MARCH 2016

March 2016

HAPPY MARCH EVERYONE!

Elder Wadley and I just realized that we will be serving our mission for 1 year and 1 day...IT'S LEAP YEAR!!!

On the 5th of March, we called our GRANDson, Luke, and wished him a happy 8th birthday.  That's right - 8 years old!  We feel so bad we won't be there for his baptism, but feel SO THANKFUL that he has decided to take this important step in his life. He was going to be baptized on his birthday, but our son, Luke's dad, had surgery and so it is postponed until March 26th, when the rest of the stake will be doing their baptisms.  Our son, David, and his family, and hopefully our daughter, Jennifer, and her family will be traveling over to honor him on this special occasion.  We have 13 GRANDchildren and Luke will be the 6th to be baptized.  What a very proud time for his parents and us!  Congratulation Luke!  Another 10 years and you will be serving our Heavenly Father as a full time missionary.  We have one more member of our family with a birthday in March.  Michael will turn 37 on the 28th.  We can't think of a better birthday present for you than to baptize your oldest son!  Congratulations.

Sister Marriott of the General Young Women Presidency of the Church came to Charlotte, N.C. to our daughter's stake center for a tri-stake work day and fireside.  Our daughter said it was wonderful!  Our GRANDdaughter, Kaylee, was asked to give the closing prayer at the fireside Sunday evening.  What an honor!  She was so excited.  Way to go Kaylee!

Sara, our 12 year old GRANDdaughter skyped with us and showed us her certificate for making the Honor Roll at her school!  How wonderful, Sara!  We are so proud of you!  David and Leticia's boys have started baseball.  Oh how we will miss going to all the games this year!  We'll make up for it next year.  Jennifer and Josh's kids are starting swim team and swimming lessons now.  Wow, busy busy!  It won't be long before school will be out for the summer.  It doesn't seem possible.

We have had some very wonderful experiences this past month on our mission.  We finished the Temple Prep lessons with Sister Thompson and she traveled to the Columbia, South Carolina Temple on the 12th of March to receive her endowment. Our last couple of lessons with her were so spiritual.  We felt the spirit so strong and many tears and hugs were given as she prepared to enter the temple.  We would have loved to go with her, but it is out of our area and Columbia is where she is from so she wanted to receive her endowments in that temple.  Sister Wadley was able to find her a white handkerchief to take with her.  She smiled and said, "no one has ever given me a hankie!"  This will be such a blessing in her life.  She has many friends here in the Fort Bragg Military Ward who will travel with her to the Raleigh temple.  We are so very happy for her!

We are continuing to teach the Montanez'.  The have had 2 Temple Prep lessons and are so excited to finish and go to the temple.  Another couple who have already had all of the lessons are preparing to go to the temple in a couple of weeks.

We had a really fun Senior Missionary Temple Trip and potluck on the 12th of March up in Raleigh.  Elder Wadley and I attended the 10:30 a.m. session and then we all met over at the stake center next to the temple and enjoyed each other's company while we feasted on yummy yummy food with a pot luck lunch!  Afterwards, we headed to Costco to do some shopping and have the tires rotated.  That evening we attended and convert baptism at Cameron Ward for Brother and Sister Needham's son-in-law.  Elder Rose got to come back from his area to be at the baptism.  It was so much fun to see him again!  He and Elder Hancock were the missionaries who taught him the gospel.  What a special ordinance to witness.  We felt so happy for him.  They are due to have their first child in June, so this was just a very special time in their life.  The baptism was very well attended and the Elders from the Fayetteville 3rd Ward brought an investigator along to witness it.  Hopefully, this will lead to his baptism in the near future!

Brother Beldsoe, the Fort Bragg Ward Mission Leader has been deployed, so he was released and the Assistant Ward Mission Leader, Brother Robison, was called as the new Ward Mission Leader.  He will be awesome!  We have Ward Missionary Correlation Meetings over to his house or at our house every Sunday evening, unless we are out at Camp MacKall.

Cameron Ward is losing THE ENTIRE WARD it seems like!  Not really, but there are many PCSing in the next few months.  We will lose Brother Wagner, the Ward Mission Leader.  He and Sister Wagner are PCSing to Alaska.  The Young Men President, Brother Storrs, and Sister Storrs got a house on Fort Bragg so a new Young Men President was called on the 6th.  It is Brother Tilley, who will be awesome!  They have just the sweetest family!  Fort Bragg Military Ward is really lucky to have the Storrs move in!  They will be put to good use.  The Ward Clerk is also PCSing.  He has been so great in furnishing us with new move-in rosters every month!  He will be missed! There are several others leaving.  Others will come to replace them.  In fact, 3 new families had their records read in on the 6th.  When one door closes, another opens.  The Lord always provides a way.

On March 12, 2016 Elder Wadley attended the monthly baptisms for the Cameron Ward.  Unfortunately, Sister Wadley had the flu and was unable to attend.  The 2 twin boys of Brother and Sister Brown were baptized by their father and they asked Elder Wadley to confirm them.  This was such a special time because we have been working for a long time with this sweet family, trying to get them out to church.

We should back track a bit and let you know of our March, 2016.  Sister Wadley came down with a real nasty cold on February 29th (perfect LEAP YEAR treat!)  She suffered with it for a good 8 days.  It brought on a fever and lots of coughing, etc.  She got over it by about the 10th day and about 4 days later, she got hit badly with the flu.  She got so dehydrated that she had to go to Womack Hospital on post and have 2 bags of IV fluid pumped into her.  That lasted for at least another week.  She was very weak and just rested at home.  Elder Wadley pretty much catered to her and stayed with her.  Every so often he would run with the Elders to visit someone.  Needless to say, from February 29th to about March 21st, we were pretty much out of the loop with sickness.  Elder Wadley ended up getting a cold too, but luckily, didn't get the flu.  There has been a lot of the flu going around here lately.  Elder Wadley was able to work on our report for Salt Lake City.  It's always fun to go back through our notes for the month to see the contacts we have made and the special things that have transpired while here on our mission.  We both hope we are DONE with sickness for the remainder of our mission!  It is an awful feeling not being able to go out and work like we have for the past 6 months.  The Lord has blessed us to recover and get on with His most important work!  How thankful we are.

On the 29th of March, our daughter, Kathryn, brought our 3 grandchildren over for a spring break visit.  What a fun time we had!  We were still able to make appointments we had made, go to our District Meeting, and accompany the Elders to visit Sister Felton, who they have been teaching for the past month.  We were able to go to a few children's movies with them.  We took them to the nice playground on the post and Aaron and Bekah LOVED throwing pine cones into the 2 waterfalls from the lake, and then hurrying over to the other side of the bridge to see them go down the stream.  They also fed the ducks, played in the sand and on the playground equipment and had such a fun time. They all accompanied Grandma and Grandpa on our morning and evening walks.  Bekah was running to keep up with Aaron and fell down and skinned her knees pretty badly.  They loved helping grandma make waffles with syrup and whip cream and chocolate chips on them.  Sister Wadley surprised Kathryn and her granddaughter, Kaylee (14) and took them to lunch at Mrs. Lacy's Magnolia House in Sanford, N.C.  They loved it! We all even ordered a different dessert each and tried a bite of each others and ended up taking the rest home for the family to enjoy!   Elder Wadley took the 2 younger ones to McDonald's to eat and play and then to shop for things they liked at the Dollar Store.  We finished the day with pedicures and manicures for all 3 of us!  What a fun, fun time we all had.

We were so saddened to hear of the defacing of the Meridian Idaho Temple.  We drove past it before coming out on our mission.  Another beautiful House of the Lord!  There will always be those who try to disrupt the Lord's work, but the work will go on and the gospel will be spread across the face of the earth.

We are SO looking forward to General Conference and hearing from our Prophet.  We will be having a few of the Young Single Adults to our home on Saturday to watch conference and have a nice lunch together.  Speaking of the Young Single Adults, we were able to attend Family Home Evening last Monday out at President and Sister Dickerson's home and a Hawaiian investigator, Poi, who has been investigating the church and being taught by the Zone Leaders here, announced that he is getting baptized!  Wow!  What a wonderful blessing!  We had 28 Young Single Adults out to Family Home Evening and it grows by the week!  There were even men there who are here temporarily - one working for Vivent and has been installing security systems in homes in Pine Hurst and will be going back home to Orem in a week or so to help his parents move and then will spend his summer installing in California.  Another man is here at Fort Bragg for a month from the Utah National Guard at Camp Williams.  They both have been active members while they are here temporarily.  Each week we have a wonderful dinner Sister Wadley helps Sister Dickerson prepare.  Afterwards, we have a short lesson by one of the YSA members.  Then someone plans a fun activity.  It's always a great time!

A Young Single Adult, Laura Wheat, a convert of almost a year, invited Elder and Sister Wadley over to her apartment on post for Easter Dinner.  There were 10 YSA members there.  We brought eclairs and lots of different ice cream.  She made lamb, 2 different kinds of potatoes, 2 different kinds of vegetables, a relish tray, deviled eggs, rolls, and gravy.  It was delicious.  We then watched "Easter Parade" with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.  Laura is an old-fashioned girl at heart!  She and Sister Wadley get along so well because they both enjoy the same "old fashioned movies!"  She is a Captain in the Army and has deployed for a month now and Elder and Sister Wadley are watering her plants for her while she is gone.  She is the only member in her family and apparently, her parents aren't happy about here joining the church.  She has told us that she searched and searched for meaning in her life and when she was introduced to the church, she KNEW that this is what she had been missing in her life.  She said she wasn't an "easy" investigator for the missionaries.  She asked hundreds and hundreds of questions.  She still continues to have lengthy discussions with us, but is such a sweet, sweet soul and has such a strong testimony!

The day of the General Relief Society Meeting was a great day!  Not only were we so spiritually fed, but we had one of our grandsons baptized a member of the church on that day!  Michael and Mandi's boy, Luke, turned 8 and was baptized by his father.  His uncle, our son - David, and his family went to Springfield, Oregon to take part in the baptism.  Uncle David gave a talk on Baptism and it was a really nice event.  They said there were 2 others getting baptized that day as well.  We skyped with Luke and he showed us his brand new scriptures he got.  His parents gave him a Bible, Grandma and Grandpa Wadley gave him his Triple Combination, and Great Grandma Manning gave him his small hymn book.  All of them had his name engraved on them.  Our future missionary is all ready to go!
We think and look at our pictures we have around of all of our awesome children, their awesome spouses and our VERY awesome GRANDchildren and are continually thanking our Heavenly Father for blessing us so much.  We are forever in debt to our Heavenly Father and to His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ for their deep and abiding love for us, for their guidance and for each of them loving us, in spite of our shortcomings.

One very spiritual meeting we have been able to experience during this month was when we traveled with the Elders to visit sister Felton, who is investigating the church.  Her husband, Ghostdog (yes, that is is REAL name!) is a less active member.  She was born and raised in Ogden, Utah.  She said she always lived near members there.  She had been having some of the lessons with the prior Senior Missionaries who served in the Cameron Ward.  Elder Wadley had gone on one visit with the Elders when Sister Wadley was sick with the flu.  We both have accompanied them on 2 different occasions now.  The first time we went, Sister Felton was telling us about how she had to call the police to accompany her to help get her husband out of a drug house he was in.  She said after it was all done, and she really was able to get him out, she has kept telling herself, "I really did it and I know I really did it because of God's help."  Everything she has told us about her difficult life, she has always finished by saying, "I have just trusted in God to get me through it."  She has a son in prison for murder.  She has had people walk by her house with Ku Klux Klan robes on and threaten her and her family (they are an African American family.)  Through it all, she has kept the faith and knows that she is indebted to God for getting her through all of these trials.

As she was speaking, Sister Wadley was so impressed by the faith she has and thought about the Young Women song by Janice Kapp Perry - "I Walk By Faith."  She made a copy of the words for her and played it on You Tube and she and Sister Felton sang it together after her lesson.  They both had tears in their eyes when they were finished and hugged each other for a long time!  Sister Wadley told her that the words in this song reminded her of Sister Felton and the faith she has had to get her through all the trials in her life.  She told us that she knows she needs to become a member of the church and is continuing her lessons and trying to overcome some habits she has formed.  She is always in our prayers and our fast.

We have been accompanying the Cameron Elders quite a bit the latter part of this month as they teach lessons or just fellowship members.  They have called and asked us if they could accompany us as well.  On one particular occasion, the Elders had received a call from the Elder's Quorum President about a family who needed some help.  Elder Wadley and I knew the family quite well because the father  received a bad brain injury while working for Com Cast in Utah and has continual migraines.  He is unable to work.  He stays home with the 3 children (7, 5 3) and his wife is a full time medical student (1st year) and has 2 part time jobs.  Sister Caswell had passed out while they were playing games with the Elder's Quorum President and his wife.  They called an ambulance and she was hospitalized.  She had a grand mal seizure and they can't find any reason for it - except stress.  It is no wonder with everything she has on her plate!  Elder Wadley gave her a blessing with one of the young Elder's and they told us that Brother Caswell had to fly to Salt Lake City to testify at his trial for his injury.  Sister Caswell's mother was able to fly out from California and help the family while he was gone.  The ward furnished meals  Elder Wadley and I were able to go over and visit with Sister Caswell when she came home from the hospital.  She seems to be doing alright, but is way behind on her school work and is just doing it from home.  The college here videos each class and so she is able to watch it at home.  This has been such a trying time for them.  They are just trying to keep things together until they hear about the outcome of the court case.  Through it all, they still express such appreciation to everyone for all the help they have been given and Brother Caswell has made the comment on several occasions that they are sure the Lord is aware of their circumstances and knows their needs.  Again, just like Sister Felton, they have such faith!  These are the people who Elder Wadley and Sister Wadley are having the privilege of rubbing shoulders with here in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.  These are the people who are building our testimonies so, so much.  These are the people who know there is someone whom they can rely on to get them through these earthly trials.  We have grown to respect them and to love them so very much.

