May 7th through 13th

I'm thinking of that song we sang when I was a child, "Over the river and through the woods..."  The state of Michigan Website says "You are never more than six miles away from water in Michigan and 85 miles away from a Great Lake."  We are finding that to be true.  In the past three month, we ourselves have seen Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and this past week we saw Lake Superior from a distance.  We traveled across the Mackinac Bridge where Huron and Michigan lakes meet and went to the very top of the state where Superior is located, right at the Canadian border in Sault Ste. Marie.  There are woods, streams, rivers, lakes everywhere!

We took this trip on Tuesday to visit three sets of missionaries and inspect their apartments.  Safety is top priority and making sure they have all the things they need is important as well.  We make sure they are keeping their apartments clean too. It was a beautiful trip.  We made sure to take pictures with each set of missionaries and we text them home to their parents.  Two of the Elders are from Arizona.  We happen to know one of their families.  

Elder Loar and Elder Kiene serving in St. Ignace which is just on the other side of the bridge.  Elder Loar is from Arizona.

Elder Anderson and Elder Allen.  Elder Anderson has been serving as the Branch President for the last couple of months in one of the Branch's in Sault Ste. Marie (pronounces Sue Saint Marie.)  That's a ton of responsibility for such a young man.  He is headed home this week.

Elder Mower and Elder Plowman (from Arizona) are the two missionaries serving as far north as we are assigned.  Apparently many of the missionaries covet serving in the Sault Ste. Marie, but not every missionary in the mission gets to even cross the bridge to the UP.  We will most likely never serve in the southern half of the state, but that is OK with us.  We are considered "eternal."  Meaning we will be here in Cheboygan forever while on our mission.  We are grateful we don't have to change companions or pack our bags every transfer to move to a new place.  There is a lot of slang missionaries use that we are still learning.  If there is a "funeral" it means you are going home.  If you train another missionary, you call that mission your "kid."  Then if someone else then takes over with that same missionary you become the "grandparent."  I think...

On Thursday morning we left at 3 AM and drove south, the opposite direction, taking Ken and Kathy to Traverse City so he could have surgery on his eye.  Neither can drive in the dark.  Ken is not a member of the Church, but Kathy is.  Five hours later we headed back home, and when we stopped for him to stretch his legs he was pretty loopy.  He wanted a picture with Elder Gibbons and then later posted it on his Facebook account with the caption, "Don't ever mouth off to the LDS!"  

We have been fed five times this week, along with our Elders, by Branch Members.  We always loved having the missionaries for dinner at home in Arizona.  Now I guess it's our turn, but I am eating so much food!  How do you say no?

Sweet Sister Gotz, asked us all to come to Arby's for lunch on Wednesday.  She read us a story she wrote and then asked us each about our siblings.  I just love this picture showing how the Elders were being so kind and careful to listen to her.

Saturday we drove an hour and a half to Alpena to inspect an apartment of two sister missionaries, Sister Ward and Sister Forsyth.  Then we took them to lunch.  These two are experiencing so much success. 

Mother's Day was wonderful.  It always makes my heart happy when our children remember and reach out.  We sure hope all you amazing women had a blessed day as well.  We continue to see more people attending Church.  We had two new members return this week.  Brings joy to our hearts!

We had a really fun District PDay here at our house today.  It was to be our last time with Sister Radmall.  She is being transferred to Cadillac.  Boy, it's hard to say goodbye to these super great young missionaries.  We played Corn Hole and Ladder Toss outside, and games inside as well as painted portraits of each other.  They know how to have good, clean fun.

Elder Sines, Sister Radmall, Sister Froelich, Elder Rogers

We cannot begin to express how this experience is changing our hope and optimism for this world.  Ultimately Christ will prevail as people's hearts are softened and turned to Him. One person at a time.  There are good people everywhere and in many religions.  We all just want to draw on the love of the Lord.  "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever, and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."     Moroni 7:47

The Nixon's, the other Senior Couple serving in our District, picked up a really cool map of Michigan made out of a wood pallet.  It's in our living room here, but we will be bringing it home with us.  The Nixon's are fun and thoughtful.  Michigan is shaped like a mitt.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, who tries to explain where they live in the state holds up their hand and points to where they live.  The tiny little area between the mitt and the Upper Peninsula--also known and the UP-- is where we crossed the Mackinac Bridge.  But beware, it is pronounces (MackinaW.)

Another interesting thing we saw as we drove through Indian River--a truck made out of stone.