24-30 November 2014

Monday I rushed around trying to get more of the Nativity Costumes done.  It will be a busy week with Thanksgiving Break starting Wednesday.  I needed to get all our laundry done and spend several hours on costumes.  I thought this year would be different.  I wouldn't be sewing every minute because I was no longer doing dance costumes.  Silly me!

Tuesday I received a bag of more fabric from Sister Baird.  Not sure what to do with it.  It doesn't have the little Mary and angel fabric in it like it was so post too.  It only has stripes and a dark brown.  I don't have time between now and the pageant to make all new children costumes. The ones we have can be used for Joseph, Shepherds and Wise Men.  There is nothing that looks like Mary and an Angel, so that needs to be done!   Worked on costumes again with Julie and Joyce Pascual (Jelica and Jerico's Mom in my Sunday school class)  Both helped a huge amount.  I have decided I need to cut the Inn Keepers Wife and Mary's vest down so they don't look as big.  That will have to wait till next week.

Wednesday  morning was spent packing and getting everything done for us to leave after school while Adam finished up a few things for work.  We needed to get right on the road after school to avoid traffic.  I walked down to school to get the girls because it is to hard to drive and park down there.  It truly is faster to walk from our house. 

It only took up 2 1/2 hours to get to Sun Moon Lake. Midway down South, in Taiwan.  The first night we just walked around the little village by our hotel.  Very small. 2 roads with a few souvenir shops and small restaurants (Taiwan Style).  There is not much to do after dark so we went to bed early so we could get an early start the next morning.  Can you find our hotel in the picture below?

Thursday it is hard to believe it is Thanksgiving!  One thing we didn't know about Sun Moon Lake is there is not a lot of food up here.  IF you are fine dining on 7-11 food or Starbucks or Moss Burgers that is about it!  The small restraints server the same things for the 3 or 4 of them are all the same food.  Not sure what to do for food the girls will eat.  Adam and I would be fine at several of these little places but your are done with choices after the first night.  Glad I brought snacks with me!  We are going to need them!

We spent the day taking a boat ride around the lake.  Riding to cable cars to and from the Aboriginal Park and Amusement park.  All the rides where included in the price.  There was hardly anyone there.  No lines.  We did as many of the rides as we wanted and as many times as we wanted.  The girls and Adam liked  the roller coaster the best and then the log ride because of my picture and then the ship water ride next.  It was a really fun day.  The picture of me on the Gold Mine Exploration roller coaster will go down as a favorite.  It truly shows how much roller coasters terrify me!  Not only was I terrified but Adam and Emmie ducked so Lacie and I got soaked!  ON both water rides!  Stinkers!!!

We had to be back to the boat by 5:30p.m. so we will drive back over here and shop tomorrow for souvenirs.  The boat ride back was beautiful with the sun setting across the lake.  Very nice way to end the day.
 
We did get a bite of sweet potatoes today at the Aboriginal Park so that was a small part of normal Thanksgiving.  We ended our night with Thanksgiving dinner at Starbucks.  Yummy cold cut sandwiches!

 

 

Friday we decide to drive to all the near by temples and do some hiking up to them.  We stared with the Wen Wu temple just outside of

 

 

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e4445314f446b784f44553d0d0a&blogview=true

Time To Get Caught Up! Dec. 1-19

Quick High Lights of the Last Month of Craziness! Dec 1-19

Been I crazy rush with a select few to pull of the Christmas pageant on Temple Square after Brother and Sister Baird were assigned received another assignment. Unfortunately we found most of what they planned to do still undone and only a two weeks to do it.  Gratefully there are very talented people here and most importantly there are those who can speak the language!

Gordon's and Beck's did the lions share but it turns out truly beautifully!  Really proud of how it came together.  The costumes really turned out nice.  The buckets just kept produce pieces for more and more people.  Larges cast ever.  Truly a Christmas miracle.  See link below to the you tube production of it.  Here a few of my favorite pictures.

 

Here is the Christmas Pageant for you to watch!  Enjoy!

 

20141213 Taiwan LDS Christmas show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKzm0wxWXmE

 

Well in the mist of all the pageant preparation there was also finals to study for, dance team auditions (Emmie made it!) and poor Lacie even passed another kidney stone!)  Adam continues to travel back and forth to the south and Lacie turned 11.  Can  you believe 11! Girls and I had a quiet party the three of us because Dad was in the South, but Lacie ended up with a ukulele out of it from Kane at Walton. "Sweet" deal if you ask Emmie!

 

Emmie survived basically college finals!

Check where she took them!

