Rays of Northern Light

We just finished our transfer week and said goodbye to two of our missionaries who were going home and then met our two new missionaries this week. Sister Oler and Elder Mantoya went home and at our last FHE we got some pictures of them with their friends that they were teaching. It is kind of hard when they go home or move to new areas. We feel like parents almost as we look after these young missionaries. We hope to stay in touch with many of them. 

    With the transfer week we began our new responsibility of feeding the missionaries at the different conferences and training meetings. Elder Glenn and I are finding our rhythm in the kitchen together with chopping, mixing, timing and shopping for the food. Our first meal was a last-minute (two-day notice)  training meeting for all the district leaders where we served up Greek Chicken Wraps with a Pasta salad. Then just days later we served up the traditional (in this mission) Peri-Peri bowls. It’s a favorite to everyone here and it works great for new missionaries for whom we are not sure of for food allergies. Right now, we have two Celiacs and several gluten intolerants and a few nut allergies.  We need to keep track of their transfers as well in planning each meal. Mostly I am learning how to cook for the Celiac and gluten free missionaries. We have an MLC training coming up on Tuesday of this week, so I am planning a croissant chicken salad sandwich for their “working lunch”. I love it when I find something to make that is truly French.

    We are also busy getting a Linger Longer tradition set up in this branch. Doing branch activities is especially challenging for this area because some members live 45 minutes to an hour away and traffic can be a real hassle on weekdays and even Sundays. We have several new members that are coming up on or have even gone beyond a year in the church and so are preparing them to go to the temple. We will start a temple preparation class in the next month or two for them.

    Elder Glenn has bought himself a cheap bike so that he can stay in shape. He has been exploring this island from end to end and has found some really pretty neighborhoods. I have found my favorite walking park which is not terribly close to us but close enough for an occasional outing. Spring has really hit here, and it is so lovely to see all the flowers. We haven’t hardly broken 80 degrees yet, so I am still waiting to see if it is going to get as hot as they say in the summer. Right now, everyone is outside enjoying these beautiful days in the cool sun.

    Today in our gospel essentials class we had a really interesting discussion with our friend, Fongwon, who has just started learning about the Book of Mormon. He is a very impressive man whom I mentioned in a previous blog that came here from Cameroon with his family. He was a minister in his former country and has a degree in ministering from the Pentecostal church. He seems to have accepted the doctrine of the church but had questions about why he would need to be baptized again. Elder Glenn and another recent convert in the branch did a good job of explaining the priesthood line of authority to him. As the discussion continued it seemed he was more concerned about the approach. I got what he was saying and shared with him my own experience of “knowing” when I read the Book of Mormon and choosing for myself that I wanted to be baptized again in this church. He really connected to what I was saying, I think. The sisters are continuing to teach him and his family. They are an awesome couple with their two little boys. Fongwon has a strong understanding of gospel teachings from divinity school, and he has prioritized faith in his life. We hope and pray that he will choose to be baptized.

Au revoir,

The Glenns