Last Friday we met in a special senior couples conference.  It will be the last time we will meet with Pres. and Sister McKee.  They will be going home next week and we will be getting a new Mission President.  It was a great meeting and training.  There are 13 senior couples in our mission, which is the most there have ever been in the mission.  We met at the Mission Home and it is in the background.

One last picture with President and Sister McKee.  They are being released one year early because of Sister McKee's health issues.  She is much better but still weak and struggles with her heart working properly.  Recently she fainted and hit her head and had to have a pacemaker put in so she could keep going.  She is a wonderful lady and is truly a miracle in that she has progressed to be this well.

This week we took our district missionaries to Mammoth Caves for a district outing.  We had a great time and all of them enjoyed it even though 2 of them are challenged by claustraphobia like I am.  We went on a different tour that included the Fat Man's nightmare, where you have to squeeze side-ways through a narrow opening and an area where you have to bend way over to not hit your head.  We all made it, including Sister Peterson, even though it was a 2 hour tour and we had to climb 300 stairs!

Sister Peterson in one of the passages that was going to get low.  (Notice the look of anxiety on her face!)

Our group on one of the stair landings on the climb out.  Our tour took us down over 400 feet in some of the large rooms in the cave but the descent was fairly gradual.  Then we had to climb back out by way of all of those stairs through a narrow vertical shaft.  But you can tell by the smiles that we made it even though Sister Peterson and I had to take our time and many passed us as we stopped for breathers.

Proof that I was actually there.  The picture was taken in one of the larger areas where we had stopped to listen to information from our guide.  At one point during the tour, The guide shut all the lights off to show us what complete absence of light means.  You couldn't even see your hand held right in front of your eyes.  Then he had us all remain perfectly quiet so we could understand what perfect silence was.  He said that the complete absence of sound would get to us quicker than the blackness if we were left alone in the cave.  After that he lit a small bic lighter and it surprisingly lit up a the cave in big way in the perfect absence of other light.
Elder and Sister Peterson - Enjoying P-day in the largest cave in the world - over 400 miles long!

Elder and Sister Oakley from Dallas Texas came to visit for several days.  They served in Hartford last year while we were serving in Morgantown.  We became great friends and did many things together.  They wanted to return to their mission to visit us and see how the those they worked with were progressing.  We had a great visit and took them around to visit everyone.  I think it brought some closure to their mission and some satisfaction of the good they did.  Although Sister Oakley's health isn't the best, they are trying to decide whether to serve another mission.

The beautiful Mimosa trees are in full bloom now so we had to have a picture.  This one is in the yard of a family we visit every two weeks.  A single sister is the only member and she lives with her children and sometimes her grandchildren and also two aunts and now an uncle.  She is a wonderful lady with many challenges, but we love her and want to keep her coming to Church.

This is her uncle Larry, cleaned up and ready for a picture.  We love this family and enjoy visiting them.   They seem to enjoy giving us a hard time.  One of the first times we visited, they told us the canvas behind Larry covered their "moonshine still".  We've never dared look underneath to find out!  They tease us by saying their hillbillys and always say as we leave, "y'all come back now y'hear."

Our district now has 4 sets of missionaries including us.  This picture was taken in our Morgantown chapel this week after district meeting.  Starting from the left with the Elders in front:  Elder Thayne is from Bouniful, Utah.  He has been out 18 months and is our new District Leader.  Elder Shiner is from Fresno, California.  He has been out 5 months and is a very spiritual young elder.  Elder Miller is a real Idaho farm boy from Gooding, Idaho.  He does not like Declo because they always beat Gooding in football and he loves football.  He has been out 18 or 19 months and has been Elder Burton's trainer.  Elder Burton is from various places because his parents are in the service but he was called in North Carolina.  He has only been out a couple of months.  His call was to Brazil and he is serving here while waiting for his visa.  Sister Vercillo in back on the left, is from Centerville, Utah.  She has been out 5 months and went through the MTC with Elder Shiner.  Sister Toone is from Colorado and she has been out 3 or 4 months.  They are all great young people and we love serving with them and learning from them.

