Week of 25th through 31st January 2009

Dear Family,

Greetings from the land southward by the sea. It has been a bit cooler this week but it is much better than the bitter cold of the northern half of the country. We hope everyone has been able to stay warm and healthy through such cold weather conditions. It looks like Grandma Sparks has the right idea about wintering in Yuma! We have 3 months to enjoy this weather before it really gets too hot, but then we will be on our way to the "land northward".

On Monday, we took four missionaries to the Texas State Aquarium . Lucky for us the weather was nice so we could be outside and see four shows/demonstrations. We all enjoyed the sights and taking photos.

We survived another missionary transfer week and, of course, we are still in Corpus Christi. We miss the missionaries that left to other parts of the Lord's vineyard but enjoy getting to know the new ones that came into this area. In the far "land northward", Elder Michael was transferred to Taylor Mountain Stake in Idaho Falls. The inside story based on the phone call from Sister Humphries the "missionary mom", Elder Michael is now serving as a Zone Leader . She told us that the four Sister Missionaries in his district said Elder Corless was the best District Leader they ever had. It must have been all that good training from his Mother and Sisters that he learned how to respect and properly treat the ladies. Go Elder Corless! (urawsum). She said all the way home after taking them to transfers she kept thinking how to tell us how she felt about Elder Corless and then it came to her: "he is a stripling warrior; you raised a son of Helaman!" Needless to say it made Mom's day!!!

Thursday we were invited to lunch by Elder Van Orden, who just finished his mission, and his parents who came to take him home. They are from Decatur. Illinois and know where Alton is. Bro. Van Orden, retired manufacturing engineer from Caterpiller, knows Corey Wurtzbachler, who Jim, Daniel and I know from working at Visteon. Corey is still working for CAT, but is in India now. Small world. We enjoyed meeting them.

We all is well with everyone.

We love y'all, Mom & Dad