THE BEGINNING........

I have been meaning to write on this blog for over two months. Thanks to Chelsea for setting it up. I think I was so busy in the beginning and then didn't want to write until I had time to catch up. Instead, I am just going to start today with what few journal entries I did do or copying from an email or two that I have written.

June 17th 2009--I left Austin with a packed car and Whitney by my side. She kindly said she would drive with me to keep me company. Mark stayed behind to wait for Geoffrey to finish high adventure. We drove all the way to Cortez the first day-about 16 hours. Whitney kept giving me chocolate and encouraging me to keep going-she was anxious to get home. I was so glad she came with me as she was great company. I dropped her at her home and went on to my mom and dad's.

July 22nd-This has been a difficult few days. Mom and dad are not doing well. Dad doesn't remember my name at all and didn't even recognize me at first. This is the first time-somehow he has always recognized me. I think as time went on he realized I was someone he cared about and that I cared about him. I have always cut his hair-every time I come and visit. Throughout the years he always has told me how I give him the greatest haircuts. This time I couldn't even get him to sit in a chair-he just didn't get it. So I just sort of buzzed him while he was standing up. I am sad.

He also wont leave his clothes on. I think the bathroom issue is a challenge. In the night he is up and down and it has been so trying for mom. She just isn't up for dealing with it all. I bought a few outfits that look like normal clothes, but that have a zipper up the back so he cant take them off. I think they are going to help.

Mom is also getting weaker. Sometimes I cant even hear her on the phone. Yesterday she was trying to talk on the phone and she had it upside down without realizing it. I think there are many with Parkinson's that have memory loss too.

I had a long talk with her and Anthony about the situation. Both of them feel they are not ready to put dad in a home full time. They felt they will both know when the time is right.


July 23rd-setting apart


July 25th - entered MTC


July 30th-left for Washington


July 1st

We arrived in the mission around 1pm on Tuesday the 31st of June. We anxiously looked around to see if we could see any of "our" missionaries. We came to Couer d'alene and just had to stop. The lake is beautiful. We had lunch for the first time in our missionary clothes and our name tags. It was an interesting feeling. I mean I know we are always striving to be examples and hope we can inspire in others a desire to live a Christlike life. But with my Sister Palmer tag I felt a bit nervous about it all--others could see in that tag what I should be professing. Would I live up to it? I was conscious of so many things. It was eye opening to me.

We are doing well-I am having the most difficult time with wearing nylons all the time and putting on makeup. When I am wearing my name tag-pretty much all the time-I feel a need to be a "shining" example and certainly dressed like our sister missionaries. Of course when I went to the mall the other day and was asked three times directions to different stores I quickly realized that everyone isn't reading the tag--they thought I was a mall worker. (Much less pressure!)


July 9th-Since the time we arrived up here 10 days ago, we have had 8 zone conferences, met with many of the people we will be working with, given numerous talks, driven many many miles, answered and dealt with about 15 medical calls, and not received too much sleep. But these young missionaries are great to work with. They tell us they are excited for us to be here and that they have been praying for us. Some of them seem very very young, and others very mature. What a difference there is at that age. I have spoken a lot of Spanish which I enjoy. We still haven't completely unpacked the few things we brought, but we are getting there.

This was the first day I didn't have something from 7am to 8pm. So Geoffrey and I went to try to figure out his schooling. I think he may do what is called running start. It is a program that allows them to go to university and get dual credit. They do have to be signed up at the high school and can do sports etc there. He seems to be eager to do that-I hope he doesn't feel later like he has missed out at all. The problem with his high school is that they don't have a lot of AP classes, and when they do-they are on trimesters. So they take the AP class two of the trimesters and then take something else the last one-after which they take the AP test. It doesn't make sense.

It is beautiful here and the weather right now couldn't be more perfect-like a beautiful April day in Austin. I hear many stories about the cold to come. The people are very kind, down to earth and friendly. Although I haven't even seen my neighbors. Of course they are probably saying we are gone all the time and they haven't seen us.

The house is comfortable and in a beautiful setting. Once I pick up a few odds and ends (like a decent frying pan) I will be great!

Zone conferences - "mini" ones. 16 of them, about 2-3 hours each.

