Another Week Without Internet!!!!!!

This has been another week without Internet being off and on!!!!  It's weeks like this that we have to reread the Book of Job.  Our service is on for a few hours each day, then off for most of the day.  TM headquarters is in KL in West Malaysia.  Whenever I call the service, they are really quite nice and sweet to me.  I feel as if I have talked to about every service operator at TM!!  I call every time it goes out--they know "Miss Gloria" really well.  I told them that I was quite anxious for service this week because I was expecting an email at any time from our daughter in Hawaii who is having a baby at any time.  We were so excited when Colby called us about the birth of Oliver!! 
What a cutie!!!  Just look at those dimples!!  He has a nice set of lungs also.  He cried the whole time we talked to Kathie.  Kathie, I surely hope that he settles into life at the Weeks home.  I'm sure that Cole and Izzy are excited to have him home.  If you can--just relax and rest when he does and let things fall where they may!!  Colby and the kids will survive fine.  You can take care of other "stuff" when you're able.
We have had an uneventful week here.  Our usual of FHE on Monday with our YSA.  I made them cupcakes with some leftover pink frosting from the Relief Society Birthday Dinner.  They love them.  On Tuesdays we meet with the missionaries downtown.  We have not had a meeting for 5 weeks because they are traveling of Tuesdays.  We did not have a Branch Presidency meeting on this Tuesday because they all had to work late.
  On Wednesday we met with the District(Stake) President--Ling, his counselor, Pres. Fausto(one of our YSAs), and Sis. Ling(Pres. Ling's wife) for the purpose of planning for a Youth Conference on June 7, 8. 9 of June!!  They don't believe in planning too far in advance!!  After the meeting, I looked at our responsibilities and smiled!!!!  We are responsible for assigning topics to other senior couples and planning their presentations, doing a 1 1/2 hour Leadership Training for all youth leaders who will be there, cooking spaghetti lunch for first day, and sack lunches for the last day, AND preparing all games for the first 2 days!!!   Busy schedule--so say a prayer for Dad and I that we're up to this.  All of this conference is taking place at a beach here and the youth are camping on the beach.  Keep in mind that it rains every day, sometimes twice a day!  They are planning on 45 youth coming.  I really am excited for this because I love all of the activities--beats staying in the apartment all day and I can wear slacks to the beach!!
On Thursday and Friday, we set up appointments to teach 4 converts their follow-up lessons.  Each convert receives 8 lessons from Dad and I when the missionaries finish their parts.  All 4 cancelled on us!!  Bummer!!  Maybe this week we can see them.
Friday, we cleaned the apartment and I baked an applesauce chocolate cake for Sister Harrison who is returning home to the US on Tuesday!  She is so sweet(one of 12 children).  On Saturday afternoon, we had all 5 missionaries over for a spaghetti dinner.  They loved it because they never get to eat western foods here(if you call spaghetti a western food).  I had French bread, which is a treat here.  They don't eat much bread here, just lot of noodles or rice.  I asked President Ling if he thought the youth would like the spaghetti for their lunch at Youth Conference.  He said it didn't matter--that they would eat whatever he told them to eat!!!  So much for free agency.  You know--he is probably right and it doesn't really matter because they appreciate almost everything that we try to do or have.
We got up early on Saturday morning and I baked a huge pan of fresh, homemade biscuits and took them to church with jam and honey.  About 20 members met there for our first Adopt-A-Highway.   We worked really hard cleaning the highway in front of our church. 

This is President Francis(Branch Pres), Sisters Kate, Caroline, and Wendy getting to go to the street to work!!  Caroline is Pres. Francis's daughter.  Sis. Wendy is Chinese and a recent convert.  She was in my group to clean.  Every other step, she would show me a weed or plant and tell me what it cures or how it will help my body(as if there was any hope for that!!)!!!  I love Sis. Wendy!

If you just take their picture, they will work all day!!

This is most of us getting ready to go and clean the highway.

This was my little group--Sister Wendy, Madame Yapp, and one of our YW, Amy.  Dad came over and helped us as we got further down the road.  He tried to get some trash near this big drainage ditch.  His glasses fell off of his face because he was so sweaty!  They went into the ditch. YUCKY!  Kate and the missionary sisters from the other side came over to help and Sis. Harrison was able to retrieve them!!

FINALLY WE FINISH!  Hot , sweaty, tired, and sunburned, but happy!!  Dad did bring it to my attention that whenever I bent over to pick up trash that cars honked!!  I'm sure that it was a car stopper!! Several people took our pictures and honked and waved.  Two people came and asked who we were and wanted to join us whenever we do it again!!  Next time(3 months) we will come to our apartment for a swim afterwards.

This was a picture taken from our apartment window last night!!  This is the South China Sea.  We have the most beautiful sunsets ever!!

Last Sunday, Sebastian and Julizah invited us to dinner at their new home in Sri Kepayan.  Their home was blessed and dedicated while we were there.  I miss our rides with Sebastian sometimes. (he was our taxi driver for 6 months).  He wore his BYU hat that Dad gave him for Christmas to clean up the highway on Saturday.
Hope you have a great week, especially Kathie, Oliver, and family.  Welcome to our family, Oliver!  We love all of you more each day.
DAD & MOM

PS I forgot to tell you of Branch Council this morning at church.  David Choong is our translator most of the time.  We really love David.  Today he stopped translating, looked at me and said "Sorry, Sis. Larson, I have to go out and pass the gas.  I'll be right back."  He ran out holding his stomach and came back in smiling!!