NMFM Week 26

Dear Family and Friends,  We are so looking forward to going to Joseph City this weekend to celebrate my birthday.  We still haven't had a complete RSVP from those we invited to join us, but look forward to spending the weekend with family.  We haven't had a P-day for about a month and look forward to having a day this weekend to get pumped up to help us make it on the homeward stretch.  This past week marked the half way point of our mission.  Since I just sent an email on Wednesday, here is the rest of our week:
Thursday:    In the early hours of the morning we heard a big BOOM and wondered what it might be.  In talking to Maria about it later, we deducted that it was a missile being sent off from the nearby Ft. Wingate army base (Maria said she had seen it on TV news).  We finished up in the afternoon and stopped at Tohlakai (about 15 miles north of Gallup) again to visit the Freestones.  They gave us more produce, but this time they also gave us a loaf of bread fresh from the oven!  The Freestones are such delightful people and it is always hard to get away from there.
 Friday:  I was able to finalize the August Baptism Report and also work on 250 referrals from the Navajo Nation Fair in Window Rock on August 8, while Elder Hunt worked on phone messages and bills that needed his attention.  We came home and had lunch at 2:30, ran a few errands, and by then the day was over.  We returned our rental car just as my phone alarm rang at 5:30 (which was the  Enterprise deadline).
 Saturday:  We did a few chores at our place  in the morning before picking up the Silverado to haul a bed that was stored in the AP garage up to Dolores for an elder there who was dealing with new bites every morning.  We also stopped at Walmart to get a new vacuum for that apartment.  Elder Hunt had been reading up on bedbugs so we went prepared to do battle.  Elders Lambert and Wilkinson in Dolores were friendly and helpful.  It is always fun to visit with our missionaries that we don’t see very often.  It was evening before we got home, so threw our contaminated clothes in the washer and then called it a day.  We both commented that we were glad that Sunday was almost here!  My mom called to say that my  dad had been having chest pains during the day and had gone by ambulance to the Safford Hospital.  The ER doctors didn’t find anything wrong so sent all of them home to rest!
We have been blessed with the strength and stamina that we need to take care of the heavy work load that we have had recently.  We know we are where we are supposed to be and doing what we are supposed to be doing!  We love each other, we love our family, and we love the Lord!  Elder and Sister Hunt

NMFM news

Dear Family,  I'm a bit late in sending greetings this week.  We have been on a whirlwind schedule the past two weeks and right now we are in Ft. Wingate again finishing up our "cottage" project.  Actually, it has been a fun project for us as we've been able to enjoy a different setting and do things that we enjoy doing.  I brought my sewing machine and put together curtains that I got at Family Dollar that needed alteration to fit the windows here.  It has been a welcome change from scrubbing and cleaning the place.  Elder Hunt has hung mini-blinds on all the windows, put down a new vinyl floor in the kitchen, added shelves in the kitchen, sanded doors that wouldn't close, worked on plumbing problems, and other fix-up details.  We brought our own bedding and  have spent four nights here  We are almost finished and it is a rather cozy little place, a place that we wouldn't mind living in.

     My little organ student, Jared, played the organ for sacrament meeting last Sunday and we were there to see him do a really nice job.  Lauana was there also and it was one of her better days, she seemed to know George and his boys and acted like she recognized me as well.  Farmington Stake is getting a new stake president next Sunday and the Payne boys have been kidding their dad about being in the running for that position.  George is really in tune with the youth in his ward so I kinda think he might just stay where he is.  

      We have definitely noticed a change in the weather this week.  A quilt is a welcome companion at night and a sweater feels good in the early morning air. We have certainly enjoyed many beautiful days since we have been in Farmington.

      Our car is in the shop this week so we are driving a little gray Mazda rental. It is a fun car to drive around Gallup and the roads to and from.  Our car developed a cracked manifold cover and it was leaking anti-freeze into the engine.  Hopefully it will run like new when we get it back tomorrow.  

      I'm eagerly looking forward to my birthday and I'm especially thankful to have enjoyed another wonderful year.  We send our love, Sister Hunt

NMFM Week 24: August 26-September 1, 2012

Dear Family, Today our thoughts and hearts are with you as many of you will gather for little Ellany Sue's special day.  We hope you will feel our love and support across the miles.  We know that our Heavenly Father will be smiling down upon you at this special time.

     We have been especially blessed with good health, safety, and divine direction during our recent mission assignments.  We are thankful to be a part of this great work.  We love you and hope all is well with each of you.  Love, Elder and Sister Hunt

 

 

 

Sunday:  We attended meetings in Kirtland 3^rd Ward, the ward Jimmy & Sandy Payne just moved into.  Linda Crum (Wagner), a former friend from Virden grade school days, came up and introduced herself after Relief Society and we had a fun visit.  As we were walking into the Farmington 8^th ward building for Jared’s organ lesson I met my cousin Paula Hatch Evans on the front sidewalk.  Her son and his family recently moved into George’s ward.  We got a call from the Aztec elders saying their frig had gone out for the 3^rd time in two weeks so after dinner with the Paynes, we drove out to take them a new one. We were late getting to bed.

