This past week had been so busy, we had 4 new elders coming and a sister with 7 elders going home, and at the same time we had transfers all over the mission.

Dad & I went to the mission home and trained the new missionaries and their trainers about things from the office, it was so fun to see these missionaries in person because I have been writing them for the past three months getting them ready to come.

It was hard to say goodbye to our departing missionaries, we are losing some very special young men and will loose even more in July.

Out weather here has been so beautiful, in the low 70's and all the green trees, blooming flowers and geese everywhere. Dad and I counted over 90 of them in the pond downstairs. There was also a new little batch of gooslings.

We had a very spiritual meeting today in our YSA meeting, a returned mission president from New Zealand spoke, I will tell more next week.

I was so sad to hear that my little Chase had pneumonia, I have had her in my prayers every night along with the rest of my family.




Our weekends are a little lonely for us because we usually would have breakfast with our children and grandchildren but whenever I feel lonely I look at our family picture and know that the Lord is looking out for all of you. That does not mean that we will not all have our problems, because it is through our problems and over coming them that gives us the strength to continue on that path to our Heavenly Father and Jesus.

Tender Mercy - from the meeting today - two things to help us in our everyday lives; 1. if we keep the faith such as saying our prayers each day, reading the scriptures etc. and 2. serve the Lord by going to church, the temple and magnifying our callings then everything else will fall into place. As the former mission president said this, I realized that it is so true. I am always worrying about what we will be doing next and what is in the future, he said that he told each of his missionaries these two principles as they left their mission and I felt that I need to do that also, with my life here and after we come home.

I love you all so much and miss you more than you will ever know.

Grandma Heart

We have Sister Green back from her visit to Utah, Sister Stevens and I went to Buffalo and picked her up, she looked so frail at the airport but on the way back she told us about the funeral and it was very spiritual for her and the whole family.
I learned a new phrase in our Relief Society meeting about two weeks ago from one of the young sisters that is a returned missionary; 'tender mercies'. I have thought about these two words ever since I heard them and I am beginning to see these tender mercies everywhere.
I heard them from Sister Green, I write a tender mercy at the end of my journal at night because it helps me to remember that I am loved and not alone.
When Jon was ordained a High Priest we were so thrilled for him but so sad that for the first time in the lives of our sons we were not there for a special occasion, but then all of our sons were there and our oldest was able to do it in place of their Dad. Tender Mercies.
Today a woman called and wanted to have our elders bring food and all sorts of things to her, she talked on and on for over an hour, I tried to reason with her to let her know that this is not what our elders do, I realized that she was a lost soul like so many of the people that used to call the business that were on Medicaid, I finally put her in touch with the East Mission because that is where she lives. The people in the office were amazed that I didn't fall apart with her with all the ranting and carrying on that she did, but I had plenty of training from our business, I realized that she was mentally ill.
Not more than an hour later another woman called and asked to be taken off the records of the church, I told her who to call and gave her the number. I felt bad for the first lady, but she didn't know any better, but the second one literally gave up her opportunity of living with the Lord for ever. How fragile life is.
I talked with the missionaries coming and going today because we received our new ones from the MTC and Friday we will have more leave. I see these young men and women serving the Lord in a very difficult mission and I am so touched by their faith and courage to go forth each day with a positive attitude that the Lord is pleased with them. Tender Mercies.
Last Thursday Dad went to a Blue Jays game with the president and the other senior Elders. We wives gave them the tickets for Father's Day. While they were at the game we senior sisters went to a castle in Toronto built by a man many years ago when the city was just beginning. He had many ideas and turned them into money, one of them was to harness the power from Niagara Falls to bring power for Toronto; he made a lot of money from this but was very foolish, instead of saving it, he was extravagant with his money building this huge castle for his wife and spoiled son. Soon a man came along and talked the city of Toronto into taking over his business for the power company and he lost everything. He continued speculating and adding more things onto his castle and not saving his money until the castle was taken away. His wife was so sad that she died of a heart attack and he died penniless with a son that very rarely came to visit.
As we sat on the patio of this beautiful building, we talked about the riches of the world and the most priceless gift we have and that is the membership in the church. All the money in the world cannot give us our testimonies or take us to the Celestial Kingdom. I hope someone has done his work for him in the temple and that he can be with his wife, I'm not sure about the son!?! Again, tender mercies, we have the greatest gift of all, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I miss my grandchildren so much, especially on the weekends, that is when I have to remember why we are here and have faith that they will think of us often and know that we love them dearly. Tender Mercies.
Love,
Mom

