Missionary Highlights: Woodbridge

      Before I had gone into the mission field, Sister F. had trained Sister H, who left for her second area just before I arrived.  

      

          Several members from my first area had some parting gifts.  Kelly Hanbriggs had some animal slippers that she wore and had given an identical pair to Sister F when she left.  They packed two pairs for me - one to keep and one to give to Sister H - who became my next companion.

     

My second area, Sister H's third.  The Elders had lived there prior, but it was decided to put sisters in the area.  Washington D.C. was only 24 miles outside of Woodbridge and many ward members of that area worked for the government.  

                It turned out to be a tourist trap and Sister H. loved to shop.  We didn't knock doors.  We did some light introductions.  We could have worked a lot harder than we did.  If we indeed were inspired, I think we blew it.   When that obviously wasn't working, we decided to focus on part members or inactives.  There were three households that we visited quite regularly, and it really did make a difference, not just to us, but to them.  

       The church had come out with a gaggy film called "It's Up to You" It was supposed to promote missionary work. Sister H. and I would set up appointments to show the film to various members, and roll our eyes each time we watched it.  Sadly, I still have the dialogue memorized. 

       Each week we would purchase stickers to go along with thoughts and use index cards to write them on and add the sticker.  After a while, it seemed easier to try to find a thought with the stickers that seemed to be available.

       Sister Esque taught us how to crochet.  Elaine, who was not a member, taught us how to knit. Timmy had been to Church with his wife one time but did not return until after we had invited him to hear us speak at church.   He ended up returning - though the fellowshipping was horrible.  Though the gospel is true from ward to ward, not every testimony is strong or stable enough to continue with church each week if not spiritually fed; some people leave the church when they don't even feel acknowledged. We could understand why many had become inactive.

       Timmy and Becky had three children at the time, a ten-year-old, an eight-year-old, and a two-year-old.  The oldest two had not been baptized, and Sister H. and I taught them the discussions.  They were baptized before we were transferred.  We were both transferred.

       We were together for four months, which seemed a bit unusual - especially our given circumstance and attitude - although it wasn't just us.  The entire district somehow seemed affected with the same attitude.  Why had Pres. left us there for so long?  We had started a rumor that the boundaries were going to change and Pres. P. had looked at his group of missionaries and thought "which two can I do without.  I know, Sister H. and Sister C."  

         
       A year later the boundaries changed and Woodbridge became a part of the DC mission.  I had a co-worker from Snelgroves who started her mission in Roanoke as I did.  She was serving in Woodbridge when the boundaries changed and finished in a different mission than where she started.

Missionary Highlights: Pearisburg

       My mom and dad sent four children on missions.  Each of us has a testimony of the gospel.  Three of us talk less about our missions than my dad did about the navy (not much; it was a good experience, but certainly not the best two years)  Corey is the only one who has kept in touch with former companions and those he served. 

       Same with my boys.  Aside from their homecomings, I had never heard either one of them mention his mission.  It's not to say that we didn't grow from it or have any positive memories to share - it's just a part of our past that tends to stay there for the most part.

       I loved the MTC.  I loved my district.  I had been assigned to go to Virginia, Roanoke mission, while my MTC companion was being sent to West Virginia, Charleston.  We rarely ever stated what cities we'd be going to.  People would ask, "Where are you going?"

       Sister Larsen would always answer first, "I am going to West Virginia"
       "And I am going to Virginia" I would say.
       "Oh, you're going to West Virginia, too?"
       By the end of our three weeks, Sister Larsen would say "West Virginia" and I would say "Regular Virginia"

       I had been scheduled to leave the MTC on September 6th, 1984.  Everyone else in my district would be leaving on Sept 7th.  Or maybe we were all leaving on the 6th and I just happened to be leaving at a much earlier time.   

       The Elders from Hollister district were all going to Fresno - except for Elder Lovett.  He had also been scheduled to go to West Virginia, Charleston.  People would ask my companion what she was going to do for a companion once I was gone.

       I would answer, "Elder Lovett and Sister Larsen are both going to West Virginia and will be companions for just a short time." 

       They have no sense of humor in the MTC.
       I have often wondered how or what became of my MTC companion.   Common last name.  Haven't stayed in touch.

       I vaguely remember arriving in Roanoke and riding in a van to the mission home and crashing at night.  I don't recall what took place between arriving or crashing.

       We were given our assignments and taken to the bus station.  I was being sent to somewhere called Ripplemead, Virginia.  It was so small that it wasn't even on the provided map; someone had been handwritten it in next to a blue dot that was made.

