Boy it sure seems like we've got a slow start at this.  First two weeks of January we were gone then the Jim came home with a cold and the following week I got it.  He was coughing all the time and mine was in my head.  Didn't feel like we should be doing much visiting.  We attended Ward Council on the 15th and the Bishop gave us 3 families to visit but we didn't feel like we should take our germs to them.
   We got to speak in Sacrament meeting last Sunday.  Our subject was "Gifts of the Spirit".  I guess we did okay.  Had several compliments.  I was glad I could get through it without coughing or having my nose start dripping.
   So this week we actually went out to do some visits.  Brother & Sister Patrick are a retired couple and he has pretty bad health.  She retired from the Canyon County Sheriff where she was a deputy.  She is really a talker and he doesn't say much at all.  He recently was in the hospital.  He has diabetes, congestive heart failure, and was having internal bleeding which was the reason for the hospital visit.  He's been on Warfarin (blood thinning medicine) for longer than is recommended and it caused the internal bleeding.  I guess he is still having some bleeding but is more stable.
   They have 3 chiwawa dogs.  Holy cow, you don't need a door bell with them in the house.  After they settled down and decided we were no threat they were okay.
   We talked about her conversion, which included all of her religious experiences, which included her marriage to a Jehovah's Witness and her being baptized with them.  She said she always had questions no one could answer.  Ultimately it was the Relief Society program that cinched it for her.
  Before we left she had to take me to her "sanctuary" sewing room.  She is an experienced sewer but is just beginning to quilt.
   I had explained that we were stake missionaries when I called to make the appointment.  Before we left I was asking if they can't get to church, would they like the sacrament brought to them.  She said that she will be coming to church but he didn't want any kind of lessons or the sacrament.  He was friendly enough but I got the feeling he isn't to interested in increasing his knowledge.  After we left Jim asked me if he is a member for sure.  That was the impression I got but we kind of wonder.
   We also visited a sister (Laura Abbott) that lost her husband in December to suicide.  She has 3 boys that are off to college (2 at BYU and one in New York), and a 16 year old daughter that is at home.  In the course of our conversation she said that she also lost her mother to suicide a few years ago.  I can't even imagine what that must be like.  She said her husbands family all have mental health issues and most of his siblings are on medication but he wouldn't have anything to do with it because in his mind he was just fine.  He'd been out of work for a couple of years and couldn't pay any bills or contribute and she is sure that is what caused him to do that.  I think she's an amazing sister because she is handling it pretty well.  She said that in a way it is a relief because living with mental illness is very stressful.  But now she has to deal with all the legal stuff and probate and all the red tape.  My heart goes out to her.
   We got a ward list from the ward clerk a couple of weeks ago and the Bishop had said that we need to sit down and go over it and he could tell us about everyone that we might possibly meet and work with.  Jim sent the executive secretary a text today to get a meeting set up so we can do that.  I feel like we really aren't doing enough.  We need to be busier missionaries!