Week 3: In Tacoma

We made it from Vernal to Boise, Idaho on Monday.  Then on to Tacoma Tuesday.  The drive over the Cascade Mountains into Tacoma was beautiful.  We even got a glimpse of Mt. Rainer -- stunning.  When we arrived at our apartment, another senior couple (The Quillons), Elder Poulsen, and Elder Rodgers were there to let us in and help us unload.  The Quillons, from Virginia, will be our neighbors.

Our two-bedroom apartment comes furnished with a queen bed, full bed, dressers, night stands, a bookcase, couch, two recliners, a dining table/chairs, and a few basic kitchen utensils -- adequate enough, but shopping to do! Cupboards were bare, so one of the first things we did was shop for groceries.

Actually, we shopped for groceries every night this week -- checked out Albertsons, Safeways, Fred Meyer, Trader Joe's, and, of course, Wal-Mart.  All are very close.

Outside our Apartment

We "reported for duty" on Wednesday morning.  The mission office is just a few blocks away.  The couple that we are replacing left a few weeks ago, so the Quillons took over their responsibilities until we arrived. Sister Quillon is training me for Mission Secretary duties; Elder Quillon is training Van for Vehicle Coordinator duties.  Sister Quillon has been very patient and kind.  She is very organized and has great word processing and spreadsheet skills.  She and I think a lot alike when it comes to layout, content, and presentation of documents.  I've enjoyed working with her.  I hope she doesn't turn me loose any too soon, but she and her husband are anxious to get back to their "job" -- they're called as MLS (Member Leadership Support) missionaries and are assigned to one of the wards here.

There's one other couple in the office -- The Jones'.  Sister Jones is the Receptionist, handles referrals, baptism records, mail, and a miriad of other duties.  Elder Jones is the Housing Coordinator.  They are from Nampa, ID; a delightful couple.  I am sad that they will be leaving in just a few weeks.  I think Van and I would enjoy getting to know them better.  

There are others who live in the area who have been called as service missionaries.  Elder Quiton is the Bicycle Coordinator, Elder Coleman handles accidents, and Elder Bingham takes care of finances.  

Our office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each night. Our evenings this week were spent shopping for more groceries, household supplies, a computer monitor, and a TV.  On Friday evening we attended a baptism in the ward we'll be in (Sunset Ward) with the Jones'.  Then they took us to a nice local seafood restaurant called Steamers.  It sits right on Puget Sound with a view of the Narrows Bridge.

Saturday is our P-Day.  We did a little laundry, but mostly used the day to explore.  Our first excursion took us to an area called Gig Harbor.  There we met up with Sister Whitney Jenkins (from Vernal) and her companion in an area called Key Center. We got to see where they live and took them to lunch. We were so impressed with the enthusiasm of these two sisters.  One of Whitney's comments was:  "I love being a missionary."  I want to develop this same enthusiasm and fearlessness.

Well, though that first night here was a bit overwhelming, scary, and we felt a little alone, we're getting adjusted and are loving each new adventure.  It's beautiful here.  The people everywhere have been very friendly and helpful. We miss our family and friends, but are grateful to have each other and to be in this part of the vineyard.  

Sister K and Sister Jenkins

At Key Center Chapel

Gig Harbor