       I got on the bus and one of the Elders took my bags and placed them in the overhead.  We drove for miles into desolation.  The further we drove, the more rural the areas became until there was nothing but land.  Finally, the bus pulls up at a drug store.  I see a sister missionary waiting. 

       "You've got to be kidding me," I thought.  "This one store is our town?"

       The drugstore was located in Pearisburg, along with one of the wards that we served.  The other was in Pembroke.  I think both those were on the map.  I doubt that all three towns put together had more than 1,000 people.  Today the entire population of Giles County is more than 16,000.  I don't know if the number was higher or lower back in '84. 

       My trainer was a hard worker.  She had become close to many members of the first area we had served - which ironically reminds me a lot of the area in which I currently live - though Giles and Monroe county offered unbearable cold weather which isn't a part of western Oregon. 

       Knocking on doors came with such an eerie sensation.  It was as those who answered the door were still living in the depression and as 1984 was a foreign future to them, we, of course, didn't exist - and it always felt like they were looking right through of us instead of at us. 

       Well, maybe not always.  The residents of Narrows seemed to be a bit more humane, actually understanding the importance of hygiene and all of them had their teeth.  I honestly didn't know where we were each time we would knock doors. There were so many people that lacked hygiene - some were still using outhouses and had no concept of a toothbrush.  That is not an exaggeration, either.  But, of course, that was only a few cities and not the entire county. But when I am asked about my first area, that is what comes to mind; for some reason, it is those "twilight zone" encounters that I remember.

       Sister F. and I were together for a month before Sister D. joined us.  I had referred to our group as a threesome, which never did set right with me.  My nephew called them tri-panionships which actually sounds better.  It was the only group of sisters that didn't include at least one senior sister.

       We went to the ward Halloween party; I thought it would be funny if we could dress as nuns but as we didn't have habits but did each possess a raincoat, we went as flashers instead. 

       Later on, we dressed as stewardesses (politically now called flight attendants) and presented a fireside which I briefly mention here.

As I recall, Sister F was transferred right before Thanksgiving.

       I got along with Sister D.  We both enjoyed having companionship study each in our bed so that if there was any time left, we could enjoy a companionship nap (that's what she called it) and neither of us cared for knocking on doors. 

       We found a young man and taught him all the discussions at the bishop's home.  We spent Christmas together, and actually had two baptisms scheduled for Christmas day. 

       For Christmas, Sister D's family had given her a suitcase which contained a film projector and several canisters of different church films (we didn't have DVD's or tablets back then - no emailed accounts to our parents, no facebook posts . . . ) which we would carry as we would invite others to hear our message.

     One my last week there, we  toured some of the spots which Giles county had to offer.  By accident, we

encountered the city of Goldburg, which had not been marked on the map.  I think we counted 6 - 10 houses.
We were both freaked out as it appeared (and felt) like a Satanic ghost town

       At the beginning of 1985, I was transferred to my second area. 

The Best Two Years

      
     The Best Two Years was released two months before Jenna was born.  I LOVE that movie.  We had it on VHS.  I think it had been given to one of the boys for Christmas – or perhaps it had been a gift to all of us.  I don’t remember.  For a while there, I had been watching it for at least once a month.

       I don't fully identify with the characters . . . I never learned a foreign language.  I knew Elders who lived with two sets.  I don't know of any sisters that have lived in more than one pair. . . .  but I can relate all of them to different Elders I had served with in my mission. 

       On the last birthday I had in Utah (less than two weeks before our move to Oregon) Tony and Rochelle gave me a CD of The Best Two Years.  Actually, a set of CDs.  One contained the movie released in February of 2004, the other includes bonus materials including the original play put on at Promised Vally playhouse.  I hadn’t even realized it was there until the other day.

       Jenna was singing the few lines that she knew from "The Best Two Years" and I was singing along adding "my best suit from Sears" which she thought I was making up to rhyme with what she was singing, but I took out the movie to show her and inserted the stage production. 
 

     "We  can watch this later.  I want you to hear the songs" and so put on the movie - which may actually become one of her favorites as she laughed at so much of it - and then attempted to learn the lyrics so that she can sing it at school as she underhandedly tries to get her peers to learn it.

       Jenna is already singing primary songs whenever she is with peers who swear; the more they do it, the louder she gets.  She will make a good missionary - well, she does already.

       We watched the movie on Friday night. On Saturday she asked if we could watch the stage version.  The Best Two Years is not cheesy like many other Mormon classics. I wish I was able to share all of the other cheesy movies like RM or Suits on the Loose.  I know SLC library has them, but I know that DC does not.  Maybe I can order some online - or ask my family members to keep their eyes peeled at second-hand stores and yard sales (like anyone  will be holding a yard sale at this time of the year)

      

                               Thank you, Tony!