Every week I think I'll run out of things to write, but it seems like there's so much, I don't know where to start and where to stop.  I guess that's good.

Housing Coordinator
Don't judge me, but I was actually reading reviews on toilet brushes when I was getting ready to order one for some missionaries.  This is what my life has come to.  The following is a review I read about a toilet brush.  Needless to say, I bought it.
Get Yours Now and Turn Your Bathroom Into The Cleanest, Most Comfortable Room In Your Home! Be Sure To Get One For Each Bathroom! I now enjoy the bathroom so much that I moved my bedroom furnishings in there.

 One day the sister missionaries in Houston texted me and said “We’re just warning you.  Our apartment inspector was really upset.  He’s going to call you.  He's upset. We promise, it’s not as bad as he says.”  I’ve been in their apartment so I wasn’t worried.  It's a nice apartment.  When he called me, it was seriously pretty cute.  He was really upset.  He says, “My wife and I found all kinds of things wrong in that apartment.  The sisters are fine.  They are keeping it clean, but I had no idea what primitive conditions those missionaries are living in.  Do you know their beds aren’t even on frames?  They have box springs with a mattress on top just sitting on the floor!”  He’s contacted the Bishop and they are organizing the ward to go fix up that missionary apartment.  How sweet is that!  But he obviously hasn’t seen very many missionary apartments.  And if they wanted frames, all they have to do is ask.  They just don’t complain much.  They deal with what they have.  It’s one of the cute things about missionaries. 

I had another inspector call me and he was really upset.  His inspection form was completely filled out with things that are wrong in the apartment he inspected.   I know he’s a handyman so I asked him if he’d be willing to fix a few things and send us the bill.  I told him the landlord isn’t willing to put any money into fixing anything.  He said to me, “That apartment doesn’t need some things  fixed.  It needs a complete remodel!  I wouldn’t even know where to start!  I can’t fix the door handle.  The whole door needs to be ripped out and replaced.  Then I’d have to rip out the frame too.”  The missionaries have never said a word to me.  I asked them about it and they said it’s no big deal.

Here I am at my Housing Coordinator desk.

Here's Chris at his Finance Secretary desk

Sunday
Last Sunday we went to church in Grove, Oklahoma.  It was a very small ward with folding chairs in the chapel.  The chapel and cultural hall are the same room.  I wondered how they'd ever use up the time in fast and testimony meeting but they didn't have any trouble at all.  That little ward had 2 missionaries getting ready to leave that week.  Amazing!  Then we drove to Miami  (pronounced Miama) to see the missionaries there.  

Pillow

Chris always mocks my pillow.  He says it's gotta be worthless if you can stuff it in a suitcase.  Well, he left his pillow in Branson, so I had to hurry and order him a new one.  The only extra pillow we have here is exactly like mine.  Guess what, he likes mine better than his and now he uses it all the time.  

Transfer week is busy busy busy
I wish everyone could experience transfers.  It's very organized and yet completely chaotic.  I wish everyone could see the missionaries hug each other and say hello and goodbye.  I wish you could walk into a room full of departing missionaries and feel the solemn and sweet spirit that is there.

 On the transfer loop, at each stopping place a bunch of the missionaries congregate and then go their separate ways.  We pray at each stop. This time we asked them to pray specifically for the tires on the trailer so we wouldn't get a flat tire again.  One sister was praying that the tires wouldn't pop, but she accidentally prayed that the pires wouldn't top.  Then she pretty much laughed through the rest of the prayer and so did all of us.  But we didn't get a flat tire.  It's fun to see the new, nervous, excited, very tired missionaries arrive.  We got 15 new missionaries.  We had 17 go home.  Going home is so hard, it's full of mixed emotions.  We helped drive the missionaries to the airport.  I had 6 sisters in my car. They all got in at the president's house and then they saw the president hugging the other missionaries.  (This is the only time he ever hugs the girls) One said, "Hey! I'm not missing out on the hugs.  So all flew out of my car and lined up for a hug."  As we got close to the airport, one said, "I'm feeling so much anxiety.  I think I might be sick."  

This is Sister Churchill and Elder Stapel.  He's going home and taking this sign home for her because she doesn't have room in her luggage. They live in the same town.  She's not going home quite yet.  I've heard missionaries find lots of street signs in the grass.  When you find one with your name you have to keep it.  This sign got passed around for months till it found her.  You can't see, but missionaries have signed on the sign.

This is a van full of brand new missionaries after a good night's sleep at the president's house.  Now we are on our way to the first transfer stop, where they will cry and say goodbye to each other as they set off to their areas.   Sister Braaten drives this van.  I'm her sidekick.  We only went the wrong way once. 

Baptism 
We went to a baptism Friday night.  It was a very nice experience.  The young woman getting baptized grew up as friends with a young woman who is in Korea on a mission.  The missionary in Korea helped the sisters here teach her lessons via video chat. She was at the baptism via video chat and gave the talk on the Holy Ghost.  Wonderful world we live in.

Missionaries
One missionary that was in our van on transfers told us about herself.  She was in foster care from age 14 - 17.  She became friends with a Mormon and eventually got baptized.  At age 17 her mother got custody of her again, but the day she turned 18 she moved out and moved in with her friend's family.  She lived there and worked until she had saved enough money to go on a mission.  She's someone to admire!

Advice:  Our mission president tells the new missionaries they have to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable.

Christmas lights in the town square of Bentonville.

Birthday lunch on Saturday.  Pasta!  In front is Chris's meatball pizza.

Our waitress and my free birthday Chocolate Crème Brulee.  Yum!