This week started out just GREAT! On Monday morning I went for my walk and another lady who lives in the bottom of the holler was also walking her FIVE dogs. When she got near her house she unleashed them so that they could drink from the ditch at the bottom of the holler. I walked up when they weren't expecting it and they all just went CRAZY! They ran at me yapping like mad. I held my hands up and smiled. Even began to pet one on the head. Then, out of no where the biggest one took a nip at my stomach.

This is right after I got home and cleaned it up.

This is Wednesday!

This is this morning. Finally starting to look better.

Needless to say, I'm OK. The lady was really concerned. But I was calm and tried to remember my badge. Missionaries all say that this makes me an official missionary.

The funny thing is now every time I kneel to pray I get an overwhelming feeling that I need to take her a Book of Mormon. So far I haven't had the time. Stay tuned . . . 

ZONE CONFERENCES (AGAIN)

We started zone conferences this week. So, in addition to everything else we're trying to do in the office we travel around the mission attending zone conferences. We have five zones. So we had two conferences this week and we'll have three next week. Since I'm doing a lot of the car work I now spend my time at zone conference spot checking the inventory of the cars. I like to look at them to make sure that our computerized records are correct. Sister Johnson basically goes as my companion and takes lots of pictures to post on the mission Facebook pages.

When a missionary says, "Take a selfie with me."  I always say Ok!

This is me probably texting a missionary about their driving behavior. 

The first thing I do every morning is look at the TIWI page to see how the missionaries are driving. Any of them who had bad driving incidents the day before get a 'friendly' text from Elder Johnson asking them if they still alive, or if anything fell off their car, or did they get to their appointment on time. Almost all of them are quite humble about this and do their best to be good drivers. Once in a while someone says 'but'. It's a word we don't hear very often in our mission. We're striving for 100% accountability for our choices and actions. So 'but' doesn't fit in very well with that. 

Did I say yet how much we love the missionaries and how fun it is to spend time with them?

ANOTHER REFERRAL

I became a real missionary by getting bit by a dog. Sister Johnson was already a real missionary because she continues to get referrals. While we were at zone conference in Springdale a man walked into the church and said some friends had told him if he came there he could get some help with his family history. So, Sister Johnson got his name and phone number and now the missionaries can call on him and hook him up with the Family History specialists in their area.  Sister Johnson also asked him if he was a Christian.  He said he wasn't anything.  So she told him even if he's not sure what he believes, he should start praying about this.  God loves all of his children and he will help him find his family.  He said he would do that.  

TRANSFER BETS

There is a sister in our mission who arrived early August of last year. She has been in the same area her whole mission. In March when Amy was here we visited the ward where she is serving. She got up an bore testimony to say goodbye to everyone as she was sure she would be transferred. Here we are not in May/June and she is still there. She is a wonderful missionary and has trained several new missionaries in that area. We sat by her at lunch yesterday at zone conference and I asked her if she thought she would be transferred next time (end of June). She is sure she will. I have seen the proposed transfer board and know the answer. Anyway, I bet her $5.00 that she would not get transferred. Sister Strong was at the table and I asked if she wanted to get in on the betting. I think she was a bit scandalized.

So I started writing down everyone's bets. In the end no one will lose any money. If she gets transferred I will pay all the Yes's. If she does not get transferred I'll pay all the No's.

Did I say yet how much we love the missionaries and how fun it is to spend time with them?

CAROL'S GAL BLADDER HAS QUIT ON HER

After 2 months of doctors and tests,we have finally determined that Sister Johnson's gal bladder has seceded from the union and is working for the other side. So, on Tuesday it will be removed. We figure you're either for us or against us and we're not putting up with a rebellious gal bladder. We hope she feels better and can begin eating half way normally. She also hopes that she doesn't regain the 12 pounds that she's lost fighting the war. Adam is flying in tomorrow to baby sit her so that I can continue attending zone conferences. I figured that would enable me to finish the car inventories. But Sister Johnson informed me today that Adam is coming so that I can take her place taking pictures. I don't know who will do the car inventories.

P-DAY ACTIVITIES

We got up this morning and went for a walk. We park at the bottom of a hill about a mile from Bentonville square and then walk up to the square and back. It's a beautiful walk and is really fun.

This is a cute couple on the trail. She had a really strong southern accent.

There is a farmers market every Saturday on the square. It is "Producers" market so everybody can only sell things they

produced. There a lot of beautiful vegetables, breads, Arkansalsa, other fun things.

This is our skating rink (well it was during the winter). In the summer it's a splash pad. Who said that government never gets anything right?

ROAD TRIP

Today we drove back out to War Eagle Mill. We went there a couple of Sunday's ago and met a nice man who wants to know more about the Gospel. But we didn't buy anything because it was Sunday. So we back today and spent some money. Our friend wasn't there but it was a nice trip. It's really beautiful just to drive around this county.  I bought some Blue Corn Pancake Mix and some Sweet Potato Butter (like jam?).

Then we drove to Eureka Springs just to see what was there. Then back home. We took a back road from Eureka Springs through Beaver. It was an especially pretty drive. There were several one-lane bridges. This is the one across the river and into the town of Beaver.