Week 27 Picture Update

July 1, 2018

Recently it was July 1, Canada Day, and the day in my hometown of Raymond, Alberta that generations of born and raised “Raymondites” come home for a few days of barbeques, parades, rodeos, old friends and families.  It is a time when kids get new blue jeans and cowboy hats.  This will be the first year in many that Margo and I will not be home to enjoy the festivities with our family.  I am happy that my Brother and many of his children went to see my father and my brother, the #3 son Kevin, still living at home under my Dad’s (97) daily care.  My two wonderful sisters are also ministering angels.

Since so much has occurred since last writing, I will try to catch you up mostly via pictures, with an occasional comment.

This is the young lady that had to be taught to not be afraid of water before she could be baptized.  Such a special family.  The missionary on the left finished his two years and went home this week

This is a birthday party for two members of one of the Solo congregations.  They love each other so much and are so supportive of each other.

The very close family of the young man with the “Marilyn Monroe” T-shirt.  He is a Javanese artist that was appointed to be head of his family by his grandfather just before he died.  The young man the the right of Margo and below will be baptized on July 22.

Sister Miller and I supported the young and very capable leaders at a youth conference for about 75 teen-agers as a resort in the mountains. (Two children of the leaders after watching an American movie. :)

I received the first shipment of my book submitted to publisher just before leaving for Indonesia.  We met two different owners of factories and on our day off we visited them, I presented a copy of the book and we built friendships. I loved it!

Cleaning and lubricating the “miracle” sewing machine and meeting with hospital administrators so show them the little hats (250) the women will make for newborn babies.

We have a new mission president from Seattle that arrived last week.  The young missionaries will love him as do Sister Miller and I already do.  He came to a zone conference to meet the missionaries and participated in a ward party the young missionaries organized for members and the people they are teaching.  He was a missionary here when he was 19 so the language is coming back quickly.

The Elders have been teaching this Sister for some time but the husband was hesitant to join the conversation so Sister Miller and I went with them and because we have grey hair and are older than them, he came right out and spent the entire evening with us.  It helps to be a “senior” and support the young missionaries.

We love these young men and women.  Without doubt their willing service with complete devotion to the Lord for two years of their young lives is a miracle.  While the church works very hard to take care of the missionaries, one of our newest arrivals had his new watch and wallet chewed up by rats in their apartment shortly after his arrival.  The missionaries are great…they laugh about it, put a notch in their belts and just go to work. We took the large missionary below to the hospital because he had a terrible rash on his face and arm.  We thought he had shingles but fortunately the Doctor said it was “only” caused by the water we all have to bathe in.