July 10th-

Another day not travelling...for me anyway. Mark has 8 days of interviewing missionaries-some so far away he needs to spend the night. I felt good being able to unpack, go to the mission office, get a few groceries and a little order. Geoffrey has been so great with everything and decided that he would mow the lawn today. He hasn't had a lot of opportunity for mowing at home--the lawn was big, he was so busy with school and band....so many excuses--so he wasn't sure how to do it. He didn't complain or try to get out of it, he went right to work. After a bit I decided I would help him since I had a free afternoon. I got our the weed eater and tried to start it. I couldn't get it going at all. Geoff came over to help me. He put his foot on it and then pulled the cord with his other hand. Well it slipped out from under his foot and the whole thing came up and hit him in the mouth. It knocked his tooth back, cut his lip in the back and swelled it up big time in the front. Lawn mowing came to a halt as we searched for a dentist to look at his tooth. Doctors and dentists and a lot of offices are simply closed in Spokane on Fridays. But since I work with all the missionaries I have a list of LDS doctors and dentists. I called a Nathan Cotton and he said to meet him at the office. He was so helpful and numbed Geoffrey up so he could pull his tooth back where it needed to go. My free afternoon didn't end up as free as planned, but that is ok. Geoffrey even finished the lawn this evening-although there is no way he is going to go to the dance tomorrow night!

I have been so impressed with all these LDS doctors and dentists. One-that there are so many of them here. Two-that they are all so nice. The people here are a kind people. A gentle people. Three-that they are so willing to help our missionaries, sometimes at a lower price or occasionally for free. For the missionaries that don't have family insurance, then medical bills are paid for from missionary funds. We work as hard as we can not to spend these funds unless necessary. That is why every missionary has to call me and talk about medical issues. He/she must never go to a doctor without permission unless it is an absolute emergency. We try home remedies and if that doesn't work then our area medical adviser-Dr. Fife- talks to them. Dr Fife helps with 18 missions and is just wonderful. He can also prescribe medications if necessary. I continue to learn how many people give so much of their time so that the church can grow.

July 11th-entry by Mark--The pace right now is much faster than I had imagined and I will be looking for ways to make the schedule a little less relentless but it is an amazing experience getting to know so many wonderful young people who have dedicated two years of their lives in a most extraordinary way. We love these young missionaries and they have welcomed us like we were their own parents coming to take care of them. It is very humbling to know of their prayers on our behalf the last month and to feel their love and willingness to follow our leadership. We have been traveling constantly the past ten days as we have visited each zone of missionaries to get acquainted and hopefully inspire them. And now over the next two weeks I will be traveling the entire mission to personally interview all (approx. 200 of them) in the various towns they are scattered in. We have been welcomed like royalty by the local leaders and tonight had a dinner with all sixteen stake presidents from across the mission and their wives. Some of them drove as far as 3 hours each way so again we feel very humbled. The weather is gorgeous.

July 16th

I was a little discouraged today. I keep trying to figure out what I am doing. After I cleaned the house, shopped at Costco, got some food started, I started to think back to my (young) mission and realize that one of the reasons it was so easy is that I was only a missionary. I had one role to fill. Here I am a mom, a wife, a neighbor, a ward member, a medical advisor, a cook etc etc. I hoped I would have been out doing what I remember doing as a missionary-sharing the wonderful message of the Savior. I somehow have to make that happen too.

Mark has been out doing interviews with the missionaries. He stayed over night last night instead of travelling 3 hours last night and then almost 3 back today. He hasn't had time to think.

I loved meeting the missionaries and enjoy getting to know the ones that call with medical issues, but I need to somehow work it that I can go on some of the interview trips. Geoffrey is so supportive of me going and leaving him, but I don't want to just leave him alone all the time. I also don't know how I would get all the other things done that I have been doing.

This week will be busy. We have one of the senior couple missionaries over for dinner on Sunday-oh before that we spend the night 3 hours away for Mark to do a baptismal interview Sunday morning before their church. Then this next weekend we lose 10 missionaries, and get 12 new elders, 2 new sisters, and a new couple. When they come we have the ones leaving stay at our house Sunday afternoon for interviews, dinner, and testimony meeting. Then they sleep the night (except for the sister leaving-she will go to one of our member neighbors). The next morning we arise about 4 and take them to the airport. A couple of hours later we pick up the new ones, take them to the church and have lunch and training. Then that night they will have dinner with us and spend the night at neighbors. I don't know why they don't stay here-maybe we will be too exhausted--I will make note when it all happens. In the morning they are dropped off at the church where we feed them breakfast, have training, feed lunch to them and their new companions plus any drivers who drove the missionaries for the towns far away--usually about 32 or so. Then we will have a bit of a reprieve.


