NOVEMBER, 2015

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!  AS ELDER WADLEY AND I CONTINUE OUR MISSIONARY BLOG, WE AGAIN WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO THOSE VERY SPECIAL GRAND babies, HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO SERVE THE LORD, AND HOW MANY BLESSINGS WE HAVE FOUND IN THESE LAST 3 MONTHS.  WE CAN SEE THE LORD'S HAND IN EVERYTHING WE DO.  WHILE YOU GRAND babies ARE SITTING WITH YOUR FAMILY AT FAMILY HOME EVENING AND IN YOUR PRIMARY CLASSES, WE HOPE YOU WILL LISTEN HARD TO EVERYTHING YOUR MOM AND DAD AND YOUR TEACHERS ARE TEACHING YOU, SO THAT WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SERVE YOUR MISSION, YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD FOUNDATION OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND BE A VALIANT SERVANT OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.  WE TESTIFY TO YOU THAT YOU WILL FEEL SO MUCH JOY AND HAPPINESS AS YOU SERVE!  THE LORD WILL BLESS YOU AS YOU ARE REPRESENTING HIM TO OTHERS IN THE WORLD.

WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE'S HEARTS SOFTEN AS WE HAVE GONE OUT TO VISIT MEMBERS HERE IN THE CAMERON WARD.  OUR BISHOP HERE, BISHOP COLBY, IS A CHAPLAIN AT FT. BRAGG AND A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF REPRESENTING THE TRUTHS OF THE GOSPEL TO THE MILITARY MEMBERS HERE.  BOTH OF HIS COUNSELORS ARE ALSO MILITARY MEMBERS.  BROTHER CHAMBERLAIN FLIES HELICOPTERS AND BROTHER BUSH IS IN CHARGE OF THE ROTC PROGRAM AT CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY HERE.   AS WE MEET WITH THEM AND THE REST OF THE WARD COUNCIL EACH MONTH, THERE IS DEFINITELY A FEELING OF BEING IN A MILITARY WARD!  THE MEETINGS ARE KEPT TO 1 1/2 HOURS, BUT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO SPEAK AND EVERYTHING GETS COVERED.  I TOLD ELDER WADLEY, I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER TO SALUTE AT THE END OF OUR LAST WARD COUNCIL OR NOT!!!  I SAY THIS JOKINGLY BECAUSE AT ONE POINT NEAR THE END OF WARD COUNCIL, BISHOP COLBY ASKED THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY WHAT TIME IS WAS AND HE SAID, "8:24" AT WHICH BISHOP COLBY SAID, "ALRIGHT, WE HAVE 6 MORE MINUTES!!!"  I CAN THINK OF MEETINGS THAT I WISH HAD ENDED "RIGHT ON THE DOT!"  ANYWAY, THAT IS JUST AN INTERESTING SIDE NOTE!

THE MEMBERS IN THE WARD ARE JUST WONDERFUL!  WE HAVE SEEN THEIR SPOUSES LEAVE ON DEPLOYMENTS, AND THEY JUST CARRY ON WITH THE FAMILY AND NOT ONLY CARRY ON, BUT TAKE CARE OF OTHER MEMBERS IN THE WARD, WHICH MAKES FOR A REAL CLOSE KNIT WARD.  WE SEE MEMBERS WHO HAVE A BIT MORE DIFFICULTY COPING WITH CHANGE, AND WE TRY TO VISIT THEM MORE FREQUENTLY.  THE WARD HAD A RE-DEDICATION OF THE CHAPEL, WHICH MEANT THE BUILDING HAD AN ADDITIONAL WING ADDED ON (THE NURSERY), PLUS THE CHAPEL WAS UPDATED.  THE 2 WARDS WHO USE THIS BUILDING (SANFORD AND CAMERON) GOT TOGETHER AND HAD A VERY NICE RE-DEDICATION PROGRAM WITH A CHOIR FROM THE 2 WARDS SINGING AND THE STAKE PRESIDENT PRESIDING AND CONDUCTING.

WE ARE STILL DRIVING OUT TO CAMP MACKALL 2 TO 3 TIMES A MONTH TO HAVE A SACRAMENT MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OUT THERE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE SPECIAL FORCES TRAINING.  THIS IS ALWAYS SUCH A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.  ELDER WADLEY AND BROTHER WOOD FROM THE FAYETTEVILLE 3RD WARD BISHOPRIC (WHO TEACHES OUT AT CAMP MACKALL) BLESS AND PASS THE SACRAMENT AND THEN SISTER WADLEY USUALLY GIVES A SHORT TALK AND ELDER WADLEY THEN TALKS.  BROTHER WOOD GAVE US A TOUR THIS LAST TIME OF THE FACILITY AND WE FOUND THE CHAPLAIN'S OFFICE AS WELL AS SAW THROUGH THE BARBED WIRE WHERE A CONVENIENCE STORE WAS FOR THE SOLDIERS.  IT IS DEFINITELY A VERY REMOTE AREA FOR TRAINING OF OUR SOLDIERS.  ONE OTHER INTERESTING NOTE ABOUT CAMP MACKALL:  WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS SURVIVAL TRAINING AREA IS MENTIONED IN THE FILM "BAND OF BROTHERS."  WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE, BUT WERE TOLD THAT.

ONE INTERESTING NOTE ABOUT OUR VISITS OUT TO CAMP MACKALL - A MEMBER OF THE CAMERON WARD HAS BEEN TRAINING OUT THERE.  WE MET HIM ABOUT THE 2ND WEEK OF NOVEMBER AS WE HELD SACRAMENT MEETING.  THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD FOR THE 6 WEEKS THEY ARE OUT THERE.  THAT PARTICULAR SUNDAY, HIS WIFE HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM THE PRIMARY PRESIDENCY.  HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT, AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SAY ANYTHING TO HIM.  THE FOLLOWING WEEK, WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH HIS WIFE TO COME BY AND GIVE THEIR FAMILY A LITTLE THANKSGIVING FAMILY HOME EVENING.  WHILE WE WERE THERE, WE LET HER KNOW THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A SPECIAL SACRAMENT MEETING WITH HER HUSBAND OUT AT CAMP MACKALL AND SHE BEGAN TO CRY AND AS SHE HUGGED SISTER WADLEY, SHE SAID, "OH I HAVE BEEN SO WORRIED THAT HE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO HAVE ANY SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT FOR THIS PAST MONTH."  SHE WAS SO HAPPY.  ANOTHER LITTLE NOTE ABOUT THIS ENCOUNTER:  SHE IS EXPECTING THEIR 4TH CHILD IN MARCH.  HER HUSBAND HAD TOLD US OUT AT CAMP MACKALL THAT SHE WAS GOING TO FIND OUT THE NEXT DAY WHAT THEY WERE HAVING AND WHEN WE VISITED THE FAMILY, THE CHILDREN TOLD US WHAT SHE WAS HAVING - SO WE ACTUALLY FOUND OUT BEFORE HE DID.  THIS WAS KIND OF A BITTER SWEET MOMENT.  THEY HAVE 2 GIRLS AND A BOY AND SHE IS HAVING A BOY!  SUCH A WONDERFUL FAMILY!

THERE ARE SEVERAL FAMILIES IN THE WARD WHO LIVE IN TRAILERS AND HAVE A LOT OF DOGS FOR PROTECTION IN THEIR YARD.  WHEN WE GO VISIT, THE FAMILY USUALLY HEARS THE DOGS BARKING AND SO THEY COME OUTSIDE AND WE VISIT AT THE GATE.  THERE ARE ALSO 2 GATED COMMUNITIES WHERE THE FAMILY NEEDS TO LET THE GATE GUARD KNOW WE ARE COMING AND WE ARE LET IN.  THESE 2 ARE CAROLINA LAKES AND ANDERSON CREEK CLUB.  THESE ARE VERY NICE AREAS.  CAROLINA LAKES ACTUALLY HAS DEER ROAMING THROUGHOUT IT AND  THE HOMES SURROUND A BEAUTIFUL LAKE.  OUR BISHOP AND RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT LIVE HERE AND WE HAVE TRAVELED THERE SEVERAL TIMES.  WE ALWAYS HAVE TO GO SLOWLY WHEN IN THERE AND WATCH OUT FOR DEER.  IT ISN'T LIT THAT WELL AT ALL.

ONE OTHER VERY NICE AREA IN OUR MISSION AND, ACTUALLY IN OUR STAKE IS PINEHURST.  IT BOASTS 3 MAJOR GOLF TOURNAMENTS EACH YEAR AND IS ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!  WE HAVE SISTERS SERVING IN THAT AREA NOW AND IS ABOUT A HALF HOUR FROM WHERE WE LIVE ON FT. BRAGG.  WE MET A COUPLE AT STAKE CONFERENCE WHO LIVES THERE AND ARE SERVING A SERVICE MISSION NOW OUT OF THEIR HOME WHILE HE TAKES CARE OF HIS PARENTS 24/7.  THEY RUN THE ADDICTION/RECOVERY PROGRAM AND TOLD US THAT IF WE HAVE PEOPLE TO REFER TO THEM, THEY WOULD HAPPILY PRESENT THEIR CHURCH STRUCTURED PROGRAM.  THEY ARE ACTUALLY VERY BUSY WITH IT RIGHT NOW.

BECAUSE THE CAMERON WARD IS SO TRANSIENT, THE BISHOP HAS HELD AN OPEN HOUSE TO GET TO KNOW THE NEWEST MEMBERS AND THE RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT HELD ONE THE SUNDAY PRIOR TO THANKSGIVING.  THE ATTENDANCE AT BOTH WAS VERY GOOD AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE A LESS ACTIVE SISTER WITH US EACH TIME.  WE HAVE SEEN SOME SUCCESS IN GETTING SEVERAL FAMILIES OUT TO CHURCH BECAUSE OF VISITS WE HAVE MADE TO THE FAMILY AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE HAND OF THE LORD IN THEIR LIVES.  THEY HAVE TOLD US HOW THEY DIDN'T THINK ANYONE CARED ABOUT THEM.  I THINK THIS CAN HAPPEN A LOT IN WARDS, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, AND IT'S A WONDERFUL FEELING WHEN YOU SEE THEM OUT TO CHURCH AND ENJOYING THE SPIRIT THERE.

WHERE WE LIVE IN MERIDIAN, IDAHO OR GROWING UP IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, WHEN IT RAINS IT USUALLY COOLS THINGS OFF.  NOT IN THE SOUTH!  ON THE 19TH, WE WOKE UP TO THE RAIN JUST POURING DOWN AND RUNNING LIKE CRAZY OUT OF THE DRAIN SPOUTS!  ELDER WADLEY HAD LEFT A BAG OF DANISH COOKIES ON THE TABLE WHERE WE DO OUR TYPING AND WORK AT NIGHT, AND HE DIDN'T SEAL IT CLOSED WITH A CLOTHES PIN.  WHAT HAD BEEN SOME VERY HARD, YUMMY COOKIES HAD TURNED INTO SOFT COOKIES THAT COULD MELT IN YOUR MOUTH FROM THE HUMIDITY OVER NIGHT!  IT'S VERY STRANGE TO GET USED TO.  ANOTHER INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE WEATHER IN THE SOUTH.  WE ARE SURROUNDED BY BEAUTIFUL TREES; SO MUCH SO THAT IT IS UNUSUAL TO EVER SEE THE HORIZON.  WE MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS IN A PREVIOUS POST.  ANYWAY, WE ARE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH MOISTURE AND A HIGH ANNUAL RAIN FALL, THE TREE ROOTS SPREAD OUT NEAR THE GROUND LEVEL INSTEAD OF GOING DEEP DOWN INTO THE EARTH TO FIND MOISTURE.  AS A RESULT, THEY ARE NOT WHAT WE CALL "STRONGLY ROOTED" AND THEY BECOME VERY VULNERABLE IN STORMS WITH STRONG WINDS.  BECAUSE THE ROOTS DON'T GO DEEP INTO THE GROUND TO GIVE THEM STURDY SUPPORT, THEY WILL FREQUENTLY TIP OVER IN THE STRONG WIND BECAUSE THE ROOTS ARE REAL CLOSE TO THE SURFACE.  ELDER WADLEY HAS USED THIS ANALOGY IN SEVERAL OF HIS TALKS HE HAS GIVEN HERE IN BEING "STRONGLY ROOTED IN THE GOSPEL."  SISTER WADLEY TOLD OF A LADY WHO HEARD HER LITTLE GIRL FALL OUT OF BED AND WHEN SHE WENT INTO HER BEDROOM SHE ASKED HER, "WHAT HAPPENED HONEY?"   THE LITTLE GIRL LOOKED AT HER AND SAID, "I WASN'T IN THE BED FAR ENOUGH."  AGAIN, WE CAN RELATE THIS TO NOT BEING IN THE GOSPEL "FAR ENOUGH." - NOT HAVING A GOOD FOUNDATION TO SEE US THROUGH THE THINGS OF THE WORLD TODAY.

