Happy Birthday Geoffrey

Geoffrey had a mission prep meeting at 7am. Since we have had all the driver's license trouble I had to drive him over. Did I mention that? Geoffrey's license expired on his birthday-Oct. 7th-and his license expired then. Since we can’t renew it in Texas, we thought we would get him a Washington one. Sad to say they don’t accept home schooled drivers ed. So-he suddenly doesn't have a driver’s license. Pretty sad birthday present. I must say though how grateful we are for Geoffrey. He is a great young man who really blesses our lives. He makes it really fun to be a mom. He expresses love, says he is sorry, tries to be so good....how could we not love him. Happy Birthday Geoffrey.

Back to this morning....It was 14 degrees. That is 14 degrees Fahrenheit. I thought it was cold, but was quickly reassured that it isn't really cold till it gets in the single digits or below. I can’t wait! Mark and I left shortly after and drove almost three hours to Mattawa. It is a very small town. We were able to meet the bishop and various others in the ward, also a new convert as of yesterday. There is a Spanish branch that is part of the ward, and he was in it. He shared how much he has enjoyed learning and looks forward to someday going back to Mexico to share the message with his family. So many men are up here working on the farms and supporting their families back home. After Mattawa we went another 40 minutes to Quincy. They had a strong ward there with many old timers. They asked us to speak. I am learning. I really just told about us today and also about Geoffrey's momentary struggle with coming on the mission but then wiping his eyes and saying "I'm OK, I can do this". I talked about how we are all asked at some point to do hard things. We stay positive and turn the rest over to our Heavenly Father. After the meeting a sweet sister came up to me and told me she was friends with Sheri Toler, one of my wonderful Austin friends and part of the "beautiful, boating, bodacious, book club babes" (Ok I know that is a crazy name--we are a happy group and felt good about ourselves that day!) I met all these wonderful people who knew her when she lived up here. Of course they all love her as much as I do. After the meeting we were invited to lunch by two families. We went to one of their homes and had a wonderful time chatting with all the family that was there. Then we headed home, arriving just in time to go to a standards fireside with Geoffrey. I feel bad leaving him all day. I am SO grateful for our bishop’s family. They have just welcomed him there and he feels so comfortable with them-to the point of being able to invite himself to dinner. What a blessing it has been. The reason we went to Quincy today is so that Mark could interview a sweet 21 year who is getting baptized. She has been through some very very difficult things. She was in the hospital and nearly died. The ward mission leader is a doctor and he went and talked with her and told her she needed to go to church. He gave her the missionaries' phone number but then got them to visit her. As always happen, their lives turn around so drastically as they come to know the Savior and feel of His love, and the love and fellowship of those in the ward. She is just precious. Her husband isn’t interested at this point, but she said he is recognizing the amazing change it is making in her life.