**BYU couples: Lynn and Alice Jessop, Ross and Edith Brown, Steve and Elva Orton, Ron and Diane Kimball, Linda and Dave Terry.***Letter #33 ( May 3, 2009 – May 9, 2009)
Sunday, May 3, 2009 – Madison’s Birthday – Mom – We were still so tired from our visit to Parkson’s village. We did a lot of walking and eating. Our Branch President is at youth conference which is held in Hong Kong and other BYU couples were away for the holiday weekend. So, again, we expected to have a very small fast and testimony meeting. And again, we had 8 visitors (all LDS this time except one 10 year old boy). The Lord does take care of his little branches all over the world.
Our primary doubled in size, which made us scramble a little at the beginning with space for everyone to sit and handouts. We have started using our spare bedroom for primary opening exercises and sharing time. We put cushions and mats on the floor for the children and we (big people) sit on the bed. The weather is warm with just a little breeze. We took a stroll “around the neighborhood” in the evening and enjoyed the beauty of the trees, flowers and bushes.
Monday, May 04, 2009 – Sadie’s Birthday – Dad –Well, a day of washing clothes and then our washer died. We went to the lady over the apartments and she found another one and switched them out. Then, the light in the bathroom went out. So, instead of replacing the bulb like we would, they came in, removed the entire light fixture and replaced it with a new one. This is typical every time. The bulbs in the hallway outside our door are like ours, replace the bulb and it lasts about two weeks. Welcome to China. I bought a shirt today- the largest size in China and it barely fits. Best if I lose some weight even though I weigh what I did at the end of my military career – 200lbs.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009 – Mom – We have decided not to buy a new phone since we will be gone in two months. It does create some complications. One is that when we order water by phone, it was set up that a computer would read the telephone number and then know exactly where to deliver the water. Tomorrow, we will have Helena call the water company to see if we can transfer our account (already paid for) over to the Orton’s phone. The construction is getting wider and wider. Today in our walk, we literally were walking single file on the store front’s top step while staring into a very deep hole. In some cases, we would see a shovel of dirt come flying out of the hole.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009 – Dad - We ordered water today on our neighbors phone and all went well. We will have several coupons left over for the water and will give them to the Jessop’s so they can use them next year. Went with Helena to the Muslim Market so she could translate for us if need be. We purchased a musical instrument unique to China, nuts with a nut cracker, and four cell phone ornaments. We took the taxi both ways – cost $3 each way. Preparing another talk for Sunday on Mothers. Edith and I just gave talks two weeks ago – par for a small branch.
Thursday, May 7, 2009 – Mom – Wow, it is hot in the classrooms. We opened the doors and the windows for some cross ventilation, which helped, but it is so noisy from the outside that we had to periodically close the doors to be heard. Our activity this week with the students is a tongue twister competition. They are really good and can talk quite fast. It is a fun activity. We had several rounds and the class voted on the best “tongue twister.” The winner received a Snickers candy bar. I have now decided and have told my students that my purpose for coming to China was to give the students encouragement and confidence to speak English, instead of being so nervous to speak.
Friday, May 08, 2009 – Dad – Mom and I are always getting compliments on our “holding hands” all the time. The Chinese students and teachers are always saying that it is wonderful even though you never see many holding hands over here. This morning we had an email of suggested changes to our house.
Sunday, May 3, 2009 – Madison’s Birthday – Mom – We were still so tired from our visit to Parkson’s village. We did a lot of walking and eating. Our Branch President is at youth conference which is held in Hong Kong and other BYU couples were away for the holiday weekend. So, again, we expected to have a very small fast and testimony meeting. And again, we had 8 visitors (all LDS this time except one 10 year old boy). The Lord does take care of his little branches all over the world.
Our primary doubled in size, which made us scramble a little at the beginning with space for everyone to sit and handouts. We have started using our spare bedroom for primary opening exercises and sharing time. We put cushions and mats on the floor for the children and we (big people) sit on the bed. The weather is warm with just a little breeze. We took a stroll “around the neighborhood” in the evening and enjoyed the beauty of the trees, flowers and bushes.Monday, May 04, 2009 – Sadie’s Birthday – Dad –Well, a day of washing clothes and then our washer died. We went to the lady over the apartments and she found another one and switched them out. Then, the light in the bathroom went out. So, instead of replacing the bulb like we would, they came in, removed the entire light fixture and replaced it with a new one. This is typical every time. The bulbs in the hallway outside our door are like ours, replace the bulb and it lasts about two weeks. Welcome to China. I bought a shirt today- the largest size in China and it barely fits. Best if I lose some weight even though I weigh what I did at the end of my military career – 200lbs.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009 – Mom – We have decided not to buy a new phone since we will be gone in two months. It does create some complications. One is that when we order water by phone, it was set up that a computer would read the telephone number and then know exactly where to deliver the water. Tomorrow, we will have Helena call the water company to see if we can transfer our account (already paid for) over to the Orton’s phone. The construction is getting wider and wider. Today in our walk, we literally were walking single file on the store front’s top step while staring into a very deep hole. In some cases, we would see a shovel of dirt come flying out of the hole.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009 – Dad - We ordered water today on our neighbors phone and all went well. We will have several coupons left over for the water and will give them to the Jessop’s so they can use them next year. Went with Helena to the Muslim Market so she could translate for us if need be. We purchased a musical instrument unique to China, nuts with a nut cracker, and four cell phone ornaments. We took the taxi both ways – cost $3 each way. Preparing another talk for Sunday on Mothers. Edith and I just gave talks two weeks ago – par for a small branch.
