Happy Birthday in the Mission Field

The beautiful Thueson family sending Grandma birthday love

Lovely cake made by the Elders!

Someone knows I love flowers

Cards, flowers, cakes, phone calls, Skypes - what a nice birthday for Sister Orton, I feel very loved and spoiled!  But more on that later...

Devin's amazing wife Amie made us a picture calendar for Christmas,  it's a treat to flip over each new month and see the cute pictures and inspirational thoughts on the next page.  On May's page there are darling pictures of Naomi and Krista playing with our miniature horses (Krista is in her pink princess dress, Naomi has bright galoshes on her feet) - so cute -  and the quote of the month is by Hans Christian Anderson:
 "The whole world is a series of miracles but we're so used to seeing them that we call them ordinary things."
Believe it.  We are trying to recognize the miracles in our daily lives, and there are many.  We have had a lot of rain lately, and it contributes to the natural beauty of West Virginia.  We are loving the tree-covered hillsides as the different shades of green appear, with the occasional red bud and dogwood blossoms for contrast.

Red buds line the road as we approach Wardensville

Dogwoods in the forest

Prettiest little valley, near Baker (West Virginia)

Small section of freeway, called Corridor H (we thought for the longest time that people
were saying Quarter H?), we travel this road between Moorefield & Wardensville
often, nice change from the narrow, curvy roads we usually are on.

About our week - it was busy.  We had District Meeting on Tuesday, then went visiting. My visiting teaching partner was out of town again, this time Wayne was a good sport and filled in.  We visited Jane, Woneda at the Baker nursing home, and finally way out to Carol L.'s beautiful home on a hill in the woods.  From her huge front window we watched the birds and squirrels play, it's such a lovely setting.  Then we drove to Wardensville to check in on Sheila H and finally managed to catch another family at their home and had a nice chat getting to know them.  Larry is not a member, but he is a car restorer and racer, so he and Wayne had a good visit.  Wednesday I took my neighbor girl to the hospital,  taught another lesson to our friend Traci (she is a regular at church on Sundays now, loved her first Relief Society night meeting a couple weeks ago, and even brought a friend to church with her yesterday), then worked with neighbor Becky H. on genealogy at the church in the evening.  JerriLee, who recently moved into the apartment next to us, had her baby about midnight,  darling little girl - Corinna Skye.  Thursday morning we got a call from Sheila H. needing a ride from Wardensville (about 45 miles away) to Moorefield. We spent most of the afternoon driving her around, but she was very entertaining and really appreciated our help.  We did get done in time to help with Bingo at the nursing home. Friday we had another lesson with John & Audrey out past Moorefield,  then drove south of Petersburg on the 220 to see Dave & Elaine V. and  Dave gave me a few strawberry plants for my little patio garden.  Wayne sang at the nursing home in the evening.

That brings us to SATURDAY!  My (Janie's) birthday.  So nice to be remembered with cards, flowers, chocolate, pictures, and good wishes - thanks so much.  After our regular 9 am meeting with the Elders and our Ward Mission Leader, Wayne and I drove to Moorefield (12 miles) and explored a cemetery that we had been curious about.  It was a beautiful place for a walk, interesting to read about the Civil War battle that took place there, see the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers plus a section for slaves and their descendants.  Then we went to a nearby plant nursery where I picked out cheery pansies, petunias, and snap dragons to replace the weeds in the tiny flowerbeds on either side of our front door.  We came home, had a special lunch (shrimp, yum!), then the doorbell rang - two of our Elders (young missionaries) with a cake

they had made for me!  The other two came later with a cute picture of the four of them (and to share cake). Nice notes from each of them also, sweet.  I then went to a baby shower for a young woman in our ward and spent the rest of my birthday reading and talking to my kids and grandkids. Lovely day.

Sunday - very long day.  We don't have early meetings on Fast Sundays, but Wayne's friend Johnny K. said he wasn't coming to church because he didn't have the gas to drive to Petersburg from Moorefield, so Wayne left at 7:45 am to pick him up and bring him to church.  We had great meetings, then afterward had a ward potluck. After the potluck we picked up two of the Elders, took Johnny home, then drove to Jane H.'s for a sweet visit and the Elders blessed and shared the sacrament with her.  She struggles with health challenges and is pretty isolated so she very much appreciates our visits.  We then drove on down the road to the Baker nursing home to see Woneda and share the sacrament with her also.  She is very lonely and so loves her missionary visits.  Another half hour of driving past the little town of Mathias for a nice visit with Connie S. and up a mountain to meet Vada D., someone on the directory list that we have been trying to find. She is another lonely older lady with health problems, happy to have someone interested in her.  And we were happy to finally find her.  Her brother Baxter, whom she rarely sees, is a good friend of ours, we are having dinner with Baxter and his wife Sandy tomorrow night, so will convey her love to him (Wayne managed to take a picture of her with his IPad to show Baxter too).  An hour's drive from Vada's back to our home. Got home tired about 8 pm,  but had fun Skype visits with Acors and Thuesons to end the day.   Today I am running my neighbor and her new baby around to doctor appointments, WIC meeting, and grocery shopping and hope to get my flowers planted....    What fun.   Look for the miracles.  We are doing great and just wonder where the time is going? Our love to you all.  

  

This is Wayne now:  We were talking with each other the other day about how the Lord's tender mercies weave themselves into so many of the things we do or are called upon to do.  When we were driving across the U.S on our way to the Maryland, Baltimore Mission, we could see in our mind's eye tall buildings, lots of pavement, many busy people going to and fro, bright lights and so forth.  Then we received the call not to go to Baltimore but straight to Petersburg, West Virginia.  Totally different than what we had imagined.  And totally much better! 

What a tender mercy to come here.  It hasn't stopped there but continues and we are continually grateful.

We look back on the experiences we have had in our life, the things we have learned, the skills we have developed and can see how helpful they are now in "hastening the work".  Our skills and talents are really quite limited but we have experiences so often where we can use them.  We have helped with gardening, fixed a lawnmower, made house repairs, helped with family history, played music, helped with budgeting and many other things that have helped us appreciate experiences we have had in the past.  We are so grateful to do anything we can to invite someone to come closer the Christ.  It is just important to learn all that you can because it will be useful.  You may not think that it is important for you but it will be important to someone else later.