Monday, January 9, 2017

Settling in...

We've been here a couple of weeks now and are beginning to settle into a routine.  In the winter months we work at the Visitor Center for six hours a day, six days a week.  Thursday is our P-day and a chance to clean house, do laundry and shop for the week.  January and February are pretty slow months as far as visitors to the site go---we average 2-3 tours per day, so we have lots of down time to continue to study and learn all the things that good tour guides are supposed to know.  You never know when a General Authority will show up 😜  .   Certainly want to look like we know what we're talking about.  They are trusting us to do our own tours now.  Each tour lasts from 1 to 1 1/2 hours plus a beautiful video that can only be seen here at this site.  Summer time they tell us will be crazy---last year they had up to 700 visitors a day, so we'll enjoy the peace while we can.  Our Visitor Center directors will be leaving next week and the other senior couple leaves in 3 1/2 months, so soon we will be the most experienced ones here.  Kinda of scarey, I know.

The holidays were different, but lovely just the same.  Christmas day is the only day in the year when the visitor center is closed down, so we got all the missionaries together (14 in all, 8 senior missionaries and 6 young sisters) for a nice turkey dinner and some fun games after Church.  Then all headed to their homes to call their families.  We loved talking with all of our kids and grandkids during the day.  Technology is such a blessing, it was wonderful to be able to see everyone as well as hear them.  Don't want them to forget what we look like. New Year's Eve we all got together for some more games and snacks, but the young sister missionaries had to be in by 8:00, so the party broke up pretty early.  Have to admit we were in bed before midnight. Party poopers, I know!

We have been assigned to attend and support the Honesdale branch which is about an hour away on twisty and winding roads.  I'm proned to carsickness, so that's become a bit of a challenge.  I take a lot of Dramamine (then sleep through Church).   It's a very small branch, with almost no Priesthood brethren.  Two young elders are the counselors to the branch president.  The first Sunday we were there they held a phone up to the microphone and sang along to the recorded hymns on the Church's website.  So, they were glad to see us show up.  I know we'll grow to love those devout people who are faithfully doing what they can to live and share the gospel in a remote part of Pennsylvania.

Enough for today---gotta save something for my next post. 
Enjoy the pictures!

 Our Mission President, President Randall made a visit to the Site last week.


 These beautiful statues commemorating the Priesthood Restoration greet each visitor.  
They are recasts of the ones on Temple Square by Avard Fairbanks.

Elder Banner is ready to greet visitors and give them the tour!


Sister Banner greets them all with a smile and a warm welcome.
(Of course, we get up out of our comfortable chairs to do this.)

Below is one of the original copies of the Book of Mormon on display here at the center.
It's in excellent condition and a real treasure.


6 comments:

lindsay said...

So fun to hear how things are going for you guys over there now that you're settled. I love that you have one of the original copies of the BOM, that's awesome! Can you actually touch it and look through it??? Pretty cool to see all this stuff!

Unknown said...

You guys look great! What a neat experience. Yes, that B of M is really cool! We are sure you will be expert tour guides in no time! If you're not already! Love you! :)

o charm said...

So are you going to be playing the piano for your branch, then, I'm assuming?? That's where I learned to play (20) hymns--on my mission! They are so happy to see you show up I am sure!

Unknown said...

I love that you're going to have a blog for us to follow during your mission! Glad to hear you've settled in! We'll pray for you and your car sickness, that's so hard to have to deal with all the time. Loved all the pictures. Looking forward to being one of the 700 visiting you one day this summer!! ��

Ellie said...

Great to hear from you, and that you are thriving. Of course, I knew you would. You both look great. You're dressed warm - are you in the throes of those eastern storms? On studying the picture again of you with your mission president, that isn't
CHRIS Randall, is it? I'm trying to decide if that is how he would look with gray hair and a receding hairline. If so, you've got a choice one. He was at the MTC. A wonderful person, very smart, very kind.

OnGod'sErrand said...

Yes---Chris Randall is our mission president! He's great!