We need to mention one other very faith-promoting story that happened here.  Brother Wood, who teaches out at Camp MacKall and who we drive out with, usually goes out into the field once a week and takes the Sacrament to the soldiers out there going thru the very rigorous courses out there.  He told us that one particular day, he wasn't scheduled to teach.  He said that that was a day where he could go out into the field and provide the Sacrament.  He said he decided that he had so much studying to do (he is trying to finish his Bachelor's Degree) that he would just skip it.  As the time went on, something just kept nagging at him to get out to Camp MacKall and take the Sacrament out to the soldiers.  He said he got in his car and headed out there.  He said when he got there, he realized he had everything he needed EXCEPT some bread.  As he was walking back to get in his car, thinking "at least I tried," he said he looked down and there on the ground was an unopened MRE pouch.  He bent down and picked it up, opened it and inside were some crackers that he could use for bread.  He took it, returned to where he would head out to the field.  He took the Sacrament out there and there were several members so very thankful that they were able to partake of it.  They are under such stress out there and to just have "a little bit of home" means EVERYTHING to them.  What an inspiring story of how the Lord takes care of those who serve Him.  The Lord knew there were soldiers out there, having a very difficult time, and He, as only He can do, made it possible for the Sacrament to be taken to them to fill them with that spiritual strength they needed to get through this course.  These type of spiritual experiences happen all the time out here in the mission field.  Elder Wadley and I take none of them for granted, nor treat any of them any less than what they truly are - the intervention of the Lord in helping His work to go on.  How our testimonies have been strengthened on our mission!  We will be forever grateful to the Lord for allowing us to experience these in our lives.

We are FINALLY full-fledged Red Cross Volunteers at WOMACK on post!  Hooray!  We have our vests, our badges, and are ready to go.  We will be working on Wednesday afternoons, taking carts around to the patients with snacks, video games, movies, books, etc.  Our service will be to try to make them as comfortable as possible during their stay in the hospital.

As March comes to a close, the Montanez' only have 1 Temple Prep lesson remaining.  They will be PCSing (permanent change of station!) to the Pentagon in June.  Sister Thompson, who we taught the Temple Prep lessons to, called us and said that her endowment at the Columbia South Carolina Temple was beautiful and she wants to go to the Raleigh Temple with us.  We will plan a time to do that.  We are also beginning to teach 2 couples in the Cameron Ward, the Wightman's and the Holt's.  President James continually tells the mission that "we don't think in terms of baptisms, we think in terms of "getting them to the temple."  This gives us such a wonderful goal to work towards as we go into the homes of these wonderful members and teach them.  Brother Wightman was able to bless their baby this month and he asked Elder Wadley to stand in the circle.  Brother Wightman teaches the Special Forces and they will be returning to Colorado Springs in November and want to be sealed in the Raleigh Temple before heading back out west.  Sister Wightman has been a member about a year and a half.  They are a wonderful couple!

As we begin the last half of our mission, we feel like we have just gotten started with all of the work there is to do.  We feel a true sense of urgency!  We have both commented that if WE feel this urgency, imagine how our Heavenly Father feels!  His love for us is never ending. We thank Him every day for this really extraordinary opportunity we have at this stage in our lives to serve Him and to grow to love those we serve here in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.  We pray that whoever reads our blog, will be able to receive the same wonderful "spiritual high" that we are experiencing now in our lives.  There is nothing in the world that can compare to it.  We are truly, truly blessed.  









 

FEBRUARY 2016

It has definitely been a LOVE month here in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission!  We have seen the love of our Savior in many of the events that have happened to us this month.

We CONTINUE to try to complete our security clearances to volunteer at WOMACK (the large military hospital here on the post.)  We were under the understanding that we had completed everything, but not quite yet!  We did finger printing, took some more tests, etc.  Elder Wadley said that by the time we are finished with this, we could be qualified for the highest level of government security and trust!!

The hospital here is such a massive place, as is the post.  We feel like we have managed to become familiar with maybe a third of the post.  They are continually adding new eating places here on post and they are actually building a freeway that will run through the post with checkpoints at either end. That gives you an idea of it's immense size.  What has been fun is finding where everyone in the Fort Bragg Military Ward lives here.  As we come to a members home, we both look at each other and say, "oh we were just here the other day...Brother and Sister So and So live right across the street!!" That ALWAYS happens.

We continue to go out to Vass to the Young Singe Adult Branch President's home for Monday night Family Home Evening.  Sister Wadley has helped furnish corn bread for chili night, baked potatoes for a potato bar, etc.  It is always a really fun night and the attendance has steadily grown.  The last one had about 28 people there.  We usually take 2 or 3 of the soldiers out with us - brothers or sisters or both.  We have a lesson for maybe 20 minutes, followed by a fun activity and then they usually all sit around and "talk military" or play board games, or just hang out and visit.  This seems to be a time when they can take off their military uniform and just "veg" for a while with each other.

The branch has also been in charge of cleaning the stake center this month, so we have met each Saturday morning and worked for an hour or so.  Many hands make light work!  We keep stressing this at Family Home Evening!  Last Saturday there were only 6 of us, so we worked a good 2 1/2 hours.  But it's all for the good of the church and WE LOVE SERVING!

We have had a couple of our very young military men in the branch who have been struggling with depression and have been hospitalized for short periods of time.  We are reaching out to them and having them over to eat and helping them to feel as much of a family environment as we can.  They are just wonderful soldiers who are doing their part to protect our freedom.  We admire and honor them.

We had Zone Training this month.  We have a new Zone Leader, Elder Won (pronounced Wee On) from South Africa.  What a spiritual giant!  He and his companion, Elder Harper, from Orem, Utah taught us, as did all of the District Leaders.  It was a very, very inspiring training session.  They stressed the importance of faith in their tracting.  Elder Harper made the comment that with President James (our mission president) telling the Elders and Sisters that they need to be out tracting from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., it is important to realize that if they are obeying their mission president and having the faith that thru their obedience, miracles will happen, they have been able to see miracles happen! As each of these young Elders and Sisters get up and teach and then bear their testimonies, it just gives Elder Wadley and me chills to see how they are filled with the spirit of missionary work.  It is so obvious to us that they are truly IN THE LORD'S HANDS and ABOUT THE LORD'S WORK! They make us so proud to be a part of this work and so thankful for parents who have brought these fine young men and women up to become what they are today - true disciples of our Heavenly Father!  It has made Elder Wadley and me realize that the home is truly the training ground for all that our youth will and CAN experience in their life when it comes to forwarding the work of the Lord at this time on the earth, and it can't start too early!

This month has brought a LOT of visits in the heavy rain and ice.  There has only been 1 day that we haven't been able to get out and visit the members.  Even when we come to their door and the weather is really bad, they invite us in with a warm welcome and we can enjoy each other's spirit and testimony.

We have also driven the Sister Missionaries to exchanges on several occasions and have been able to see other parts of our zone.  Pinehurst is one area we have visited which is famous for having the US Open Golf Tournament there 2 years ago and several times before that.  It is REALLY a beautiful city made up entirely of pristine golf courses surrounded by gated communities.  The set of Sisters who work in this town, live with a doctor and his wife and their 7 children.  There is a big hospital here called Moore Regional Hospital and most of the doctors there live in Pinehurst.  It is very, very nice.  Southern Pines is another beautiful city just 6 miles from Pinehurst.  Again, many beautiful golf courses there.  Carthage is another small city that the Sisters who serve in Southern Pines, also visit.  It has a famous small restaurant there with a small landing strip right next to it where they have seen a Black hawk Helicopter land and all of the military in it come in for lunch and then get back in the helicopter and take off.  It is literally right next to the landing strip and they just get out of their aircraft and walk into the restaurant!  On our way back from visiting our daughter for our GRANDdaughter's birthday, we stopped and had lunch here, and it is just as everyone says...quaint and right on the landing strip!  Besides that, the southern BBQ is out of this world!  Very fun!

Here on Fort Bragg, we continually hear the Howitzer's being fired, along with all of the artillery. The C-130 and C-17 planes are constantly taking off and landing as they transport the parachute jumpers to their jumps, and then return for more.  The young Sister and Elders are always asking us to take them out to the jump sites to watch a jump.  It has been fun and very impressive to watch!

A new Senior Military Relations Missionary Couple joined us February 6th.  They are in our District and serve in the Fayetteville 3rd Ward.  They are Elder and Sister Low from Smithfield, Utah.  What a great couple!  He has served 34 years in the army, 18 of them active duty and the rest in the reserves.  They went out to Camp MacKall the day after they arrived to help us present the Sacrament Meeting to the soldiers out their going thru the Special Forces Survival School.  They were in awe of everything!  One of the soldiers walked in with a huge gun on his shoulder and went to hug us and we sort of backed off and he chuckled and said, "oh here, let me lay this down first!"  This is some of the things that happen to us out there!  Chaplain Cottle, who facilitates our meetings out there, has a new assistant now from Brazil, Sargent Couto.  We met him 2 weeks ago and he is really a nice soldier! He wants to make sure we have everything we need to hold our Sacrament Meetings.  We went out with the Low's as well as the Nielson's who serve in the other stake here, on Sunday, the 14th.  Elder Wadley and I gave talks that evening on...what else...LOVE!  We had also been asked to speak by Bishop Hamner of the Fort Bragg Military Ward the day before because he hadn't gotten any speakers.  Again...what did we speak on???...LOVE!  It was a really nice day.  We found out that since they have put Elder and Sister Wadley's names in out their as being registered to come through security, that we will always be the missionaries going out and the other 2 missionary couples can switch off or both can come along as they see fit.  We will rotate the assignments out there pertaining to music, administration of the Sacrament and talks.  It continues to be one of the real highlights of our mission!  The soldiers have an hour reprieve from the very grueling, trying experience out there and they seem so happy to be in a "normal" setting for just that short period of time.

The Von Latta's called us and asked if we would like to go out to lunch with them!  We were so happy.  They are a less active couple in the Cameron Ward whom we have been able to form a really friendship with.  We may have mentioned them before.  They are the ones who were in the Air Force and stationed at the same base as us in England at the same time!  We really have a fun time visiting with them about memories of England.  Our hope is that we can get them out to church in the near future and enjoy the members there. We invited them over to dinner next week.  We have a really fun time with them.

We continue to see success in visiting less active members and inviting them out to church.  Sister Harriman, who we met when we first arrived in the Cameron Ward, has been coming out to church and her daughter, Melinda, who is active duty Army, has returned home from her deployment to Africa, and is coming to church with her too.  This has been such a blessing to see! We continue to visit them and enjoy their friendship so much!

District Meetings always bring the spirit so strongly.  One of them in February we discussed having the faith to knock on doors and convert souls.  Sister Wadley gave a thought on faith from Matthew about the example of the savior in a boat with the disciples and a strong storm had flooded the boat, and they were about to sink.  Jesus is asleep in the rear of the boat and his disciples ran to him and woke him up and ask Him what they should do.  He answerd them by saying, ""Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?"  Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the waves; and there was a great calm." Elder Wadley gave a thought on our purpose as a missionary, and our commission to teach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  We were also taught from Matthew 18:12 and were reminded from this scripture that President James asks us to "get away from the 90 & 9 and FIND THE ONE."  This was our challenge given to us when we entered the mission field and it has stayed with us and blessed our lives as we go out and "are about the Lord's work" daily.

We have had a couple of tornado scares this month.  During one of them, we were just taking some soup over to a sister in the Fort Bragg Military Ward who had strep throat, and all the sirens on the post started going off and just then we had a big emergency ring on our cell phones in the car go off and the loud speakers on the post came on warning everyone to "take shelter immediately."  We dashed back home and sat in the house and waited it out.  Well...I should say Sister Wadley waited it out.  Elder Wadley ventured out and looked at the sky.  Very ominous!  A tornado touched down 12 miles south of the post.  We were talking about it afterwards, and the last time we remember being so close to a tornado was when Elder Wadley was going through pilot training in Enid, Oklahoma back in 1972 and a tornado touched down 5 miles from Vance Air Force Base.  At that time, there were torrential rains, flooding, and 3 people died.  We remember we were living in an apartment at the time in Enid.  We hadn't yet moved onto the base, and the water came up to the very edge of the stepping threshold into our apartment.  Flooding was all over the town.  It was really horrible.  These type of things we just don't experience out west.  It definitely has kept us on our toes back here!

We got permission to take a quick day trip over to Charlotte to surprise our oldest GRANDchild, Kaylee, for her 14th birthday.  We "kidnapped" her from her school with her mom and little sister, went to Olive Garden, played games, made cupcakes for her big party the next night, and just had a lot of fun.  It was quick but so much fun!  We feel so fortunate to be close enough to be able to see them as much as we can.  Our daughter hadn't told anyone except our son-in-law that we were coming, so when our little 5 year old GRANDdaughter opened the door, she just screamed, "Grandma!!" and ran and hugged me!  Talk about melting a Grandma and Grandpa's heart!

