A new fascination!

This Spring we discover Rhododendron's and they were in great abundance in most yards.

The colors ranged from red to pink, purple and even found a few rare white.

They were every size and shape.  Even the tiny new one foot bushes were bent over with the huge flowers.

So beautiful!!!

Each pom pom of blooms had about 21 clusters of trumpets.

I think the pink was my favorite.

We feel bad that we can't grow these in Utah.

Also found a lot of these bushes while on our daily walk but not sure of their name.  They were also every where and gorgeous.

NO WE'RE NOT IN ALASKA---IT JUST LOOKS LIKE IT!!!!

We were told numerous times by the "locals" that the winter this year was a record snow fall and freezing temperatures that they hadn't seen forever!!  Hope this posting helps cool you down.  That says FEELS LIKE -15 just below Cloudy.  This wasn't our coldest day by any means!!  Our record "feels like" low was closer to -35!!!!! 

We always started our day with a look at the weather report and found a new way of looking at it.  Yes, the temperature is 3 degrees BUT it "feels like -15", that is minus fifteen! The wind chill report was what we went by for our physical preparations for the day, not the degrees. We found the real value and importance of layering ourselves. 

  There was literally no place to put all the snow.  This was a typical double home right off the street where there is usually lots of parked cars up and down the road.  As you can see, someone dug a small brake in the wall of snow to get to their stairs.

No, this is not a huge carrot.  This is an icicle growing off of one of our recent converts home (Ray Dudkiewich).  Icicles were very typical, sometimes as tall as the two and three story homes.  It was always amazing to see.  

This wall of ice was amazing and there was a matching one on the other side of our interstate road.  That ice is a couple of feet thick and twenty to thirty feet tall.  There were beautiful colors of blue that the camera just couldn't pick up.  Ice forming out of the rocks was not an uncommon site.

This was not an uncommon sight.  People would work and work to dig their cars out, shoveling the snow into the road and the snow plows would come along and bury them again.  This poor guy just gave up.         

  

On the right is where our Spanish Elders live.  There are four apartments in this double home. 

Ross is trying to work his way to the front door to deliver food for the Meals on Wheels.  It was interesting that with the combination of the snow and wind, we could have three or four feet of snow on the ground after a storm and very little on the roofs.

This is the front front door of our cozy little apartment on the top floor. When we enter this door, we climb up seven steps.  I am very grateful to be on the top floor because the windows of the bottom floor were covered with snow for a lot of the season. 

We always thought it was interesting that the STOP signs here are a little taller than at home and that they are mounted many times on the telephone poles.  Now we understand why.   This is one of the wider streets because it ends up at the high school.

It is a law here to brush off ALL the snow of your car and we found out why.  Many times we would have ice fall before a storm, covering your car and then the snow would dump.  With a little bit of sun, the hard ice with the snow on top, could fly off doing damage to other cars and drivers.  It was rather dangerous.  We broke three ice scrappers, it is very different ice here.  We quickly caught on to raising our windshield wipers before retiring for the night.

The end of Jan., we went to the DC Temple with some friends in the Branch the Fairalls.  This isn't an easy task this time of year.  It is a four hour trip one way but we were determined.  In some ways it was great because we were just about the only ones on the freeway.  We left early (very early) in the morning and arrived just in time for the last session of the day.  They were closing the temple due to the weather conditions.   We were glad we went, it was the first day that the newest of the new films was played, even most of the temple workers had not yet  seen it.  On the way home, we tried several times to stop at a restaurant for dinner but everything had closed down.  Wow.  We finally found a "favorite " one of the Fairall's that served us a delicious dinner, it was George's birthday.  We thought we would never make it home, what an experience to remember.

This is what our car looked like when we finally arrived home, safe and sound.  They use salt mixed with tiny tiny rocks on the roads to give cars traction.  We've even had our headlights ice over on some evenings making it very difficult to see very far ahead.  Please notice that you have to look very close to see Elder Wilson's golf club wrapped around the plate!!!

Another view, another day but more of the same with a new storm that added 14" of snow.  We took  this picture right  in front of where we are assigned to park our car and you can see our front door to the apartment (just a short walk!!)

