Jordan will have had is first week of nothing in a long time. He spent quite a few months in Bavaro, the tourist part of the Dominican Republic. Electricity and Hot Water 24/7. It was a really tough area. Not many who were willing to listen to the wonderful message they have to bring them. Here is a short version of his
months there.
His first companion there was Elder McBride. He is actually from Gilbert, AZ and although they did not know each other before they had many mutual friends. Their companionship worked really hard in this area. Even though they were frustrated as to the lack of willing people to listen to the gospel, they gave it their all and worked really really hard.
Together they saw and experienced many difficult things. One of their investigators was murdered in a random shooting, and while Elder McBride was in this area, there were no baptizms at all. They worked really hard to help the people in this small branch to learn how to be leaders and they really strengthened this area, but their teachings and their support.
They had Thanksgiving dinner at one of the members homes and she was so sweet and actually spent a lot of money to buy a turkey for them so that they would feel a little piece of home. I really love that lady for her efforts that day.
They lived on the top floor of the church building and Jordan is 6'4"ish and his head hits the ceiling.
Although packages took a lot longer to get to Bavaro because they are so far away from the capital, when he got them, he was thrilled for all of the goodies inside.
As you can see there were lots of happy moments!!! He is such a great kid.
This is the church building there in Bavaro. Their apartment is the upper floor where the laundry is hanging out to dry. Good luck with that drying thing. They are always wet there.
Elder McBride was a wonderful companion, and they made great efforts together.
Here is one of Jordan's favorite Haitian Brothers. I don't know any of their names, but he loves these Haitian's they alway made him smile.
The man in the computer is Brother Holland, or better known as Papa Smurf to us.
He was Jordan's YM's leader for many years, and is not on the missionary training video.
Isn't that crazy.
To go to zone conference, or really anywhere there, they must ride the bus. One day on the bus was a man with this monkey and of course Jordan being Jordan had to hang with the monkey.
He spent his first Christmas away in Bavaro. He loves Christmas and he had a great one for sure.
He also had his birthday there. Thankfully the package with the cake mix got there in time.....
20!!!! When did that happen.
Not long after Elder McBride was transferred, Jordan and his new companion had their first baptizm. They were so happy. The baptismal font is on the roof of the church building.
A few weeks later, another baptizm. So exciting to see the work progress finally.
And just recently, his third baptizm there. And the man who baptized her was the 2nd baptizm. How exciting is that. How far the Lord has brought the people of Bavaro.
This is Jordan's 2nd companion there. Elder Linares. They knew each other from the CCM or MTC in the Dominican. They have had a wonderful season together. But this week, Jordan was transferred.
He is in a jungle, with no electricity, and no running water, much less hot water. I am just praying they will be able to find a place to use the internet so that I can know if he is alive and well. He is my showing boy, and he has learned a lot on his mission about what is important and what is not. The Lord has provided a way for him to somehow be clean and feel the spirit, even without that wonderful hot shower. He is so excited for the change. Bavaro was a really difficult area, even though the immenities were wonderful, the progress was really slow. He loved it there, experienced many things there, had wonderful companionships, and grew in the gosel for sure. No he will put his heart and soul into the jungle, and I know he will make the very best of it there.
On his last Sunday there a whole family came to the island for vacation. So they went to the branch and Jordan was able to translate back into english for them. He said it was wonderful to speak english again, but that it was a lot of work, remembering all the right translations. The gift of tongues is amazing.
The Lord is amazing, and so is the work. We are anxious to hear all about his first week in his new area, and know that whatever the Lord gives him, he will handle it with everything he has been asked.
We love you sweet boy, way to go!
Last September when I went to visit my Jacque girl in Logan and made her the halloween and fall quilt, Nana saw them and said she would love a Christmas Quilt. So I went and got the fabric and made the top of the quilt. As I was getting ready to made the back of the quilt, Nana became gravely ill and we were told it would just be a matter of days if not hours. So we spent all of the time we could with her and all of a sudden one day she woke up out of her somewhat coma she was in and asked for a Mountain Dew and has been just fine ever since. Go figure. Well I just put the quilt away, it was now way to late to get it done for Christmas and I had a ton of other things to finish before Christmas. Besides I never dreamed she would remember that I was making it. Well about the middle of January, she began to ask....."Where's my quilt you were making?" I teased her and said she was dying and so I quit making it!!! So she just kept asking for it, and so I began a new quilt. I went to my STASH (it is huge, I am a hoarder of fabric) and to my unfinished projects and I found that I had made all of the pinwheel blocks and was just waiting for what to do with them. Well there you go. I found more of the matching fabric in my stash and it worked out perfectly. I would say it was meant to be. 