Thursday, May 7, 2009 – Mom – Wow, it is hot in the classrooms. We opened the doors and the windows for some cross ventilation, which helped, but it is so noisy from the outside that we had to periodically close the doors to be heard. Our activity this week with the students is a tongue twister competition. They are really good and can talk quite fast. It is a fun activity. We had several rounds and the class voted on the best “tongue twister.” The winner received a Snickers candy bar. I have now decided and have told my students that my purpose for coming to China was to give the students encouragement and confidence to speak English, instead of being so nervous to speak.
Friday, May 08, 2009 – Dad – Mom and I are always getting compliments on our “holding hands” all the time. The Chinese students and teachers are always saying that it is wonderful even though you never see many holding hands over here. This morning we had an email of suggested changes to our house.
**You can see LeRoy and Kelli's house in this view.** The tub color has been changed back to what we wanted (didn’t know it had changed), added concrete under the deck, and determined that the steps off the deck should be on the north side and go directly down to the yard side instead of the house side. The cost will be $260 more added to the cost of the house. The home is coming along very quickly and should be ready to walk into upon our return (June 27th). We plan to pay cash for the house but will need every penny we have to do so.
Saturday, May 9, 2009 – Mom – It has been raining for two full days now, but it is a pleasant rain. We have a drain pipe just outside our bedroom window, so we listen to the rain go through the drain pipe at night. It actually kept me awake last night. We got up early and went to the supermarket for bread. We had a branch activity of a picnic to commemorate mother’s day and Easter. The original plan was to have it in our area in front of the apartments, and they would have an Easter egg hunt for the children. Well, plan B went into effect and we ate at the branch president’s house. He supplies three of the children, so the Easter eggs were hidden around their apartment. Because of the bad weather, not very many showed up. We were to furnish our own picnic – we had peanut butter sandwiches and carrot sticks. Cookies and brownies were furnished for dessert. I successfully made the brownies in our little toaster oven. After the picnic, we went to the Shaanxi History Museum with 4 other BYU teacher couples. Sister Jessop knew a young man who used to be a tour guide there and he invited her to go to the museum, so she invited the rest of us. We had our very own private tour guide. It was a very good and beautifully done museum that showed the different dynasties of China who were in this province. Afterwards, because of the rain, we could not get a taxi, so we just started walking. We were guessing which direction we should go, but soon we began to see familiar territory. All along the way, we kept trying to get a taxi. Finally about half way back to the apartment, we got a taxi that brought us to the university. We ate at KFC to celebrate mother’s day.
Saturday, May 9, 2009 – Mom – It has been raining for two full days now, but it is a pleasant rain. We have a drain pipe just outside our bedroom window, so we listen to the rain go through the drain pipe at night. It actually kept me awake last night. We got up early and went to the supermarket for bread. We had a branch activity of a picnic to commemorate mother’s day and Easter. The original plan was to have it in our area in front of the apartments, and they would have an Easter egg hunt for the children. Well, plan B went into effect and we ate at the branch president’s house. He supplies three of the children, so the Easter eggs were hidden around their apartment. Because of the bad weather, not very many showed up. We were to furnish our own picnic – we had peanut butter sandwiches and carrot sticks. Cookies and brownies were furnished for dessert. I successfully made the brownies in our little toaster oven. After the picnic, we went to the Shaanxi History Museum with 4 other BYU teacher couples. Sister Jessop knew a young man who used to be a tour guide there and he invited her to go to the museum, so she invited the rest of us. We had our very own private tour guide. It was a very good and beautifully done museum that showed the different dynasties of China who were in this province. Afterwards, because of the rain, we could not get a taxi, so we just started walking. We were guessing which direction we should go, but soon we began to see familiar territory. All along the way, we kept trying to get a taxi. Finally about half way back to the apartment, we got a taxi that brought us to the university. We ate at KFC to celebrate mother’s day.
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