Bell Ringer

today was a very exciting and rewarding day. Early this morning our friend, Rosha called and said that he got a job. He has been working so hard at it and it has been a couple of months but before that he has been turned down about 30 times. No one wanted to give an ex-con a chance to rebuild his life. He is a quiet, appreciative gentleman who desperately wants to work at anything anyone will give him but he has some great skills and much to offer. We told his friend, Freddie, that if he would bring him in that we would take them to lunch. It is a 40 minute drive and they came right away. When Rosha came in he said calmly, holding back his excitement, "Where is the bell?". We have moved it into our hall which is now the "hall of fame" where it is displayed on a table with pictures of past Bell Ringers on the wall. A Bell Ringer is a person who comes in to report that they got a job!!!. It is our way of helping them celebrate the victory!. I then, take their picture and it goes on the wall. He asked for a copy of the picture. We have praying for this blessing to come to him and he has been praying too. We took him and Freddie to lunch in a nice place called Camillias and they were so appreciative and each said a silent prayer before eating. We are grateful to be a part of this. His job is with a big chicken processor who will give benefits and everything after the customary 90 day probation period. He found the job through a close friend of his neice! The job was not advertized at all. It is who you know. It is calling people and it is what try to get people to have the courage to do. 70-80 percent of all jobs are found by calling people you know and getting references. We call it networking but only 15 % of the people will do it.. It works.

Hattiesburg

Tuesday evening we drove to Hattiesburg to orient a brand new misisonary couple to the Employment center in their stake. It is about 100 miles from Slidell to Hattiesburg but it is a beautiful drive with tree lined highways all the way. Once we got to the area we began to see the first hills we have seen since we arrived on our mission. they have a lovely brick chapel and a very nice large center which was once a high councel room. While waiting for people to arrive, I wandered around and took some pictures of the surroundings. there were some beautiful sweet smelling hedges along the fron of the Church property. When i got close, I discovered that there were enourmous bees swarming them. They moved pretty fast and I really didn't want to stand their too long and aggravate them, but I did get a few pictures of them. I have never seen such big fat bees. They were over an inch long and so chubby looking. Typically southern.*U*

More Beautiful birthday flowers

My birthday

I had a wonderfu birthday. I could not believe how spoiled I was. Jerry got me a lovely breakfast, He gave me roses and a beautiful card. I wne to the center and got a beautiful bouquet from Kendall and family and then our manager, Mike, took us all our to lunch at Copelands. YuMMM. the hot fudge cheesecake was to die for. they gave me a beautiful scarf with the Saints Fleur De Li's on it. It is so nice. I got more cards and then when we got back I got another bouquet from Rob. I got presents in the mail from the rest of teh family too. I got phone calls galore and birthday wishes from friends and family on my face book. It was better than christmas. After dinner we had the sister missionaries over for a game or two of Nertz. they are fun too. thanks everyone.

Ocean Springs

We visited in Ocean Springs ward and did some training. they are in good hands. Ocean springs got Katrina bad because they are right on the gulf coast. We drove down the coast today on the way home and it looked like a little snow drifting and we even see where they were plowing it off of the road. It was a little windy today but not really hard. The sand is so white. The trees are in bloom and gorgeious.

The old huge trees that span the roads are so huge. I wonder how old they really are. I am guessing that the root systems are atleast as large and deep as the tree is tall and wide. They are massive and withstood Katrina fine. that was 180 mile an hour winds and then all the water rushing in as well.

First half of March 2010

Some of these pictures you have seen before. Let me know what you think.

Customize a slideshow design

!- We had to take the sisters to the famous "Jack's Fish House. This time we tried their shrimp that Louisiana is so famous for. YUM
2-Someone did some mischief with the sign. *U*

Mississippi PIctures.

We really have been working hard at the center and seen quite a few people coming into the center for help. We are coaching them and giving them job leads and also calling leaders and updating their contact information and doing some coaching to help them in their callings in the 24 stakes that our center covers. We have also been visiting the wards in the surrounding area and will be able to visit a lot of them within a 50 mile radious now. We are enjoying meeting the people and working with the leaders. We keep the center open now from 8-5 week days with extended hours of 5-8PM on Wednesdays and 9-1 on Saturdays. We eat, drink and sleep the work. We are trying to know how we can help them best. Most of them are hungry and desperate and depressed when they come and leave with hope. We hope they find success too and anxiously await their return for help or to announce that they have found work.

As you can also see from the pictures, we are spending a part of our spare time seeing some of the things close by. That is totally permissable for Sr. missionaries. We want to make sure that our two Sr. Sisters have an enjoyable time as well. they are the first Sr. Sister Missionary couple in the church to be sent together on an "employment " Mission. I don't think they will be the last because they are doing a wonderful work already and they are learning fast and getting along marvelously.