We came down to Salem, Virginia from Bedford on Saturday, Feb 28, and took a room at a hotel just off the I-81, less than a mile from the Roanoke Virginia Stake Center. We did this so we could be more available to attend the meetings of Stake Conference without having to drive back and forth between Bedford and Salem. This turned out to be a good decision because of two snow storms that hit the Roanoke/Salem area starting last night and again today. It is still snowing at 3 p.m. as we post this picture to the blog back at our room after the conference.

Our visitor, Elder David Cook of the Seventy, provided inspirational council to the adult members of the Stake last night and to the youth of the Stake in the General Session this morning. President and sister Thornock also spoke as did a counselor in the Washington DC Temple Presidency and his wife, President and Sister Fox. Their's was a very compelling message about the importance of the Temple. They spoke from a perspective of conversion to the church in their adult life and the great blessing of the Temple as they have been able to do the ordinance work for so many of their departed ancesters.

After the close of the Sunday Session of conference we happened to meet this little fellow, Jared Taylor Farnsworth, great grandson of Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of television! He is in the arms of his grandfather, Paul Rucker of Salem. We were so struck by his sweet demeanor and cute outfit we had to stop his grandfather and ask for a picture.

This was our happy group of Senior Missionary couples serving in the West Virginia Charleston Mission. President and Sister Thronock are standing next to Linda in the 2nd row. The office couple, the Christensen's are in front. We are missing the Cochran's who stayed in Buena Vista, Virginia to be at the baptism of Sharon and Allen LaRue's daughter-in-law, Tabitha, married to their grandson James. (sorry, I don't have the last name).

This picture was taken on the steps of the Mission Home in Charleston.

Some look more like this!

Here in this beautiful state of Virginia they are celebrating 400 years of history. Homes of days gone by still stand, scattered all about this interesting Bedford County where we are serving. Often, we wish these old homes could talk. What a story they would tell!

Since Monday we have been out each day, traveling to the furthest reaches of the Bedford Branch, knocking on doors and trying to locate those who are on the membership records of the Church. It has been a very interesting and enjoyable time. Linda is the co-pilot, navigator and scribe. I take the doors so she doesn't have to get out and climb steps and stairs unless/until we are invited in.

Some homes look like this. This in in the Thaxton area west of Bedford.

February 16, 2009, Monday, Finding members along the Blue Ridge

On our travels from Big Island where we had three member families we tried to contact, we drove along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping here at Abbot Lake at the foot of one of the famous Peaks of Otter. There is a resort hotel on the shores of this lake with a very fine restaurant, open year round. We stopped and had a nice meal before driving on to visit members living in Montvale on the other side of this mountain.

This is Goose Creek Valley, nestled beneath the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Bedford. A number of our member families are scattered about through this area. We had to open some gates, cross some cattle guards, drive through some cow pastures being careful not to stampede the cattle, drive over some steep, narrow and very rocky roads to get to some of the homes on our list. Often, no one was home and we were glad we at least had a flyer with our names and information on it to leave at the door.

We woke up yesterday, President's Day, Feb 16, to a new, light blanket of snow that fell quietly during the night. But today, we were determined to begin our travels about the Bedford Branch, to meet and get acquainted with those whose names appear on the church records but who we don't see attending any church meetings or activities. We prepared a flyer with information on upcoming events, i.e., Stake Conference, a YW fund raiser dinner, and the dates and times of April General Conference. We included our name and phone number as well as those of the full-time elders and the Branch President. By noon the snow had mostly melted away. The roads were nice and clear. We started with those who live furthest away, up in Big Island to the north and then we crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway and dropped down into Montvale on the west end of the Branch area. It was great to be out knocking on some doors and meeting some of our members.