Missionary Fun and Frivolity

Here's Mom and Ruben's latest update!
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Hi family members everywhere,

South Carolina is treating us well. In the past two weeks since I
wrote we have visited or found 70 houses in the ward. We've visited
lots of inactive members, left notes on lots of doors and even visited
with a few faithful members.
We've increased our appreciation for young elders and sisters by
hundreds of percentage points and now understand all of the talks and
pleas for member involvement in the work.
That last comment is the truth and a subtle reminder. All of you
faithful children, nieces nephews and in-laws who served full time
missions we salute you.
Most days we spend driving long distances to find inactive members and
they live far apart out here. We are putting seventy or eighty miles a
day on the pickup and having a great time.
The members of the ward continue to be very kind and they seem to
think we have some magical abilities at bringing people back to
church. We sure have them fooled! We eat with members almost every
evening and we love the families with little kids. One little girl
named Lainey Margaret Pennock even sang "you are my sunshine" to us
and it made us feel like margaret kate or paige was singing to us. We
have learned to take toys for the kids with us and candy to pass out,
something about missionaries makes little kids run around and go
totally crazy when you show up at their house.
The last couple of days have been funny, at least you will probably
think so especially if you are aware of my hand-cuffed piano skills
and Elder Garnicas love of animals, especially dogs. Out in the
country people have dogs, one inactive family has 56 who live in the
house with them. The Lord will probably have to go there, no one else
will.
In Sacrament meeting today the ward music chairman who knows that I
can attempt to play the piano ask me to play some prelude music since
the organist hadn't shown up yet and we have two hrs worth of meetings
before the meeting. I sat down to play confident that since I could
pick the songs, I would be able to play them. After a few minutes the
Bishop came over and patted me on the back and said thanks for playing
to day in Sacrament, my wife is supposed to but the babys sick.
Terrifying for me and hard on the ears for the congregation.
Yesterday we went up a muddy dirt driveway to a mobile home on
cinderblocks, there were a couple of dogs, little mangy yappy ones.
Elder Garnica is brave, Sister Garnica is a chicken. He got out and
went to the door, no one answered. Unfortunately he turned his back
on one of the little dogs and CHOMP! some minor holes in his socks and
his ankle! You are laughing now aren't you!
I deserve the laugh, poor Ruben doesn't but he laughed too! good sport!

We love you all and miss you lots. Thanks for posting on your blogs,
we love the pictures and look at them often. Marci McEuen Johnson!
enough said.

We were glad to hear Haleys encouraging news and hope everyone else is
well. Our prayers are with you.

Honey and Papa