Mission Life Goes On-6 Months Already WOW

Tammy has turned into the district seamstress.  This is her fourteenth pair of slacks to remodel.  The most popular jobs have been taking the pants in or re-hemming.  One elder had eight inches cut off the back having lost over thirty pounds.  Another one was of our convert that had lost over fifty pounds in three months from cancer.  His pants were still too big but we didn't think it would look very good if his pockets in the back were touching.

We went to our first recognition for Meals On Wheel volunteers.  It was quite a nice spread of food and all of it was donated.  Through a raffle, we won a $10 card to a local grocery store and a Rachael Ray soup bowl with kitchen towels.  Woo woo.  It was a nice evening of socializing with some great giving people.  

Once a month, we go with our 4 Elders  and help serve dinner to the less fortunate and homeless.  It is called the Soul Kitchen that takes place in the Trinity Lutheran Church basement.  The people are very humble and greatly appreciative.  Ross and the Elders serve and clear the tables and Tammy washes dishes and chats with the kitchen ladies..  The meals are always served on real dishes so Sister Wilson's  hands look like red prunes at the end.  The stage always has piles of clothing that people are welcome to go through and take.  A sweet old lady plays "oldies" on the organ and once in a while the Elders have been known to break into song much to the delight of the diners.

We are still experiencing a cultural difference.  This was a dinner of corn, waffles with mashed potatoes and chicken on top.  It was a little strange but what the heck, it was good.  There is always plenty of coffee and tea and the local large grocery store donates their old pastries of pies, cup cakes, donuts etc. 

We have a large community of Dominican's and our stores cater to them.  I said there are strange dishes here.   If you can't make out what I'm holding , it is CHICKEN FEET.  Yup, you haven't lived till you have nibbled on some of these.  

Or you can try your luck with one of these.   The pork tails are on the left and the feet on the right.  YUMMMMM!!

This was a fun visit from Kyle and Amy.  They brought donut dough which was perfect to fry on a cold night.  Tammy ate til she was sick, as usual.  She loves donuts.  Loved having them visit, wish they were just a little closer.

A picture of this scarf has to be part of our leagacy.  It is bitter cold in Hazleton and sweet Jan Babcock from Arkansas heard Tammy's complaints.  Jan went to work and crocheted this scarf in short time.  It was worn every day!!!  It saved ears, cheeks, chin and sometimes a nose from freezing.  

The New Hazleton Branch

Our little Branch moved from Hometown in the 1st part of December 2013 and is now called the Hazleton Branch. It was important for us to move for a couple of reasons. 

1. Hometown branch is over 10 miles away and most of the members reside here in Hazleton and the surrounding areas. Many of our members don't have cars!!

2. The old Church building had mold and leaks from the foundation. It also had a top floor for classrooms, ground floor for Chapel, Branch President's office & clerk's office. The basement had some classrooms, kitchen (very old!!!) and a Baptismal font. The font would fill with Mud and Slugs!!!  It certainly had fulfilled its purpose but it was time for a move!! 

We have two of the strip mall stores. Our Church is the 2 store fronts with unmarked white signs.  The Church leaders will not allow their name to be posted on a marquee sign, so it makes it difficult for our members/investigators and others to find us. With all of  its "drawbacks", we are very grateful to have something that is in Hazleton and is newer.

More of the strip mall.  It can be a busy place during the week but on Sunday it is all ours  Yeah.  

We had to get special permission from the Church to hang this BIG sign, but this is the biggest sign the Church would approve, to bad it is behind the pillar but we are fortunate to have a "mounted ash tray" for the convenience for some of our investigators.  Ha ha ha.

This is our chapel, priesthood room, gospel doctrine class & recreation hall. 

We have doubled in numbers from 30 in Hometown to approximately 60 here in Hazleton.  We are hoping to have a "REAL" chapel built in the future because in 3 months time we have averaged around 60 and our  capacity is only 68!!  The "Brethern" are aware of our growth and we are praying for a building with a "font". It's Great to grow sooo fast and have this problem!!

Our Relief Society room is very narrow but is also our biggest "classroom".  It is the only classroom with windows. 

This classroom is very typical and we have several more just like it.  It measures 8 feet by 7 feet!!  Sister Wilson teaches her Temple Prep class here and has 5 attend.  It's a challenge to write anything on the blackboard for them to see.

Our huge foyer all decorated up for Christmas.

