Columbia, SC!!!

Wednesday, we completed our journey to Columbia, SC.  The drive from Knoxville to Columbia was gorgeous!  I loved the Great Smokey Mountains!  I loved the drive on the freeway cut through wooded forest land.  I have some photos which I'll post later, when I figure out how to pull them off my iPad and put them in Blogger.  

We called the mission office when we got into town.  We were told that President Holm didn't want us to come in the first day.  He wanted us to rest.  :o). The Deckers met us at our apartment (which had been theirs until we arrived).  It is very nice.  It has two bedrooms - one is used as an office- two bathrooms, kitchen, dining area and living area.  There is also a laundry room, storage room and a walk-in closet.  I'll post pictures of the apartment later, also.

We got all our stuff put away, and made a list of things to buy.  We plan to make this place our own, and I feel very comfortable about living here for the next 18 months.

Sister Mihlbergers, (she and her husband also live in our apartment complex) stopped by and brought us a welcome basket.  She let us know that the four senior couple who live in the area, and work in the office, would be going to dinner that evening.

At 5:30, the Mihlbergers picked us up for dinner at the Olive Garden.  We went with the Deckers, and another couple...the Fentons.  We had a great time getting to know one another and discussing the mission.  Sister Milberger kept referring to the Tsunami.  It took me a few minutes to figure out she was referring to what others had called The Surge.  The huge influx of missionaries into missions around the world, since President Monson's historic announcement last October, has caused an overload in the mission offices!   Everyone has been working long and hard to keep up!  The Fentons, whose original mission call had them serving as MLS missionaries (Member and Leadership Support), have been reassigned to the office, where Elder Fenton  is now doing cars and Sister Fenton is doing housing.  I don't envy either of them!  Cars and housing are huge!  Now that I think of it...every job in the office is huge!

When we got home, we left again to shop for some things for the house, along with some basic groceries.  While we were gone, Sister Rogers and her companion dropped by to welcome us.  Sister Rogers is from Farr West, and I am really looking forward to seeing her!  I have a special delivery for her...a big hug from her mom!  

Went to bed at 10:30, and for the first time in a long time...we slept 8 hours!!!