 

 

 

Brave Lacie got a few of her friends together taught them a dance and preformed it for the 5th grade talent show.  You can tell she is missing performing.  We are all ready for Christmas break!  Adam head for the states all ready.  He left for home on Monday and we all leave on Friday.  It can not come soon enough.

 

Well it is finally here our day to finally head out.  Just to make it interesting our super slow taxi driver took us to the wrong airport!  Good thing we left and extra 45min early!  We need it!

 

 

10-16 November 2014

Monday  was real the only low key day of the week.  Rushed to make sure the house was clean and laundry done because I know how the rest of the week is going to go.  CRAZY!

Tuesday I spent all day in the temple working on the 4000 pieces of temple clothing that needs to be altered to fit the tiny Asian of our temple district.  Most men and women are my height and much, much smaller build.  Every piece of clothing rented in the temple is being replaced.  They are hoping to get the project finished in time for the 30 anniversary of the temple being opened.  Every piece has to have a tag sewn in it and a tag with  TW 2014 on it, at the very least.  Big project!  I arrived at 9a.m. and left at 2p.m. in time to get back to get Lacie from school and take Emmie her dance snack. 

It was a really neat experience to work on those sacred clothing.  I was the only English speaking sister most of the day.  I said a pray before I left that my serger would work properly (I haven't used it since I packed it away and shipped it.) I was worried it might be out of shorts from shipping.  I also prayed that I would be able to understand those I came in contact with in the temple. 

It was so humbling to listen to the instructions given in Mandarin and understand the words and what I needed to do.  I didn't understand all of it but enough to get by.  I know Heavenly Father helped me and I have witnessed now again the gift of tongues in my own life.  I was some how able to communicate with the four other sisters I worked with all day and help them know how to sew so the temple clothing would be fixed properly.  They have asked that I return tomorrow or any time I can.  Sadly this week and next are so full with Nativity Pageant Costumes, Emmie's Dance Production and Thanksgiving.  I have enjoyed my time sitting in the basement of the this tiny temple working on the temple clothing dressed in my white dress.  So grateful to have a temple here and be worthy to enter and feel of the spirit there!

Wednesday I went to the Lunch Bunch group at Becky Comptons and helped fill missionary baskets for Christmas.  It was a yummy taco soup for lunch.  The Pilipino sisters always want to know more about Grandpa J.  I need to get Aunt Kelly to sent me as much info as possible about him so we can plan our trip to Pangasinan! After the lunch I went upstairs to Belinda's to look at her serger and help her lay out the pattern and fabric for Joseph she is going to cut out for me.

Thursday I spent all day cutting out the Nativity Costumes.  I am really worried about the fabric.  I really like the colors and the stripes are great.  The problem is it is mostly upholstery fabric.  Very stiff and heavy.  It is going to make these costumes look huge because it won't lay right.

Friday All day was spent working on the Christmas Pageant Costumes.  Belinda came and Sister Baird came and help.  Adam bought Brother and Sister Baird lunch.  We always try to do that for the missionaries we are around or come in contact with.  Sister Baird is not happy with the fabric either, but she is the one who bought it.  The Bairds are very interesting people.  She has been one of the directors of the Hill Cumorah Pageant for 12 years!  She is trying to make this a huge productions.  Just not the resources here to do that.

Saturday We went back down the the floral market by Costco.  It was a really neat fresh floral market.  Reminded me of the markets I saw in L.A. on my Ricks College Trip. I really enjoyed it.  Glad we could finally get there, now that we know the open times are 4am to 12p.m.!  Emmie was dancing all day, dress rehearsal 10-4p.m. so we just had Lacie with us.  She enjoyed the attention.  We then ran out to the Costco in XiZhi District and got a few things.  I have been to busy to make it to Costco. :(

Sunday was Stake Conference here.  It was a very different experience to have to wear head sets to understand the meeting.  When we sung the opening song it was so strange to hear Adam and I singing the words in English and the rest of the congregation in Mandrian.  Emmie, Adam and I sang in the choir for a special musical number.  We practiced before the meeting started.  Lacie was so post to be saving us seats.   Well that didn't go so well.  She ended up sitting by herself with Alivia Klump, Adam and I sat 3 rows up together and Emmie was two more rows up with Addy Southham.  Lacie is not very good about standing up to pushy Asians.  That is really the only way to describe it.  They just move into your space and really don't even notice you.  It is a culture thing.  One of the most difficult things about living here.  No Personal Space!

