Sunday, May 29, 2016

Well, this week our mission was drawing to a close!  Ready or not, we were going to wind things up and head toward home!  It was a super busy week for us.....just like all of the others over these past 2 years.

This bottom floor apartment is where we have called 'home' for this mission.  We have thoroughly enjoyed living here.

On Monday morning we headed to the Atlanta Airport so we could catch our flight to Salt Lake City. We would be attending Ele's graduation.  This was something we had planned to do before Elder Schwitzer asked us to extend until the end of May so that we could 'train' Elder/Dr. and Sister Nickel with the new AMA responsibilities.  We were happy to extend but needed to know if we could still attend the graduation.  Elder Schwitzer told us we could, BUT we would still be on call.  President Kennedy is in our Stake Presidency.  He was our Bishop in the Whitewater Ward when we arrived in Peachtree City in June 2014.  He has a HUGE job at the Atlanta Airport....he is the #1 guy in charge of operations there!  Very impressive.  We have become good friends over our 2 year here.  We texted to let him know we would be catching a flight.  We were sure he didn't have time to come say 'hey' to us before we flew out.  As the flight was boarding, low and behold, here he comes on the jetway to see us off.  What a GREAT guy!!!

We were able to visit Sister Beckstrom in the rehab center where she is currently residing.  She is the sister missionary who was in a very serious car accident in May 2015.  Her companion was killed and Sister Beckstrom was left in pretty serious condition.  After head surgery, we were not sure how she would be.  She will probably never leave the facility and certainly never be able to function as a 'normal' person for the rest of her life.  We were so glad to see her and to talk with her parents again!

Ele's graduation was great.  We were so glad we could come.  We wish we could have gotten permission to attend Tim's and Emsley's last year.

A bonus graduation was that of Ryan.....from Kindergarten!!  We didn't even know about this until we had arrived in Salt Lake.  It was fun to be able to be here as well.

We took a few minutes to walk around on the Provo City Center Temple grounds.  It is beautiful.  We didn't have time to attend a session this time.....but next fall we look forward to that!

While walking around we got to talking to this sweet grounds worker.  Come to find out, she returned from her mission in February 2016.  She had served in the Tennessee Nashville Mission!  One of our missions.  When she looked at our tags she said, "Oh, Dr. Allgaier.  I know you.  You took care of several of my companions.  I wasn't sick but I know who you are!".  We love our mission.

While we were walking around on the temple grounds, we got a phone call from Denise.  She asked where we were.  We told her and she and Melvin invited us to come up visit.  We did.  We didn't get to stay long but it was a very nice visit.

Wednesday night we were able to have a family dinner with all of Kevin and Lauren't family along with Andy and Geralyn's family AND Tyler and Hollie were able to come!  What fun!  We love our family.  We went to the Brick Oven.  

Our 2 graduates of the week!!!  Ele and Ryan.  Good job guys!!

Thursday morning we headed back to Atlanta to do a LOT of last minute things.  Elder/Dr. Allgaier got a call and was by the window in the airport talking so he could have the best reception as possible.  He is such a hard worker.

Friday morning we began the training process.  Elder/Dr. and Sister Nickel will be great.  There was LOTS of material to go over.

At lunch time we were invited to a lunch with President and Sister Foote and the 2 office missionary couples, Elder and Sister Benich and Elder and Sister Jeffrey.

A foto with Elder/Dr. and Sister Nickel.

AND.....then it was time for the Army of Helaman to show up and help us pack our U-Haul truck.  We are so grateful for their help!

While we were packing Nancy Allen and her children came by to say goodbye to us.  I had made them an afghan and was able to give it to them.  Alan, her husband, was still at work and so we didn't get to see him.

These elders were such troopers and GREAT helpers!  We surely love them!!

The very hardest part of leaving was having to say goodbye to 'Lucy'!!!  We love Lucy so much and she has been a great cat.  We will surely miss her.

Part of the 'moving' crew!

We were ready to take off and head north!  I drove our car and Wayne drove the truck.

We got to see our PEACH watertower one more time.....in Gaffney, S.C.  If you look carefully in my rear view mirror, you can see the U-Haul truck right behind me!

We made it to Mt. Airy for Saturday night to have dinner with some of the Goins cousins (my father's side of the family).  How fun to be with them again!!

 Sunday we attended church in the Mt. Airy, N.C. Ward.  We started our mission by attending church here and we were able to end our mission attending here as well.

Sharon and Lester had us over for dinner after church.  We have loved getting to spend time with them while here in the south!!!

