A beautiful daughter of God

I met this dear lady at a baptism of her friend's daughter. A few years ago she started getting sick after a long time they discovered she had carbon monoxide poison from driving her car with a faulty exhaust system around for a year n half. She's in a wheelchair forever with lots of problems physically but it hasn't damaged her spirit. I thank my Heavenly Father that our paths crossed for a brief moment in time. I was able to visit with her for a little while, she taught me so much in a short time. She is from Ok with 3 children. Her oldest boy couldn't take his mom getting sick so left home.

Touch somebody's life

Well so sorry I've tried to post some new pictures but can't seem to get the job done so onward & upward, its been a busy week, we've done a lot of knocking on doors, asking questions. I guess you can probably tell I'm out of my comfort zone however I'm praying really hard that this will get easier for me. We went to a zone conference with Pres & Sister Durrant for the last time, they left on Saturday for their home in Provo or the surrounding area. They taught us how to share the gospel in 3 minutes now that was great. We had to take turns teaching the other senior missionaries there. Hey now I can almost remember how to do this. The new president took over on Saturday his name is President Taylor & he also played ball at BYU, we haven't met him yet. It was fun to get together with all the senior missionaries some couples but quite a few single sisters. Some of these sisters are getting pretty close to going home. Tomorrow 4 of us single sister missionaries are going to the Fort Worth Stockyards for the day. This is someplace that Pres. Durrant told us to go see. He told us a few must see while we're in Texas places so we can cross one off of our list. Yes it is P Day!! Had a great Sabbath day starting at meetings at 7:30, 8:30 & 9:00 all in different wards. It was our report back to the Bishops. Then we attended all our meetings in 1st ward then drove a sister home & went to another ward to listen to some other sister missionaries give the Relief Society lesson. I haven't cried for quite awhile but the spirit got to me today & I did shed a few tears. It was a great lesson on service to others & it might be the person sitting right next to us that needs us. They are getting ready to go home on the 4th of Aug & they're getting a little teary. I love these 2 sisters one from Blackfoot Id, the other from Redmond Washington. They have taught me a lot since I landed in Texas, not just about the work but about life. They have been a blessing in my life. Had a great day at Minnie's Food Pantry & so great to go to the temple this week & ran into Rhonda again. But the highlight of my week was meeting up with Ellen here in Plano on our last p day. We was able to have lunch together & did a little shopping. We talked about just 2 months ago never dreaming we'd be together in Texas. I love our grandkids lots as does every grandparent. Danny's last aunt on his Dad's side passed away this week, I was able to go visit her in April before I left, she told me she was ready to go, I told her if she seen Danny before I did to give him a message from me. I guess she'll see him before me. My thought for the week "I don't think you ever stop giving. I think its an ongoing process & it's not just about being able to write a check. It's about being able to touch somebody's life."...Oprah Winfrey. Have a great 4th of July & yes my thoughts will be back home with ya'll. Sister Putnam

My first pictures I've posted from Texas

This is the Stuart family in Frisco Tx, had a short fun visit & Sammi gave me this picture of Putter & me by the looks it was many moons ago, it brought a few tears to my eyes. Thanks so much for the picture I needed it on this particular day. Love you guys & thanks for the hugs... A hug a day keeps the doctor away. Logan is just teaching me to post pictures. Thanks for your patience.