I look at the pictures at the beginning of this blog and I can't believe it has been three months since we received our call, so many things have happened.
We have seen, done and been through so much and we keep learning more each day, not just about our work in the office but about ourselves, the scriptures, and the church.
We love these missionaries and the fine people that they are, we have wonderful young men and women and senior couples that inspire us each day.
The one senior sister in our office, Sister Green, who is over referrals had a grandson die last
Tuesday morning. I took the call from a family member who asked to speak with the president, I told her that he was in interviews at one of the churches in Brampton, she said it was a family emergency and she needed to speak with him, I gave her his cell number. I have the phone 27-7 and when I get a call like that I immediately give them his cell number because it is always something bad. A few minutes latter the president called me and told me that the lady was Sister Green's daughter saying that Sister Green's grandson had died that morning of a drug overdose, and he wanted me to be aware when the call came in for Sister Green, that I was to be there to help her, just before the president called she received the call and was on the phone the same time I was talking to him, I could hear her crying in her office and told him that I would take care of her. I went in and she was sobbing at her desk. I hugged her and let her tell me about it; this grandson was a good boy but was rebellious and wanted to do it his way. Sister Green has only one son and he and his wife tried so hard to be the best parents they could, but no matter what they did, Adam made his own choices. The parents felt like such failures and Sister Green was so hoping that when he turned 19 in June that maybe he would pull his life together and go on a mission. I told her that his parents were not to blame, we can teach and teach and love and love but it all comes down to choice and he made some bad choices. I also told her that now he was on a different mission now, this seemed to help.
Sister Stevens (her companion who is over the vehicles) and I took Sister Green to Buffalo that afternoon to fly to Ohio to meet her daughter and continue to fly to Utah. President and Sister Middleton were so kind and told us to take her and not to worry about the office, Dad stayed behind to answer the phones etc.
We left here at 3:30 in the afternoon and her flight was for 6:00 p.m., it usually takes 2 hours to get to Buffalo and then we have to wait at the border for 15 minutes to an hour to get over, we knew that it would be a miracle to get her there in time. We all said a prayer and even though we were going into the early rush we made it to the border in an hour and a half, we were so worried that the border would have a long line but there was one car a head of us in our line and we were through in 5 minutes, and had her to the airport by 5:00, we knew that the Lord had followed us and taken care of us, because it just doesn't go that easy.
I have been doing my work as well as Sister Green's this week, Dad helps me pull the referrals on his computer, mine won't do it, and then I call the missionaries to give them the referrals. It is so fun to hear how excited they are to get them.
Dad and I have been looking out for Sister Stevens, she lives 8 floors down from us so we can keep in touch with her and we are in a lock down building so she is protected or else the president would have her stay with them.
Sister Stevens is going to our YSA ward tomorrow, I am looking forward to her meeting and seeing the kind of missionary work that we do. She and Sister Green are in a regular ward, Sister Green plays the piano in the primary and Sister Stevens supports the missionary class. They also do volunteer work at a care center and visit a couple of families that are inactive.
As I watched Sister Green look so stricken and in shock I realized what people have said that it is so difficult for a parent to outlive their children and grandchildren, I knew what they meant Tuesday as I took care of her and watched her struggle with the terrible loss in her family. I also watched the Holy Ghost come over her and give her peace as we continued throughout the day, how blest we are to have the gospel in our lives to help us through the difficult times when they come.

I have a few minutes tonight so I will give some news.
Our home evening the other night went so well, we had over sixteen there of the YSA's with two missionaries and a member of the branch presidency and Bob and me. We did a fun game that we learned years ago at Deleeuws and the youth really seemed to enjoy it.
It has all turned green over night here, we look down on our pond and the trees around it and we can't believe how beautiful it is.
We are still having fun on the elevators talking to people, they don't seem so intimidated by our badges as they used to. Our building is almost like a mini U.N. building. All the nationalities are so fun to meet and talk to and joke with.
In the mornings we meet alot of families taking their children down to catch the bus, and so often we are reminded of one of our grandchildren. The children seem to enjoy us because we are like grandparents to them.
I have been sending out letters to our recent converts with the president's signature congratulating them for joining the true church and asking for their conversion story, I was told that no one ever answers; I talked to the president and he was anxious for me to start sending out these letters again. In the past few weeks we have received 5 letters and they have been so sweet and touching.
Today we recieved a letter from a older Chinese lady that wrote in broken English and told a most beautiful story of her conversion, I read it to the other two sisters in the office and we were in tears by the time I had finished reading it.
When we are raised in the church we take for granted the wonderful opportunity of being baptized into the church of Jesus Christ, and the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost.
We continue to love our apartment and the gorgeous view that we see each night and morning.
The different birds that we hear all the time are beautiful when they sing in the early morning and at night.
The people we constantly meet are so wonderful and we are so blest to know them and learn from them.
Take care my dear ones, we love you all so much. I will write more in my e-mail on Sunday or Monday.
MOM

