Well, this has been a long dry spell.  It is so frustrating when the computer isn't as smart as you think it ought to be and won't do what you want it to do.  We are still having troubles but hopefully things will get better.  We finally broke down and purchased a lap top so we can use it part of the time.  We have been really slow at the Johnson Home this month, glad when we can get 2-4 tours on our shift.  There have been no big groups, mostly couples, so numbers don't add up very fast. 
We traveled to Youngstown one p-day and visited a historic mill, did a bit of hiking, crossed a suspension bridge and walked through some awesome gardens.

 

We have had a special mission tour with Elder Bowen of the Seventy.  It was a super good meeting, just a bit hard to sit for 4 1/2 hours.  Lots of good advice, encouragement and suggestions on how to make things grow in our mission as we meet and teach. 

We also had a corn roast at the home of Bill and Shirley Mars for our Singles activity this month.  Only two singles showed up but boy did we have a feast.  Yummy corn, hot dogs and great company.

This is a trial and hopefully we have things working so we can get back on track with this blog.  Today was our P-day so we went to Akron to visit this house.  It is the Stan Hywet House built in 1915.  It belonged to the Goodyear Rubber inventor the Seiberling Family.  Wow!!! it is over 65000 square feet with twenty three bathrooms, a swimming pool and even a full sized gym. There is about 70 acres of gardens.  Truly a breathtaking place and we enjoyed it. Took the Nook and Cranny Tour and so really get into all of them.  We also walked through the main home and out through the gardens.  Was a fun day. 

This is the rock quarry on the property that has filled with water surrounded by the beautiful gardens.

We keep having trouble with our desk top computer so purchased a new lap top and we are getting acquainted.  So far it is working pretty good but it is taking some getting used to.  If this works I will do some catching up. 

Well, we got lost. Yep! Lost! The RUUUTTTSTONROADRALLY happened on Saturday. We helped get things going and then took off with our set of directions. Got so involved getting the photo for extra points that we missed the first turn off so had to turn around and go back....lost time. Didn't do too bad after that, got our second set of instructions and off we went again. Well we also got turned around this time as well but ended up being first at the next check in point. Not sure if that was a good thing or not. Then things really got nasty. We went left instead of right for 5 miles, finally realized and turned around, took another wrong turn because it didn't match the instructions and so finally just set our GPS for the church and headed there. Well, upon arriving everyone else was sitting there eating sandwiches and not missing us at all. Guess they had decided that we had just headed home. Anyway, so much for that, however we still have the instructions and might try it again on our own. Got to see a lot of new country so it was a fun adventure. We had our singles activity for July. It was a river walk with John Ridinger to learn about some of the history of the Cuyahoga River and the settlement of Kent. Only trouble was that no singles turned up. It had rained hard all day so that discouraged some and not sure what else but the Wells' had a great personal tour and enjoyed it very much. We also took our P-day and went to Kirtland. The Petersons took us to Garfield's Home which is a national park. It was very interesting and quite the house. We learned quite a bit of history concerning that President of only 200 days. Most of the home was built after he died. This one picture is of his office, notice the big chair...he liked to sit side ways with his legs over the one side. Things are considerably slower here at the home but we still have some very special tours. It is amazing how many connections can be made with the people who come. They have been in our home town or know someone we know, etc. They all love the Johnson Home and we love sharing with them. We had our zone conference last week in Youngstown and it was really good. It is fun to be able to meet with the young missionaries and to be taught by them. The couples are usually the investigators and they teach us. So it is fun. President and Sister Vellinga are so good and it is always great to be taught by them. Transfers are coming up soon and it is hard to believe how fast time is flying by. We did get a new couple in Kirtland, the Walkers, who have moved into the Palmer's home and are assigned to the Cleveland 3rd ward. The Palmers were suddenly moved to Canton as MLS missionaries (member, leadership support). The couple that were serving there had an emergency at home and so Palmers were assigned to take their place. They will be able to come up on occasion and help at the Johnson Home so we will see them some times.