Elder and Sister Peterson - Happily serving and growing younger by the day around these wonderful young missionaries.

We are losing our prophet.  Elder Olsen on the left (who bears some resemblance to the Prophet Joseph Smith) has been our district leader, is being transferred.  Elder Earl on the left has been a Danish visa waiter and he finally received his visa and is headed for Denmark.  We have a new district leader with a new companion and we have a new area added to our district.  I forgot to get pictures but will include next post.

About 10 miles from where we live in Hartford is the little town of Rosine (about the size of Declo).  It is the birthplace of Bill Monroe who was the father of Bluegrass country music.  Nearly every Friday in this old barn, a country jamboree takes place with local musicians in his honor.

The Oakleys, senior missionaries we served with last year, came to town for a visit for several days.  We have been taking them around visiting everyone in the branch.  For an activity Friday night, we decided to have a picnic with some of the branch out to Rosine and take in the affair.

Because it was the anniversary of Bill Monroe's birthday, the Bluegrass jamboree was held in the city park so more could attend than could fit in the old barn.  We enjoyed some could old pickin' and singin' Kentucky style in the park.

Some of our group sitting on the grass and enjoying a pleasant evening.

Sister Oakley and sister Peterson with Betty Lindsey, a wonderful older stalwart of our branch.  We have been working with sister Lindsey and helping her with her genealogy.  She often comes to our apartment for Family Home Evening.

Brother and Sister Pieper, a very strong couple in the branch, he serves as a counselor in the Branch Presidency and as the ward mission leader.  We have breakfast in their home on Saturday morning before our correlation meeting.  They have been very good to us and we love them.  They were the hosts for the evenings activities.  Brother Pieper grew up in Rigby, Idaho.

There were probably 2 or 3 hundred in the park that evening, including these men.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of these two and they were willing to let me.  Shades of Duck Dynasty in Kentucky!

Elder and Sister Peterson - enjoyin' some real Bluegrass country music in Rosine, Kentucky

Recently we visited a part-member couple on the west side of Morgantown Branch.  The quickest way to our apartment from their place was to take the ferry across the Green River because it saved us about 15 miles.  So we decided to use the ferry even though Sister Peterson was a little nervous because the River is quite high and the ferry wasn't even working for several weeks because of the high water.  Here it is coming back across the river to pick us up.  Although the river isn't very wide, it is quite deep here.

On the ferry as we cross the river, the picture is taken through the windshield of our car.

Approaching the other side and exit off the ferry.  It was very quick and easy.  There are still three ferrys over the Green River in this county.  They are maintained by the county and free of charge.

I am sitting by Pete Smith, the stalwart of our Morgantown branch.  It is his 90th birthday party.  He is the oldest priesthood holder in the branch and has been one of the mainstays of the Church in this area, serving as branch president and bishop several times.  His family had a potluck party for him Sunday after Church.  Pete is a wonderful man and really does well for his age, but he is very, very hard of hearing.  We have to sit and yell at each other to converse but I really enjoy visiting with him.

Pete with his brother-in-law Joe Forsythe.  At 94, Joe is older than Pete but Joe is not a member.  Joe's wife Eva was a member and served many years in the Relief Society when the area was a district in the mission.  Joe is a good man though and for many years took the young elders where every they needed to go.  They are some of the great senior citizens of the area.

It was an enjoyable social and I had an enjoyable time taking pictures of some of the members of our branch.  Something I don't usually do when we are out visiting people.

