Plains Georgia

It has been a very eventful week. Last blog we showed the pictures of our  Zone conference and the visit from Elder Montoya of the Seventy on Monday. A great way to start the week. Because of the conference being on P-Day we took our P-Day on Friday ( discussed later).   Wednesday we had District Council in the Stockbridge building.  Elder Jackman from Springville, Utah gave us a lesson focusing on goals.  He showed us his method of writing goals on Pokemon cards and posting them on his board to see them every day.  We were each given a pack of "new" Pokemon cards and to pick out one to write our goals upon.  I think the group was entertained as well as encouraged to really focus on important goals in the mission.  Elders and Sisters are still "kids" and do love to get together sharing unique personalities in the process.  That evening we had Bible study at the church and Elder Hammond and I and Sister Palmer were the only ones who attended.  Towards the end of the discussion a homeless man showed up and had been directed to find a Brother Kershaw (Bishop's counselor) to help him.  He had been living in a home with broken windows and no heat and he needed someone to take him to his sister's home.  He was also very hungry.  Luckily Brother Kershaw was there to help him and we left him the entire plate of cookies we had brought for the gospel study.  When we walked out the door the plate was almost empty.  I was sorry we had not brought a roast and potatoes. 

Tuesday and Thursday we did some ward contacting, but not many were home. We did finally catch Uta and Gerald at home. They have been out of of the area and have had more than their share of health problems. He has surgery on the 31st of this month and we will be going over to give him a blessing between now and then. Friday we left at 8:00 and two hours later we were in Americus where we met Ben. It rained very hard most of the way, but after we met up with Ben things improved. He had been in Tallahassee and driven two hours from there. He was a little disappointed in the results of the rejection of his presentation, but it may be a blessing because he already has so much work to do, and the subject desired did not coincide with his artistic depiction.  Americus is one of the most southern parts of our mission and they have many more people that speak with a southern drawl. One of our first stops in Plains, Georgia was the Baptist Church where  President Jimmy Carter still teaches Sunday school.

It wasn't a very big church, I was impressed with how humble a building it was. We then went to their house. It is behind a fence and there is security. In this picture if you look into the trees you can see a little of the house.

The town of Plains is very small and humble. I took some pictures of main street and the train station where Jimmy Carter announced and begin his campaign for president in 1976.

We were in one of the main street shops and we were told that if we wanted to see the Carters they were eating in the only Cafe there. We saw the daughter Amy Carter as she came out of the back room to get a soda out of the machine, but the President and his wife were in the back room. The security people had taken them in the back room through another door. The cafe security cameras showed the back room so I took a picture of it. The picture has a glare where the President is sitting and Rosalyn is at the opposite end of the table in the red and blue sweater.  Later while Ben and Gramma were in the shops I met Amy on the street and said, "Hello, how are you doing". She responded, "Thank you, I am fine". Sorry didn't get a picture.

We left Plains and went to show Ben Andersonville Prison National Park. It is still hard to imagine the terrible conditions of all prisoners of war.  Ben took some pictures of the sculptures on Many of the monuments. The Christmas reefs were still on the graves from Christmas.

That afternoon we went back to Americus and Gramma and Ben went to some of the downtown stores. We stopped at a historic hotel that was on the Nation's Historic Registry. It is a functioning Best Western-Plus hotel. We had dinner at the downtown Farmhouse Barbecue. Highly recommended. It was recommended by a returned missionary who had served in Australia in 1976.  He had a companion in the MTC who was from Blackfoot, but couldn't remember his name.  When one sees your name tag and they are a member, then a conversation is initiated. 

We spent the night at the Hampton Inn, continued to have a good visit with Ben, had a late breakfast and headed our separate ways. We headed back to Atlanta and Ben to the Tallahassee airport. We got back with time to get organized before picking up the Sisters to take them to dinner with Brother Hellesoe. It was Sonny's Barbecue and sorry Ben, it was much better.

 Brother Hellesoe is so generous. He always takes the Elders and Sisters along with many of his ministering families. John, on the end is deaf and is Brother Hellesoe's ministering companion.   We had the best Sacrament meeting on music and Brother Hellesoe was one of the speakers. I had to take Gramma a little early to teach her Sunday piano student because I had to drive to Riverdale to pick up a recently baptized young man who had moved from Virginia and needed a ride to church.
Later that afternoon we took the Sisters to a farewell of one of the Ward's oldest members. She was in the Ward in the 60's and now in her eighties is moving to Florida to be near one of her sons. Her husband passed away a few years ago and had served as Stake President at one time. Brother Hellesoe was there playing his hymn arrangements on his keyboard (he is Samoan) and the sisters had a mission violin and played some hymns as well.There are a lot of stalwart members that have an extensive history with the Church here in the Jonesboro Ward. We have another busy week coming up and are looking forward to new experiences. We miss and love all of you and ask the Lord to continue to bless you. Love y'all, Grandpa and Gramma Hammond

Continuing the Work

We moved forward this week continuing to try and find members of the Ward that have either moved or are not active, so we can invite them back to Church. The weather has been nice, but we had a lot more rain during the week and today (Monday) it turned cold. It was 28 degrees this morning and only warmed up to 39. Other than being cold it was sunny and beautiful. All the rain we have had lately has made our lake at the end of the complex look a little muddy from the runoff.

