WHEW!

What a crazy wonderful week we have had.  

Every Tuesday we have district meeting at our apartment.  They have it here for one reason.  Bet you can't guess what it is.  If you guessed FOOD you would be correct.  We love having the elders and sisters here.  We discuss new investigators, problems they may be having, announcements, and then one of them gives about a 30 minutes lesson out of "Preach My Gospel".  The lessons they give are just amazing.  I learn so much from the insight and knowledge these young missionaries have about the gospel.  After the business end of the meeting we get down to the eating.  This week we had tacos and spanish rice.  We also celebrated Elder Read, Elder Schuetz and Elder Putnam's birthdays.  Elder Read and Elder Schuetz both have a birthday on the ninth.  Because Elder Read's favorite dessert is banana cream pie and because I love him the most and because I am the cook, we had banana cream pie and also coconut cream pie.  And we couldn't forget the candle!  This is what it looks like after lunch:

They don't stay this way for long though.  They are really hard working so they deserve a few minutes rest before starting their long walks and bus rides for the day.

On Thursday and Friday it was "Mission Tour 2013".  Elder and Sister Gong, he is a GA 70, Pres. and Sis. Mains, the AP's and all the missionaries in the KK district participated in instruction and firesides with Elder Gong.  Quite an amazing man.  Easy to see why he is a GA.  Sis. Mains had asked that I provide a meal for everyone -- about 12 people -- on Thursday night about 6:30 before the fireside at 7:30..  It is quite tricky to do as our building has no way to cook, prepare or warm food.  (Don't get me started on this.)  During the day we had to make two trips to the airport, to pick up Elder and Sis. Atkinson and later Elder and Sis. Crookston.  Well, back to the food, I made poppy seed chicken in a slow cooker (kinda like a crock pot without the crock), rice in the rice cooker, steamed carrots which were kept warm in a crock pot and pizza factory breadsticks which Sis. Mains requested (thanks Natalie for the great rcipe). Cake with fresh strawberries was for dessert.  We had to make three different trips to the church to get all the food and people there.  But mission accomplished.

 This is Elder Read, Elder Atkinson, Elder Gong, Elder Crookston and Sis Crookston.

This is Sis. Mains, Sis. Gong and Sis. Mary Ling who is the district president's wife.

After dinner we all met in the chapel with the youth in the area age 16 and older.  We had such a good turn out of youth.  I really think they all enjoyed it judging from their reactions and smiles.  The next morning we were back at the church for the missionary training portion.  It went from 8:30 to 1:00 pm.  Sis. Mains had asked that I provide a snack break for everyone.  We had apples, oranges, bananas, water, carmelitas and peanut butter bars.  However, Elder Gong would say they could take a 5 minute stretch break but it wasn't time yet for snacks.  He gave them about 3 breaks.  The missionaries were so disappointed they couldn't eat the snacks because most of them had not had any breakfast.  It wasn't snack time until 1:00.  They were starving.  I just told them to think of it as fast day.  After the meeting was over, the Gong's, Mains' and APs had to rush to catch a flight.  Sis. Mains had asked that I prepare 6 sack lunches to tide them over until they arrived at the next stop later that afternoon/evening.  We really had a lot of fun suppering them, snacking them and sacking them.  I don't know how in the world they keep up the busy busy schedules they have.  They must get so confused when they wake up each morning and wonder what city they are in and what they are supposed to do in that city.  

Then it was time to take everyone back to the airport and pick up another senior couple who was coming to spend Friday night and Saturday with us.  We took Crookston's to the airport to catch their plane then hurried over to the other terminal to pick up the Beard's.  We were a little late getting the Beard's but not too bad.

The Beard's are finished with their mission and will be returning to Darwin, Australia this evening.  

On Friday night we had a wonderful baptism.  a WHOLE FAMILY.  It is the first time since we have been out that we have had a WHOLE FAMILY baptized.  This is Bro. Sidin, his wife Angela, daughter Warnilla and son Haimie.  When the sisters first met bro. Sidin he came to the door in his boxers, no shirt and with a beer in his hand.  The sisters found out he was Christian but he didn't know much about Jesus Christ, his Savior.  They talked with him and left a BofM for him to read.  He said he didn't like to read.  Sis. Parker said how can you know about your savior if you don't read.  He took the book and read it and his wife and children read it too.  The next week he said he would bring his children to church but he wouldn't stay himself.  The sisters arranged for a member about his age to meet him in the parking lot when he dropped the children off and talk with him.  The member and bro. Sidin are both from the same tribe.  They hit it off famously and the next week bro. Sidin came with his entire family and stayed the whole time and they have been coming every week since.  

Sorry.  Just lay on your side to see it.  This is Bro. Sidin and his family, the baptizees,  and the baptizers.  It was such a special baptism and Bro. Sidin bore such a strong wonderful testimony.  What a change can come into a man's heart.  

We have really enjoyed our busy busy week.  It is much better to have a whole lot to do and drop into bed exhausted than to not have enough to do and watch the clock go round, although it might be nice to have one of those days every now and then.  

Don't forget we love you all.  Send us your news.  You must have something you could share with us.  God Bless you all.   E/S Read