We had a wonderful YSA meeting on Sunday and Monday night we had a great YSA family home evening. We usually have 8 to 12 come but this time we had 16 youth there with one investigator and one inactive girl, they really had a great time. Next Monday dad and I give the lesson and game and treat, we are looking forward to it.
Last Saturday we went to Buffalo and had a great time, Dad stayed to work in the office and I went with the two senior sisters, of course we got lost, the other sister put the wrong address on her GPS and we ended up in the projects, we sure got out of there fast.
It was wonderful being in the US again; bad roads, rude drivers and overweight people and I loved it!!!! We shopped and shopped until it got late and we had to start back, just past the border on the Niagara side a terrible storm hit, we could hardly see the road, the wind and rain were so bad. Dad called on the cell phone to make sure we were ok and I told him it was pretty bad and he said he knew because it had passed through here about a half hour before, it kept raining and blowing until we got almost to Hamilton then it slowed down a little. Up here when it rains, it can rain for two or three days without stopping.
Yesterday our new missionaries came in from the MTC, 1 sister and 4 elders, they were so tired and young. This morning Dad and I went to the mission home to take part in the orientation about office stuff and then we came back to the office. The two senior sisters were transporting missionaries all over the mission, from here to London (ON.) which took most of the day. Tomorrow the missionaries going home will all meet at the mission home for one last day together with the mission president and his wife and then they leave on Friday.
Next week we get ready for the zone conferences that start the next week, Dad and I only go to two this time instead of three, we go to the one here in Brampton and then to London which takes the longest to get to, almost two hours depending on the traffic. We take the tole road part of the way and since the Canadians won't use it much because the Saudi's bought it, the travel goes much faster.
The weather is so nice, and the trees are coming out in bud. The geese are very protective of their nests now and will chase anyone that comes near them. We looked out the window from our office last week and saw a goose chasing a runner around the field who had run too close to their nest.
So good to hear from you and hope is all going well, we love you so much and hope you are fine, I probably told you some of this in my e-mail but I wanted it on the Blog for my journal.
You are all in our prayers every day. Give our grandkids a hug for us and thank you for your replies, we so enjoy them.

Love,

Grandma and Grandpa Heart

It has been so long since I have written, I have not been able to because first, our computer was acting up and then I was just too tired to look at a computer after working on one all day long for 8 to 10 hours.
These past three weeks have been some of the hardest that I have gone through in many years, it reminded me of the time when we started up our business and Jon earned the Medicaid contract, I wanted to run away then and I wanted to run away this time too. Bob has been so good to lovingly support me as well as do all the many things he had to do too.
We were not given much training and were left with a lot of back work that had not been done, I sometimes wondered if we would ever learn, but the Lord in His quiet way was always there whispering things that we should do and when I made mistakes helped find them and correct them.
I love the missionaries, they are so good and always positive when they call in for help of come in to spend a few minutes with us in the office.
There is a very special sister missionary, Sister Pedraza, she is a convert and such a sprititual person. She called in two weeks ago to have me send her an official letter to the government to help her get her health care taken care of. It was a holiday weekend that week and I told her that I didn't think it would get to her on time, because she had to have an MRI taken, she said that if we would pray and have faith then it would be all right. She prayed and called me the next week to say that the letter had come, it really was a miracle because the mail system had shut down all weekend and on Monday and she should never have received that letter but she did. She called to thank me for praying, she told me how grateful she was to the Lord for hearing her prayers.
I have had 50 back letters to send out to new members with a request for the new convert to write their conversion story, the previous secretary didn't do it much because she said that they didn't reply. The president asked me to start sending those letters out and I am down to the last 10. This week we received a sweet letter back from a young boy of 11 who was baptized in March and he said that he wanted to be baptized because he wanted to hold the priesthood and be able to pass the sacrament when he was 12. It was so sweet because he typed it in his own words.
We had a special meeting with the sister missionaries at the mission home this week and we sisters in the office were invited to come also. The three of us gave short talks on assigned topics and then the sisters (18 in all) gave ideas on teaching the lessons from "Preach My Gospel", I was so impressed with the maturity of these young women and the great love that they have for these people that they teach.
Today, our president & his wife had all the senior couples and 2 sets of senior sisters to a pot luck dinner at the mission home. There were 18 of us and we had such a great time. The president talked to us after dinner about his mission president conference that he just attended in the states and he told us how desperate the church is for senior missionaries and that there are just not enough of us to go around to all the missions that need us. He thanked us all for being such great missionaries and for all the service that we give to the mission.
I love our apartment, we look out over the city and at night I go from room to room looking at the beautiful view. I ride a stationary bike that was left from the other couple and as I ride I watch the planes landing and taking off from the airport over in Toronto.
Monday night after work we parked in the underground parking and went in to take the elevator up to the 25th floor and the elevators were not working, we walked up to the next parking floor and there were people sitting in the foyer waiting for the elevator to get fixed. There were two people caught in the elevator and they finally had to have the fire department come and get them out. The elevators (3 of them) were out for over 3 hours, we stayed down there for a while and finally I told Dad that we should walk up, (Dad does it all the time for exercise) but he was afraid I couldn't do it, I told him I would rather walk up than sit down there all night, so we started walking, I would stop every now and then but we made it up in 15 minutes, and I was not any worse off. For sure that night I did not ride the bike, but I think that that is why I was able to climb up those stairs.
I am beginning to love these people so much, they are delightful, fun, interesting and nice. We still have our conversations on the elevators every morning and night on our way to and from work and we have met such fun people, we also have fun convesations in the wash room also.
Dad and I along with the 2 senior sisters in the office are going to Buffalo to shop on Saturday and we are so looking forward to it. We are making our lists and going to buy the town out. I was going through our desk stuff from home and came across a card from a widow friend of ours in the ward who gave us a $100.00, I had to thank the Lord for finding that, because it will really help.
Our mission is so expensive, if it is $5.00 in American then it is $7.00 here, the fast food places are terrible and the fresh produce is not that good either, but the pancakes that I make are out of this world, I don't know if it is the altitude, climate or what but they are like clouds - wow.
I am getting tired so I guess I will stop for now, I doubt that anyone will read this, maybe my Kellye, but I needed to write this for me.
We really are loved by our Savior and Father in Heaven, how very blessed we are to have them in our lives as well as the Holy Ghost to guide us as we travel through the ups and downs of this life.

