Brrr, It's Cold

December 29, 2013

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day, with  Lots of presents, Lots of love and time to remember the reason we celebrate.  Our Christmas was a memorable one. During the night on Christmas Eve, I awoke about 3:00 for my nightly pilgrimage .  It felt cold in the house, but I could hear the furnace running, so I went back to bed knowing that it would warm up soon.  Dad awoke at 5:00 and it was even colder.  The temperature in the house was 52.  The noise I had heard, was not the furnace but the blower and it was blowing cold air.  We couldn’t get it to turn off, so we gathered all the extra towels we had and put them on our bed...then got in where it was warm.  We stayed there until about 9:00.  We decided on a plan for taking showers....fortunately our bathroom is very small, so we ran the hot shower until the room was nice and warm and we quickly showered and dressed.  We knew our landlady was having her family for Christmas Breakfast, so we waited until 11:00 to go over and give her the news.  While we waited we turned the oven on 400 degrees and left the door open.  We fixed our skinny pancakes by the warmth of the oven....then hurried into the table to eat them while they were still warm.  Then a little drive in the car to get warm.  Miss Ruby was so sad that we were without heat.  She called the furnace man and he said he was “coming into town later” and would stop by. 

Her sons came over to see if they could light the gas burner in the one big room.  It helped quite a bit.  We could stay in there until Mr. Jones came.  (With our coats on).

He came about 4:00...he found the problem and he HAD the part.  So by 5:30 we started to have heat.  What a wonderful gift.  We loved the gifts we received and will enjoy them through out our mission. 

We have had another bout with rain.  It started Friday night and didn’t stop raining until very early this morning.  We got about 3 inches of rain.  It is HARD pelting rain.

One of the things our Mission President suggested that the Senior Missionaries do when things are slow, is to visit historical sites in our area.  We spent most of the day on Friday in Selma.  Selma is of course know for its role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s and it also played an important role in the Civil War.  The largest ammunition plant was here.  We also took a driving tour of the Antebellum homes and other historic homes.  One large home was occupied by the Union Forces (NORTH)  as a hospital and the second floor was occupied by the wives and children of the Confederate Forces (South).  We went to Brown Church where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke.  I don’t know if that is where he gave his I have a Dream Speech, but there is a monument to him outside the church.  

The black churches in the South were the only place where they could meet to discuss the need for the Right To Vote.  The Civil Rights Movement was a Non Violent Movement, but there were many confrontations where blacks and some whites were killed and injured.  We crossed the Bridge over the Alabama River where the Marchers left Selma on the famous march to Montgomery.  They only allowed 300 to participate in the march, but by time they got to Montgomery, there were 25,000 marchers.  
  

As 2013 comes to a close, we thank each of your for so many wonderful memories.

We wish each of you a HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR with opportunities for new and joyful experiences.  Love Always, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa