COTTLE MISSION NEWS: Week 67 (13

Monday morning, we arrived at the USO at 10:30 am to assist Dave Ostrum as he had an appointment at 11:30 am. The north end of the main room was empty, for Voting tomorrow and two volunteers mopped the floors. Pam worked in the kitchen putting things away and also made a chocolate pie for the staff. I finished packing up baby shower items that needed to be returned to a vendor in Illinois and drove to the post office on Mayport Road and mailed them. Joyce Schellhorn was gone for over a week so the dynamics of the center would change for a while. When Dave returned in the early afternoon we left for the day. Pam checked on Stephanie Jarvis as she was scheduled for inducing on the 15^th and had been having labor pains. She was okay and her mother was arriving Tuesday night. Charlie Tramazzo ordered in pizza and salad for the employees, so we had lunch before leaving. We spent a quiet afternoon at our apartment and Pam did some sewing and I updated our scrapbook and made some calls to families and tried to find out if Alexis Connelly had returned to Jacksonville from her trip to Washington state.

Tuesday morning, we had an off day at the USO today due to local voting. Pam and I spent a quiet morning studying and being lazy but by noon we were dressed and left to do some shopping. We went to the local Wal-Mart where Pam found a couple of items she wanted and then drove to a Nissan dealership on Atlantic and St. John’s Road to meet a man from Key’s Express who sold and programmed key fobs for cars. We felt an urgency to have a second key fob and arranged to meet him. When he arrived, I gave him our current key fob and he went into his truck and was there for some time, but eventually emerged and said he didn’t have one. He had Pacifica key fobs with every other button configuration except ours but ordered one and asked us to call in a week and we would meet again. We had some lunch and then drove to Costco to do a little shopping, but really went to do some walking in an air-conditioned building. It wasn’t busy, so we weren’t running into people and got a lot of steps in. While doing this Pam had her hearing aids serviced. Upon returning home, Pam sewed on Tara Alexander’s baby quilt and finished the blocks and final assembly lay out and it looked very nice.

Wednesday morning Pam and I left for the USO at 10:00 am and Jim and Carmel were in the office and Dave Ostrum was getting ready to leave for a staff meeting in downtown Jacksonville. Jim and I and another volunteer set up the tables and chairs in the north end following elections yesterday and Pathways had an event going on in their room with a half a dozen applicants. Jim and Carmel left at noon and that left Pam and I to run the facility until either Dave or James McCullough arrived. We took phone calls, sold tickets to the Zoo event on Friday and had a few individuals come to use the internet room or just hang out. Dave returned at 4:00 pm with Charlie Tramazzo and Julie Davis which allowed Pam and I to leave for the day. We drove back to Arlington and stopped for a late lunch and then to our apartment. Pam finished the quilt top for Tara Alexander’s baby and the rest of the evening we settled in for the night. We made a few calls to Lance Jarvis regarding Stephanie and they induced her but by 9:00 pm she still hadn’t delivered the baby. We hoped everything was going all right. With a first baby you never knew for sure.

Thursday morning, Pam and I left for Zone Conference at 7:30 am and arrived at the Hendricks Avenue Chapel an hour later. We visited with missionaries as they arrived and by 8:45 am everyone was assembled in the chapel. At 9:00 am President & Sister Lee welcomed the missionaries and introduced a new senior couple, Elder & Sister Young, who were serving as MLS missionaries in the Dunn Avenue Ward. They were from Hanna, Wyoming. Also, single missionaries Sister Woodman from American Fork, UT, Sister Densley from Draper, UT, Elder Munns from Lake Havasu, AZ and Elder Turner from Texas. Elder Boehme conducted the program and following an opening hymn and prayer we heard a beautiful musical number from Sister Aston, Sister Angell and Elder Carter. President Lee first spoke and taught to the theme of “Timbers of Curious Workmanship.” Comparing what Nephi did to build a ship with what “tools” we had today that were “curious,” but which magnify our ability as missionaries: tablets, phones, Book of Mormon, Preach My Gospel, PEARLS, Spirit, Area Book, etc. He did a detailed review of the Area Book with the assistance of Elder’s Boehme and Hiatt. Sister Lee taught about becoming a Christlike Missionary and described a Ladder of Motivation both externally and internally: Force, Fear, Punish/Reward are external, and Duty, Faith and Love/Charity are internal. President Lee continued speaking about “tools” and showed some video clips. Elder Boehme and Hiatt taught about using the Area Book and how to keep it current (“Retain its Brightness). Finally, President Lee discussed the Doctrine of Christ and reemphasized the importance of the sequence of events and not skipping steps. Departing missionaries were invited to bear their testimonies and we heard from Sister Newman, Angell, Aston, McMurray and Larsen, and then from Elders Davis, Shirtliff, Jackson and Carter. It was very sweet to hear their comments. Finally, we sang “God be With You” and had a closing prayer and then moved on to lunch. Following lunch pictures were taken and the singing of “Called to Serve” for the lunch preparers and then we reassembled in the chapel for some medical instruction before President Lee announced President Nelson’s visit to Orlando on the 9^th of June (which we knew about) but more significantly that all missionaries were invited to attend and that brought a reaction from everyone. Busses would be used to transport the missionaries and leave from 3 locations so that was something to anticipate in 3 weeks. Following the meeting, Pam and I left and checked our phones and had no messages from Lance Jarvis about a baby being born. We were somewhat surprised as Stephanie was induced yesterday. We drove home, stopping at JoAnn’s for some fabric to back a quilt and then to our apartment. I called Lance and he answered, and I could hear a baby in the background. Little Peter was born at 4:00 am this morning by C-Section and mother and baby were doing fine. They said we could visit, so we changed clothes and headed to NAS Jacksonville and the Navy Hospital. It took an hour to make the trip, but we found their room and eventually got to go in and visit with Stephanie and Lance and Stephanie’s mother and also greet new little Peter. What a beautiful little boy with red hair. Stephanie was doing fine, but due to the C-Section would be in the hospital until Sunday. We visited for a while and then left taking Stephanie’s mother with us and taking her to their home in Atlantic Beach. It was nice to visit with her as we drove along.