Last week I posted a picture of our interview meeting with President and Sister Clayton and said that we met with two Districts for our training meeting there.What we found at our next District Council meeting on Tuesday,  was all those other Elders are part of our District now, so we have a much larger District than before. We took a photo after our meeting Tuesday.

We were a little disappointed on Wednesday because there was suppose to be an investigator and a inactive member to our Bible study meeting, but neither one of them made it. We had a good meeting with those that were there. We had all of our group at the Golden Crest this week so no solo from Grandpa. They sounded good and the missionaries really like to sing the old Gospel songs. When we sing them, many of the people sing with us, or clap their hands. It is easy to see which of the residents went to church in their youth and learned those songs. After we sang we needed to go to Sams Club, so we invited all the missionaries to come to to Sams for lunch, our treat. Just call me Mr. Big Spender.

We did make a few more contacts this week. When I gave the Ward Council a copy of the contact log on people we tried to see and those we caught home, they expressed their thanks for our efforts. Gramma had the usual big music day on Sunday, which means that she is there from a little after 8:00 until 1:30. The big meeting was today. We had a Zone conference with the Mission President and his wife and Elder Montoya of the Seventy. It was great training and it was good to hear from a General Authority on the importance of missionary work. We had the usual Pizza lunch, always a big hit with the Elders, but the afternoon session was changed, because of Elder Montoya's schedule.

We got to visit with some of the other Senior missionaries.  We don't get very many chances to visit and share experiences. This is Elder and Sister Potts from Oregon.  They will be going home a week before we do.

This coming week will be more of the same and there is no question that the weather will be a little cooler. We are excited to see Ben who is going to be in Florida (Tallahassee) for a presentation for a commission. He will drive to Americus (that is in mission boundaries) and we will drive from Stockbridge and spend that afternoon and the next morning visiting with him. We have seen enough of the weather that all of you are having at home (no school all week) so we won't complain about about our mild temperatures. We hope you are going to have a good week and that the Lords is blessing you. We think of you always and remember you in our prayers every day. Do your best, remember who you are, and may God bless y'all. Love from the great state of Georgia, Gramma and Grandpa Hammond.

A Strange Weather Week

It has been the most interesting week for weather. It has been really warm, quite cool, really rainy, and we are coming to learn how quickly storms can move though this area. The week started with accompanying the Sisters to teach Demetrius Monday night. We had a good visit and they will be continuing to work with him. They gave him some commitments and he is going to try to follow through with them. Tuesday was slow so Gramma took the new music books she bought last week and practiced the songs in them that morning at the church.The weather was mostly nice so we were able to do our morning walk every day but Saturday.  It did rain a little off and on. Wednesday we had Bible study (really we are studying the Book of Mormon from the Come Follow Me lessons). They have been working on a new building and driveway down the street from us and the soil here is so red! Gramma made me stop and take a picture of the color. It is much more red than the soil in Cedar City or a lot of other places in Utah. I told her, it is "Tara" the soil of "Gone with the Wind". This picture doesn't show it very well but it is really, really, red. (Dark Maroon)  I didn't get any closer, because I think the workmen thought I was from Planning and Zoning.

Thursday we and met with a couple of Districts in the Stockbridge Building for interviews with President and Sister Clayton. You can always tell a missionary car because they have a bike rack on the back. While the missionaries were being interviewed we had a very good training meeting.

Gramma and I enjoyed our interview (ours is together), because we found out that there will be another Senior Missionary couple replacing us when we return at the end of March. We have been worried that there might not be the follow through and continuing connections that we have been trying be build here in Jonesboro. Now with another couple coming they can continue as we leave.

Speaking of connections, we have had a hard time finding and catching people home. It has been that if we visit ten addresses we are lucky to catch one home to visit. On Thursday we caught one person out of five stops and on Friday we had our best day ever, four out of six. We come to learn that two of the people we caught home had been diagnosed with cancer and were getting treatment.  One wanted her son to be blessed, and the other person had passed away in 2016. We passed this important information to the Ward leaders Sunday so these people can be ministered too. Friday we only had two Sisters and Grandpa to sing at the Golden Crest. It actual went very well. All of us got a chance to sing a solo, even Grandpa.

Saturday we all hunkered down for a storm that was on its way. President Clayton told all the missionaries to be in their apartments at 8:00 instead of the usual 9:00. Having a TV unlike the young missionaries, we got to see all kind of warnings and information flashing across the TV. (also Football)

It really did hit hard and there were areas with damage to homes and business. It rains hard like Samoa and keeps it up for several hours. This storm had moved here all the way from Texas and had killed 9 people in various tornadoes in the south. There was only one confirmed tornado in Georgia.The biggest excitement was later in the night when the storm had calmed down some about 8 or 9 police cars rushed into our apartment complex with lights flashing and sirens on. We don't know if it was a drug bust, car chase, or a domestic dispute.  Whatever it was come morning we had the most beautiful day you could imagine heading to Church. It was 70 degrees in the afternoon on Sunday.

