The last two weeks have been crazy busy. We had our Mission Leadership Council on  Tuesday August 2nd. This was the second one since we've been here so we felt like we knew a little bit about what we were doing. I made the food for lunch and did a back to school theme. It was fun for me and I think the missionaries enjoyed it. Wednesday and Thursday were spent on the road interviewing the missionaries from the Garden City Zone and the Liberal Zone.  Once again I got to sit and visit with all the missionaries as they came through and I really enjoyed a few moments getting to know each one individually. On Saturday we were going to attend some baptisms out on the road but things came up and we weren”t able to leave which actually was a blessing for me because I was finally able to get some groceries and get some things under control at home for Sunday. We did  attend one baptism in Wichita which is always a treat.

On Sunday two things happened. It was our 36th anniversary! Where did the time go? It’s been a wonderful 36 years culminating with 6 children and 15 grandchildren! We figure we will celebrate all of our anniversaries when we are released in three years. We drove to Salina to attend church and visit  some elders and sisters that needed a visit. I love Salina! It was the first town in Kansas we stopped in and I love how green and pretty it is. When we got home from Salina I had food to prepare for 2 elders and 2 sisters that were going home that week and having their final dinner with us.  We had Sister Hansen, Sister Furner, Elder Bingham, and Elder French for dinner. Mitch took about an hour with each one for a final interview and then we had dinner together and visited and had them share their testimonies with us. What a beautiful experience and what great people they are!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday was Zone conference. These were the first Zone conferences that we have done since we've been here and I think they went really well. The first one was in Wichita then Junction City and after that Garden City. I was assigned 40 minutes with just the sisters and that was fun for me. We got to just be women for a while. Our drive from Junction City to Garden City was beautiful and green and we drove through Ellsworth, Kansas. One of my favorite Rascal Flatts songs is called “Ellsworth” and I ‘ve wanted to see this little town since we've been here. The road took us right by it! It was so cute!  

We arrived home late Thursday night. Friday I was able to finally clean the house. I think it's been two or more weeks since I've been able to do that. Later in the afternoon Mitch and I took our P day and we went to a movie and out to dinner. I was certainly ready for a change of pace.  Saturday morning we were up at 6 a.m., packed and on the road back to Liberal. We attended the baptism of Humberto. We met him a couple of weeks ago and Mitch told him that we would come to his baptism. After his baptism we went with him, the sisters and the Zone leaders to a taco truck for lunch. The food was good and we enjoyed visiting with everyone. We then went with the Zone leaders to visit some of their investigators. We drove to Forgan, Oklahoma to visit Mary and then back to Liberal to visit Emma. We had to leave by 4 p.m. to get to Garden City for the baptism of Juan Rivera who is an 8 year old boy living in foster care with an LDS Family. After he was baptized he bore his testimony and he was so happy and so proud to do it. As soon as that baptism was done we had to drive to Hugoton, which was about an hour away, for another baptism.  Hugoton has the smallest church building I've ever seen. The chapel and the cultural Hall are pretty much one and the same. This baptism was for another 8 year old boy named Jaden. His 13 year old brother Alex was baptized 2 weeks before him. The missionaries met these two young men and taught them the gospel and they wanted to be baptized. It's amazing to see these young kids feel the spirit and gain a testimony of the gospel and move forward on their own without their parents. Alex the older brother gave his first talk ever. He gave the talk on baptism. I was so impressed with these two boys! We enjoyed meeting President Clark ,the branch president, and his wife and various other ward members there in Hugoton. It's just a branch and they struggle keeping families there. They say people move in and move out all the time. Oh but what great people we met while we were there! After the baptism we drove back to Garden City where we stayed the night. Sunday morning we were up and to church at 10 a.m. We met so many great people. I attended Relief Society and it reminded me of Relief Society at home in Utah. This is a great Ward. Mitch had a coordinating Council with the Zone leaders and the Stake presidency. I sat on the couch outside the door thinking I would not have anything to do but there were so many people that came by and we're friendly and visited with me. I really enjoyed myself. President Clark and his wife were there whom I had just met the night before. They were there to see one of their former young men get set apart for a mission. This young man will be serving in the Ogden Utah mission. When Mitch was done with his meeting, before we headed out to Dodge City, the Steel family brought us a huge plate of chicken, mashed potatoes, pasta salad, carrots, rolls, carrot cake! It was like Manna From Heaven. We were hungry and traveling and it was just what we needed. So thankful for thoughtful people!  We got to Dodge City where Mitch had to meet with two people to do  baptismal interviews. While he was doing that I got to visit with the 4 Elders that serve in that area and they are so fun to talk to. They also had a new convert with them and another girl who was not a member of the church. I told her she needs to look into the church and that the missionary should get the sister  missionaries visiting with her. When Mitch was done with those two interviews  we headed for home. We got home around 9 p.m., pretty much just in time to unpack, do a few things around the house and start a new week! This is mission life and I am loving it! Thankfully this week is going to be a little slower. At least I should say we won't be traveling until Sunday when we go back out to Garden City for a mission president's devotional.