Thanksgiving on the road

We had a lovely visit with Nate and his family for Thanksgiving.  We are so blessed to be close enough to visit.  Though Medford is out of our mission area, we can easily get special permission to visit family.  On the way to Nate's we stopped to watch a couple of bull elks fighting.  It was a once in a lifetime experience.

We also recently took a hike through  Fern Canyon.  Parts of Jurassic Park were filmed in this canyon.  The hike involves walking through streams.  We did get wet, but it was quite lovely.

We are one of 3 MLS senior couples in this mission.  The first couple to arrive has already left.  They were only here for 6 months.  During their time here they took many families to the temple and reactivated about 35 members.  The other senior couple here, the Mullins, have been transferred to cover the area where the first couple was having such success.  Now there are just the two couples.  We hope to be able to stay here in Eureka.  We have started teaching a temple prep class to one member and her daughter (who plans to serve a mission next spring).  We are reading the Book of Mormon with 3 individuals.  We are helping with locating our new move-ins. We are also inspecting missionary apartments. We are becoming quite attached to the members here and they are beginning to confide in us.

The area Presidency ( Northwest area and West area) has announced a new plan for feeding the missionaries that covers all of California and maybe some other western states??  Anyway, the missionaries are no longer to eat with the members during the week between 5-7 PM.  It has caused quite a stir among the members.  They are concerned that the missionaries will starve.  The missionaries are good with it.  They tend to be obedient and non-questioning (and they were warned ahead of time)

Though we wish we could be home for the holidays, we are happy to be serving the Lord at this exciting time in the history of the church.