Well, we are really alive, it has been such a long time since I have written. So much has happened since I last wrote.
Our trainers left last Tuesday morning early, we only really had three good days of training before they left and it has been a nightmare trying to remember all the many procedures and things that have to be done to run a mission office. Dad and I have really felt the spirit of the Lord guiding us. I could never have done all the things I have been doing on a computer if it were not for His help. This truly is the work of our Savior and He is always there to help.
I had times in these past two weeks when I was so discouraged and so homesick for my comfort zone, but I am feeling much better now and each day it does get better.
This past week we went with the mission president and his wife to three Zone Conferences, one here in Brampton, one in Hamilton and one in Kitchener. Hamilton and Kitchener were about 50 to 60 miles away and of course we got lost going to Hamilton, we were an hour and a half late. But we made it with the help of our mission president's wife standing on the curb in front of the chapel on her cell phone guiding us there. We went by Map Quest and she said it is very hard to follow and since we have been having trouble with our GPS we found ourselves heading toward Niagara Falls, but not for long. We didn't have much trouble with Kitchener.
We have been so impressed with these wonderful missionaries, what great testimonies and power they have. We have l53 missionaries in our mission; this includes 4 sets of senior couples and 2 sets of senior sisters.
Each meeting Dad and I bore our testimonies and we felt our testimonies grow just by sharing them with these missionaries.
On our way home from Hamilton we passed over Lake Ontario, it was beautiful with choppy waves because of high winds.
We have had very nice weather, in the 40's of 50's with rain on a few days. In the Great North of our mission they had 6 inches, so you can see the difference and the area that we cover.
Dad really missed being with his sons last night, he went with Elder Walker, (the former temple president) and said it was so nice but not the same as with his sons. He is so proud of you for still going as am I.
During the afternoon break, Dad and I walked around the pond below our building to see the Canadian Geese and Malard ducks, they are really beautiful. The babies should be hatching in a few weeks and then we will really have a lot there.
Dad and I are still meeting people on the elevator each day and are sure enjoying it. We have people from all over the world and they are so fun to meet and talk to.
Tomorrow night we go with Brother and Sister Walker to our youth home evening group. We have about 9 or 10 that come to ours. There are two other groups that other couples are doing and they are getting about the same attendance. We feel very good about this because they have to get their own transportation and it is after work and school so they are coming because they want to not because it is in their home and their parents are having it.
Wednesday night we are having dinner with our branch president and his family, what fun to have good company and a good home cooked meal.
We miss you all so much and would really like to hear how you are doing. May the Lord bless all of you and thank you for your support.
Elder and Sister Ward. (MOM and DAD

Elder Ward and I just got back from our first meeting with our Young Single Adults leaders. Dad and I were given a group to be over in the other mission for home evenings each week and Elder Ward is over the mission leaders and I am to take care of teaching the YSA to give talks and lessons. It is really neat and we are excited.
Elder Ward and I were in the SuperMart today on our lunch hour and the check out girl asked about our name tags and we told her, she is from India and has recently come unto Christ in another church, Elder Ward asked her if she would like to know more about our church and she said yes so we got her name and phone number and gave it to the elders.
We are getting better in the office each day, we were alone today and we learned alot. Our trainers were busy getting ready to leave. They will be in tomorrow and some on Monday, we have a zone conference to go to so we won't have them much more because they leave on Tuesday. The Lord is really blessing us.
It is late and I am very tired. Hope all is well with you, I understand that you are having snow storms, we have had rain but the weather has been in the high 40's and low 50's.
Love to you all.
Elder and Sister Ward

I am sorry again for the long time in writing, I have been lost because we couldn't get the internet started and then my computer won't work.
It seems like years since we left home. The trip here was so nice and we love our apartment. The view is so wonderful, every morning we watch the pond way below our window and the ice now has completely melted.
The other night we had just gone to bed and we heard funny sounds from outside, I told Elder Ward that the seagulls sounded sick and then it dawned on us that the geese were coming in. They come in at night and they fly in in families. There are about 15 to 20 geese in the pond now and the people in our building say that in the summer you can see around 100 at a time. By the way, JON AND MATT, you know that goose picture that everyone hates, well, I would love to have it here, there are not many pictures on the walls and I could find a great place for it.
Our work is overwhelming, I seem to learn one thing and then there are 40 new things to learn, our trainers are leaving next Tuesday and Dad and I are trying to cram as much as we can in such a small time.
We had transfers this week and all the new Zone Leaders came in for a meeting yesterday and it was so wonderful seeing all these fine young men, when they were all in our office after their meeting you could feel the power and strength of the priesthood in the room. We go next week to some zone meetings with the President and it should be wonderful.
Tomorrow night Elder Ward and I meet with the new branch president and the other people who are there to help to see what he wants us to in our calling with the young adults.
Elder Ward and I are still having trouble finding our way around, sometimes our GPS gets screwed up as it did tonight; it took us twice as long to get home. It is hard to navigate for us because we do not have our beautiful mountains to help us know where north and south are, it is flat here.
Canada is a melting pot for all nationalities, Sunday at our meeting with the youth, it looked like the United Nations and it was so cool finding out where all of these young people came from.
We have a lot of people from India here and quite a few in our building. They are usually shy, but we talk to them in the elevator and then they loosen up and are laughing by the time we get to the bottom. We have met some really nice people in the elevator.
The drivers here are terrible, they will never let any one in, you have to push in everywhere you go and they go really fast, but because people can't afford cars there are not as many as would normally be on the road.
I will write more tomorrow night and not as much since I won't have to catch up on everything.
Love to you all.
Grandma and Grandpa Ward (kiss our grandchildren for us)