WE WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THE SIMMONS AIRFIELD STATIC DISPLAY AND OPEN HOUSE ON THE 24TH OF NOVEMBER.  WHAT A GREAT TIME WE HAD!  BROTHER CHAMBERLAIN IN THE CAMERON WARD BISHOPRIC FLIES ON OF THE HELICOPTERS ON DISPLAY AND WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK INSIDE IT, AS WELL AS A BLACK HAWK, AN APACHE, AND A CHINOOK.  WE VISITED WITH THE PILOT OF THE BLACK HAWK.  HE HAS BEEN ON 2 DIFFERENT DEPLOYMENTS TO SAUDI ARABIA.  HE SAID IT IS USED TO QUICKLY PICK UP SERVICEMEN WHO ARE STRANDED AND THE ENEMY MAY BE NEAR.  THIS WAS PORTRAYED IN THE MOVIE "BLACK HAWK DOWN."  ELDER WADLEY SAT IN ALL 4 HELICOPTERS.  THEY HAD THE GOLDEN PARACHUTISTS FROM THE ARMY PUT ON A PROGRAM AND 9 OF THEM JUMPED OUT OF A CHINOOK AND WERE ABLE TO MANEUVER THEIR CHUTES TO AN EXACT LANDING POINT WITH THE CROWD ALL GATHERED AROUND THEM.  THEY HAD RED STREAMS COMING OUT OF THEIR PARACHUTES AS THEY DESCENDED.  QUITE A PICTURE!  THEY HAD HOT DOGS, CHIPS AND DRINKS FOR EVERYONE AND IT WAS A REALLY FUN TIME!

ELDER AND SISTER HILL, THE OTHER MILITARY RELATIONS SENIOR COUPLE HERE ARE FINISHING THEIR MISSION AND WILL BE HEADING HOME THE WEEK AFTER THANKSGIVING.  THEY LIVE IN A SUBURB OF ST. GEORGE (WASHINGTON.)  WE SURE HATE TO SEE THEM GO.  THERE IS SO MUCH WORK HERE AND THEY HAVE BEEN SO VERY HELPFUL TO GET US OFF THE GROUND WITH EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO HERE.  WE HAVE WITNESSED A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF TRUSTING IN THE LORD AND DOING THE LORD'S WILL, EVEN UNDER DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES.  THE HILL'S SERVED A MILITARY RELATIONS MISSION TO HAWAII (TOUGH ASSIGNMENT, RIGHT?), RETURNED HOME FOR A YEAR AND THEN HEADED OUT ON A SECOND MILITARY RELATIONS MISSION HERE TO FT. BRAGG.  THE WEEK BEFORE THEY WERE DUE TO ENTER THE MTC FOR THEIR MISSION HERE, ELDER HILL SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK.  HE ENDED UP HAVING 3 STINTS PUT INTO HIS HEART.  HIS DOCTOR TOLD HIM IT PROBABLY WASN'T THE RIGHT TIME TO GO ON ANOTHER MISSION.  ELDER HILL JUST SAID, "WATCH ME."  THEY GOT TO THE MISSION FIELD 2 WEEKS AFTER THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE.  WHILE SERVING THEIR MISSION HERE, THEIR LITTLE 4 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER BEGAN HAVING SEIZURES AND HAS AN INOPERABLE BRAIN TUMOR AND IS NOT EXPECTED TO LIVE MUCH LONGER.  HER OLDER BROTHER WHO IS 7 HAS CANCER AND IS, AT THIS TIME, IN REMISSION; HOWEVER, HE HAS HAD ONE OTHER TIME HE WAS IN REMISSION AND THE CANCER CAME BACK.  IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR ONE FAMILY, IN MID NOVEMBER, THESE TWO LITTLE GRANDCHILDREN'S MOTHER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH FIBRO MYALGIA AND IS QUITE SICK WITH IT.  CONSEQUENTLY, THE HILLS ARE CUTTING THEIR MISSION SHORT BY A MONTH TO HEAD HOME TO HELP WITH THEIR FAMILY.  ELDER HILL'S COMMENT TO ELDER WADLEY WHEN WE LAST WENT OUT TO EAT WITH THEM WAS, "HEY, THERE IS SO MUCH WORK STILL LEFT TO DO, I'M TRUSTING YOU TO GET IT DONE!"  WOW - WHEN WE HEARD THIS, WE THOUGHT....WHERE ARE 3 OR 4 MORE SENIOR COUPLES TO HELP US!!  WE DROVE AROUND THE HOUSING ON FORT BRAGG WITH THE HILL'S TO GET ACCLIMATED TO WHERE WE NEED TO VISIT AND SERVE, AND WE BOTH CAME HOME WITH OUR HEADS SPINNING!  IT COVERS A REALLY BIG AREA.  ELDER WADLEY AND I WILL BE STARTING TO VISIT EACH MEMBER OF THE FT. BRAGG WARD, GETTING TO KNOW THEM, AND LETTING THEM KNOW WE ARE HERE TO SERVE THEM.  WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT IT!  WE KNOW MOST OF THE CAMERON WARD MEMBERS NOW AND IT WILL BE FUN TO GET TO KNOW ANOTHER WARD.

THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULTS CONTINUE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME TOGETHER.  WE HAVE A GOOD GROUP COMING OUT TO INSTITUTE AND FAMILY HOME EVENING NOW AND WE WILL BE HAVING A FEW GETTOGETHERS WITH THEM AT OUR HOME HERE ON POPE ARMY AIR FIELD BEFORE THE NEW YEAR.

THE ENTRANCES TO THE GATES ON FT. BRAGG CONTINUE TO KEEP ELDER WADLEY AND MYSELF LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!  TO FOLLOW UP ON A PREVIOUS POST WHERE ELDER WADLEY FOUND OUT WHAT HE IS TO SAY TO THE GUARDS WHEN THEY SALUTE HIM AND SAY, "ALL THE WAY SIR."  HIS RESPONSE IS "AIRBORNE."  WELL...... THE OTHER NIGHT WHEN WE WERE COMING HOME FROM INSTITUTE, ELDER WADLEY HAD A LITTLE DIFFICULTY FINDING OUR MILITARY I.D.'S.  HE FINALLY GRABBED THEM JUST AS WE CAME TO THE GATE.  WE HAD JUST LEFT THE YOUNG MISSIONARIES AT THE CHURCH AND ELDER WADLEY HAD THINGS ON HIS MIND HE HAD TO GET DONE FOR THEM SO AS WE APPROACHED THE GATE, THEIR WERE 3 GUARDS THERE INSTEAD OF JUST THE USUAL 1.  SO INSTEAD OF THE GUARDS SAYING GOOD EVENING SIR, ELDER WADLEY PIPES UP AND SAYS, "HI ELDERS!"  WELL...THAT GOT A GOOD LOOK FROM ALL 3 GUARDS!  THEN...ELDER WADLEY CONTINUES TO SAY, "ALL THE WAY!"  THAT GETS another LOOK FROM ALL 3 GUARDS.  SO I GUESS THEY DECIDED TO "PLAY" ALONG WITH ELDER WADLEY BECAUSE ALL 3 RESPONDED, "AIRBORNE!!!!"  OH....WE LAUGHED AND LAUGHED ABOUT THAT ONE.  I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS DOWN THE ROAD!  JUST ONE OF MANY MANY FUN, FUN TIMES WE ARE ENCOUNTERING OUT HERE IN THE MISSION FIELD!  OH YES, AND DID I HAPPEN TO MENTION THAT "WE LOVE OUR MISSION!!"

THE WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 21ST WAS OUR STAKE CONFERENCE AND WE HAD ELDER BLUTH FROM THE 4TH QUORUM OF THE SEVENTIES HERE AS THE PRESIDING AUTHORITY.  WE WERE ABLE TO MEET HIM AND HAVE A LITTLE VISIT WITH HIM.  HE EXPRESSED HIS THANKFULNESS TO US FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF OUR LIVES TO SERVE THIS MISSION AND SAID HE KNOWS THE LORD WILL BLESS US FOR OUR EFFORTS.  IT WAS REALLY A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE!  OUR MISSION PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT JAMES AND HIS WIFE BOTH SPOKE AT THE SATURDAY EVENING SESSION.  ELDER BLUTH HAS SUCH A GREAT TALENT OF TALKING ABOUT VERY SIMPLE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO HIM AS A CHILD AND THEN HAVING THESE STORIES CONNECT WITH A PRINCIPLE OF THE GOSPEL IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU NOT ONLY WANT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE IN SUCH A WAY TO EXPERIENCE THESE LESSONS IN YOUR OWN LIFE, BUT YOU NEVER WANTED HIM TO FINISH TALKING!  IT WAS REALLY INCREDIBLE.  HE TOLD A STORY OF HOW HE AND HIS BROTHER EACH STOLE AN APPLE OUT OF THE NEIGHBORS APPLE ORCHARD.  THEY RAN BACK TO THEIR HOUSE AND AS THEY STOOD BY THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND BIT INTO THAT JUICY APPLE THEY FELT A HAND GRAB ONTO THEIR NECKS.  IT WAS THEIR FATHER.  HE VERY CALMLY SAID, "COME WITH ME BOYS."  HE TOOK THEM TO THE FRONT DOOR OF THE NEIGHBOR WITH THE APPLE ORCHARD AND HAD THEM RING THE BELL.  THE WIFE CAME TO THE DOOR AND ELDER BLUTH SAID, "I DON'T KNOW WHY I HAD TO BE THE ONE TO TELL HER WE HAD TAKEN AN APPLE FROM HER ORCHARD - BUT I HAD TO."  AFTER HE SAID IT, THE KIND NEIGHBOR SMILED AND SAID, "ANY TIME YOU WOULD LIKE AN APPLE, PLEASE JUST COME AND RING OUR BELL AND ASK, BUT never STEAL AN APPLE FROM OUR ORCHARD BOYS."  ELDER BLUTH SAID THAT MADE HIM FEEL SO BAD AND AS THEY WALKED HOME WITH THEIR FATHER, THE HAND THAT HAD BEEN AROUND THEIR NECK, SLOWLY MOVED DOWN TO HIS SHOULDER AND A BIG HUG TO PULL HIM CLOSER TO HIS FATHER FOLLOWED AND HE SAID HE WILL NEVER FORGET THAT AS LONG AS HE LIVES.