The last week of February found 3 sisters in the Fort Bragg Military Ward due to have their babies. They were all hoping for a "leap year baby!"  As it turned out, 1 had hers February 26th and the other 2 within a couple of hours of each other on the 27th!  Bishop Hamner announced in Sacrament Meeting that day that our ward had grown by 3 within the last 28 hours!  How great!  Sister Wadley's mom makes the cutest baby booties and has sent her some to give to those having babies, and they have loved them!  Thank you, Mom, for all the time and effort AND LOVE that went into knitting them!  They are truly appreciated!

The deployments continue and families are separated for long periods of time.  The Fort Bragg Military Ward sisters have a Facebook page that Sister Wadley has joined in order to find out the comings and goings of families and where we might be of service.  It has proved invaluable!  They are SO good to look after each other!  Case in point:  One sweet sister texted that she was just running into the Commissary and wondered if she could maybe pick up some bread or milk for anyone...personally delivered!  She had 3 sisters respond that it was perfect timing and if she could bring them a loaf of bread, etc. that would be so nice!  Such things as this happen all the time here. Everyone realizes that everyone else is in the same boat, and THEY LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER.  It is SO wonderful to see!!  One sister with 5 little ones and having pneumonia herself, has her husband deployed for 6 months.  A posting such as the one I mentioned could really help someone like her...and has!  It's very special for us to witness this.  True Christ-like love.  This sweet sister who posted this is actually going to receive her endowment along with her husband next month and then have their 3 sweet children sealed to them a week later.  We have been privileged to visit them and get to know them.

Another sister is heading down to the Columbia, South Carolina Temple to receive her endowment the first week in March.  We have taught her all of the Temple Prep classes and she is ready! Likewise, we are teaching 2 other couples.  They are so humble and so eager to get to the temple. They have given up a lot and have changed their lives entirely, in some instances, in order to have this blessing in their lives.  It is so exciting to see them take the final ordinance steps in order to return once again to live with their Father in Heaven.  What a blessing in our lives.

We have been thinking a lot lately about all of our many friends back home.  There are way too many to mention personally, but you all know whom you are...AND WE LOVE YOU!  Neighbors, old friends, lunch friends, temple friends, friends we have had for YEARS and still consider you are good friends...everyone.  You may not hear from us, but you certainly are not forgotten.  We think of you often and love you so!

Sister Wadley wants to end her portion of the blog by just listing a few of the wonderful things we hear at our District Meetings and around members all the time here in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.  It gives us the strength and the desire to truly magnify our callings here and to further the work of the Lord:

- Always be at the edge of your seat with BOLDNESS - BE ENGAGED!
- Before asking inspired questions, we have to LISTEN.
- Listen + The Spirit + Love + Questions = CONVERSION
- Don't ever ask questions that have yes or no answers or do's or don'ts.  Ask though-provoking questions:  "What is your relationship with Jesus Christ?"
- Get away from the 90 & 9 and FIND THE ONE.
- We teach with the spirit.  We don't know what we will find, but as we have the spirit, we will be helped.
- Help the members have good experiences with missionary work.
- Faith is a principle of action; fear is the absence of action and power.
- Work like it's all up to you, pray like it's all up to God!
- Align our will with our Heavenly Father's in helping our investigators get to the temple.
- We extend commitments to help our investigators.
- Teach repentance and baptize.
- Make sure members are grounded in the gospel.
- Make a legacy on your mission - make it a legacy for good.
- A bad attitude is like a flat tire, you're not going to get anywhere with it, so why have it?
- When we truly understand the atonement of Jesus Christ, then we can share the gospel with others.
- We can keep the faith, serve God, and not worry.
- Comparison is the thief of happiness.
- Our vision should be to make the temple a focus, just like we do baptism.

As I close this February Blog, it is my humble prayer that each one reading this will know of our sincere love for you and our hope that you are doing well in your individual life.  We know the challenges this life brings and the many heartaches, set-backs, disappointments, etc. that it brings with it, but we also know that if we will hold steadfast to all that we know is true - the gospel of Jesus Christ, learn of Him and teach what we have learned to all of His children, the world can become a better place in which to live.  How grateful we are for this very special opportunity in our life to serve our Heavenly Father on a full-time basis and give our all to bringing others to Christ.  By so doing, we have been able to see blessings in the lives our our children and GRANDchildren that might not have come to them, had we not heeded the call to serve.  For this and everything else that comes from a loving Heavenly Father, I am eternally grateful.

Sister Wadley continues to keep an excellent record.  I'm grateful for her love and faithfulness.  My thought on our missionary purpose was from page 1 in Preach My Gospel.  It shows a drawing of Dan Jones, "one of the greatest missionaries in this dispensation, preaching the gospel in Wales." From the April 2010 Friend Magazine, we learn in an article by Chad E. Phares that, "Dan Jones visited Joseph Smith in Carthage Jail the day before the Prophet was killed by a mob.  During the visit, Joseph Smith told Dan Jones that he would serve as a missionary in Wales.  During Dan Jones's four years in Wales, more than 3,000 converts were baptized."  Preach My Gospel tells us that our commission is also to teach people the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  That gospel, "as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith will bless their families, meet their spiritual needs, and help them fulfill their deepest desires."  Sister Wadley and I add our testimonies that this is true and send you our love and prayers.

JANUARY 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!  IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE ALIVE AND A GREAT TIME TO SERVE THE LORD ON A FULL-TIME MISSION!

WE WERE ABLE TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH OUR DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW AND THEIR 3 SWEET CHILDREN.  IT WAS JUST US AND WE PLAYED GAMES AND ATE, AND PLAYED GAMES AND ATE, AND PLAYED GAMES AND WENT OUTSIDE TO BANG ON PANS AT MIDNIGHT.  WE ALWAYS DID THAT WITH OUR CHILDREN AND THE TRADITION CONTINUES.

WITH ELDER & SISTER HILL RETURNING HOME FROM THEIR MISSION, OUR WORKLOAD HAS PRETTY MUCH TRIPLED, WHICH MAKES FOR MANY, MANY BLESSINGS FROM THE LORD!  WE HAVE TAKEN ON THE FORT BRAGG WARD AND YOUNG SINGLE ADULT BRANCH AND IT HAS KEPT US EXTREMELY BUSY.  CAMERON WARD HAS A VERY SOFT SPOT IN OUR HEARTS, SINCE THIS IS THE AREA WE STARTED OUT IN.  WE CONTINUE TO SERVE IN THIS WARD AS WELL, AND EVERY OTHER DAY WHEN WE TRAVEL TO THAT WARD'S BOUNDARIES, WE ALWAYS GET A FEELING OF NOSTALGIA TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND SEE THE SWEET MEMBERS THERE AND BRING THEM A MESSAGE TO UPLIFT AND, HOPEFULLY, INSPIRE THEM.

WE BEGAN THE NEW YEAR BY VISITING 6 NEW FAMILIES IN THE CAMERON WARD.  THREE OF THESE WERE MEMBERS WHO HAD LIVED HERE FOR UP TO 2 YEARS, AND THEIR RECORDS HAD FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH THEM.  SOME ACTIVE, SOME INACTIVE.  WE DID OUR USUAL THING OF TAKING A BOX OF HONEY BUNS WITH US TO GIVE TO THE FAMILIES WITH LITTLE ONES.  WE HAVE FOUND THIS HAS HELPED SORT OF BREAK THE ICE WITH THOSE WHO TEND TO BE LESS ACTIVE.  WE HAVE FOUND SUCCESS AND WE HAVE FOUND SORROW.  ONE VERY SWEET FAMILY WE MET - THE FATHER IS IN SPECIAL FORCES.  THEY HAVE 2 SWEET CHILDREN.  BOTH ARE MEMBERS.  THE FATHER SERVED A MISSION TO FRANCE AND HE HAS A SISTER WHO IS NOW ON A MISSION IN ARGENTINA.  HE TOLD US THAT BECAUSE OF HIS PARENTS PUSHING HIS WIFE TO GET BAPTIZED, THEY HAVE DECIDED NOT TO BE ACTIVE IN THE CHURCH AT ALL.  HE STATED TO US THAT HIS WIFE IS PROBABLY MORE INTERESTED IN THE CHURCH THAN HE IS.  WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MEET HER BECAUSE SHE WAS AT WORK.  THIS JUST ABOUT BROKE OUR HEARTS.  WE HAVE NOW BEEN ABLE TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING OF WHAT OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN FEELS WHEN ONE OF HIS VERY SPECIAL SPIRIT CHILDREN TURNS AWAY FROM THE GOSPEL.  IT IS SUCH A DEEP FEELING OF SADNESS FOR US.  OTHERS WE HAVE MET EMBRACE US AND ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE THE GOSPEL IN THEIR LIVES.  

THE CAMERON WARD HAD A CHANGE IN BISHOPS AND BISHOP HOOSTE IS NOW THE BISHOP.  HIS WIFE HAS BEEN RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT SO WE LOOK FOR A CHANGE THERE SOON.  BISHOP COLBY AND HIS WIFE PCS'D (PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION) TO FORT SAM HOUSTON IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS.  THE CAMERON WARD MISSION LEADER HAS BEEN STRIVING DILIGENTLY TO ENCOURAGE THE MEMBERS TO HAVE "MISSIONARY EXPERIENCES."  HE HAS DONE THIS IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.  STILL, NOT MUCH SUCCESS TO REPORT.  THE CAMERON ELDERS HAVE FELT LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE TO "BRING THE SPARK OF MISSIONARY WORK" INTO THEIR HEARTS.  CONSEQUENTLY, THE ENTIRE 5TH SUNDAY WAS DEDICATED TO MISSIONARY WORK.  ELDER WADLEY AND I SPOKE, AS DID THE ELDERS AND WARD MISSION LEADER.  WE LEFT THE MEMBERSHIP WITH CHALLENGES TO GIVE ONE ANOTHER AND WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE CHALLENGES.  WE ARE PRAYING THAT THEIR HEARTS WERE TOUCHED AND THAT MISSIONARY WORK CAN, ONCE AGAIN, BE A PRIORITY IN THE WARD.

BROTHER AND SISTER KIRBY, AN ELDERLY COUPLE IN THE CAMERON WARD ARE BEING CHALLENGED SO MUCH LATELY.  SISTER KIRBY HAS STAGE 4 CANCER AND BROTHER KIRBY'S HEALTH ISN'T THAT GOOD.  WE GO OVER ONCE A WEEK AND ELDER WADLEY TAKES BROTHER KIRBY TO RUN ERRANDS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AND SISTER WADLEY SITS WITH SISTER KIRBY AND WE USUALLY END UP WATCHING THE BYU CHANNEL.  SHE IS SUCH A STRONG SPIRIT - WITH SUCH A STRONG TESTIMONY OF THE SAVIOR.  AS SHE LAYS IN THE BED SHE HAS BEEN IN NOW FOR OVER 5 MONTHS, SHE WILL SAY TO SISTER WADLEY, "ONLY THE LORD KNOWS HOW LONG MY LIFE WILL BE HERE, ONLY THE LORD KNOWS."  THEY HAVE STRENGTHENED OUR TESTIMONY OF ETERNAL LIFE AND OF FAMILIES SO MUCH SINCE WE HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW AND LOVE THEM!  ONE DAY WHEN WE HAD GONE OVER TO SEE THEM, BROTHER KIRBY HAD HAD A VERY BAD DAY.  MEDICAL SUPPLY COMPANIES HAD BEEN IN AND OUT ALL DAY.  NURSES HAD BEEN IN AND OUT.  BROTHER KIRBY MADE THE COMMENT THAT, "EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN SO HECTIC AND I'M SO VERY TIRED, I CAN STILL SEE ALL THE GOOD IN THE PEOPLE WHO COME INTO OUR HOME AND IT MAKES ME REALIZE THAT THE LORD IS STILL AWARE OF US AND IS LOOKING OUT FOR US."  WHAT FAITH THEY BOTH HAVE!  WE FEEL SO BLESSED TO KNOW THEM.

THE NEW YEAR BROUGHT SEVERAL MORE FAMILIES WITH THEIR DAD BEING DEPLOYED IN THE FORT BRAGG WARD.  MOST OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE AT LEAST 3 SMALL CHILDREN.  3 OF THE FAMILIES HAVE 5 CHILDREN, THE OLDEST BEING 7.  THEIR FATHER'S WILL BE GONE 9 MONTHS.  THEY ARE SUCH STRONG SISTERS WHO TAKE THE REINS AND CONTINUE ON.  WE SEE THEM EVERY WEEK AT CHURCH.  ONE SISTER, WHO HAS 5 CHILDREN AND HER HUSBAND IS DEPLOYED, PLAYS THE ORGAN IN SACRAMENT MEETING, SO ELDER WADLEY AND I SIT WITH THE CHILDREN UNTIL SHE COMES DOWN OFF THE STAND.  SHE HAS AN 11 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER, TWIN 3 YEAR OLD BOYS, A 5 YEAR OLD BOY AND A 7 YEAR OLD BOY.  YOU MIGHT SAY WE ARE DEFINITELY "THE GRANDMA AND GRANDPA" OF THE WARD.  WE BELIEVE THERE IS ONE OTHER COUPLE WHO ARE OUR AGE AND SHE USUALLY HAS A BABY SITTING ON HER LAP TOO!   OH...HOW WE LOVE THEM!!!