It seems like years since I last wrote but it has only been three days. We had a great trip from Flint to Toronto. The roads were nice, especialy in Canada.
We had a fun time at the border, we decided that since we are missionaries we would be cheerful to everyone. We waited for about 15 minutes to get to the check in station and then we were told to go to the customs building next to the station. We went there and had to wait in this room where we were helped by the custom's people and when they had all their questions answered then they sent all the info through the computer to see if we were terrorists. We had a really nice lady wait on us who had torn her rotator cuff and we talked to her about that and she asked what we would be doing in Canada and as soon as we said we were missionaries for the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she softened and asked us to wait while she checked everything.
While we were waiting a family came in and we started talking to them and found out they were from Detroit and on their way to Rochester, New York; then another man came in and we all started talking while we were all waiting to be processed, soon two other men came in and we were all having such a good time that when we all left we said goodbye to everyone, I think the officials were a little surprised to see people having such a good time at the border.
We arrived in Toronto at 3:00 and called the mission headquarters and were told to come directly to our apartment because it was late and they wanted to us to get unpacked before Friday.
We were so tired that night that we just made our bed and went to sleep. Our apartment is beautiful, it has a nice livingroom with a dining room attached a nice kitchen and a sun room that overlooks the city of Toronto, I am sitting here in the sun room (this is where we have our office and it is 8:00 p.m and I am looking out at this magnificent view. All the lights, cars going on the roads and an airport that is over from our apartment so we can see the planes coming and going. We have a little park below with a pond that is just beginning to have the ice thaw and soon the geese will be comng in from the south to lay their eggs and have their little families for summer.
We went in to work yesterday and Elder Ward was great, he already has started to implement new procedures for the money. We have over two million dollars a year aloted to our mission. I am trying to learn all that my trainer is trying to teach me. I am going to start Monday to go on the computer and I am looking forward to that. She already had me answering the phones and it was so hard for me not to so: "PickMeUp Medical Transport, this is Jannet". I told the president that and he said that he sometimes still has that problem because of his business years.
Last night after work Elder Ward and I were invited to have dinner with the mission president and his wife (President Middleton). It was so nice we were there for almost two hours just talking and laughing and having spiritural conversations. They asked about our family and were so impressed with our children and grandchildren. They don't have as many as we do.
President Middleton asked us to be the office managers for the mission and bring some stability to the office, because everyone is new and they want us to help bring calm to them. (This is a stretch for me!)
President Middleton also asked us to work with two new singles branches that have been consolidated into one. He wants them to also have stability with married people to guide them, we will be working with a couple who have just been released as the temple president so it should be nice. President Middleton asked the stake president where he wanted us to work and was realy thrilled to have us help with these singles. Many of them come from homes where they are the only members and from single parent families, so they don't have much example to follow.
Today Elder Ward and I finished putting all of our stuff away and washed and then when to a near by mall, it was huge. We are really ready to go to bed tonight.
It has been different because we have a queen bed instead of a king but it has been nice to be closer together, even with Dad snoring.
I was ironing all of Elder Ward's shirts today (about an hour) I was getting tired and then it came to me that it was a priviledge to do this for my priesthood holder, Elder Ward came in just then as I was thinking this and asked how I was doing and I told him; he looked at me a little strange and wanted to know if I was all right; I looked back and told him to "shut up" and he said, "now you are feeling better".
President Middleton told us that our family would be blessed in many ways, temperal but more importantly spiritually and that is what we should all be striving for.
We love you all so much, how very blest we are to have you in our lives.

