Not much to report this week.  As I mentioned last week, we have one of our senior missionary couples that is going home shortly and is not being replaced.  So... our primary focus lately has been on learning the extra responsibilities that we (everyone else in the office) will be taking on with their departure.  One of the extras that Sister Taylor is taking is the inventory and ordering of the various supplies that are used in the mission, everything from paper clips and printer paper to Books of Mormon and related teaching materials.  That may not sound like much until you realize that we have scriptures, pamphlets, pictures, videos, etc., etc., etc., in sixty three languages!  And in the process, she has decided to reorganize all the cabinets and bookcases that it is all kept on.  What a mess!  At the end of the week we took several boxes of out-of-date books, pamphlets, manuals, etc., to the recycling center.

My interesting experiences this week had to do with the I-Pads.  A few days after we received them, we had one stolen.  One of our young sister missionaries left it in their car while she and her companion rode to a meeting with a member.  The car was parked at a campground between Seward and Soldotna down on the Kenai Peninsula.  The I-Pad was in one of three bags that they left in the car.  When they returned, they found the drivers-side window smashed out and the bags were gone.  One of the sisters lost a bunch of clothing but the other one lost clothing, the I-Pad, a set of scriptures that she had received when she was baptized at 8 years of age, her journal that she had written in every day of her mission and some thumb drives with all of her mission pictures.  As you can guess, the I-Pad was one of the least important losses.  The sister was heartbroken.

Last Sunday evening President and Sister Robinson were at a Stake Conference down on the Kenai Peninsula and received word from the Alaska State Trooper who took the original report that he had recovered one of the bags.  He said that he had searched the area but hadn't found anything else.  On the way home to Anchorage they met the trooper and picked up the bag (full of clothing).  In talking with him, they found out where he had located the bag and drove to what they believed was the same spot along the highway.  Pres. Robinson walked out into the brush, made a left turn and walked directly to one of the bags.  It was the bag containing her scriptures, journal and thumb drives along with some other personal items.  Although there was moisture on the outside of the bag, the contents were undamaged.  The President was so excited, he called me as soon as they got to the mission home.  He asked if I believed in miracles.  He then told me the whole story and, in his words stated, "The Lord loves and cares for his missionaries"!  

 Monday morning (P-day) one of the elders put his dirty clothes in his laundry bag and got ready to go wash his clothes.  Since this particular companionship doesn't do laundry at their apartment, he put his I-Pad into the top of his laundry bag for ease of carrying and went off to do laundry.  When they got there, he upended his laundry bag into the washer and fired it up.  About 30 seconds later he had a heart-attack, realizing what he had done, and immediately fished his I-Pad out of the washer.  He said that as he held it up the water just ran out of it.  End of I-Pad.  They can weather bumps, bruises, scratches, viruses...but not swimming lessons.  Whenever we have an I-Pad that is lost, stolen or irretrievably broken (or washed) we have to report it to Salt Lake so that they can remotely wipe any personal info that might be on it.  I think that this particular story was one the staff in Salt Lake hadn't heard yet.  Everyone got quite a kick out of it.  The elder that did it is a sharp guy who is currently serving as a Zone Leader.  Boy, has he taken a lot of ribbing from the other missionaries!

Thursday evening we had a couple hours in the evening so we drove to a small lake here in town called Goose Lake.  We were hoping to see some Pacific Loons, who are supposed to nest along the lake about this time of year.  We didn't see any loons but saw two families of Mallards, one younger than the other.  We also saw a Red-Necked Grebe sitting on her nest and some yellow-orange water lilies that we've never seen before.

Younger ducklings with Momma

Close up of the same group

Older ducklings with Momma

Close up of the older ones.

Momma Grebe sitting on her nest. 

And the water lily!

Pretty exciting stuff, eh?  Actually, here's what is really exciting - family!  We are proud of all of our grandkids, of course, but here are a couple that we are particularly proud of this week.  We are proud of their decisions and glad that they understand why Grandma and Grandpa couldn't be there with them.

Linda Stratford (and Dad, we're proud of him, too) at her baptism.
June 6, 2015

Elder John Curnutt
Left to serve in the California San Fernando Mission, Spanish-speaking
June 3, 2015

We Love Our Family!!!