OUR MISSION PRESIDENT AND HIS WIFE SPOKE AT THE SATURDAY EVENING SESSION AND GAVE SUCH GOOD TALKS.  SISTER JAMES JUST SPOKE FOR A FEW MINUTES ABOUT THE PLAN OF SALVATION AND HOW WE NEED TO STAY ON COURSE WITH ALL THAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY.  PRESIDENT JAMES CAME TO THE MICROPHONE SEEMING VERY SOLEMN.  HE BEGAN BY SAYING, "IN 2005 A GIRL NAMES ELIZABETH SMART WAS KIDNAPPED FROM HER HOME.  FOR A WEEK, OVER 2,000 PEOPLE SEARCHED FOR HER."  HE THEN BEGAN TO SORT OF CHOKE UP AND SAID, "I WISH THEIR HAD BEEN 2,000 PEOPLE THERE TO RESCUE OUR DAUGHTER."  HE THEN BEGAN TO CRY AND WE TOOK IT THAT THEIR DAUGHTER HAD CHOSEN TO LEAVE THE CHURCH.  HE THEN WAS ABLE TO COMPOSE HIMSELF AND TALKED ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT REACTIVATION AND RETENTION IS IN THE CHURCH.  IT WAS A GREAT TALK!  I FELT SO SORRY FOR THEM THOUGH, AFTER HEARING HIS TALK.  IT MADE ME REALIZE, ONCE AGAIN, HOW VERY BLESSED ELDER WADLEY AND I ARE.  OUR 4 CHILDREN AND THEIR SPOUSES AND OUR 13 GRANDchildren ARE ACTIVE IN THE CHURCH AND THEY ARE TEACHING THESE CHILDREN THE PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL, WHICH WILL BE SUCH A BLESSING IN THEIR LIVES AS THEY GROW OLDER IN SUCH A WICKED WORLD.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU A MILLION KIDS FOR YOUR WONDERFUL EXAMPLE TO DAD AND I AND FOR LIVING GOOD LIVES AND STAYING CLOSE TO THE LORD.

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND FOUND US OVER IN CONCORD, N.C. WITH OUR DAUGHTER, KATHRYN, AND HER SWEET SWEET FAMILY.  THEY ARE THE FAMILY WHO LIVE THE FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE REST OF OUR FAMILY.  WE RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM OUR MISSION PRESIDENT TO TRAVEL THE 2 1/2 HOURS OVER TO SPEND THANKSGIVING WITH THEM.  THEY ARE IN THE CHARLOTTE MISSION AND CONCORD IS A SUBURB OF CHARLOTTE.  WHAT AN AWESOME TIME WE HAD.  THEY HAVE KAYLEE WHO WILL BE 14 IN FEBRUARY, AND IS OUR OLDEST GRANDCHILD, AARON WHO WILL BE 8 IN JUNE AND BE BAPTIZED!!! AND REBEKAH WHO WILL BE 5 IN JANUARY.  WE HAD A HOUSEFUL AT THANKSGIVING, SHARING IT WITH 2 OF THEIR CLOSEST FAMILIES THERE.  WE HAD A TOTAL OF 19 PEOPLE THERE.  KATHRYN HAD SET A BEAUTIFUL TABLE AND  I KEPT REBEKAH BUSY COLORING NAPKINS FOR ALL OF THE CHILDREN WHO WOULD BE THERE.  SHE LOVED IT!  IT HAS BEEN A FAMILY TRADITION EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL.  ALL OF MY SIBLINGS WOULD TRY TO COLOR THE BEST NAPKIN EVERY THANKSGIVING!  SO MUCH GOOD FOOD!!!  OH MY WORD...IT'S A GOOD THING ELDER WADLEY AND I WALK AT LEAST A MILE AND A HALF EVERY DAY.  AFTER THAT FEAST, WE WILL BE UPPING OUR DISTANCE FOR SURE!!!  WE WENT TO SEE THE NEW PEANUTS MOVIE TOGETHER AND WENT TO A FRIENDS HOUSE THE NEXT EVENING FOR THEIR TRADITIONAL "PIE PARTY."  WOW...MORE FOOD!!  WE ATTENDED CHURCH WITH THEM ON SUNDAY BEFORE HEADING BACK HOME.  WE MET ANOTHER SENIOR MISSIONARY COUPLE WHO WERE IN ANOTHER WARD THAT MEETS IN KATHRYN'S BUILDING AND THEY ARE FROM HIGHLAND, UTAH.  THEY HAD JUST RETURNED FROM AN 18 MONTH MISSION IN HAWAII AND THE NEW CHARLOTTE, N.C. MISSION PRESIDENT KNEW THEM AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD COME AND WORK IN THE MISSION OFFICE FOR HIM, SO THAT IS WHERE THEY ARE SERVING.  COME TO FIND OUT, AS WE TALKED TO THEM, THEY SERVED WITH ELDER AND SISTER HILL, WHO ARE THE SENIOR COUPLE WE HAVE BEEN SERVING WITH HERE WHO WILL HEAD HOME THIS NEXT WEEK.  TALK ABOUT A SMALL WORLD!  THEIR NAMES ARE THE ADAMSON'S AND HE IS ALSO RETIRED AIR FORCE AND SAID HE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE AN AWESOME MISSION!  WE TOLD HIM IT IS!!  ONE SAD NOTE THOUGH, SISTER ADAMSON TOLD US THAT THE OTHER COUPLE WHO SERVE IN THE MISSION OFFICE WITH THEM, THE MAN PASSED AWAY DURING HIS SLEEP ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND THEY HAD JUST TAKEN HIS WIFE TO THE AIRPORT TO FLY HOME.  HOW VERY SAD.

WE WILL BEGIN OUR SERVICE WITH THE FT. BRAGG WARD THIS NEXT WEEK.  WE HAVE A BIG MAP OF ALL THE HOUSING ON THE POST AND WILL WORK ON EACH SEPARATE HOUSING AREA TO GET TO KNOW THE MEMBERS.  IT SEEMS LIKE A DAUNTING TASK, BUT WE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME GOING ALL OVER THE CAMERON WARD AND MEETING ACTIVE MEMBERS, INACTIVE MEMBERS...EVEN THOSE WHO HAD BEEN OPPOSED TO THE CHURCH, SO WE THINK THIS WILL BE A REALLY FUN TIME.

ONE REALLY FUN NOTE:  WE HAVE A YOUNG SINGLE ADULT HERE WHO WAS GOING TO BE HEADING HOME TO MIDDLETON, IDAHO TO GET MARRIED IN THE BOISE TEMPLE.  HE IS ACTIVE DUTY ARMY.  WHEN WE MET HIM HE WAS GOING TO BE LEAVING THAT NEXT SATURDAY.  HE SAID THAT PRESIDENT BELLISTON, FIRST COUNSELOR IN THE BOISE TEMPLE PRESIDENCY WAS GOING TO SEAL THEM.  HE SAID HE GREW UP AND WAS BEST FRIENDS WITH PRESIDENT BELLISTON'S SON.  WHEN HE CAME BACK WITH HIS BRIDE, HE TOLD US THAT PRESIDENT BELLISTON HAD BEEN CALLED AS THE NEW TEMPLE PRESIDENT AND "WAS TRAINING FOR HIS NEW CALLING."  I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO IRONIC THAT WE WOULD MEET SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE RIGHT WHERE ELDER WADLEY AND I SERVED FOR 2 1/2 YEARS PRIOR TO COMING ON OUR MISSION.  HE AND HIS WIFE ARE NOW IN THE FAYETTEVILLE 3RD WARD AND HE WILL BE GETTING OUT OF THE ARMY IN 7 MONTHS TO GO TO BYU IDAHO.  HE, ALONG WITH 2 NEW YOUNG MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH SPOKE AT THE SATURDAY EVENING SESSION OF OUR STAKE CONFERENCE.  THEY COME OUT TO INSTITUTE EVERY THURSDAY EVENING AND WE HAVE HAD THEM OVER FOR DINNER AND HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW THEM.  SHE IS FROM SEATTLE AND ALL OF HIS FAMILY LIVES IN MIDDLETON.  WHAT A SMALL WORLD!

WELL, MANY FUN THINGS HAVE GONE ON WITH OUR GRANDchildren SINCE WE BEGAN OUR MISSION.  OUR OLDEST GRANDSON RECEIVED HIS ARROW OF LIGHT (YEAH BRETT!)  ANOTHER GRANDDAUGHTER LOST HER FIRST TOOTH (YEAH LILYA!)  ANOTHER STARTED KINDERGARTEN (YEAH ASHLEY!) ANOTHER HAS FINISHED POTTY TRAINING AND IS WEARING BIG GIRL UNDERPANTS NOW (YEAH JANE!)  OUR OLDEST GRANDDAUGHTER WAS SELECTED TO PERFORM IN A SPECIAL CHOIR THAT PERFORMED IN WINSTON SALEM N.C.  SHE WAS ONE OF THE 145 CHOSEN OUT OF 1,000 WHO TRIED OUT. HOW VERY PROUD WE ARE! (YEAH KAYLEE!)  OUR SECOND OLDEST GRANDDAUGHTER, SARA, THRILLED US WITH STRAIGHT A'S ON HER FIRST SEMESTER REPORT CARD AND WAS CHOSEN AS FIRST CHAIR VIOLINIST IN HER SCHOOL'S ORCHESTRA!  WAY TO GO SARA!  LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S THEY CONTINUE TO GROW AND TO FILL OUR LIVES WITH HAPPINESS!  YOU KIDS BE SURE TO CONTINUE TO LET GRANDMA AND GRANDPA KNOW ALL OF THE HAPPENINGS IN YOUR FAMILIES WHILE WE ARE ON OUR MISSION!  WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO VERY MUCH!

WELL, I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT CAUGHT YOU UP ON THE WADLEY'S MISSION.  IT HAS BEEN A HUMBLING, SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE TO SERVE THE LORD AT THIS TIME IN OUR LIVES.  WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD'S HAND IN SO MANY OF OUR ENDEAVORS.  WE CAN DEFINITELY SAY THAT MANY THINGS THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED WERE NOT OUR DOING, BUT THE LORD'S.  WHAT A TESTIMONY OF HIS GOODNESS AND HIS LOVE FOR US.  WE LOVE OUR SAVIOR.  WE LOVE HIS EXAMPLE AND HIS TEACHINGS.  WE FEEL HONORED TO BEAR A NAME TAG THAT HAS THE LORD'S NAME ON IT, AS HIS REPRESENTATIVES.  IT REMINDS ME OF A MAGNET ON KATHRYN'S FRIDGE I SAW WHEN WE WERE OVER THERE FOR THANKSGIVING.  IT READ: "YOU ARE MY HANDS" AND HAD A PICTURE OF THE SAVIOR.  WE CAN ACTUALLY SAY THAT THIS MISSION HAS BEEN THE MOST WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD.  COMING HOME EACH NIGHT SO DEAD TIRED AND YET FED BY THE SPIRIT SO RICHLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, IS TRULY A BLESSING IN OUR LIVES.  WE HOPE THAT AS YOU PREPARE FOR THIS SPECIAL TIME OF YEAR, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BE ENLIGHTENED BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD TO HAVE, AS SISTER BEDNAR SAYS, "SPIRITUAL EYES" TO SEE THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AND LOSE YOURSELF IN HIS SERVICE.  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU.  WE LOVE YOU.

