Saying Goodbye

   We have had many final dinner appointments our last two weeks here. We have been able to spend some time with some very dear lifelong friends. Andy Mazon said,  you folks came here and jumped in with both feet. I replied, yes, our feet are soaking wet but we don't want to get out and dry them off. 

   Our final Sacrament meetings at both Huntington 1st and 2nd wards were tough today. Our hearts are heavy as we said our goodbyes to these folks that we might seldom, if ever, see again. We bore or testimonies and our emotions were spilling all over. 

   Some folks said some very nice things. Randi said, You drew a circle and pulled us in. You made us all feel very welcome and loved".

Lynne said, You didn't just serve in our ward, we saw you serving all over the stake". 

Many many folks said they don't want us to leave. We made offers for people to come and visit. Lots of folks promised to come. 

Cookie said we are her favorite missionaries.  

Arlene thanked us for coming. She thanked us for teaching she and Michael to read and write. I had taught some ladies in the ward  how to sew and make a baby quilt. She thanked me again for teaching her a new skill that she gets so much enjoyment out of. She now makes many baby blankets and gives them to her own family, the new babies in the ward, as well as to " Lily's Place', a newborn addiction recovery half way house.  She said, folks are now calling her the blanket lady, and she loves it. 

 Well, people are just very kind and we will remember them and beautiful West Virginia with great fondness forever.

Now as we face the very long drive home, we look forward to our reunion with family and friends in Arizona. The calendar is already starting to fill up with responsibilities and activities and we will be jumping back into life there. But we will always be grateful for our consecrated time to serve the Lord and the people of West Virginia. We have loved it.

Almost Heaven, West Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River

Life is old there, older than the trees

Younger than the mountains, blowing in a breeze

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama

Take me home, country roads. 

Elder and Sister Traynor

PS, yes, I am bawling!

The People in West Virginia

    Our hearts are very heavy as we try to sprint to the finish line. We will miss the good people of Huntington WV. We are three weeks from leaving and folks are realizing that our time is short here before we head home to Arizona. They are wanting to schedule dinners, speaking assignments, sing in church meetings and other social gatherings. We have had offers to stay and not go home and live with families here. Some suggestions are to go home and see our families then get on back here, and others offer to have us vacation here. In general these folks are in our hearts and I think we just may have found our way into theirs.

We had our second July 4th in the mission field. We had lunch with Huntington 1st ward at Beech Fork State Park. It was crazy hot but the food and people were great.
 The Huntington 2nd ward had a picnic at 6:00 PM. It was 99 degrees and very humid at dinnertime. Patriotic or not, get me indoors in the A/C. Last year was pleasant, this year was not.
 
  The missionary work goes forward,  or as Roc would say,"onward and upward". The sisters in our area have had 4 baptisms in the last 2 weeks. They have knocked doors, taught the discussions, given service and brought people unto Christ and into the waters of baptism. They have worked hard and this area is being blessed because of their good/hard work. It has been a pleasure to feed them and take them to appointments, and in general support them however we can.

   Last week Pat and I made two tied quilts for our two literacy learners. We wanted to do something for them when we leave and a home made warm quilt for the cold winters seemed like the right thing. So we got those done. Let's say that I did the tying and Pat clipped all the yarn ties. Pat is getting pretty good at helping me with the rolling to be able to reach better.
We also spent a another day of tying quilts to teach our friend Angel Perry how to tie quilts. She has made two T-shirt quilt tops and wanted to learn how to tie them. We got her first one done and she is now on a roll.

  Last week I demonstrated "How to make Cinnamon Rolls" to the Ward Relief Society Sisters. I made 10 dozen rolls. We had a great turn out of sisters. I made a batch of dough here at home before going, then once there showed them how to roll it out and add the butter, sugar and cinnamon, then roll them up and put them into pans. When those were raising I taught them how to use their Kitchen Aid mixers or mix them by hand. While this second round of rolls were raising I made frosting for the first ones out of the oven. The church smelled great. The Stake Presidency were there for meetings and came over to the kitchen. They said the smell came over and got them. So every one had plenty to eat and to take some home to husbands and they learned a new skill that I hope they try for their families.

