Sunday, January 29, 2012

Best Thing

Every now and then you do something in your life rather brilliant.
This was a brilliant move on my part. Bringing this little
marble game with us to the mission field was ingenious.
We bought it at a Bombay store in Las Vegas, years ago.
The elders love it, they all try their hand at getting the best
score, we've had two along the way that have gotten it down
to one marble, Elder Faber, (he actually said he wasn't going home
until he mastered it) and Elder Bishop (he just played it enough times).
The new elders right out of the MTC sit down and give it a try 
and the elders heading home will play it over and over again.
Brilliant!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

World's Largest. . .

We spent the day driving two elders back to their area, but it wasn't
a total waste of time.   Along the way and on the trip back, we spotted
several of Alberta's famous "world's largest" items.  I was so excited.
I've been waiting to see these famous sights for over 18 months.
This is the "world's largest" mallard duck, don't know why. . . 
it just is.  This shows you how big it is compared to the flags.
Quack, Quack, Quack
This fine gentleman is a "world's largest" trapper man.
We had to take pictures from across the street because the museum
was closed for the winter.  We may go back this summer.
This, now this is. . . wait for it. . . 
the "worlds' largest" perogie.
When we were taking the picture, Chris asked what the big
thing through the middle was supposed to be. It's a fork.
 Figure that one out.  Why would you have a giant perogie in your town?
 A perogie is a dumpling type foodfilled with things like potatoes,
 bacon and cheese.  The missionaires love them because they're easy
 and cheap.  You typically boil them and then fry them in a little
 butter.  I haven't actually tried one yet, I guess there's no time like the 
present.  I'll get back to you.
And this "world's largest" hasn't even been seen by the missionaries.
At least they haven't told be about this one.  All the other attractions the 
missionaires have seen and told me about, but not this one.  I think I'm the first.
"World's Largest" mushrooms?  Interesting!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Ice Castles

I saw this advertised a month ago and thought it sounded like something
we needed to see and experience.  It's called "Whyte on Ice" festival. 
Unfortunately. . . it was during the week the the temperatures dropped to
-25.  The only week it's dropped that low all winter.  It was soooo cold.
We drove to Whyte Ave, found the park, got out of the car long enough to
take these pictures through the fence and by that time we got back to the
car, we were frozen.

This was the first area, the ice sculptures were pretty good,
apparently, they bring teams in from all over the world.
This one is a castle with a slide that the kids can actually go down.
But who would want to slide down it, your bottom would freeze to it.
This one is actually really cool, no pun intended.
This is a table and barrel chairs.
A goose, a Canadian goose.
This is a church, not "our" church but a church just the same.
I don't know what's underneath the ice, but this man was working on
it with a chainsaw.  It was so cold, you can't imagine how cold.
Then in another part of the park, we found these.
Now these are amazing!
I'm not sure what this is, but it's neat.
Awesome lion, how do they do the mane.
Elks head, just the head.
Look at the detail on the wings.
Praying mantis, kind of creepy.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Prepare to be amazed

This came to us from a facebook page,  titled
"yeah, we're that good"
I love it, I was so impressed with this shot.
We know these elders, Elder Lauscher, Elder Burns and Elder Happonen
and they were just that special.
This was the full photo, but we don't know the elder on the left,
but he looks like one of the Jones' brothers, don't you think, family?

Thursday, January 12, 2012

What a Difference a Day Makes

I took these pictures a few days into the new year, 
  very little snow, then. . .

just a week later.  What a difference a day makes.

Before. . . 
After. . . 
Before. . . 
After. . . 
Backyard and soccer field, before
and after.  We have been very blessed this winter.  Last year we had
the first snow storm by November and temperatures below -20 degrees for
over three months.  The snow never did melt.  Unlike this year.
All I can say is, thank you!  It's been very "livable". 

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Puzzled!

One of the best decisions I made when I came on this mission,
was to pack up our marble game.  It sat on our coffee table back home
and I thought it would be nice to have it on our coffee table in the 
mission home.  
The elders LOVE it, they play it whenever they're in our home.
Makes it one of the best things I brought.
So while shopping for Christmas, I came across these puzzles,
something else for the elders and sisters to work on, 
while they wait for interviews, during a lunch break,
or just to relieve stress.
I'm smart, I took these pictures so that when they can't put them back
together, I will know how to do it.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

January ZLC

Christmas is over and the children have all gone home,
now it's back to work.  Our first zone leader council of 2012!
Back to my blocks, I love my blocks
(notice my little forget-me-not statue on the right, thank you Patti)
Today I served a chili bar for lunch, not a potato bar, but a chili bar.
I offered chips or baked potatoes,
smothered in chili.  I made two pot fulls, the one on the left is regular
and the one on the right is gluten free.  I'm getting pretty good at this.
Good lookin' chili.  
We have a few new zone leaders.  They all seemed to enjoy the food.
President tried something new in training today and he took pictures for me.
Role play or real play we like to call it, practice and re-practice.
They learn, so they can take it to their zones and teach their missionaries.

Our wonderful zone leaders. 
It's amazing, a lot of these missionaries have joined us in the mission
since we've arrived, in context, they're just babies.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Mini Missionary

We have had several mini missionaries, serve in out mission.
These are missionaries from our area, who have their calls,
and are waiting for their visa's to come through.  When their
date of departure comes and goes, they come "work" for us.
This elder was a very hard worker, a good missionary and played the
piano beautifully.  The interesting thing, he taught himself to play.
He can sit down to the piano, open the hymn book and play any song,
with not even one piano lesson.

He will make a fine missionary, Good Luck!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Medical Coordinator

My name is Sister Campbell, and I'm the medical coordinator.
I get to see and handle stuff like this EVERY DAY!
This is an elder with a slightly swollen thumb, 
because he jammed it on p-day, playing basketball.
This is a better view, it's the one on the right
It is a very fat thumb.  He'll survive.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Interviews, again

We are back to interviews, again.  Because of our Christmas
conference and being all together in two meetings, we were
not able to do the traditional interviews, so in January we try and
catch up and travel to each zone and interview all the missionaries.
I did a major "after the holidays" treat dump.   I took samples of my candies
and cookies, that I made for Christmas, to the interviews and let them all 
have a taste.  That way I wouldn't end up eating it all myself.  And I would have.
For my portion of the interview, I asked them to pick a treat, funny but
all but about 3 chose a candy over a candy cane, go figure.
I then told them, the candy was for them to enjoy but the candy cane was
symbolic.  I asked them to share with me a person that had made a difference in 
their lives, not counting Mom and Dad.  A lot of the examples were
amazing and very touching.  So many people had a hand in getting
these missionaries out into the field.  I really enjoyed our visits.
Then I told them to take what these people did for them and 
"pay it forward", do something significant for someone else.
Significant enough that that person will have the desire to do something
nice for someone else and themselves "pay it forward".
The candy cane is a reminder, so they won't forget to do it.
This elder brought his own give-a-way, a
1 kg candy bar.  He offered it up to the cleanest car.