The Sound of Lawn mowers

    Yes folks, this weeks installment is entitled the sound of lawn mowers because that is what we hear these days nearly every morning. Now that spring is here with warmer temperatures these people have to mow weekly and barely keep up at that rate. They mow almost straight up vertically on the hill sides and down in the hollers. Some lawn businesses really have some fancy and expensive equipment, sit down, ride on the back, some can cut a huge swath at a time. It's really very serious stuff to keep all this green managed. That probably is not very important but quite interesting.
   Our Pathway class is going great.  These are dedicated young people that work hard and want to get going with their education. We have  7 in our class and there is another class in the building of  30 and above that has about 15 in their class. They have their own local missionary couple ( they live at home in the area) that run that class. However they were out of town this week so Pat and I ran our Institute/ Pathway class as well as Elder and Sister Mazon's class. It was difinately a tag teem situation but we got it done.
   We've had our first round of sickness. Pat was sick with a cold then I got it. Not fun. We've learned that it is much better to be out and about serving than to be holed up in this little apartment. We are doing better this week.
   I taught two quilting classes to the ladies in the ward. We had about ten people that wanted to learn how to make a baby quilt so we had an 11:00 AM class and a 5:00 PM class to accommodate schedules. There are many agencies that baby items can be donated to. One of these is called Lilly's House which is a place for crack babies as well as other addictions. It really makes me sad to know how many drug related issues there are in this area. I'm happy to get to help even if it is in small ways.
    Our Self-reliance initiative in the stake is at the halfway point, six weeks done. Some of the groups are moving along nicely and others struggle. This first roll out is a good learning experience for everyone. As a stake only three wards are involved in the program. Pat and I will be going to three more wards next month to present it to their ward council. And then we will have the devotional where people sign up for a class if they want to. Other folks will be helping with the remaining wards or branches. This initiative is being rolled out now in Tucson.
    We love reading the great missionary letters. We have such fine folks representing our family, out to do the Lord's work.
    We love you and miss you all.
Almost Heaven, Traynors

Spring is in West Virginia

   Last week end we drove 3 hours northeast to a little town called Weston for the Young Single Adult conference hosted by the Clarksburg Stake. It was held at a wonderful venue called Jackson's Mill. It was originally the home of Stonewall Jackson then later a large gristmill and housing for soldiers. It is now owned by the State of West Virginia and is the headquarters for the 4-H group. They hold camps here in the summer and rent it out throughout the year for corporate conferences and reunions etc,  their dining hall can seat 370 and there are dorms that's can sleep 42-46 people. All this is surrounded by huge rolling grassy hills.
   The conference was great with a smaller turnout than they had hoped for. But as always those that came had a great time. An interesting tidbit is the Ckarksburk Stake President is Kim Haws, one of Viola's boys in Mesa 28 the ward. He went to school with Peg or Chet. Small world isn't it?
    We had a "real" West Virginia experience today. We went with the sister missionaries for two appointments today. The first one was our appointment to work with a couple to help them with literacy reading helps and self reliance. The sisters helped us find the place. After driving about 45 minutes thru the "hollers" and up and down narrow windy hills we got to the folks place. This is where Jed Clampet could have lived before he struck oil, Texas Gold you know what I'm saying.
    Well as we went in we soon discovered that they have lots of dogs in the house and a pet prairie dog in a cage, too. It was good to get outside again for good fresh air.
   Then we drove another 45 minutes to the sisters appointment to teach a lesson. We entered this lady's trailer and realized why they are hoping she can stop smoking so she can be baptized. The sisters gave a nice lesson on the Doctrine of Christ. The gal is very nice and loves our Savior but at about an hour away from the church and doesn't drive she has some real challenges to overcome.
   A highlight of the week was our visit from Emily, Erik and children that drove here from Virginia on their spring break. That was a huge sacrifice for them to come see Grandma and Grandpa and we appreciate it so much. We went to some parks and had picnics and one of the days went to see Beauty and the Beast the song -a-long and yes we did, sing-a-long. It was very fun. When it was time for them to go home Henry said, we are going home to the real Virginia"!
   As I said in the title, spring is here and the trees, flowers and shrubbery are all blooming and there is beautiful color all over.
    We love doing the Lord's work here. I will fire up the oven tonight and make cookies for the baptism of a fellow tomorrow. The ward is excited.
We love all of you.
Almost Heaven, Traynors

Conference Weekend

The highlight of this last week was the conference of the church and the opportunity we had to listen to a Prophet's voice and our Leaders. The talks were very inspiring and I went into the meetings with some worries and questions that I was looking for answers to. As I listened to each speaker and took notes I could feel their love of our Savior, President Monson, and each of us. There were certainly some that touched me more than others but all were inspired. I decided that if I heard something that was a direct answer to my questions I would write the word ANSWER in the margins of my notes. Well I am happy to report that as I looked back through, I had written ANSWER 6 times. So to think than six different speakers prepared talks just for me is quite humbling. Was I just paying more attention than I usually do? I think not.  I do have a testimony that our Heavenly Father loves us and knows us and knows what we need and how to go forward.
We are loving the people and the work here in West Virginia. Almost Heaven, Traynor's