I was so happy when the top was finished and had just the right amount of tiny red and white stripes for the backing. So then I had to decide how to quilt it. At first I was just going to do a simple in the ditch, but then I decided to stretch my abilities to the limit and just go for it and machine quilt an all around stitch.
It was like battling a bear on a sewing table that was not big enough, but I made it work, and I was really excited when it turned out not so bad. At the very end Herb got home from work and saw it he was totally impressed!!! He helped hold the heavy end of the quilt so that I could finish that last few passes. That made it so much easier. I just kept teasing him and saying...."If I had a gammill this would have only taken a couple of hours instead of all day!!!" So if anyone out in blogland has an extra $20,000.00 they just want to give to a really really really great person......JK
So yesterday I put the binding on and began one of my favorite parts of quilting, the hand work. It takes a while to hand stitch around a quilt, but I love that part. It is the first bigger quilt that I have ever tackled machine quilting, I have done a couple of baby quilts, but not this size and it felt really good to be able to conquer that. Nana thought it was beautiful and wanted to have it on her right then. That made me feel really good. So I am glad that she remembered and that I was able to make this for her. I hope she gets lots and lots of wonderful warmth from it.
8 years ago when Christopher left on his mission, he gave his brothers a tie tack with the sign language I love you and a future missionary badge. From the time Jordan was ordained a deacon until Christopher came home Jordan wore his old jacket (which was my grandfathers) and that tie tack and future missionary pin. I found this picture the other day and I could hardly believe how time has flown by. It makes me really think....Am I accomplishing all that I am suppose to be accomplishing? It really seems like yesterday and that this little boy is still my Jordan. But nope....
We stopped at the Hunts, his other family to give them hugs on the way to the airport.
And Grandma and Grandpa Welkers too
Connor, David, and Tyler all came to the airport to bid him farewell. Such good boys. We miss having all these boys in our home.
Saying good-bye is never easy, and Jordan says of all the things he will miss it is these babies growing up and changing. Lexee was 6 months exactly the day he left and now she can go to the nursery this Sunday. But the babies all know him and can point to him in every single picture. Cody and Stephanie sure do miss their brother.
I was really trying to smile, but I was also trying not to cry, so I guess this is the best look you get from me. I really don't have a hard time letting my children go, but a two year go is not as easy on me, but it was a wonderful day, and I actually did pretty good.
This was at his farewell, Christopher and Rachel lived in Flagstaff then and could not make it down for the actual day he left. Baby Anna is now 2 1/2 and there is a precious 6 month old baby boy Calin that Jordan has never met. He will be in the nursery when Jordan comes home :)
Here he is headed for the gate, last smile till 2012. Isn't he the best.
Yesterday I spent a wonder 15 hours plus with these amazing women, L-R Kathy Knight, Linda Bang, Dianne Burden, Me, Janet Williams, and Betty Brown. We hopped on plane to Ontario, CA at 7:30 a.m. and went to a wonderful quilt show there. I have never been to a quilt show before and I have to say it was quite the experience. One you have to save up for, that's for sure, but so worth every single second. The day began with introductions because a couple of these women I only knew their names. When our ward boundaries changed I got the pleasure of meeting these amazing women. It has been nothing but a treat to share time with them and get to know how great they are. Anyway after we landed we decided we were way early so we thought we would walk to the convention center. It was only a mile and half away so we did. It was quite the adventure. We trucked through freeway traffic, mud, bushes, railroad tracks, stickers like you can't even believe and crazy California drivers that don't care where you are walking at. It was so fun. We chatted and really got to know each other. I felt so lucky, tired cuz I am fat!!! but so lucky to spend time with them. It was a beautiful day and that made the walk even better. Once we got there and got in I was in total awe at the talent of people. The quilts were beyond believable. The handwork and thought process and technique were like nothing I had ever seen. I love to quilt, but I am simply a patchwork girl. The easier and faster it can go together the happier I am. These quilts must have taken, well I can't even estimate. We were not allowed to take pictures, so my wonderful old memory is going to have to do it for the pictures. Then there were booths. Never ending booths, of fabric, machines, gidget gadgets of all kinds, amazing patterns, thread in every color and then some. It was simply mind boggling. I had landed in heaven!!! We split up and went wherever we wanted to go and met up for lunch and shared our goodies that we had found so far, then we went back in for more. This show lasts for 3 days and I am telling you there would still be things I had not seen at the end of 3 days. I am actually glad (as I am sure that Herbs wallet is as well) that I only went for a day. Not only would we be broke beyond broke, but you might never have seen me again. I might have died in there of happiness and we simply cannot have that now can we!!!