JANUARY 5TH BROUGHT THE FIRST ZONE CONFERENCE IN THE MISSION TO OUR ZONE!  PRESIDENT AND SISTER JAMES WERE THERE, ALONG WITH THE 2 ASSISTANTS TO THE PRESIDENT, ELDER AND SISTER SCOTT WHO WORK IN THE MISSION OFFICE AND ELDER AND SISTER WALKER.  ELDER WALKER IS SISTER JAMES UNCLE AND HE AND HIS WIFE ARE SERVING IN THE MISSION OFFICE WITH ELDER WALKER OVER FINANCES AND SISTER WALKER A MISSION NURSE.  WHAT WONDERFUL PEOPLE THEY ARE!  THE WALKER'S ARE FROM HORSESHOE BEND, IDAHO!  IT WAS SO FUN TO VISIT WITH THEM AND GET TO KNOW THEM.  ELDERS AND SISTERS IN THE ZONE GAVE LESSONS ON CHRIST LIKE ATTRIBUTES, ON GOOD LANGUAGE, ON REPENTANCE, AND ON TAKING UPON US THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.  PRESIDENT JAMES INSTRUCTED US ON HOW OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN SEES EACH OF US.  HE DID THIS IN SUCH A UNIQUE WAY.  FIRST OF ALL, HE SHOWED US A PICTURE OF AN ARTIST AT AN EASEL PAINTING A PICTURE OF A BEAUTIFUL BIRD IN FLIGHT.  HE HAD A MODEL SITTING ON A TABLE NEXT TO HIM AND THE PICTURE DEPICTS HIM LOOKING AT THE MODEL.  THE MODEL, HOWEVER, WAS NOT OF A BIRD, BUT WAS AN EGG.  THUS:  THE ARTIST WAS PORTRAYING WHAT THIS EGG COULD ACTUALLY BECOME.  IN THE SAME WAY, OUR FATHER SEES US AS HIS CHILDREN, AND KNOWS THE WONDERFUL PERSON WE CAN AND ARE BECOMING.

PRESIDENT JAMES EXPLAINED TO US THAT THIS PICTURE WAS SHOWN BY BISHOP COSA WHEN HE WAS GIVING A TALK AT THE MTC TO ALL THE NEW MISSION PRESIDENTS AND THEIR WIVES.  HE SAID THIS PAINTING REPRESENTED HOW 2 MISSIONARIES SAW HIS PARENTS AS THEY TAUGHT THEM THE GOSPEL.  HE SAID THE MISSIONARIES SAW BEYOND A YOUNG ARGUMENTATIVE COUPLE AND THEIR LITTLE BOY (BISHOP COSA,) WHO WERE STRUGGLING STUDENTS.  THEY SAW TO THE FINISHED PRODUCT - A FAMILY JOINING THE CHURCH AND BEING SEALED IN THE TEMPLE.  AS HE FINISHED HIS TALK, HE HELD UP A PICTURE OF A TEMPLE AND HIS ENTIRE FAMILY WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF IT.  PRESIDENT JAMES TOLD US THAT WE WILL HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE FAMILIES TOO!  WHAT A REALLY WONDERFUL STORY THAT WAS!

WE THEN HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH SISTER JAMES GOING OVER DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN MAKE "GREEN SMOOTHIES" AND EAT HEALTHIER.  SHE TOLD US THAT SHE HAD BEEN ASKED TO DO SOME PAINTINGS ON THE WALLS IN PRESIDENT AND SISTER UCHTDORF'S HOME AND AS SHE PAINTED, SISTER UCHTDORF WOULD BRING HER A GREEN SMOOTHIE.  SISTER JAMES HAD BROUGHT LOTS OF INGREDIENTS AND HER PROCESSOR AND HAD MADE US ALL A LITTLE SAMPLE OF A SMOOTHIE RIGHT THERE AND IT WAS GREAT!  SHE ALSO SHARED RECIPES SUCH AS BAKING KALE AND PUTTING ANY SEASONING ON IT THAT YOU WANT.  SHE PASSED SOME AROUND THAT HAD BBQ SEASONING ON IT.  THEY WERE SORT OF LIKE POTATO CHIPS.  NOT BAD!  WE HAD A GOOD LAUGH WHEN ONE OF THE CAMERON ELDERS SAID, "CHUCK IT DOWN, CHUCK IT DOWN....KILL IT!"  ELDER WADLEY AND I NEEDED TO HAVE MORE OF A "SWEET" TASTE IN OURS, SO WE JUST CHUCKED IT DOWN AS ELDER ROSE TOLD EVERYONE TO DO!  IT WAS A REALLY SPIRITUAL AND FUN ZONE CONFERENCE.  PRESIDENT JAMES TOLD US THAT WE WERE THE GUINEA PIGS, BEING THE FIRST ZONE CONFERENCE OF THE NEW YEAR, AND THEY WERE STILL WORKING OUT THE KINKS FOR THE NEW YEAR'S ZONE CONFERENCE PRESENTATION, BUT IT TRULY WAS AWESOME!

THE CAMERON ELDERS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE DINNER APPOINTMENTS AND SINCE THEY LIVE A WAYS AWAY, WE DRIVE THERE AND TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE TO EAT.  THEY ARE ALWAYS SO APPRECIATIVE!  THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND SEVERAL NEW INVESTIGATORS AND ELDER WADLEY AND I HAVE ACCOMPANIED THEM TO SOME OF THEIR LESSONS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY NEED A SISTER PRESENT IF THEY ARE GIVING A LESSON TO A SINGLE SISTER.  IT HAS BEEN SO MUCH FUN SEEING THE HAND OF THE LORD CHANGE THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THESE FINE MISSIONARIES AND THE SPIRIT!

BY HAVING MILITARY RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE MISSIONARIES LIKE WE ARE, AT DIFFERENT ARMY BASES, WE ARE ABLE TO SEND INFORMATION BACK AND FORTH TO EACH OTHER OF MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH ARE COMING TO THEIR BASES OR THEM COMING TO FORT BRAGG.  THIS IS A TREMENDOUS HELP IN KEEPING THE MISSIONARY EFFORT GOING AND HELPING THE MEMBERS TO STAY A PART OF THE GOSPEL.  WE HAVE HAD SOME GOOD SUCCESS IN PASSING NAMES ALONG TO FORT BENNING IN GEORGIA LATELY.  THIS POST IS A TRAINING POST.  WE HAVE HAD MILITARY MEMBERS LEAVE HERE, NOT BEING VERY ACTIVE, AND WE HAVE SENT THEIR INFORMATION TO FORT BENNING AND THEY HAVE VISITED THEM, USUALLY WITH A LOT OF SUCCESS!  IT IS WONDERFUL!  WHEN WE WERE IN THE MTC, WE HAD 2 DAYS OF TRAINING SPECIFICALLY DEALING WITH OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS MILITARY RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVES, WHICH ARE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT THAN A MEMBER SUPPORT MISSIONARY.  THE END RESULT, THOUGH, IS ALWAYS THE SAME.....WE LOVE THEM!

THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT BRANCH IS COMING ALONG WELL.  THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MAJOR CHANGES TAKE PLACE.  THEY HAD BEEN HOLDING THE FAMILY HOME EVENING ON MONDAY NIGHT AT THE STAKE CENTER HERE IN FAYETTEVILLE.   AS OF THE 18TH OF JANUARY, IT WAS CHANGED TO BE HELD IN PRESIDENT DICKERSON'S HOME IN VAAS, WHICH IS ABOUT 20 MINUTES FROM THE POST.
THE ATTENDANCE ALWAYS VARIES DEPENDING ON WORK SCHEDULES.  USUALLY WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MEMBERS PRESENT.  ONE MONDAY EVENING WE HAD 3 INVESTIGATORS COME WITH MEMBERS!  THE LAST FAMILY HOME EVENING WE MADE 2 TEAMS AND PLAYED "PASSWORD" WITH PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS FROM THE SCRIPTURES.  THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN!

THE 18TH OF JANUARY FOUND US TRAVELING OUT TO VAAS TO PRESIDENT DICKERSON'S HOME FOR THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT FAMILY HOME EVENING.  IT IS ABOUT A HALF HOUR AWAY FROM FROM FT. BRAGG.  THE DICKERSON'S MOVED CLOSER TO FORT BRAGG FROM PINEHURST IN ORDER TO HELP FACILITATE ACTIVITIES FOR THE BRANCH.  BY THE WAY, PINEHURST IS "THE PREMIER" CITY FOR ALL OF THE BIG GOLF TOURNAMENTS.  IT HELD THE U.S. OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT THERE 2 YEARS AGO.  THERE ARE OVER 60 GOLF COURSES IN THE CITY.  WE HAVE PUT THAT CITY DOWN ON OUR "BUCKET LIST" TO VISIT BEFORE LEAVING OUR MISSION.  THAT EVENING WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR PRESIDENT NELSON'S TALK TO THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULTS THAT HE GAVE THE PRIOR SUNDAY EVENING.  SISTER NELSON SPOKE AS WELL.  WHAT A SPIRITUAL FEAST IT WAS!

STAKE CONFERENCE FELL ON JANUARY 17TH AND IT WAS A SATELLITE BROADCAST ON REVERENCE FROM SALT LAKE CITY.  THE SPEAKERS WERE L. WHITNEY CLAYTON, OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE SEVENTY, SISTER LINDA REEVES, 2ND COUNSELOR IN THE RELIEF SOCIETY GENERAL PRESIDENCY, ELDER RONALD A. RASBAND OF THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES, AND ELDER ROBERT D. HALES OF THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES.  AGAIN....WHAT AN EXCEPTIONAL SPIRITUAL FEAST!

OUR DISTRICT MEETING FOR THAT SAME WEEK  HAD A SHORTENED VERSION OF OUR REGULAR MEETING, DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO WATCH A SPECIAL WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY BROADCAST AT NOON FROM SALT LAKE CITY.  THOSE INSTRUCTING US INCLUDED:  BRENT H. NIELSON OF THE SEVENTY, NEIL L. ANDERSON OF THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES, DAVID A. BEDNAR OF THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES AND W. CHROSTOPHER WADDELL OF THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC. SUCH GREAT INSTRUCTION FROM ALL OF THEM.  THEY WERE IN SMALL SEGMENTS WITH FULL TIME ELDERS AND SISTERS IN A CLASSROOM SETTING, BEING INSTRUCTED BY THE LEADERS WITH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.  WE WERE ABLE TO SIT IN THE RELIEF SOCIETY ROOM OF THE STAKE CENTER AND VIEW THE BROADCAST.  WE HAD ALL GONE TOGETHER AS A DISTRICT OVER TO SKIBO ROAD TO MEMPHIS BBQ TO ENJOY AN GREAT BBQ LUNCH TOGETHER BEFORE HEADING BACK TO HEAR THE BROADCAST.  IT WAS REALLY A FUN, INSPIRATIONAL DAY!  ONE SAD NOTE THOUGH:  THERE WILL BE TRANSFERS NEXT WEEK SO WE WILL HAVE TO SEE WHO WILL NOT BE WITH US ANY LONGER.  WE HAVE GROWN TO LOVE ALL OF THESE YOUNG ELDERS AND SISTERS AND THEY AFFECTIONATELY REFER TO US AS "GRANDMISSIONARIES!!!"  MORE ON THE MISSIONARY DEVOTIONAL FOLLOWS BELOW.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MONTH OF JANUARY HAS BEEN COMPLETELY FULL OF WONDERFUL, SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES.  WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SIT AT THE FEET OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS AND BE INSTRUCTED LOVINGLY AND PRAYERFULLY AS TO THE LORD'S WORK HERE ON THE EARTH.  WE HAVE BEEN SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS EXPERIENCE!

WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE CAMERON MISSIONARIES OVER TO MEET SISTER GAY WHO IS NOT A MEMBER.  HER HUSBAND IS A LESS ACTIVE MEMBER AND DEPLOYS ALL THE TIME.  SHE HAS AGREED TO HEAR THE MISSIONARIES AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO MEET BOTH BROTHER AND SISTER GAY.  SHE AND THEIR 2 CHILDREN, LILY AGE 10 AND CHRISTOPHER AGE 12 ARE BEGINNING TO LISTEN TO THE ELDERS.  OUR PRAYERS HAVE TRULY BEEN ANSWERED FOR THIS SWEET FAMILY!

SISTER WELSH AND HER FAMILY HAVE HAD PNEUMONIA DURING THE TIME HER HUSBAND HAS BEEN DEPLOYED.  WE HAVE TAKEN FRUIT, CANDY, AND HUGS OVER TO HER AND THEIR CHILDREN.  INTERESTINGLY, HER HUSBAND CAME HOME JUST YESTERDAY FROM HIS TIME OUT AT SURVIVAL SCHOOL AT CAMP MACKALL BECAUSE HE TOO CAME DOWN WITH PNEUMONIA!  AT LEAST THEY ARE A COMPLETE FAMILY ONCE AGAIN!

