Here is the second part of my letter.
The initial letter to the parents explaining the program we wanted to do went out the 1st of October, and presents have been trickling in ever since. Now picture 190+ presents. We stored them in our Utility Trailer because we did not have room at the mission office, but also for security.
On Tuesday we took the trailer to the office to sort the packages by Missionary and by Zone where that missionary serves. That process would have taken Mom and I a good part of the day to complete. But, again, the Lord provides.
Enter Elder Amatago, a big Elder from Samoa, and his companion, Elder Kober. They came to the office to have their car fixed and so had a couple hours to kill.
Elders Amatago and Kober
We sorted the packages, got them bagged in heavy duty plastic leaf bags, marked by zone, and reloaded in our trailer in one and a half hours!!!!
We then used some of the Target Gift Cards we had received to buy things to make up additional gift packages.
That evening Mom and I had an assignment to teach a class in the Ward Relief Society meeting. It was about the teachings of the Savior.
On Wednesday we did our normal office work, and that evening we fed the Spanish speaking elders. They wanted a "Breakfast" Dinner. Elder Leetham is from Colorado, and his companion, Elder Calderon, is from Mexico City, and not always comfortable speaking English. He is a very sweet elder. After dinner Calderon helped load Mom's Rosetta Stone program on her computer. He wants to become a Computer Tech after his mission, and knows his way around computers. It is a program to learn Spanish, so they helped Mom with pronunciation of the first lesson words. We also found out that our refrigerator quit working.
On Thursday, the first thing I did was call an appliance repair place to look at the fridge. They came out later that morning and determined that the compressor was shot. The repair estimate came to $760 and they suggested to just buy another fridge. I could not get a hold of the landlord, but there was an old fridge that worked in the garage. The problem is getting these two heavy appliances switched out.
Again, the Lord provides. On my way to the post office, I run into 4 of our guys. They are in our Zone, and we see them all the time. When something happens, good or bad, they run to us to tell us all about it. We are their surrogate parents.
So Elder Dryer and Whiting, and Elders Woodward and Gardner came over to help. Elder Whiting even tried to get the water line to the ice maker installed, but we did not have any plumbers tape to make a tight seal and there was a slight leak. When he disconnected the water line, he forgot which way to turn the water spigot to turn it off, and when he disconnected the hose it was still "on" and he got sprayed and soaked with water. It was quite a mess.
Elder Whiting.
We were happy to have our fridge exchanged.
Tomorrow, Friday, we have our office Christmas Dinner here at our house.
This week sure has gone by fast. Next week we will put on the final touches to having the gifts ready. We will have to focus on the "personal letters" and create letters for those without.
On Thursday we will be hitting 3 areas in the Northern half of the mission for our Christmas program. Two Zones will meet in a Stake Center where we will do our program, and then move on to another area where 2 Zones have gotten together, and then we do it again a third time.
Then on Friday, we do the same thing for the 6 Zones in the Southern half of the mission where we will go to 3 different stake centers where different zones have gathered.
Saturday will be Christmas Eve, and we will be ready to just vegetate.
Never a dull moment here, and you can see why time just flies by.
Until next time,
Love,
Mom and Dad
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