Church was busy as usual. Gramma had to play the organ for The Spanish Branch as usual and they even needed her for Primary. So starting a little after 8:00 until the Spanish Branch is over it is about 6 hours before we get home. After the Ward meetings I went with the Elders to give a Priesthood blessing to a member who was very sick. He is a man who had his feelings hurt years ago and had quit coming to Church. The Elders started working with him 4 months ago and he has been active ever since and is so glad to be attending Church and partaking of the Sacrament again.  I took the Elders back to their apartment, came back to the Branch meetings, then Gramma and I went home where she fixed one of her wonderful Sunday dinners to share with the Sisters that did not have a dinner appointment. Gramma gets irritated that I don't take many pictures of me. I took this one by mistake so I thought I would add it so Gramma would feel better.

Sunday night it started to rain, and about 5:00 a.m. it was lightening and LOUD thunder. The thunder would nearly shake the bed it was so close. It lasted about 30 minutes raining hard all the time. When I went out about 8:00 it was still just pouring down.

We are a little bit bummed about the weather today on P-Day. We had hope to do something exciting, but it isn't fun fighting the heavy rains and driving is a real mess in this weather and traffic. If it clears up a little we will go walk. It is suppose to be storming all week, but still in the 60's. Well, we hope to have a good week with more days like last Friday. We love the opportunity to serve and know the Lord can direct us to where we are needed if we have a little faith. We love all of you and as we tell you each week, all of you are in our prayers individually and we hope you can be directed by the Lord's Spirit. Be good and do what is right. We miss y'all. Gramma and Grandpa Hammond

2020 Begins

This has been a slower than normal week since the holidays. It is probably a good thing since we are still recovering from our Christmas travels and visitors. The weather has been rainy and much cooler. It got down to 33 degrees last night. This week we lost two missionaries that have been in Jonesboro since we arrived in September. Sister Strickland went home to Washington (only to head to BYU-I after a few days at home).  Elder Augir was transferred to a new area after being here for six months. We will miss both of them. Transfer's were on Wednesday. We drove the Sisters to White Water Chapel in Fayetteville. On the way we stopped at the Chik-fil-A Luau restaurant. We met the Elders there and we took them to lunch as they were leaving the area. Transfer day is always a exciting adventure. Most of the missionaries have no idea who their new companions will be and they are excited to see old friends from past areas.

We received a new Sister, Sister Schwartz from Mill Creek in Salt Lake, and Elder Jensen. Elder Jensen was our Zone Leader here in the Conyers Zone, but now is our District Leader and he and his companion have a pickup and are called  " Moving Elders." When Elder Kone (senior missionary over housing) needs help he will call  them and they and the truck will help with the moving. They still have to get their proselyting done in their spare time and they still have to share the truck with the Sisters, so they will be driving the pickup some days. They are excited to do that. Sister Nelson is from Arizona and loves trucks. Sister Nelson and Schwartz were companions in the MTC, so they were thrilled to be in a companionship again. 

These changes always mean changes with the singing at the Golden Crest. Besides our two new missionaries there was also a new Spanish Elder. Luckily Gramma is good at organizing the entertainment. They still appreciate the programs we do very much. Gramma even added a violin this week played by Sister Nelson.

Friday we went to Sharpsburg to Costco and it is about a fifty minute drive. Gramma was going to be tested for hearing aids, but the inner ear picture showed a blockage of wax in her right ear.  They won't test the patient unless they have a clear view of the ear drum,  so we had to go to a medical care clinic  in Peach Tree City. They removed some old wax plus a patch of dry skin from her inner ear and she found she could hear a little better immediately. She has decided to wait until we are home to do anything about hearing aids. She was close to a nicer shopping center so we checked a few post-Christmas sales as well.  We found a music store and purchased a few piano arrangements of the gospel songs that the elders and sisters sing.  We need anything to give it a little variety.

Gramma and I have been a great help to the missionaries that have to share a car. We help them  getting from place to place, but Gramma's music skills are appreciated by both the Ward and Spanish Branch. Each week she plays the organ at the branch, sometimes in the ward, and even in Primary occasionally. A priest (senior in high school) is also trying to take a few piano lessons.  They are originally from Togo, Africa, and that is where 1% of the Hall DNA originates.  Visiting with his mom, we now consider ourselves cousins.

We will be having an interesting week again. We have President and Sister Clayton's interviews at the Stockbridge Chapel, Bible study starts again, and of course Golden Crest. Gramma assisted the Sisters teaching another investigator this past week and we are never quite sure when they (Elders and Sisters) will call and need us to help. We will be ready for what comes and we are also looking for a better way to make contacts with people on our Ward list. We miss all of you and pray for you always. We hope that you are accomplishing the righteous desires of your hearts. We love y'all.

Gramma and Grandpa Hammond