We received our mission call to the South America Northwest Area in the middle of October and ever since we have been working like crazy to get everything ready. It's not easy to update a house that you have lived in for 22 years. Even though we hired some help in doing the outside jobs, we have spent many 1AM nights doing work. We think it will be easier for our house sitters. Not everyone would want to carry a hose around a yard twice a week like Val has for 46 years or prop up a fence that keeps falling down. So we now have a new sprinkling system and a new fence. It looks beautiful. Last night I went outside to take a picture so I could capture the Christmas trees with twinkling lights under branches laden snow. We won't be able to appreciate all of this hard work, but others will.
We are blessed to have Nathan and Alissa Bridges babysitting our house. Nathan served as Val's second counselor in the YSA 5th ward. They will be perfect. We are so glad that they are willing and able.
We have been working with a language coach and a study buddy to try and get Spanish into Val's head and what I learned in high school and college out of mine. Minimal progress so far, but we know the Lord will bless us in our efforts.
This is my first attempt at blogging, so hope it works.
Julene
