Actually, this is a land of great contrast between the old and the new. The rural area outside of cities like Bedford and Roanoke is covered with abandoned structures like these old homes that have stood here for years and years. A short distance down the road there will be a newer home or a well cared for older home with beautiful yards, barns, fences and outbuildings. Then a short distance furthor on you find an old single-wide mobile home or another derilict farm building, literally falling down upon itself, then a little furthor and a mansion of a home or a rural church of which there are very many.

We hope you can help us decide on which of these homes would be more suitable.

Wednesday, Jan 21, we had the opportunity of meeting with the missionaries assigned to the Roanoke District, of which we are a part. Elder Jytanski (2nd from left in middle row) is the District Leader. He is from Orem, Utah and conducted a very fine training session with these missionaries regarding the great importance of the Book of Mormon as a major tool in the conversion process. We were given the opportunity to introduce ourselves. They welcomed us warmly. We were able to go to lunch with them at a nearby Chinese Buffet after the meeting. Sister Chapman won their hearts when she announced that we would be picking up the tab for their meal!

The Zone Leaders, Elder Gowen (standing to right of Elder Kytanski) and Elder Green (first on the left in the back row), also joined us at this meeting and the lunch aftward. This is a fine group of missionaries. It was wonderful to be with them and feel of their dedication, energy and enthusiasm in an area where much of their time is spent going door-to-door.

These are our temporary quarters on the shores of Smith Mountain Lake some 18 miles south of Bedford, Virginia. There is a large walk-out basement on the lake side of the home that can't been seen from this elevation. You could get spoiled in a hurry living here. Linda appreciates that she has only the porch steps to climb as there are bedrooms, bath, kitchen and large living areas on the main floor.

This home was made available to us by the owners, the Miller family. It is their summer vacation home. They kindly allowed the Branch President to place us here while we hunt for a furnished home to rent, hopefully closer in to Bedford. Some members live down near the lake, including the Branch President, Paul Martin and his family. He is a building contractor and knows many of the homeowners who have property in this huge Smith Mountain Lake area, located in the southern part of our Mission.

Jan 17, 2009, Sat, House hunting in Bedford, VA

This may surprise you. This is the view from our hotel window, looking north from the Bedford area toward the Blue Ridge Mountains; part of the Appalachian and Great Smoky Mountain chain.

We have been out looking at rental properties today, in Bedford and surrounding area. We have looked at some possibilites, but have not yet made a decision. The home we like best is 30 minutes out of town, though still in the boundaries of the Bedford Branch. We have also looked at a townhome located very close to the branch chapel in Bedford. It clean and modern, with lots of nice features, but it is unfornished. We are continuing to check on other possibilities.

We know these are great pictures, but when you consider that we were doing 55+ on the freeway at the time, heading out of Charleston toward our assigned area in Bedford, Virginia, I think Linda did super to capture this view of the West Virginia state capitol building as we hurried by.

This was Friday morning, at around 11 a.m. with temperatures in area of 11-13 degrees.

January 15, 2009, Arrival in West Virginia

The countryside in southern Illinois and Indiana took on a dramatic difference from the scenes available to us earlier in our trip across Missouri.

No bill boards line the Interstate in Illinois or Indiana. What a difference!

I-70 from Kansas City to St. Louis is literally one huge bill board after another, mile after mile. Shame on Missouri (shame on Arizona, as a matter of fact!). Our compliments to Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky where you see the countryside with its wonderful farms, rivers and woodlands unobstructed by commercial signs and bill boards.

Wednesday morning the arctic air that swept down over the Mid-west brought the temperatures in the single digits as we drove through St. Louis and crossed the mighty Mississippi.

Linda took this picture of the famous "Gateway to the West" that stands on the bank of the river, welcoming travelers to St. Louis and the great western expanse of the American continent.

Here is where so many early settlers, explorers, adventurers and pioneers came to get outfitted and ready for their western journey across the plains.

We didn't stop but kept on heading east, changing from I-70 to I-64 as we crossed onto the Illinois shore and continued on through southern Illinois, then on through southern Indiana, finally stopping for the night in Frankfort, Kentucky.