It was another TRAVEL week for us this past week. We started out by stopping by Emory University Hospital in downtown Atlanta so I could get my shot in the eye. We were scheduled to go on Tuesday to the Griffin office (which is MUCH easier to get in and out of) but we had to reschedule for downtown because of our need to be in the Tennessee Nashville Mission. And then we drove about 5 hours to get up to the TNM Monday night! L.O.N.G., long day!!
We absolutely LOVE driving in, around and through Nashville. Such beautiful country. We just never tire of it.
We had 4 Zone Conferences this week. We LOVE being with ALL of the missionaries. While Elder/Dr. Allgaier is seeing 'patients' in his 'office' (note the sign above my head, and the closed door.....!!) I get to talk to the 'next patient' who is waiting in line outside the 'office'. Sister Crawford, in the middle, is the mission nurse and she helps me by getting the 'next patient' so we can be ready for Elder/Dr. Allgaier. The missionaries love it when they realize I have an Apple Watch. They always want to take a selfie. Hence, the foto below!
And less the Elders have all of the fun with the selfies.....the Sister Missionaries like to get in on the action as well......
And then when the Mission President's Wife comes along.....well, we just keep repeating the 'selfie experience'!! All in good fun.....and while waiting for Elder/Dr. Allgaier to be ready for his next patient.
When we finish Zone Conference we sometimes have a few minutes to find a local attraction, i.e. a Visitor Center or little museum. We found Fort Defiance on this rainy day. We still made the most of our 20 minutes in looking around.
When we checked into one of our Hampton Inn's this week, this cute sign was there to greet us at the front desk. It was just so cute I had to snatch a quick foto!!
Because MOON PIEs are made right there in Tennessee (Chattanooga actually), we often get one for our Diamond Member snack when we check in. They are good....
Whatever classroom we can find to set up shop in is where we go. Typically it is close to the cultural hall so the missionaries don't have too far to go when it is their turn to see the Doctor. We only see patients during lunchtime so as to not interfere with the training the missionaries are receiving!
And then we made the mistake of stopping at SUBWAY to get a sandwich for dinner one day. Well, we got the sandwich, chips, drink combo....and guess which chips I picked!!! YUP.....and I have to tell you they were GOOD!!! I will definitely have them again......lots I hope. Why have these not been discovered before!!! Better late than never I suppose.
Here is another of the 20 minute stops we made after Zone Conference.....former U.S. President Polk's family home right there in Tennessee! Who knew....we certainly didn't. It was a nice little privately guided tour. We were the only ones so it was private for us!
And yet another little tender mercy in our mission. An Elder had one of his best friends serving in the Tennessee Nashville Mission. When the Elder here found out we would be seeing his bed buddy in the TNM he wanted us to say hi to him. And we did!! And here is the greeting for Elder Phillips!
Lunch is always a real TREAT for the missionaries. They work so hard. After the Relief Society got all set up, it looked so pretty.
And a few minutes later.....full of hungry missionaries. Loving every morsel they are served.
At our little 'return and report' time with the Mission President's wife and the mission nurse, Elder/Dr. Allgaier gives very detailed information on how the missionaries are doing....and what follow-up may be needed, etc. He is such a GREAT mission doctor and everyone loves him!!!
We drove through Pigeon Forge, TN to get across the mountains. It is quite the family resort destination! Reminded us of being in Las Vegas on the strip!!! Lots of fun family things to do there.
When we finished in the TNM we headed over toward Kernersville, N.C. for a day so we could go to church with one of my cousins on my father's side of the family. And we just happened to be traveling through the GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS. Gorgeous day and gorgeous trip!! So worth the trip.
The bike in the background does NOT belong to us but to the nice fellow that took our foto. We just had to get a foto at the Tennessee/North Carolina State Line. And the view was outstanding.
On the other side of the mountains is CHEROKEE, N.C.!!! And of course we had to stop there for a minute. We LOVE coming here to Cherokee.
We were invited to come to a little mini-reunion of my cousin, Polly McNeill. We crashed it and had a great time. They were so sweet to us. Great food. Great visiting. Great family! The gal on the left is one of Polly's sisters.
When I was 8 years old I was baptized in the Colfax, N.C. chapel. It no longer exist but the foto to the left is a rendering of what that building looked like as I remember it. And, oh, I DO remember it well. Many wonderful memories in that building as a child.
And this weekend we attended church in the Kernersville Ward which meets in the chapel to the right. That is also where the Colfax Ward meets. The old building was torn down and a brand new building built a few years ago. It was great to be able to be 'home' for church today. I LOVE my southern roots. They go deep into my heart. Maybe because I am getting older!! :-)
As we finished the 2nd hour today, we checked on a Sister Missionary that the Mission President's wife wanted Elder/Dr. to check on. We 'discovered' that here ward meetings were from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and they were in Salisbury NC . IF we left Kernersville right then we could make it to their building about the time they were finishing. And Sister Alexander really wanted her to be seen......since we just 'happen' to be going that way to head back to Atlanta. So, OFF we went after saying our goodbyes to Polly and her husband Wayne. We arrived in Salisbury in perfect time. While we were in the kitchen talking to the 2 sister missionaries, in walked one of my Hiatt cousins that I had not seen for years!!! I looked at him and said, I KNOW YOU....COUSIN!! He looked at me and said I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU SINCE WE LEFT MT. AIRY!!! And thus it was foto time!!! LOVE these tender mercies!!!
It has been a super busy week. And it looks to be a repeat for this coming week as well. We LOVE what we are doing. We LOVE our mission!! We feel so blessed to be able to serve. We hope we are helping missionaries around our 9-mission/5-state area!!
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