Week Three

What a GREAT week we've had!  Sad but true - I think my week has been MUCH better than Terry's week.  We left our British Isles training to do the "Mission Training".  We do this on the 3rd floor in the Joseph Smith Building.  That's also where the mission office is located.  We were assigned trainers to work with us all day - one on one.  My trainer is Sister Sasine.  I TOTALLY SCORED!!!!!   She is awesome.  Just a little short lady - maybe 5'1" and totally full of it!  She's 76 years old and acts like she's 36 years old! I've never seen anyone that age with so much energy.  Besides training me all day, she's in charge of all the treats we eat, either providing them herself, or getting people to help, buying paper products, water, etc.  Everything we need to be comfortable in the training zone.  Besides that - she's a wonderful teacher.  She teaches just the way I learn.  Repetition - Repetition - Repetition.  Oh - did I say that more than one time?  We're working on our own family history.  When I came in and pulled up my own name - there was a totally BLANK chart.  So - we began by putting in everyone (parents) in my family back 5 generations.  Now we're adding children to all those people.  When you put people in - you also add all their information.  Birth, marriage, death - and all their temple work that's been done.  It's been amazing to see all the people we find.  I totally didn't think I would like this, but I really do.  It's fun.  I'm hoping that when we go back to the British Isles, I can find the same enjoyment as I'm finding here.  It's not that it's my family - I think I would enjoy this with anyone else too.
Now - poor Terry.  His trainer is Elder Young.  Elder Young is a "young" elder in our mission.  He's been out 22 months, so he's looking at going home soon.  Actually, he lives at home and rides the train and bus to work every day.  He doesn't get a lot of sleep so he falls asleep if he's not talking and working so that's a problem.  The other problem is that he has some "special needs" that make it hard for him to teach any way other than to go down the manual and explain everything as he goes.  When Terry wants to review, or do something repetively - repetively - repetively, Elder Young won't/can't go back.  So - his training has been a lot of learning and looking, but not doing like mine has been.  It makes me feel bad for him that he's so frustrated.  HOWVER - that being said - Elder Young is a nice young man who tries hard, and Terry says that his mission for the next week is to make Elder Young feel good about himself and feel successful on his mission.  I think I pretty much have the best husband EVER!

Work aside, I think the best part about last week was being able to go home to get things we forgot (other than loosing the list and not remembering what we forgot.  Hmmmmm - do you think that's why we forgot everything?)  AND - being able to go to the shower that Tami and Brooke gave for Lynzi and baby Michael - - - AND being able to attend "Sound of Music", the Sounds production for this year!  First the shower.  It was wonderful.  They did so much work and everything was perfect.  The food was yummy and they had balloons and set up the back yard really nice.  There was a really great turn out of people who came to support Lynzi so it was wonderful - and she got some really nice things!  Next - the Sound of Music.  Tami was AMAZING!  The entire production was really good, but as friends told us, it was very obvious who the seasoned performers were, and she led the list.  She looked exquisite for the part and her voice was the best one on stage!   OK - so I'm a prejudice mother - but I'm definitely NOT the only one who thought that.
The only bad part of the weekend was that Heather wasn't there.  All 4 other children were there, but Heather is coming on the 4th of July for her class reunion so couldn't come for this too.  I felt bad when we left Gregg's house after picking up Ron.  Marthea had to stay home to work at the hospital.  We had been on the road for about 2 hours when Gregg got a call from her.  She said that the hospital had just called (or she had gone in) and found out that the patient had been cancelled so she didn't need to work.  No one had the courtesy to call her to let her know!    GRRRRR!  She could have come with us had she known!

All in all - things are going VERY well!  We feel blessed to live here and serve this  mission.  The apartment is even starting to feel and look like home!

Till next week!