So Much Happening in Las Vegas!

On Monday I knew that I had so so much work to do to get ready for our 27 MORE new missionaries coming at the next transfer.  New file folders, transfer board cards, letters, orientation books, etc.  There were also a total of 13 missionaries being released on transfer day, including five senior missionaries, which is a lot of work also:  departure papers, letters to stake presidents, certificates of release, ordering flights, etc.  About 16 weeks before the missionary's release, I send a letter to his/her parents, telling them his/her release date and sending them a form to fill out and return as soon as possible with the contact information for the parents and stake president, and the airport information of where the missionary will be flying to.  Some of the parents will send back the information very quickly, and sometimes even include a note for me.  Sometimes 2-3 weeks will go by with no word from them, so I call them and ask them if they actually DID receive the letter. They respond, "Ohhhhhhhh. . . I'm sorry.  I forgot all about it."  REALLY!!?  Church travel won't allow me to order individual flights--all those going home on transfer day need to have their flights ordered as a group, so I can't request them until I receive all the travel papers.  It's a lot of work, and I have to check it several times very carefully, because think of how awful it would be if I requested a flight to the wrong place!  Horrifying!

Anyway, in the midst of all the work, think of how awesome it was to get these darling hearts in the mail from Jade:

So so cute!  Thank you Jade!  We loved it!

The next day we got a package from Lindsey with a letter and homemade almond roca in it!  We thought we'd died and gone to heaven!  We ate every bit of it that very DAY!

The next day I had quite an experience.  A lady called me to tell me that she felt the missionaries assigned to her ward were not doing their jobs.  She went on an on about her investigator friend who she felt wasn't progressing because of the missionaries.  She was pretty emotional and was raising her voice and she talked to me for about 20 minutes.  I just listened and told her I would pass the information on and she said, "When will I expect to get a call back from you telling me why this is happening?"  I told her she would hear from someone by the next day (it was now 5:00 p.m. and I would be leaving the office).  I knew one of the missionaries assigned to her ward who I felt was a really good missionary.  The other one was brand new, having only been here for 1 1/2 weeks.  I decided to call the zone leaders and explain to them what had happened, and they responded very maturely to what I passed on to them.  The next day the missionary assigned to the ward called me and very calmly and kindly told me that he was so sorry that I had received a phone call like that.  He said that he had been sick and that he would immediately meet with her and try to resolve her concerns.  He was genuinely concerned and if he had resentment toward her, he made no indication of it.  I was so impressed, and I told him so.  I thought he handled a difficult situation with amazing dignity and humility and I told him how much I respected him for it.  It was a great experience for me.

Jay Chapman invited Glen to go with him to the West Coast Conference basketball championship games at the Cashman Center.  Can you believe that?  I was so jealous!  He watched the Loyola Marymount and San Diego game and had a great time.  The next night, San Diego beat BYU in a close game and we were so sad!  Glen could have gone to that game too, but . . . 

we went to dinner with our wonderful Bishop Larkin and his wife Melanie.  They took us to this awesome restaurant and we had so much fun with them.  He is a great bishop and everyone in the ward just loves him and his wife.  We do too!

On Saturday we went to the first convert baptism in our ward since we have been there.  Debbie Mopart (pictured in the center) was baptized in a wonderful service.  When I asked her what it was that attracted her to the Church, she told me that it was a wonderful Mormon boss who treated her so well.  When I asked her what it was that converted her she said, "I love that there is a prophet on the earth. It's the missing piece to the circle.   I always wondered why God didn't have a prophet today when he did in Biblical times."  She is really strong and will be a great asset to the ward.  Pictured are Glen and I, Elders West and Findlay (in our ward) Debbie, and Elders Jarmon and Conklin who had taught her before and spoke at the baptism.  

On Saturday night Glen went with Jay to the Cashman Center again to the WCC basketball championships and saw San Diego and St. Mary's play and then also saw Gonzaga and Loyola Marymount.  What exciting games!  BYU was supposed to be playing but they lost!  So because Glen went to the games, I went with the missionaries in the employment center to see the BYU folkdancers.  We went to dinner first and had so much fun talking and sharing.  I just love them! Seated are Sis. Clark, Sis. Macdonald, me, Sis. Splain, Sis. Young, and Sis. and Elder Howerton, who are service missionaries. 

They were also performing in the Cashman Center (a different part) and it was simply incredible!  I had never seen a full program of their's and I was just blown away.  What was fun was that the dancer pictured above is the granddaughter of our senior missionary who just went home--Sis. Anderton.  We loved being able to meet her and talk to her!  What a fun girl's night out we had. 

I had an amazing experience though--on our way to the Cashman Center I looked in my purse for my ticket to get in and it wasn't there.  I showed Glen my ticket as I put it into my purse before I left.  I don't know if it fell out at the restaurant or what, but it was nowhere to be found.   Sis. Young kept saying, "It's got to be in there somewhere!"  It wasn't, so I said, "Let's just get in line and see what happens."  We got in a long line, and when we got to the door, the person taking tickets was none other than Bro. Johnson, the 1st counselor in our bishopric!  I had no problem getting in.  What tender mercies come so frequently here--we are so blessed!