07-06-2019 - July 4th Celebrations

We had the privilege of singing in a stake choir celebrating the freedom of our country.  There were beautiful choral arrangements, narrations, solos, a snare drum, trumpet, and slides depicting the history of our country's fight for freedom from the pilgrims to the civil war.  It was very moving. The chapel was filled into the gym and people from the community came as well as members of our church.

The alto section: Carol Merrell, Emily Hind (Chelsie's sister-in-law), Carla Haskins, Joy Coles,
Laurie Stoker, Denise Purdy, and Eve Olsen.  We did not plan the red-blue combination!

 

This week the Macon GA Mission was closed and the missionaries were moved into the Atlanta GA, Charlotte SC, and Ft Lauderdale FL Missions. As a result, our mission boundaries have increased. We made a trip down to Columbus and Macon GA to meet the new Macon missionaries.

After our meetings, we visited Andersonville, a Confederate POW Camp. We learned there were over 45,000 prisoners who passed through this prison from 1864-65 and more than 12,000 prisoners died there.  The conditions were terrible.

Replica of the walls, guard towers, no man's land, and make-shift tents of prisoners

Over 12,000 union soldiers were buried in trench-like graves.
That is why the headstones are so close together.

Andersonville Cemetery, GA

Dinner with Elder Merrell, Elder & Sister Kone (mission nurse)
Sister and President Clayton, Elder and Sister Read
Columbus, GA

We also celebrated the 4th by watching the Peachtree City Parade. Peachtree City is famous for its golf carts and golf cart trails throughout the city. Most floats were simply decorated golf carts. Most spectators watched from their golf carts. The most unusual part of the parade was that there were no horses and tractors to let us know it was over :)

The Fayetteville and Peachtree City Missionaries

Elder Kohler, unknown, Sister Williams, Elder Dunn

Elder Hopkins and the missionary golf cart float.

Elder Read (vehicles), Sister Kone (nurse), me, Elder Jacobson (Finances),
Sister Jacobson (mission secretary), Sister and President Clayton

Sister Kone, me, Sister & Elder Jacobson

Breakfast at Waffle House after the parade.
Jermaine the WH Manager, me, Elder & Sister Jacobson.
We are all wearing hats because it was our first visit ever to a Waffle House.
It had been recommended that we go for a true Southern experience.
We are not certain that we will return.