Friday morning, we left for the USO at 8:30 am and ended up opening the facility as Dave Ostrum was late arriving. There were several patrons waiting for Zoo tickets. Unfortunately, we didn’t have tickets until Dave arrived and opened the safe. That was our primary occupation throughout the morning—selling tickets and taking phone calls about tickets. I took care of a few donations and a few other odd jobs, but basically, we sold tickets. We finally left at 1:30 pm and returned to Arlington and had some lunch and continued to our apartment. Yesterday at Zone conference we talked with Elder Alexander and Whitehead about our bed, whether it would be replaced for the Kelley’s. They indicated that is what normally was done, and Elder Whitehead said he would take care of it next week when he returned from Idaho (Sister Whitehead’s mother passed away). He was going to replace it with a King-sized bed, so we drove to Costco and purchased a set of sheets, mattress pad, and some new pillows. Back at our apartment Pam had a long visit with her sister, Ann Marie and then we settled in for the night. Called Lance Jarvis and Stephanie and the baby had a good day and were doing well.

Saturday morning, Pam and I did some studying and then began our Saturday cleaning and laundry routine. We finished by noon and left to run some errands and have lunch. We drove to the Naval Station and stopped at the Lagae’s home to drop off an item, but Samantha wasn’t home. We drove around the base to see if the USS Stennis was in port. It had been in port earlier in the week as part of a “Tiger Cruise” activity, but learned when it departed on the 14^th of May it was headed to Navsta Norfolk as part of a homeport change which concluded an around the world cruise. We had some lunch and then drove to a watch repair store next to BJ’s and dropped off a watch for a battery change. We wandered around BJ’s for the better part of an hour and then picked up the watch and returned to our apartment for the day. We finished the laundry, put the clothes away and settled in for the night.

Sunday morning, we left for Jacksonville Beach at 9:20 am and arrived at the chapel and visited with the Sister Missionaries and ward members for a few minutes before Sacrament meeting commenced at 10:00 am. Jenny and Olivia Black, Tyler Gneck, Lance Jarvis, Noblit’s and Shay Tuttle were with us today and the chapel was full. Sacrament meeting was excellent, and the program highlighted the seminary program and two graduates spoke plus two teachers. In Sunday School Brother Hardy led the discussion and we had an excellent lesson. During the second hour I got a text message from Nikki Head asking for help. She was sick and needed some medicine, so we got the information on what she needed and following the block drove to the Navy Exchange and purchased the items and drove to Nikki’s home on base and delivered them. She was very appreciative, and we hoped it helped. We also drove to the Lagae’s and dropped off some Chocolate Pam had for her and she visited for a few minutes. Jerald was at sea for a few days. It was almost 2:00 pm when we got home, and Pam fixed dinner and it was very good. We watched some programming on BYU television and then Pam had a long nap. Tyler indicated he had seen Alexis Connelly in his squadron spaces, so we knew she was back in Jacksonville, just can’t get her to respond to calls and texts. Lance indicated he would be bringing Stephanie home with the baby this afternoon.