getting ready to leave for TX

Maud & Emmalee right before I left for Texas

Trying to get Pictures Working

For the road to heaven

What a week, it's so hard to believe how fast the weeks roll by even in Texas. I so want to be diligent in my calling & magnify it to my very best but some days that's pretty hard. My dear companion is so wanting to preach the gospel, baptize & find more. Sometimes I feel like we're a little too pushy for my liking. We've just been finding people for Bishops to see if they're still living at the address or if they've moved & just visit with them but her visiting is a bit different than mine. I guess it's a good thing we're all different. She don't really need a companion cause she likes to do all the talking so I just try & keep aware of my watch & the time, then I have to shut it down or it could go on all night, she gets mad at me but oh well. I'm trying to be a good companion but she's lots different than my companion that I had for 45 years. Trust me I'm learning a whole lot of stuff that I've never had to learn before. On the other hand I love the gospel & I feel bad for the Lord to be perfect & then have to work with so many imperfect people, it must be frustrating to say the least. I also love the people down here they are so kind. A week ago we were in getting a little ice cream when an Asian man went up to the counter & paid for our ice cream, he wasn't a member but was so nice. A lady from Hong Kong that I met a few weeks ago call & wanted us to come for lunch so of course we went. I have to tell you it was the best steak, salad with the biggest shrimp I've ever seen, baked beans & fruit. The steaks made me homesick for our friends & the many times we'd get together with good steaks & food. That was Putter's saying good food, good family & good friends. I've been a little homesick this week cause I knew it was the Woodruff car show & Danny was determined to walk all the way around it last year, it took its toll on him but he didn't care. He wanted to take the Ragtop & I couldn't get his wheelchair in it. We then went on up to Evanston to Helen Burns memorial & he sang along with a tape to Kris Kristopher's song, "What have I ever done to deserve even one of the blessings I've known" then he said, "That's my new song" so we played it at the cemetery the day of his burial, I looked up in the sky and there was one lone Vulture flying high above the pine tree. It brought a smile to my face because he'd told me to get the gun & shoot them if they fly around our house. What's the chances one would be flying just at that time? We have a big day tomorrow starting at a priesthood meeting at 6 am that all the missionaries are suppose to be to, then we have a pec meeting in another ward & 2 wards to attend their meetings & dinner at 5:oo pm with a dear lady who we might live with after the other sister missionaries leave in August, but who knows. Well that's just a little going through my mind today so I thought it might be good for me to write it down. The high light of my week was we got to meet Cindy, Sammi, Parker Stuart, Maxine & Carol Garrison in Frisco Tx. We had an ice cream, visited for around an hour, then yes we had to say goodbye. Have to say it was rather hard to see them leave but it was just what I needed that day. A hug from each one of them will get me through some more hard days. I love the Lord & His goodness to me in my life, I've had such a good life that I could never begin to repay Him a little lone His Atonement for me. Thanks for the letters & cards they really do help on those difficult days. My thought for this week, "For the road to heaven, turn right & go straight...daily calendar. Happy birthday to my sweet Emmalee...Sister Putnam

Happiness is an inside job

I've been on a roller coaster ride for the last 2 weeks, my companion was transferred to Mesquite Tx so we packed her up & I took a load for her & then I helped my new companion unload her stuff & haul them all back up 15 stairs then 1 week later we moved from there hauling everything back down 15 stairs to Allen Tx & up 40 stairs. Now my new companion is 77 yrs old so that's a lot of stairs for her & me. I'm getting muscles in the back of my legs that look like Popeye's arms. I miss seeing the fireflies but our apartment faces west so I can watch the sunsets & they are beautiful. Also I can watch the planes coming in to land at the Dallas Fortworth airport. I enjoy spending a little time out there in the evenings. Finally last week we were able to do some missionary work. We are working in 3 new wards with Bishops, Relief Society pres & Mission leaders finding people who are less active or have been lost. That was quite an experience but met some great people & got to visit with lots of different nationalities. I truly love that. We went to family home evening with a Martinez family, such a great family the mom is straight from South Korea & the father from Mexico, their children are beautiful the one daughter is going to BYU this fall so they are going to Utah. His immediate family all live in SLC now. They were both missionaries & are very active in the gospel. I went to pec meeting in a new ward they ask where I was from I said, "Randolph Utah" they wondered if I knew any McKinnon's or Thompson's, this is almost getting comical cause every ward I've gone to someone knows someone I know, it really is a small world. A family here just left to go to their cabin on Bear Lake for the summer months. We haven't had internet for about 3 weeks so I'm a little behind. Sure do love you all & think of home lots but I am trying to bloom where I'm planted. I do love the people in Texas & the church is the same everywhere. I'm getting better with my directions only because I bought a better gps I still don't know my directions but I have gained some faith in the gps. I'm getting pretty good well better with all this technology. My thought "Happiness is an inside job. Sweet dreams...Sister Putnam

