Transfer Day and Evacuations

A Busy Week

Last Saturday found us at the Atlanta Temple and we were able to participate with new members of the church in performing temple baptisms.

Erika, on the far left, next to Bruna, Ronald and Richard.  Ronald has received the Aaronic Priesthood and was able to perform the baptisms while his wife and son represented deceased persons.  The missionaries were also able to attend.

Evacuations

Fortunately the Atlanta area was unaffected by Hurricane Dorian but my sister, Donna, and her daughter, Kristen, who live in Charleston, SC, were forced to evacuate.  Donna actually flew to Seattle to be with her son while Kristen remained in Charleston which, thankfully, missed the brunt of the storm.  

Their plan "E" was to drive the four hundred miles to Atlanta and stay in our apartment.

Monday night we went to bed without so much a thought about hurricanes only to be awakened after midnight by a phone call from our kids, Lisa and John, living in our home in Layton, UT.  The hillside above our house was on fire and they had been alerted that they might have to evacuate.  They wanted to know what we wanted saved in case they had to leave.  We told them to get our pictures and important papers and let the rest go.

The fire was named the Snoqualmie fire and was within a mile of our home.

During the week helicopters carried water from Hobbs Reservoir, which is just across the highway from our home, and doused the flames with 2,000 gallons of water per trip.

Fortunately, again, no homes were burned and Lisa and John were able to stay in the house.  But about 100 people in our neighborhood had to evacuate.

Transfer Day

Every six weeks new missionaries arrive and those that have completed their mission go home.

It is a special day to say good-bye to those we love and greet the new missionaries with excitement and anticipation.

President March often puts three missionaries together as a trio.

Elder Putnam on the left and Elder Quintrequeo on the right have just been assigned as trainers for their new companion, Elder Downs.  Elder Quintrequeo and Elder Downs are about six feet tall.

For the Hometown Friends

Yes, that's right folks, the Bellingham Apartments about a mile from our apartment complex.

I was born and raised in Bellingham, Washington.  All of our children were also born there.  Later we moved to Layton, Utah.

Speaking of the Family

Our granddaughter, Emily, just started pre-school.

She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with our son, Joshua, her mother, Addie, and little sister, Clarissa.

The Missionary of the Week

During our recent stay at home we visited the Family History Library on Temple Square to do a little family history research.

To our surprise we ran into Christine Keeler, one of Sister Erickson's cousins.  She serves as a family history missionary several times a week and can still live in her home in Park City.

And so it goes.  Until next week, tchau!