SISTER WADLEY HAS, AS USUAL, GIVEN AN EXCELLENT UPDATE ON OUR MISSION. WE FEEL SO FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF HOLDING AN OCCASIONAL SACRAMENT MEETING OUT AT CAMP MACKALL FOR THE MEMBERS WHO ARE IN ONE OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT ARMY SURVIVAL SCHOOLS.  IT REMINDS ME OF THE CHALLENGING TIMES I HAD IN THE AIR FORCE SURVIVAL TRAINING, AND ALSO OF THE HUMBLE AND SPIRITUAL SACRAMENT MEETINGS WE HAD 25 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS DEPLOYED TO SAUDI ARABIA FOR OPERATION DESERT STORM IN THE FIRST GULF WAR.  THE SAYING IS SO TRUE THAT "NOBODY PRAYS FOR PEACE LIKE A SOLDIER."  WE ARE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE CALIBER AND DEDICATION OF THE FINE MEN AND WOMEN HERE AT FORT BRAGG, WHICH IS THE HOME OF THE 82ND AIRBORNE, AND HOME OF THE ARMY SPECIAL FORCES.  WE ARE BLESSED TO BE IN THEIR MIDST, AND BE ABLE TO HELP THEM AS FULL TIME MISSIONARIES.  OUR PRAYERS ARE ALWAYS WITH THEM, AS THEY COME AND GO ON SO MANY DEPLOYMENTS.  OUR PRAYERS ARE ALSO WITH ALL OF YOU, OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND WE HOPE YOU KNOW OF OUR LOVE FOR YOU, AND THE LORD.  HE HAS BLESSED US SO MUCH ALREADY ON THIS MISSION.  WE HOPE YOU FEEL OF HIS SPIRIT DURING THIS WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS SEASON.

NOVEMBER 7, 2015


OH MY WORD...WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?  IT SEEMS LIKE ELDER WADLEY AND I JUST GOT HERE AND WE HAVE ALREADY FILLED OUR WEEKLY PILL CONTAINERS 7 TIMES!  IT'S PRETTY PATHETIC WHEN YOU COUNT THE WEEKS YOU HAVE BEEN OUT ON YOUR MISSION BY THE NUMBER OF TIMES YOU'VE FILLED YOUR PILL CONTAINER.  HEY, BUT LIFE IS GOOD AND WE ARE SO ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE WE ARE SERVING THE LORD.

IT HAS BEEN A REALLY BUSY, FUN-FILLED MONTH!  IT BEGAN WITH HURRICANE JOAQUIN THREATENING US!  WE HEARD FROM ONE PERSON WHO SAID THAT "IN HIS 23 YEARS, HE HAS NEVER SEEN AS MUCH RAIN."  IT DID RAIN A LOT!  

WE HAD A ZONE CONFERENCE UP AT APEX, WHICH IS WHERE THE RALEIGH TEMPLE IS.  IT IS ABOUT 13 MILES SOUTH OF RALEIGH.  THERE IS A STAKE CENTER RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE TEMPLE.  WE WERE GOING TO TAKE THE CAMERON SISTER MISSIONARIES WITH US, BUT THEY HAD TO DRIVE THEIR OWN CAR UP BECAUSE SALT LAKE WAS INSTALLING "BLACK BOXES" IN EVERY CAR.  THESE ARE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, SPEEDING TICKETS...RESULTING IN MISSIONARIES HAVING THEIR DRIVING PRIVILEGES TAKEN AWAY.  A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CHURCH WHO GOES AROUND TO ALL OF THE MISSIONS, CAME AND EXPLAINED HOW THEY WORK AS 3 INSTALLERS WERE WORKING OUTSIDE IN THE PARKING LOT TO PUT THEM IN.  THE MISSIONARIES WERE NOT TOO HAPPY WITH THE BLACK BOXES - TEENAGE DRIVERS AND ALL!! APPARENTLY, THEY HAVE TO SWIPE A CARD EACH TIME THEY GET IN TO DRIVE.  IT RECORDS IF THEY GO OVER THE SPEED LIMIT AND A WARNING VOICE COMES ON!  THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER WARNING SIGNS AS WELL.  THEN THE INFORMATION IS TRANSMITTED TO THE MISSION HOME.  THE MISSIONARIES KNOW THEY ARE UNDER THE GUN NOW!  WE HAVE ACTUALLY VISITED WITH SEVERAL SETS OF MISSIONARIES IN OUR DISTRICT SINCE HAVING THEM INSTALLED AND THEY SAID THEY AREN'T THAT BAD.  ACCORDING TO THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CHURCH, THEY HAVE CUT DOWN ON ACCIDENTS BY 90 PERCENT.  

ZONE CONFERENCE IS USUALLY HELD AT OUR OWN STAKE CENTER HERE IN FAYETTEVILLE; HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF HAVING THE BOXES INSTALLED IT WAS IN APEX UP IN RALEIGH AND WAS COMBINED WITH ANOTHER ZONE.  OUR MISSION PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT JAMES, AND HIS WIFE SPOKE.  THE MISSION DOCTOR TALKED ON NOT OVEREATING WHILE OUT ON YOUR MISSION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE.  THEY HAD A NICE LUNCH FOR US IN THE CULTURAL HALL.  ACTUALLY, COME TO THINK OF IT, THE MISSION DOCTOR SPOKE AFTER THE LUNCH SO AS NOT TO MAKE ANYONE FEEL GUILTY WHILE THEY ATE!!!  THE NEXT DAY WAS A ZONE TEMPLE TRIP.  WHAT A GREAT TIME THAT WAS.  ONE OF THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT GIRLS FROM OUR YOUNG SINGLE ADULT GROUP IN OUR STAKE WAS RECEIVING HER ENDOWMENTS IN OUR SESSION AND HEADING OUT ON HER MISSION TO SEATTLE.  PRESIDENT AND SISTER JAMES WERE IN ATTENDANCE AND IT WAS REALLY ENJOYABLE.  AFTERWARDS, WE WENT OVER TO THE STAKE CENTER AGAIN WHERE WE WERE FED A REALLY NICE LUNCH.  WE SAT AT THE TABLE WITH THE TEMPLE PRESIDENT AND HIS WIFE AND HE TALKED ABOUT WHERE HE WAS RAISED.  COME TO FIND OUT, PART OF HIS YOUNGER YEARS WAS IN VALE, OREGON AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW ELDER WADLEY AND I LOVE TO ROLL THE WINDOWS DOWN IN THE CAR AS WE DRIVE THROUGH VALE AND SMELL THE WONDERFUL ONIONS IN THE FIELD!  HE SAID HE SURE REMEMBERED THAT TOO.  AFTER LUNCH, HE SPOKE TO ALL OF THE MISSIONARIES IN THE CHAPEL AND THEN HAD A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION.  ONE THING HE TOLD THEM WAS ABOUT 2 MALE MISSIONARIES WHO HAD RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM THEIR MISSION PRESIDENT TO ATTEND A SEALING OF A COUPLE THEY HAD HELPED TEACH.  AFTERWARDS, THE TEMPLE PRESIDENT TOLD THEM THAT IF THEY WOULD LIKE, THEY COULD COME IN HIS OFFICE AND VISIT FOR A WHILE ABOUT THE TEMPLE.  HE SAID THEY BOTH SPOKE UP AND SAID THEY WOULD LOVE TO, BUT THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO BECAUSE THEY HAD GOTTEN SPECIAL PERMISSION TO ATTEND THE SEALING, BUT WERE EXPECTED TO LEAVE RIGHT AFTER....FOLLOWING THE MISSION RULES....HOW AWESOME!

THE 2 DAYS AT ZONE CONFERENCE WERE REALLY ENJOYABLE!  WE RAN TO COSTCO FOR SUPPLIES AFTERWARDS, BEFORE HEADING BACK TO FAYETTEVILLE.  IT IS ABOUT AN HOUR DRIVE IS ALL, THROUGH BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY!  

WE WERE ABLE TO AGAIN HEAD UP TO THE TEMPLE TO GO WITH THE CAMERON WARD YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO DO BAPTISMS FOR THE DEAD.  8 GIRLS AND 7 BOYS WENT.  OUR YOUNG WOMEN PRESIDENT, SWEET SISTER JENKINS, WHO IS 83 YEARS YOUNG!! KEPT TELLING ME THAT SHE WOULD STAY IN THE DRESSING ROOM TO MOP UP.  WHEN WE WERE CHANGING IN THE DRESSING ROOM, SHE SAID, "OH SISTER WADLEY, AS I GET OLDER, I TEND TO SHRINK AND NOW MY DRESS HANGS ON ME."  I TOLD HER SHE LOOKED BEAUTIFUL AND THAT I WANT TO MOP UP IN THE CHANGING ROOM.  SHE KEPT TELLING ME SHE WOULD DO IT.  I SAID NO, NO, NO...THOSE ARE YOUR YOUNG WOMEN OUT THERE AND YOU NEED TO BE WITH THEM!  SHE FINALLY CONSENTED.  OH, SHE IS SOOO SWEET.  WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME THAT EVENING.  ELDER WADLEY DID LOTS AND LOTS OF CONFIRMATIONS.

WE HAD ABOUT THE BEST EXPERIENCE OCTOBER 27-29 THAT WE HAVE HAD THUS FAR ON OUR MISSION....OUR DAUGHTER, KATHRYN CAME FOR A VISIT AND BROUGHT OUR LITTLE 4 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER, REBEKAH.  THEY LIVE IN CHARLOTTE WHICH IS ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY. WHAT A TREAT FOR US!!  WE WENT TO THE MALL, WE PLAYED GAMES, WE ATE OUT, WE PICKED COTTON FROM THE COTTON FIELDS, REBEKAH HELPED GRANDMA FIX A YUMMY BREAKFAST ONE OF THE MORNINGS AND ELDER WADLEY AND I JUST ATE THAT BABY GIRL UP!  WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE MANY MORE SUCH EXPERIENCES WHILE WE ARE HERE.   THEY ALSO HAVE OUR ALMOST 14 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER AND OUR ALMOST 8 YEAR OLD GRANDSON.  WHAT MORE COULD WE ASK FOR?  

OCTOBER 23RD FOUND US AT THE CAMERON WARD TRUNK OR TREAT.  ELDER WADLEY AND I SET UP OUR TRUNK WITH COPIES OF THE BOOK OF MORMON AND ALL SORTS OF HANDOUTS.  A PICTURE OF THE SAVIOR WAS AT THE CENTER OF THE TRUNK.  EVERYONE WHO CAME BY LOVED OUR SET UP AND WE EVEN HANDED OUT 2 COPIES OF THE BOOK OF MORMON TO MEN WHO HAD COME WITH MEMBERS TO THE TRUNK OR TREAT.  I MADE CHILI AND CORN BREAD AND EVERYONE LOVED THE CORN BREAD!

THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2ND SAW TRANSFERS IN THE MISSION.  OUR SWEET CAMERON SISTERS, WHOM WE HAVE GROWN TO TRULY LOVE WERE BOTH TRANSFERRED.  WE NOW HAVE 2 ELDERS HERE WITH US.  IT HAS MADE IT QUITE DIFFICULT TO HAVE MEMBERS SIGN UP TO FEED THEM.  THE REASON IS THAT MOST OF THE MILITARY MEMBERS DON'T GET HOME UNTIL AROUND 6-6:30.  THE MISSION HAS A STRICT RULE THAT THE MISSIONARIES ARE TO BE FED BETWEEN 5 AND 6.  WELL, WHEN THE SISTERS WERE HERE, THEY COULD JUST GO OVER TO A FAMILY'S HOUSE WHO HAD SIGNED UP TO FEED THEM, EVEN THOUGH THE SPOUSE (USUALLY MALE) WASN'T HOME YET BECAUSE THEY WERE FEMALE.  NOT SO FOR THE ELDERS.  SO THE ELDERS CALLED THE MISSION PRESIDENT TO SEE IF HE WOULD ALLOW THEM TO EAT LATER SO THE FAMILIES IN THIS AREA COULD FEED THEM AND THE MISSION PRESIDENT SAID NO.  CONSEQUENTLY, I HAVE CALLED THE RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT AND WE TALKED ABOUT SENDING A SHEET AROUND AND EXPLAINING TO THE SISTERS THAT SINCE WE NOW HAVE 2 ELDERS, IF THEY WOULD STILL PLEASE SIGN UP TO FEED THEM AND THEN IF THEY FIND OUT THEIR SPOUSE WON'T BE HOME IN TIME, IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE A MEAL OVER TO THE ELDERS HOUSE.  SO WE'LL SEE HOW THIS WILL WORK.  THE SISTERS WERE ALWAYS VERY WELL FED AND IF, FOR SOME REASON, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A MEAL, WE WOULD GO PICK THEM UP AND TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE THE SAME WILL BE TRUE FOR THE ELDERS.

