A Week of Hard Work and So Much Fun!

What a busy week we've had!  We worked so hard at the office with the many tasks we had to do-a missionary went home early, and a visa waiter left to go to Mexico, and we are getting three new visa waiters tomorrow, so I had a ton of paperwork to do to prepare for all of them. I'm also still preparing the paperwork for our huge transfer coming in three weeks, so I was a little brain dead from so many hours at the computer.  So we were pretty excited to have a little diversion this week--and it was a blast!

We had signed up to have the elders over for dinner on Sunday evening, and we were looking forward to having Elder Findlay and Elder West, who is a new zone leader and newly transferred in to our ward, with us.  Just a few hours earlier we got a text from Dave Longfellow telling us that they were here in Las Vegas!  We were excited to see them, so it worked out nicely that we could have dinner with them as well as with the elders.  We had a wonderful evening visiting with them.

And then after a hectic day at the office, we were rewarded by being able to meet up with our friends from the neighborhood--Doug and Shaunna McCleve, Dave and Vanessa Longfellow, Jack and Lonna Jeppesen, and Rand and Marilyn Meyerhofer (Lonna's brother and sister-in-law).  We ate dinner and then just talked and talked for a long time.  It was so so good to be able to hear what was going on in the neighborhood and  ward and to just be with them!  How we love them!  We had a wave of homesickness and really appreciated being able to see them.

 

And then after another busy day at the office we were rewarded by being able to go with Dave and Diane Lemmon to the UNLV basketball game and the Thomas & Mack Center.  We had been looking so forward to this!  Dave and Diane went all out for us and bought us this red UNLV jacket and red shirt that Glen and I are wearing.  She also got me a UNLV bracelet!  We were in matching attire and were STOKED to see the game!

They also bought us dinner which we ate in our seats (and our seats were so close--I've NEVER seen a college basketball game this close, and it was pretty sweet!) before the game started.

Just before the game started the lights went dim and as they introduced the team, they showed fireworks!  There was so much energy and fan support there we were just blown away.  The crowd was into the game the entire night. We had so much fun with the Lemmons, and it was just a magical night for us.

And then on Wednesday after a busy busy day, I was rewarded again by being invited along with Sister Black to go to Sister Macdonald and Sister Anderton's apartment for girls night out.  We had dinner there and then played games and it was SO MUCH FUN!  They serve at the employment center next door to us and they do such an amazing service there.  I loved and respected them the moment I met them six months ago, and it was so awesome to be with them.  We want to do it on a regular basis now!

Elder Fairbanks, one of the assistants, is going home next week, so this was probably the last time I would see him.  What a great missionary he is!  We'll really miss him.

Elder Vieira got a package from his sister in Portugal with two Milka chocolate bars, and he really wanted to give me one of them.  I protested and protested, but he would have none of it, so I finally had to accept it.  He is always so exceptionally warm and sweet to us when he comes into the office and always gives Glen a big hug--the only missionary to do that!  We just love him.

Left to right:  Elder West, Elder Peacock, Elder Vieira and Elder Findlay show us their abs routine that they do in the mornings.  Elder Findlay plays basketball for is university in Canada and he's pretty motivated to stay in shape.  They gave me a copy of their routine and I'm pretty excited to do it too.  They're all so awesome!

On Friday it was Elder Dana's birthday, so I made him this big cupcake.  He called in the morning and told us he was too sick to come in, so we thought we would just save it until Monday.  But some elders' car was towed and Elder Dana had to come in to the office to take care of it, but didn't put his white shirt and tie on, but we were still happy he came in, and then we surprised him with the birthday celebration!  He was touched and appreciative.  He's such a good man.

Then on Saturday Glen wanted to drive to Mesquite to inspect the missionary apartments of the missionaries who live there.  Boy, were we impressed!  These missionaries love serving in Mesquite and now we know why.  Their places were so roomy and nice compared to the apartments in the city, and they were all so clean and nice!  Here are Elder Edwards and Elder Dowuana-Hammond, the zone leaders.  We went to their place first and then they escorted us to the other three places that Glen wanted to inspect.

Elder Rumbach (from Germany--you can imagine how Glen loves to talk to him!) and Elder Giullian's place. They actually live in a member's home who is currently serving a mission and boy, was it beautiful!

Sister Garcia and Sister Hanson actually live in Bunkerville, just south of Mesquite.  They live in a casita and they just love it there.  It was so fun to see them!

Elder Lloyd and Elder Polanco also live in Bunkerville, but a few miles south of where the sisters live.  They live in the basement of this home and they take such good care of it.  We were so impressed!

After the four inspections, we were ready to eat lunch, so Elder Edwards and Elder Dowuana Hammond showed us this place to eat at the local golf course.  We had so much fun with them, hearing about their parents' conversions and what they want to do in the future.  Elder Edwards has already graduated from BYU and wants to go back to get his master's and pHd, and Elder Dowuana Hammond wants to go to medical school in the United States and then return to Ghana to practice medicine.  

After we finished lunch, we went to Vickie and Dell's house to visit and we had a great time with them.  What a fun and memorable day we had in Mesquite!