Love,
Elder and Sister Ward

We made it to Flint, Michigan in 5 hours, Dad did such a great job of driving, especially around Chicago, so much polution, bad highways and traffic. Once we got on the highway to Michigan, the scenery became beautiful. It brought back all the memories of the times that we visited here. All the trees and lakes and ponds.
Flint is a very nice town with nice people and places to see.
Thank you Jon for your message, it meant so much. We too are proud of our children and our grandchildren, we are always so excited to tell people about all of you when asked. Out in the world to have 4 sons and 11 grandchildren is really something.
We talked to the mission home today and they are anxiously awaiting us and we are glad to finally be able to start serving. It should only take about 4 hours to get there tomorrow.
Kellye, I can't get the pictures on this blog, when I get a chance, I'll call you and have you talk me through it. We have some fun pictures to share with all of you.
Dad had one of his crowns come off of his tooth and will have to have it taken care of in Canada. He called he dentist and he will refund the money to have it done. Thank goodness.
Tell the grandchildlren that we have brought our pancake starter and will take care of it until we can come back and have our breakfasts again, we hope the children will still want to do it when we get back. Please kiss them all for us.
Love, Mom and Dad

I am sorry that I didn't write last night, but we were so tired from driving all day and then Dad had to work with Chris to get my computer going. I hope it will work, it seems to.
We enjoyed the ride through Nebraska, the rolling hills with ponds of deep blue water next to the highway. There were more trees than in Wyoming and better scenery. We used the GPS and yes Matt, I wish we would have bought one for Dad at Christmas, but he really enjoys it and has names her Chrystal because she makes everything clear. We would never have found our motel last night in Omaha without her. We have decided that on our way home we are going to stop in the smaller towns, they are more fun. (We hated Omaha!)
We are in Joliet, Illinois tonight and are not as tired as we were last night. The scenery was pretty today with all the beautiful farms and land ready to plant for the spring harvest. The farms are all so well taken care of and where there are large rolling hills in Iowa they have the electric windmills again and they are huge. There are so many of them that you can see them for miles as they gracefully turn.
The radio told all about the farm crops and cattle and sheep prices. In Nebraska we saw herd after herd of Black Angus cattle and every now and then we thought we would die from the smell along the highway by the feed lots.
The highways in Illinois are the worst so far; Nebraska and Wyoming the best.
After we checked in tonight, Dad and I went and saw the old Joliet Prison that was used in the movie "The Blues Brothers", boy was it fascinating. We then went to a totally different WalMart, it was huge with high ceilings that made it seem like a BIG hanger at the airport. It was fun.
Dad and I have almost got the first discussion down and really enjoy it. We are memorizing the first vision where the Prophet tells about seeing the Father and the Son. Dad picks it up fast and I pick it up then lose it. I am getting better though, by the time I come home I should have it memorized!
How grateful we are for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his Atonement for us.
We love you all and pray for you night and morning.
Mom and Dad

Sorry about all the errors in the new blog, I sent it before I checked, sweet old age!

Friday was probably the worst day since we started our mission papers, we spent the day cleaning and getting our house ready to leave and then in the afternoon we packed all of the clothes that we were going to take, by the time we got to the clothes we were so tired we didn't care, we just threw them into the suitcases and sat on them to close them.
One nice thing about the day was that Matt and Teran came with their family to say goodbye. It was so much easier to have closure, we were very blest to see our grandchildren one more time before we left as well and our children, and we appreciate all the work Chris did to help with our computers. You have all be so great.
We didn't get to bed until 12:00 so Saturday morning we actually slept in and didn't get out until after 9:30m but it was all right because we arrived here in Cheyenne around 6:00.
Grandma Deleeuw brought over a care package (very big) with all kinds of goodies and fun things to eat, Dad has really enjoyed them, as well as Mom.
Matt gave me some advice, to enjoy things and remember what I see and look for new things and we have been doing that.
As I sat in our living room yesterday as Dad was packing the last of our things, I remember all the good times we have had in that house and realized again how very blest we have been. As we traveled though Provo Canyon we looked at the beautiful mountains and were amazed at the beautiful highway that is there now; we remember Heber and the times we spent there with our family. As we came into Wyoming I remember Lyman where my Mother was raised and I spent a year when Mark and I were young. We couldn't help but remember that short distance on the map that took us to South Dakota! We laughed and remember when Dad rode through the truck lane outside of Evanston in our old Caddy.
We were anazed at the semi trucks, over 75% of the traffic on the freeway was trucks. At the side of the road we watched the many trains as they went their way and also watching all of this were the antelope, they are such tiny little animals and very beautiful. I love how Wyoming uses the wind power with windmills on the ridges as we pass by, they are so pretty as they turn with the wind.
We end to church today and met the local missionaries and had a good time meeting with the members. The church is the same everywhere, isn't it wonderful. After church we drove around Cheyenne, it is a pretty town, we checked out the old town as Matt suggested we do and found the old train station, airport, the State Capital Building, it has a gold dome but is not as pretty as Utah's. We will be starting out tomorrow morning for Omaha, and we will be watching for new things.