Our 'singles group

Well, this is as far as I get.   I have been fighting this computer for the last three weeks and no solution is in sight.  I did get this photo posted but that was the last.  We are working on it so hopefully things can get better.  If anyone has a solution as to why as I try to upload a picture to post it kicks me off of the internet, we would appreciate knowing that. 
AAAARRGGG.... computers who think they are so smart.....

Several special things have happened during the past few days. One day Joseph Smith and his family came to visit. As you can imagine it caused quite a stir. It was a little family who are taking pictures to do a children's church history picture book. They were so good to pose for pictures for the visitors that were there and it was a fun day. I asked the little boy is he liked his picture taken and he told me yes and then told his dad that he would be famous someday. Cute family.

One day we visited the Hale Farm. It is a historical site where they have brought some of the old buildings from the area and restored them. It was a fun day and very interesting. The guides at the sites were fun to visit with and could give us lots of history. They did weaving, candle making, brooms, and even a working blacksmith. The man with the brooms recognized our badges and so took us over to the basement of the visitors center and showed us the safe that had belonged to Joseph Smith when he did the Safety Society.

 

On the way home we stopped at a produce shop and relaxed in the swing. Fun, Fun!

This has been one wild week. First of all on Wednesday we had two tornado warnings. We were giving a tour to a young couple and so didn't want to go up stairs. We just visited in the lower part of the home and watched and waited. A companionship of sisters were out and about and stopped in to get out of the weather. Also a young mother with her three little kids came in. Guess the tornados went just to the north and east of us but boy did we ever have the wind and rain. The rain gauge out on the fence holds six inches and it was overflowing. Lasted for a couple of hours before anyone wanted to leave and then I guess roads in all directions were rivers. In town the river had flooded the main intersection and was up to the hoods on the cars in the car lot. Wow!!! We also have had a very busy week with lots of visitors and bus tours. One very special group was high school seniors on a church history tour. They were in Sunday dress and each had their scriptures and journals. After a very spiritual tour they each found a shady spot and were reading their scriptures and writing in their journals. They then gathered and sang in front of the Home and when the bus started up no one wanted to leave. Truly a group of very special young people. A lot of families have visited on their way to the Hill Cumorah pageant so it has been busy. Really has kept us busy at times but that sure made the week go by in a hurry. We are excited for the safe arrival of little Annie. On one of the tours I had there was a little five month old baby. She kept talking to me, cooing and laughing. I finally told her she was making it hard for me because she was so cute and wish I could hold her. I then told them about Annie so it was fun. Special people.


This was sort of a regular week with seemingly not much going but ended up with several special things.  We were invited to a 4^th of July picnic with the Berryhill Family so we were able to celebrate that.  Lots and lots of great food and a special family!  We had some special families visit.  One family was on their way to be in the Hill Cumorah Pageant and came here on their way.  She made the comment that since the Johnson Home was so far out and away from the main part of things that those choosing to come here would make the sacrifice to do so.  We hadn’t thought of it that way but that is really what it is and so we get some of the really special visitors that want to know and feel the spirit of this home.

Sister Hillman and Sister Stoddard are going home so Friday was their last tours at the Johnson Home.  They were sort of sad but we had lots of tours for them so it was a good day.  They truly are great sisters.

 

 

Wednesday for our p-day we went down to Dover and Berlin after apartment inspections.  We visited the Warther train museum and then went to the new Warther ship museum.  It was really awesome so see the detail, all of which was ivory.  The one that does the ships is a grandson of the one who did the trains and they truly are talented and so willing to share that talent.  We also visited some Amish shops and then went to the Behalt Museum which tells the history of the Amish and Mennonite and Huttites.  They have a 10 ft by 265 ft mural circling the room that tells the history and is very impressive.  We left there and hurried back to the Rootstown Chapel for a service project by the singles group.  We cleaned the stoves and ovens in the kitchen and what a job that was.  Turned out really good and we had lots of fun and laughs as we worked.  Was a great day!!

