COTTLE MISSION NEWS: Week 52 (28 January

Monday morning, we left for the USO at 8:30 am to help with prepping for the No Dough dinner in the evening. Joyce Schellhorn (Director) had opened and we checked in with Joyce and she outlined things to do in the kitchen. We got the heating cupboards going for the chicken and brought in 5 roaster ovens for mashed potatoes, gravy and beans. Later in the morning other volunteers arrived and helped. I also made a run to the Credit Union to make a deposit for the USO and worked in the office taking calls and checking in patrons as Joyce was in and out most of the morning. We received more food donations and I checked them over and placed them in the storage room. The USO was planning one more food distribution for the Coast Guard on Wednesday as President Trump signed a funding bill and today the Coast Guard received their first pay check in a month. At noon I went to Winn-Dixie and picked up 200 pieces of chicken—part of the meal tonight. The USO bought 200 pieces and Winn-Dixie donated 600 pieces themselves which were delivered later in the afternoon. In the afternoon the main room was set up and by 4:00 pm volunteers for the dinner began arriving. Fletcher High School “Interact” Service Group hosted the dinner and students began arriving and had served before and were always a good group to help. We also had a half a dozen members of the Coast Guard Chiefs Association come so had plenty of volunteers. At 4:30 pm the rest of the chicken was delivered, and we had a visit from the Purple Heart association, so the place was busy right up to the start of dinner.

Tuesday morning, we opened the USO and had a quiet morning as we were the only ones there for an hour or so. Pam worked in the kitchen cleaning up after the No Dough dinner and I manned the office. By 11:00 am Joyce Schellhorn (director) had arrived and then Dave Ostrum and several Coast Guard workers came. They began bringing food and commodities into the main room from the storage room for tomorrow’s final food giveaway. I made another deposit for Joyce and changed the marquee sign to reflect an upcoming dinner and new Pathway dates. Pam and I left at 2:00 pm and drove to the base and dropped off some diapers for Shay Tuttle. We also stopped and visited with Samantha Lagae for an hour. We planned to have dinner with her tomorrow evening. We loved this family and wanted the best for them. Jerald was on board with their goals and we fully expect them to be in the Temple by the end of the year. We had a 5:30 pm appointment with the Elder’s so rather than go back to Arlington Hills, we drove around the beach front streets and enjoyed the lovely homes, trees and an occasional view of the beach and water. It’s a remarkable little section of Neptune and Atlantic Beaches that one seldom sees. We stopped at a Target store on Beach Blvd and looked around for a half an hour and then on to the Elder’s apartment where we conducted an apartment inspection and then took them to dinner at Bono’s. They enjoyed the meal and we had a nice visit with them and a beautiful message from Elder Beals. Elder Hansen was on exchanges with Elder Beals so we missed Elder Crandall, but enjoyed getting to know Elder Hansen better.

Thursday morning, we began our day going to Beam’s in Jacksonville Beach and picked up 10 boxes of meat and 2 boxes of carrots and delivered them to the USO. Joyce Schellhorn (Director) had opened and the Coast Guard was there in force along with the Feeding Northeast Florida. They set up in the back-parking lot and inside the north wing of the main room was loaded with food and commodities. In the south wing tables were moved and Bono’s arrived about 10:30 am and set up their tables and hosted lunch for all families. We hoped this would be the last food distribution for the Coast Guard, but who knew with Washington? Pam and I manned the main table by the foyer and welcomed families and individuals as they arrived and signed them in and gave tickets for the meat and produce out back. Once through the Feeding Northeast Florida setup they could return to the USO building and shop in the north wing and have some lunch in the south end. The smell of Bono’s food was very tantalizing. Smoothie King also was present with smoothies for dessert, so the patrons were covered. During the next two to three hours we processed over 120 families and gave away a ton of food and other household goods. Pam and I both had a plate of food and it was as good as it was last night with the missionaries only this time it was free. One of the Bono employees mentioned to me he was LDS from St. Augustine and we had a nice chat. By 2:30 pm the Coast Guard helpers began moving the food and commodities back to the storage room. All the excess Feeding Northeast Florida food was brought into the center and placed on the pool table and a Facebook notice sent inviting all branches to come E-6 and below. It wasn’t long before we had a good group of other wives and families coming for the items. At 4:00 pm Joyce asked if we would take some Bono food to the gate guards and we took two full boxes plus some drinks. We exited the base and drove to Domino’s Pizza and picked up pizzas that Samantha Lagae had ordered and returned to her house and had dinner with her family. We also gave her two bags of groceries and several boxes of diapers for Clive that were on the various tables today. We enjoyed being with her and her children, but Sam couldn’t wait for Jerald to come home—hopefully Saturday. After dinner and visiting, we left and dropped off more diapers to Shay Tuttle. Finally, we exited the base for the final time and drove back to Arlington Hills and our apartment.