 Tomorrow, Monday, we will drive on to our home in Brunswick, Maryland!!!  We are excited and look forward to being home and seeing our family!  We have thoroughly enjoyed and loved every minute of our mission.  So, having completed our 3rd mission....we will head home.

May 22, 2016

Well, this is our last night in our mission apartment here in Peachtree City, Georgia!  It has been a GREAT 2 years and we will surely miss being here and the wonderful people that we have met....so many dear friends.  Missions are GREAT!

Monday was another travel day for us.  We were off to the Georgia Macon Mission for our last round of Zone Conferences!  We got to travel pretty much all back roads.  We have come to prefer that instead of the boring highways.  It is scenes like this that make them so enjoyable!  Got to love this.  This scene goes hand-in-hand with red clay back-country roads!!

There were two stops we needed to make on the way:  The first would be in Americus, Ga.  We found out of Sunday afternoon that Patrick Kay is now living here and working as the Main Street Manager.  How interesting that is was kind of close to Tifton, Ga where our Zone Conference would be on Tuesday.  We had a great visit with him.  We got to see his new home and meet his new wife of one year ago.  Great little town.

And, when we are anywhere near the M & M Fruit and Vegetable Stand we just have to stop in to say "HEY" to Morris and Jean and Elsie and Roger.  They are the owners.  We had to pick up some raw peanuts and fried peanuts and pecans this time.  We are set with our T.O.E. Jam!!  We actually gave them a Book of Mormon, which they accepted.

At our first Zone Conference on Tuesday, we got to see my cousin, Elder Rhett Hiatt!!  I brought the hymn book that was given to my Great-Great Grandpa & Great-Great Grandma Dean (Dr. James Dickerson Dean and Esther Hiatt Dean) in the late 1800's.  They were the first to join the LDS Church in the late 1800's in Mt. Airy, N.C.  I had promised Elder Hiatt that I would let him see it.  He was excited.

After Zone Conference we headed back over to Macon, GA where we spent the night in the mission home, at the invitation of President and Sister Cottle, our dear, dear friends.  They always take fotos on the front steps of the new missionaries coming in and the departing missionaries!  Today, it was a foto of the 4 departing missionaries!!  They leave in a month.  We leave in a week!!  Weird to think about that.

In the August Zone Conference we got to see Sister Breken Bearnson, daughter of Lisa and Steve Bearnson.  How fun to see her.  She was doing great and seemed very happy!

At lunch time, when the Zone fotos are taken, I handed my iPhone to a missionary and had them take a foto for us.  And we ALWAYS get a few selfies when I do that.  Love those selfies!!!!  Since there are 2 Zones in each conference each day, no one was missing their turn being in their zone foto.

One of the Zone fotos.

Bless our pea-pickin' hearts!!!  We always find ourselves eating by ourselves!  That is because we are always busy seeing missionaries during the lunch break so they don't miss their training.  Sister Cottle snapped this foto for us.

Our last Zone Conference ended in Savannah, GA.  One of our most favorite places!!!  Afterward, the senior missionaries and President and Sister Cottle and President and Sister Fussel (counselor in the mission presidency) invited us to go with them down to River Street for dinner and walking around.  We loved it.  We ate dinner at Huey's.  It was very good.

As we were walking around down by the River, we stopped and had an ice cream cone and sat out front to just visit and relax a minute!  SO Fun!!

This is pretty much what we looked like on a daily basis for the past two years as we checked in and checked out of numerous hotels.  We got to where our routine was pretty 'normal' and we had it 'down pat'!!

Our last Sunday in the Whitewater Ward was today.  We were able to kind of sneak in and didn't really tell anyone it was our last day.  We wanted to do that.  It worked!!

In the evening, my cousin, John VonCannon and his wife, Carol, came to our apartment to visit with us before we leave.  We have enjoyed having them fairly close by.  We have been to visit them in Madison several times.  This was their first time to come see us in Peachtree City.

And that, my dear, family wraps up yet another week and another mission.....almost!  It will be a very busy last week for us.  And more traveling!  Stay tuned next Sunday for that report!!  We love y'all and truly appreciate your support these past 2 years.  We could NOT have served this mission without each of you supporting us.  KIITOS PALJON!!

May 15, 2016

Our 2nd week in the North Carolina Charlotte Mission allowed us, as you remember from the previous post, to be able to stay in Mt. Airy for the weekend.  On Monday morning we headed over to Gene's to get some ground steak sandwiches for later.  And to see my cousin, Freddy Hiatt!!