 

Monday:  We worked hard at the office until after noon (I entered 10 baptisms + a few referrals) and then we left town in the Silverado to begin our “big adventure.”  Our first stop was Ft. Wingate, which is 15 miles east of Gallup just off I-40.  President Batt decided to move the elders out who were there to make a place for a senior couple per request of the Gallup Stake P  President.  It is a really old “cottage” and we wanted to see what we will need to do to make it comfortable and livable for seniors.  The door was jammed so we went next door to report that to the owner.  With a little divine intervention, he eventually softened and brought over a new door knob. we were able to take window measurements and assess the layout of the place.  It  needs an “extreme make-over” and we will certainly give it our best efforts, hoping they will be sufficient for the new folks coming in.  After dinner at the Gallup Sizzler we headed to Joseph City and enjoyed sleeping in our own bed!

 

Tuesday:  We were at the Navajo County Building at 8 am to take care of tax and voting business.  In Joseph City we took a new frying pan to Elder Iverson that he had called to ask for, voted at the polling place (and had a fun visit with the election officials there), and renewed our PO box for another year.  Our next stop was Bitter Springs and we were disappointed that the Gardners weren’t there – we left them a note on their doorstep. 

            We arrived in St. George at 5:05, just after closing time at RVzz, the place where we were to pick up the mission’s travel trailer. The temple was closed for cleaning and repairs so we were disappointed that we weren’t able to do a session.  We DID enjoy the visitor center, however.  We especially enjoyed their new exhibit, “God’s Plan for His Famly” which portrays sections of the Proclamation to the Family. We had reservations to stay with the Isoms in Hurricane and had a fun visit with them. 

 

Wednesday:  We were at RVzz just after they opened at 8:00 am and we spent the next couple of hours having them show us how to use the trailer and get it hitched up for its ride to Bluff.  I was a little apprehensive about how we were fare on the hill up out of Hurricane, but the Silverado climbed up with no problem.  Our first stop was at “The Three Bears” in Kanab for lunch before heading to Page.  At transfers a week ago we closed out one of the places the elders were living in there and we spent four hours helping the Page zone leaders load the mission beds etc. into our truck and trailer and helped them clean out that place. 

            It was close to 8:00 pm when we got to Kayenta and we were really tired.  We called the Chapmans, the senior couple who live next to the church at Denehotso (30 miles on past Kayenta)and asked if we could spent the night in the parking lot there.  They said they would leave the gate unlocked until we got there and they were out with a flashlight to help light our way in.  They also had the church open so we could use the facilities.  We slept in the travel trailer and had a delightful breakfast and visit with the Chapmans the next morning.  It was the first time we had met them – they are from Loveland, CO and are serving an 18 month mission.

Thursday:   Sister Chapman served a wonderful breakfast and they showed us their garden and told us about their experiences in Arizona.  We didn’t get on the road until close to 11:00.  It was only an hour and a half on to Bluff and we found the RV park easily and got our trailer situated.  The park owner came to help hook up the utilities.  We had lunch at a quaint little café  and I had a nap on the couch while Elder Hunt renovated the bedroom so it would work better for two junior missionaries.  Elder Adams and Miller (who will be living there) came about 4:00 so we spent some time orienting them on how to operate the trailer (since both of us are such great pros!).  We hope it will work out well for them.  They were living in Blanding so were having a 30 mile commute each day to get to their area.  It was after 8:30 when we pulled into the driveway at the AP house to unload the mattresses etc. that were tied down in the back of the Silverado. 

 

Friday:  We worked hard all day at the office trying to get caught up on things that had piled up during the week.  We worked until six and then decided we would just leave what wasn’t done and come back the next day.  We found George and Joanne out in the yard working so Elder Hunt put on his work clothes and found a shovel and helped while I fixed dinner.  We all enjoyed watching the “Blue Moon” make its appearance above the horizon.

 

Saturday:  After breakfast, haircuts, laundry, and a little nap, we went back to the mission office to finish up what we left undone the day before.  When we came back William and Deanna Payne were here so we visited with them.  They are planning to move to Farmington and were house hunting.  They were a bit discouraged at their housing prospects, but seemed to be hapy to be moving to Farmington.  After having something to eat and a little rest, we went on a short shopping trip for next week’s adventure:  “The Cottage” at Ft. Wingate.

