March 15

Got the date correct this time! Happy Sunday y'all. We had Spring Break, which meant no meetings for the branch all week. We – I – had thought about going on a trip, but that fizzled out. We'll have to wait for Karla to get here to ramrod us on a trip!

The change of time came at an excellent time: we got to go to the 1 p.m. meeting. It was interesting to be in a family ward and hear the babies crying and toddlers toddling. We were getting over some kind of illness, not really a cold, but achy and yucky feeling. We were glad we got to sleep in and have a peaceful day.

We felt good enough to workout Monday, but not until 10 a.m.! Daylight savings is messing with our sleep patterns. Went shopping at Sam's Club and filled our frig and freezer. Should be good for a week, at least. Fixed supper for a branch member, then she helped us find a name to take to the temple. It was pretty exciting. Our upstairs neighbors moved out and stopped by to say good-bye and give us a box of chocolates. We waited too late to make friends with them. I think we could have done some things with them. Got a call from the member that we read with, Joanna, and she needed to go to the grocery store. Her son was going on a trip the next day and needed to take a sack lunch and her cupboard was bare. She had gotten some money in the mail, but needed a ride to the grocery store, so we took her. As we were leaving the apt complex and pulling onto Wimbledon Drive, we could see about 5 or 6 deer in our headlights just across the road. There are critters everywhere around here!

Tuesday we were ready to go walking and got a call from G1 sister missionaries. If we were going to drive somewhere, could we get some popsicles for one of the sisters? Of course we went right to the grocery store to get some. She was in the study lying on her stomach which was hurting. It took all day for her to get one down, then up it came. We fed the YSA elders after a practice lesson. Slices of pork loin, fried onions and Yukon gold potatoes (from Idaho!) and asparagus. Pretty much our go-to meal all week. Went to Joanna's and read; we are in Ether, so moving right along! Sister trainers came to borrow the air mattresses, now that both will hold air. Broke open the box of chocolates – and they lasted a week. So proud of us!

After our workout Wednesday, we got to sit in the hot tub, which finally got fixed. It felt wonderful. The G1 sisters were on exchanges with sister trainers, so two were here for a lesson and two were at the doctor to help the sister who was so dehydrated. I was afraid she would be hooked up to an IV, but they just gave her more pills and two shots in the rump. The G2 sisters came for a practice lesson and supper; yup, pork and potatoes. Was shown an interesting way of presenting the Restoration using small drinking cups. The temp got to 82; I am so ready for the pools to be warm enough to swim!

Setting the alarm to try to get use to the new time change. I haven't had to get up to the alarm for months! But I also have to take a PM at night to get to sleep. Hope my body adjusts quickly. Had a nice walk at the senior center, then off to Kinston to check missionary apartments. We were asked specifically to check on air filters and working appliances. Only found one dirty filter and a couple of problems with appliances. One oven was self-cleaning, but the door would lock and not clean. The other was a very rusty frig (on the outside only). Plus the back door lock did not work on one of the apts. For lunch we went to Pizza Plus and had burgers (that was a suggestion from a set of elders). When we got home E. Steffler looked at the change he had gotten and looked at the receipt, and we had only been charged half for being missionaries! How sweet. Tender mercy. One of the G1 sisters is on a special diet, so we took them shopping for some of the items she could eat. Good thing, too, because she ran out of energy about half way through and had to sit while we filled the cart.

Friday did a quick walk around the complex so we could be on time for district meeting. G1 sisters thought they could make it if we drove them. I took the temple hankies that Lena had made for me and gave them to the missionaries, because they get to go to the Raleigh Temple this coming Wednesday. They are so excited. I had to put in another quickie order because I ran out! Hoping they get here Tuesday. Starting making bread later and discovered I was out of yeast. So E. Steffler had to make a mad dash to the grocery store. We have been grocery shopping more this week that ever before. We fed the zone leaders and they were grateful for the fresh bread (and pork and potatoes!) and jam and honey butter. Sarah called us later and wanted a lesson Saturday with a friend on Word of Wisdom. Tender mercy.

Saturday was Pi Day, so had to go shopping for a pie, bought a chocolate cream, yummy! Rained all day. Got a call from our branch mission leader who said that Sarah wanted to get baptized Tuesday! After dragging her feet all this time – well, her friend who has read Book of Mormon with her and helped her a lot is moving Saturday. So we found out if it was possible, and it was, so we presented it to her and she is going to think about it and let us know tomorrow. Jonathan was her friend and he had been reading some of her pamphlets and the BOM and Sarah has been teaching him, so he was very prepared to be taught. We briefly touched on the first three lessons and then taught Word of Wisdom, which Sarah thought he needed. He said he was not smoking (he did not say for how long) and was very interested and accepted the baptism challenge. Wow. This does not happen often. We invited her to supper tomorrow and would teach her another lesson, on tithing and fasting. She is pretty much done, then. We asked her if Jonathan was the one she bore testimony to, and she said one of two. She is amazing. Really puts us to shame.

So today she has decided that she needs to get baptized when she feels it is the right time, not by being pressured into it. I totally agree with her. I said her birthday would be a good time (April 10) and she said maybe before that. So maybe tonight we can get a solid date. She was at Sacrament Meeting and so was her member friend, who was asked to bear his testimony since he would be moving Saturday. They talked during Sunday School, then she went home to study so she could come have dinner and a lesson with us. She keeps our life hopping! We love her to death.

Hopefully this finds all of you well and enjoying the springtime weather, getting itchy gardening fingers and feeling God's love for us by giving us this beautiful world. And we are grateful for all of our family and friends who read this blog and pray for us. Every prayer helps us feel your love and God's love more strongly. God bless all y'all! Elder and Sister Steffler