Sunday, October 12, 2014

After spending a very nice and relaxing weekend in Boone, N.C. it was time to head back to Raleigh where we would have more Zone Conferences this week.  Before leaving Boone, however, we went to the little Russian Store in Boone (Golden Cockerel) to talk about having a Temple Nesting Doll made for us.  This is Christy who is helping us with that.

The fall colors were so beautiful.  It was definitely NOT peak season but it was beautiful nonetheless!

We would soon miss these mountains and the beautiful colors.  We would love to come back here again someday!!

Wednesday while attending Zone Conference in the Raleigh Zones we got to meet yet another mission nurse.....Sister Webber.  This mission would be so difficult without the assistance of the wonderful mission nurses!!!  It was good to meet her and put a face with a name!

Something awfully STRANGE happened on Wednesday afternoon....for some reason our apple account locked us out and we could get NO EMAIL.....and it lasted that way for 2 whole days!!!  NOT a good thing to have happen when we depend on this for a LOT of our communication with the 9 missions we have responsibility for.

Thanks to Kevin's help we were able to FINALLY get back ON on Friday mid-day.  And you can see how many emails were coming in!  Oh my heavens did we feel sooooo relieved to see this, even though it was daunting to tackle all of these while we were still trying to see 'patients'.

Meanwhile, back in the hotel and on Thursday when we had NO Zone Conference to attend, Wayne was trying to work and I got to work on my afghans!  I started one for Gary and Gail (bottom) and one for Jen Chandler (top).  It is nice to have TWO going at the same time so if I need a change of 'scenery' I can work on the other one!

 

 Tradition has it that the missionaries sing 'Called To Serve' to those who prepare lunch for them at Zone Conferences.  The NC Raleigh Mission has added an additional verse.  I finally got the words from one of the elders.  Here ya go!!  Great verse.

On the way back to PTC on Saturday we stopped in Anderson, S.C. to drop the afghan off to Lynn Kay.  I had completed it about 3 weeks earlier with the intent of dropping it off as we were attending Zone Conferences in the N.C. Charlotte Mission.  But, with the emergency call to get back to GA and head to Hong Kong we didn't make it by there.  She seemed excited to get it.  I hope it works out well for her.

Bless his heart!!!!  He works so hard....and on the way home he was soo sleepy that he finally fell asleep.  Not sure how restful it was but at least he slept for a little bit!

 We KNOW we are getting close to Georgia when we see our PEACH....actually located in S.C.

We are covering a HUGE area of our mission now.  Feeling accomplished....and like we are getting out and about like we are suppose to.  The green dots indicate those areas where we have attended Zone Conferences.

We end (or begin) this week with my birthday being TODAY!!!  How cute was that of Kevin to make a little GOOGLE BIRTHDAY on my computer wishing me a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  I don't know how he does that.  

And Brat ja Sistra Zaretski made this birthday greeting for me....our dear Russian friends in St. Petersburg.  We love them.  I feel loved on this my birthday.  I don't like getting older but I DO appreciate all of the well-wishes!!  Kiitos Paljon, Spasiba, Achoo everyone!!

The Elders and Sisters who have apartments right by our apartment here in Balmoral did a GREAT job in surprising me on my birthday.  They were so sweet.....let me share a few fotos!:

Elder Thompson made me some brownies!!  Baked them himself!!

And the Sisters decorated our front door for us......

What a WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY!!  I feel so blessed......