Transfer Week

We have had one busy week. Actually, we have had two busy weeks but I already blogged about last week.

This was transfer week and we had 8 new missionaries coming in. We had already done all the paperwork last week for two new apartments to accommodate the extra numbers we will have in Guam. Monday was the day arranged to move furniture in. We had scheduled the Elders to move the big pieces of furniture but we still did not have keys. I had an appointment to meet our realator at one of the apartments at 10am so we let our morning Elders show up and load the truck. By the time they got to the apartment I had just gotten keys. We were unable to do a walk through though because none of the agreed upon work was done. We moved the furniture in and decided to wait for all the small stuff until after the workers would be done and no one would be coming in and out of the apartment anymore.

We had Elders scheduled for the second apartment but we had to reschedule because the realtor had not arranged for the manager to give us keys and he would not be home until 2pm. Elder Clarke enlisted the help of the Elders who were going to be moving into the Dededo apartment to help load and deliver a few more things up there. Meanwhile, I tried to catch up on some work at the office but there was a problem in Salt Lake with our finance program and I could not do anything. That to do? I went shopping instead! We still needed odds and ends for each apartment. At 2pm I was sitting waiting for the manager to get keys. Of course he was "stuck in traffic" and did not get there until 2:15. When we got into the apartment there was still no water or power and so we could not do the walk through here either. We did get the furniture moved in though.

Tuesday we felt we could move in the kitchen stuff, etc., in our Mangilao apartment. We thought all was well until I went to put in the shower curtain. The rod is installed so high that the curtain doesn't come close to being long enough. Hmmm, what to do? My nighttime activity that night was putting in a 10" insert on the shower curtain. Thank goodness I had decided to buy fabric shower curtains so the missionaries could wash them easier ( we have a bit of a mold problem in the islands ).

Wednesday - just a few little tasks to do for the apartments. Again, we ended up working most of the day getting the apartments ready. That was okay because now there was no internet at the office and I couldn't do anything anyway.

Late that evening, we drove the Presidents truck to the airport to transport the new missionaries luggage to the Mission Home. Unfortunately, we were not early enough to get pictures as the missionaries came out of Customs. They made it through in record time and it is just a good thing that the Assistants were there to greet them. At the Mission Home we pointed out to the President that there might be a problem with picking up the Sister that was scheduled to come in from the New Zealand MTC. She was to arrive at around 2am. There was one Sister and 5 Elders at the Mission Home and so Sister Dowdle had to stay there. That leaves President Dowdle alone with the new Sister. That is a problem. Problem solved. The Clarkes got to go pick her up. We ran home to get a few hours of sleep and then got up at 1:30am and headed for the airport. We took one of the extra missionary cars (there are no more extras after the transfer) because we have too much stuff in our trunk to carry luggage (we carry tools, light bulbs, smoke alarms, etc. in case needed). We get a few blocks from home and realize that the gas light is on - we are on EMPTY. It is 1:45am. Where are we going to find a gas station that is open? Not to worry. Shell is open!!!!!!!! I give a sigh of relief and we are on our way again. This is the time to go to the airport. No traffic anywhere. We get to the airport in plenty of time this time. We wait 15 minutes and then we see a beautiful smile coming towards us.

Sister Tuaileto'a is from American Samoa. She just graduated from BYU Hawaii with an English degree. She told us that in the New Zealand MTC they kept telling her to speak proper English. She is going to be such a good missionary and she DRIVES. We have had a shortage of Sisters who can drive and we were so excited to have two new Sisters who can both drive. No more walking for some of the Sisters.

We got Sister T up to the Mission Home and then headed home for a few more hours of sleep.

Thursday we had to be at the Mission Home to talk to the new missionaries about finances, housing and cars. But first, Elder Clarke headed to Mangilao apartment to put in the water filters. While there, he put up the shower curtain. Guess what. It was still too short.! It went into the shower stall but only by about two inches. I had added 10 inches. What were they thinking when they installed the shower rod? Where can you get curtains that are that long? Certainly not here in Guam.

We headed up to the Mission Home for the New Missionaries Orientation. What a great group of young men and women. I look forward to some great missionary work coming from them. From there we headed back to Mangilao to do the final walk through. Mission accomplished. One down, one to go. We head up to Dededo to meet our realtor and the property manager. Surprise, surprise. They have only installed the bedroom air conditioner and the apartment is sweltering. There are no screens on any of the windows, also no window coverings. We have missionaries moving in in a few hours. We did the walk through with the lady writing down everything that is to be done but I am now thinking I should not have signed it. We discovered the toilet leaks, they are supposed to install a medicine cabinet, there is no toilet paper holder, etc. etc. Oh well. I will just hope that everything is done by next week. Our Elders did move in. We put sheets on the windows and they stayed in the bedroom where the new air con worked great. The living room unit was to be installed the next day and they actually did show up as scheduled. I do not know if anything else has been completed yet, though.

Well, we had another whirlwind day what with the orientation, the two walk throughs and more shopping. I forgot that we needed to supply the apartments with cleaning equipment. We really would have liked to sit home and do nothing that night but we had Institute. I did not have time to make treats and so for the second week in a row they had
We had decided to put up the badminton net and ping pong table for games but when we got to the church they were decorating for the dance being held the next night. Bummer. What to do? I started writing scripture mastery clues and hymn names on slips of paper and we played pictionary after the lesson. I love watching these kids play games. They just enjoy being together and so it does not matter what activity I plan for them. They always seem to have a good time.

TGIF!!! I look forward to some slower days now. We have a baptism to attend on Saturday and we have Zone Conference on Monday. Just the thought is comforting. All we have to do is sit and be spiritually fed.