We left Conference early so we could spend the day as a family.  Most of our ward didn't attend or left after the special musical number our ward was assigned.  We decided to give it a try listening with the head sets.  It was very difficult to understand.  Adam will spend the whole week in the South, leaving before girls are up and coming home after they are asleep.  We moved here to have more family time and are finding it very difficult at times.  Adam is really, really busy!  With this on our minds and it being so difficult to understand Stake Conference we decided to leave at the rest hymn and head out for some much needed family time.

Make sure you check out what the sign says on the fence we went around.  Us and a few 100 others.  So silly things here sometimes.  The hot springs smell like rotten eggs but they still put the mud all over their faces!

We took a really nice drive up the mountain to the Hidden Hot Springs that the youth went to for Youth Conference.  We hiked in and also walked around the little mountain side farm.  It was really nice to be out of the city and together.

Adam knew I would not make it going back down the way we came up.  TOTALLY CAR SICK!  So we planned to go the other way and make our way back to Tianmu by way of the coast.  It was really pretty and we found some beaches we will come back to when we have a day to just play on the beach.  Very Nice Day!


What I love about Taiwan....  There is so much to see and do.  For example.... in one day we went from the mountains to the coast line.

Happy Birthday to..... Little Coralee is growing up!  Happy Birthday sweet girl.

17-23 November 2014

Monday was spent trying to get costumes and laundry done.  Busy but nothing very exciting to report.

Tuesday was again nativity costumes.  With Adam traveling down South for work all week I can leave the machines out and not worry about having to total pick up everything each night.  All week he will be late with work and will miss dinner.  Makes it easy with the mess around from sewing.

Wednesday Julie Brown and Miyuki Boice came and helped with costumes.  It was nice to have the help.  We got a lot done.  Miyuki stayed until 2:30p.m. She was a really big help.  This is a huge project Sis. Baird wants done. The fabric is beautiful colors but is really proving to be a challenge to sew and I think to wear.  The costumes are turning out to look way bigger then they should because it doesn't hang.  My fear is after this year the ward won't use them anymore because they are so bulky. 

Emmie has dress rehearsal till 6:30p.m. so she is not going to Mutual tonight.  To much to do with home work and dance.

Thursday I took a break from sewing to go to an Orphanage Bizarre at the American Club.  It was fun to go with Coleen and Belinda.  It was nothing like the ones I would go to in Singapore.  Everything was stuffed into a small room.  There was nice stuff but also had some cheesy stuff.  Like cone shapes covered in peppermint disk made to look like trees.  Total Cheesy!  Was nice to have a morning with the ladies but was not what I expected.  Not sure I will spend the $30US to go next year.

We got stuck on the mountain when there was a scooter verses car accident.  I was so close to getting sick I thought I was going to die.   I was really ready to walk down if I had too.  I was not going to make it if we had to turn around and go back the other way.  Luckily I had walked to the street market this morning on the way back from school to get Emmie some flowers already.  The delay didn't put me behind.

First Night of the Show is today!  After school was spent getting Emmie ready for the Dance Production.  Saw Southham's on the way to the beauty salon to have Emmie's hair braided the special way for the production.  Addy is going to meet Lacie at 6:10p.m. after her ballet class and help her save a place in line.  Bailey her sister who is 12 will get a ticket at the door and I will give Addy our extra one.  So nice of Addy to go that early and help us.  I am meeting Amanda our tutor at 6:45, luckily she showed up early and we could head to the school to get in line.  Doors open at 7p.m.

The Dance Production was so well done.  It was Emmie's favorite cast.  I am really impressed!  So grateful she has this opportunity.  Wish Lacie did.  I loved all of it and can not wait to see the rest of the performances.  It was nice to take Amanda and she really enjoyed it.  So much that she stayed the whole time instead of leaving early to catch her bus.  I just put her in a taxi afterwards.  Amanda normally doesn't take a taxi; they scare her.  Amanda said she had never been to anything like the Dance Production before.  Being in an auditorium like TAS was a first for her.  It is a very nice place to dance.  That is one of the things I loved about the show.  You could feel the music and the lighting was amazing!  So, so well done!  It was so nice that our friends the Gordans all came as a family to watch Emmie.  Coleen is Emmie's Young Woman's leader.  Glad I got Emmie some flowers. I wish I would have got a picture of the crazy HUGE arrangements given to some of the dancers.  The girl who played the nurse had 8!  She couldn't hold them all. Ladies stood all around her and held them up for pictures.  CRAZY!

 

 

We are thinking we should really check into modeling for Lacie.  Her pictures are being used all around town.  She was not excited for the almost life size one at the school that was displayed for several weeks.  It was a bulletin board of one of the visiting Authors coming to the school.  Well today he signed it and she got to take it home.  This was in front of the class which made her feel good since she was so worried the mean girls in her class would make fun of her.

