Another Transfer Done

We had transfers last week, so it was a very busy week. The first picture is the 3 assistants, the middle one is leaving on Wed. and the one in front will take his place. We are enjoying our Monday lunch thanks to Sister H.

 The next 2 pictures are from transfers- taken out of our mission office window. It is hard to believe we still had that much snow on the grass last week. We had a huge rainstorm on Monday afternoon, right after the new missionaries arrived. We enjoyed going to dinner at the mission home Monday evening and meeting them. They are always so tired because they had to get up at 2:00 am to get to the airport. We got 6 elders and 3 sisters.

Warmer weather started on Tuesday, (transfer day). We were able to go to the temple on Tuesday afternoon with the missionaries who will depart on Wed. We always leave at 2:30 for the temple and drive some of the missionaries there. We love to be there in the sealing room and hear from the Mission President and his wife and the Temple president and his wife. Then we go on a special temple session just for us. That night the Temple Pres and his wife joined us on the session.

That evening, after we dropped off the missionaries at the mission home, we drove through Louisville to go to a visiting teaching appointment. There was a lot of traffic and tons of people walking and we couldn't figure out where they were going. We finally passed the YUM center and they were all heading to a basketball game.  This is a drive by photo. We have never seen so many people in town before.  When we got to our appointment, the Sister didn't answer the door.  We were a little early, so we went to get something to eat and then went back. Still no answer. The disappointment of Missionary work!

 Saturday was a warm day, 60 degrees.  We called the Hiatt's to see if they wanted to go with us on a hike at Iroquois Park nearby. Everyone was out enjoying the good weather.

Behind one picture, you will see families and children at the playground and in the background of the other picture, there is a group of people playing with pugil sticks. There is a 3.2 mile loop that we walked around. It was great to get outside. 

Sunday, was a good and busy day. We picked up lots of people - had great meetings and fixed lunch at the church for the elders plus 3 extra people and then took them home. It even  snowed again that day . We have two new elders in the Branch. One of our elders is brand new from Colorado. Sunday evening we picked everyone up again and went over to the new member fireside. It is always fun to hear conversion stories from the investigators and new converts. Our missionaries are busy teaching and baptizing people. We just need to work on retention. Another fun thing about the fireside is that people come from all around the area and we get to see many of the missionaries who we worked with and were transferred from the Louisville area. 

The last picture is Monday morning at the office.  The dirty blob is all that is left of the snow. We are back to 30 degree days and more snow predicted tonight.

We are finished with letters, reports, mail and crowds that come with transfers. This week has been quiet in the office and we are getting in profiles of our new missionaries who will be arriving in June and August!  It's weird to think that this President and his wife will not even meet these missionaries. The new President also arrives at the end of June.

Sister Moulton
Kentucky Louisville Mission

Valentines Week

We had a fun Valentine's week.  We had missionaries coming into the office for district meeting on Wed and Zone meeting on Thursday so I made cookies for them. 

Wednesday evening we attended the marriage of a young couple in our branch. The branch President married them in his office. I made red velvet cupcakes for a little celebration afterwards. 

Thursday, the Hiatt's came into the office for Zone meeting and we saw that the women were all wearing red, so we decided to take a picture. We let the men pose in the picture with us.

Friday we also had treats in the office for Valentine's day. President and Sister Woodbury came into the office and the new assistant joined the other 2 to plan the Transfer for next week.  We have all been busy getting ready for transfers.

Friday night, we left work and stopped at Panera bread for dinner. Then at 7:00 we met the Sister Missionaries at a young couple's home to teach them a lesson. It was a nice visit. They have a 3 year old son. The lesson was on the Proclamation for the Family and the sister seemed surprised about why our church teaches the importance of people being married before having children. This is not something that is taught in our society today. We also had another rain and snow storm tonight.

Saturday Elder Moulton and I attended the National farm machinery show that was held at the Kentucky Exhibition Center in Louisville.  It was on for 4 days and they said 300,000 people attended. Saturday was definitely crowded but Elder Moulton did get to see some tractors that he liked. Some of the machinery was huge! There were lots of families and little kids climbing around and sitting on the tractors. We wish we would have had the grandchildren with us. They would have loved it.

After the tractor show we went over to the church to an Eagle Court of Honor. This was only the 2nd person to receive the Eagle rank in our branch. He is an amazing young man. His mom had a buffet of refreshments for us afterward. The Stake Young Men's President, Brother Bednar, was there with his young son. 

That evening we went with the Elders to visit a sister in the hospital who had had pneumonia plus an infection and had been in a medically induced coma for a few weeks. She was finally able to sit up and talk, so although we have taken the missionaries there often, it was the first time we met her and visited with her.

Sunday was our branch pot luck, so we were busy on Saturday night and Sunday morning making food for it. We had a good attendance at church. We helped that out by bringing two car loads of people. The stake Patriarch talked about Patriarchal blessings and we see the need to try to help find a way for people in the branch to receive theirs . It can help us know who we are and make a plan and set goals for our life. He also talked about the importance of family. The thing that is the hardest for us to comprehend here is that a lot of people have no family to support and help them in their lives.

We hope you all had a Happy Valentine's Day and know how much you are loved and missed.

February in Kentucky

I (Angela) have a trip planned to visit my parents in March.  I hope the snow is gone by then.  It appears that Kentucky has snowy winters.

A winter picture of my parents outside the mission office. 

Barbara and Sister Halvorsen shoveling the snow.  This picture must be a total set up.  I can't imagine them really shoveling the snow, especially when their husbands love to shovel it.

The tree outside my dad's office window ice covered with two robins.  Can you find them?  I always wonder what birds eat when the ground is covered by snow.  Any ideas?

Sunday dinner today with the missionaries.  Elder Clarke with the red hair goes home next week. 

 Elder Dahle and Elder Beecroft have birthdays this week so we had peach cobbler and ice cream with candles.   (I wonder what is going on with the missionary with the suspenders?)

Our mantel with the family photos.  Some are missing. (I think this is a hint for my siblings to send my parents a current photo :)

 Barbara sitting on her Valentines present (antique chairs) on our deck.  

Celebrating my birthday on the mission

Here are some new photos with explanations of them from my dad.

Here is Mom in front of the mission office on a snowy day which happens about once or twice each week.  We just had another 4 inches of snow overnight. 

In this picture  Elder Halvorsen and I are pushing the snow.  It was freezing cold that day.

Here is a picture of the used mission cars that we just sold.   They were loaded on a transport truck and will be taken to a car dealer in Mississippi. 

These are the missionaries from the Shawnee Branch.  They are being lead by Elder Beecroft from Washington doing their impersonation of a Seahawk in honor of the Seahawks being in the super bowl.

Here is Sister Moulton and Elder Hiatt and the Elders with the lunch spread for my birthday.  We had this after church at our apartment.  We ate roast beef and mashed potatoes.

Finally here I am with my birthday cake.  Mom made a delicious german chocolate cake for me, my favorite.