to tract and we showed them
where we thought they might have the best luck. They did find one family that asked them to
come back, I hope it works out; they will be a boon to TV.
March 16, 2012 – Friday
We taught
the first lesson to JS, he was the man carrying the cans to the recycle. His wife wasn’t feeling well so she was in
bed and his grandchildren kept coming in and out, but otherwise the lesson went
well. It seems that he has had the
lessons in the past.
We also went
to TC’s house, a wonderful family, but Mrs TC’s sister had emergency surgery
and they were heading to the hospital.
We’ll have to catch them another day, and pray for them at this time.
March 15, 2012 – Thursday
Sister
Oakley’s feet were hurting her so bad from all the walking we did yesterday that
we stayed home and studied. I have to
admit, my knee was hurting badly as well.
March 14, 2012 – Wednesday
We spent
this afternoon tracting with the Elders from Leitchfield. We went to a neighborhood with nice houses so
we would be able to find people who might be able to feel the spirit and in
time contribute to the needs of the branch.
We knocked on two different houses and the people knew a certain family
who are members of the branch. Even
though they knew this family and said they thought the world of them, they
still wouldn’t accept the gift of a Book of Mormon. Finally, one of the Elders started a
conversation with a man, JS, who was carrying a bag of cans to the recycle
facility not too far away. He agreed to
listen to the lessons later in the week.
Sister Oakley and I knocked on a door and a young woman answered and
said she was on her way to work, but we could come by on Sunday, so all in all
it wasn’t a bad day.
March 13, 2012 – Tuesday
CH didn’t
come to Stake Conference Sunday and we’re worried about him. We were so excited when he said he wanted to
be baptized two months ago, and now we are devastated. We started over giving him the restoration
lesson again and much of it he didn’t remember.
But he still says he believes the gospel we are teaching. I think his biggest problem is tobacco. He said that he is chewing much less than he
was, I hope so. We’ve spent many hours
praying for this good young man. From
what his grandmother says, he needs to spend a little more time praying for
himself.
March 12, 2012 – Monday
We spent the
day cleaning, studying, and just resting.
What could we do without Mondays?
March 11, 2012 – Sunday
Sister L
picked us up and we drove to Morgantown to watch Stake Conference on video from
Hopkinsville. Just as the conference
started I got a call on the cell phone, it was a member of the branch and his
sister who had gotten to Morgantown early and decided to drive around just to
see that part of Kentucky and their car broke down. Sister L asked me to go with President Wiles
in her car to help them, he was in his work truck and it’s too nasty to carry
more than himself. We couldn’t get their
car started so we put them in the back seat and went back to the chapel. Sister L is such a wonderful person, she’s
the only member in her family who tells her she is wrong in believing in Christ
church, but her faith is strong.
March 10, 2012 – Saturday
We ate
breakfast in Nashville and drove home with good memories. Sister Oakley prepared for her talk she
thought she would be giving Sunday, but as it turned out, Stake Conference was
scheduled and President Wiles was given the wrong date, so Sister Oakley was
off the hook for one more week.
March 9, 2012 – Friday
To celebrate our 24th
wedding anniversary and my 63rd birthday, we got permission from the
mission president and drove to Nashville to the Grand Ole Opry. We stayed at the Marriott Hotel and took the
shuttle to the Grand Ole Opry Hotel.