WE HAVE NEGLECTED TO KEEP EVERYONE POSTED ON THE HAPPENINGS OF OUR BABIES AND GRANDbabies.  OUR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, LETICIA, HAD A BIRTHDAY LAST MONTH ON THE 20TH.  HOW OLD NOW TICIE???  ALSO WE HAVE HAD 4 BIRTHDAYS THIS MONTH:  REBEKAH TURNED 5 ON THE 3RD, JAMES TURNED 4 ON THE 7TH, BRETT TURNED 11 ON THE 10TH AND MANDI GIRL TURNED ??? ON THE 23RD.  OUR FAMILY IS GETTING OLDER AND OLDER, WHICH MEANS ELDER AND SISTER WADLEY ARE GETTING ANCIENTER AND ANCIENTER!!! WE HAVEN'T BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT "SKYPE"ING WITH EVERYONE.  WE CONTINUE TO HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT THINGS COME UP.  WE MADE A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION TO SKYPE WITH EACH FAMILY ONCE A MONTH, SO WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP THAT RESOLUTION.  WE KNOW THAT BABY JANE STARTED BALLET LESSONS BECAUSE SHE IS FINALLY OUT OF DIAPERS!  I THINK THIS MEANS THAT ALL THE WADLEY CLAN ARE FINALLY OUT OF DIAPERS!!  HIP HIP...HOORAY!  SARA MADE THE HONOR ORCHESTRA AND KAYLEE MADE THE HONOR BAND.  WAY TO GO YOU TALENTED GIRLS!  WE KNOW THAT BRETT CROSSED OVER TO 11 YEAR OLD SCOUTS AND EARNED HIS ARROW OF LIGHT.  CONGRATULATIONS YOU SCOUTER...YOU!!!  JEN AND JOSH HAVE BEEN INUNDATED WITH SNOW AND WIND!  TYPICAL FOR THEIR NECK OF THE WOODS.  ONE REALLY EXCITING THING AT THE GILLESPIE HOUSEHOLD IS THAT THEY HAVE COMPLETELY FINISHED THEIR BASEMENT.  THE CARPET WAS LAID THIS MONTH!  HOW EXCITING FOR YOU GUYS!  WE CAN'T WAIT TO COME BACK HOME AND SEE IT.  MANDI GIRL WAS ABLE TO HAVE HER MOM AND SISTERS COME OVER TO HELP HER CELEBRATE HER BIRTHDAY.  HOW NICE IS THAT!  DAVID TRAVELED TO DALLAS FOR WORK DURING JANUARY.  MICHAEL DID A STINT UP AT JOINT BASE LEWIS/MCCHORD DURING JANUARY FOR HIS RESERVE DUTY.  KEEP FEEDING US INFO ON THE HAPPENINGS KIDDOS.  WE LOVE TO BRAGG!!! (GET IT...FORT BRAGG!!!)

BEAU BERGDAHL WAS BROUGHT TO FT. BRAGG THIS MONTH TO HEAR THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM FOR HIS DESERTION.  HE WAS WHISKED IN AND OUT OF THE FORT.  BECAUSE THIS POST HOUSES SEVERAL DIFFERENT HEADQUARTERS, THINGS ARE ALWAYS HAPPENING HERE.  ELDER WADLEY AND I ARE ALWAYS AMAZED AS TO THE SIZE OF THIS PLACE.  WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND WHERE EVERYONE LIVES.  IT'S A NEVER ENDING PROCESS!  BECAUSE WE LIVE ON POST AND DON'T HAVE ANY LITTLE ONES RUNNING AROUND, THE FT. BRAGG WARD MISSION LEADER HAS ASKED US IF WE CAN HOLD THE MISSIONARY CORRELATION MEETING IN OUR HOME EACH SUNDAY EVENING.  IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF FUN, SINCE ALL OF THEM ARE SO YOUNG AND SO ENTHUSED!!   WE ALSO OPEN OUR HOME ANYTIME THE ELDERS OR ZONE LEADERS WANT TO TEACH A SINGLE FEMALE MILITARY MEMBER, WHICH USUALLY HAPPENS ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES A MONTH.  THIS IS ALWAYS SUCH A REALLY SPECIAL TIME WHEN WE CAN SHARE OUR TESTIMONIES OF THE GOSPEL AND GET TO KNOW THEM.  MY HEART REALLY SKIPS A BEAT WHEN I WATCH THESE ELDERS AND SISTERS TEACH INVESTIGATORS THE GOSPEL!  I WANT TO TEXT EACH OF THEIR PARENTS AND TELL THEM HOW PROUD THEY WOULD BE OF THEM!!!

ELDER WADLEY AND I GET VERY SENTIMENTAL WHEN WE WATCH THESE MISSIONARIES AND REALIZE THAT IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE WE WILL HAVE GRANDCHILDREN SERVING MISSIONS TOO.  WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL THOSE IN OUR FAMILY WHO SERVED HONORABLE MISSIONS!  NOW THEY HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF TRAINING THEIR OWN CHILDREN TO SOMEDAY, DO AS THEY HAVE DONE, AND SERVE THE LORD!  WHAT A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY!  I REMEMBER WHEN OUR 2 SONS SERVED THEIR MISSIONS, I WOULD ALWAYS WRITE THEM AND SAY, "REMEMBER TO DO SOMETHING KIND EVERYDAY FOR YOUR COMPANION.  IT WILL MAKE THEM SO HAPPY AND MAKE YOU FEEL SO GOOD!"  ELDER WADLEY HAS CERTAINLY FULFILLED THAT REQUEST HERE ON OUR SENIOR MISSION!  HE IS SO KIND, SO LOVING, AND SO THOUGHTFUL TO ME.  NEVER A DAY GOES BY THAT HE DOESN'T FORGET TO ASK ME WHAT HE CAN DO TO HELP ME.  THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO ME.

THERE ARE 2 VERY SPECIAL VISITS WE HAVE HAD THIS MONTH THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO MENTION:

THE FIRST ONE WAS WHEN WE TEXTED A SINGLE MILITARY MEMBER TO SEE IF WE MIGHT STOP BY SOMETIME AND MEET HIM.  HE TEXTED US BACK, THINKING THAT WE WERE IN SALT LAKE CITY IN THE WARD HE USED TO BE IN.  WE TOLD HIM, NO WE ARE HERE AT FT. BRAGG.  HE TOLD US HE HAD TO DEPLOY FOR A MONTH, BUT WOULD GET BACK WITH US UPON HIS RETURN.  WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM HIM, SO WE TEXTED HIM AGAIN AND HE SET UP A TIME WE COULD COME BY.  THIS IS HIS CONVERSION STORY:

HE WAS IN THE MARINES AND SERVED IN DESERT STORM THE SAME TIME PERIOD AS ELDER WADLEY.  THIS INSTANTLY GOT THEM TALKING "MILITARY!"  HE GOT OUT OF THE MARINES AND DECIDED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL TO BECOME A LAWYER.  HE WORKED IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN NASHVILLE FOR ABOUT 7 YEARS AND DECIDED HE WAS TIRED OF DEALING WITH ALL THE VERY SAD AND HORRIBLE CASES HE HAD TO TRY AND SO HE REALIZED HE MISSED THE MILITARY AND DECIDED TO JOIN THE ARMY AS AN ATTORNEY.  ALL OF HIS LIFE HE HAD CONSIDERED HIMSELF AN ATHEIST  HE SAID HE DIDN'T BELIEVE THERE WAS A GOD.   DURING THE TIME HE WAS IN NASHVILLE, HE BEGAN READING DIFFERENT SPIRITUAL BOOKS THAT GOT HIM THINKING THAT MAYBE THERE WAS A GOD.  HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT IN THE ARMY WAS AT FORT DOUGLAS IN SALT LAKE CITY.  HE SAID THAT AS HE DROVE INTO THE SALT LAKE VALLEY TO START HIS NEW ASSIGNMENT, THERE WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT CAME OVER HIM AS HE ENTERED THE VALLEY - SOMETHING THAT WAS HARD FOR HIM TO DESCRIBE.  HE SAID THAT HE HAD A CALM, PEACEFUL FEELING.

AS HE BEGAN HIS JOB AT FORT DOUGLAS, HE MET MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH WHO IN TIME TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THE CHURCH.  HE HAD GONE TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT CHURCHES IN SALT LAKE CITY, WHICH WEREN'T LDS CHURCHES.  AT ONE POINT, SOMEONE HE WORKED WITH INVITED HIM TO COME TO HIS CHURCH, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE AN LDS WARD.  HE SAID HE WAS STILL SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT CHURCH.  HE SAID ALL THE OTHERS HE HAD GONE TO JUST DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT TO HIM.

HE WENT TO THE LDS SERVICES AND TOLD US HE LOVED THE EMPHASIS ON "FAMILY."  HE CONTINUED TO GO AND EVENTUALLY WAS BAPTIZED.  HE HAS SINCE FINISHED HIS ASSIGNMENT AT FORT DOUGLAS AND HAS COME TO BE AN ATTORNEY AT ONE OF THE HEADQUARTERS UNITS HERE AT FT. BRAGG.  HE HAS BEEN DIVORCED FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAS 4 CHILDREN.  ONE SON IS 25 AND IS STUDYING AT STANFORD, ONE SON HAS PASSED AWAY AND HE HAS 2 DAUGHTERS, ONE IS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE IN NASHVILLE AND THE OTHER IS 16 AND LIVES IN FLORIDA WITH HIS EX-WIFE.  HE SAID HIS 2 DAUGHTERS WERE ABLE TO SPEND CHRISTMAS HERE WITH HIM AND HE JUST LOVED WATCHING THEM ENJOY EACH OTHER SO MUCH.  HE SAID THEY ARE VERY CLOSE.  HIS SON SPENT CHRISTMAS WITH HIS MOTHER.

WHAT A WONDERFUL CONVERSION STORY!  ELDER WADLEY AND I JUST SAT THERE AND DIDN'T WANT IT TO END!  IT REMINDED US OF A BOOK BY HARTMAN RECTOR, JR. AND HIS WIFE.  HE WAS A SEVENTY MANY MANY YEARS AGO.  HE AND HIS WIFE WERE BOTH CONVERTS AND THEY WROTE A BOOK ENTITLED, "NO MORE STRANGERS," WHICH ENDED UP BEING 3 VOLUMES BEFORE THEY WERE DONE!  IT IS NOTHING BUT CONVERSION STORIES AND IS WONDERFUL!  WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!   WE PLAN TO VISIT HIM AGAIN AND WE'RE SURE TALKS ON DESERT STORM WILL CONTINUE, AS WILL STORIES ABOUT HIS CONVERSION, WHICH WE ARE SO ANXIOUS TO HEAR!  WHAT AN AWESOME BROTHER IN THE GOSPEL!

OUR SECOND STORY INVOLVES A WONDERFUL FAMILY.  WE HAD DRIVEN TO THEIR HOUSE ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO.  WHEN WE WENT UP ON THE PORCH, THERE WAS A SIGN THAT READ, "PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK OR RING THE BELL, BABY SLEEPING.  IF YOU KNOW ME, YOU CAN TEXT ME AND I WILL GET BACK TO YOU."  THERE WAS NO PHONE NUMBER ON THE WARD ROSTER - JUST A SISTER'S NAME.     THIS GAVE US NO OTHER CHOICE THAN TO JUST WALK AWAY.

TIME WENT ON AND WE WERE GIVEN AN UPDATED ROSTER WHICH WE STARTED WORKING ON TO GO AND DO VISITS AND MEET MEMBERS WHO HAD MOVED INTO THE WARD, ETC.  WE CAME UPON THIS ADDRESS AGAIN AND DIDN'T REALLY REMEMBER WHICH PERSON IT WAS, SO WE DROVE TO IT.  AS WE GOT NEAR THE HOUSE, I TOLD ELDER WADLEY, "I THINK WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE."  SURE ENOUGH, AS WE APPROACHED THE PORCH, IT WAS THE SAME ONE THAT HAD HAD THAT NOTE ON THE DOOR.  THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS, THE NOTE WAS GONE!  WE RANG THE DOORBELL AND A BOY ABOUT 10 OPENED THE DOOR FOLLOWED BY HIS MOM.

WE INTRODUCED OURSELVES AND SHE WELCOMED US IN.  AS WE BEGAN VISITING WITH HER, SHE INTRODUCED HER 3 CHILDREN WHO HAD JUST FINISHED THEIR HOMEWORK (SHE HOME SCHOOLS) AND WERE ABLE TO PLAY ON THEIR TABLETS FOR A WHILE.  THEY HAVE A BOY 10, A BOY 9, A GIRL 4, A BOY 2 AND A BABY BOY 9 MONTHS OLD.  THE LITTLE 4 YEAR OLD GIRL CAME AND SAT DOWN BETWEEN ELDER WADLEY AND MYSELF AND SHOWED US WHAT SHE WAS PLAYING WITH. JUST THE SWEETEST FAMILY.

SHE EXPLAINED TO US THAT HER HUSBAND WAS IN THE AIR FORCE AND THEY HAD MOVED TO FT. BRAGG FROM ENGLAND ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO.  WE MENTIONED THE BASE IN ENGLAND WHERE WE HAD BEEN STATIONED AND SHE KNEW IT, BUT SAID THEY WERE STATIONED AT ANOTHER ONE NEARBY.  WE BEGAN TO FEEL LIKE WE HAD A LOT IN COMMON WITH HER AND BELIEVE SHE DID TOO.  SHE THEN TOLD US, "I SHOULD TELL YOU, I HAVEN'T BEEN TO CHURCH IN A LONG TIME.  I WENT TO CHURCH SINCE I WAS 2 AND MY MOTHER STILL GOES IN PORTLAND, OREGON, BUT I GUESS BECAUSE MY HUSBAND IS CATHOLIC, IT HAS JUST BEEN EASIER FOR US TO ATTEND ANOTHER CHURCH AND KIND OF COMPROMISE.  I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH THE KIDS ONE DAY AND NOTICED A CHURCH NEAR THE HOUSE HERE AND DECIDED WE SHOULD TRY THAT ONE.  SHE SAID ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WAS BECAUSE THE CAMERON WARD WAS SO FAR AWAY.  IT WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE THEM ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES TO GET THERE.  THIS CHURCH IS A BAPTIST CHURCH.

