Service Project

One of our Church members is the PTA President at two of his daughters elementary school. The PTA and the Church combined to help the school get rid of lots of trash that had accummulated in the back field ...some from a hurricane 12 years ago! the Principal told us that she remembered as a little girl running up the big rocks in the back of the field and she wants to have today's children do the same thing. She wants to start an outdoor school room to have the children learn about nature ...in nature! So we burned weeds, hauled metal scraps, Elder Smith chopped a big plant with his machette, and picked up trash for about 6 hours! The other PTA volunteers wanted one of our pretty yellow Mormon Helping Hands tee shirts - but they were just for Church Members...it was good day and the school fed us lunch!

School with Flat Stanley

This is the Elementary School that we did service for ... the class room wing of the school from the back, a 2nd grade class, jumping rope and some of the students out at recess. One of our members is the PTA President here - and two of his children attend this school.

Flat Stanley in Jamaica

We had fun with Flat Stanley in Jamaica last spring for Sophie and Grace in NC - now we get to have more adventures with FS for Christian in CO - good teachers helping 1st and 2nd graders learn about the world! ...on the beach, with the catch of the day, showing a June Plum tree, the gravesites in the front yard of most houses away from the city! In the Mission Office and with Pres. Hendricks. Pres. told us one of his grandkids sent him Flat Stanley in Texas where he worked as an FBI Agent. He said they had FS arrested, put in the squad car, put in jail - and even made a Wanted Poster of him - such fun!

Sweet Sop and Halloween

This fruit is called sweet sop ... Bro. Gayle brought it to us on Sunday. You take the individual pieces and suck the sweet goop from around the big seed - kind of messy but good. Here are some autumn leaves that the Pike family sent to us and the cute Halloween pictures that the Hardy kids sent - we love mail from our family!

Junction Life III

Just some misc. items from the camera lately - This is the filming crew from BYU -TV who are filming our Sis. Walker - Chris, Sarah and Jordan - at the coop building. Next is our wonderful Sister Hendricks helping with our practice for the Primary Program - great song leader! This pretty bug was on the wall at the Dist. Branch Pres. training so I took a picture of it - and our new car! We miss the pickup a little bit - but this is a really nice ride ... we slide around on the leather seats! Never had those before.

Baby Blessing

Elder Smith was able to give a beautiful baby girl a name and a blessing last week. Jenna Leigh Brown - she is so pretty - her big brother Kelsey loves her! First baby blessing we've given here - and it was on the front porch! Her 12 year old sister is Sabrina. Their house is about 100 yards from the nearest road .. so we park and walk up a trail into the 'bush'.

Road Kill

We were driving on a back road and came over a hill to see a big buzzard in front of us eating some road kill - we got closer and closer and it finally flew off with part of the smashed mongoose in it's beak - - Mother Natures garbage disposal!!

Third Chicken Coop

Here is the Branch's Chicken Coop #3 - we are getting good at this! actually Bro. Lloyd is the builder in the branch and he had Sis. Burton's more than half way finished before any of the rest of us got there!! Course she is his Mother-in-Law and he lives next door! Here 16 year old Abby is learning from Sister Walker how to saw the boards. We had a good crew of 10-11 people and 'many hands make light work!"

Monday at Jack Spratt's Treasure Beach

On Monday as part of our Preparation Day we took the sister missionaries to Jack Spratt's Pizza on Treasure Beach. It was lots of fun, good food and a small hermit crab crawled near our outside table!

Sister Allen

This sweet 91 year old sister is Sister Allen. We went out visiting in outlaying areas and found her today. She was born in 1920 - has lived 22 years in England, Birmingham area and one year in Atlanta, Georgia. She was wonderful to visit and now that we know how to get to her house we will visit often...sweet, sweet spirit - she showed us her scriptures by her bed. Elder Smith took the picture of Sister Allen and me and then we showed it to her. "Who is that?" she asked! We said that's you and she was very tickled - like a little child. Loved visiting her!

Chicken Coop # 2

This is the second of the six coops the branch will build. We got the first row of mesh wire up before the thunder and lightening and rain came - we will finish later. Here is Lisa with her 'house' -notice her cute school uniform. Bro. Lloyd up on the roof, I'm helping lift the zinc sheet up to him. Sister Walker and Sister Everett came for several hours - big help! The block base that has to be finished before the crew can come and build.

General Conference Junction

We had a little bit of a 'tender mercy' at our lunch between conference sessions yesterday. People had told me that about 20 -25 come to listen and watch in the chapel. I made a big chicken casserole in the crock pot that Sister Russell left me, some coleslaw in two big bowls and bought rolls. When 40 plus people came I said a prayer that the food would last and it did!! The sisters helped me serve and our RS Pres. and there was just enough for all! The two older sisters in the chapel picture were both baptized in England many years ago...went to the temple there also. There are many ties to England here - we met a husband of a member who is from Nottingham!!

Junction Misc.

These are the buildings that you get your car license tags renewed - pretty historic huh? These are the sorrel blooms that we made sorrel drink out of - and a picture of the drink. The members tell me it is good for blood pressure, sugar diabetes, etc. Last is a sign at the hospital explaining the rules - setters are curlers in hair, and No Dance Hall style ???