Nov 11

November 11, 2006

The pictures were taken at the Thanksgiving Dinner.

Zone Conference…now there’s an experience. That was yesterday. We got there at 8:30 so we could get flu shots…a nice bonus. Only cost $5.00 because a more affluent stake in Phoenix helped pay for them. At 9:00 we sat down in the chapel, where we remained until all the couple missionaries’ bladders were about to burst. Apparently, young missionaries are blessed with a suppressed need to use the bathroom. And Sister Buttars does not seem motivated to come to our defense. And the Stake Center was freezing cold. But the messages were good and the stake served a nice lunch. Then back to the Arctic for another 2 hours. There were reps from the missionary department there. At 3:00 they were meeting with the missionaries for another 2 hours. At 3 they announced that the couples didn’t need to stay unless they wanted. We believe President Buttars was a little disappointed at the mass exodus. But he can take heart. Every single couple re-convened 10 minutes later at Kmart.

Before we left for the conference we had one important task we had to complete. On Wednesday I gave Robert his first missionary haircut. I actually cut it once before but Andrea was there to supervise. This time we were on our own. We felt it was quite a success until we looked at him more closely this morning. I had left one strip of hair a little longer than the rest. Unfortunately, this strip was right on top of his head, smack in the middle, going across the top and down the back just like a mini-Mohawk. He refused to leave the house until we tamed the Mohawk. I think it would have been interesting to see if Pres. Buttars noticed. There are a few mission rules broken by the haircut even on the best of days. Rule #1: never, ever let your companion cut your hair (we now see the wisdom behind this rule). Rule #2: every missionary must have a side part in his hair (one Elder at the conference even asked how Elder Charlton was going to be able to obey this rule). Rule #3: no shaved heads or butch-type haircuts. Now, technically, his head wouldn’t have been shaved if I hadn’t had to trim off the Mohawk, at which time it was for the record pretty much shaved. Do you think if we’re naughty enough we’ll get sent home?

After the conference we went seriously AWOL. We turned off our phone, tucked our nametags in my purse, went to a fantastic new place to eat and to a movie. Robert said it was date night, and chose the restaurant and movie, both of which were winners. We saw Stranger Than Fiction and loved it. At the restaurant we had mesquite prime rib. Go figure. It was delicious. Came home around 9:30 too tired to Blog. At 10:00 the Elders called and asked if we’d type up the program for tomorrow’s baptism. Apparently Elders can’t plan ahead any better than Apaches can give directions.

This morning we repented by doing some serious housecleaning. President Benito came by and gave Robert another calling, Gospel Doctrine teacher. He rotates with the members of the Branch Presidency, so won’t have to teach every Sunday, but is on for tomorrow. P. Benito also asked if I could give the Holy Ghost talk at the baptism this afternoon. I was also scheduled to play the piano.

The baptism was at 3:00. We were hoping to take Gilbert and Alma, but they ditched us. They haven’t been home all day. So we arrived in Show Low at 2:35 to find the Elders waiting at the door for us. At first we thought they just loved us, but truth is they had another crisis. We do love these two Elders and it’s a good thing or we’d probably beat them. They had no baptism programs upon which to print the program I made for them, so could we please run to the LDS Bookstore across town and get some. Sure. Why not? So we dashed across town, honestly laughing all the way. The mission is just crazy. You never know what’s going to happen from one minute to the next. And to prove that point, Cecil Ivins, counselor in the branch presidency, who was conducting the baptism because Benito is in Tucson with a school activity, asked Robert if we’ll speak in church tomorrow. This is cool because we still have the talks we wrote 2 weeks ago when we were supposed to speak and didn’t.

The baptism was lovely. Juliet Colletata, the girl who was married last week, got baptized and she and Byron, her husband, were very excited. There was such a good spirit there. Seeing one of God’s children accept His message and make a baptismal covenant is what keeps missionaries going through all the down times and it was a great thing to experience.

Got a hamburger to eat on the way home, one quick Kmart stop, got gas and we’re back early tonight. Guess we better get to work on our talks, lesson, music, Primary for tomorrow. No telling what else we’ll end up doing by the time church actually starts in the morning.