SHE SAID THAT SHE FELT IT REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE SHE SAID HER HUSBAND HAS NEVER REALLY GONE TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SHE FEELS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING HIM, JUST NATURALLY SAY, "I'M CATHOLIC" BECAUSE ALL OF THEIR ANCESTORS HAVE BEEN CATHOLIC AND SO "THIS IS JUST WHAT THEY SAY."  ELDER WADLEY AND I ACTUALLY HAVE NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE RIGHT NEAR US THAT TELL US THIS EXACT SAME THING!  WE DIDN'T, OF COURSE, MENTION THIS TO HER.

SHE SAID THAT SHE GOES TO ONE OF THE LADIES STUDY GROUPS AND ENJOYS IT.  SHE SAID THAT HER 10 YEAR OLD SON ASKED HER WHEN HE WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET BAPTIZED AND SHE TOLD HIM WE WILL HAVE TO ASK THE PASTOR.  THEY HAVE ASKED HIM TWICE AND NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN DONE ABOUT IT.  AS SHE CONTINUED TO TALK TO US, SHE WAS THE MOST SINCERE PERSON WE HAVE EVER MET, AND SHE VERY THOUGHTFULLY TOLD US, "I THINK I REALLY DO NEED TO START COMING BACK TO CHURCH.  I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING IS JUST MISSING AT THIS CHURCH AND IN OUR FAMILY."  SHE SAID THEY HAD HAD SOME MARITAL PROBLEMS WHEN THEY CAME BACK TO THE STATES AND SO THEY THOUGHT THAT BY JOINING A CHURCH THAT WAS REALLY NEITHER OF THEIR CHURCHES MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO TRY TO MEND THINGS.  SHE SAID HER HUSBAND REALLY ISN'T AGAINST HER FAITH AT ALL AND THEY HAVE DISCUSSED IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT JUST DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND SHE THINKS HE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO LEARN.  SHE SAID HER SONS ARE INVOLVED IN A TYPE OF SCOUTING PROGRAM AT THE BAPTIST CHURCH THAT IS "CHRISTIAN CENTERED," AND HER HUSBAND HELPS OUT WITH IT.  SHE IS SUCH A VERY SWEET, SWEET LADY AND WE WANT SO BADLY FOR HER TO HAVE THE FULLNESS OF THE GOSPEL IN HER LIFE AGAIN.  ELDER WADLEY ASKED HER IF SHE THINKS HER HUSBAND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING THE MISSIONARIES COME OVER AND TEACH HIM.  SHE SAID SHE THOUGHT HE WOULD.  HE TOLD HER TO VISIT WITH HIM AND WE LEFT OUR CARD WITH HER AND TOLD HER TO TEXT OR CALL US AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME OVER AND BRING THE MISSIONARIES.  SHE ASKED HOW OLD THEY WERE AND WE TOLD HER PROBABLY ABOUT 20.  SHE SMILED AND SAID, "WELL I KNOW HE WOULD LIKE VISITING WITH YOU." (AS SHE POINTED TO ELDER WADLEY.")  WE ALL LAUGHED AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD TALK TO HIM.  WE LEFT HER HOME FEELING SUCH LOVE FOR HER AND HER SWEET FAMILY.  WE NOTICED WHEN WE SAT DOWN IN THEIR LIVING ROOM, SHE HAD A FRESH VASE OF BEAUTIFUL ROSES ON THE COFFEE TABLE.  SISTER WADLEY HAD ASKED HER IF THEY WERE REAL AND SHE SAID, "YES, I JUST BOUGHT THEM TODAY!"  HER HOME WAS SO WELCOMING - JUST AS SHE WAS.  WE ARE PRAYING FOR THIS VERY SWEET FAMILY AND TRUSTING IN THE LORD THAT WE WILL HEAR FROM HER AND CAN PROCEED TO INTRODUCE THE GOSPEL TO HER HUSBAND AND THEY CAN EVENTUALLY BE SEALED TOGETHER AS A FAMILY FOR TIME AND ALL ETERNITY.

THIS, TO US, IS A VERY SPECIAL WAY TO BEGIN 2016.  THIS GIVES EACH OF YOU, AND ESPECIALLY OUR VERY PRECIOUS GRANDbabies A GLIMPSE OF THE IMPORTANT WORK GRANDMA AND GRANDPA ARE DOING HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA.  BUT WE NEED TO REMIND YOU...IT ISN'T OUR WORK...IT IS THE LORD'S WORK.  IT ISN'T OUR SPIRIT THAT TOUCHES THE HEARTS HERE...IT IS THE LORD'S.  WE ARE INSTRUMENTS AND SERVE AS HIS HANDS HERE ON THE EARTH BUT WE ACKNOWLEDGE HIS HAND IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND SAY.  IT IS TRULY A BLESSING IN OUR LIVES TO BE ABLE TO SERVE HIM AT THIS TIME AND TO REAP THE REWARDS OF FINDING  SWEET, SWEET SPIRITS THAT THE LORD HAS PREPARED TO BUILD OUR TESTIMONIES AT THIS TIME IN OUR LIVES.  WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THIS.

ON THE 20TH OF JANUARY WE WERE ABLE TO ENJOY A VERY SPECIAL WORLDWIDE MISSIONARY DEVOTIONAL FROM SALT LAKE CITY WHICH I MENTIONED EARLIER.    ELDER ANDERSON SAID THAT THEY HAVE NOT HELD ONE OF THESE IN OVER A DECADE. WE HAD OUR REGULAR DISTRICT MEETING AT THE STAKE CENTER, THEN STOPPED ABOUT A HALF HOUR EARLY AND ALL OF US (1 COMPANIONSHIP OF SISTERS AND 3 COMPANIONSHIPS OF ELDERS) WENT TO A GREAT SOUTHERN BBQ RESTAURANT IN FAYETTEVILLE, THEN CAME BACK AND SAT IN THE RELIEF SOCIETY ROOM AND WATCHED THE CONFERENCE.  THOSE TAKING PART IN THE CONFERENCE INCLUDED NEIL L. ANDERSON AND DAVID A. BEDNAR OF THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES,
W. CHRISTOPHER WADDELL OF THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC, L. WHITNEY CLAYTON OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE SEVENTY, BRENT H. NIELSON OF THE SEVENTY AND BONNIE L. OSCARSON, YOUNG WOMEN GENERAL PRESIDENT.  IT WAS AN OUTSTANDING CONFERENCE.  SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS DEVOTIONAL ARE AS FOLLOWS:

*  THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO TESTIFY OF THE SAVIOR.
*  HAVE THE SAVIOR'S NAME ON YOUR LIPS AND BE PREPARED AS THE PROMPTINGS COME TO TESTIFY OF HIM.
*  IF EVER UNSURE WHAT TO SAY, SPEAK OF THE SAVIOR AND THE 4 FOLD MISSION OF THE CHURCH:  BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST AND ENDURING TO THE END.
*  KEEP THE TEACHING SIMPLE.
*  PETER TAUGHT THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST IN IT'S PUREST FORM:  "REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE TRUTH."
*  HELP LIFT THE FAITH OF PEOPLE FROM WHEREVER THEY ARE TO A HIGHER FAITH IN GOD.
*  KNEEL DOWN WITH THOSE YOU TEACH.
*  ORDINANCES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION.
*  ONE DAY WE WILL BE WRAPPED IN HIS ARMS AND BE HIS FOREVER.
*  WE CAN'T PUSH THE ROLE OF THE HOLY GHOST INTO THE HEART AND CONVERT - THE HOLY GHOST DOES THAT.
*  WE BRING THE SPIRIT INTO THE TEACHING SETTING AS WE ARE OBEDIENT, CLEAN AND WORTHY.
*  THE HOLY GHOST IS THE TEACHER.
*  WE BRING IT "UNTO," BUT THE INVESTIGATOR BRINGS IT "INTO."
*  INVESTIGATORS NEED THE EXPERIENCE OF EXPERIENCING THE HOLD GHOST.  HELP THEM FEEL THE SPIRIT.
*  DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF THE HOLY GHOST.  HELP THE INVESTIGATOR REALIZE IT IS THE HOLY GHOST THEY ARE FEELING.
*  WE CAN'T CONVERT IF WE AREN'T CONVERTED - THE WORDS WILL CHOKE IN OUR THROAT  -  ELDER HOLLAND.
*  MOST OF THE TIME, TEACHING IS NOT TALKING, IT'S LISTENING AND OBSERVING.
*  REVELATION IS THOUGHTS TO MIND AND FEELINGS TO HEART.
*  THE ROLE OF THE HOLY GHOST IN CONVERSION:  TO CONVERT THE INVESTIGATOR.  OUR ROLE:  TO CREATE A SPIRIT FOR THE HOLY GHOST TO WORK
*  WITHOUT THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST, WE ARE UTTERLY INCAPABLE OF CHANGING THE HEARTS OF INVESTIGATORS.  HE IS THE INSTRUMENT OF ENDURING CONVERSION.
*  THE MESSAGE WE HAVE TO SHARE IS LIFE ALTERING AND ETERNITY CHANGING.
*  OUR INVESTIGATORS MUST BECOME AGENTS AND NOT OBJECTS.
*  WE TEACH PEOPLE NOT LESSONS.
*  ELIJAH DIDN'T COERCE.  OUR ROLE IS TO FOLLOW UP AFTER APPROPRIATE COMMITMENT INVITATION.  WILL YOU????
*  MORE PEOPLE ARE BAPTIZED BY WORKING WITH MEMBERS.
*  WHOM DO YOU KNOW?  WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED AND BENEFIT FROM THE GOSPEL MESSAGE?
*  ONE MEMBER CAME OUT ON THE PORCH WHEN THE MISSIONARIES CAME TO THE DOOR WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD MAP OF RECENT MOVE INS!  THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT!!!
*  PRESIDENT MONSON:  NOW IS THE TIME FOR MEMBERS AND MISSIONARIES TO COME TOGETHER.
*  WHO ARE YOU??  WE ARE ROYALTY - WE ARE THE SONS AND DAUGHTER OF GOD!
*  MISSIONARY WORK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK WE CAN DO IN MORTALITY.,
*  PRAY SO YOU CAN LOOK BACK ON YOUR MISSIONARY EXPERIENCE BY BEING FAITHFUL AND TRUE.
*  WE MUST HAVE THE SPIRITUAL STATURE TO DWELL IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
*  WE DON'T PREACH AND TEACH TO INCREASE OUR NUMBERS.
*  WE SEEK FOR THE BAPTISM THAT FOLLOWS SINCERE REPENTANCE.
*  PRINCIPLE JOB OF MISSIONARIES:  TEACH REPENTANCE AND BAPTIZE CONVERTS.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS DEVOTIONAL WAS PHENOMENAL!   SUCH A WONDERFUL SPIRIT FILLED THE ROOM AS WE SAT AS A DISTRICT AND FEASTED UPON THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE MENTIONED THE WONDERFUL VON LATTA'S!  WE HAVE BECOME SUCH GOOD FRIENDS WITH THEM.  THEY ARE A LESS ACTIVE COUPLE, WHO WE WENT TO VISIT ONE DAY.  COME TO FIND OUT, THEY WERE STATIONED AT RAF UPPER HEYFORD IN ENGLAND THE SAME TIME WE WERE AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY SUCH A GREAT FRIENDSHIP WITH THEM!  WE HAVE GONE OUT TO DINNER TOGETHER, THEY HAVE HAD US OVER, WE HAVE HAD THEM OVER.  IN ONE OF OUR LAST VISITS TOGETHER, BROTHER VON LATTA ASKED ELDER WADLEY ABOUT THE CHURCH AND HOW HE BECAME A MEMBER.  ELDER WADLEY EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT HE WAS BORN INTO THE CHURCH.  BROTHER VON LATTA TOLD ELDER WADLEY THAT HIS FATHER WAS OF THE REORGANIZED LATTER DAY SAINT FAITH AND SINCE HE WAS FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK, HIS FATHER WOULD TAKE HIM TO SEE THE PAGEANT IN PALMYRA EACH YEAR. WHEN HE MARRIED HIS WIFE, SHE WAS A MEMBER AND HE LISTENED TO THE MISSIONARIES AND JOINED THE CHURCH, BUT THEY HAVE JUST BEEN LESS ACTIVE.  WE ARE PRAYING EVERY DAY THAT THEIR HEARTS WILL BE TOUCHED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY WILL FEEL THE HOLY GHOST INVITING THEM TO RETURN AGAIN TO THE CHURCH AND ENJOY THE LOVE OF THE GOSPEL.

WE ARE BECOMING MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE POST AND THE MEMBERS ON THE POST.  SINCE THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 9 LARGE HOUSING AREAS, IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO LEARN ALL OF THEM!  WE HAVE A NEW SENIOR MILITARY RELATIONS COUPLE COMING ON FEBRUARY 12TH!  WE ARE SO EXCITED TO MEET THEM AND WORK WITH THEM.  WE HAVE GONE OVER TO THE APARTMENT THEY WILL BE USING AND HAVE GOTTEN THINGS READY FOR THEIR ARRIVAL.  WE HAVE BRAND NEW UPDATED WARD ROSTERS FOR THEM AND HAVE WORKED WITH THE YOUNG ELDERS AND SISTER TO HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE ACTIVE AND LESS ACTIVE, PART MEMBER, ETC. FAMILIES.  THAT WAS SUCH A BIG HELP TO US WHEN WE ARRIVED HERE.

