The Blacks' Mission Report

It has been two weeks since I last wrote.  Much has happened in the mean time.  We are getting busier and busier. Sister Black is teaching piano lessons.  They are both group and individual lessons.  At the first group lesson there were 12 people.  As is usual, some of them were not really interested, but wanted to support the class.  We now have 5 regular students and 2 sometimes students.  These lessons are intended to be 12 weeks in duration with one lesson per week.  However, for those who are most intent on learning Sister Black is teaching individually.  We feel an urgent need to get this done.  Some of these students will continue to learn even after the 12 week course is finished and Sister Black will continue to help them.  The urgency comes because when we leave in December there will be nobody to play the piano/organ unless some of these students will step up.  We prefer that the local members be ready to step in...

One year ago this morning, just after midnight, we left our house in Washington in preparation for beginning our Missionary Service.  We traveled to Salt Lake City and spent 6 days with my sister, Katy before heading to the MTC on January 7. We began our MTC experience on my mother's birthday.  I thought that was an appropriate date and we quietly celebrated her birthday as we moved into the MTC for our 5 day stay. We celebrated my birthday in the MTC on January 9th and then we left the MTC late in the day on January 11.  We spent the night in Monticello, Utah, then on the 12th, we traveled to Tucumcari, NM and spent the night there.  On the 13th we traveled to Ft. Worth, TX and stopped for the night. From Ft., Worth we traveled to the Mission Office in Kingwood, TX,  met the office staff and then we found the apartment the Housing Coordinators had prepared for us.,  We live in a "Luxury" apartment.  It is 3 bedrooms 2 baths and a large dining/livi...