the 9th through 11th days
Today was our last day, it was so hard to say goodbye to our friends that we have become even closer to through this last week. There were so many of us that they had to put us in two computer labs, and we were just a few of the couples that were left.
When we pulled in on Tuesday morning they were loading the big missionary bus that takes the missionaries to the airport. There must have been a lot that left because the cafeteria was much more quiet that day than it had been since we arrived last week.
The new senior couples came in Monday but they didn't have as big a group as ours. I may be biased (yes I know) but all the older teachers and the younger returned missionaries that taught us said that we were really a special group and we all felt it too.
The teachers told us that the church needs so many more seniors than they have and it made us feel good to really be needed. At our age it is easy to just fade away and wait to die or travel all over trying to get every minute in before we die. This is so much better and the Spirit testifies to us how important the work is that all the missionaries are doing.
This week we spent the whole time in the computer lab, Monday wasn't bad but Tuesday I hated it, we worked on finances and I'm certainly glad they aren't letting me do it in the mission because I would give away more than I would take in.
Yesterday they seperated us from our partners and they worked on the finances and we worked on posting baptisms, letters to families, missionaries etc. and doing the mission newsletter. I am going to lose my mind trying to get that cut and paste right!
So great to see our little ones (Tymber, Tyme and Kenya) at OutBack. We love our grandchildren so much and I had to work so hard not to cry again, but I did pretty good, as did Elder Ward.
Elder Ward did so good on our final exams today, he was through before most of the men and I came along really good until I got to the cut and paste, oh well, this too shall pass.
Tomorrow we finish up everything; cleaning, packing etc. We are going to leave on Saturday morning and stay the first two nights in Cheyenne, we are staying over on Sunday and going to church there and then leave on Monday to stay that night in Omaha. We have been sort of in limbo these past two weeks, not a home here and not in the mission field yet. It will be so good to finally be really serving. Time to go to bed, Elder Ward is asleep in the chair, I have to get him into bed so we can finish up tomorrow. Love you all.

8th Day

Today we started our classes in a new building and our numbers were fewer than last week. We were still one of the largest groups of office missionaries. We learned the computers and I really had a fun time learning new things about the computer, Dad even learned some things. I finally learned how to put pictures on the computer and I will try and do it tomorrow night.
Dad and I really had a good time on the Excell, I was so glad that I had that at work and boy, did I learn all the things you can do. Our teachers (returned missionaries) were really impressed that we were all pretty good on computers, Dad and some of the others were very good. They have had missionaries come through that have had trouble turning on the computer, but how special they were for keeping in there and learning.
Dad and I went out to dinner with Uncle Mark and Aunt Kaye tonight. We had such a wonderful time, they are still planning on going on a mission too, but are a little frightened because of the unknown and leaving everything, along with Mark's health. When we left Mark gave me a hug and Kaye did more than one with tears in their eyes, we have become so close this last year and it is hard to leave them, but we told them that we would be there for their homecoming.
Enjoyed our visit with Mark and Kristine's family this weekend and the beautiful piano solo of Elisha's.
We love you all.

Another spiritual day, it was the last time that we will see some of our friends, for those that are going to English speaking, proselyting missions will be leaving tomorrow. It was hard to say goodbye and know that we probably not see them again.
This morning we had big meeting with all of us and then we seperated out all over the MTC to have our one on one with the volunteers, this time the volunteers were "newly baptized members" and we gave them a review of the Atonement and Restoration lessons. It was so touching, the volunteer we were asigned was a young man with cerabal Palsey (sp) who was in an electric wheelchair. He came with a young woman who is his care giver. When Dad asked him to open with prayer it took all of his energy to pray but it was such a beautiful prayer from his heart. I was reminded of all the special people that Jon used to transport.
He said that he wanted to meet with us next week if we were going to be doing any more teaching, but I don't think we will because of our training. This young man (Sam) come in every week and serves as a volunteer.
I gave one of our PickMeUp pens to a widow who is going to Italy; her grandson is having problems with the church and she wants so much to have him back in the church again, I told her of Jon and she said that she would take the pen and everytime she writes with it she will remember not to give up on her grandson.
Wonderful day!

5th day at the MTC

4th Day

We spent most of the day learning how to work with inactives and part-member families. The church has found that seniors have much better results with these people than the younger missionaries.

We had a senior couple that just returned from a mission to Minnesota and before that in an African country that was so dangerous that they couldn't leave or have missionaries come in because the borders were closed.

This couple was great and told us how they had been able to reach so many inactives in Minnesota, so much so that the church sent them back again for another mission.

In the afternoon we had more opportunities to continue learning how to teach inactives and part-member families. Then after this we went to the call center and they showed us how to take calls from all over the United States from those t.v. commercials that the church does for the Book of Mormon.

The last class was with Brother Pinegar who spoke to us about his experiences as a mission president and as a missionary in upper New York. He said that when he was over the London Mission he begged for senior missionaries, but couldn't get any, finally he was able to have 4 sets come and he said they literally turned the mission around by all the fellowshiping and work in the branches. He said that the church cannot fill all the requests for senior missionaries throughout the world.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to some of our dear friends who are going to be proselyting missionaries and do not have to learn a language. It is going to be hard to see them go.

2nd & 3rd Day at the MTC

I screwed up the first time on this so I am trying again, I don't want to let this go or I'll forget it.

Tuesday Bob and I had a great day of learning the first discussion of the Restoration of the Gospel, and in the afternoon each couple was sent to a private area and we had a volunteer come and play an investigator, she was an older sister and Dad really thought she was a non-member and at the end of the discussion he was ready to set up a time to take her to church and have the missionaries visit her, she had to convince him that she was not a non-member.

At lunch yesterday I saw an older gentleman sitting alone so I thought he was waiting for his wife, so I sat across from him and asked he if he was a missionary, because I noticed that his name tag was different, and he said that he worked at the MTC. Soon another man came and sat on the other side of me and Dad on my left with another man next to him. We had a nice conversation and after they left Dad asked if I knew who they were and I told him that they worked at the MTC and he informed me that they were the MTC Presidency and the President sat next to him.