July 17th 2009

Today I make egg salad sandwiches for 4, cooked "cafe rio" chicken, cooked 12 pounds of hamburger meat into sloppy joes, turned two 6 pound pork loins into pulled pork, cooked two large brisket, and figured the menus for about 6 meals coming up-two of them for over 20. For those who know how much I struggle with raw meat (especially hamburger) you can imagine how my day has gone. One nice thing though is that I stayed in my pj's all morning since I didn't want to risk getting my clothes covered. It felt great and the no nylons was a wonderful morning vacation!

Now I will finish up returning calls to 3 missionaries who have a health issue, call missionary medical to get some info on one of them and THEN---for the first time since I have been here--I will go tracting with the sister missionaries. I am nervous and excited.

Oh-our introduction to one of our neighbors--We got a call from one of our neighbors telling us there is a dead deer on our property and they would be grateful if we would move it. They have company and it was making their outdoor time impossible! She was sweet about it. So I don't know what we do-Mark isn't here long enough to do much til the weekend. We have a facilities maintenance man that helps with some of the repairs of the house but he didn't seem to know what to do. Maybe I will be digging graves tomorrow if I can find a shovel! (Of course it would be much more interesting if I did it at night :) The truth is the soil looks hard and I am sure I couldn't do it alone. So-we shall see.

July 18th-we found out the deer needs to be dragged out to the street, then the city will pick it up. This could be fun!?!

I went out with the sister missionaries last night. We went to a tiny town-Tyler. It doesn't even have a population because it isn't officially even a town. Two of the sisters went on a visit with a part member family and I went with Sister Bruner. She is about 5 feet tall, tiny, and quite bubbly. We had a lot of fun. We knocked on doors that I am sure have never been knocked on--a trailer camp ground (that were mostly permanent) and some homes over a mile from the next house. We had a few interesting conversations. Two were very sad as they shared the struggles they had had with their own church that had left them not even wanting to believe in God. Bad examples from one who is supposed to be their leader and example can do so much damage.


July 19th-our wonderful facilities maintenance man got the deer on a tarp, wrapped it up and got it on the street. Mark left so early for interviews that he couldn't help. And I didn't volunteer--I feel kind of bad he had to do it himself. I am sure it was terrible and stinky.

I got so much in order today. I worked through a number of the unresolved medical situations that happened before I came to the mission.


July 25th-The last few days my feet were so painful. I have just been hobbling around. I finally got some crutches to make it a little easier. Then two night ago I couldn't even sleep because of how painful it was. I even had to crawl to get to the bathroom. It was terrible. Then I got a fever and had chills--I started wondering what on earth was the matter. I tried to get a doctor appt. but in Spokane Valley here there really isn't a doctor that works on Friday. It is Saturday now and my fever left early this morning, and as of about two hours ago, my foot is fine. How odd is that? I am going to go to a doctor next week and at least see if he can find something.


July 25th

Well this weekend was payback! We just finished transfers and it was a wonderful experience. Sunday afternoon we have 9 missionaries show up at the house. They were nervous, excited, humbled--they were going home. The first thing they did was stand in front of our big board of missionaries. We have everyones photo and name on it and it shows what city everyone is in right now. They stood in front of the board and talked about which companions they had had, and what cities they had been in, and who they remembered from each city. They talked of loving that companion, or really wanting to return to this city because of the wonderful people they had grown to love. They were excited to see each other--they had all started their missions together, but some of them had seen very little of each other during the mission. Mark interviewed each of them and then we had a dinner together. They shared story after story. Some funny, some uplifting, some sad. After we met in the living room and had a prayer and a song and then everyone went around and shared their testimonies and talked of what they had learned. Such different personalities. Some funny, some shy, some serious, but nearly everyone had tears coming down their cheeks as they talked of the challenges and joys and growth they had experienced. They had learned to turn their thoughts away from themselves and in the process had learned so much.

