43rd Post Mon May 30 - Sun. June 6,2010

It is Memorial Day and we have had an enjoyable day. I drove all the senior missionaries in our mission (all nine of us) in the van up to College Station. The are 3 couples and 3 senior sisters. We visited the "Bonfire Memorial" at Texas A&M campus. In 1999 there were 12 students killed as they were making a log pile for a pep rally bonfire. The logs shifted as they were stacking them and the pile fell crushing the students. The memorial is very impressive with individual granite markers. There was a very reverent and sacred feeling there. We then drove over to the George Bush (the dad, 41) Library and Museum. I really enjoyed reading and finding out more about the Bush family. George was shot down in WWII in the Pacific, and was rescued by a US submarine. He seems to have a real faith in God and a strong sense of family. The Camp David section was interesting as it is just down the road in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland where our stake has held girls camp.
We drove down through the country side on our way back home, lots of rolling hills and beautiful country side. It was a fun day to visit as we rode along. We have some very fine senior missionaries and we enjoy their company.

Tuesday was another apartment inspection day for me. I drove out to Sealy to sign a new lease, which I did sign but unfortunately the apartment renovations were not complete so it will be another month or so before the missionaries can move back in. Lots of missionaries in the office this afternoon as they had been to the temple and they like to stop by the office to see if they have any mail.

Wednesday, and my last day of apartment inspections for this cycle. I had a real good visit with one apartment manager about a broken tub that has taken over six weeks to repair. The tub has now been replace but the dry wall and painting are yet to be finished. It is fun to have them tell me all about how long it takes to do "this type of work" and then I explain, "yes I know I have done that before". Then they start to back peddle, anyway I have fun with them. It rained hard this afternoon and is hot and humid!

Thursday I drove up to the Woodlands to pick up some furniture that a member wanted the missionaries to have and worked on apartment paper work the rest of the day. Still a bit rainy today, but a wonderful day to be a missionary.

In our Friday staff meeting President Hansen told of a visit he had with a non-member last Sunday. The bishop had asked Pres & Sister Hansen to speak in sacrament meeting and for Pres Hansen to interview this man. This investigator had been meeting with the missionaries and wanted to be sure that the church was true. He just could not get baptised because he did not know for certain. The man had long hair, tattoos and weathered skin and looked like he had had a hard life. As they began visiting he would only answer in one or two word responses as President Hansen tried to make conversation. After a while he warmed up a bit and they talked about his search for the truth. The man said he really wanted to know if the Mormon Church was true. President Hansen asked him if he had prayed to know and the man said "no, I don't pray, I have only said two prayers in my whole life and I really do not know how to pray". President Hansen said "it is not hard" and went over the steps of prayer. President Hansen then said, would you like to pray now? He reluctantly agreed. President Hansen said it was the most humble sincere and heart felt prayer he had experienced. The investigator prayed for the people who were trying to stop the oil spill in the Gulf and for the fish and wild life and water that been affected. He prayed that Heavenly Father would let him know somehow or someway if the church was true. President Hansen said the Spirit just filled the room and when the prayer was finished they sat in silence. The spirit was so strong in the room and Pres Hansen said, "do you feel that?" The man said, "yes, what is it"? Pres Hansen explained how the spirit works. The man knew what he must do and that the church is true. President Hansen said that he and Sister Hansen will be returning soon to this brother's baptism! Heavenly Father knows ALL of his children.

All the senior missionaries loaded in the van and I drove down to the Astros and Cubs baseball game this evening. It was a fun outing that included Sister Billingsley's two adult sons who came to visit her.

Saturday I went into the office for the morning and worked on a couple of vacuums. The one was really plugged up and boy did it stink! Anyway I got them running and smelling a bit better. We went shopping up to the Woodlands Mall along with other "shopping stops" this afternoon.

Sunday we attended church at the Eagle Springs Ward east of here. That is where Bishop Chapman is the bishop. Gary and Becky Chapman were in Saudi Arabia with us. Sister Chapman taught Christine to play the violin. We had a good visit, short as it was, but plan to get together in the future.

We continue to be blessed in so many ways, for which we are very grateful. We love being missionaries and doing our little part that we have been assigned. We pray for you each day and that you will feel our Father in Heaven's spirit in your life.

Love, Dad & Mom