We've had kind of a weird week. First I had trouble making some phone calls, then figured out that our mission cell phone had quit working. When we used a different phone to call a friend, he said that he had tried to call us. It was our message on the answering machine but then he got a call back from another missionary in Harrisburg, Virginia, saying that they now have that phone number and that the Elkins had gone home!
We called our number and got those sister missionaries who were now using our number. They said that they had been getting calls for us, but asked the person who gave them the phone and he said we had gone home, so that's what they were telling people. Since they were on the opposite side of the mission, they didn't know any better. So we contacted the person in charge of phones and assured him that we were still here and needed to have that number back - not a new one!
The problem was that he had just taken over the responsibility of being in charge of phones and found a box of old phones, assuming that they could be used. He gave out the phone we had last year and activated it, which automatically deactivated the one we have. He was able to contact the company, reverse what he had done and we got our number back.
Since 2005 the Ft. Eustis missionaries have had this number so it would have been a chore to contact everyone. In less than 4 weeks we will hand this phone over to a new couple.
We have been heavily involved in training our replacements. I've been writing a "manual" of proceedures and information which will be helpful after we have gone home, for our replacements and hopefully others that follow. Elder & Sister Miller will enter the MTC (Mission Training Center) next week and return here just 4 days before we are released. Since they live in the area, we have been introducing them to key people and activities so the transition can take place quickly when they return. They are catching on and seem anxious to get going. They will be wonderful, and that will make it so much easier for us to turn it over and exit.
One thing we have been dealing with lately is a reduced numbers of soldiers. In the past 5 months we have graduated out 41soldiers but welcomed in only 16. That is the number of soldiers on the "list". The number of soldiers who actively attend meetings is considerably smaller. It is partly because of the reduction in size of the military, decided by our government. Some of the "hiring" of new recruits has been frozen. It is a scary and discouraging trend.
COMBATIVES
It isn't going to be easy to beat me!
I call this a "knot" of soldiers.
The winner.
We got stopped at the gate today at Fort Eustis. We had missed getting our car inspected by the end of Feb. They told us to wait at the gate for the military police to come and talk to us (and probably give us a ticket). We waited 35 minutes, then convinced the guard to let us go because we were missing a graduation. So we got there a little late and still got some pictures. After the graduation we got the car inspected so we are legal again. We aren't used to getting inspections because in our little town in Nevada, they aren't required. We have gone through that gate probably 7 or 8 times since the sticker expired and they didn't notice till today. Fortunately it wasn't on Sunday morning. That would have been inconvenient.
Last week I went to the doctor and had x-rays of my elbow. It was swollen and looked like I had 1/2 of a golf ball under the skin. It didn't hurt much but was ugly (thus no pictures). They said it was bursitis, and that I must have injured it. (You'd think I could remember an injury like that.) Antibiotics didn't make any difference, so they finally stuck a needle in it and took out quite a bit of liquid, then injected steroids. It looks a lot better now and is almost back to normal.
Ok, so we got the phone, my elbow, and the car straightened out. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing for the rest of the week.
Yucky elbow problems. I'm glad the gate people didn't see you as much of a threat and still let you get to that graduation. What a blessing for those soldiers (most of them) that you are there to support them. Also glad that the Millers are excited to be taking over, it probably feels great to know that before you leave. I wish it would have gone that smoothly when I quit my job. But, you can only do so much before other people have to take over and be responsible. Love you.
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad you guys aren't sick anymore like before, so you can enjoy all of these petty annoyances without feeling like you can't manage things.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky for your replacement missionaries to get a manual from you. Would that we could all get manuals for our new situations! I remember on my mission moving into a new area and the departing missionaries handed me a book of scrap papers full of names and addresses, with no notes about these people they had contacted. We didn't know who was missionary-friendly and who wasn't, who was interested and who wasn't, or what! I felt so overwhelmed. We ended up contacting several people from the pages, but none of it ever amounted to any great contacts, so we eventually gave up. It's so much better when people keep good records and pass on reasonable & clear information!