ANOTHER REALLY GREAT HIGHLIGHT OF OUR MISSION IS THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE HAD TO PRESENT SACRAMENT MEETINGS TO MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH WHO ARE OUT TRAINING WITH THE SPECIAL FORCES.  THESE MEN ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST.  THEY HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT COURSES THEY ATTEND, BOTH IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE ACTUAL TRAINING IN THE FIELD.  AFTER ALL OF THIS IS COMPLETED, THEY HEAD BACK TO FT. BRAGG AND GO THROUGH LANGUAGE TRAINING.  WE HAVE MET SPECIAL FORCES MEN WHO HAVE LEARNED FRENCH, ITALIAN, FARSI, RUSSIAN, ARABIC, AND SEVERAL OTHER LANGUAGES.  THEY ARE BEING TRAINED TO BE READY AT ANY GIVEN TIME AND THEY TRULY ARE THE ELITE!   ELDER WADLEY AND I HAVE TRAVELED TO THE SITE WITH THE OTHER SENIOR COUPLE, ELDER AND SISTER HILL, AND AN INSTRUCTOR OF THE SPECIAL FORCES, WHO IS IN THE BISHOPRIC OF THE FAYETTEVILLE 3RD WARD.  IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR TO GET TO THE SITE.  THERE WE SET UP SACRAMENT MEETING IN A CLASSROOM.  WE HAVE AN OPENING SONG AND PRAYER, THEN A SACRAMENT SONG.  ELDER HILL AND ELDER WADLEY BLESS AND PASS THE SACRAMENT.  AFTERWARDS, IF IT IS FAST SUNDAY, WE HAVE A TESTIMONY MEETING.  OTHER TIMES WE HAVE HAD ELDER HILL OR ELDER WADLEY GIVE A SHORT TALK ON SOMETHING THAT IS INSPIRING FOR THE SOLDIERS, SINCE THEY ARE IN ABOUT A 2 MONTH VERY, VERY STRENUOUS TRAINING, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.  NO OUTSIDE COMMUNICATION IS ALLOWED.  IT HAS BEEN SO INSPIRATIONAL TO BE WITH THEM AND A REAL BLESSING FOR ELDER WADLEY AND ME.

WE WERE THRILLED IN SACRAMENT MEETING ON NOVEMBER 8TH BECAUSE AS WE SAT ON THE STAND, (WE WERE SPEAKING THAT DAY) WE SAW 3 DIFFERENT FAMILIES COME IN WHO HAVE BEEN LESS ACTIVE, WHOM WE HAVE GONE OUT TO VISIT AND STRUCK UP A REALLY GOOD FRIENDSHIP WITH.  AS THEY SAT DOWN AND SAW US ON THE STAND, THEY SMILED AND WAVED AT US.  OH, WE ARE SO, SO GRATEFUL FOR THE LORD'S INSPIRATION HE GIVES US THROUGH THE HOLY GHOST TO KNOW JUST WHAT TO SAY AND WHEN TO SAY IT TO THESE VERY, VERY WONDERFUL MEMBERS.  NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THEN THE LORD TAKES CARE OF THE DETAILS, AFTER WE HAVE DONE ALL WE CAN DO.  I HAD TO KEEP MYSELF FROM BURSTING OUT IN TEARS.  OH,  I CAN'T NOT MENTION A VERY VERY INTERESTING/HILARIOUS THING THAT HAPPENED AS WE SAT ON THE STAND THAT DAY.  WE HAD JUST GOTTEN SEATED AND WERE REACHING FOR OUR HYMN BOOKS FOR THE OPENING HYMN.  ELDER WADLEY COULDN'T FIND ONE UNDER HIS SEAT SO HE GOT UP AND WENT UP TO ONE OF THE CHOIR SEATS, JUST BEHIND THE SACRAMENT TABLE SEATS TO GET ONE.  HE SAT DOWN NEXT TO ME AND OPENED THE HYMN BOOK, AND THERE RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES WAS A HUGE....DEAD....COCKROACH THAT HAD BEEN KILLED AND PLACED IN THE HYMN BOOK WHERE IT HAS SAT LONG ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE SMASHED FLAT!   I THINK IT STARTLED BOTH OF US SO MUCH, THAT ELDER WADLEY JUST CALMLY CLOSED THE BOOK AND WALKED THAT LITTLE MONSTER BACK TO IT'S HOUSE IN THE CHOIR SEATS!  NOT A REAL GOOD TIME TO TRY TO TAKE IT OUT TO THE TRASH CAN.  YUP, WE'RE IN THE DEAD SOUTH...DEAD COCK ROACHES AND ALL! 

WE HAVE FOUND 2 DIFFERENT FAMILIES WHO WERE STATIONED IN ENGLAND AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE OVER THERE.  THEY WERE AT THE SAME AIR FORCE BASE WE WERE AT.  WE DIDN'T KNOW THEM THEN,  BUT WE HAVE BECOME GOOD FRIENDS WITH BOTH OF THEM.  THEY HAVE EACH INVITED US OVER FOR DINNER AND WE HAVE HAD THE BEST TIME REMINISCING ABOUT LIFE IN JOLLY OLD ENGLAND!  ONE OF THE FAMILIES HAS JUST RECENTLY STARTED COMING BACK TO CHURCH.  THE OTHER ONE IS STILL INACTIVE, BUT WE ARE PRAYING THAT IN TIME, THEIR HEARTS WILL BE SOFTENED.  

HAVE I MENTIONED THAT ALL OF THE SQUIRRELS HERE ARE GRAY?  ELDER WADLEY AND I WALK 1 1/2 MILES EVERY MORNING AROUND THE POST AND THERE ARE LOTS OF GRAY SQUIRRELS EATING THE ACORNS ON THE GROUND.  THE POST IS JUST HUGE.  

 I JUST WANT TO TELL ALL OF YOU MY FEELINGS ABOUT OUR MISSION THUS FAR.  ELDER WADLEY IS GOING TO ADD HIS THOUGHTS AS WELL.  I THINK THE BEST WAY TO SUM UP MY FEELINGS IS TO SAY WHAT ELDER CAPPELL WROTE IN HIS BLOG:  "I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO BUSY/TIRED, YET NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY."  THROUGHOUT MY LIFE I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD THAT WHEN WE ARE SERVING THE LORD, WE ARE THE HAPPIEST.  THIS HAS PROVEN TRUE IN MY OWN LIFE; HOWEVER, WHEN YOU ARE SERVING THE LORD ON A FULL-TIME BASIS, HE IS ABLE TO TURN ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND EFFORT TO OTHERS - SO MUCH SO THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE EXHAUSTED, YOU DESIRE TO DO MORE AND MORE.  OH...IT REALLY IS A REMARKABLE FEELING.  A FEELING I NEVER WANT TO LOSE. I HOPE WHEN YOU READ THIS, GRAND babies, YOU WILL REALIZE THE BLESSINGS THAT AWAIT YOU WHEN IT IS YOUR TIME TO SERVE YOUR MISSIONS.  IT IS TRULY WONDERFUL. (I PURPOSEFULLY TYPE THE WORD "GRAND babies THIS WAY AS I HAVE DONE IN MANY FAMILY UPDATES TO THE KIDS, BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY TRULY ARE....GRAND!!!!)

I WANT TO EXPLAIN A TYPICAL WEEK TO YOU.  OUR DAYS RIGHT NOW ARE SPENT VISITING NEW MOVE-INS, LESS ACTIVES AND SPOUSES OF DEPLOYED SOLDIERS.  THIS COULD BE EITHER THE HUSBAND OR WIFE.  MONDAY EVENING WE ATTEND THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT FAMILY HOME EVENING.  WEDNESDAY MORNING WE HAVE DISTRICT MEETING FROM 10:00 A.M. TO NOON.  THURSDAY EVENING WE ATTEND YOUNG SINGLE ADULT INSTITUTE.  IF THE CAMERON WARD LEADERSHIP NEEDS US TO GO VISIT A CERTAIN FAMILY OR MEMBER, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO DO THAT.  ELDER WADLEY HELPS OUT WHEN THEY NEED SOMETHING AT SCOUTS ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS.  I ACCOMPANY HIM THERE.  SUNDAYS WE HAVE OUR WARD AT 1:00.  WE TAKE TURNS TEACHING THE GOSPEL PRINCIPLES CLASS WITH THE WARD MISSION LEADER AND THE FULL-TIME ELDERS.  WHEN WE CHANGE TO BEING OVER THE FT. BRAGG WARD, THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT BRANCH AND THE CAMERON WARD, WE WILL BE GOING TO CHURCH FROM 8:30 A.M. TO 4 P.M. EACH SUNDAY, PLUS HEADING OUT TO THE SPECIAL FORCES FOR THEIR SACRAMENT MEETING LATER THAT EVENING.

I WANT TO ALSO MENTION A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY THUS FAR.  WE WERE ASSIGNED TO SERVE IN THE CAMERON WARD, WHICH IS WHERE ALL OF MY ENTRIES THUS FAR HAVE COME FROM.  THIS WARD IS MADE UP OF 85% MILITARY FAMILIES.  OUR CALLING HERE IS TO KEEP CLOSE TRACK OF THOSE FAMILIES WHO HAVE SPOUSES DEPLOYED.  AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 20 FAMILIES WHO FIT INTO THIS CATEGORY.  WE HAVE ALSO BEEN ASKED TO VISIT ABOUT 25 FAMILIES, WHO THE WARD WOULD LIKE US TO FIND OUT IF THEY WANT HOME TEACHERS OR VISITING TEACHERS, IF THEY WOULD PREFER A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM THE RELIEF SOCIETY, OR IF THEY WOULD RATHER BE A "DO NOT CONTACT."  WE HAVE FINISHED THIS LIST.  THEY HAVE ALSO ASKED US TO VISIT THE "NEW MOVE-IN" FAMILIES.  WE HAVE 6 PAGES OF THESE AND WE HAVE GONE THROUGH ABOUT 4 OF THE PAGES.  IT HAS BEEN SO MUCH FUN GETTING TO KNOW EVERYONE.  I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT ALL, EXCEPT FOR ONE SISTER, HAVE BEEN VERY CORDIAL TO US AND WE HAVE HAD NICE VISITS.   WE CONTINUE TO DO THESE ASSIGNMENTS PLUS ATTEND THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT FAMILY HOME EVENINGS AND INSTITUTE NIGHTS.  THEY ARE A FUN GROUP OF MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE STATIONED HERE AT FT. BRAGG.  SOME OF THEM WE SEE AT THE GATES AS GUARDS WHEN WE GO IN AND OUT OF THE POST.  SOME WE SEE AS WE SHOP AT THE COMMISSARY OR PX ON POST.  

