San Carlos Week 8-A Visit from the Paynes

We had our first visitors!  Brother and Sister Payne from Lubbock, Texas.  They are the couple who served here for a year and a half before we came.   Shortly before they left to go home, Elder Payne was tracting with one of the young elders when they knocked on the Garcia’s door.  It was a golden contact. The missionaries have been working and teaching them ever since and they have become very involved in the branch activities.  The mother and oldest daughter were baptized before we got here, but the father and two other children were baptized on Saturday. That is what brought the Paynes back to San Carlos.  They arrived Friday night and stayed with us in the trailer. We had jokingly told the missionaries they were welcome here--never thinking they would actually WANT to stay here (with all the noises and creaks) but they did.  It was fun to have them here and visit and compare experiences with someone who knew EXACTLY what we have been going through. They left Sunday after church and the break-the-fast potluck. We told them to come every month to liven things up.  

Quinn and I attended the Gila Valley Temple on Saturday so the Paynes could have some freedom to do as they pleased.  They made a huge pot of chili for refreshments after the baptism and there was enough left over to take to the potluck after church on Sunday.  There is still some left to give to Will on Tuesday night when we take him to ARP. Sister Payne also bought me this handmade burden basket as a thank you:

Besides preparing for the upcoming baptisms and visitors, we stayed busy this week doing the following:

1) taking loaves of bread to some members.  As I may have mentioned before, finding homes is a nightmare in this place.  LDS Tools may only have their PO Box and if there is an address it may be: “Arizona” (literally!!) or “left past Nolines”.  Nolines is a convenience store, and there is a lot of stuff left of it. About the only success we have is if the missionaries draw us a map or take us there or send us a pin. We were looking for a new convert to take him a loaf and the missionaries texted us how to find it, “It is a gravel/dirt road that leads to two white trailers on the south side of #70.  If you pass Bucket Mountain (going west) you’ve gone too far. Knock on the first trailer.” Apparently, there is more than one dirt lane with white trailers because the one we knocked on was not his. The woman who answered was an inactive member and she was friendly, so she got some bread.  

2) I sewed two more quilt tops together, but they still need borders added.

3) prepared lessons for seminary (went much better this week--but we did invite President Whiting to attend and so did the first counselor) and the Detention Center.

4) attended district meeting at the senior sister’s home.  We always look forward to that because they cook a lunch for us.  President Andrews only allows this once a month, but at least we get that.  They made us potatoes and toppings with brownies for dessert.

5) met Brother Bread and took him some groceries.  He has been an active member for many years, but his health is poor now and he is on dialysis three times a week so it wears him out.  He loves to visit.

6) I took down some lace curtains in our bedroom and got a good look at the windows (I use that term loosely), and since the Paynes were staying in the spare bedroom, I cleaned it out and examined those windows. The window facing the front had a melted disgusting blind up and on the inside there was a sheet and blanket tacked to the wall to cover it.  Once I got a look at the actual window, this is what I found:

The left outside pane is missing and the right inside pane is missing which leaves a gap of fresh air.

That is a gap large enough for a small bird to come in--or a bat--or a chipmunk.  Once I knew it existed, I was texting the FM guy to get it fixed ASAP!! (That is another story--we had a list of things to be fixed when he visited us the first time--none of those things have been addressed and he came January 22.)  I need to find another chain of command because I don’t want over a month to go by and still have an opening into the trailer that is causing me great anxiety now that I know it is there. We duct taped over all the gaps and covered it with a blackout curtain.  We asked Elder Belnap, who stayed here after the Paynes went home in December if he knew about the hole and he said he didn’t, but he did think it was a cold bedroom.

We encountered our first heckler. We were out walking our usual perimeter and a man came from across the street and walked along the fence to go down the hill. He started out saying good morning, but then it went south. We each had in earbuds so we didn't get it all, but enough about the "J** Mormons" and "keep sending white people..." part to know he wasn't welcoming us to the neighborhood.

The poppies just keep blooming and showing up in greater number.

Elder Austill from Georgia is taking the selfie and Elder Belnap is in the background.

The rain we had last weekend caused this rock slide.  You can see it is piled up on the guardrail.

Interesting story here.  We got a text last Saturday from the Zone Leader that a special fast was happening for President Andrew's niece.  Her heart needed to shift to allow her lung to expand since as you can see in the top photo it had collapsed.  It was entirely voluntary, but they did want all the missionaries to pray for her.  As you can see from the bottom photo the fasting and prayers worked.  This was sent to us Monday morning with the parent's story and thanks.                  Miracles still happen!!

The roadrunner in a tree we walk under.  He started huffing at me like he wanted my attention.        I didn't know they sat in trees.