We are temporarily staying with some wonderful people...the Hamricks...real southern hospitality!  This is what's in their back yard...the Elk River.  I am standing on a rock at the edge of the water.  It is so very beautiful here!

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This is one of the few major highways through West Virginia. 

It is very windy and that is what we would encounter in

the mountains where we will be living for the next 18 months.

As we made our way into West Virginia we passed through Amish Country in central Ohio.  What a pleasant, peaceful way of life.  Yes, there were horses and buggies all around.
Oh, and they make delicious cheese!

West Virginia is known as the Mountain State and is the 41st in size.  The total population for the state is 1,819,777.  We will be living in the town of Webster Springs with a population of 700-1000 people.  There is one medium-sized grocery store that is connected to Ace Hardware, a Rite-Aid drug store and a post office.  There are also several tiny stores that seem to struggle to stay open.  There is one fast food place...Subway...no theatres...no clothes shopping and just a real simple life style.  This town is considered in the middle of the Alleghany Mountains. Two-lane very windy roads connect the small towns and because you have to drive slowly they don't measure in miles but rather in time to get somewhere.  Directions are very interesting with "over the bridge, turn by the white barn and house is by the biggest oak tree around". Our church covers 100 mile diameter of members and we will put at least 500 miles on our car weekly.  We are finding members who are needy and haven't been attending as well as teaching lessons about the church to non-members.  This is such a wonderful way to serve and help 24/7!  We are so enjoying what we are doing.