Oct 5

October 5, 2006

Huge rainstorm today with lots of thunder and lightning. The elevation here is 5000+ feet and we’re right in the middle of the mountains, so the lightning seems very close. We went to Show Low today and that’s approximately 6400 feet. So it seems even closer and louder there. It rained for a while last night, then most of the day today, and now it’s 8:30 and it’s been pouring rain for at least the last 2 hours. We came home a new way today—went through Pinetop-Lakeside, past the Hon-Dah Casino, then to Whiteriver and across to Carrizo. As we drove we could see huge lightning flashes all through the mountains. It was quite pretty, but I was really nervous. Because of the storm it got darker earlier than it has any of the nights we’ve been out here. We’ve been warned not to be out after dark, and tried our best to get home, but it got dark about half an hour before we got here. I kept thinking that most of the problems missionaries have occur when they’re not following the rules. Besides being dark it was pouring rain and we’ve also been warned about flash floods in the area. But we got home safe and sound and even managed to unload the truck between lightning flashes.

I struggle to keep my naturally panicky nature under control here. I’ve mentioned that the trailer needed major renovating. However, I think I haven’t mentioned why because I’m trying to repress that information. Seems that last election some of the residents got a bit drunk and decided to shoot up the Mormon Church. They shot out the exterior lights of the church house and tried to get inside to vandalize it but couldn’t. So they proceeded to shoot up the trailer and do as much damage as possible. They didn’t get inside but apparently did a lot of damage to the exterior. The inside of our trailer was damaged by a missionary who decided he wanted a nicer place to live and felt that if he destroyed this trailer the church would buy him a new one. There are still holes punched in some of the doors and walls. Some people are truly nuts! Anyway, Robert and I wonder if next election we should stay here and keep the lights on to let them know someone is watching over the place or if we should just leave town for a few days. Beckie has already voted for leaving town.

Which brings me to my next topic. Going to Show Low made it possible for me to touch base with the fam. It was nice to talk to them. I even got to talk to Ethan and Allison. Tomorrow we hope to get hooked up with phone, satellite and Internet if the roads aren’t all washed away by then.

Our purpose in going to Show Low was to buy more stuff that we need. We’ve spent $200+ at Wal-Mart 3 different times since Monday. We also bought a new mattress for $269. I hope we’ve about got this place outfitted. The mattress that was here had been on the floor for 2 years and had a hole in it. We just weren’t interested in finding out what was living inside it. We also bought all new bedding for our bed. Our second purpose in Show Low was washing all the bedding that was in this place (twin sheets and mattress pads for the Elders’ beds and sheets

for our bed that we’re not using. The trailer smells bad and we hope all this washing and cleaning will eventually solve that. All the bedding was in the little bedroom the Elders use on Mondays. As we sorted it and put it in bags the dust was so bad in that room we could hardly breathe. We used 7 washers at the Laundromat. There were a few old blankets that didn’t get washed—they just got thrown away. A lot of the money we spent has been to replace crap that I just threw out. There were old towels and socks thrown behind the washer and dryer and under the bathroom sink was packed with somebody’s junk. I warned the Elders when they were here that when I clean I get crazy so if there was anything that belongs to them that they hope to have next week they’d better tell me. They didn’t, so I figure anything I find is fair game.

We think the bad smell is also coming from the furniture, so Robert called the mission president’s wife today and requested some new furniture. The sofa isn’t too bad so he just asked if that could be cleaned. There are 2 chairs in the front room. One of them in my opinion isn’t awful, but it does smell. The other chair is completely worn with holes in it and the lining showing through. The mission president’s wife had the lady in charge of housing call and she said we could get replacements at least for the 2 chairs. We hope they’ll also clean the sofa. We’ve decided that the “cleanliness is next to Godliness” philosophy doesn’t apply in the mission field.

I can’t honestly say I love it here, but each day I get a little more used to it. Sometimes I just yearn for my house in Logan, or for our little corner in St. Anthony. I miss all the things I’m used to and comfortable with and people I know. Everywhere and everyone is an unknown. I can’t believe we sent our kids on missions. How did they ever manage? At least I have Robert. Since we’re completely dependent on one another we’re very careful not to fight. I think I’m learning to love and respect him more and more every day.