They spent the night here and didn't sleep at all. I think they were nervous as much as anything. They went to the airport at 4:30 and then our new group of missionaries arrived at 10. We had lunch and training. Then the interviews started and dinner and testimonies. It was so exciting to get our very own first group. It was good to get to know them before they are just a face on our board. It is a big group and I loved them all by the end of the day. So many life stories-many coming from very difficult places....parents dying, parents divorcing, living with grandparents and then them dying, struggling to come on a mission, some with some real poor interpersonal skills, one who stutters some(but the sweetest young man!) I am learning a lot. The incoming missionaries stay with neighbors who are members so that they get a good nights sleep. Although I will say that one missionary asked me "Do we have to wait until 10:30 to go to bed?" They were exhausted!

(This is from a journal entry, but summarizes the 6 week cycle-some is a bit of a repeat.)

So you can see that it is a busy life here especially for Mark. After the first week we kind of looked at each other and said-oh so this is what we will be doing. So just to summarize, everything is on a 6-week cycle. One of the weeks we travel doing zone conferences. Some areas are 3 hours away in different directions so we are often up and gone before 6am. We meet with about 50 missionaries for 6 or so hours--instructing, practicing talking to people, having lunch, teaching their own health etc etc. One night we stay over so we don't have as far to come. The next almost 3 weeks Mark again travels to these areas but to smaller groups of a few districts-they will have 14-30 missionaries-and Mark interviews each one for 10-15 minutes. He does have to stay over a night or two. If Geoffrey were not with me-and maybe when he is in school-I would go with him and talk to the companion of the missionary about different things like how healthy is he eating, is he keeping his apartment clean, getting along with his companion and ideas to help that if there is a problem. Things like that. But so far I haven't done it so those three weeks have been a little slower for me. i have been getting the house in order and working out schooling with Geoffrey.

The 5th week is planning transfers. Mark spends hours in front of the missionary board thinking and moving the photos around. We got 16 new missionaries (counting our senior couple) this time and lost 11. The right companions have to be chosen for the training of the new ones and so everything is shuffled around a lot. There are some more difficult elders that may need to be rotated around more often. There are even a couple with some special needs. We have one with asbergers. He is very lovable, but needs the right kind of companion. We also have a few with some rather major health problems. With 200 missionaries, transfers requires a lot of thought. Mark usually finishes the assignments by Friday night-but then early Saturday morning will often wake up not feeling right about one or two and change them around again.

The next week is transfers--one day the leaving elders come into our home. Mark interviews them, we have dinner and then a time for them to share things they have learned and some experiences and their testimonies of the Savior. They spend the night here (we have a lot of padded mats). They leave for the airport early in the morning. This group we took about 4:30am. Then at 10am (after we have organized a few things around the house and made lunch for the new group) we pick up the new group. That was fun! They arrived looking nervous in their perfectly polished shoes and great looking suits. It was a contrast to the group that had just left with their very worn out shoes and suits that looked like they could have been mangled by a dog at one point. This new one was so excited to see us. We took them to the church where we served lunch and then went through training with them. I went over the medical issues as I am the one they call when they have a medical issue. We talk about rules of our mission, expectations. We motivate etc etc. Mark also interviews each one separately to help choose which of the Elders that has been chosen to train will best go with which new elder. Then they come to our home for dinner. The home is not big, but very comfortable. I can set up two nice long tables in separate rooms and seat probably 22 semi-comfortably. Then we have another sharing evening -feelings, experiences in the mission training home where they have just come from and have spent 2 and 1/2 weeks there, and their testimonies of Jesus Christ. Then some neighbors who are members of our church pick 2-4 of them up from our home and take them home to spend the night. We want them to get a good sleep rather then stay in a big group. We meet the following morning for breakfast, a little more training, and to meet their new companion. And off they go. After a big clean up we can technically have a few days rest. This week however there were some major health issues that I have been dealing with--one knocked his tooth and it kept bleeding and was very loose, another had his knee colapse on him, another it looks like has developed asthma-probably allergy induced, another has a lump growing that he is so scared about, another has had ongoing headaches that we are trying to do some tests on. Those were all ones I dealt with yesterday. We have many doctors who are members of our church who let me call and ask questions and often will make a space to quickly see a missionary. They have been wonderful.

So that is our basic life and after 6 weeks it starts all over again. We also are asked to speak at least once a week somewhere...To a youth group, to seminary teachers, to a congregation that might be quite remote. And then there are some situations where Mark needs to do the interview for baptism. Just in a few cases. Some of those require that we travel 3 hours or so. Last week there was one that was far away so we just went on Saturday night and had the interview in the morning on Sunday and then attended church there. They asked us to speak while we were there.