On my left are Tim Phelps, Bob Estever and Bob Coots.  Bob Coots and is wife are former members of the branch that live in Bowling Green and often come to the area.  The other two are my choir singing buddies and I really enjoy them.   For some reason I didn't take a picture of our wives, probably distracted by the good deserts we were given.
Sayings on church marquees we have recently seen:
       Son Screen prevents Sin Burn
       Prayer is the best wireless connection

Elder and Sister Peterson - enjoying a Sunday afternoon social

Monday we have an all mission conference in Franklin, Tennessee, near Nashville where the Temple is located.  Monday is our usual p-day so we took some time Saturday to travel to Bowling Green and get medications and groceries.  Sister Peterson even went shopping and bought a skirt at TJ Max, so we really let our hair down.  This pawn shop is on one of the main roads we use near a hospital where we have visited some of our members.  We have always loved the name and wanted a picture and I had my camera along.  It seems quite an appropriate name for a pawn shop.

Bowling Green is about 40 miles from where we live in Hartford.  We travel the Natcher Parkway (Freeway) to get there.  Thick woods line the Parkway almost all the way and only break for a farm here and there.  With all the rain this year the trees and all the foliage is very lush and green.  It is so thick that you can't see anything except woods as you travel and it makes for a very beautiful drive.  (However it certainly pales in comparison to that beautiful drive between Sweetzer and Declo????)

Everywhere you travel in this area is so beautiful and green that we often comment how beautiful it truly is.  Actually everywhere we go to visit people is a beautiful drive.  This is an oiled road that we drive to a member's home.  It took it just to show how lush and green and how dense the woods really are here.

This is a farming area where they mostly raise grass hay.  We are on the highest point looking out over a large area.  Although there are many hills and hollers, the area overall is quite flat.  There are no larger hills or (mountains) to break the skyline.  There are no reference points to get your bearings and none of the roads are straight.  They just follow the ridges or hollows so it is very hard to keep your bearings.

Some more of the same area.  Notice how tall and lush the grass is.  The farmers are just starting to cut and bale these type of fields.  I wanted a picture of this area before it was cut.  All the hay is put up in large round bales and fed locally in the winter.  They pasture the cattle on smaller rougher fields and save fields like this for harvesting.

Everywhere we go we see large beautiful homes on very large acreages that are all mowed.  They may mow up to four or five acres around their homes.  There is enough rainfall that they never water their lawns so the only real maintenance is the mowing.  Big zero turn lawnmowers are the rage here and if I was in business here, I would want the lawn mower dealership.

A large, lovely old home with its large yard and grounds near where we live.  There are quite a few of these lovely old homes in certain areas of the city.

Sister Peterson preparing her talk for Sacrament meeting Sunday.  She worked so hard on it way into the night Saturday then when we got to Church, found out there was a conflict and she didn't have to speak.  But she will get her chance in a couple of weeks.  Our Hartford branch is so small that they only have a two-hour block of meetings.  Each meeting is shortened and only one speaker is needed for Sacrament meeting.  If two speakers were needed, the active members would get to speak every couple of months.

Meditation and park area that are across the street from our duplex and part of the complex.  Right in the middle is a garden area for the people in the apartments.  I could garden here if I wanted to!  However I feel we are busy enough trying to grow people spiritually.  Besides we can buy all the fresh produce we want from the Amish farmers.  Sister Peterson has already bought strawberries and made freezer jam.  It was a hit at District meeting and the Elders really snarfed it up.

Elder and Sister Peterson - enjoying a beautiful green part of God's creations!  (Remember we are actually not too far from where the Garden of Eden was)

We have been receiving a lot of rain the last several weeks, sometimes as much 2 or 3 inches in a storm.  This is the Green River from the bridge near Morgantown.  It is up about 10 ft above normal but still just below flood stage.  As you can see from the picture it is way up on the trees along the banks.

This is a picture off the other side of the same bridge of land bordering the river.  You can see the flood waters that have backed up on some of the land.  It is also a good view of what the Kentucky landscape looks like.

