Upkeep for our trusty van!

Our poor tired van needed some upkeep this past week.  We put so many miles on it and often drive on rocky, rutted roads.  We had to replace the back two tires (already had replaced the other two) and got new brake pads or something to do with the brakes - yes, it's true, I don't listen too well when Wayne starts talking about our car, or any car...   And it was still leaking transmission fluid from a service several weeks ago, so that had to be fixed as well.  Of course it took two different appointments at two different locations, and more time than anticipated, but that's to be expected, right?  If only we could cut down on the amount of gas it uses.  It does get good gas mileage, but we drive it so much.  We are very grateful for its size, reliability, and dependability.

We also have done battle with bugs this week.  Earwigs, beetles, spiders, other crawly things.  Guess the bugs (or is it insects?) like the heat and humidity.  And obviously our apartment isn't airtight, 'cause they keep finding their way in.  Even found an earwig in our bed and one in my washcloth as I was taking a shower!

We taught several lessons this past week and visited quite a few of our shut-ins and less active ward members.  Wayne went home teaching several times and I went on a long visiting teaching route Friday. Today (Sunday) I picked up a handicapped investigator for church,  Wayne and I taught the temple preparation class, then Wayne taught the high priests' lesson.  We had the Parks over for dinner after church and worked on genealogy before taking them home.  Then Wayne met his HT partner and they visited a hard-to-see single lady (inactive because her ex-husband is in our ward...).  Then he drove to Moorefield to help his friend Johnny do his home teaching.  This next week will also include more home and visiting teaching visits as we try to encourage members here to go out, and have offered to assist them, if needed.

Wayne had a busy day Wednesday.  It was Transfer Day for our mission and two of our Petersburg

Elders Farr, Plumb, Bell, Rodrigues

missionaries were transferred.  Their companions wanted to go to the meeting also (3 hour drive to Columbia, near Baltimore) - one of them was called as our new District Leader and had a meeting after the transfer meeting - so our van had to transport Wayne, our four Elders, and all the luggage and bikes for two of them.  We could tell there wasn't enough room for me, so I had to stay behind with the whole day to myself and no car!  I didn't mind, and I think some of the other senior sisters that Wayne talked to at the meeting were a little envious.  I spent the day writing postcards to my grandchildren (and walking to the post office to mail them), reading, studying for temple prep and VT lessons, making handouts for visiting teaching, weeding my little flower beds, and doing apartment chores.  Wayne left at 6 am and got home about 4 pm.

Good-bye to Elder Plumb and Elder Bell

We sent off Elder Plumb (one of our very most favorite missionaries who has been here since February) and Elder Bell, both great young men. We welcomed to our District Elder Bronson, from Ogden, Utah, and Elder Hall, from Bancroft, Idaho.  We will come to love them too.  In the evening I did indexing with a couple other ladies, and Wayne went home teaching.

Loading up

Yesterday (Saturday) we made a couple visits in the Lahmansville and Mayfield areas.  One to our elderly

Beautiful West Virginia back roads

friend Irene, who gave me the African violet last fall.  She was happy to see us and had saved a newspaper clipping for us about whip-or-wills, we are hoping to hear them some night. She obviously had been anticipating and looking forward to our visit, she is lonely and we seem to be her only link to the church. Then we visited our new friend Mindy, the lady we ran into at the Food Pantry who hasn't had any contact with the church for many years.  She is raising three grandchildren and now wants the Elders to teach them, we are excited about that. We tried to find another lost member way out in the country.  Beautiful drive, and we did find what we think is her house, but no one home.  We saw a sign pointing to "Dolly Sods" a popular National Forest recreation area we have been

The road gets narrower

wanting to see, so we took off on a road that got progressively worse and worse, and went way further that we thought it would.  Nice view from the plateau on top, and several good hiking trails that we may explore later.  An adventure.

Narrow, curvy, muddy, and foggy!

Dolly Sods area

Hiking trail to a beautiful viewpoint on the edge of the plateau,
we will explore this some future day...

We did service at the nursing home, Wayne sang there Friday night, too.  We had our highs and lows,  good visits and ones that fell through.  We are frustrated with the lack of enthusiasm for home and visiting teaching and we excited about several individuals and couples that are preparing to go to the temple.  Missing home and family, but loving the work and the people here.  Thanks for your prayers and encouragement. Stay strong in your faith.  Keep the commandments and serve others.

I know you've heard this before, but I just love
these little white churches in the country.
This is the Davis Baptist Church outside of Maysville. 

 

Way out in the country, came upon a chicken house right by the road.