First Month

We have now been serving our mission for a little over one month.  Our eyes have definitely been opened to new things and our hearts filled with gratitude for our bounteous blessings.

Along with the bishop's help, we have gotten Innocent's apartment furnished.  Craig spent about five hours one evening at LDS Employment meeting with Innocent and an immigration attorney to get Innocent's application for asylum transferred from Los Angeles to Salt Lake.  We have also helped him to put together a resume and cover letter and apply for a job as a school bus driver (he has a CDL).  Some friends of ours gave us a nice winter coat for Innocent which we will give him Sunday.

Sister Hernandez is working on her adult high school diploma which I am definitely able to help her with.  I spent an hour this week helping her with some math and plan to meet with her again soon.  She is scheduled for knee surgery next month.  She has also found a special program for her 17-year old son.  He will be picked up each day and taken to a program that will provide a half day of therapy and a half day of school.  She really tries to be a good mom and grandma.

Our third family, the Kings, are a big challenge.  We still haven't been able to get inside the home.  Patrick, a retired high priest, seems reluctant to let us meet his daughter.  We ran into the granddaughter, Andi, outside the apartment one Sunday and introduced ourselves but that is it.  We have tried setting appointments as well as just dropping by, both without success.

With the bishop's approval we are going to start holding Family Home Evening on Wednesday nights in a room at the church and invite our families to attend.  Sister Hernandez has already said she would like that.  Innocent is agreeable with most anything, so the King family will remain our challenge.  Craig is going out of town next week so we won't begin until October 28th.

Last Sunday was Stake Conference followed by a quarterly mission conference.  We had a lovely meal and some inspiring messages.  This coming Sunday we have been asked to speak in Sacrament meeting.