Another view of some flooded low lying farm land.  Most of the land that is farmed is the rich bottom land in the valley areas.  All of this flat will be planted to corn when it finally dries out.   Unfortunately it has been so wet that very little corn has been planted to date.  Farmers around here believe that their yields go down every day that corn is planted after May 1st.  So  they normally try to have all their corn planted by that date.  This year the spring has been cold and wet, so there will be plenty of moisture and the drought is over, but the season is late for getting good yields.

Our current district missionaries:  Sister Toone from Colorado next to Sister Peterson, next Sister Harmer from Idaho Falls, Elder Earl from Sandy, Utah, and Elder Olson from Gilbert, Arizona next to me.  Sister Harmer was in band with Kaiti Ackerman at BYU-I.  Elder Earl is a visa-waiter called to serve in Copenhagen, Denmark.  As soon as he gets his visa cleared he will be headed to Denmark.  Elder Olson bears a great resemblance of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  When President McKee sent me to find him at transfers, he said to look for the Prophet Joseph.  The resemblance is strong enough that I easily found him in a crowd of missionaries.  Elder Olson is our District Elder and does a great job.  All are very good missionaries.

Sister Peterson is standing by a beautiful azalea bush.  The blossoms are very large and an unusual off-pink almost orange color.  Azaleas are very common here and come in many beautiful colors.  All the rain this year has made the flowers appear outstanding.

Sister Bratcher, one of our dear Hartford sisters that we visit quite often.  She's had some severe health challenges and can't come out much.  She has had heart problems, a stroke and suffers from quite severe diabetes.  She lost her leg from diabetes complications.  Despite her health challenges, she has a great attitude and a sweet testimony.  We love to visit her and always come away feeling blessed.

Just a picture that shows the beautiful woods that are everywhere here unless there is a yard or farmland.  There are many hills and hollers but the hills aren't very high.  If you get up 300 ft, you can see forever.  This week we saw a Baptist billboard with the following saying:  "Forbidden fruit creates many jams".

Elder and Sister Peterson - Enjoying the beautiful Kentucky landscape

Saturday we took sister Dorothy Moore to the Louisville Kentucky Temple shown above.  It is nearly a carbon copy of the Nashville Tennessee Temple that is in our mission.  President McKee had to get First Presidency approval for us to to to this Temple because it is out of our mission.  The Nashville Temple is closed right now for cleaning so Sister Moore and the other young couple that went for sealings, chose to go to Louisville.  Ironically they are both about equal distance from Morgantown.

We worked with Sister Moore all last year and thought she was about ready to go when we left.  Unfortunately she didn't really progress much while we were gone.  As soon as we got here, she got excited to go again and we have helped her do everything to prepare.  She told us today after we started home that she probably wouldn't have gone without our return.

Sister Peterson served as her escort and while they were doing the preliminaries, I was able to help with some sealings as they were quite short of patrons.  It was a very rainy day and the day of the biggest event in Kentucky, the Kentucky Derby.

The Temple had some beautiful gardens on each end.  We were especially taken by this tree with its beautiful white blossoms.  This has been a special week with the special blessing of helping this sweet sister go through the Temple.  She comes from a family of 15 children.  Her parents and most of the children joined the Church some time ago but none have remained active until we got Dorothy going.  She is the first to go through the Temple and she is anxious to do the work for her family members that have passed on.

We have also had some other interesting adventures this week.  We visited a fellow that has a wolf for a pet.  We were a little nervous about visiting there the first time because of the wolf.  It was a beautiful animal and very intelligent.  The member had him very well trained and the wolf came and offered his paw to shake.  He had beautiful eyes and you were almost a little nervous to look right into them.  Sister Peterson also had a goat try to jump into her lap.  While I was saying the prayer at the same place, their big German Shepherd jumped up in the chair I had stood up from and began licking my hands and rubbing on my back.  Bandit, the dog's name, is quite playful and hard to keep off us.

Elder and Sister Peterson - Having some wonderful adventures in Kentucky!