ONE VERY FUNNY THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ELDER WADLEY WHEN WE FIRST GOT HERE.  AS WE WOULD COME TO A GATE TO ENTER ONTO FT. BRAGG, THE SOLDIER WOULD LOOK AT OUR MILITARY ID'S AND THEN SALUTE ELDER WADLEY AS HE SAYS, "ALL THE WAY SIR."  ELDER WADLEY WOULD LOOK OVER TO ME AND SAY, "WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?"  I WOULD SAY, "I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA!"  WELL, THIS CONTINUED AND EVERY TIME WE WOULD COME TO A GATE TO ENTER THE POST, THE SAME THING WOULD BE SAID AS THEY WOULD SALUTE ELDER WADLEY.  SO FINALLY ELDER WADLEY THOUGHT, "OK, WHEN THEY SAY THAT I'LL JUST SALUTE THEM BACK AND SAY, "ROGER THAT!"  SO THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS UNTIL ELDER WADLEY FINALLY ASKED THE FIRST COUNSELOR IN OUR BISHOPRIC HERE, WHO IS A HELICOPTER PILOT, AND HE SAID THAT THE REASON THEY SAY "ALL THE WAY SIR" IS BECAUSE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE 82ND AIRBORNE AND HOW THEY PARACHUTE OUT OF THE PLANES AND GO "ALL THE WAY" TO THE GROUND, MAKING SURE ALL OF THEIR EQUIPMENT IS SAFELY STORED...HIT THE GROUND AND DO WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO DO.  HE SAID YOUR RESPONSE BACK SHOULD BE "AIRBORNE."  SO ELDER WADLEY BEGAN SAYING THAT.  WHAT MADE IT SO FUNNY IS THAT OFTEN TIMES, SINCE HE WASN'T USED TO SAYING "AIRBORNE" YET, HE WOULD START TO DRIVE OFF AND THEN SORT OF YELL IT BACK TO THE GUARD!  OH, WE HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF GOOD LAUGHS OVER THAT ONE!  WE ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE A LITTLE PIECE OF CANDY TO GIVE THE GATE GUARD AS WE GO THRU AND THEY ALWAYS SAY THANK YOU SIR.  VERY POLITE.  

WE WAKE UP EVERY MORNING TO REVEILLE BEING PLAYED RIGHT AROUND SUNRISE. RETREAT AROUND 5 P.M. AND TAPS  AT 10 P.M.  IF WE ARE DRIVING ON POST AND RETREAT IS PLAYED, WE PULL THE CAR OVER AND WAIT UNTIL IT ENDS.  IF WE ARE WALKING ON POST AND REVEILLE OR RETREAT COMES ON, WE STOP, FACE THE MAIN FLAG, IF WE KNOW WHERE IT IS, OR FACE THE AREA WHERE THE MUSIC IS COMING FROM, PLACE OUR HAND OVER OUR HEART AND WAIT UNTIL IT ENDS.  THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID FOR 20 YEARS WHEN ELDER WADLEY WAS ACTIVE DUTY IN THE AIR FORCE.  IT SEEMS "SO GOOD" TO BE BACK TO A PLACE THAT WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH IN A LOT OF THE EXPERIENCES WE HAVE HAD IN THE AIR FORCE.   FLAGS FLY ON MOST HOUSES ON THE POST.  FT. BRAGG HAS ABOUT 161,000 ACRES THAT MAKE UP THE ENTIRE INSTALLATION, WHICH INCLUDES 7 DROP SITES FOR PARACHUTE DROPS, CAMP MACKALL WHERE THE SPECIAL FORCES TRAIN, ETC.  NOW, YOU MAY THINK I HAVE MISS-TYPED THE NUMBER, BUT IT'S TRUE!  IT ENCOMPASSES LARGE, VAST AREAS TO TRAIN THE RANGERS, THE SPECIAL FORCES AND THE 82ND AIRBOURNE.  YOU CAN TELL WHICH SERVICE MEMBER IS WITH WHICH UNIT BY HIS HAT.  OTHERWISE, I WOULDN'T HAVE A CLUE!

PER OUR VISITS WITH THE OTHER SENIOR MILITARY RELATIONS COUPLES HERE AT FT. BRAGG, BEGINNING THE END OF NOVEMBER, ELDER WADLEY AND I WILL BE THE SENIOR MISSIONARY COUPLE OVER THE FT. BRAGG WARD, THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT BRANCH, AND STILL KEEP THE CAMERON WARD.  WE WILL SPREAD OURSELVES PRETTY THIN, BUT IT WILL BE SO MUCH FUN!  I  THINK THAT THE FT. BRAGG WARD WILL BE PROBABLY 95% MILITARY.  THERE ARE SOME YOUNG SINGLE ADULTS WHO ARE NOT MILITARY, BUT ON THE WHOLE, WE WILL BE DEALING PRIMARILY WITH THE MILITARY.  THE TRANSITIONING IN THESE WARDS IS CONTINUAL!  IT BRINGS ME BACK TO OUR MILITARY DAYS.  I SERVED AS RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT IN 4 DIFFERENT MILITARY WARDS AND MY CONTINUAL JOB WAS UPDATING VISITING TEACHING ROSTERS AND TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF MOVE-INS AND MOVE-OUTS!  THIS IS ONE REASON WHY WE HAVE TRIED SO HARD TO HELP THE CAMERON WARD GET ON TOP OF THEIR WARD ROSTER.  SO MANY OF THE SPOUSES ARE DEPLOYED AT DIFFERENT TIMES, THAT IT MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO KEEP TRACK OF THEIR HOME TEACHING AND VISITING TEACHING.  IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE WILL BE DIVIDING OUR TIME BETWEEN 2 WARDS AND A BRANCH.  HOPEFULLY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO EACH OF THEM JUSTICE.  

PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ELDER WADLEY AND I IF WE HAVE GOTTEN CLAUSTROPHOBIA YET.  AT FIRST WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT BUT NOW WE DO.  AS YOU DRIVE EACH DAY, YOU NEVER SEE THE HORIZON.  IT IS AS IF YOU ARE DRIVING THROUGH A FOREST ALL DAY LONG.  THE TREES HERE ARE ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!  ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW WITH ALL OF THE COLORS.   SO SOME OF THE YOUNG MISSIONARIES HAVE ASKED US THAT AND WE SAID, "NO WE ARE LOVING IT!"  IT'S FUNNY THOUGH, AS ELDER WADLEY AND I ARE OUT VISITING MEMBERS, THERE MAY BE A HIGH PLACE WE COME TO IN THE ROAD, AND ELDER WADLEY WILL STOP THE CAR AND SAY, "LOOK.....THERE'S THE HORIZON!"  IT IS JUST SOMETHING YOU WOULD NEVER THINK TO TAKE FOR GRANTED.   

I AM REFERRED TO AS "MAM" HERE.  EVERYWHERE WE GO IT IS, "YES MAM AND NO MAM."  THEY ARE VERY COURTEOUS AND POLITE AND THE CHILDREN TALK TO YOU THE VERY SAME WAY.  ANOTHER WORD THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO PICK UP A LITTLE BIT IS "YA'LL."  WE FIND THE ELDERS SAYING THIS ALL THE TIME!  

ONE OF THE CLASSES WE TOOK AT THE MTC WAS A COURSE ON "RESILIENCY."  IT WAS TAUGHT FOR MILITARY RELATIONS MISSIONARIES.  WE ARE SO GLAD WE HAD THIS CLASS AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO START A CLASS UP VERY SOON.  THE MEMBERS HERE ARE ALWAYS HAVING CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES.  A 2 WEEK DEPLOYMENT HERE, A 3 MONTH DEPLOYMENT THERE.  ONE MEMBER WE VISITED SAID HE HAS BEEN DEPLOYED 34 TIMES THIS YEAR!  HE HAS A WIFE AND 2 SONS - 11 AND 13.  WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY TO HELP THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS LEFT BEHIND FEEL SECURE AND KEEP THEM GROUNDED IN THE GOSPEL.  SOMETIMES IT IS A CHALLENGE.

LIVING ON THE POST HAS TRULY BEEN A BLESSING.  WE FEEL SAFE.  WE HAVE THE COMMRADERY OF THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - THE MILITARY!!!!   WHEN WE GO THRU THE GATE, OFTEN TIMES ONE OF THE GUARDS WHO CHECKS OUR MILITARY ID'S IS A MEMBER OF THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT BRANCH AND HE GREETS US WITH, "HELLO ELDER WADLEY - SIR!"  

I FEEL SO VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!  I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT FOR THE WORLD.  IT HAS MADE ME APPRECIATE MY SAVIOR SO MUCH MORE, MY COUNTRY SO MUCH MORE, AND MY TESTIMONY SO MUCH MORE.  LOVE TO ALL OF YOU! 
SISTER WADLEY

HI YA'LL - ELDER WADLEY HERE.  SISTER WADLEY HAD DONE A GREAT JOB, AS ALWAYS, OF TELLING OUR STORY.  I HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED WITH THE CALIBER AND COMMITMENT OF THE MEN AND WOMEN HERE AT FORT BRAGG.  WE CAN'T BELIEVE HOW DEDICATED THEY ARE TO OUR COUNTRY, AND TO THE LORD.  IT'S VERY HUMBLING AND INSPIRING TO HEAR THEIR STORIES AND FEEL OF THEIR TESTIMONY.  ONE AFTERNOON WE WERE ABLE TO WATCH THREE PLANES FLY OVER A DROP ZONE, AND ABOUT 50 SOLDIERS JUMPED OUT OF EACH PLANE AND PARACHUTED TO THE GROUND.  THEY WERE EACH LOADED WITH HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND WEAPONS.  AFTER GATHERING UP THE PARACHUTE AND STUFFING IT BACK INTO A BACKPACK, THEY WOULD RUN TO THE GATHERING AREA.  VERY IMPRESSIVE!  SOME SPOUSES AND FAMILY WERE WITH US IN A VIEWING AREA.  TWO YOUNG WOMEN IN UNIFORM APPROACHED US, AND ONE SMILED AND SAID, "WE SAW YOUR NAME-TAGS, AND I WANTED TO FEEL A BIT OF HOME."  SHE WAS FROM THE SUGAR-HOUSE AREA IN SLC, WHICH WAS NEAR WHERE WE GREW UP.  (SMALL WORLD)  SHE SAID SHE WASN'T ACTIVE NOW, BUT WAS THINKING ABOUT COMING BACK TO CHURCH.  WE GAVE HER OUR CONTACT CARD, AND HAD A GREAT VISIT WITH HER AND HER FRIEND.  WE'RE HOPING TO BRING THEM TO A CHURCH MEETING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.  

WE'RE EXCITED TO START MEETING WITH, AND GETTING TO KNOW THE FORT BRAGG WARD, AND MORE OF THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT BRANCH.  OUR EXPERIENCE HERE HAS BEEN SO REWARDING, AND IS MORE FUN THAN WE EVER EXPECTED.  IT'S VERY BEAUTIFUL HERE, AND SUCH A CHANGE FROM THE DRY CLIMATES OF UTAH AND IDAHO.  OUR TIME IN THE LORD'S SERVICE HAS BEEN GOING BY SO QUICKLY, AND WE'RE HAVING NO PROBLEM KEEPING BUSY.  

OCTOBER 1, 2015

As we continue our missionary blog, we have decided to update it at the beginning of each month.  We find that we are so busy keeping up with the demands of our mission, that, other than sending weekly updates to our family, this will be the time we dedicate to our missionary blog.  Again, we hope you enjoy it and we hope our children and GRANDchildren feel the spirit of missionary work as we report our missionary experiences.