The roses are wilting

I wrote this post on Danny's birthday but the computer quite working so I couldn't post it. If there's birthdays in heaven I hope he had a great one & was able to spend it with family & friends. Just a little note I sent to heaven to tell him happy birthday & hope it was a good one, pain free. We planted a tree for him last year on his special day & it lived through the winter. Well my companion was transferred on Monday so I took a load for her to Mesquite Texas that is & I followed my new companion back. It was a very tiring day with lots of lugging, it made me think of Putter, he would say when he got married his vows said, "I promise to love, honor, cherish & lug for the rest of my life & needless to say he done plenty of it. I sure miss him cause the house I'm living in needs lots of stuff done & Danny always done that STUFF for me. I've had to toughen up & I've done a little bit of everything believe me. Life is good & we're starting to meet lots of people. I was able to give the lesson in Relief Society with my companion. I started & told just a bit about where I was from. I said a small town in northern Utah, someone ask what the name of the town was? I said, "Randolph" I heard someone say "oh you might know my aunt & uncle." I said probable so, well it was Jane & Glade Hatch. It's getting quite funny cause everywhere we've went pretty well I've known someone they knew. My companion said Randolph is the littlest big place I've heard of. We've been able to visit lots of sick people this week & one with Hospice dying it brought back some raw memories. I had a nice chat with the son who is an only child & not a member but his mom is. We went to the temple last night with the Plano 9th Ward sisters. It was a great night, we've been able to go once a week so I'm learning a lot about life in the big city & among non members & with new companions. I was so excited to get a letter from Elder & Sister Huffaker, it was great cause Chuck had done the writing, I think, & drew a picture of Elder & Sister Huffaker it looks really good. It sure did make my day!! Well it's finally cooling down till it's just a little stream running down your back instead of a river (sweat). I just walked outside & seen a sliver of a moon I'm so thankful for that. Have a great evening & the roses are wilting here. They all tell me just wait until July & August...if I think it's hot now.. One of my favorite scriptures is Matt 11:28-30. Sister Putnam

Feed just one

I had a wonderful day on Monday, Sister Baxter, Sister Hulse & myself drove to the Arlington Cemetery outside of Dallas Tx. a ways. We went to the program at 11:00 so beautifully done. Loved the big choir, the big band, the speeches, then they read the all the names off that are in the cemetery & laid a rose in which ever division they served in for the families to take. They had the 21 gun salute done with cannons & concluded with taps done with a bagpipe. I love this country we live in & the many freedoms we enjoy each day that someone has paid a dear price for us. I walked up & down lots of rows & read their names & the messages that was wrote on the headstones. Served at Minnie's Food pantry again I dearly love doing that & look forward to it each week, guess that has took the place of picking up garbage. Texas is a pretty clean state. Went to the temple on Friday & soaked up the spirit. We were asked to give the Relief Society lesson today in a different ward than we've been going to. I give the first part of it so I was telling a little bit about me & where I was from I said, "A small town in northern Utah someone ask, "What is the name of it, I said, Randolph Utah, A lady then said, "My Aunt & Uncle live there you might know them. I said, "There's a pretty good chance of it, well it turned out to be Glade & Jane Hatch. My companion figures Randolph is the smallest, biggest place she's ever heard of. Lot's of places we've been to either knows someone I know or passed through there on there way somewhere else. It's almost getting funny cause it's happened a lot. Well the Elders usually get to wait 6 weeks for a transfer but not us. Sister McCarthy, my companion is leaving in the morning for Mesquite Texas, & my new companion is from Florida, Sister Smith. She has just had breast cancer & gone through chemo. My thought, if you can't feed a 100 people then feed just one--Mother Teresa. Love ya all & have a great week. Sister Putnam