(not sure of the date on this entry)
We had the wonderful opportunity of going down to Orofino. The drive was about as beautiful as you could ever imagine. Mark was wishing he had a fishing pole with him the whole time and could pop out and do some fishing. We arrived on Saturday night and stayed in a small hotel in the town and then attended church the next day. They were so thrilled to see us just because it's quite isolated and the members there really enjoy the visits and the association. We got to meet with the couple that were having the interview with Mark who were preparing for baptism. What a wonderful couple. Both of them had had exposure to the church before in their lives. She had been an Army brat daughter and had a babysitter who was LDS and used to take her to primary when she was young. Her husband had been serving in the war in the special forces and a young man in his division was LDS and was always a great example to him. So as this couple had gone through their lives and had many challenges and some very difficult experiences, just recently they were getting to that point where they wanted to make some changes in their lives. July 4, Mark had had the question asked of him whether the missionaries could not go out procelyting but spend the time with families celebrating the 4th. It was a difficult situation to put Mark in. President Clark had told the missionaries they had to wait until the new president got there and then they could ask him. But Mark told them no, that it would be a great opportunity for them to go out and procelyte. Well, the missionaries that live in that town had gone out knocking on doors, and when they reached this couple's door, they said, I can't talk to you right now, but I want you to come back-I have been wanting to talk to you. They were excited to hear that. They had really been just waiting for them to come and talk to them. They went back a couple of days later to teach them. Now it is four weeks later, and they were getting ready for baptism. It was interesting talking with him because he just looked at me and said, I never believed that I could ever be forgiven for some of the things I've done, (most of them relating to the war). He said, "and I have really come to know my savior and to know the great blessing it is to be able to be forgiven and to turn that over to him". He said that with tears with his eyes.... this big, big man with tattoos all over his arms..such a sweet man. What a beautiful spirit within. I just was so grateful for that opportunity to be there with them. The bishop asked us to speak in church, and we shared a few words. Then one of the other speakers, who was a delightful 75-year-old man, talked about finding the church when he was I guess about 35 to 40. Their only son was killed in a car wreck and it was devastating to them. At the funeral he received some pamphlets and things from his niece about eternal families and baptism for the dead. He was very touched, especially for the concept of baptism for those that have already passed on. Of course they eventually listened to the missionaries and gained a testimony of the savior and the restored gospel. Now here with this wonderful man, 75 years old, and he talked about hoping with all his heart that he can endure to the end. He said "or everything I've done so far will be worth nothing". I was so impressed by this, just thinking how he could be so advanced in his age yet being so concerned that he stay faithful to those covenants and commitments that he has made. It really gave me a renewed desire to commit myself and really focus and remember the concept of enduring to the end. It was a great blessing to be there.


August 2-4...Elder and Sister Hafen visit--zone conferences. Two combined conferences each about 7 or 8 hours long. I spoke on the 4 P's for getting along with companion--Pray for him, Praise his, have Patience and be Positive.

Aug. 10th--Jasmine and Angela came. Jas for a week and Angela for 21/2 weeks.

Aug 15th--Coordinating council-All 16 stake presidents and their wives plus Elder Clayton and 6 or 7 other visitors.

Aug 16th--visit Beacen Hill ward. So many people are getting baptized there-they are amazing member missionaries. Elder Clayton and Elder Perry spoke.
PM spoke at a fireside in the student ward.

Aug 22nd--Attended Kelsey's baptism. Two and a half years ago she was out jogging with her dogs. At a turn in the road a man stepped aside to let her pass and they exchanged a few words. They ended up stopping and talking. That has continued on for over 2 years. She is a brilliant engineer but was at a very dark place in life. She was so happy today. They asked her if she would like to share her testimony. At first she said no, but then eloquently shared the story of her conversion and the change that has happened in her life.

Aug 23rd--Coeur D'Alene stake conference. Mark spoke


Aug 25th-28th-Zone conferences. Mark spoke on the Book of Mormon-it was great. I spoke on the importance of preparing and the proper use of preparation day.

Aug 27th--visited with Jerry and Chriss Allred in Royal City. They own an enormous farm. Mark loved talking farm, but we also talked about the spanish community and ways to best serve them. He has been in a stake presidency and is a ward mission leader right now. Great guy!

Aug 30--both spoke at Hayden Stake conference. Great talks by the stake presidency. Then at a fireside for the student stake in Moscow Idaho.