 

 

 

This crazy blog site gave me lots of troubles on Sunday so didn’t get this posted so here goes again and hopefully it will work.  Monday we had the privilege of doing a tour for Sister Stephens who is the 2^nd counselor in the general RS board.  I had her and 8 of her grandchildren and another family of six and we were able to go through the home and had a grand time.  The kids were so good and were right with me the whole time as I shared the stories and testimonies with them.  Dan had the older kids and the adults and they had a great tour as well.  They thanked us again and again and we felt it turned out really good.  Was a special opportunity for us and they were a great family, 31 of them.

That night we traveled to Kirtland for a FHE with all of the couple missionaries.  We had a great picnic.  It was scheduled to be outside but the rain said otherwise so we had an indoor picnic.  We then held a discussion afterwards of some of our concerns, successes and the process of visitor’s centers.  Really a great evening. 

Well, now let me tell you about this week and what a week it was.  As we were finishing up tours on Sunday night, I suddenly became sick.  By morning I was looking for a doctor and was able to get into the TLC Clinic here in Garrettsville.  I met the nicest doctor by the name of Annette and was soon on medication.  Great now thing are looking up!  Course I had to go back by Friday and get my meds changed and again things are now much better.  Thank goodness our P-day was Wednesday so that helped.   Friday and Saturday mornings we had training in Kirtland and so had to be on the road at 5:45 a.m.  It was Melanie from the church missionary department.   She is in charge of visitor’s centers and so was here training us on that.  We met for two hours each day and then hurried back to get the Home opened and ready for visitors.  It was great training and she is such a fun person.  She also visited us at sites.   

We were on afternoons and so served from 2:30 -7:00.  However didn’t get off Friday night until after 7:30 so dad went directly to the booth on Main Street for the Rotary.  This was the big community family weekend and there was lots going on for three days.  He sat in the booth, hopefully to encourage new members.  Not too many nibbles but he did his duty both Friday and Saturday from 8-10 p.m.  They had lots and lots of booths, a carnival, a tractor parade, fireworks and even another parade today.  Last night we saw the coolest thing, Chinese lanterns floating in the night sky.  They were so beautiful. It was really a big event for the community and lots and lots of people.  Oh, MY!

We had a bus tour of family members from one of the Seventies one day and then another one came and went through the home also.  So two general authority tours this week!  Also there have been lots of families so it has been a busy week with visitors.  Today as we arrived at the Home there were four cars there waiting for us to open the gates.  As we were opening the doors two more pulled in. It was a family that was out here on a reunion, 37 of them.  They were really fun to visit with. I ended up taking 15 of the kids along with a couple of adults and we did a kid tour while dad did the adults.  I think they both got the best tour.  I know I really had fun with the kids and they were so good.  They were ages 13 – 4 but had been listening to the Doctrine and Covenants as they traveled and were prepared to learn.  It gave the adults time to do the tour and feel the spirit without wondering if the kids were misbehaving or not.  Sooo good!  As they were finishing other cars were pulling in and so we just kept rotating them through and ended up with 48 visitors (6 tours) on our shift with no sit down time.  We were glad to see the Packers pull in so we could go home.

It is really an opportunity to be able to teach these young people as they come.  Many of them have had the lessons  on the D&C this year as well as the parents have taught them and so they truly come to learn and can feel of the spirit.  Hopefully being in the Johnson Home and in the Revelation Room where these revelations and events happened will help them to stay strong, and give them something to always remember. 

It has been a fun week, an exciting week and it truly has been a great week.  We love serving here in the Johnson Home.  We meet so many special friends as they come to visit.  One couple today visited with me for a long time as they were thinking about a mission and wanted to know how we got where we were and all about our mission.  Of course I loved to share and they will keep in contact with us.  That is the neat thing now; we can keep in contact with visitors, both member and non member and help them to grow in the gospel.