Hi there,
I hope you are all ok. I can't believe that the high in Fort Collins was only -3! How about Utah ? It's the first time that I've heard of the schools being closed because of the cold. Did you get a lot of snow too? Janice and Jon are you back from Mexico yet?
Life here is different. The city is absolutely beautiful. Every road is lined with trees and flowers. So far the heat has not been bad at all - a lot nicer than I expected.
We only have driven one time so far, but today will be our test. We have to take the Mission President, his wife, and the AP's to the airport later this morning. I just hope we can find our way back to the office. Most of the time we have absolutely no idea where we are! We still haven't been to a store. We were going to go yesterday, but all stores were closed due to the Chinese New Year. Everyone says the prices are horrible. They don't seem to have markets like we have in the US . Everything is pretty small with the markets in shopping malls (not quite like our malls). Yesterday, the Carpenter's (the couple we are replacing) and dad & I were invited to a member's home for a traditional new years day lunch. It was very different, but good. They were wonderful people.
President Clark has asked that we attend a Branch in Malaysia every Sunday, along with another couple that lives here in Singapore . I guess the drive there is a nightmare - everyone says that going through immigration each week will be slow going, plus they say that driving in Malaysia is a real experience! He wants to provide more leadership to that Branch.
The house we live in is big but old! It is kind of like a well-to-do British home in the jungle in the early 1900's. I'm having a hard time adjusting to it though. There are always gekko droppings on the sinks in the kitchen and dead roaches (huge) on the floors! I have to buy some disinfectants today!!!! The electrical system and the plumbing in everything is so different. We have no hot water in any of the bathrooms except when we turn on an instant hot water heater for the shower only. The kitchen only has hot water when you turn on the instant heater (that takes a long time). There is only cold water for the washing machines (old). None of the bathrooms here have electrical outlets in them. (Even in the really nice condo that we stayed in with the Mission President and his wife our first night here). All bathrooms are all tile with drains in the floors. There are big gaps under the doors to the outside - along with the walls of windows. It's no wonder that gekko's and roaches get in! The gardner told Brother Carpenter that he killed a cobra in our back yard when he was trimming the bushes!!! They say that there aren't many left in Singapore though! Even one is too many for me.
Next week we have all the new missionaries coming in (9 of them), their trainers, and all the zone leaders. They will all be staying here except for 4 girls. They will all be here at the house for breakfast (3 days) and lunch (2 days) and dinner (1 day). There are a lot of beds plus mattresses for them to sleep on the floor. It will be an interesting experience. Plus, we will be going back and forth to the airport MANY times. It will be fun getting to meet all of them though.
Well I need to go and start getting ready for the day. I love all of you so much and miss you all!!
We'll see what new adventure today brings and whether or not I can find a curling iron!
Love,
Mom & Dad
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