   We were with the full time  Elders tonight at a dinner appointment at our dear friends, Bishop and Sister Kirby. The Elders left a parting message in their home. I have come to love these wonderful messages that the missionaries bring. Quite often the messages are exactly what I need to hear. Anyway, tonights message was on heeding the promptings we are given, the first time they are given. I would like to invite all who would to read Alma 8:14-32 about Alma receiving a message from an Angel to go back to the city of Ammonihah to preach to the people there and he went speedily. What a blessing to be reminded to listen to and act on spiritual promptings speedily, when they are given.

  We are doing well and still loving the work and the people.
Almost Heaven, Traynors

 

 


 









 
 

"Our time here is flying by"

   As I opened up the blog page to write something I was somewhat surprised to see that it has been a month since I posted anything. In my mind I thought, "Oh it's only been a couple of weeks". But another month has passed and we are starting to feel the rush of wanting to get finished up all the things we wanted to do and see here.

  Our Virtual Institute /Pathway classes each Thursday are still enjoyable and we have grown to love our students so much. Our Huntington WV site (the only site in WV) has been the pilot for the Pathway virtual gathering here in the United States. We have just received an email from our North America NE area director that announced two new Pathway Connect changes.
1- There will be several more sites that will be opening up in the fall that students can attend virtually,   and that
2- Pathway Connect is being made available to non-members.
Both of these will greatly bless the lives of people that want to get an education. There are some conditions that will need to be followed with both of these announcements but wow, what great opportunities for so many more people.

 We had a Mission Tour June 19th in Charleston WV. Our visiting authority was Elder Randall Bennett of the Quorum of the Seventy. As of August 1st he will take over as the President of the North America NE area. What a great opportunity to have our General Authorities visit and instruct and bless the missions around the world. I know their focus is on the young Elders and Sisters but we Senior Missionaries learn so much too.
We were asked to come prepared for this meeting by reading 2 Nephi and focusing on the Gathering of Israel and 3 Nephi focusing on Ministering.
My take away from Elder Bennett was this quote, "working with urgency is a sign of willingness to be obedient".  I can certainly feel Elder Bennett's urgency to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world. We must jump on the band wagon.
I know we all have certainly felt this from President Nelson.
  Some other things we accomplished this past month are:
*We did the refreshments ( sandwiches, fruit, Cake and punch) at Seminary graduation as well as Pat spoke.
*We spoke in Olive Hill branch.
 * We inspected three companionships cars and apartments again. They might think I am a little hard on them but in the 4 months that we have had this assignment the apartments are looking so much better and the missionaries are cleaning better (at least before we come). You can sure see how grody things can get when transfers happen and things are left behind (such as, clothes, broken stuff, junk they collected and no longer have room for etc.. ) by the departing missionaries and the new Elder or Sister has to deal with it. I won't say that they "shine like the top of the Chrysler building" but wow things are so much better.
*We still enjoy our literacy leaners each Tuesday.
* We took a cleaning assignment at the building.
*We helped with food for a funeral in our ward.
*We feed the Sister Missionaries almost once a week.
We, I, taught a gal in the ward how to make bread using her Kitchen Aid she had never used.
* We had dinner twice with some new friends. Senior Missionaries from Gilbert AZ, Elder Brent and Sister Debbie Nelson.
*We drove the sisters to transfers in Charleston. We lost Sister Caldwell who has been a super missionary. She and her companion have 5 promising investigators, 2 on date, next Saturday. We hated to see her go but we brought to the area Sister Peterson. She and Sister Jenkins will hopefully reap the benefits all the hard work that has been done.
* We helped prepare for a wedding in the ward by ironing 18 tablecloths and 100 chair covers, as well as set up and washed and dried dishes at the rehearsal dinner and tonight we will serve at the reception.

