Our Observations at Our Half Way Point

It is amazing that nine months have already passed since we left home for this mission. We have been looking forward to the Hill Cumorah Pageant since before we left home, and now it is only 2 1/2 months away. This year will be the 75th anniversary of the pageant. This year it will be held on July 12-14 and 17-21. For more information go to the website: www.HillCumorah.org. There you will find some interesting facts. We plan on having some of our family and others visit this summer and look forward to having them visit.

Looking back on the past months there have been many activities outside the office that we have been involved in. Just last week we spent an evening preparing fresh fruit for the Zone Training the next day. The we and the Jensens cut up 13 pineapples, 20 lbs. of strawberries, and 24 lbs. of grapes and added 2 dozen bananas the next day to make a fruit cup mix. We also purchased 13 dozen bagels, and mixed crushed strawberries and honey into respective cream cheese spreads. Then there were the 120 bottles of water that also had to be transported to Batavia and Canandaigua for the meetings. It was a lot of work. It is so great having a wonderful spouse who spearheads those things. I did not mention that we also deliver mail and packages that we receive at the office for many missionaries. We are happy to report that when lunch is served for Zone Conferences, Ward Relief Societies are asked to prepare the meal and are reimbursed for the food costs. That does save us a lot of extra work.

We have mentioned before that there is also time to have some activities. We went to the city museums in Palmyra with other senior couples last week. We also made a visit to a small Amish community. Later this year there will be Erie Canal boat rides, and visits to other historical sites. Almost every Wednesday evening we go to the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center for a Site Meeting. It is an opportunity to see all of the Site Couples and the young sisters who serve there two thirds of their time. We also get to hear comments from Bob Parrott, the arborist for all of the historic sites and temple. Bob is local man, who grew up next to the Smith Farm. He has been very instrumental in restoring the Sacred Grove to its natural forest setting. He takes such pride in it, and has had some very spiritual experiences in the Grove. Visiting the Grove often is a real treat and offers a place for some quiet time to reflect on life and religion. The longer we serve here the more that we realize that, "It is all true!"