We are a little bit sad to miss celebrating Keely and Marlee's second birthday 15 November.
Monday, Lee gave Elder Tolbert his driving test...a bit earlier than the required two transfers in case he gets transferred "far." I finally had my haircut apptointment at noon and I told her last time was too dark and too short. We were tired and asleep pretty early that night but I was awake from 2:39-4:49am. Uggggh!
Tuesday, Lee went to the post office then home for the day since allergies or a cold kicked in. I finally completed the police clearance application. (sigh of relief) I started the online application three times but had a phone call or other distraction and it would time out so I had to start all over again :-(
Wednesday, we returned after our walk to find Kacey had tried to FaceTime three times. We called back and learned that the furnace guy she had called for annual service told her our furnace was in bad shape, corroded, rusted, pretty inefficient even though only 8 years old, and needed to be replaced. He also mentioned that it was seriously unsafe and could have carbon monoxide issues which scared us all to death! Kacey and Dave knew a heating guy from their old ward and called him for a second opinion. He was able to check it out thoroughly that night to say it was totally fine! We saved 5-7000.00! It was a beautiful tender mercy!
I received email notification that the police clearance was approved already! I edited Best Practices before leaving for the airport early enough to stop by the fabric store for more bookmark ribbon. Halfway there, the office phoned to say the new incoming missionary's flight was delayed. We went back to the office so the Hannans could take a lunch and left again once they returned an hour later.
When we arrived at the airport we found the flight wasn't due at 2:00 but at 2:45. So we had an hour to wait, and then it was delayed again until 3:19. We were both starving but airport food is expensive and not great quality, so we didn't eat until we got home that night at 5.
We arrived back to the office near 4:00 pm with Sister Tuu'u, (pronounced Two oo oo with emphasis on the second syllable). She is a darling Saw moe won (Samoan with emphasis on the moe) girl, the youngest of 8 children. Her parents were divorced before she was born but they remarried in 2009 after more than 12 years. Isn't that an interesting story! She is a sweet girl, ready to get to work! Her English is great and she has been in the MTC for 6 weeks, part of which was language training.
The assistants showed up at our flat to bring suit pants for me to hem Wednesday night. Lee did the English class alone with Danny and Joy so I could get the pants done. Sister Carter called and I spent some time afterward online gathering information for her. I finished hemming and fixed Lee's tie and didn't sit down until 8:00 pm. It seemed like a long day.
Thursday morning was a zoo at the office! All the zone leaders meet for MLC at 12:30 and they came early for various reasons, many needing copies of this or that, plus the elders and then the sisters worked on the Christmas DVD which makes for a crowded office.
Our Big Bertha Konica printer was demoted by a new Ricoh printer, scanner, fax, and copier. The IT guy was supposed to set it up Friday, but he didn't show. The delivery men only brought it in the office and plugged it in...that's all. The facilities manager apologized all over the place and promised we would be up and running Monday for sure.
During my lunch break Thursday, I made 20 peanut butter sandwiches for mid MLC snack along with oranges, bananas, grapes, and a small chocolate treat that Lee shopped for in the morning. He also dealt with mail and bikes, and tubes, and repairs, and we got the van back Thursday afternoon! Yaaaaaaahoooooo!
Lee had mission presidency meeting Thursday night and was home by 9:35.
Friday, the Hannans were doing errands in the morning and left by 3:45 to pick up visiting friends to go to the temple by 5:15. President came to the office and signed stacks of outgoing letters for the December transfer. He nixed the small key ring connecter for the scripture card project so I wanted his approval before doing too many sets with the knotted ribbon. He said it was perfect since it will lay flat in scriptures.
The assistants told us our Chinese friends were going to the temple with the Firle Ward youth on Friday night at 6:15. We went to support them, but the Firle ward wasn't scheduled until 7:00, and our friends were more comfortable just watching the first time at the temple. We got home about 8:00 pm.
Saturday, 8 November was another hump/anniversary day on the mission. We had talk time with the family as usual and love catching up with everything going on with our kids and grandkids. Lee met the Mildura district in the temple parking lot at 9:00 am to collect passports sent up with the Carters for Victoria 'working with children' applications. I mended Elder Bush's slacks and sewed a bit.
We met the Goodrichs at the airport at 3:30 and the rest of the seniors at TGIF Fridays at the Marion Mall for the Goodrich's farewell dinner at 5:00. Whites drove the gray Toyota to the restaurant so the Goodrichs had a car over the weekend, and then Whites rode home with us. The Hannans drove Sister Baker there and back and the Smiths were able to join with us for dinner since they drove up from Mount Gambier for Marion stake conference. (Just down the street from the restaurant)
Monday, Lee gave Elder Tolbert his driving test...a bit earlier than the required two transfers in case he gets transferred "far." I finally had my haircut apptointment at noon and I told her last time was too dark and too short. We were tired and asleep pretty early that night but I was awake from 2:39-4:49am. Uggggh!
Tuesday, Lee went to the post office then home for the day since allergies or a cold kicked in. I finally completed the police clearance application. (sigh of relief) I started the online application three times but had a phone call or other distraction and it would time out so I had to start all over again :-(
Wednesday, we returned after our walk to find Kacey had tried to FaceTime three times. We called back and learned that the furnace guy she had called for annual service told her our furnace was in bad shape, corroded, rusted, pretty inefficient even though only 8 years old, and needed to be replaced. He also mentioned that it was seriously unsafe and could have carbon monoxide issues which scared us all to death! Kacey and Dave knew a heating guy from their old ward and called him for a second opinion. He was able to check it out thoroughly that night to say it was totally fine! We saved 5-7000.00! It was a beautiful tender mercy!
