24 Jan 2010

24 Jan 2010

Dear loved ones,
We hope this finds you all well, not too wet nor too cold. It sounds like there has been a lot of rain in Logandale and even more snow in Cannonville! It will help with the drought situation, I’m sure.
This past Monday we had the day off for ‘Human Rights Day.’ We went on a great trip to Lake Whitney and visited the town of Whitney – Population 2833. It was a beautiful sunny day and not too cold. It was a way from the city and it felt good to be in some open spaces. This is west of Fort Worth and still in the Fort Worth area so we found the church buildings and came a little acquainted with the area.
An interesting thing in Texas is that when the US flag and the Texas flag are flying together, you will often see the Texas flag flying a few inches higher than the American flag. They do things different here!
Tuesday we made up for the day off, it was very busy. A lot of people came in and there were also a lot of phone messages to follow up on. Several businesses had called in and needed employees and of course several that were needing employers.
I’ve been working on an office project for several weeks, updating the computer/book (on Excel no less, a new one for me) of all the Stake Employment Specialist and all of the Ward Employment Specialists in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area – which is about 20 Stakes. It seems like I can only work for a few minutes and then get interrupted by a phone call or someone coming in for help. Finally one evening I took the information to the apartment on a thumb drive and was able to finish it up in an hour. It feels good to have that project completed.
Wednesday was a lighter day, it was raining and that always seems to have an impact. We were able to make phone calls, Jack was able to make contact with some of the businesses and corporations he’s working with.
That evening I with Julie (manager) to a ward Relief Society Mtg and helped her a little with her presentation. It was mostly just helping carry things and pass things out but she has asked that next time I give part of the presentation.
Thursday was our P-Day – another day off already!! We were hoping the truck would be finished and that we could pick it up and return the rental car, but no luck there. So instead we went to the Fort Worth Zoo. We had a very good time, another pleasant day. That was the first time we’ve been to a zoo without children, but it was fun none-the-less. When we go on our day trips I always pack a lunch and we find a little spot to stop and eat it (or eat as we go, which ever works). This day we found a spot near the zoo on a grassy spot near a wooded area.
We are deciding that come spring and summer it will be very beautiful around. There are many trees and grassy places. Now that we are getting a little better idea of the freeways we can look a little side to side.
We also visited TCU, Texas Christian University, home of the Horned Frogs. Jack has long had a fascination with this university, we also visit with people who have attended there. It’s very old, built in the 1870’s and has some great old buildings there. By the way, the ‘horned frogs’ look very vicious!
On our way home we had made arrangements to visit with Dan & Elsie Banks. Elsie is Bert Whitney’s sister and Jack has had many visits with them when the visited Uncle Bert. It was so good to visit old friends and family. They live in Burleson, which is in our Fort Worth area. We went out to dinner together and enjoyed an evening reminiscing about Bert and other fun times.
Friday we four missionaries were assigned to present the Career Workshop. We had it divided up into 4 sections for each of us. Jack did the first part then I did the second. – that takes until about noon and then the Phelps do the second half in the afternoon. It was interesting because we only had one lady show up. She was from Cambodia and didn’t speak very good English. So we adapted and adjusted greatly. I sat with her while Jack was presenting and helped her with words and spelling (like Child Care). A very sweet lady, very happy. She is 51 but looks 30. She shared her secret to keeping young “Be happy and love God with all of your heart.” She is not LDS but we had a lot in common.
When Jack got done with his teaching presentation then he had to worry about getting the truck back. I thought I was going to have to make my maiden voyage and drive the truck the 30 miles back to Carrollton. Fortunately Elder Lawler was available to help out and make the drive for me.
Wayne, one of our homeless guys that come in frequently heard about was going on with our truck got on line and really did a lot of research until he found out that the fuel injector module on the Ford trucks was actually a recall item. That was so nice of him and eased our mind greatly about the expense. The major expense ended up being the rental car, but we felt like they were fair with us too. So we are grateful that it all turned out as well as he did, we feel like we were very blessed. It all could have been much worse. It was nice that Jack ended up with the LDS person at the Service Center and he was good to us.
Saturday was a rainy day and even with 2 days off we were quite tired by 2:00 when we close the Center on Saturdays. We ended up watching 2 Hallmark Christmas movies. Julie had loaned us some during the season and we hadn’t watched them all yet. They were still pretty good, even in January.
We are getting more comfortable with the area. I am even starting make some sense out of traveling on 35 East and having the choice of going North or South.
Jack reports for us on going out to Weatherford today and giving several presentations in Wards there. They have a beautiful Stake building now, we can hope we will have such a nice one. They said it took 3 years for it to be built.


We had a wonderful experience with the Weatherford Stake today. The Azel
Ward and the Weatherford 2nd combined and it almost filled the first side of
the cultural hall. The Weatherford 2nd was a wonderful group. Bro
Johnston the high councilman and the Stake Executive Secretary stayed for
both sessions, Brother Johnston has the family history center lined up for
Wednesday and wants us to meet all the stake and ward employment folks
that will attend and do training and make sure they are all on the site,
Bishop Bell is calling a new employment spec. and will have them there Wed
nite. They then want to have the meeting each Wed evening manned by a
different ward and continue to help everyone that will come. The Stake
President gave Brother Johnston the charge "Make it Happen" We just loved
it. We feel like it went well. I guess Brother Johnston the high council
guy that sat through both session is who to talk with. We will need to
leave Wed in time to be down there to meet with the good people. The
area is out in the country outside of Fort Worth heading toward
Abilene, TX.
I talked with Grandpa Don earlier today and told him we
met a lady in the ward that knew Lenore Clay. Crazy huh. I'm So proud
of Don Whipple being called to the Bishopric and for Grandpa Don
ordaining him a High Priest. What a wonderful family.
Dustin took the
White Car down to read the station this morning. He was going slow
coming back into the house because of all the mud and little Colton
saw the car and starting running and yelling Aunt Gaye,,,,then he saw
Dustin and went back in the house!! WE miss Colton too and hope he
won't forget us in 16 more months!!

We had a chance to visit with the Elders assigned out in Weatherford. One of them is from Las Vegas, enjoys 4-wheeling and wondered if we had ever been out to ‘Logandale Trails.’ We had a fun conversation with him. He goes home this May and said he would be glad to be in Las Vegas for the summer.

We continue to work with many different people, ages, nationalities, from basic skills to highly trained, from low level entry jobs to Executive jobs. Each day has so many varied experiences.
We are grateful to be serving in this mission. I visited with the sister Ward Employment Specialist in Weatherford and she expressed her frustrations of not ever having had to look for a job or write a resume and doesn’t feel like she has much to offer. I told her I knew EXACTLY how she felt but there is much we can learn. We plan to meet this Wednesday and I will help her get started.
Thank you so much for your love and support. We appreciate your notes and letters. May the Lord continue to bless us all………
Our love,
Jack n Gaye