WE ARE CONTINUING TO GO OUT TO CAMP MACKALL AND ENJOY A SACRAMENT MEETING WITH THE SOLDIERS DEPLOYED OUT THEIR FOR THEIR SPECIAL FORCES SURVIVAL SCHOOL.  IT HAS BEEN SUCH A REWARDING AND SPIRITUALLY UPLIFTING TIME FOR US.  WE COME AWAY WITH SUCH A SENSE OF NOT ONLY PRIDE FOR THE MILITARY OF OUR COUNTRY, BUT WITH A DEEP SENSE OF GRATITUDE FOR THE GOSPEL AND THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN EVERYONE'S LIFE.

WE CONTINUE TO ADD MORE FAMILIES TO OUR LIST OF "DEPLOYED SPOUSES."  WE GET AROUND TO ALL OF THEM ONCE A WEEK TO CHECK ON THEM AND USUALLY TAKE A LITTLE TREAT FOR THE KIDS.  THEY ARE BEGINNING TO LOOK FORWARD TO OUR COMING...I WONDER WHY???  WE WALKED INTO ONE HOME THIS PAST WEEK WITH A BAG OF CUTIES AND THE LITTLE BOY RAN UP TO US AND SAID, "THOSE ARE MY FAVORITE!!"  SUCH A SMALL PRICE TO PAY TO LET THOSE KIDS KNOW THAT THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH WHO LOVE THEM AND CARE ABOUT THEIR WELL-BEING.  WE LOVE ALL OF THEM!

WE WERE ABLE TO GO UP TO THE RALEIGH TEMPLE ON SATURDAY, THE 30TH OF JANUARY.  THE FORT BRAGG RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT'S SON, WHOM WE HAVE TAUGHT THE TEMPLE PREPARATION CLASSES TO, RECEIVED HIS ENDOWMENTS AND WE WERE ABLE TO BE UP THERE WITH HIM.  HE IS THE VERY FIRST MISSIONARY TO GO OUT OF THE FORT BRAGG WARD.  THAT'S QUITE AN HONOR!  THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULTS WERE ALSO UP THERE DOING BAPTISMS FOR THE DEAD.  IT WAS A GREAT DAY!  WE ALSO MANAGE TO FIT IN A COSTCO RUN WHENEVER WE ARE UP THERE, WHICH ISN'T THAT OFTEN!  I THINK WE HAVE ONLY BEEN UP THERE TWICE IN THE 5 MONTHS WE HAVE BEEN HERE.

I FINALLY HAD TO VISIT WOMACK - THE BIG ARMY MEDICAL CENTER HERE ON FORT BRAGG.  NOTHING SERIOUS.  WAX HAD BUILT UP IN MY EAR THAT THEY REMOVED.  THEN I WENT BACK AGAIN A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER BECAUSE OF BAD ALLERGIES.  I HAD BEEN ITCHING MY EYES SO MUCH THAT THE SKIN ALL AROUND MY EYES WAS RAW.  THEY GAVE ME 2 DIFFERENT TYPES OF EYE DROPS AND AN OINTMENT TO PUT ON MY SKIN.  WITHIN A DAY, IT WAS 95 PERCENT BETTER!  NOT SURE WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT!   OTHER THAN THOSE 2 EPISODES, ELDER WADLEY AND I HAVE HAD EXCELLENT HEALTH WHILE WE HAVE BEEN SERVING THE LORD - TRULY BLESSED.

WE HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT LATELY IN ALL OF THE WARDS ABOUT USING PREACH MY GOSPEL IN THEIR FAMILY HOME EVENINGS.  OUR HOME WARD ENCOURAGED THIS AND WE DECIDED IT WAS A GREAT THING TO BRING UP HERE.  WE HAVE TALKED IN SACRAMENT MEETING IN ALL 3 WARDS WITH THE OTHER FULL TIME ELDERS AND SISTERS AND ENCOURAGED PARENTS TO INCORPORATE A LESSON A MONTH INTO THEIR FAMILY HOME EVENINGS.  WE HAVE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK!  AFTER ALL....IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE EVERYONE'S CHILDREN WILL BE SERVING MISSIONS....DID YOU HEAR THAT GRAND babies????  STUDY HARD NOW...IT WILL BE THAT MUCH EASIER WHEN YOU ARE CALLED TO SERVE.  GRANDMA AND GRANDPA WOULD ENCOURAGE EACH OF OUR 4 CHILDREN TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY FOR THEIR FAMILY HOME EVENINGS ONE WEEK A MONTH!  YOU'LL BE SO GLAD YOU DID!

WE HAD A VERY BAD ICE STORM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.  IT LITERALLY RAINS ICE.  THE TREES ARE ALL LADEN DOWN WITH ICE, MANY BREAKING THEIR BRANCHES RIGHT OFF.  WE HAD TO CANCEL ALL OF OUR APPOINTMENTS FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND WERE TOLD BY OUR MISSION PRESIDENT TO STAY OFF THE ROADS.  IT HAS BEEN INTERESTING EXPERIENCING THIS TYPE OF WEATHER.

WE CONTINUE TO HELP CLEAN THE STAKE HOUSE WHEN IT IS OUR WARD'S OR BRANCH'S TURN.  WE USUALLY HAVE TO WORK AROUND BAPTISMS!  THE FORT BRAGG WARD HAS ABOUT 300 PEOPLE IN IT...200 OF THESE ARE PRIMARY AND NURSERY CHILDREN!!!!  WE ARE USUALLY SITTING WITH A FAMILY AT SACRAMENT MEETING WHO HAS A FATHER DEPLOYED SO WE CAN HELP OUT.  IT SOMETIMES MAKES FOR VERY LIVELY SACRAMENT MEETINGS.  WE TRY TO HELP THEIR MOM'S SHOW THEM HOW TO BE REVERENT - IT BRINGS BACK MEMORIES WITH OUR OWN CHILDREN!

WELL, ELDER WADLEY IS GOING TO ADD HIS 2 CENTS WORTH TO OUR JANUARY 2016 BLOG AND THEN WE WILL PUBLISH IT.  I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU, HOW MUCH WE THINK ABOUT YOU, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HOW MUCH WE ARE LOVING SERVING THE LORD HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA.  IT HAS TRULY BEEN "THE BEST YEAR FOR OUR LIFE!"

MY 2 CENTS WORTH WILL INCLUDE A BOOK OF MORMON SCRIPTURE FOR OUR KIDS AND GRANDkids.  IT IS ABOUT HOPE AND LOVE.  PRESIDENT EYRING ASKED US TO LEAVE OUR FAMILIES A LEGACY OF HOPE.  SOMETIMES I SEND OUR FAMILY A LITTLE SERMON ABOUT HOPE.  FOR LOVE, VALENTINE'S DAY IS ALMOST HERE!  WE STUDIED THIS SCRIPTURE IN OUR LAST DISTRICT MEETING, AND I KNOW THEY'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY WORTH REPEATING.   2 NEPHI 31:20
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

AS ALWAYS, SISTER WADLEY HAS COVERED EVERYTHING VERY WELL.  ONE STORY I'LL ADD TO FINISH FOR THIS MONTH IS ABOUT A SINGLE YOUNG MAN IN THE YSA BRANCH HERE AT FORT BRAGG.  WE CONTACTED HIM AND EXPRESSED OUR DESIRE TO GET ACQUAINTED. HE ASKED TO MEET US AT THE KFC ON POST, BECAUSE IT WASN'T CONVENIENT TO SEE HIM IN THE BARRACKS.  WE HAD A NICE MEAL TOGETHER, AND A VERY NICE VISIT ABOUT THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER.  LIKE EVERYONE, HE'S MADE MISTAKES AND HAD DIFFICULTIES.  HE IS LESS ACTIVE, BUT STILL PRAYS, READS THE SCRIPTURES, AND FEELS THE HOLY GHOST IN HIS LIFE. HE'D FINISHED A 500 MILE RIDE THAT DAY ON A BEAUTIFUL MOTORCYCLE, (YES, WE TALKED BIKES FOR A WHILE) AND HE TOLD US HOW THE HOLY GHOST HAD HELPED HIM THAT DAY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT.  WE EACH BORE TESTIMONY OF HOW MUCH THE LORD LOVES HIM, AND WANTS HIM TO COME BACK TO FULL FELLOWSHIP AND ACTIVITY IN THE CHURCH.  THERE WAS SUCH A GOOD FRIENDSHIP AND SPIRIT THERE.  THE NEXT DAY, SUNDAY, HE CAME TO CHURCH, MET WITH THE BRANCH PRESIDENT, AND WANTS TO START ATTENDING THE YSA FHE ACTIVITIES.  WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR HIM, AND SO BLESSED TO SEE HOW THE HOLY GHOST TOUCHES PEOPLE'S HEARTS AND LIVES.  IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE WITH THESE GREAT SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

DECEMBER, 2015

The time is flying by!  We are already one third done with our mission.  When we look back, we realize just how much we have accomplished, and yet as we look forward to 2016, we realize just how very much more we need to do!

December began with our usual visits to the less actives and part member families in the Cameron Ward.  We also met with the Ft. Bragg Elder's Quorum President and the Ft. Bragg Relief Society President to see just how we can be of assistance to their ward.  They both gave us several family names whose spouse is currently deployed.  Some may be home for Christmas, others not.  We are following up with them to make sure they have what they need thru the holidays and thereafter.

The Ward Mission Leader in Ft. Bragg is deploying to Germany for 4 months two days after Christmas.  They just had their 5th child.  This is an example of life here at Ft. Bragg.  The vast majority of families are unbelievably self-reliant, with very few requiring special attention.  Still, a big part of our calling is to minister to the deployed families and that is something we take very seriously.  They LOVE having a "grandma and grandpa" come by for a visit and this is usually what we are called!  Elder Wadley and I love it just as much, if not more, than they do!  It gives us our "special hugs" we miss from our own very sweet GRANDchildren!

We also continue to take a Sacrament Meeting out to Camp Mackall to the members attending survival training for the Special Forces.  This always seems to be a highlight of our week.  They come in from the field and are so appreciative to have an hour of "back home."  Our testimonies have been strengthened by each of them so very much.  Brother Wood is so good about making sure we have everything we need out there for the meetings.  Chaplain Cottle at Camp Mackall has also been so helpful in facilitating this for us.

We are continuing to visit and help the Kirby's.  They are an elderly couple.  Sister Kirby has stage 4 cancer and brother Kirby attends to her 24/7.  Elder Wadley takes Brother Kirby shopping and to run errands once a week and Sister Wadley sits with Sister Kirby.  She reads to her or they watch the BYU channel together.  Sometimes Sister Kirby just sleeps.  Hospice comes in a couple of times a week and bathes her and makes sure she is comfortable.  They are really an amazing couple.  Sister Kirby was taught by missionaries in the Philippines and she joined the church there.  They were married in the Philippines and later sealed in the Raleigh temple.  They are celebrating their 9th anniversary of their sealing on December 15th, so we are going over and taking them a gift and having a nice visit with them.  They don't know we realize it is their anniversary, but Sister Wadley saw a plaque on a table in their living room that had the date on it.

We are continuing to fellowship Sister Gay who is a non-member.  Her husband is an inactive member and she was interested in learning about "his church" when they were first married.  We continually pray that she will accept the missionaries into their home.  Brother Gay is an instructor in the Special Forces and has also been a Green Beret.  He has been deployed more than he has been home this past year.  They have 2 children and are just so very very sweet.  We feel that in time the Lord will, again, touch her heart and bring her into the gospel.

We were able to have a senior missionary conference here in Fayetteville for the southern half of the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.  This was made up of approximately 20 senior missionary couples.  It was such a fun, fun time!  President and Sister James came down and presided over the conference.  We met at the Fayetteville Stake for morning instruction.  Elder Wadley and I talked for 5 minutes each on "The Attributes of the Savior."  It was a very informative meeting, with all couples talking about certain parts of their mission and giving all of us some great ideas!  We had pizza and salad in the cultural hall afterwards and then everyone carpooled over to the Airborne and Special Forces museum here in Fayetteville for a tour.  It is a phenomenal museum which gives the entire history (in very life-like, realistic displays) of the Airborne and Special Forces here at Ft. Bragg.  Near the end of the exhibit, I about burst all of my buttons off...there was a wonderful display of Desert Storm.  This is the war Elder Wadley flew combat missions in.  President and Sister James were so excited to hear all about it and I couldn't have been more proud!  It actually happened to be 25 years ago, almost to the day, that Elder Wadley flew his first mission in Deseret Storm.  Elder Wadley has been able to have many conversations with military members here about his/and their experiences and it has made for some great missionary efforts as well!  There is just something about military life that makes for a wonderful comradery with everyone else.  We all sort of think and talk alike around here!