Thursday morning, we were up early and welcomed Stephanie Jarvis and the three of us drove to Orlando to attend the Temple with the missionaries. The drive was uneventful, and we arrived just after 10:00 am—early but not the first. Elder & Sister Waite and Schroeder from Gainesville were there with a few missionaries. Within a few minutes the mission van and the President & Sister Lee arrived, and the group migrated to the front of the Temple for pictures. It was quite cold this morning in Orlando (in the 40’s) and the pictures didn’t take long. Back in the Temple we changed and gathered in the chapel. The missionaries were escorted into an ordinance room and after everyone was settled the session began. This was a first opportunity for Pam and me to participate in the new endowment ordinance which began early in January of this year. The video was changed to still photos, sort of like a slide show and the content filled with minor changes of great worth. It would take many sessions to feel comfortable with everything, but it was wonderful and certainly enhanced the worth of women in the church and in the Kingdom of God. Following the session, we had time to visit in the Celestial Room and then moved to a large sealing room where President Lee conducted a short devotional. Sister Lee bore her testimony, President Haddock (counselor in the mission presidency) was invited to share feelings about the Temple and then President Mills, a member of the Temple Presidency joined us and gave some wonderful counsel about the Temple and work done there. After President Mills left, President Lee made some concluding remarks and bore his testimony of Temple work and we departed the room and made our way downstairs to change and leave the Temple. We departed for Café Rio and joined the other missionaries in a wonderful meal and visiting. Sister Davis, Knudsen and Elder Saxton were the only missionaries going home, but there were 14 missionaries at the half-way point; 8 sisters and 6 elders. From Café Rio headed north out of Orlando and 2½ hours later arrived home in Arlington Hills safe and sound. We had a nice ride and enjoyed visiting with Stephanie—a wonderful day!

Friday morning, we arrived at the USO at 9:00 am and Dave Ostrum had opened, and Beam’s delivered a load of meat and produce. James McCullough had purchased 2 new 4-foot coolers, so we brought them into the main room along with other coolers and began sorting meat and positioning the produce and other products for families to take. Beam’s made a second delivery with 5 more boxes, so we had plenty of items to choose from—some very good and some not so nice! About that time 7 naval personnel from the 4^th Fleet came and helped out with the produce and meat and then Dave had them re-stock the rear pantry room and clean it up. They did a nice job. For the rest of the morning Pam and I worked in the office and out in the main room as Navy families came and picked up items. This was the first time Navy families had come for food in some time as the USO had been concentrating on the Coast Guard. A Facebook notice was sent out and Samantha Lagae and her kids came and picked up a box of items and later Shay Tuttle came and also got a box of food. We bagged up some things to take to the Alexanders. Joyce arrived around 11:30 am and she was going to Tampa today and spent most of the morning and early afternoon preparing for that trip. We left at 2:00 pm and returned to Arlington Hills and had some lunch and then delivered food to the Alexanders before returning to our apartment where Pam fixed a dinner for the Arlington Elders. I finished our January report and emailed it to Salt Lake, President Lee and President Heywood, so that was done for the month. Elder’s Smedley and Hendricks arrived at 5:00 pm and we sat down to a wonderful dinner and enjoyed visiting with them. Elder Smedley was from Inkom, Idaho and Elder Hendricks from Alpine, Utah. Elder Smedley was also the district leader for the Arlington District and both impressive missionaries. Following dinner, we had a short message and then they left. Pam and I cleaned up the kitchen and got things back to order and then settled in for the night. This morning Jeff Campbell called while at the USO and informed us that Aunt Win had passed away. He was helping her dress and she literally died in his arms. We were both sad and happy as we loved that woman. She was such a significant part of our lives. Pam had calls from Erin and Ann Marie and shared what she knew and I did a little searching online for flights to Salt Lake and we had a decision to make about whether to go home for the funeral or not.

Saturday morning, we did some studying and then discussed our plans for Aunt Win’s funeral. I called President Lee to obtain permission to return home for the funeral and after checking with his area seventy, permission was granted. We cleaned the house and did several loads of laundry. Pam talked with Jeff Campbell about how things were going and learned the funeral would be on Saturday, the 9^th of February. After lunch Andrew Cooper, a single member from the Naval Station, came by for help with his income tax. Pam was able to help him, and we had a nice visit. We finalized plans for our trip home and would leave Monday morning and return the following Tuesday. At 8:00 pm we joined a conference call with President and Sister Lee and all senior missionaries. We listened to descriptions of what other couples were doing in their service and spoke about ours. At 9:00 pm we joined another call where President Lee announced upcoming transfers. We had a number of changes in our Zone and would look forward to meeting new missionaries and sad to see good friends leave..

Sunday morning, we left for church at Jacksonville Beach at 9:30 am. Ward members were late arriving this morning, probably due to rain, but we started at 10:00 am and had a wonderful fast and testimony meeting. At the end we had a good showing of military families and were only missing the Head’s and Alexis Connelly. Nikki said they were still sick at home and Alexis was spending her weekends with a boyfriend prior to his leaving for New England. The following Sunday school class was excellent and then we visited with our families and said goodbye to Sister Davis and Elder Beals who would both be gone by the time we return. Andrew Cooper came to our apartment at 2:30 pm with some paperwork he was missing yesterday, and Pam helped him finish his tax form and get it submitted. After he left Pam warmed up some leftovers for dinner and we ate and spent a quiet afternoon and evening and packed for our trip.