What a wonderful time we have had "out here in the mission field!"  We left Sister Wadley's mother's home in Salt Lake City on September 14, 2015 after spending 2 magnificent weeks at the MTC in Provo, Utah and drove across the United States, beginning September 14th, staying at military installations in Wyoming, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee before arriving at our daughter and son-in-law's home in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday, September 18, 2015. There we spent a really enjoyable weekend with them, including our 3 AWESOME GRANDchildren, whom we don't see very often at all.  The weekend was full of stake activities.  Saturday morning was a 5k walk/run with canned goods brought for the needy.  Elder Wadley and I kept track of the 2 younger grandchildren while our daughter, son-in-law and our oldest grandchild, Kaylee, ran the race.  That evening we attended a bull-riding contest at the Time/Warner arena in downtown Charlotte, where the Charlotte Hornets basketball team plays.  What a great family outing!  Sunday morning found us traveling out to the Albemarle Ward for their Ward Conference.  The ward was about an hour away.  Kathryn, our daughter, is in the Stake Young Women Presidency and taught the Young Women there that day.  What a wonderful 3 hours!  Elder Wadley and I attended the Gospel Principles class.  They have 4 Elders serving in the ward, so with all of them there, plus Elder Wadley and myself, we had a great hour!  The teacher was very good!    In attendance were 4 investigators with several questions. We met each one and found out a little about them!  The Bishop is from Hungary and we had a nice visit with him while standing in the food line at the Linger Longer afterwards.  He was able to get out of Hungary when it was under socialist rule and he ended up in Provo, Utah where he met his wife.  She sang for a couple of years with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Wonderful people! While eating, we sat next to a young couple.  The sister was from Ontario, Oregon!  I had a very tender mercy meet me when we entered the chapel at the Albemarle Ward.  The Bishop's wife was playing the prelude music and Elder Wadley tapped me and said, "do you hear what is being played?"  It was my very favorite piece, "Consider the Lilies."  Oh how that warmed my heart and added so much to this wonderful, exciting journey we were embarking on!  After returning home, we took a nap and played some games and got ready to head to Raleigh the next morning. It will be so nice living close to our daughter's family for the next year!

We headed out bright and early on September 21, 2015 to report to our mission in Raleigh, N.C.  We arrived at the mission office where Sister Colledge greeted us.  I wanted to ask her if she had relatives in Lehi, Utah, since my dad's mom is Esther Ann Colledge, spelled the same way with a "d" in it.  She was busy and I never got a chance to.  President and Sister James were in a planning meeting with the 3 AP's, Elder and Sister Scott, who are the Executive Secretary and in charge of cell phones and apartments respectively.  President James and Sister James were so very loving and kind.  We had our picture taken with them, then were given our key to our house, along with a lot of paperwork and away we went.  We headed south for about an hour and found our home in a small town called Cameron.  Our actual address is 338 Ponderosa Rd., Cameron, N.C. 28326.  This is our actual address, but our home sits in Johnsonville, a little town nearby. We got everything unpacked and were starting to get settled in. At the Mission Office, Sister Scott had mentioned something about there being "mold" in the house.   During the first couple of days there we found quite a bit around the windows and window sills.  We called Sister Scott and expressed our concern.  She told us to look for another place to live.  We found out that military installations were, just recently, offering base housing to retired military.  We visited the housing office at Ft. Bragg and were offered a base house at Pope Army Air Field, which is on Ft. Bragg.  We toured the house and accepted it on the 25th.  Our new address is now:  66 Provider Circle, Fort Bragg, N.C. 28307 and we plan on staying here the remainder of our mission!  It seems so good to be back on a military base again, even though this one is huge...like another entire city!

Between the 21st and the 25th of September, we began visiting members of the Cameron Ward, which is the ward we will be working with.  The ward is 85% military.  Bishop Colby is one of 5 LDS Chaplains on Ft. Bragg.  What a great ward!  We went by the 1st and 2nd Counselors homes and met them.  We met the Primary President and the Young Men President.  We also met the Ward Mission Leader.  Elder Wadley was called and asked to help give a blessing to an 11 year old girl in the ward who has been having migraine headaches so we went to their home and were able to meet everyone but the father, who is away at Drill Sergeant school.  Wednesday morning we attended our first District Meeting at the Stake Center and met all of our District, which consisted of Sisters Hesen and Pruner, Sisters Rich and Peterson and Elders NaDauld and Smith, along with Elder and Sister Hill, another Senior couple.  Had a great meeting.  So well organized!  Our first Sunday (the 27th) in the Cameron Ward was really nice.  It was the Primary Program (oh how we missed our GRANDbabies that day!)  The ward has a huge primary!  We helped out sitting with a Primary class during the program.  Gospel Principles was taught by the 2 sister missionaries assigned to this ward, Sister Pruner and Sister Hesen. One side note both Elder Wadley and I commented on is how very much it reminded us of the wards we lived in during our active duty Air Force days.  Raising a family, husbands or wives deployed, and just trying to stay on top of everything.  Oh, do we every have respect for these people!  We had the sister missionaries over for dinner the prior Friday evening and then we drove them to the General Women's Conference at the Stake Center.  Elder Wadley met with Elder Hill while we were listening to conference.  We had driven the sisters around earlier in the week and they had shown us all of the subdivisions where the members lived.  We were able to visit with the Bishop for a minute and will be meeting with him after conference to see where we might be of assistance.  Because he is a Chaplain, he and Sister Colby travel to conference twice a year. One interesting note about all of our visits this past week:  When we met the 1st Counselor in the Bishopric and his family, we found out that his wife's father grew up in the same ward as Elder Wadley!  What a small world...being members of the church...being military,..HAVING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN OUR LIVES...what more could we ask for?  THE CHURCH IS TRUE (Brother Udy's continual. loving comment at the MTC!)

For the rest of the story, my good friend is Ben Stowell.  He had a sister Laura, who was also my good friend (same age), and Ben was a year older.  I think Sister Wadley at one time had a crush on Ben.  ;-) We hope to maybe see him, and his wife this Christmas when they visit their daughter here in the Cameron Ward.  Sister Wadley and I lived in neighboring wards, same stake, and I didn't meet her until after my mission, at a Stake M-men and Gleaner function.  Hey - we're dating ourselves now.

Sunday evening, Elder Wadley attended a Stake Priesthood meeting with 2 Young Men from the ward.  Their mother is a nurse in the military and is divorced from their father.  They also have a 3 year old down syndrome brother (from a second marriage.)  She had asked Elder Wadley in the Gospel Principles class if he could take them to the meeting.  When Elder Wadley picked them up, they came out with very bad attitudes about "having to go tonight."  The older one (15) said that if they didn't go, their mother would take their "electronics" away from them.  Elder Wadley said they didn't have much to say on the way to the Stake Center and when they got there they said they would just wait in the foyer.  Elder Wadley asked them to come in and sit with him, so they did.  Halfway through the meeting, the Aaronic Priesthood went into a separate meeting with the Bishops.  When they all came back to meet together again, Elder Wadley asked them how they liked it and they both said it was good.  They sat through the rest of the meeting and on the way home, Elder Wadley was able to strike up a conversation with the older one and found out he played the guitar and loved to write poetry.  He had lived in Alaska when his mom was stationed there so Elder Wadley asked him if he had ever heard the poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee," which depicts life in the rugged Yukon and Alaskan countryside!  His face lit up and he said, "Oh, that's my favorite poem!  So the rest of the way home, Elder Wadley recited the entire poem to him (which is pretty lengthy!)  I'm sure kids, you have heard dad tell you this poem many, MANY times!  Needless to say, Elder Wadley felt like he had begun a friendship with them.  We are making plans to visit their family and maybe have a short family home evening with them.  This is Elder Wadley speaking:  My dad used to read and quote poems and stories by Robert W. Service to us when I was little.  That was one of my favorites too, and I got an easy A in a college speech class by quoting that poem.

We spent all day Monday,the 28th of September, packing up.  Elder and Sister Scott were bringing a trailer down along with 4 Elders from the Fayetteville area to help load.  We took 2 loads over to the house on Monday.  Tuesday morning they arrived and we were packed up by noon and over to the base house and unpacked by 2 p.m.  What cute, cute, awesome Elders!  So willing to do whatever they can to help out.  We began unpacking.  We met our neighbors on either side of us.  We share a duplex with another retired army couple and her mother.  They were moving in the same day!  Very nice couple.  On our other side is a First Sergeant, his wife, who is an EMS, and their little boy William.  Such nice people!

Wednesday morning we attended our District Meeting.  Elder Smith, our District Leader, taught us about the Plan of Salvation.  Elder Wadley gave a 3 minute presentation on how to teach as the Savior taught. During our meetings, the young missionaries report on their work for the previous week.  We, as senior missionaries give suggestions, make comments, support and encourage! We have an AWESOME District!  After District Meeting, we went to lunch with the Hill's, the other senior missionary couple in order for them to give us some information on the area and what we need to begin doing.  They complimented us on already going out to meet a good majority of the ward leadership.  We decided if we are going to do any good here, we need to get to know people in the ward, so what better time than to wait to move!  It reminded Elder Wadley and I of our good old Air Force Days and moving every 3 years!

We have a really special treat this weekend - hearing from our dear prophet, President Thomas S. Monson and the General Authorities at General Conference.  We hope you will all gather your families together and enjoy the spirit that is there.

This blog finishes our missionary experience up through September 30, 2015.  Children, GRANDchildren, and anyone else who reads our blog, we hope you have enjoyed reading about some of our experiences as we serve the Lord in North Carolina.  Everyone enjoy General Conference this weekend.

  

CALLED TO SERVE THE LORD!

AS WE BEGIN OUR MISSIONARY BLOG, IT IS OUR DESIRE THAT THIS BLOG SERVE AS OUR TESTIMONY TO OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, AND FRIENDS OF THE TRUTHFULNESS OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, IT'S TEACHINGS, IT'S PROMISED BLESSINGS, AND THE HAPPINESS IT HAS BROUGHT TO OUR LIVES. 

JUNE 30, 2015:  We came back into town from visiting our daughter, Jennifer, and her family in Idaho Falls for her and our granddaughter, Jane's, birthdays.  We went to the mail and picked up our held mail.  Sister Wadley will never forget seeing the broad smile on Elder Wadley's face as he came out of the post office with our mail.  THE CALL HAD ARRIVED!  Our journey had begun.  I guess looking back, our journey began several months prior to this when we began the process of applying to serve a full-time mission. Oh, the feelings and thoughts that go through your mind as you contemplate serving the Lord.  What do we do with our house?  How will our family be?  How will Sister Wadley's mom be?  How long should we serve?...and the list goes on and on.  With all of these emotions in tack and knowing this has been our desire for quite some time, we were very anxious to get home and open our call!  We had told the children we would try to Skype with everyone when we opened it. We rounded each family up and found out that the 2nd of July would be a time when everyone was available.

JULY 2, 2015:  We contacted everyone on Skype and the process began.  As we looked into our computer screen and saw all of the faces that we dearly love and cherish, we couldn't help but have tears in our eyes as Elder Wadley asked Sister Wadley to open her call and read it:

Dear Sister Wadley:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.  Your primary assignment is to labor in the Fort Bragg Military Installation as a military relations specialist.  It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 12 months.

LOTS OF SCREAMS CAME FROM OUR COMPUTER SCREEN AS OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN CELEBRATED SISTER WADLEY'S CALL WITH HER!

Then Elder Wadley opened his call and it read:

Dear Elder Wadley:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.  Your primary assignment is to labor in the Fort Bragg Military installation as a military relations specialist.  It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 12 months.

AGAIN, LOTS OF SCREAMS CAME FROM OUR COMPUTER SCREEN!

So, the long, anticipated call had arrived.  Our children and grandchildren knew where we would be serving and a feeling of gratitude and excitement was felt by both Elder and Sister Wadley.  Our oldest child, Kathryn, and her family live just outside Charlotte, North Carolina.  We will be serving near them.  They were elated!  Everyone expressed their excitement for us and as the call was ended, we turned to each other and, as we gave each other a hug, we knew our prayers to serve the Lord had been answered.

Our call said we were to report to the MTC on August 31, 2015.  Wow, just 2 months to prepare.  We needed to get to work...and fast!  What will we do with our house?  Will our car make it there and back?  Everything going well with the kids and grandkids so we can steal away for a year to serve the Lord?  Everything we thought about was answered with a resounding...YOU ARE SERVING THE LORD, EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF.  We had our answer and it came to us LOUD AND CLEAR!  Oh...the sweet and oh so tender mercies of the Lord!  "We will go, we will do!"  Our plan was set into motion.

