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.