A Week in Pikevill,

After arriving in Pikeville on Wednesday, July 16th, Elders Stradling & Hansen guided to visit one of the stronger families in the Bledsoe County area.  We travelled up on Dayton Mountain in a misting rain through dense foliage to reach their house.  I kept thinking of the words of one of my favorite songs by the Oakridge Boys..."....you'd better move it or a shotgun will".  They had a locked gate, however, to keep the intruders off their property.  I can't describe how far this winding road went.......but we finally arrived.  This couple is almost off the the grid....except for propane for their water heater, stove and refrigerator.

This is their home which they built themselves.  We had a great visit, and great spaghetti.

We also had a wonderful visit with Jack and Rosala Curtis.  They also live on the mountain in a house they have lived in for many, many years which he built.  It looks like it should still be in the building process, but I think they are done.  They have been married for 57 years.  She is in poor health so he is the main cook and caretaker.  They have a huge garden.  Yesterday we returned to help them pick their blackberries and beans.  Actually Darryl & the missionaries picked and I sat on the porch and listened to Rosala's life story while we sorted beans.  She is very colorful. He fixed us a snack (better known to us as a dinner) of pulverized cabbage, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, fried onions and peppers, Polish sausage, pork & beans & wierners, avocado slices (with the peel still on), topped off by a fresh blackberry pie.

This is Elder Hansen from Oregon (near the Idaho state line).  On our first visit there he didn't quite make it through the whole conversation.

On Sunday we provided transportation to church (~40 miles away) for Bill and Joyce Cadd.  This is their home they share with their son and daughter in law and 9 dogs which they sleep with.  They are really very nice people who really appreciated us taking them to church.It was the first time they were able to attend the whole block of church in quite a while.

We have been kept very busy learning our way around the town and county, trying to remember the names of all the people we meet.  We have much more to tell......so until then....
We miss you all and think of you often.  PS the temperature here is in the 80s.