We have had a couple of really busy, but wonderful weeks. We just finished our Sr. Conference on Monday & Tuesday. All our Senior Couples were here in Singapore (except for one who went home for their son's wedding). They started coming in last Friday, some on Saturday and Sunday and the majority of them on Monday. We had the Senior dinner on Monday night at our home. There were 34 of us. It was so much work getting ready for it (baking, cooking, cleaning, flights, housing, etc) but it was so fun having everyone together. We played some group games after dinner and then on Tuesday we had meetings all day. That night we all went to an International Seafood Buffet Restaurant for dinner (no cooking!!). We had 5 couples staying with us from Saturday until Thursday with the last couple leaving on Friday. Everyone else stayed with host families. Two of our couples, the Larson's and Cunningham's left for home (North Carolina and Alaska) on a 6 a.m. flight Wednesday morning (up at 3 a.m.). How we will miss them. All of our couples are wonderful and we all have such a strong bond as we are serving our Heavenly Father.
This week will be another busy week as we are having major transfers throughout the mission and also getting 11 new missionaries with 4 returning home. We have an outgoing dinner Tuesday night at the President & Sister Clark's and then we will have them spend the night with us for another 6 a.m. flight. That same day, Wednesday, we pick up the 9 new Elders and 2 Sisters. Their trainers will all be coming in too. That night we will have dinner at President Clarks and then the new Elders and their trainers (18 of them) will spend the night at our home (the 4 Sisters at the Presidents)! The President and AP's take them on an early morning run by our house (up a really steep hill overlooking the ocean). They will then come back to our home for breakfast and to shower. Meetings will be held at the Chapel in front of our house and then we will feed them lunch (sloppy joes, salad, chips and cookies). Dinner will be on their own and then they will once again stay at our house and fly or bus out on Friday. Friday night the Gregory's come to spend the night and fly out on the 6 a.m. flight on Saturday morning to return home. How we hate to see them leave! We have become such good friends seeing each other every Sunday in JB and then when they come to Singapore they stay with us. With their departure, all the couples have been here less time than us except for the Smiths over in Sibu, East Malaysia. They leave at the same time as us. Saturday afternoon we collapse!! We won't have anyone else staying with us until a new couple comes in on the 17th.
While our life sounds hectic (not to count all the office work we have each day), we love it here and love being with the missionaries - they are wonderful! They are so fun and are so appreciative of everything you do for them. I think they think of us as their grandparents!
This evening we took a walk along the ocean on our favorite walk. It was wonderful just to relax for a little while and enjoy such beautiful scenery before our hectic week starts tomorrow.
We didn't go to JB today (didn't have a car that we could drive over there as the President was in town). We went to the ward in front of our house. A funny thing happened. One of the lady's talked about having her maid quit after 10 years. She said she had to learn to clean and cook! Most families here all have Fillipino or Indonesian maids. They think it is awful to have to cook, clean, or take care of their own children! I don't know how we all survived without our personal maid!!
The end of our mission is coming way to fast - only 3 1/2 months left! Where has the time gone? We love the people here and serving a mission. Where else could we have this much fun! Take care and write when you can. We love and miss all of you.
Elder & Sister Garrett, mom & dad, grandma & grandpa, relatives and friends.
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