  So as you see we stay busy. We love these people and this area and I'm already getting pretty emotional about the thoughts of leaving them but then I think of our returning to our dear family and those are my happy thoughts.
 Love you all, Almost Heaven, Traynors















 
 
 

Our Institute lesson

   This blog will focus on a lesson that I taught last week. The title was "Salvation Comes Through Jesus Christ". (Lesson 8, Teachings and Doctrines of the Book of Mormon. REL275)
   We can read that King Benjamin taught what we must do to receive salvation through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Mosiah 4: 6-8). We must come to a knowledge of God and of the Atonement, put our trust in God, keep the commandments diligently. and continue faithfully to the end of our lives.
   Then in 2 Nephi 25:23, Nephi helps us understand our responsibility to labor diligently to persuade our children and also our brethren, to believe in Christ and to be reconciled to God, and we know that it is by the grace of God that we are saved, (and here comes the interesting part), after all we can do.  
   I have heard this phrase before, but it sure touched my heart more deeply this time. So I got to thinking what is 'all we can do', and am I doing it?
The lesson goes on to help us better understand this, "after all we can do", concept with a statement from President Ezra Taft Benson. He says, 'After all we can do' includes extending our best effort. It includes living his commandments. 'After all we can do' includes loving our fellow man and praying for those that regard us as their adversary. It means clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, and giving succor to those that stand in need of our succor. 'After all we can do' means leading chaste, clean, pure lives, being scrupulously honest in all dealings and treating others the way we would want to be treated"( President Ezra Taft Benson "Redemption Through Christ After All We Can Do" Liahona, Dec 1988)
  Wow, what a list, and after some self evaluation, I found that generally I might be doing OK, but  other times I come up short on a few of these.
  Then my mind turned to President Nelson and his message regarding loving and ministering to others. How do we minister? What do we do and how do we start?
   Bam! It's there in Pres. Benson's list.  I can love and serve others. I can 'succor' those that stand in need of succor, which means, something that furnishes relief.  I can feed others (and cinnamon rolls certainly would apply). I can clothe others. I can visit the sick, both physically as well as emotionally. I can pray for and uplift others. I can be an example of a clean, chaste life.
  The bottom line folks is that I as well as you are doing it. We are trying to love and serve as our Savior, as we try to become like Him. We may not be doing all, every day, but we are doing lots quite often.
I want to up my game and do better. I certainly want to extend my best efforts to others as Jesus Christ has given His all to us.
We sure love you and miss you.
"Almost Heaven",
 Traynors

Violet Jelly and gorgeous flowers and trees

I know that living in AZ all my life might make me a little sheltered as to what's out there in the world, but we are seeing flowers, shrubs and trees that we just don't see in AZ. While AZ has it's own beauty, the lush greenness of West Virginia is just stunning.  I may have said that at this time last year. It's still true.
First, there are little tiny violets, I'm talking smaller than your baby fingernail, all over. Everywhere you look it's like a purple carpet of violets. Thus the violet jelly from our friend.
The Red bud trees burst open this spring with their magenta flowers and just take your breath away. The dogwood trees have either a white or pink flower when they bloom.
 Unfortunately the color on most of the trees does not last very long before the green leaves take over. But for a while it's pretty spectacular.
Then you've got wonderful flowers, Hydrangeas, in pinks, blues and whites all over as well as Peonies in many colors just growing like crazy in peoples yards. When you get 60-ish inches rain a year you get some pretty great plants. I'll tell you, its Almost Heaven.

Now, lest you think all we do is look at flowers and trees, "au contra". We are still staying plenty busy.
Our Pathway /Institute classes are going well. Our virtual teaching continues to get a little easier in that we are getting better with this virtual conferencing thing. It isn't quite as scary as it first seemed. We are picking up a few extra students from as far as Michigan.  They can join us virtually for their Institute class when before they were to far to drive to a program.
  For Mother's Day we set up a Zoom room conference. All of us Traynors were able to be together virtually and had a great visit. It was so fun. There are some fun perks to learning new technology.
 Regarding our literacy learners, the Tri-State Literacy council had a yearly recognition dinner for all volunteers and their learners. Their weekly lessons are paying off. Pat and I knew that each of our students had achieved a course completion certificate. We encouraged our students to attend the awards dinner and we attended with them. It was a nice evening.
  We had a little challenge this past month. Pat had a crown on a tooth break off. The tooth underneath the crown broke. It happened on a Friday at 12:30 and how many dentists were in their offices, right, none. So he went through the weekend with a hole in his smile. It looked quite hillbilly-ish. Matt said, "Dad, you are going to great lengths to fit in". The quick fix was to have a flipper made that he will wear until he gets home and then our dentist will do an implant and a new crown.
  Now for a sweet ministering story. We have a fellow in our ward, Melvin is 63ish, and is in poor health. Last year the sisters tracked him out and he joined the church. This past Monday he was on his way to our monthly empty nesters FHE. As he drove the the church he saw a 90 year old woman sitting on her front porch. She was bent over fanning, trying to stay cool on our 93 degree day, with a hand fan. Melvin saw her as he drove by. He turned his car around and drove into her drive way. He got out and asked her if she had air conditioning. She said no. He told her he had an extra A/C window unit, would she like to have it? She told him it would be nice but that she could not afford to pay him for it. Melvin told her he wanted no payment and returned home, packed up the large window A/C unit, returned to the lady, installed it in her home, showed her how to run it and said, "maybe his will be a little more comfortable for you". She thanked him. He left and came on over to the church. He told us the story and we told him that this is exactly what President Nelson is talking about regarding ministering to each other whether they are members of the church or not. He did a fine thing for someone, and he did not even get her name. He said he just knew she needed help.
 We are so excited for the new mission calls. The people of Bentonville, Arkansas will just love Chet and Joy and what experiences await them.
We love you all. Almost Heaven,
Traynors.

