Stirring the pot

We put a lot of miles on the car again this week. Besides a trip to Brampton we made two trips to Kingston.  Monday was our swimming party at the Campbellford Holts for the branch family home evening. They have been working to get enough of the deck completed to be able to access their new pool.

Holt's pool with just enough deck

We had a nice barbeque along with other food (including a gluten-free bun). Everyone loved Sister Wheeler's gluten-free chocolate chip cookies as well as her quinoa salad.

Yummy food

Gail with her son, Sam

Tim and Russ

We didn't go swimming, but had a chance to sit around and talk. It was a relaxing afternoon and evening. As it ended up, no one went swimming.

Relaxing in the yard

We had a game of ladder-golf which consists of wrapping a rope connecting two golf balls around a metal frame. The Wheelers ended up being the champions for the evening.

The ladder-golf champion

 Tuesday was transfer day so we went to the temple in Brampton. Since more missionaries are returning home than arriving several areas were closed, including Smith Falls (the Bosches are still there as a senior couple) and Napanee in our zone. We will have more missionaries coming in next transfer.

Sister Klein and Sister Braithwaite going home

Senior couples dinner after the temple session

The temple grounds is a beautiful place and a favorite spot for the Seiks from India (who are common in Brampton). Elder Wheeler stopped and talked to several of them. One had a question about why they can't enter the temple. Elder Wheeler talked about it being the House of God and the need to be worthy to worship God in a personal way. It seemed to satisfy him. He said he had asked several people before, but had never had an answer he could understand.

Seiks at the temple

We decided to go home the back way, but noticed by the sun we were headed Northwest instead of Southeast. We finally took out the GPS, which let us know where we were since the road we were on was not on our map. The GPS said we would arrive home at 10:15 PM so we went our own way instead of following its directions and got back to Campbellford at 10:00 PM. Soon after we got home we got a call informing us that we would have district meeting in Kingston rather than in Belleville since there is now only one district in the zone.

Wednesday brought a long drive (1.5 hr) to Kingston for district meeting. Each of the areas in the zone were affected by the transfer. We were able to get back to meet with President Holt at the church to clean out some more files in the clerk's office.

Elder Olsen and Elder Decker replaced the Belleville sisters

Elder Ashton was joined by Elder Nash as our zone leaders

Sister Jungert and Sister Sutton went to Brockville

Elder Svienson (DL) joined Elder Koceja in Trenton

 Thursday we took a long walk along the canal and through Ferris Park. We have only had short walks this week because of the traveling. We had our Pearl of Great Price class in the evening. The lesson was on the use of agency as exemplified by Adam and Eve (good examples) and Cain (bad example).

Crossing the suspension bridge in Ferris Park

A great blue heron in the Trent River

Friday was a different preparation day. As we were driving this week the maintenance light came on in the car so we took it to the Honda dealership in Peterborough. Since we had a 8:00 AM appointment and it is a 45 minute drive we had to leave before our walk. It was to take about 3 hours so we went across the street to Burnham Provincial Park for a walk. It had been raining, but it wasn't too muddy for the walk. Last time we were here it was too icy to walk.

Trail in Burnham Provincial Park

Once the car was finished we went to the Peterborough zoo. We took a lazy stroll around the zoo and along the river. We were tired so we decided to go back to Campbellford, stopping for needed groceries on the way back.

Fountain in the zoo

 Saturday was the Campbellford Fair. We decided it would be good for us to go and be among the people. It gave us the opportunity to talk to several people we would have not been able to meet otherwise. Trent Hills is closed to proselytizing, but we try to make a good impression for the church as often as circumstances will permit.

Vegetables at the fair
Their first place ribbons are red and second place are blue

New friends at the fair

And you thought your bugs were big!

 One of the events was a 4x4 challenge. It included climbing across a rock pile, over a culvert, and through mud pits. Richard should have been here with his 4-runner.

Not enough mud for the pit

The rock climb

Up and over

 The 4-H also had calfs for judging.

Young girl with her calf

We also saw a tractor pull which used a load of heavy rocks that progressed along a skid adding to the load the farther they went.

Tractor pull

As we mentioned earlier, we love the countryside here. A lady at the dairy display told us about the advantages of raising children on a farm (Would that work for grandchildren as well?). Maybe we should buy a small farm when we return and have a little room to move around. Many homes have large lawns and use riding mowers. Of course they don't water their lawns like we need to in Utah. They have some cute old tractors here. Of course we would need a red tractor - real tractors are red. (When Elder Wheeler was starting school he had a picture of a tractor and instructions "color the tractor red").

A "real" red tractor

In the afternoon there was gospel music in the park with a series of singers performing. We stopped by and listened a little then walked around Campbellford.

Gospel singer in the park

We didn't go to Trent Hills branch for meetings today. President Davis, the district president asked us to go to Kingston for sacrament meeting so we could meet with him afterwards about the district maps. He wanted us also to give him an assessment of how things were going with the Trent Hills branch. He then dropped a bombshell and called Elder Wheeler to be the elder's quorum president. We have been here for seven months without a calling and got one with only three months left. The idea is to prepare some of the new members to take over. We figured it would take time before it was all in place, but when we got home we learned that he was sustained in Trent Hills before he was called in Kingston. They had a linger-longer after meetings so we were able to get a bite to eat before heading back home.

At the linger-longer

So --- the week ends with the pot stirred for missionaries in the zone as well as in the branch. It will be interesting to see what the next three months brings.