Blog of September 10, 2016
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| HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATHY |
Usually we don’t have zone conferences immediately following
transfer week but such was the case this past week with hardly time to catch
our collective breath before we were on the road again. Monday morning involved
a concerted effort to get a bit caught up before loading up what would be
needed for the car inspections and for missionary instruction. Preparing for
the inspections involves printing out a separate sheet by vehicle
identification number for each car. The inspection sheets show what failed to
pass inspection the previous inspection and a list of repair items for that car
previously. These sheets can’t be printed out until all the changes in the
missionary assignments had been completed late last week.
We are equipped to do limited repairs on our mission
vehicles and we keep a supply of items that are relatively easy to replace such
as wiper blades, light bulbs, some filters, floor mats, window scrapers, tire
gauges, etc. We also keep a supply
of a few trim type body parts that can be replaced easily and prove to be
frequently needed. We keep containers of synthetic oil, antifreeze, brake
fluid, and windshield washer solution. All this is kept on a pallet in our
storage area and we roll this out and load it all onto the mission truck which
we drive to each zone conference location. 2-3 zones meet with the mission
president each day in the different locations around the mission. While the
missionaries meet with President and Sister Miles, Elder and Sister Sefcik and
my wife and I do the car inspections. This includes topping off fluids,
checking on engines for smooth starting and running, checking on tire wear and
tire pressures, determining if windshields need to be replaced or if dings need
to be repaired, checking to see if lights, windshield wipers, horn, seatbelts
and other safety features are all operating properly, and then rating the cars
as to cleanliness of the interior and exterior and overall good care of the
car. At each conference we award the drivers having the best-maintained cars
with food gift cards.
Late Monday afternoon we drove to Lethbridge and stayed
overnight in a hotel. Then on Tuesday morning we drove a few blocks to the
designated gathering point at one of our Lethbridge churches. We have to arrive
before the bulk of the missionaries arrive and direct them to park according to
their particular zone. They pull into the assigned area, turn the front wheels
all the way to the left, raise the hood, take everything out of the trunk and
the back seat, leave their keys and their car log on the car seat, and go into
the building for their conference. We had 21 cars to inspect that day. The
weather was very nice and the inspections went smoothly. We finished around
12:30 p.m., ate lunch with the missionaries, and then gave a presentation on
vehicle safety, gas card receipt handling and log book maintenance, and awarded
the gift cards. We two couples then loaded everything up and drove to Cardston
where we were to stay for the next two nights.
The next zone conference would not happen until Thursday;
however, instead of returning all the way to Calgary on Tuesday, only to turn
around and drive all the way south to Cardston, the Sefciks and Kathy and I had
decided to stay in Cardston on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
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| Chief Mountain just southwest of Cardston |
On Tuesday
night Kathy and I walked around a bit and took some pictures around the
Cardston Temple.
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| Temple grounds walkway |
After it got dark we had a very pleasant visit with the couple
who were manning the visitor center, - both long time residents of Cardston and
had served a mission earlier in Ireland. They were able to share some very
interesting historical information with us including the tremendous
difficulties the temple had gone through in the Depression years. Many of the
pews and light fixtures were sold to help meet costs for operating the temple
and pay for expenses such as light and heat. Later when the temple was
renovated (actually restored in this case), which took three years, a call went
out to identify where the pews and fixtures had ended up. Many were still in
the local area and were either given back to the temple or were purchased. This
allowed for the original splendor to be restored. The temple has one of the
most beautiful interiors, in my estimation, of any and is truly a work of art.
It was originally built in the early 1900s and the woodworking and artwork is
spectacular.
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| Temple with newer enclosed courtyard - Beautiful inside with running fountain and flowers |
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| Cardston Temple at twilight |
Elder Sefcik’s great-grandfather fell from a tall scaffolding
during the finish work being done on the inside of the temple and was killed;
this was, fortunately, the only death during the construction. In more recent years the fountain and
the courtyard approach to the temple were enclosed and it is magnificent.
On Wednesday morning we met the Sefciks for breakfast and
drove south from Cardston across the U.S. – Canadian border, then along the St.
Mary’s Lake and up and over into Glacier National Park.
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| Northern end of St Mary's Lake |
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| Western end of St Mary's Lake |
The higher we went the
more cloudy and misty it became, but this only added to the intrigue as we
could occasionally glimpse down the steep mountainsides through gaps in the
clouds.
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| New snow is visible to the eye high up but not to the camera I guess |
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| Breathtaking, especially as you peer over the side of the road! |
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| Some waterfalls are still running this late in the season |
Later as we walked through a cedar grove on the west side of the Park,
we enjoyed the lush tropical setting including some rain as well. On the return
up and over the Logan Pass, we could see a layer of new snow in the
mountaintops. Winter is coming to Glacier National Park!
That same evening, we
again joined the Sefciks and went to the Calgary Temple for a session and then
to dinner.
Thursday morning the day started out sunny and a bit windy.
We made good time with the car inspections and were finished before it was time
to join the missionaries for lunch. We inspected 18 cars that morning and then
gave our presentation again to the missionaries gathered there. The Thursday zone
conference involved a car swap at the end of the conference so this added a new
wrinkle to the day. Because all of our mission cars are licensed in Alberta,
the cars serving in the British Columbia part of our mission can only be in
B.C. for a maximum of six months, otherwise they have to be registered in B.C.
as well. The cost of licensing and registering a car in B.C. is much more
expensive than is true in Alberta, hence the reason for only registering them
in Alberta. Knowing this, we had to have the six cars from B.C. Zone swap for
six of the cars from the Cardston Zone. Adding to the confusion was introducing
one new Nissan Rogue (which Kathy and I drove on our trip south) into the mix
and bringing back a Chevrolet Equinox, a high mileage car needing to be sold.
The Equinox also has some hail damage to the body and on our way back to
Calgary, we went through some intense rain with some hail mixed in but I don’t
think it added to the hail damage.
Friday was a very busy day getting caught up on work that
had piled up and with arranging for repairs and service items for the cars
identified in the inspections.
Yesterday, Saturday, we mostly rested up and cleaned the
apartment, then joined the Sefciks and the Peppingers for some pizza and to
watch the BYU-Utah football game. Fortunately the game was carried on Fox,
which we get here in Calgary.
This week was Kathy’s birthday. We celebrated it by
inspecting cars! - not the way she would have preferred it, I’m sure, but she
has had birthday all week long including being sung to by the missionaries,
flowers, cards, and calls. I just asked, and she said, “It was a poopy
birthday!” Next year we’ll do better.
We love you all and hope your week goes well.
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