Called To Serve Charlotte North Carolina: 14 July 2015 Some Goodbyes (not all) and other items admissible for the journal.

Using this blog as a journal has helped keep track of the years events, although not as well as I would have liked. The time grows ever increasingly short, so I have added some final pictures from the mission, not final goodbyes. I say that having high hopes of reuniting with mission friends in the future. Below are some pictures of those who have left ahead of us, some who remain.

This is the last dinner together on the NCCM. Front are Elder and Sister Urban (left 20 June 2015)

Next is Elder and Sister Adamson, they replaced the Urbans. Then Sister Slade, followed by Elder and Sister Hunt. At the far end is President and Sister Craven ( I have never seen Sister Craven with that expression before. It's like we're going home after 3 years).

Elder and Sister Urban

President and Sister Craven

Us with the Cravens

I liked this one, transfer of authority. No pomp, no election, no fanfare, just President and Sister Craven released and President and Sister Alexander assume the mission duties. Plain and simple. Everyone knows the Lords plan.

This is Sister Scott, stake Relief Society President in the South Stake. She was also the person who provided breakfasts and lunches for the missionaries whenever there were meeting and conferences at the mission home. She is a wonderful person, we expect to see her again, because she has family living in Tucson. Anyway she is in the middle of a group of missionaries, who surrounded her and began singing the NCCM song to her (I will print the words to the song when I find them, it is a very pretty song). It was quite touching, she asked Sister Slade to join her as they had become good friends. Sister Slade always helped her in the kitchen.
Here are the words of the song:
The North Carolina Mission Song
WE SURE LOVE YA NORTH CAROLINA

We've been called to serve the Lord from every land.
We have left all behind to lend a helping hand.
The true gospel is the message that we bear.
Our Savior gave so much that we just want to share.
(Chorus)
WE SURE LOVE YA NORTH CAROLINA,
And we pray you'll receive His word.
'No place else we go could be finer,
For this is where we've come to serve the Lord.

The Lord's misssion will excel in every way.
Each one of us has pledged to serve the Lord's way.
We love all our fellow men and those we teach.
The highest goals we set are now within our reach.
(Chorus)
To us all the Lord has said, "Come trust and teach".
And as his instruments for his elect we'll reach.
Those who sow and those who reap in gathering,
In Zion will rejoice together with our King.
(Chorus)

Sister Scott and Sister Slade, quite teary.

Sister Dunn and Sister Shepard with Elder Romero and Elder Kemp

Sister Buchan, she is the secretary to the institute director. Her office is in the same building as ours and is also downstairs as is ours. So we saw her often and became friends. Also, she does a lot of family history, so she found out that we are related through the Lee side. She always talks about family history and was asking me about mine. She asked where do our family ties go back to etc. Anyway she researched and found the connection to her line and the Lee ( John D Lee) line.

Sister Phillips, has become family. She has been a constant throughout our mission.

We visit her wherever she gets transferred to. We do love her. Con amor hermana Phillips

Our dear Elder Herr, until you return home with honor, it has been a pleasure serving with you.

Vaya Con Dios.

Next, is a group of pictures I took at a memorial park called Independence Park. President Thies mentioned it to us and told us it was a memorial to a relative to him. We found it and took some pictures.

We went with the Hunts on a road trip to Winston-Salem for some church business and then to Boone, NC for fun. Likely the last road trip on this mission with them. We had a grand time, as always

These are the missionaries from Dobson Ward,

the large one to the left is Elder Masoe (he has a scholarship waiting at USC as a Defensive tackle or outside linebacker) next to him is Elder Seely, then Sister Slade (cutting up as usual) me, then Sister Hunt

While we were out it was Elder Hunt's birthday. Now, Elder Hunt loves everything Railroad. He has many, many train sets and layouts. So I thought I would give him a "key" to a engine, (a reverser). It is polished brass like the old reversers, they were made out of brass years ago.

He hadn't seen one before, so he was a little confused on what it was. I explained it to him, and I think he really liked it. I told him it was to go on his desk.

Close up of the reverser. It is pretty.

Later we went to a "Mystery House" and on the way I stopped for a break with grandpa.

This slab of concrete is level, so when I stand at one end and Sister Slade at the other she looks tiny,

However when we reversed, she grew taller, or I shrunk.

Me defying gravity

This was interesting, a museum of arrowheads found in the area. There are over 50K arrowheads in this museum and over 200k collected. There were arrowheads for arrows, knives, spears, digging implements, cleaning, scraping, whatever it was there.

Antinque piano

Finally a mountainside, covered with trees, but a mountainside none the less.

We attended a play in an outside stage area, but also walked around and saw various old cabin set ups and a little history tour.

The two on the outside are colonialist/frontiersmen and the center is a british officer

This young lady was explaining about this cabin, how they cooked, slept etc. As we were walking away I heard her singing by herself. Beautiful voice ringing from the windows.

These were some of the actors for the play, they were prepping everyone for the show. They sang some songs.

Outdoor stage

The story is told by Daniel Boone about how the citizens in this community rallied with the Colonial Army to fight against the British at Kings Mountain (near Gastonia, NC). The story looked like the bases for the Patriot movie.