October 9: Catching Up

So, we haven't updated this blog in a long while.  The last few months have been especially busy for our family.  The good news is that Elder Page is doing well.  He is now serving in his second area, Livingston, Montana.  His address there is:

148 Old Clyde Park Rd. 
Livingston, MT, 59047

...But if you ever want to send him a letter or package, you can always send it to the mission office and they can forward it (so long as it is mailed either first class or priority).

Snow has already fallen in Montana - during the first week of October! When we heard the weather forecast early in the week, they mentioned snow in Montana...and we hadn't sent out all of his winter gear yet!! So that morning, we scrambled around and ordered appropriate boots for him, and got together the other things to mail.  Once kids were at school, Mom made a trip to the post office to mail his coat and gloves Priority so they would get there by Thursday.  On Wednesday morning, October 3, Elder Page wrote: "It kind of snowed today so i need my winter gear soon..."  We quickly wrote back that it was on the way and to hang on!  His regular weekly email yesterday said that those things arrived. Whew!

In the last month or so, quite a few of the church's General Authorities have visited or toured the mission.  So Elder Page has had the opportunity to hear from and meet Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder Steven Snow, Bishop Stevenson from the Presiding Bishopric, and Elder Terrence Smith (an Area Authority), as well as Elders Robbins and Echo Hawk of the Seventy.  He seemed to really be buoyed up by those experiences. 

In late August, he had an interesting experience where he and his companion were along with their Zone Leaders to a dinner appointment.  On September 3, he wrote: 

Everything is going well here in Montana. About the D.A with Bro. Owen's brother, Elder Banks and I were with the Zone leaders in Bozeman that day and they brought us with them to their dinner appointment there and the other Brother Owen asked where i was from and i said "Okemos, Michigan", he asked if i knew Brother Owen, i said yes, He then said "He's my brother", i also added that Dad is one of Brother Owen's home teachers. So that's how i found out the connection. 

Also in late August, Elder Page received a summons for jury duty! I made a phone call to the court clerk's office and explained the situation, and asked for guidance in completing the form so that he would be excused.  The court clerk I spoke with was very kind and understanding, and instead of requiring me to fill out the form and mail it in, she was happy to take care of it all over the phone. 

Our family has been greatly blessed due to Elder Page's missionary service.  He told us that Elder Cook promised the missionaries that their loved ones would be blessed because of their service, and he (and we) are seeing that come to pass.