First Week in Pennsylvania

Beautiful sunsets!

Lots of windmills in Kansas

                                                 









With nervous excitement, we pulled in to the Mission Office on Friday Oct 25th 2013 around 2:00 pm.  The Pres. was in a Zone Leaders Meeting and so we got acquainted with the office staff til President Gary Anderson and his wife came out and invited us in.  We were tired and hungry but in we went.  The room was filled with very young missionaries and we introduced ourselves and bore our testimonies.  Later, they invited us to either spend the night or travel on to our new assignment which is MLS (member, leadership, support), in Hazleton.  We were told of a great double wide trailer with covered parking.

Sounded awesome so we opted to drive on.  After two more hours of traveling, we arrived at our second floor apartment and parking is several yards away (NOT covered).  We quickly unloaded the car just in time for the elders (four of them) to come to help us.  Great timing!  We took a little time to get acquainted and they offered to drive us around.  By this time, it is getting dark and they took us into their teaching area which is very depressed.  By this time, not having eaten lunch, we mentioned food.  Being missionaries, they directed us to a Philly sandwich shop.  Its around 8:30pm.  That was a quick $55 we hadn't planned on.  After arriving back home alone and tired, we made our bed only to find there weren't any blankets and we hadn't brought any.  We slept under a robe and a fleece throw.  We couldn't figure out the heater but we were too tired to care.  The next morning (Sat.), we unpacked.  The apartment is small and cozy.  We have two bedrooms, and living room/kitchen with a one bum bathroom and separate washer/dryer in the hall.

After getting acquainted with our new home, we went exploring in the car and found a Walmart where we were able to buy a blanket!! and some food.  On Sunday, we picked up Elder Leavitt and Elder Newbold for church at 7:20.  What the heck, early but we'll get use to it.   The branch building is in Hometown, four townships away.  Once there, we met our new branch president, Pres. Molano.  He is from Columbia and is very strong in the church.  His accent is also very strong even thought he has lived in the US for 30 years.  There were lots of handshaking and introducing ourselves.  The branch is very small and covers a sizable area. With all the extra meetings (PEC and branch council), we didn't get home til around 3:00 pm.  This is going to be interesting!

The rest of the week was pretty much settling in, staring at the walls, and taking the the elders to a few appointments. We did do our first Meals On Wheels.  Delivering meals to shut-ins is a great way of getting to know the area AND a way of getting to know people AND do a good deed.  Anita, the lady over it, is a real kick.  She is in her late (very late) 50's and stuck in the 60's.  Anita is a real keeper, she is great.  For Halloween but got invited to dinner by the Fairalls (you will be hearing a lot more about them later), Sis. Fairall can totally out talk anybody I have ever heard.  She is in her mid-60's, a real mover and shaker.  She and her husband (the High Priest group leader, he is one of four total in the branch) took us out to dinner. We don't have a radio, TV or internet and our phones aren't completely working so we are going a little stir crazy.  Guess this is what is known as culture shock.  We did get the internet ordered but it will be at least two weeks.  Erg!

Our cute cozy living room

Kitchen/dining

master bedroom (king bed!!)

The wall Elder Wilson stares at.

Quickly Leaving WOW

We entered the MTC the morning of Oct 14th and spent one full week of Preach My Gospel.  Most of the group left but we were to continue on to train for the office machines, programs, etc.  On our first day (21st), we were in class with three other couples who had their pictures on the wall but ours were absent.  On a break, we called the mission office with feelings of concern.  The secretary strongly advised us to call the president even though he was driving to an appointment.  When we did so, he was surprised to find we hadn't been informed of our assignment change!  WHAT?!  We were to be MLS (member, leadership support) and were to come soon.  We checked ourselves out of the glorious MTC and raced home.  In record time, we had packed everything we could think of to shove in the car only to find out later that it WASN'T everything we needed.  We quickly text the kids that we were leaving..  Tammy's phone immediately sounded off with all sorts of beeps and rings. We thought everyone might want to see what happens when you pack in only 2 hours.  

We were able to tearfully hug and kiss Rob, Melissa and the kids and Marci before heading out.  Some thought it was a joke even as we entered Wyoming which is where we made our first nights stay.  As we traveled along, we started thinking of things we may have forgotten like: the checkbook (Ross had $1 in his wallet), coats, Tammy's scriptures, etc.  Our checking account was actually in the red but that wasn't going to stop us.  We stopped in Cheyenne, next night was Omaha, then South Bend and finally Monroeville PA.  We learned that not all Marriott are created equal.  The more expensive didn't have breakfast, good to know.  Thank goodness for Marriott Rewards which paid for all our lodging (over 80,000 points).  We experienced high wind, saw tons of wonderful wind mills,  watched thousands of acres of dead corn fields then tons of rolling hills covered with trees.  We learned all about toll road, learned the meaning of love/hate situations with them.