Throughout the coming weeks, we began finding someone to care for our lawn and the snow removal.  Our sweet Relief Society President, Stephanie Andrew, and her family agreed to do this for us. We checked with our son, David, to make sure he was OK with taking care of our house for us.  Also, our dear friend and next door neighbor, Kim Hill, was so instrumental in getting us out on this mission and she was also just as instrumental in wanting to help out looking after our house.  What would we ever do without all of our loved ones?  Thank you, thank you, thank you a million!

AUGUST 9, 2015:  Elder Wadley and I gave our farewell talk in our Sacrament Meeting.  It was so wonderful to see 3 of our 4 BEAUTIFUL children and 6 of our very very special GRAND babies sitting in the congregation, along with my very special friend from a long time ago, Pam Telford, who's mother served as a counselor to me in the Relief Society Presidency of 23rd Ward in Boise West Stake.  I so love Pat Telford, Pam's mom.  A real humble and loving servant of the Lord.  Also in attendance were our daughter-in-law's parents, Cheri and Brent Hessing, who brought Pam with them.  What a very nice surprise!  Another very special person to attend was my next door neighbor, Kim Hill.  She came with her mom, Lana Black and Kim's little baby, Derek.  We had some yummy food at the house after.  It was so much fun having nearly all of our family there with us to enjoy the day.  Elder Poole also spoke that day and reported on his mission to the New York, New York mission.  What a humble man!  Sister Lee Ann Dailey should be very very proud of her son!  He did an excellent job!  Thank you Jennifer, Michael, David and Leticia for coming and being a part of our happiness!  We had seen Mandi and the kids just a couple weeks prior and got to say goodbye to them.  We will see our oldest, Kathryn, and here family in North Carolina after we finish the MTC!  Can't wait!

AUGUST 31, 2015:  Elder Wadley and I entered the MTC at 10:40 A.M. and our year of serving the Lord officially began.  We were welcomed and given our "official name tags" and some paperwork which directed us where to be throughout the day.  The church leaves NOTHING to the imagination!  It is so very well prepared and organized as was the case when we entered the MTC.  Young Elders helped us from building to building, doing everything we needed to do to check in.  What awesome Armies of Helaman they were!

Our first week dealt with TRC, which translates to Teaching Resource Center, but the joke at the MTC is that the three letters stand for TORTURING RETIRED COUPLES!  That really wasn't too far from the truth, though, as the week went on.  We were pretty much put to the test with classes with Brother Gubler in the morning and Sister Eliason (even though her name tag said Sister Lane, since she was just married 3 weeks ago!) in the afternoon.  What AWESOME teachers!  Brother Gubler served a mission to Germany and Sister Eliason went to Japan.  We were divided into Districts.  In our District were Elder and Sister Kinghorn, going to Graatz, Germany and comprising Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  They are serving an Young Single Adult Mission over there.  Next were Elder and Sister Clark, going to Australia and taking charge of the Institute Program way down in Canberra, Southern Australia, 3 hours south of Sydney. Both Brother Kinghorn and Brother Clark are returning to the countries where they served their missions as young missionaries.  We also had 2 single sisters, Sister McComb and Sister Schwindeman who are both serving in Salt Lake City at the Family History Center.  All of our classes for the first week were in our District.  We learned to give lessons to investigators and were challenged on 2 different occasions by giving lessons:  Once to a couple who had been investigating the church and once to a retired judge from California whose wife belongs to the Assembly of God church but is open to reading the Book of Mormon.  She didn't accompany him the day we taught, but we discussed with the man how they have read 116 pages of the Book of Mormon and accepted our challenge to continue reading and not only read it, but pray about what they read.  He said they would do that.  

We saw a big difference in our first teaching assignment and our second.  We felt much more "together" as a couple teaching with the second one.  We each added to the lesson; whereas, the first go 'round, it was mainly Elder Wadley teaching.  We were critiqued each time and we felt real good about both of them, but a lot more so with the 2nd one!  All accolades to our instructors!!!!

The 2nd week of the MTC dealt with teaching Institute and Military Relations.  Monday and Tuesday we were with a larger group and went over meaningful ways to teach Institute.  We had been asked to remain at the MTC a week longer, just in case we would be teaching Institute to the military members or their family members.  Brother Boyce and Brother Udy (Howdy Doody Udy!) taught us and, again, they were excellent!  Each senior couple taught a lesson to another couple and we enjoyed that very much.  We taught our lesson to Elder and Sister Cherrington who are going to teach Institute in New Jersey.  

Wednesday and Thursday covered what we will be doing as Military Relations Specialists.  It really brought it front and center and to what we will be doing VERY SHORTLY!  Elder Donovan and Sister Donovan taught us along with Elder and Sister Mauerman.  The Mauerman's had returned about a year ago from serving at Fort Bragg!  Wow!  Did we ever feel lucky to have them there.  We had millions of questions to ask them!  We taught a class on Teaching Children to be Resilient.  Elder Wadley had a great idea to give each couple a sponge and have them squeeze it to show that as our children are challenged in life with stress of any kind or other things that might question their testimony, they become more and more "tight" as they found by squeezing the sponge.  We had them squeeze it slowly and think of something that might stress their children or grandchildren out so they are not resilient.  We then had them let the sponge out slowly as we gave them "helps" on ways they can be resilient when these stresses come into their lives and return them back to their original shape (or the way Heavenly Father created them), except they would be different because of the experiences they have had in life - just as we all are in this life.  It went very well.

Friday we were able to go up to the Church Office Building and meet Frank Clawson, the Director of Military Relation Missionaries.  They are up on the 24th floor.  It was a really nice time!  He spoke to us in a conference room and asked each of us what we would tell a group of all different religions if we had 20 minutes to talk to them about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He then showed three 2 minutes videos that were wonderful!  We also met the right hand man to Brother Clawson, who talked to us about Chaplains, since he served as one for 38 years.  He was then a mission president in Africa.  Again, a wonderful discussion!   We were able to look out the window and see where President Monson's apartment is as well as where Brigham Young is buried.  We had lunch in the cafeteria where Elder and Sister Donovan's Branch President, President Kloepfer, from East Germany, played beautiful music on a baby grand piano in the cafeteria the entire time we were there!  We were told that he came to the United States about the same time President Uchtdorf came from East Germany.  It was a wonderful day there!

One of the highlights of our time at the MTC was the Tuesday evening devotional.  It is not known who will be speaking to us that evening; however, Elder Wadley and I were looking at some of the beautiful pictures in the front hall of the MTC after we had had dinner and before going over to the devotional. All of a sudden we noticed all of the MTC Presidency were standing together with their wives in the hall.  As we kept looking at pictures (we were the ONLY missionaries in the hall at the time), all of a sudden we heard the MTC President say, "Welcome Elder Oaks!  We turned and in walked Elder Oaks, his wife and his oldest great granddaughter.  What a thrill for us!  They were greeted and Sister Oaks gave a gift to each of the presidency's wives.  Soon after this, in walked a young looking missionary who walked up to them and Elder Oaks introduced him as one of his great grandsons.  He is a returned missionary who served in Brazil.  They all left together to go down near the cafeteria and have a meal together before going over to the devotional.  Elder Wadley and I thought it was so funny that everyone around us was wondering who the guest speaker would be...little did they know!!  It was shown live to all the MTC's around the world!  Sister Oaks spoke first.  She is a convert to the church and served a mission to Japan.  Elder Oaks then spoke and both were wonderful.

The Sunday evening devotional was presented by the President of the Provo Temple and his wife.  It was so good!  Afterwards, we were able to watch a special devotional given by Elder Bednar to all of the missionaries on a Sunday Christmas morning sometime before the age change happened for the missionaries. He spoke on the Character of Christ and it was powerful!  We were so glad we came down from Salt Lake to hear it (we opted to spend our 2 weeks with Sister Wadley's mother in Midvale.)

I need to mention an interesting thing that happened to Sister Wadley while she was at the MTC.  2 weeks prior to leaving for the MTC, she was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis.  Her heel really ached.  She went to her podiatrist and he gave her a cortisone shot and a stretch boot to wear in the evening and at bedtime.  The shot only lasted 4 days.  The boot was difficult to wear all night.  She suffered with the pain the first few days at the MTC.  On the first Thursday we were in the MTC, she and Elder Wadley were "hurrying" across the street to the MTC, thinking they could make the light before it changed.  Sister Wadley felt something in her foot that was sort of like a rip or tear.  Needless to say, it pained her a lot the remainder of the day.  When we got back to Sister Wadley's mother's home for the night, the bottom of her foot had turned black and blue.  We decided we needed to get her to the emergency room to have it x-rayed.  As it turns out it was a small tear in the facia and she was given a walking boot, which helped tremendously!

Sister Wadley's sister had made her an appointment with her orthopedic doctor who had done surgery on her foot.  Sister Wadley went the following Tuesday morning (after wearing the walking boot to the MTC for 2 days.)  As it turns out, the doctor said that she had actually "done her own surgery on her foot."  What he meant by that was that if a patient's plantar fasciitis doesn't improve, they actually go in and do a slight slit or "tear" just as had been done when she ran across the street at the MTC.  He gave her another cortisone shot and had impressions made to have her own orthotics made, and said she did not have to even wear the walking boot anymore.  Gradually with each new day, her foot improved to the point that she is about 90 percent healed.  She considers this nothing less than the most tender mercy from our Heavenly Father.  He knew she was going on this mission.  He knew she was serving Him.  He knew she needed to have this healed in order to fulfill her mission, and He answered her prayers.  Such a strong, strong testimony of the love her Heavenly Father has for her as He does for all of His children.  Children and GRAND children, remember this very strong, personal testimony of how much your Heavenly Father knows and loves each one of you!

I have never experienced such a dynamic, loving, organized, powerful, caring, spiritual place in my 67 years.  I would place it right next to the temple in importance.  The people who work there or volunteer there are there because they have a testimony of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and it shows.  I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed my experience there and really hated it to end.

 I asked Elder Wadley to sum up his feelings about his time at the MTC and this is what he said, "I was so amazed at the quality of teaching, the love and the spirit that is there at the MTC.  Both of our sons have served missions, and our son, David, said that the spirit is so strong there.  Little did I realize just how strong it would be.  We both feel so blessed to have had the best trainers in the whole MTC and the instructors and leaders were equally wonderful.  Also, Elder Taylor, our class leader at the MTC, was so kind and understanding and helpful in every way with Sister Wadley's foot problem.  The 3 devotionals we attended were something never to be forgotten.  Before each would begin, the chorister would conduct several "warm up" hymns, which were really sung to help bring the spirit there and boy did they ever bring the spirit!  It was so moving with whatever hymn we sang.  Everyone felt our Savior's love and prepared us for a spiritual feast in the devotionals.  One of the hymns we sang over and over again was Called to Serve and I remember that as probably the one song that I sang the most on my mission to Scotland many years ago, along with Ye Elders of Israel."   I remarked to Sister Wadley how those 2 songs were sung over and over again in my mission and we knew them by heart, forwards and backwards.  She remarked that she wasn't too familiar with Ye Elders of Israel and I said, "don't worry, you will be!"  She said, "well I'm not an elder!"  I said, "it doesn't matter, you are going to sing that song a lot!"  I can't say enough about how great the MTC was, and I found it especially appropriate about how Elder Oaks spoke on missionary work.  The temple president, of course, spoke on temples, and Elder Bednar spoke on the Character of Christ.  We felt like all of those talks could not have been more appropriate.  Sister Wadley and I have wanted to go on a mission for some time and it almost seems surreal to realize that we are now REALLY on our way!