Happy Fall, All Y'all!!

     Sister Barfuss loves peacocks and a dear friend sent this Thanksgiving Greeting along with several cherished others.  It is wonderful to have the humidity slow down with temperatures between 40 and 73 degrees. Decorations for the holidays bring a festive spirit everywhere now, but the drivers will still take every opportunity to fill your safe following space!!
     Elder and Sister Barfuss are growing to love the Sylacauga Branch members.  They even run a tight family history program on Tuesdays with Sister Blanchard and Young Women's for two girls every Wednesday!!  The Whitbeck family from another ward spoke in Sacrament meeting and really inspired everyone.  The Spirit touched our hearts on the truths from their speaking assignments, "Repentance is Always Positive" by Stephen W. Owen and Sister Oscarson's "The Power of One."  Their teenage son also spoke on the tree of life and Joseph Smith's vision.  For Sunday School Brother Cordner gave an excellent lesson and comments from Craig Sewig's "Looking through the eyes of the Savior" with spiritual eyes instead of temporal eyes.  Sister Hardy  gave a combines RS and Priesthood lesson on Elder Hallstrom of the 70's talk, "Has the Day of Miracles Ceased?"  When we sang "Tis sweet to Sing the Matchless Love" I thought of my dear departed Mother who loved the song testifying of our Savior.  Sometimes the Spirit of the Holy Ghost is so strong in this tiny branch you could cut it with a knife!!  I will find myself in tears when the truths of the Lord's Gospel fall on my ears and it sometimes surprises and delights me.
   

      Sister Barfuss had begun a mission quilt in the evening hours and is loving the process of picking batik fabrics and following Edyta Sitar's exquisite "Laundry Basket Quilt"patterns.  Using the creative brain is like a drink of ice cold water to a thirsty traveler (steeped in the behind the scenes work of the mission) so so refreshing and a breath of fresh air.

 Some of our missionaries come to the mission office when they are on exchanges.  Elder Townsend is from Janet and Lane's Afton and always teases Elder Barfuss and vise versa.  Elder Milius and Elder Lewis are most excellent AP's to the President and Elder Egbert is a great trainer for Elder Townsend.

     President and Sister Sainsbury hosted the older couple missionaries for Thanksgiving with one of their daughter's families. We all brought dishes to share and I bought 4 pecan pies and did the green bean casserole.   It was amazing how drawn I was to their grand daughter Clare, just a four year old sprite, helping with everything and so happy.  It made me realize how much I miss our own grands and neighbor kids!! We made leftover covered plates for some missionaries and delivered them later.  It was a lazy day compared to the years I made the whole dinner and all of us enjoyed visiting afterward.

          Elder Barfuss turned 64 November 26th and threatened me to not tell ANYONE!!  I told him I thought Sister Tuck had it handled!!  At the President's home when we welcomed the Barker senior missionary couple with dessert, Sister Tuck greeted everyone by saying, "Happy Birthday Elder Barfuss."   Sister Tuck printed it in the bulletin so he recieved a text and two phone calls from missionaries!!  The Sylacauga Elder Lindstrom started playing a Primary birthday song that was pre programmed into the key board and we sang after the block of meetings.  We were three fourths through the song when Elder Barfuss looked up from talking and said, "HEY!!" It was pretty funny.  All of our children checked in on the phone and some left darling video clips for Opa.  I baked him his favorite German Chocolate cake that he shared with missionaries and the Tucks when they all stopped by for apartment equipment.  He enjoyed four birthday greeting cards.