Transfers

Dear Family,

Our family missionaries have all transferred:  Elder Heflin is in Scituate, Rhode Island; Hermana Stringfellow “whitewashed” into a new area in Mesa, AZ; and Sister Stringfellow transferred to Allen, TX.  We just checked out Instagram on the Iphone instead of through our Ipad which is through the Pictacular App.  For the first time we saw (Brian Gibson’s) Faith getting her groove on, Dash eating from his truck!, Sadie swimming, Brenna streaming “Goodbye Summer 2015” pics, and Rock waving Paige’s USA flag with her holding the other end!!  And now Brad and Ronnie are transferring to Virginia and Maddie Gibson is off to Kansas having just gone to Fiji with her Dad to built six bathrooms for a remote village.  Wow!!  Another transfer!! So many fun family get-togethers and events!

 In the words of Sister Kate Stringfellow: “I really don't know how to express my thankfulness for these past few transfers.  I feel so much more happy in my life because I'm truly beginning to understand God's hand in my life in all things. Recognizing Him each day helps me to really see how blessed I am to be here – right now! – at this point in my life. To be with the people I'm with. To have the experiences I've had.  Good things and hard things in my life have blessed me so much to shape me into a better person.

Goodness, Heavenly Father is so good at that. 

I love my mission!.... Love y'all!!!!!!!”

New Apartment – we “transferred” from our cold apartment to the Smith’s warm apartment.

New Cemetery – we “transferred” from Cementerio 1 to Cementerio 3 (Playa Ancha).

We will miss all the wonderful people we met on our trek to Cementerio 1.

 On July 1^st and 2^nd, we moved all our camera operation from Cem 1 (Valpo’s original Cem) to Cem 3 (Valpo’s largest).  Juan Montalvan, a FamilySearch Peruvian working in Talca, Chile, spent two days with us to help with the inventory and set-up.

Juan Montalvan, Elder Gibson and Patricio

  

Thanks Elder Poulsen and the mission truck!!

The first night we took him to a Peruvian Restaurant and he suggested we try the Loma Saltado and the drink Chicha Morada (made from ground Indian corn and manzanas [apples]).  Very good food and drink! In our letter to Dad we said, “I wonder if Hermana Paige had tried it!!...” and Vickie replied, “Yes, Paige ate/drank chicha morada in many forms.  She brought it home from Peru for us to try in drink form and also made some chicha morada flan….  For Father’s Day, Paige took Rock (and I tagged along) to a Peruvian restaurant where she ordered ceviche….I ordered the Loma Saltado – Muy Rico!!”

On the 4^th of July, we went back to Cem 1 to do a good cleaning of the office. Carol swept, dusted and polished their big desk; while I cleaned sticky, duct tape residue from the windows.  The panes covered an area about 8’ X 8’, and had been covered by some thick black plastic (with duct tape) to control the lighting for our cameras. 

Richard G. Scott, Ensign Oct 1995 “Trust in the Lord”:
I testify that when the Lord closes one important door in your life, He shows His continuing love and compassion by opening many other compensating doors through your exercise of faith. He will place in your path packets of spiritual sunlight to brighten your way.  They often come after the trial has been the greatest, as evidence of the compassion and love of an all-knowing Father. They point the way to greater happiness, more understanding, and strengthen your determination to accept and be obedient to His will.

A New Adventure!!!