We received an email from our Bishop here in the Cameron Ward, who is the head Chaplain on Ft. Bragg, inviting us to a special dinner for all of the Ft. Bragg LDS Chaplains (5), us and the other senior military relations couple here at Ft. Bragg.  Elder Bruce Carlson, who was just made Emeritus at the last General Conference and is now on the Miliary Relations Committee for the church, was coming to Ft. Bragg and wanted to have dinner with all of us.  What a thrill for us.  This had even more meaning for Elder Wadley, since Elder Carlson was stationed at Mountain Home AFB with us back in the beginning of the 1990's just before Elder Wadley retired from the Air Force.  They both flew the same fighter jet.  Elder Carlson told Bishop Colby to let all of us know it would be casual.  Well, casual for the Chaplains and their wives...skirt and shirt and tie for us missionaries!!!  When we arrived at the Mexican Restaurant, in walked Elder Carlson in levi's, cowboy boots and a western shirt!  It was such a thrill to meet him and have dinner with him.  He and Elder Wadley talked about flying for a good majority of the night.  He told Elder Wadley that when Desert Storm broke out, he had a desk job in the Pentagon and was so mad he didn't get to be a part of that war!  It was wonderful to meet with all the Chaplain's and their wives.  We knew 3 of the 5.  They are in the wards we serve in.

One very special experience Elder Carlson told us about that I want to pass on for everyone to enjoy: When Elder Carlson served as an active seventy about 8 months ago, his office was on level 2 of the old Church office Building.  He said that when he would get on the elevator to go down to the basement to get in his car and leave for the day, the kind of joke was..."oh I hope the elevator doesn't stop on the 1st floor"...that meant that a member of the First Presidency or someone in their offices would more than likely be getting on. One particular day as he was riding the elevator down, it DID stop at the first floor and who should be standing there when the doors opened but President Monson.  Elder Carlson smiled at the prophet and as the prophet walked into the elevator he began whistling THE AIR FORCE SONG!!!  This one is "Off We Go Into The Wild Blue Yonder, Flying High Into The Sky."  Elder Carlson smiled and told him thank you and President Monson smiled back at him and said, "Hello Elder Carlson, how are you doing?"  Wow....what a story!  Elder Carlson then said, "did you notice President Monson at conference how he was kind of unsteady on his feet at the podium?  He has diabetes and sometimes it puts him off balance."  He also said, "for a man that old, I couldn't believe that he would remember a little retired military member and whistle that song to me as he got in the elevator!  That just shows how keen his mind is!"  He also said to us that night the following:   "This is just Elder Carlson talking, but I feel that President Monson is going to live a good long life because of the way some people in the church are doubting their own faith and going away from the church because of the policies that have been in the church FOREVER.  I feel that it will be a test of the member's faith to see such an elderly prophet, and see if they will still believe and have the commitment to follow the prophet.  It will be a time of putting our faith to the test."  Elder Wadley and I felt that was such a profound statement for him to make.  He again said, "this is just my personal feeling."  It was a wonderful evening!

Elder Wadley and I were able to have several Family Home Evenings with members of both the Cameron and Ft. Bragg Wards.  We took President Monson's Christmas pamphlet to each of them and talked about the Savior and all He has done for us.  We were so warmly received by everyone.  The gospel is strong with the military members here.

We received permission from President James to travel to Charlotte for Christmas to be with our daughter, Kathryn, and her sweet family.  What a treat that was!  We helped get preparations ready for Christmas Eve.  They had 2 other families join us.  We had a wonderful dinner, followed by a presentation of the birth of the Savior by all of the children.  Our daughter played the flute for the play and our son-in-law played the trumpet.  We were each given a typed, colored program to follow along.  Oh how it thrilled us to see our 3 beautiful grandchildren portraying the shepherds and the wisemen.  Memories never to be forgotten!  After the guests left, we gathered everyone up and took Christmas goodies around to all of their friends while looking at all the beautiful lights.  Upon returning home, the children found Mrs. Claus had left new jammies for all of them!  We sat around the tree, had some hot chocolate and read the Christmas story and it was a magical evening!  Next morning there were 3 very excited children!  Presents were opened.  Daddy said he thought there was one present Santa had left upstairs.  He brought down a big red gift wrapped box and out popped a brand new puppy!  She is half Schnauzer and half Poodle.  She's adorable!  We had so much fun playing with her!  We stayed through their church on Sunday.  Kathryn spoke in Sacrament Meeting about "Spiritual Goals."  It was beautiful!  She also played the organ.  She compared making spiritual goals to the goals she sees her piano students make with their lessons and learning to play the piano.  Elder Wadley and I were asked to teach the 9 and 10 year olds in Primary since they didn't have a teacher that morning.  We gladly did that and talked about the Savior and showed them several little vignettes from our laptop.  It was a lot of fun! Our granddaughter's best friend was in the class, whom we had seen on Christmas Eve for dinner, so that was an extra special treat.  We traveled back to Fayetteville Sunday afternoon and brought Kaylee, our 13 year old granddaughter back with us for a visit.  Now, how fun is that as a missionary couple!  We were afraid she might get a little bored, since we had District Meetings, visits to members, and even a get together on December 30th in our home all the Young Single Adults who didn't go home for the Christmas holiday.  She was such a big help for that party, since Elder Wadley and I had been busy all day with meetings and visits.  She did get to go visit a couple of families with us, which she really enjoyed.  One family was PCSing (permanent change of station) to Ft. Benning, Georgia, so she helped me make dinner for them and we all took it over and had a nice visit.  The other family had 2 schnauzers, so she was in heaven!

We drove her back home (again with permission from President James) on the 30th and stayed over night for New Year's Eve.  We brought all of the left over food from the party the night before.  Speaking of our party - we had about 18 people there - in our little 3 bedroom base house!  They had a great time.  We told them all to bring any games they had, but they ended up eating and VISITING, which they said seemed SO GOOD, compared to staying in the barracks.  We were so happy the Branch President of the Young Single Adult Branch ok'd this get together and actually told us thank you for having it.  We feel like this is the least we can do, living on post.  It was a fun night!

Anyway, back to New Year's Eve.  We ate, played games, ate, played games, banged pans at midnight and stayed up until 1:30 a.m. playing games.  The 2 youngest grandchildren (4 and 7) stayed up until 1:00 a.m.!  We woke up the next morning and took everyone to breakfast and then we drove back to Fayetteville.  We ended up being gone about 25 hours!

I thought you might like to hear a pretty typical week for us (that is when there aren't many other distractions that ALWAYS seem to come up:  sewing ripped pants for the elders, picking the sister missionaries up and going to an investigator's house with them and helping them teach a lesson, etc., which make for added blessings!)  So anyway, on a typical day we get up around 7.  We read scriptures, have our morning prayers and then head out on our 2 mile walk.  The weather has been very nice.  We don't yet know what we are in store for in May, June, July and August!  We may decide to walk the gym at the housing complex with air conditioning instead!  We come back, fix breakfast, shower and get ready for the day (which we plan out the previous evening.)   One day will consist of us driving up to members in the Cameron Ward (about 30 minutes away) and visiting with families who have a mom or dad deployed.  We usually call them the night before to see what time works best for them.  A lot of times, we have a lot to see just after 5 p.m. because the spouse is working.  They are usually so good to invite us for dinner, but we tell them, we have a lot to see and just take a rain check.  If there is a special need for us to stay and get more involved with the family, then we for sure take them up on the invitation!  Again, such self-reliant people!  They just love having us come into the home and spend time with the children and make life a little better without mom or dad home.

Cameron Ward has members living on base housing, which is off base - about 10 miles away, but you have to show a military ID when you go on.  The ward is made up of about 65 percent of the members here.  The other 35 percent live in what Elder Wadley and I refer to as "the forest."  If you ask the full-time elders serving here they would call it the same thing!  It literally is like a forest you drive through to get to their houses.  Some live in trailers with just the forest surrounding them.  On one of our trips into the forest, we saw a run down trailer house with a complete man in armor standing on the porch.  We always will refer to this trailer as "The Armor of God Trailer" as we drive by and that gave us the idea to begin presenting The Armor of God Family Home Evenings to members and their families.  We made a shield, a sword, covered some shoes in aluminum foil and we have the children use all of these while we talk to them about "putting on the whole armor of God" as found in 1st Corinthians.  We help them think of ways they can put on the whole armor of God.  They are so excited when they realize that THEY have thought of the things they can do!  They really like it!  When we travel to the Cameron members, we have to put an address in both of our cell phones GPS and visit these 2 families and then drive back to a central location in the forest that has a grocery store and a McDonald's to put in 2 more addresses and then we go and visit them, and the day continues on until about 7:30 at night.  The children usually go to bed around this time because the military members have to be in so early.  We are usually driving back to the post by around 8.  We have a bite to eat while we are calling to make appointments for the next day (if we haven't been able to get in touch with them during the day, which we try to do.)

When we visit the members of the Ft. Bragg Ward, they live right on the post so we don't have as far to go.  We catch them during the day and in the evenings.  A lot of times we will see them when we are shopping at the commissary or the PX.  On Monday evenings, we travel to the Stake Center to have Family Home Evening with the Young Single Adults.  On Thursday evenings we travel back there to attend Institute.  Thursday afternoons we volunteer at Womack, the huge military hospital here on Ft. Bragg.  We volunteer for the Red Cross.  We take carts around to the patients with movies, books, snacks, etc. on them.  We stop and visit with them for a minute.  They usually really appreciate the visit.  The Red Cross has also asked us to give briefings to the men and women who will be deploying and help them get the paperwork completed as to next of kin, etc.  This is usually a difficult time for them, because they have a lot on their mind - family, war, military, finances, etc. We try to make it as comfortable for them as we can.  It has given us a good feeling being able to contribute to the post with volunteer work.  It took quite a while to get everything done we needed to in order to volunteer.  It's not a quick task.  We had to have a background check, a hippa investigation, retired military verification, shots, etc.  It was quite involved.

We were able to go bowling on post with our District in December.  We had 3 sets of Elders and 1 Set of Sisters.  We gave each person a $10 Taco Bell gift card for Christmas along with the M&M Christmas Story and a picture of us that we had taken for our Christmas Cards.  They loved everything.  The Hills, the senior missionary couple who left in November, had made key chains that have North Carolina Raleigh Mission on them, so we gave each of them one of these as well.  I made candy kiss cookies for them and the Sister's had bought donuts. We had a great time!

Elder Wadley and I are teaching 3 families the Temple Prep classes.  They are about half way thru them, hoping to go to the temple in the near future.  It is so much fun to see their progress!  One of the families just had their first child - a little baby girl who is now a month old.  The other family has 3 girls: 9, 7 and 4.  He is trying very hard to quit smoking.  She is so concerned about all of their tattoos they both have (which is a VERY common thing here in the military with both members and non-members.)  We have encouraged him with bringing him some strong cinnamon candies he really likes to put in his mouth when he feels the temptation.  We have tried something with him that has seemed to have a good impact on him:  we tell him that when he has the urge to pick up one of those white cigarettes, to instead think of his 3 girls all dressed in white in the temple and being sealed to him and his wife for eternity!  We have explained to both of them that it doesn't matter about their tattoos.  What matters is having their family sealed together for eternity!  We think they have definitely caught the vision.  She is now the Relief Society Secretary and does such a good job!

The Ft. Bragg Relief Society President and her husband have a son who just finished a semester at BYU Idaho and has returned home to await his mission call.  We have just finished giving him the Temple Prep lessons and he is so excited for his call!  The bishop announced that he will be the very first missionary to go out from the Ft. Bragg ward.  The majority of the members in the ward have Primary age children.  There are probably 8 Young Women and maybe 10 Young Men.  So to have a family in the ward with a son old enough to go on a mission is rare.  They also have a daughter who will be attending BYU Idaho in January.  Great family! Their father is a helicopter battalion commander.

We have grown to LOVE all of the members of the wards we serve in.  There is something about being in the Lord's service and having a heart that just bursts with love for those whom you are serving.  It is a good reminder for Elder Wadley and myself of the love our Father in Heaven has for us.  In church today, one of the full-time missionaries was teaching us about how much love our Father in Heaven has for us and he stated, "now I haven't been a father yet, but I look at all of you in this class who are parents, and ask you to think about your own children and just how much love you have for them.  Of course, this is something that is just indescribable.  Needless to say, this is how we feel about the members here.  We love them DEARLY.

As we end our blog for 2015, Elder Wadley and I want to wish everyone of you who might read this a very HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.  May your mind and your heart be FILLED with the love of our Savior and may you find peace in your life by serving and learning to love those with whom you serve.

Sister Wadley does a SUPER job with the BLOG, our record keeping, and keeping me in line.  I love her so much, and want everyone to know what an amazing gift she has for remembering people's names and stories, and listening and loving them in such a personal and kind way.  She has a wonderful way of letting people know how much we love them, and how much more the Savior and Heavenly Father loves them too.  We've had some very rewarding and humbling experiences with people we've grown to love and who have become our close friends.  Living on Fort Bragg has certainly helped us appreciate how much so very many give to protect our freedoms.

25 years ago I was deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of  Operation Desert Storm - the first Gulf War, and it was certainly my warmest winter ever.  Sister Wadley and the kids were in Mountain Home during one of the coldest Idaho winters on record.  They did 3 early morning paper routes and on one of those way below zero mornings when Sister Wadley was getting all 4 kids up for the routes, she went out into the garage to start the van only to find that the sliding door was frozen shut.  She ran in the house and grabbed her hair blower and came back out, plugged it in and proceeded to blow hot air up and down the seam of the door!  The papers needed to be delivered!  I think this winter in North Carolina will now become the very warmest winter for both of us.  It really rains a lot here.  It seems like in one weekend we get as much rain here as Utah and southern Idaho get for the whole year! Everything is certainly pretty and green.  Roses in bloom for Christmas and New Years! We love all of you and will be so excited to see you once again when our mission is complete - which, we are glad, won't be until next September!

Elder & Sister Wadley
Military Relations
North Carolina Raleigh Mission
Ft. Bragg, N.C.