I received email notification that the police clearance was approved already! I edited Best Practices before leaving for the airport early enough to stop by the fabric store for more bookmark ribbon. Halfway there, the office phoned to say the new incoming missionary's flight was delayed. We went back to the office so the Hannans could take a lunch and left again once they returned an hour later.
When we arrived at the airport we found the flight wasn't due at 2:00 but at 2:45. So we had an hour to wait, and then it was delayed again until 3:19. We were both starving but airport food is expensive and not great quality, so we didn't eat until we got home that night at 5.
We arrived back to the office near 4:00 pm with Sister Tuu'u, (pronounced Two oo oo with emphasis on the second syllable). She is a darling Saw moe won (Samoan with emphasis on the moe) girl, the youngest of 8 children. Her parents were divorced before she was born but they remarried in 2009 after more than 12 years. Isn't that an interesting story! She is a sweet girl, ready to get to work! Her English is great and she has been in the MTC for 6 weeks, part of which was language training.
The assistants showed up at our flat to bring suit pants for me to hem Wednesday night. Lee did the English class alone with Danny and Joy so I could get the pants done. Sister Carter called and I spent some time afterward online gathering information for her. I finished hemming and fixed Lee's tie and didn't sit down until 8:00 pm. It seemed like a long day.
Thursday morning was a zoo at the office! All the zone leaders meet for MLC at 12:30 and they came early for various reasons, many needing copies of this or that, plus the elders and then the sisters worked on the Christmas DVD which makes for a crowded office.
Our Big Bertha Konica printer was demoted by a new Ricoh printer, scanner, fax, and copier. The IT guy was supposed to set it up Friday, but he didn't show. The delivery men only brought it in the office and plugged it in...that's all. The facilities manager apologized all over the place and promised we would be up and running Monday for sure.
During my lunch break Thursday, I made 20 peanut butter sandwiches for mid MLC snack along with oranges, bananas, grapes, and a small chocolate treat that Lee shopped for in the morning. He also dealt with mail and bikes, and tubes, and repairs, and we got the van back Thursday afternoon! Yaaaaaaahoooooo!
Lee had mission presidency meeting Thursday night and was home by 9:35.
Friday, the Hannans were doing errands in the morning and left by 3:45 to pick up visiting friends to go to the temple by 5:15. President came to the office and signed stacks of outgoing letters for the December transfer. He nixed the small key ring connecter for the scripture card project so I wanted his approval before doing too many sets with the knotted ribbon. He said it was perfect since it will lay flat in scriptures.
The assistants told us our Chinese friends were going to the temple with the Firle Ward youth on Friday night at 6:15. We went to support them, but the Firle ward wasn't scheduled until 7:00, and our friends were more comfortable just watching the first time at the temple. We got home about 8:00 pm.
Saturday, 8 November was another hump/anniversary day on the mission. We had talk time with the family as usual and love catching up with everything going on with our kids and grandkids. Lee met the Mildura district in the temple parking lot at 9:00 am to collect passports sent up with the Carters for Victoria 'working with children' applications. I mended Elder Bush's slacks and sewed a bit.
We met the Goodrichs at the airport at 3:30 and the rest of the seniors at TGIF Fridays at the Marion Mall for the Goodrich's farewell dinner at 5:00. Whites drove the gray Toyota to the restaurant so the Goodrichs had a car over the weekend, and then Whites rode home with us. The Hannans drove Sister Baker there and back and the Smiths were able to join with us for dinner since they drove up from Mount Gambier for Marion stake conference. (Just down the street from the restaurant)
Goodrichs' brought our scriptures back from Alice Springs and the aboriginal artist.
The artist:
She hand wrote on a scrap of paper what things mean...
Sunday was fast and testimony meeting since last weekend was Firle stake conference. We were asked to fast and pray stake wide about whom to invite to the special Sacrament meeting 30 Nov. I always enjoy testimony meeting and have come to love and appreciate the power of fasting. It is a beautiful principle of the restored gospel and I am thankful to fast.
We had our final English class and covered the last lesson in the program STRENGTHENING THE YOUTH. Sammie, Max, Taylor, Danny and Christina, and Tom attended along with the assistants, Elders Cook and Fepulea'i who give a spiritual message at the end of the class each week. Our Chinese friends are wonderful, humble people and we are extremely grateful to have had the experience to teach them English as well as gospel principles these past 9 months.
We were invited to President Yeow's parents home for a 'break the fast' potluck dinner with the Chinese new members and investigators. I took a large crock pot of sweet and sour chicken plus rice, but Sister Yeow had cooked 17 cups of rice in the largest rice cooker I've ever seen! I tried a warm, sweetened, red bean soup with mandarin peel for dessert..it was ok but I was glad I only took a small portion to 'try.' You know Lee didn't even consider eating anything other than what we took. The 44 in attendance shared introductions, dinner, a message on the family by the Elders, and desserts. We got home about 8:30 after a really great time!
Sister Yeow, President Yeow's mother, is a warm, stylish, gracious hostess and she reminds me of Hertha Green and Linda Conlee, who demonstrate those same qualities and whom I've always admired. She serves on a local committee to support and connect Malaysian people and is trying to do the same thing in a church/temporal setting for the Chinese. The Yeow family is a huge blessing and resource to the Adelaide Asian church members and investigators.
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