Testimonies

Our Mission office asked us to write our testimonies that will be in our Mission newsletter. We decided to include them here in our blog also. 

Elder W Patrick Traynor (WVCM Feb 6 2017-Aug 6 2018)

   I know that as we study the scriptures and listen to modern day prophets, we can learn eternal truths that God has revealed to His prophets. God has revealed all truth that is necessary for salvation to His prophets. If I prepare myself, by obedience to God’s commandments, and seek confirmation of these truths, the Holy Ghost will confirm these truths to me. I testify that among the eternal truths that have been confirmed to me on our mission are the following:

1. Heavenly Father lives and we are sons or daughters of Heavenly Father and He knows us personally and individually and He loves us. 
2. Jesus Christ is the son of God and is our Savior and Redeemer. Through the power of Jesus Christ, as manifested through His Atonement, Christ defeated death and He conquered sin. 
3. Joseph Smith was and is a true prophet who was called by God to open the last dispensation. 
4. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and is the most correct book on earth. 
5. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s true church on the earth. 
6. God designed a plan whereby our spirits are able to come to the earth, which was created by His Son, Jesus Christ, under the direction of Heavenly Father, and gain a mortal body and prove ourselves worthy, through obedience to God’s commandments and with the saving grace of Christ’s Atonement, including His resurrection, and eventually become like God and return to live with God.
7. Christ’s power, as manifested through His Atonement, enables and strengthens us, as we exercise our agency, to to trust Christ and have faith in His promises. I know that since Christ is unchangeable and that just as He kept His promises to the people I read about in the scriptures, I know He will keep His promises to me. 

Sister Traynor and I love all aspects of our mission. We love the warm, kind and loving people of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. We have come to love the beautiful area where we serve. We treasure relationships we have made here and the eternal truths that have been confirmed to us as we have served in our mission. 

   I know that as I keep God’s commandments, I can feel the power of the Holy Ghost more frequently and more powerfully and I am strengthened in my efforts to trust in Jesus Christ and more fully obey His commandments. 

                                                                            

                                       Sister Sally Traynor (WVCM, Feb 6, 2017- Aug 6, 2018

  I am thankful for the opportunity to serve a mission with my husband. I have learned many things that have strengthened my testimony. 

   In the MTC, senior couples were promised that our families would be blessed as we left them in the Lord’s hands. One of my testimony strengtheners is that He knows our specific needs and promised blessings have been, and still are, being poured out to our family while we are away. I have a greater understanding that our Savior’s promises are real. He loves us and He is in the details of our lives.

  Our S & I (Seminary and Institute) assignment has also strengthened my testimony. As we prepared to teach our Institute lessons each Thursday night, we were blessed with the opportunity to study from the wonderful curriculum that has been prepared and provided by the Church for our Young Single Adults. These lessons, together with the scriptures and prophetic readings, have been inspiring. I have learned so much.

  My favorite lessons were from the “Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel” cornerstone lessons. Through these lessons I have gained a greater love for my Savior as well as I feel His love for me more deeply. I have a greater understanding of His role in the creation of the world and His power and glory, and that through His love and atoning sacrifice all mankind can be saved and have the opportunity to live with our loving Heavenly Father again. 

