Singapore and YSA

Selamat Datang -- We hope everyone is doing well and loving life.  It is great for us to be here in KK and loving our mission.  We love the country -- it's so beautiful -- and we especially love the people.  We were just talking and saying the other day how the most boring job in KK must be the local weather forecaster.  He could just keep pulling out the same forecast day after day and never have to change it.  We even have it down by heart now:  Sunny in the morning, clouding up in the afternoon with a strong chance of showers.  Highs around 32 C and lows around 25 C.  Repeat the next day, and the next, and the next . . . .  Sometimes when it rains I think I will open the windows and let in the cool fresh air.  Well, the air may be fresh but it definitely isn't cool.  Just really humid.  But I keep hoping one day when I open those windows, there will be cool air.

We had senior conference again in Singapore on June 3rd - June 7th.  We had a fantastic time and decided to take in the famous Singapore Zoo. What an amazing zoo.  I have never been in one like it.  You don't get the feeling that it is a zoo at all.  Very very few of the animals are in cages.  There are even monkeys swinging around through the trees above your head.  Thank goodness they don't drop anything -- at least they didn't while we were underneath them.  Thanks for small favors.  Not wanting to bore you with the hundreds of zoo pictures we took, I just thought I would share a few with you:

 This is Sis. Atkinson, me and Sis. Crookston taking on this mean croc.  He was vicious, but he was no match for three tough old ladies.  We had him cornered in record time.

 Next these probiscus monkeys asked if they might have their picture taken with me.  One got scared and tried to run away.  What a boob!  I only look scary.

 This is the great hornbill.  It is the national bird of Malaysia.  It if magnificent to look at and so beautiful.  It is also quite large.  Wouldn't want to ask it to dinner.

 I'm sure everyone as seen a back end like this one at one time or another.  Possibly not on an elephant though.  I just wanted to show the agility these great big animals have.  The elephant is walking on a log and he has all four feet on the log and can walk it without falling.  I can't even do that with two feet and a bigger brain.

 I am always amazed at the ability they have in their trunks to pick up large items, like logs, and small items like peanuts.  Here the elephant is taking the hat off the man, but he can put it back on the man's head too.

And what would a trip to the zoo be without seeing the king of beasts.  These two kings looked very majestic and very lazy.  But they are huge animals and demand to be shown lots of respect.

 This is Sis. Jen Simon.  I had a picture of her several blogs ago opening her mission call which was to the Singapore mission.  Jen was in Singapore during senior/district conference to be set apart as a missionary.  She is so excited to go.  She is from the KK1 branch.  She entered the MTC in the Philipines on June 5.  She will report back to Singapore for her first assignment this Wednesday.  All the sister missionaries are hoping they get to be her trainer.  She will make one terrific missionary as she has been helping the missionaries teach for the past year and is already familiar with the way missions work.  Love Jen.

This is everyone in the KK district at our Singapore meeting.  Well, almost everyone.  Elder and Sis. Atkinson aren't here.  They are back in the hotel room.  I must tell you about the hotel we stay in in Singapore.  It is called the V Lavendar.  When you walk in the lobby it always smells like fresh lavendar. The smell is beautifu.  The rooms -- well they are clean and adequate.  If you put your arms straight out from yhour shoulders you can practically touch the walls.  Tiny, tiny rooms.  Once you get in the shower, you shouldn't plan on turning around.  Slide in, lather up and slide out.  You each get one bath towel, no hand towel or face cloth.  And then you must play "Find the soap".  It is not in the bathroom where you think it would naturally hang out.  Last time we looked and looked and finally had to admit we couldn't find it, so we got another one off the housekeeping cart.  Usually the soap is hidden in a drawer somewhere around the bed.  We aren't complaining though, because like I said, they are adequate since all we do there is basically sleep and shower.  We are gone all day for meetings.  The church pays for the rooms unless you want to stay extra days and do things on your own.  Then you pay for your extra days.  Everything in Singapore is so expensive.  This wonderful "adequate" room at the church's discounted price still runs $168 Singapore dollars per night.  Singapore and US dollars are about the same.  Makes Motel 6 look like the Ritz.

This is Tiffiny, her grandmother Kinta and her cousin Melvin.  They have been in the KK1 branch for about 3 years.  Kinta recently finished cancer treatments.  She lost all her hair, but now it is growing back and she is doing better.  They left on Friday to go to Bintulu.  I will sure miss this family.  They have relatives in Bintulu who are active members, so hopefully, they will stay active there.  Melvin wants to go on a mission but he needs to save some money.  It is a hard situation for him because most of the jobs around here require you to work on Sundays, so that is bad for him.  He works a while and then he quits because he wants to go to church.  Then he finds another job and it is the same thing over again.  Hopefully, when he gets to Bintulu they can help him get on his mission.

We are having all the YSA's over to our apartment tomorrow night for FHE.  I think some will go swimming.  So I am busy doing lots of cooking today because we have several appointments tomorrow.  BTW, we had another project approved last week.  It is for the Sabah Deaf Society.  We will be meeting with them again tomorrow to make sure we get everything right.  I have a soft spot in my heart for deaf people/children after having had wonderful deaf neighbors the whole time we were growing up.  I'm glad the church can offer some help.

Take care everyone -- We Love You All and miss everyone and everything.  Hope you are staying cool this summer.  At least you can have a variety of weather forcasts.  Love Ya  E/S Read