When we arrived in our hotel later in the day, our little cleaning lady had left us a sweet note.  She is the sweetest thing.  I made a little crochet heart for her....with my own note!!

We absolutely LOVE having 'cousin time' whenever we can get it.  Monday night was one of those times.  These are GOINS cousins.  Linda on the far right, beside of me, and Richard on the far left (with his wife Linda next to Wayne).  We went to the Cracker Barrel.  We had so much fun.  Surely love our family!!!

On Tuesday morning we headed back down to the Charlotte area.  On our way we decided to stop at the BETHABARA Moravian settlement just outside of Winston-Salem.  Since I have ancestors who were Moravian, I like to learn all I can about them.  In fact, it was my Great-Great Grandfather and Great-Great Grandmother (Dr. James Dickerson Dean and Esther Hiatt Dean) who were Moravian before joining the Mormon Church in Mt. Airy, N.C. in 1882!!!  How cool is that.  While we were visiting this quaint little village, there was a large school group on a field trip.  It was fun to watch them.  We happened to be in the gift shop area when the teacher gave instructions for their eating lunch.  She told the students that they would go in an orderly line to the bus, get their lunch and sit in the picnic area and wait until everyone was there.  They were NOT to begin eating their lunch until everyone was there and the blessing on the food had been said!!!!  WHOA!!!  I thought to myself....I couldn't believe my ears when she told them that.  ONLY in the south would you find that being said!!!  I LOVE IT!!!!  I LOVE being in the south.  That direction would NEVER, EVER fly anywhere else I do believe!!!

When we left Winston-Salem, we headed on down to Charlotte.  We decided to take a few minutes a visit Billy Graham!!  Well, at least his 'library' as it is called.  It is quite impressive and very friendly folks.  This barn-looking building is the library.

As we toured around, we came to this room.  This is a podium that Billy Graham used for many, many, many of his sermons.  He would carry it around with him on his travels.  I felt like I should begin preaching!  

I was able to finish this doily one evening in one of our hotel stays.  I kind of like this one.  It is NOT perfect....but I still like it.

Elder/Dr. Allgaier does such a GREAT job with his power point presentations to the missionaries in Zone Conference.  A lot of great advice....if only they would listen....AND remember these instructions.  Oh well...

While in Zone Conference in Greensboro, I decided to call Norm and Linda Lindsay.  I knew they lived close by.  Turns out they were less than a mile from the church!  They were excited we were there and slipped over for a few minutes!!  SO good to see them again.  They are life-long friends from way back in Maryland days when they used to live there.  Their kids and our kids basically grew up together.  Some of them remain friends to this day.

President and Sister Alexander are such wonderful leaders in the Charlotte Mission.  We feel we have developed such great friendships with them.  They have invited us to come to their home when they finish their mission!!  We just may do that!

Now, this is the most UNIQUE 'car czar' outfit I have personally seen in all 9 of our missions.  And why not wear your bathrobe!!  Elder Garlick says it cuts down on the laundering of his suits.  I thought it was just so cute.

When we finished Zone Conference on Friday, we drove part way down the road toward our trip back to Peachtree City.  We actually stayed in a little town of Shelby, N.C.  It is about 5 miles from the Kings Mountain National Park.  We have driven past these 'brown signs' a GAZILLION times.  This time....we STOPPED.  It was a great visit here.  Glad we finally got to see it.

Not far down the I-85 is our FAMOUS peach water tower.  We LOVE this peach.  

AND...we know that right by the PEACH is our most favorite Ice Cream place.  I got black walnut again!  I love that....

Sister Mason is our mission nurse here in the Georgia Atlanta Mission.  I made her a doily and gave it to her at church today.  We both got the 'yellow' memo!!!

Our District Leader, Elder Orellana and his companion, Elder Black asked if they come come visit us this afternoon.  Sure, we said.  We love our missionaries!!  They are so sweet.  They will be helping us move in 1 1/2 weeks......or at least loading the truck for us.

They actually wanted to come visit us last Sunday, Mother's Day.  When they called, we told them they were welcomed to come see us but that they would have to go through 3 missions to get to where we were....Mt. Airy, N.C.  They said they should probably not do that.  I told them to keep the roses alive and they could give them to me today.  And, they surely did.  They are barely alive....but they are alive!  

Well, that concludes yet one more round of Zone Conferences.  We have Zone Conferences again this week in the Georgia Macon Mission.  We are going to miss our mission so much!!  What will we ever do!!  We love the support each of you, our family, has shown us.  Your love and support have meant the world to us.  Thank you!!  We feel very blessed indeed!