  This past semester we have been studying “The Eternal Family”. I have gained a greater appreciation for our prophets who are on the watchtower to warn the world, as in, “The Family, a Proclamation to the World”. Our prophets are inspired and courageous and warn us of coming calamities that could harm our families. How thankful I am for ancient and modern  prophets. 

  Lastly, my testimony has been strengthen by a deeper commitment to read and study the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for President Nelson’s challenge to study and gain for ourselves the knowledge of what the Book of Mormon is; what it affirms; what it refutes; that it fulfills biblical prophecies; what it clarifies; and what is reveals. My testimony grows as I study, ponder and pray to learn eternal truths. 

  

To our children, grandchildren, loved ones and friends, we are grateful for this consecrated time to serve the Lord and we  thank you for your love and support to us.

We are still going strong. We still love these good people and It's still Almost Heaven. 

Elder and Sister Traynor 

  

   

Dandelion Jelly

  Today at church we were given a jar of freshly made West Virginia Dandelion Jelly.  I am still trying to figure out it's flavor. It's color is a lovely light yellow and because Pat and I could not come up with what it tastes like I referred to the .com. It suggests that it is somewhat the flavor of honey with a hint of lemon. The funny part is that you can actually find many recipes, but they mostly come under the heading of "Cooking with Weeds."  Ugh.
Dandelions are everywhere which makes them plentiful for picking, boiling down and making jelly. To think, I am 68 years old and I have never known about Dandelion Jelly.

Wednesday March 28th we drove to Charleston Airport to pick up William. We had a short but good visit here in Huntington with him. We taught our Institute/Pathway lessons on Thursday night then on Friday we drove back to Charleston to meet up with Emily and Erik's gang for the Easter / General Conference weekend. We all stayed in a VRBO ( called Blackberry Farm) owned by the parents of a gal in Emily's ward in Virginia. We had a great time all together. We loved seeing the grandchildren and playing with baby Rosie.

 3/31- 4/1 OK, let's talk about General Conference. Did anyone else, besides me, have to take a deep breath to just to stay on the same page with President Nelson? My, my what an inspiration he is to the church and the world. This new Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 will be wonderful.
  After the announcements of 2 new Apostles, changes in the Quorum of the Seventy, and the Priesthood changes, etc,  we were wondering what the Sunday meetings would bring.
  Emily had slipped out to feed the baby and was watching the conference on her phone. Upon hearing the announcement to change HT/VT to ministering, Emily sends a text to all her siblings which read, "There's a new sheriff in town". Well said girl. We had all better get on our horses and be ready for the ride.

4/3 Tuesday we drove to the Columbus Ohio Temple. Pat was asked to be the escort for Tait Nelson as he went through for his endowment. Tait was in our Institute class all last year and as well as this semester. He enters the Mexico City MTC this Tuesday. He will be serving in Cancun, Mexico. We had a great day with him and his mom and grandmother.
 Our only problem was that we drove through the worst rain and wind ever. It was only after we got home and had the news on and saw pictures and reports of the tornado we had driven through.

4/4 We worked on our lessons in the morning, worked with our literacy learners at 1:00P then at 3:00 tied a quilt for the two YSA's that were in our class last year and were married I the Payson Utah Temple. There is an open house for them this Saturday.  We are excited to see them this week.

4/5 We picked up two new members to our virtual Institute class this past Thursday night. These fellows are both returned missionaries. One from Nampa, ID and one from Madagascar.
 This virtual Institute is such a blessing to those who live so far from any institute programs and would otherwise have none.

  4/6 We drove the Sister Missionaries to Charleston for transfers. One of our sisters was returning home and we got a newbee straight from the MTC. We took them to lunch as we got back into Huntington/Barboursville.

 4/7 Pat and I celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary today. We marked the occasion with dinner  at Jewel City, a fresh fish restaurant ( a favorite place), frozen yogurt and a movie yesterday.  We are ready to sign up for another 47 plus years( it's actually called eternity). We are up for it.

Monday April 6th we crossed off another month here in West Virginia. We are 14 months here. Time is moving to quickly now. We love you all.
Almost Heaven, Traynors

PS, Did you all enjoy John's last Sunday night jam with Cameron singing "Almost Heaven"?
 It truly was. hanks John and Cam. I loves it.