Our time here is Philly is swiftly closing

Exploring areas around our Philadelphia Pennsylvania Mission is one of the fun things Jim and I do when we get some time. This is the site of the Brandywine Battle during the Revolutionary War. This area was settled by Quakers who did not believe in taking another life. This is the area that my Woolley, which included the Dilworth family settled after they left England.

This weekend we honored President and Sister Anderson who served for 3 years as our President. We loved being able to help them with their mission goals. Just as happens all over the world they will give the keys to the Mission Home and after a brief welcome they will return to their greatly missed family and we will serve with our new Mission President Randell. The beauty of the transition is that it is a clean slate with the new leadership. The seeds planted by President Anderson and soon to be us will be harvested by the next missionaries that come here.

Here we  are with Elder and Sister Black that just started serving here.

So long farewell, President and Sister. You now become M_R S and Mister.
No ties, no skirts, just jeans and sloppy tee shirts
Less grind and meetings, now long extended greetings,
Alarm Clocks gone, just dance and sing along.
No phones a beeping, just catching up on sleeping.

We're sad to say we can not tell a lie, still Missionaries, that's the reason why

The sun has gone to bed and must we.It's 10pm and I'm a MISSIONARY.Good bye, Good bye, Good bye.

Fun with Friends

When one is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints..one is never far from someone who knows someone ..you know. When we first moved into the Independence Ward in Center Philly, we found a newly married couple who just happened to be from Simi Valley, Ca. Here I am with Lisa at her baby shower.

What is not to love, but these cute little  Amys

Sister Loretta finding big books to scan as we finished the last books in our Brown and Green collection

Of course Honoring Fathers on this day is Jim, who has been my friend AND companion through thick and thin as we work our way. We celebrated yesterday with a hike, thrift store shopping, and a yogurt. He loves the deals and even decided to get a few more things even shoes, after he said that we will have to ship our shoes back home as we dont have enough room for all the deals we found here in Philly. The biggest deal is that we found each other! Happy Father's Day to all the dads in our lives! I love YOU.

Temple Walk Challenge

Yesterday our stake held our Temple Walk challenge honoring the 22 miles that John Rowe Moyle did when he worked on the Salt Lake Temple. Every week he would walk 22 miles leaving in the dark. One day a cow kicked him resulting in amputating his leg below the knee.  He carved a wooden leg and continued to serve. His hands carved "Holiness to the Lord" which greets all at the Salt Lake Temple today.

We had a 9 mile walk which went along the Fairmount park , and the Schuylkill river on Kelly drive, stopping by the Art Museum for lunch and a talk from Sister Carr.

We continued on to the Temple site. It wad great visiting with the sisters in our Philadelphia stake.

Since I live right by the Temple, I was home at the very end.

The Aptments which we live in have a great work out area and pool. In the mornings I share the weight room with Dr. Terry, who specializes in OLD people!. She has been encouraging me to lift heavier weights and I have been chatting with her about having more children. It has been great living right by the temple and having a place to swim. Senior Missionaries need to keep healthy and strong both physically and mentally and spiritually.

this is what we do

One Franklin Town Apt.

We live in the city Philadelphia. We serve at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania scanning books.

After boarding a shuttle bus before 8am we arrive close to the Library. We find, catalogue, scan, and send the data to Family Search, Find my Past, and HSP. At the end of the day we walk home by way errands, food, and other historical sites back to our Apt. In the evening we help the younger Elders and Sisters and members in the Church.

Jim loves anything that is big and constructed.

On Memorial Day we walked through part of Valley Forge park and had a picnic.

Jim likes to take the road less traveled.

The Washington DC temple on the left and the soon to be finished Philadelphia Temple on the right.

 Here I am with Sarah helping her prepare for service when the Philadelphia Temple is completed.

I also love seeing the beautiful buildings in our neighborhood, but most of all I watch our temple, our Philadelphia Temple. This week we were asked to record in our journal a happy time on our mission. The first thing I thought of (besides being with family members !!!!) was working with the Young Women with the talent show. I loved using my talents in choreography and seeing the talent that these beautiful young women have. The next thing that I love is looking out at the Temple each day, knowing that my friends and neighbors will be blest as they learn more about the Temple. It is where I find peace, joy, and, love.