We didn't go home after dinner last night because there was a devotional with Brother Kikuchi from the Quorum of the 70's, we sat in the foyer and read our assignment for today, just before we left to go to the auditorium Bob went to the men's room and saw Brother Kikuchi there and had a very nice visit with him, what a day for meeting people.

The devotional was wonderful, we as seniors have seats in the front and all around are over 1,000 young missionaries; when we all sang "Called to Serve Him", I was overcome with the power of the spirit and cried as did so many of the other seniors. Brother Kikuchi gave a powerful talk and touched every one there by the Spirit. Our Mark knows him and the man that converted him. What a small world.

Today we learned the 2nd disucssion on the Atonement and again this afternoon we had another "investigator", this time he was a lawyer from Provo and he played a Baptist and he was very good and asked questions that a real investigator would ask; Iwas so proud of Dad, he answered every question with a scripture and did it in such a loving and powerful way that the man was touced also. He took our picture and is going to e-mail it to us and we will try and figure out how to post it so you can see us.

I love these senior couples, I am in awe of the far away places that they are going in the world and even though they are a little frightened they have faith that our Heavenly Father will protect them and they are putting their faith in Him.

Today was ice cream day and Dad and I really enjoyed it. The hot fudge is out of this world!

The new missionaries came today, it brought back all the memories of the times we took our boys there, I could feel the ever present tears coming again so we didn't stay to watch.

More teaching tomorrow, what a wonderful, true church we belong to.

2nd & 3rd Day at the MTC

FIRST DAY AT THE MTC

We arrived there about 10:45 and signed in and I finally am wearing a real name tag. We went through orientation and heard from the MTC Mission President and his wife, went to lunch and then met together again to get to know everyone. We had 29 sets of seniors and 3 sets of single sisters.
I was amazed at the many places that these elderly people are being sent to. The Mission President told us that every day they receive calls from Mission Presidents begging for more senior missionaries. It made us feel so needed.
Let me tell you of some of the many places that these seniors are going: West Indies, Borneo,Russia, Congo,Texas,California,Phillipines {sp}, Mexico, New Jersey (where Matt went),Ontario (?), Washington D.C. to National Archives, Nevada, New York,Montana, Salt Lake, Italy, Arizona (to the Native Americans), Tonga, Samoa, Philadelphia, Australia, Ohio, Cambodia, Singapore, VietNam, Germany; to name some of them.
I am so impressed with the faith of these older missionaries to go to some of these very dangerous and far away places.
We were told that the angels are very real and that they are all around us looking out for us, and even more so now that we are on a mission and these angels will also be watching out for our families too and I truly felt it last night as we were set apart and my sons were given such beautiful blessings by their Dad.
What a blessing it is to have such wonderful sons and daughters-in-law and grandchildren, crap, I'm going to cry again, so I'll stop. WE ARE SO BLESSED.

Thoughts about our mission.

This has all been such a dream and at times a nightmare. We were told that we would be going in the States because of Bob's medication, I was all right with it but knew we were to go out of the States; I also knew that I needed to use my French from my first mission, but Bob didn't want to learn another language and I couldn't blame him because it isn't easy. I just sort of resigned myself that this was Bob's mission and that I would be blessed for serving wherever we were sent.
As the weeks went on I became more filled with unrest and at times anger, Satan sure knows where to hit our weak points and since I have a plethera of them he had a field day. My sweet husband took more abuse than usual but was still loving and kind.
We waited longer than most seniors, the Church likes to get us out and back before we die, so we were surprised; instead of the two to four weeks we waited SIX! During this time the Church called again and asked for more information on Bob's work history.
When the call came and it finally sunk in that we were indeed going out of the States and I would be able to see French all around us I really knew that the Lord was truly looking out for both of us, how blest we are.
What a very special blessing to have our whole family with us as we opened our call, I love these dear ones so much and it makes it easier to leave them knowing that the Lord will bless us for this service, not only Bob and me but our children for taking care of our home and finances while we are gone. These boys are wonderful and we so appreciate our dear daughters-in-law for all the support that they constantly give to our sons and grandchildren. I have to stop now because I am crying and can't see the keyboard anymore. Thank you Kellye for helping me learn how to do this.

Our Mission Call!!!

Bob wouldn't let go of that letter
Come on Bob, open it! !
He is so careful, rip it open! I am so impatient!
Read it all ready!
Are you kidding! Look at that smirk on Bob's face and my cavern!
Close your mouth, all the air is leaving your body!
It really is true!
For the first time I am speechless, boy, everyone enjoy it!
I had to believe what Bob read because he never did let me read the letter.
Boy, does this ever look like us, me exasperated, Bob smirking.
It really is true, there is a God in Heaven! !
Wow!
Mark and Kristine with their sweet ones.
Matt and Teran with more of our special grandchildren.
Chris and Kim with our Jakob.
Jon and Kellye with their Cherubs, thanks Kellye for these wonderful pictures!
Milt and Renae Deleeuw, our best friends and neighbors