This is Sister Fairall who loves to take care
of the library.  We found that  most of the pictures,
 manuals, etc were very outdated and we are slowly
eliminating  them. 

 All  moved in.  It is very compact but we love it!!

No Church is complete without the kitchen and the Relief Society no matter what size.  We are sooo grateful to have a refrigerator and a microwave.  

President Molanos office.  It's a super challenge to have the Branch Council as we have over 14 to sit, etc.. 

This hallway goes to all of our classrooms.  It's a bit of a challenge to pass members in the hall.  The Primary  kids sure love it as they can run and run and run.

Our fun people Meals on Wheels

These are some of our "HOME BOUND" sisters & brothers that we deliver Meals on Wheels to every Wednesday and Friday. They love to have someone to just talk to and feel important and  Sister Wilson is SUPER at that!!!!

Nice comfortable little home on the inside but on the
outside, it looks like an abandoned sad little home.
This is Pauline Surgent from Pardesville, very hard of
hearing so we knock hard and go in.  She chose to never marry
as she was preparing and going  to school to become a nun.
Super nice but VERY CATHOLIC!!

Dear Ed Rapetz.  He never changes his position.  We knock, go in, put his lunch
in his walker and his dinner in the fridge.  He is always smiling and cheerful
as he watches his big screen.  He loves the oldies, black or color.  Ed is an old
timer and can tell you tons about the coal mining area and it's history.
Wish we had more time to listen to his great stories.

Joseph Rush is always sitting in a chair in his kitchen with all his meds, news papers,
 phone, bills and controls (anything he might need) piled on the table in front of him
so he doesn't have to move.  His lunch goes on the table and dinner in the fridge.
He is pleasant enough.  He prefers Ross to do the delivery which is okay by Tammy.

Sweet smiley Mrs. Scham (Millie).  Her husband gets the meal
but she is always there to greet and visit for a minute.
They are one of two in Pardesville.  Millie flirts with Ross and
loves to sneak a hug when every she can from Ross or Tammy.

Marjorie Penkala (DOLLY). Dolly is one of our favorites.  She suffers from 

MS, cancer and depression but is fun to visit. We always end up

 laughing though a few tears may fall before hand.  Her accent is fun to 

hear and she educates us on the local cuisine and traditions.  She was born

 in her home and lived there all her life. The home is a typical three story 

"double home" (plus a basement) that doesn't have a front door,it may 

sound big but it IS NOT. The main floor is as about the size of my family 

room.  The second floor is the bathroom (tiny) and two very small

 bedrooms and the third floor is one bedroom.

Tony Meyers (& SCOOBIE-DOO)  Tony and Dolly are best friends 

but I'm getting the impression they have lived together at one time, 

I'm sure it was for convenience, hmmm.  Tony also has MS and lives in 

a fairly new home he had built, it is light and roomy, all on one level.  

He is always in a wheel chair but will not be kept down, he drives his 

own van and gets around pretty good.  We get to hug sweet little Scoobie 

once a week which gives us a "fix", we pretend he is Roxie.

Mary Kitchen sweet little old lady with multiple sclerosis and lives on the

 2nd floor  in an old dilapidated 100 plus year old 3 story building.  She chose

never to marry because she didn't want to bring children into this terrible

world but now she is lonesome.     

Mrs. Moyer is always bright and happy.  

Ross always takes this meal  in to her and she always

 asks him to pray for her.  She thinks he is a minister.

THE PLAGUE OF OUR WATER HEATER FUN FUN FUN!!!!

January 17 2014 our water heater exploded and flooded

 our kitchen and leaked down to the basement apartment

 of Gail our neighbor.

We put a new one in and it didn't work perfect either!!! 

 We called it the "plague of our water heater".  

Look what we found when we went downstairs to see what
 our leak  had done to Gails apartment.  We had no idea that she was a "Hoarder".  She a is very nice and a quiet lady!

This is a view of her kitchen.

 View of her bathroom.  Yes the black "yukkie"
 stuff is MOLD

Her living room

Another picture of the kitchen living room floor.  

Our brand new one that is much better but still leaking.  
Sister Wilson made a "custom" plastic bottle to 
catch the leaks.  We only have to empty it once a day or so.  
WE LOVE MISSONS THEY ARE SOOO EXCITING!!!