A field trip down memory lane.and a 10 day fast.

So much to tell about and so many pictures!  We decided we needed a real P-day for fun and relaxation, so we headed out early Monday morning and drove through the town Elder Quincy was born in; Hannibal, Missouri, crossed the Mississippi, and visited the town of Barry, Illinois where he lived until her was 10 years old.  We spent a precious hour and a half walking around the cemetery looking for his father's grave. It was 80 degrees and very humid.  We decided we needed lunch, air conditioning and a bathroom.  We ate at the local café and were told that the library had a map of the cemetary, so while Elder Quincy called the sexton, I checked out the map and at least found out what section it was in.  We found it!  It only took a few minutes when we got to the right area!  He's the little stone next to his mother's big one. We even got back in time for a great Family Home Evening at the church!

We drove home through Quincy.

We took 3 people to the immigration office in Des Moines this week.  I go to interpret for them.  This is Alain.  He has been waiting for a year to hear about getting his family here from the Congo.  He gave his first talk in church on Sunday!

Elder Quincy helping to put a new window in at the Rodriguez' house.

Cute Vickie Owen is a member that hasn't been to church for many years.  She works at this casino in the kitchen.  She took us to lunch there last week.  Such an amazing buffet! 

Paul and Lea made us this Aftrican food.  The white stuff is something we aren't sure about yet, it tasted like rice kind of, the fish tasted good, lots of big bones, the pepper stuff was really good! 

I did the 10 cay media fast which was easy except for not being able to loom for missing people as we try to clean up the ward list, but the hardest part for me about the media fast was not being able to see pictures of the family especially since it was a busy week; Tayson turned 4, Mikey turned 35...and Eva turned 3.

We've had some pretty leaves this week.

And we've had some snow.

Elder Quincy found this exercise bike for free on Facebook.  A kind ward member took him to pick it up.  He's been enjoying being able to exercise in any weather.

A couple of Elders from Mason City came to our Family Home Evening Monday night.  They were braver than our Marshalltown Elders and tried the African food.

At our FHE we talked about the commitments and corresponding blessings the Prophet challenged us with.  Elder Espinoza made this work of art to illustrate them.

The rivers and creeks are really full around here.  We were going to visit a member who lives in the boonies and crossed this scary bridge.  We came back another way.

The School Elder Quincy attended in Barry.

Zone Conference fun.

Elder Quincy found this saw on Facebook.  He was excited to use it at the Rodriguez'.

Lots of harvesting going on around here.  They let the corn get way over ripe.  Its used for corn meal and cattle feed, and I don't know what else, so apparently its easier to process this way.

This is the homesite Elder Quincy lived at in Barry.  They had a pump on the front porch, an outhouse and no indoor plumbing.  

On the way to Missouri.

These trees in the church's backyard are really pretty.

Zone conference lunch.

Br. Kynastin sent me this picture.  His daughter remembered from 3 weeks ago that I wanted this.

Another brave Elder.

The main street in Barry.

So many beautiful clouds this time of year.

I heard the story of Paul and Lea's conversion Monday night.  A couple of missionaries were driving by and saw them stuck in the mud.  The got out to help and got covered with mud, but couldn't get their car out.  They prayed for the strength to get them out.  They still couldn't get them out. So they prayed for help.  Right away a man with a truck and tow chain showed up and helped. So that night the Kangnis said whatever church those young men belonged to they would join.  They only speak French and Mina and the Elders spoke Spanish, and some English, but a Senior Sister spoke a little French and was able to teach them.
I discovered that I use social media a lot.  Most of the time I use it to do missionary work, and I missed being able to do that, but how I missed being able to keep up with my family!  I guess what I learned from my fast is how much I love my family and how thankful I am to be able to see them on social media!  We are getting ready for winter!  Life is good in Marshalltown.

One of the best 4 days of the year!

Leaves are starting to change here.  We've had hot days and days that we wore sweaters all day.  I love sweater weather, so I'm liking the trend.

We had a fun district council get to know you meeting in Ames this week. 

Conference here is pretty much everyone staying home and watching it there, but we had a couple come Saturday to join with missionaries and then a few of the great young families brought their daughters to the Saturday night broadcast.  Amy came and it was the first session of conference she's ever seen, so I loved seeing her soak it in! Sunday we had this group watching in Spanish in the Relief Society room/ Cultural Hall.The French speakers watching on the computer in the Family History room, and a bunch of us watching in English in the chapel.  We fixed breakfast for lunch between sessions and that was fun!

This is our regulars at our Family Home Evening group meeting on Monday nights.  We've had some great discussions and fun times playing games together. 

A couple of things stand out from our week.  We saw an older member sitting in his front yard on our way to an appointment and decided to stop and say hello.  He'd found out he might have to have a procedure that he's not too sure he'll live through and was very glad to see us and to have Elder Quincy give him a blessing.
We were talking on Wednesday about how we'd been too busy to eat dinner for the last week. That day we were visiting a member in Toledo who invited to stay, eat dinner with them and attend a presentation by a member at the museum that night.  We couldn't commit because of our English class scheduled in Marshalltown that night.  After we were back in Marshalltown, our English student called to say she couldn't make it to class that night so we had some time and fixed dinner that night. We stopped by the Barajas to see about dedicating their home.  They were eating dinner and invited us to join them.  We, of course, ate with them and then were able to attend the presentation in Toledo.  From no dinner to 3 possible dinners in one night!  Missionaries have to be careful what they wish for!  God is really watching out for us!
Conference was so powerful!  I was in tears for parts of most of the talks.  I am refueled and inspired!  Not sure about how, but I plan to fast from Social Media for 10 days.  I started reading and marking a paperback Book of Mormon and I'm going to read the Relief Society statement!  I'm happy to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints!