Wednesday was transfer day. I Totally Do Not Like Transfer Day. You get so attached to the Elders/Sisters and you think of them just like your own kids. You just get to love them and then they have to leave and go to another area. On Wednesday we lost one elder and one sister -- Elder Petersen and Sister Wilson. One new sister came in on Wednesday afternoon, Sis. Christianson. We did get to meet her, but we had to fly out Thursday morning and leave for Singapore so we haven't had a chance to meet our new sisters and elders. We have three new sisters, including Sis. Christianson, and one new Elder, Elder Griffin. Now we have six elders and 4 sisters serving here in KK. It has really grown in the last few months. When we first came to KK we had only 4 elders. It is exciting to have these young elders and sisters here. They have such enthusiasm and they work so hard.
This is a picture of our YSA/FHE group. Elder Petersen is 2nd from the left and Sister Wilson is right beside him. I'm sure going to miss them.
We made it to Singapore on Thursday afternoon after another flight delay of an hour and a half while they changed a flat tire on the plane. The last three or four times we have flown, we have had flight delays. The longest was a 9 hour delay. Airports are no fun to sit around in for 9 hours.
This is the home where we are staying. It is actually a house behind a great bigger house that the Church bought and converted into a meeting house/chapel. They kept the same basic design of the big nice home. The picture I of took of the big home didn't turn out. I'll have to try again tomorrow. This smaller house behind the big house is where the original Chinese owner kept his concubines. There are 6 nice bedrooms and each bedroom has its own bathroom too. When new missionaries first arrive in Singapore they stay here for 1 or 2 nights and get some training before going on to their individual areas. When the missionaries leave for home they come back here and spend the night here before leaving for home.
The day we arrived in Singapore it rained a great deal. I have seen it rain harder, but this was a steady, big rain. It flooded the lawns and courts. The rains here are real frog stranglers. They get more rain in one hour than Utah will get in one year. It is really amazing. The home we are staying at was at one time actually beach front property. Now the beach is several blocks away. Singapore just keeps hauling in dirt and reclaiming "beach front" property.
We are going to be having a district conference in Singapore on Tuesday and then the Senior conference will be on Wednesday. Pres. and Sis. Mains have asked us and the Howells, the senior humanitarian couple serving west Malaysia, to be in charge of a service project for the senior conference. We are going to do some blankets for new born babies whose mother's have nothing to wrap them in when they go home from the hospital. We are also making some lap blankets for a rest home that is nearby. There is also a children's cancer hospital here in Singapore and we are also putting together a goodie bag for them for Christmas. I hope the projects will go well. Things are very expensive here in Singapore. We brought over two suitcases full of project supplies from KK to try and save some money on the project.
Today in church the ward we attended listened to the First Presidency's Christmas Broadcast. It helped me realize that it doesn't matter where you are for Christmas, it matters where your heart is for Christmas. I realized I need to keep my heart focused on the true meaning of Christmas and be grateful for the gift that was given to the entire world, to all mankind that marvelous night so many years ago. We hope you have a great Christmas season.
E/S Read
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