New Computers, No Heat and Going to the Doctor (wk ending 3 Aug 2014).

I'll be glad when my chicks all get back home again. As I write this Logan is just returning from his hiking trip to N. California, Kacey and Dave are traveling to New York, and Lindsey and Riley are flying to Cleveland.

August birthday celebrations from afar include Lee's sister Debbie on the 1st, Collin and Cory on the 13th, and Riley on the 23rd. Also, in loving memory of Lee's mom on her 4 Aug birthday and my mom on the 30th.

I used a Mormon Message for the weekly Monday morning spiritual thought. Kalles' joined us, and of course, since the internet is weak, the playing of the Mormon Message didn't go so well. (You just cannot rely on the internet in the office for streaming or Skype or even uninterrupted, quality FaceTime) I summarized instead.

Lee asked Kalles' to take a few minutes each to report on their mission of 21 months and bear testimonies. They wondered if they had done any good in Alice Springs, and I wonder how do you measure? They used their talents and did the best they knew how to do so that seems like success to me. They cannot know the extent of their influence for good through service, example, and testimony, but I hope they left with full and happy hearts and great memories of their experience.

Kalles' on the last day of their mission

President was in the office for a couple of interviews in the morning. Goodrichs and Kalles' spent time comparing notes as it sounds like the Goodrichs will go to Alice for September and October before they go home to Utah 10 November. Sister Baker will be reassigned with a local companion and Goodrichs will be training an 22 August incoming Australian couple to take over finance and referrals and ordering. Of course, this could change since there are yet small details to work out. Things have been a bit up in the air so it's nice to have a plan in place.

It was a typical Monday in the office except I forgot to turn off the night answering machine until noon.......arghhhhh! No wonder the phone didn't ring all morning! Sister Goodrich gathered paper goods, supplies, and shopped for Tuesday's Zone conference/training lunch at Modbury. We had the Kalles' farewell dinner at Caffe Primo at 5:30 pm with the Carter's and the whole office crew.

We are still having heater problems at our flat. The pilot light won't stay lit even after the repairman came! Grrrrrrrr and brrrrrrrrr!

Tuesday we received 4 new computers. Nathan from Adelaide and Ameet from Auckland were in the office all day long installing the computers with upgraded software. It was exciting! Goodrichs did the zone lunch and it went well.

My new computer station

The landlord was called again since the repairman's efforts were unsuccessful. Same problem, different day, different week. He dropped over Tuesday night to measure for a new heater to be installed next week he hopes.

Wednesday....Some years ago, even before my trainers time, a missionary set up an office network not supported by church tech dept. The entire office uses the shared network and I always hoped it wouldn't have problems until after I go home. We are blessed it has worked this long without fail. The computer guy worked to get files from that network to be shared on our new system and he ran into several road blocks illustrating WHY the church requires using the same computers, programs, printers etc. He stayed as long as he could before rushing to the airport and left the local PFR (facilities manager) guy to clean up. We were unable fax or scan but they will fix that over the next few days. Our new computers are beautiful! The printer still to be delivered and installed is a single machine that does color copies, faxes, and scans to replace three machines. WELCOME TO THE 90's! (That's a movie quote BTW)

Carter's left for Mildura in the silver van around 11:30 and Lee took the Kalles' to the airport by 7:30 am Wednesday. The assistants left for Mildura at 1:00 and won't be back until Saturday.

I made chicken noodle soup for dinner since it's so cold in the house. Danny and Christina came to English class.

Thursday was sunny but cool in the am which was answer to prayer since Lee, and Elders Goodrich and White moved a set of missionaries from one flat to another. The rain held off until the last load and they were thankful. Goodrichs didn't come to the office at all. I had an apple and almonds for lunch since it was pouring and windy and I didn't want to walk home in that. Lee grabbed a quick lunch and the computer guys showed up at 3pm with my new printer and made a temporary fix to scan and fax until the last printer arrives. We are back in business!

We had a lovely phone call around 4:30 in the office Thursday. We sent a wedding card this week to Sister Lucas and Elder Rapana who were married 5 July in the Brisbane Temple, and they called to thank us. They sound happy and promise to visit the USA. He's working with his dad and she is trying to get her visa (Tahiti to Australia) paperwork completed and then she will look for work too. We told them about our exciting week with Danny's baptism etc and it turns out Elder Rapana and a companion taught Joy and Christina before their baptism almost two years ago.

We finally broke down and let Elder White get us another electric space heater for the flat. We've been just heating the bedroom and since it's been dragging on so long, decided to stop freezing in the rest of the flat.

A sister missionary's car was rear ended in Allenby Gardens Thursday night. Thankfully no one was hurt and the hitch that holds the bike rack on the car saved the rear end from damage. The other car wasn't so blessed.

Friday morning we thought the power went out because of thunder storms, torrential rain, and some wind. We called the office staff to tell them not to come in since the phones, nor computers, nor the internet function without power. When Elder White answered, he said that their power was on which caused us to check the breakers....yep you guessed it! Two heaters plus the iron popped the breaker so had to call everyone back saying APRIL FOOLS...the power is fine, see you at 9!

Then the power really did go off at 8:30 that morning, but only for an hour. It was a very looooooooooong day Friday. We didn't see missionaries, Goodrichs and Whites went to clean a flat vacated this week, and when the computers shut down for lack of power, we couldn't access the shared network which I use constantly. The PFR guy came back at 3 and had it working by 4:45.

We left for the temple with Sister Baker at 5:00 and barely made it in time. Got home by 7:45 pm and my 2 1/2 hours of insomnia the night before was catching up with me. We ate a late supper and called it a day.

Saturday was restful. I made snicker doodle cookies in the late afternoon and we had an appointment with the assistants at Zochrae's at 7:00 pm, which she cancelled by text, but we were already out front in her driveway. We returned home to a freezing house (we don't leave the portable heaters on while we are gone) and changed clothes etc. and heard a knock at the door. We invited the assistants in for root beer floats and they shared their discouragement from a very eventful day. We sent them off with some snicker doodles to cheer them. 
Sunday was Fast Sunday which we always love! There is nothing better than sincere, heartfelt testimonies to strengthen your own convictions through the Spirit.

English class was about GOING TO THE DOCTOR and we had 6 Chinese students, President Carter, President Yeow, and 3 missionaries in attendance. It was a tight squeeze in the little classroom but WOW, it was powerful! After discussion, review, and questions, the missionaries taught about the Priesthood since Danny was to be ordained the third hour.

Afterward, President Carter re hung the GOING TO THE DOCTOR poster and taught a beautiful impromptu lesson on Christ being the great physician, and using other words from the class to support and illustrate his spiritual message. We all felt his emotional testimony of the Savior. It was beautiful!!!

I made sweet and sour meatballs over rice for dinner and Aloha bread for dessert. Yum!

Sunday night was the 1st Sunday Stake Missionary (pronounced mission ree) Fireside at Modbury. We got our wires crossed about the assistants riding along with us, and we left without them. They called to let us know their ETA to our flat was in 5 minutes and Lee's silence on the other end wasn't hard to interpret. Oops!

The theme of the meeting was Jesus Christ, the Savior with 3 recent convert testimonies, 2 musical numbers, a MORMON MESSAGE video (from the Mormon Channel) messages from President and Sister Carter, and from the Modbury stake president. We felt uplifted and blessed for our attendance as always. We love seeing the missionaries!

The past few days have been sunny but down to 32 in the mornings. We aren't the only ones complaining it's cold. Can't wait for the new heater to be installed this week! We are thankful that all of our chicks are back home safely.