August 2010

Hi, Another month has rolled around. The University has started and the last week has been busier.  Sunday we had a fireside for all 3 University Wards. Mon we had Family Home Evening with the different wards.  Tue we had a BBQ dinner for anyone on campus who wanted to come.  It was well attended.  Wed we had a lunch and Thur morning a Pancake breakfast.  Friday my brother,Eldon, wife Donna, her mother Bonnie (celebrating her 93 birthday) and Donna's sister Elaine came and took us all to Sedona AZ just 22 miles down the road. It is amazing the difference here in Flagstaff than in Chinle.  We are at about 7000 feet.  I arrived in the monsoon season and did we have rain.  We still have it off and on but not every day like when I arrived.  We work with the Welcome center at the LDS Institute of Religion, just adjacent to the Northern Arizona University Campus.  There is also not far away Coconino Community College whose students come and take classes also. 

With 3 University Wards we have more than 300 names to learn.  Me who has never been good at names is having a struggle.  One of the Bishop's wives told me to just say tell me your name rather than I don't remember or have forgotten your name.  That works for me because we all like to know that our name is remembered and remembered right.  So that way I don't get it wrong.

The Wards and the Institute have frequent activities and we go to a lot of them. 

For those of you who are just learning of my transfer to Flagstaff, it came a month after the new mission was opened. There are 14 Stakes of the Church in the mission, including Blanding Utah West, Blanding Utah, Monticello Utah, Durango Colorado, Bloomfield New Mexico, Farmington New Mexico, Kirtland New Mexico, Gallup  New Mexico, Holbrook Arizona, Winslow Arizona, Flagstaff Arizona, Tuba City Arizona, Page Arizona and Chinle Arizona.

While I was in Chinle, we were the furthest from Mission Headquarters, Now that I am in Flagstaff I am still the furthest from the new mission headquarters.  We have however all gone there for a Mission Conference with 3 General Authorities of the Church and an area authority 70.  Our Mission President is Elder Spencer V Jones of the 70, he spoke as did a member of the 12 Elder Neil L Anderson, Elder Gonzales of the 70 and Elder Weber an Area 70.  Boy did we have a great conference.  We stopped on the way in to see and take pictures of the rocks called Elephant Toes and  Navajo National Monument and on the way back to see Window Rock and the Code Talker monument and Navajo Nation Museum and the Painted desert county park.  In all it was a great two days.

It is good to hear from all of you and I love to hear how families and missions are going.

Love Sister Casos, Mom and Gma Karen