Incentives

 The Elders/Zone Leaders recently decided to give incentives

to missionaries that accomplished set goals.

 

 The Hermana's met their goals...

 

 so they got this showy, glittery, gaudy,

trophy!

 

 Apparently it was even showier, glitterier, and gaudier

before the loving-cup on top was broken off by the Elders
that had the trophy last week.

 

After many poses with the trophy, they decided

they should put up only one finger...

meaning "We're number 1!" 

They were giving the peace sign in the first

picture, and didn't want anyone misinterpreting it

to mean that they thought they were number 2!

 

(They said they thought the trophy was actually something

that was probably being tossed into the garbage by someone.

It is just something fun to keep the missionaries' spirits up.)

 

The real incentives for teaching the gospel truths

are not measured by anything as silly as this trophy.

The real incentive is the satisfaction of knowing they

did something good for somebody else....

which makes them happy, joyful, and gladly!  

Hermana Padlock RETURNS!!

 Hermana Padlock is now a Sister Training Leader.

She was able to "come home" to her first mission house today.

She is spending 24 hours here (or close to it) while Sister
Waltee is spending the day in her area. They are on "exchanges."

Of course, very, very little of that time has been spent here.

The Hermana's were out working all day.

They took this "selfie" of themselves for my blog

because I wasn't at home when they arrived.

 

 At 9:30 p.m. when they came back home,

we had a few minutes to talk about Hermana Padlock's

mission. She has done so well these past
almost 18 months. I am so proud of her!

It was over 100 degrees today and the missionaries

"felt the heat" because they were out knocking on doors

most of the day.

 

Our former "daughter" promised us she would come back to visit

after her mission.  I hope it really happens.

We are very fond of our sweet Sister Padlock.

Labor Day Weekend

 Friday -- Dinner -- The Hermana's stopped by to eat

dinner here at the house.

There are 10 missionaries in their ward, so they

do not have dinner appointments every single night.

I got a good laugh out of what they had fixed themselves

for dinner. This is Sister Catfish eating her appetizer....

a cheese quesadilla topped with catsup.

She put more catsup on top after each bite! 

 

Sister Waltee was eating spaghetti-ohs with chips and

salsa and something else unidentified (looks like catsup
covering something, but I can't remember).

 

 Sister Catfish's dinner was really, really interesting.

Besides the appetizer of the cheese quesadilla,

she ate a pancake and chicken noodle soup and a banana!

 

 

 Monday -- Here they are on the way to enjoy P-day.

 

They have already cleaned their room and done their laundry.

They will go to the Family History Center at the church today

to do their email because the library is closed.

Now they are going to have a fun afternoon

playing sports and relaxing until 5 pm when they

return home for dinner, then head out to teaching

appointments and missionary work.



Another New Missionary!

Hermana Waltee arrived on August 19.

She is a brand new missionary!

She is the 5th brand new missionary that has lived in our home

in the two years that we have housed the missionaries.

In all, we have had 17 different missionaries living with us thus far.

 

I always ask the Sisters to write in my Missionary Log

when they arrive, so I will know a little bit about them.

She wrote that she is from Utah and that she loves to play sports...

especially volleyball and basketball.

She says she likes working hard.

One thing I know for sure....

during the next 18 months she will work hard!

 

She went to a year of school at Utah State University

before her mission.

She wants to go into nursing.

 It has been very hot ever since she arrived.

One evening at 6:00 p.m. they stopped by the house.

I took their picture outside so you could see

it was still 100 degrees.
Evenings do not cool off very much here.
It has been a mild summer,
but it is an adjustment for the new missionaries.

 

Hermana Waltee is a nickname.

She has only been here for 6 days, but she told me

that she already realizes it is better to be cool

than to be cute in Texas.

I can see she is smart!

 

Hermana Cat Fish is training Hermana Waltee.

Amongst the Sister missionaries they call themselves

the mother and the daughter.

I think that is funny.

 

 These Sisters both like to make silly faces

for the camera, so get ready....

 

 I think they will have a great time together.

They have already found some new people to teach.

 They have just the right combination

 

 of enthusiasm for the gospel

 

and energy!

Transfer Call Day

 Our quiet Sister ReeKay went to the University of Houston before

coming on her mission. I know she must have been very successful

because I caught her reading the DICTIONARY at the kitchen table

this morning!

 

 She has been practicing the simplified hymns frequently.

 She is getting quite good. 

 

 Hermana Catfish is helping Hermana ReeKay

with her piano lessons.

 

The Sisters have been very excited about today...

Transfer Call Day! Sister Catfish had a big idea about

who would be transferred where and which missionaries would stay put.

They sat my camera on the table and took this cute picture.

They set out with high hopes for a good day!

When they came in for the night Mike and I were reading

our scriptures. They told us they would come out into the

living room so we could know who was going and who

was coming, etc. ....  We heard squeals from the bedroom.

We knew the call had come.  Quickly they rushed out....

 

 They had the phone on speaker-phone....

They found out that Sister ReeKay is being transferred....

 

 to the city that Sister Catfish had thought.

 

 But her plan was not completely right about herself.

She found out she will be TRAINING a brand new missionary!

 

 She was so surprised!!

 

 And somewhat overwhelmed.....

 

She is a bit worried about being a trainer....

But she is a perfect missionary and I know she will

be a wonderful trainer!

The revolving door is beginning to turn once again......

New to Me

Normal activities of Hermanas?

This is new to me~~

at 9:45 p.m. Hermana ReeKay walks through the living room

holding a tissue over her mouth.

I am reading a book with my glasses off ....

I have to put my glasses on to see ...

Hermana Catfish walks out looking like she has a

white moustache.  I ask them what they are doing.

"We have Nair on our upper lip," they report.

They say they remove hair that way.

"Well, that is blog worthy," I reply.

"You can Blog it, we don't care," says Sister Catfish.

OK. Here you go.

The secret to missionary work?

Who would have ever known?

Family Reunion!

Hermana M (from Arizona) returned to her first

"Missionary Home" this afternoon at 4 p.m.!!!

She came to pick up Hermanas Catfish and ReeKay to

take them to a baptism of a family that

Hermana M and Hermana Catfish found when they were

companions together.
Hermana M has only NINE days left on her mission!

She was as beautiful and bubbly as ever.

It was so wonderful to see her once again.
During the past 18 months all three of these Hermanas
have been companions at one point or another.

 I don't know if she noticed or not, but her picture

was still on the family wall, right where she left it
in June 2013.