CAROL'S KNEE
My knee is a million times better this week.  Yes, a million.  Everyone at the office thinks I'm some kind of a miracle child.  Last week I could barely walk and I just sat at the desk with my leg up and ice under my knee.  This week I'm walking better and better every day. Thanks to prayers, miracles, and an amazing Doctor/Bishop who emails me good advice, encourages me, and sends me prescriptions.

OFFICE LIFE
We are all working so hard in the office and trying to learn our jobs. It's a war zone. In the afternoons the missionaries come in for treats and whatever else and the noise level is so high you can't even think. But they are all so cute we put up with it.

 Since I'm the substitute for the substitute secretary, I told her last week to just tell me what to do that's the highest priority so we don't mess up the lives of the missionaries.  Elder Johnson and I spent time getting booklets out to all the pre-MTC missionaries.  Even though some of them had already received one, we sent everyone a new one from this new mission president because they were new and also because no one knew who had already received the old one. We had a missionary in the office Tuesday and I put him to work collating and sticking address labels on.  By Tuesday night we sent out 43 booklets.  After this, we're switching to emailing the booklets.

 Elder Johnson doesn't have as much to learn about his job as Finance Secretary as the rest of us do, so he helps us all..  But he does spend time with Sister Smart, who is teaching him what to do.  The substitute secretary who is helping me is also learning to be the Vehicle Coordinator.  Good news is the real deal secretary is arriving tomorrow.  Woot Woot!  Once she gets going, I'll quit being the substitute secretary and start learning how to be the Housing Coordinator.

I also spent time arranging for lunches for the zone conferences next week.  The stake RS presidents do that.

Like I said, it's a war zone but oh it's so much fun.

WALMART
Before we came here I didn't know this is the home of Walmart.  But is it ever!  There are big Walmarts, neighborhood Walmarts, Walmart gas stations like Maverk, and a really big Sam's Club.  Pretty much if you want to shop in Bentonville, you will be shopping at Walmart.

MISSIONARY PARENTS
One thing I had to work on this week is getting travel arrangements made for the missionaries who are being released in December.  I emailed all their parents to verify what airport they should fly into or if they were coming to pick up the missionary, and also to make sure their emails are correct.  It's so fun hearing from the parents.  One dad told me he calls his missionary, Sister Sweets.

President Strong has asked parents and family members to write him a letter telling him a little about the newly called missionary.  It helps him get to know them a little better before they even come.  I get those letters by email and copy them and put them in the missionary's file.  I don't read them but I can't help but see the first line when I'm copying them.  They always start out so sweet, "I'm so happy to introduce you to our wonderful daughter."  "We are so excited to tell you about our kind, and thoughtful son."  Things like that.  I feel the Spirit so strong when I get those letters and I can feel their love shining through.  These parents are sending their most precious children out into the world to serve Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for their love, their devotion, their faith, and their courage:  the parents and the missionaries.

PDAY
Saturday we do our wash and run our errands.  Sit down for this, we actually cleaned our apartment too.  We pay Libby at home to clean our bathrooms and Mary does pretty much the rest of the cleaning so we are not used to this.  But we did it!

WHITE HAIRED LADIES
Saturday morning we went to breakfast at McDonalds.  There were 4 older white haired ladies sitting and talking together.  I kept looking at them and then before we left I went over to talk to them.  Elder Johnson came too but he wondered why I wanted to talk to them.   I basically said,  "Can I just tell you how cute you ladies are!  I love white haired ladies because I never got to see my mother that way.  She died too young so I stare now at you beautiful ladies and your white hair."  They laughed and said they are all "older than rocks."    We had a great chat and we found out that they were all sisters!  They meet there every Saturday at 7:00 AM. We may be going to McDonalds every Saturday so we can become better friends.

WHAT DO WE MISS?
Mary asked what do we miss most.  I would say today that it's not having most of what we need right in our house.  My computer keyboard quit and we needed two triple A batteries.  Hmmm  We don't have any.  We stole some out of my tens unit I use on my knee until we could go to the store.  Saturday we figured we better clean.  The missionaries have to and so should we.  Well, we don't have any cleaning supplies.  We don't even have cleaning rags.  We are not used to this.

THIS WORK IS HIS WORK
I just want to say again how amazed I am at the vastness of the work it takes to maintain this missionary effort.  It's mind boggling.  I haven't even begun to learn all that the secretary does.  President and Sister Strong are so busy and always on the run.  All the people who are making this happen are just imperfect human beings trying to make a difference.  Some of us are more imperfect and less qualified than others.  But we are all trying so hard, and with the help of the Lord we will be able to do it.  I know this is where we are supposed to be and I pray we will be equal to the task.

Here we are in front of the mission office entrance. It's an office building with several tenants. There is a gym we could use if we wanted to.

This is Elder Johnson at his desk.

This is Sister Johnson at the Secretary's desk. Remember she is subbing for the sub.

This is Sister Johnson and Sister Braaten who is the sub.