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

Thank God & our Soldiers

I've seen a few rain storms in my life but I don't know if I ever seen it like it rains in Texas, they say everything is bigger in Texas & that would be true for the rain drops too. We only had 3 houses to pass from the church house before we are at home & I couldn't even keep my feet in my shoes & we were soaked clear through. Of course we forgot our umbrellas. It's pretty hard to keep track of an umbrella when you've never used one in your whole entire life. It was quite funny the first time I went to use mine I didn't even know what knob to push but I know now. Well I love the fireflies at night it almost looks like sparklers flying around on the lawns. We walked for 2 miles the other night & seen 2 bunnies, they're not as cute as the ones out home. There was a squirrel killed in front of our house yesterday, I walked out to my car this morning & I thought I was in Randolph a huge black bird was cleaning up the squirrel remains, I know it has to be related to the vultures in Randolph it looked like a grandpa vulture. I decided to wait for a while I didn't want him to pack me off somewhere else (I just got my address learned). We had lunch yesterday at our Mission President's home & met the other sister missionaries with our same calling. There are 8 sisters around the Texas area, they did the pilot program on this kind of a mission out here in Plano Texas & that is the two sisters we will replace in August, they're going home. We've gone with them a lot & certainly learned from them. After lunch we went to the temple & soaked up the spirit, all in all it was a great day. I know there's a lot going on at home this weekend & my thoughts keep drifting towards home but tomorrow we are going to a big memorial cemetery for the military, I'm looking forward to that. However my heart will be in the Randolph Cemetery & with Putter. I have felt his presence here with me a few times since I've been out here. I sure do love & miss him lots, I can't believe its almost been 11 months in a way it seems like a life time & in another way seems like yesterday. One thing we can depend on is that time just keeps moving on & fast. It's p day tomorrow so better get to bed. My thought for the week, "We haven't forgotten GOD or the SOLDIER, who are the brave, those who served mankind...author unknown. I thank the men & women past, present & future who gave their time & some their lives for my freedom & I thank God for the experience of coming to earth & for providing a way for us to return back to His presence. I love our Savior...Sister Putnam

running on roof tops

It's been a little cooler in Texas this week & rather enjoyable. My highlight this week was attending the temple & getting to visit with my friend Rhonda for about 5 minutes but it was so great to see a friend from younger days. This is the first temple I've been to that isn't on a hill, I couldn't even see it until we pulled in the parking lot. My other highlight was working in Minnie's Food Pantry for 3 hours, it was great to work & know you are helping someone who needs help. It was a great experience. Now here in Texas there are plenty of squirrels with bushy tail running everywhere including on top of the roofs, you almost have to pack a stick when you go walking to get them off the sidewalks. I have to say they are a bit prettier than our squirrels out home, they look like they've been to the beauty parlor. I was able to watch a full moon as we were driving home from Dallas the other night & want you all to know I was thinking of you back home & how much I love you & thank you for everything you've done for me over a life time. Went to a talent show at the ward Friday night the Elders played the piano so beautiful & Nathan (the son where we live) played his violin with one of the elders on the piano so touching. I couldn't think of a talent I could do so I just listen to the rest. My blessing said "I have many hidden talents" so I'm trying to discover some of them but haven't found them YET. Congratulations to all the track team from Rich High last week end at State. It's great to hear you all done well. Well I better get ready for Sacrament Meeting & go pertake of the spirit. My thought for the week: "Storms make trees take deeper roots"--Dolly Pardon. I believe it works the same for people also...Sister Putnam

First week in Dallas Texas

Well my first week in the mission field as a full time missionary was a mighty HOT one. I must say to feel a little snow right now would feel mighty good but I will survive & bloom where I'm planted. Thanks to Danalee & Sandra for driving out with me & having a little girl time, oh yes, thanks to their husband & kids for holding down the fort while their moms were away. We have officially a place to lay our heads down at night. We are living with OZZIE who is a wonderful, kind & gracious lady. She is not a member of our church but she goes to church & we went with her today. She has two children Cristina 12 & Nathan 14. We helped her with a birthday party last night for a lady they all call MOMA, yes her favorite cake is a carrot one so I baked my first carrot cake in good old Texas. I was scared cause I didn't know if the altitude would make it bake different. It was fun to meet some of Ozzie's friends, quite a delightful night. Well my first time at church a man came up to me & said, "You're from Randolph Utah, you might know my niece, Nancy Weston." Now what is the chance of that happening? He felt like family so good to run into someone that knows someone you know. Well better get to bed so I can get up in the morning & study. Studying does not come easy for me. My thought for the week is: when we've done everything we can, God does everything we can't. I'm certainly relying on that. Have a great week & know I love you all...Sister Putnam

Bowl of three minute noodles

Wow!!! Dallas Texas is a BIG city, we drove in at 9pm last night on the interstate with construction everywhere, lights flashing all over the place & three tired women who couldn't wait to get in bed but we made it safe & sound. The Sheraton Hotel was the first hotel we could find so we stopped & dropped but first the toilet wouldn't flush so we had to call for help, Dana & I hurried & jumped in bed so Sandra had to do the dirty work. It wasn't all that great for the money but at that time we didn't care, we were off the interstate & spaghetti bowels. This place & their spaghetti bowls makes Salt Lake look like a small bowl of three minute noodles. I had an awesome week at the MTC & learned so much & found out I know very little about lots of things. There were so many people with 300 coming in on Wednesday that was all young Elders & Sisters. It was so fun to watch them at meal time. Thanks to everyone for all your support & help in getting me on my way. Sunday morning early I rode up west of Randolph, found a little stream & just sat down in the silence & listened to the birds singing. I figured that might be the last silence I would hear for awhile & now I'm pretty sure of it. We meet our mission president tomorrow morning & then move our stuff in to a non members house in Plano TX. I brought lots of kitchen stuff from home cause they told us we had to get our own apartment, oh well I've learned already to adapt to change cause I think that's going to happen a lot. The lady we are living with is from Ethiopia with 2 children & divorced. We will be staying with her till August & then we will move into another lady's home for the rest of our mission, of course things can change. Well love you all & could sure use your prayers. A thought we seen on a sign on our way to Texas...Satan subtracts & divides God adds & multiplies...cp