9-17-23 Ups and Downs

This week started on Monday!! No surprise there! How soon I forget-- oh yes!! I spent the day ordering supplies for the new Senior Missionary apartment. The young elders had their p-day (preparation day), so I went through the list of needed items and ordered through Amazon. As you can imagine, it was a large order (foreshadowing for what's to come later). This was our much anticipated General Authority 70 week that we have been preparing for and looking forward to-so exciting--the whole mission would be together on Thursday!

We have a grove of sequoias on the church property-- I go visit them once in a while. Wild turkeys like the berries on the fence in the background.

I think this is Crape Myrtle

Close up of Sequoia needles

Tuesday took us to Suisun (about 2 hours towards Sacramento) to take pick up items from a totaled car-no missionaries were hurt.

The rest of the mission was listening to our GA meetings in person or on zoom. Our reception wasn't good enough to get the zoom connection.

When we got back I made 5 dozen cookies and a couple of gallons of baked beans to add to the lunch for the GA meetings in our building on Wednesday.

Trees along the route.

Olive trees

Cookies!

Wednesday, the meetings were in our building (the mission home.) We had fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, green salad, fruit and cookies. I made the baked beans and baked 5 dozen cookies (though only 2 dozen were used.)

Elder K & I helped cut up fruit for 75 people, then we attended the meeting. After lunch we helped with cleanup-- dishes etc. The office was closed, so no Amazon order came in.--oh oh!

Yum!

That evening, the Senior missionaries all went to dinner, then had dessert at the Quinn's home.

Sister Quinn made the yummiest dessert for us!

Thursday was our all mission day!-- BUT--- no Amazon order --which we needed early Friday-- so to my GREAT disappointment, we stayed at the office waiting for the order to come😓😓😓

I felt like I had let Pres & Sister Quinn down (all the mission in one place, but.... we were the but) besides missing being in the photo of the occasion and hearing the messages. 😭😭😭😭 The order came, but too late to attend.

After the conference, we met the young Elders to pick up purchased furniture for the apartment. The mission has a truck and enclosed trailer-- the young elders are experienced at driving them.

Friday we traveled 4 hours north to McKinleyville and spent the rest of the day and Saturday putting furniture together and arranging the apartment--it's a nice 2-bedroom house.

On the way home we drove home through a section of redwoods.

Our GPS rerouted us---😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫yikes-- down a curvy mountain road into fog-- not sure why! It was scary! We finally turned around! The next couple of hours were just as nerve racking in that we were driving through construction areas in the dark with no painted lines! We made it home at about 11:00. Thank you!❤️ Heavenly Father!

Today we are grateful for a restful Sabbath!

Tomorrow we meet the new senior missionary couple.

They will meet President Quinn then drive to McKinnleyville.

This is one stand of Redwoods we stopped at.

Ups and downs are a part of life-- I can do all things through Christ--- which strengtheneth me.

This week I face forward and learn new things.

I can do this!