 

 

NMFM Week 23: August 20-25, 2012

Hello dear family!  I finally sat down and got caught up on my journal so will attach last week's adventures.  It seems that each week gets a little more adventurous!  Today's plan is to head for St. George to bring back a 28 foot travel trailer to park in Bluff for the elders who serve that area (right now they are living in Blanding and drive way too many miles each day).  We have spent more time in the Silverado than we have our car lately.  We have been blessed with the strength and energy we need to keep up such a demanding schedule. We send our love, Elder and Sister Hunt

 

 

Monday:  “New Missionary Day” is always an exciting event in any mission.  Our new 16 missionaries coming in necessitated a lot of changes in our mission from housing to companionships.  Since we only had three missionaries going home, we opened up six new places for missionaries:  Kaibeto, Dulce, Pagosa Springs, Bayfield, Cameron, Fruitland, and also a new apartment in Page for sisters.  The missionaries’ flight from Denver to Durango was delayed a couple of hours so we didn’t start our orientation meeting at the mission home until 3:30.  A mission tradition is to serve the new missionaries coming in green chile pizza as a welcome to New Mexico.  Sister James and I talked Elder James into ordering at least four ham and pineapple pizzas (Sister James doesn’t like green chile and the pizza we had for lunch was pretty spicy).  It was a good decision!  Elder Hunt and I stopped to pick up fruit bars on our way to the mission home and since we were last on the orientation agenda, it was a nice wake-up for those youngsters who had been up since 1 a.m. (their bus to the airport left Provo about 3 a.m) and some of them said they didn’t go to bed at all because they were packing and saying their MTC good-byes.  It is always such fun to see the new missionaries come in and to talk to them.

 

Tuesday:  The parking lot was full of Colorado trucks as we drove up and the transfer van and  trailer were in the process of being loaded up.  We were pretty busy after we got down to the office handing out new phones, keys, and last minute apartment goods that we had missed earlier.  Transfer day is fun to watch and be a part of.

 

Wednesday:  Elder Hunt went shopping for lumber, stain, and bolts to build steps for the new travel trailer in Chinle and began his project out in George’shop area.  It was a good thing he had a protected place to work as the rains came off and on while he worked.  He didn’t bring his circular saw with him so ended up buying one.  I kidded him that he just needed to go make friends with the construction crews working on the three new houses being built at our end of the street.  I spent the day at the office working on referrals and baptisms and also answering the phone as Sister Combs left at noon.  Elder Hunt picked me up at 5:00.

 

Thursday:  For our devotional I shared one of my favorite quotes from Elder Holland:

            “We must never in any age or circumstance let fear and the father of fear (Satan himself)divert us from our faith and faithful living….There has been uncertainty about the future since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, requiring living by faith….God expects you to have enough faith and determination, enough trust in Him, to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing….He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.  Is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has.  But he can’t if you don’t pray and He can’t if you don’t dream.  In short, He can if you don’t believe.  (D&C 38:9) ‘Gird up your loins and be prepared.  Behold, the kingdom is yours, and the enemy shall not overcome,’”  (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Sep 12 2004 CES Fireside)

            After devotional I went to my oncologist appointment and was pleased that the PET and lab results came back good.  For the rest of the day we shopped for our Friday delivery and worked on the step project in George’s backyard.  In the evening we loaded the trailer with furniture and household goods and parked in the Paynes’ yard.

 

Friday:  It rained during the night so the stain on Elder Hunt’s workworking project wasn’t very dry, but he got up early and finished cutting and staining anyway.  We left for Chinle around 10 am and the drive there was beautiful.  The desert was lush and green in many spots and there were huge puddles of water all along the way.  The Vogels (Sr. couple in Chinle)) called and invited us to lunch and said they would have it ready when we arrived.  Four young elders drove up in a truck shortly after we arrived so they volunteered to help unload, and we were grateful for their help.  We took a new recliner, four “used a bit” kitchen chairs, two lamps, curtains, etc. to the Vogels; a loveseat and two side chairs and misc. to the Zaleskis; a desk chair to Sister Balling; and household goods for the new trailer the Johnsons were moving into.  After the trailer was unloaded there was room for the elders to throw the “used way, way too much” furniture” in for us to haul back to Farmington. The Johnsons, the new Chinle missionary couple, arrived mid afternoon before the step project was finished.  I visited with my new senior missionary friends while Elder Hunt worked to finish up his project.  We left Chinle around 7:45 pm and arrived back in Farmington around 10:30, exhausted but satisfied with our labors and visits.

 

Saturday:   It was nice to be able to sleep in past 7.  Since we parked the truck and trailer in the Paynes’ yard again it was ready for us to hop in and go for a “joy ride.”  We stopped at the AP’s garage to pick up more Good Will stuff and then headed to that establishment.  The hide-a-bed couch in our trailer along with the half recliner were in such sad condition that even Good Will wouldn’t take them.so we had no choice but to haul them to the Farmington landfill.  The drive out there was very picturesque and we enjoyed some sightseeing that we hadn’t experienced before.  After Elder Hunt got out of the truck at the drop off sight, a couple of younger guys offered to help him unload his goods.  Their trailer was empty and they loaded the hide-a-bed and half recliner onto their trailer to take them home.  We got a good chuckle out of that one. 

            We rewarded ourselves for our good deeds by having an afternoon swim in the Paynes’ pool.  It was a warm day and the water felt really good!

            The APs dryer went out while they were doing sheets and towels from transfer and we spent quite a bit of time trying to find a dryer that would work to help with that situation.  We ran clothesline wire back and forth on the pack porch at their place and found clothespins at the local getting place and hung out two BIG loads of towels and sheets for them.  It was another long, busy day and we finally got back to our place close to ten.

 

Summary:  We have been blessed with energy and stamina beyond our own power this week and can only attribute to Him who says, “I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”