Jack n Gaye: 17 April 2011

Goodbye dear Morell family.

Dear Family & Friends,

Our last missionary letter in the Dallas, Texas Mission. Next week we will reporting live in the Logandale 2^nd Ward. We have had opportunities to work with the new couple, Elder & Sister Scheib this week and also we have visited with the Sr. Sisters who will be coming in June. It reminds us of all of the unknown things and questions you have regarding this type of mission. Serving in an Employment Center seems to catch everyone by surprise; it’s not something one typically thinks of doing. We have reassured them that they have wonderful teachers here that will be able to get them up to speed on how to assist and serve others in this situation. It reminds me of how very green I was, especially as I spoke with the California sister who has been a stay at home mom and has not been out in the work force, but if I could do it, she can do it! She has some computer skills and that is a huge benefit, when they don’t have to spend the time learning those skills too.

I was working with a candidate who is going through some legal problems, someone has used her social security number and she is being wrongfully responsible for some student loans. I suggested she make an appointment with Elder Dahl(the retired attorney) for this past Monday. He listened to her story and was able to make some good suggestions and tell her what steps she needs to take. If these don’t work for her then he will go with her to meet with the appropriate people to resolve the issues. I’m so impressed with the services the team of people serving at the Center are able to provide. They are genuinely concerned about the individual and do all they can to assist.

I also worked with a school teacher who was so discouraged when she first came in. There will be a lot of cutbacks in education in Texas for the next year and her job is going to be eliminated. Her principle has been giving her a rough time for several years and she is so beat down. I asked her what some of her skills are and she just cried and said she didn’t have any. I visited with her longer and asked her to tell me about some of her teaching techniques etc. and before long I could point out to her all kinds of good things she is doing. She was feeling so much better when she left. That is the miracle that we see daily in the lives of so many who come into the Center for assistance.

Our days have been filled with working with candidates, posting jobs, Elder Nelson working with employers. He is training Jesse and Sister Gunter to do the work that he is doing, I continue to work with Sister Burgess on posting jobs, work for volunteers to do when they come in to serve, and front desk operations.

When we came in Friday every person we saw – staff and missionaries – said how much they missed us the day before. They had 30 people come in that day and were just swamped! The new missionaries got an initiation into the work that day.

Our evenings have been also filled this past week. We had dinner with the Morell’s and then practiced with Duane and Alaina Bryner. It was the Dallas Recorder Society Meeting this week, when they can they have someone do a short program the first few minutes of the meeting. So Charlie on harpsichord, Duane on cello, Alaina on violin, and me on the alto recorder did a 20 minute program. They all were very appreciative of our playing. It wasn’t too stressful and we had fun doing it. Charlie stayed on and played the harpsichord with the group for the remainder of the evening. We played a Loillet Sonata and a Vivaldi Trio.

One night we went out to dinner to the Blue Mesa Restaurant with Paul and Katey Leatham. It wasn’t too difficult saying goodbye to them because they will be going to Logandale this coming week so we could just say see you in Nevada next week.

We have spent a little bit of time each day this week in preparation for the big move. I think this is one of the few P-days that we have actually spent the day at the apartment. We are not trunky, we are boxey. At the same time we are working right up to the very end. In just a few days we will be packed up and seeing Texas in our rearview mirror.

Art let Jack and I go up on top of the grain silos, Jack has been up there several times before but it was my first. I was very excited to go up but even more excited to be back down on the ground. It is quite a view from on top – you can see so far in every direction; 360 degrees and not a mountain to block your view.

The Williams’ of the Dallas, TX Mission office and the Jensen’s of the Fort Worth Mission office called and wanted to have the six of us go out to dinner one more time before we left so met up with them on Saturday evening. We went to Babe’s Chicken, a place we had heard a lot about but had never gone to. They serve a family style dinner, in a friendly down home atmosphere. The waitresses line up and do the Hokey Pokey every 30 minutes. We had a very fun evening with them. The Adams’ also came who are serving in the Dallas Mission office.

Friday Julie organized a ‘Mission Training Conference’ with the staff and missionaries. They met all day in the Conference room – she had Elder Nelson and I handle everything out on the floor, if we’re not trained by now it’s too late! Fortunately there was not more than what the two of us could handle. Things just always work out.

Saturday it was just us and the Schiebs. They shadowed us as we worked with candidates to see our style. There is a crew of service missionaries/volunteers who work in the store house on Saturdays that we have also gotten to know well and have enjoyed friendships with. A lot of goodbyes that day.

Some of the people who have found a place in our heart here in the Employment Center- Julie Poole, Donna Toups, Sister Gloria Lyle, Elder & Sister Phelps, Elder Jim Dahl, Sister Vivian Page, Elder & Sister Error, the Moalas, Nathan Mahana, Elder Floyd, Elder & Sister McPhearson, Sisters Gunter, Burgess, Wolfley & Grouch, Elder Floyd, Will Boesewetter, Chris Bott and Mat Crawford.

People we have worked side by side in the Store House Carolyn Sassi, Art Stout, Craig Robison, Meg & Gib Green, Norman Guiling, James, Dan Rowe and Eric Larson in Family Services.

People of the Dallas 6^th Ward such as the Russells, Labrums, Chadwicks and Jack & Kenny Samonas. Stake Employment Specialists that we have worked particularly close with, Robert Doten, Judy Talbot, Mark Van Cott and Warner Blair

And last but not least Charlie and Carla Morell, who have laughed with us, cried with us, had discussions of all kinds with us, played music with us, gone on trips with us, fed us, shared their family with us and most of all, been our friends.

We are so proud of our children as they have gone through some very challenging tests and trials, they have shown their strength and faith and trust in the Lord. We are grateful for his Almighty Hand who has reached out to us all and lifted and supported us in times of need.

We have had some wonderful experiences on our mission, we are so grateful to have been able to serve together and enjoy this time in the Dallas, Texas Mission. We will forever look back with much fondness on so many experiences and friends. There are just a few more things to wrap up this week, an interview with President Smith, a goodbye luncheon, a little more packing and cleaning. We are anxious to see our family and friends, children, grandchildren and be introduced to our new little Luke Nelson.

We will update this picture with the 2 new ones that were added while we here in TexasSee you soon,