 

The other picture is of her at Halloween time when Dairy Queen gave her a free Ice Cream cone!  She was so cute they gave Emmie one to just for being the big sister.  Full size cone! Friend told us to check out the Dairy Queen board.  Sure enough there was 2 pictures of Lacie and they posted it to their Facebook page too.  At least if she was modeling she would a.) know what the picture is being used for and b.) get paid for it. c.) not be shocked when she sees herself on a bulletin or bill board!



Friday So proud of Emmie for getting up and going to Seminary this morning.  She went to bed last night at about 11:30p.m.  I am dragging around I can't imagine how she feels.  5:15a.m. came very early this morning. 

 

Adam raced back from his audit in the South so we all could go to Emmie's Dance Production together.  It was not as good as the first night.  The leads didn't have the same chemistry and you could tell not as much dance experience.  They looked very nervous.  It was still nice but I really liked the other cast.  Still very well done.

 

Saturday was a super busy day for all of us.  Adam and Lacie left at 8:30a.m. to pick up kids and head up the mountain for Activity Days.  It was a hike that Adam had been asked to help with.  From there they came home to wish Emmie good luck and head off on a day of exploring around Taipei and Tamsui for Mango Ice.  It was for Lacie's Birthday date.  ALL Day long!  Things are always crazy around her birthday and this was a perfect opportunity while Emmie and I spent the day doing dance stuff.  Lacie even tried Squid on a stick for lunch!  Yep!  That is what you do when you spend the day with Dad.  You try new stuff.  Good thing she is up for that kind of thing.  Not so sure I would try squid on a stick!  Lacie had a very nice time with Daddy all to herself.  They got home so time after I left at 6:00p.m.

 Emmie had  two shows today.  The first was at 2P.m. which meant she had a 12p.m. curtain call.  I let her sleep until 11a.m..  I knew she was tired.  Then we hurried and tried to de-frizz her braid hairdo and off she went.   I went down at 1:15 because she had left her pony tails for her bun at home.  I decided to just got in line.  I saved a seat for Belinda and Allison Beck.  One of Emmie's seminary teachers Bro. Brown brought his little daughter on a date to it and sat with us.  The Allen's also came.  It was so nice to see so much support for her.  I met a mother of one of the girls that played the Nurse.  She is a senior.  Her mother is a dancer and figured I was Emmie's mom.  She said Emmie was fun to watch because she was so good.  She told me that for her to have so many up front spots as a freshman was unheard of.  The freshman are always in the back row, period!  That was very nice to hear.  The same cast as Friday night did the 2p.m. show.  They were much better.  Not as many nerves today.  I am excited to see how much the other cast improves tonight.

After the show Emmie and I walked down with a Junior friend of hers to subway.  We stopped along the way and bought Ms. Q and Mrs. Flemming flowers.  Emmie said she wished her flowers looked like this.  They were done lovely by the little gal in the corner of a hallway and only cost me $550NT.  I snuck back and got Emmie some.  This time she only charged me $250NT for a bundle.  I took all the flowers back to the condo with me till show time.

Emmie is the fifth from the left, front row.

Romeo and Juliet Dance Production Cast

 

Tonight's show moved me it was so beautifully danced.  The choreographers did such an amazing job telling the story through dance.  I loved the text message idea for the few things that just needed to be said.  The kid that dance Romeo tonight was so fun to watch.  He is a beautiful dancer.  Juliet was really good too.  You can tell she has a lot of training.  But Romeo is my favorite by far.  Emmie was so good.  It was fun to watch her dance with a confidence I have never seen in her before.  She had great facials, which is one of her weaknesses.  They dancers had to really show the emotions on their faces and act out scenes to tell the story correctly.  It was great!  Emmie has amazing lines and gorgeous feet compared to most of the Asians she dances with.

 

I got back to the school by 6:15p.m and there where already 20 people in line.  I asked the girl at the desk if she knew who Emmie Batteen was.  She asked me..."The blonde Freshman"?  I said yep that is her.  She took Emmie' secret sister present back to her for me.  I saved a seat for Dori and Colton Shaner.  It was a crazy feet!  I had to do the stand wide American thing because they began to close in on me as it got closer to doors opening.  The show tonight is sold out.   The 20 people in front of me were mostly little boys about Lacie's age saving spots in line while they played their electronics.  By 6:45p.m. I was about 60 back and hadn't moved. Everyone of them had a Mom, Dad, Aunt or two, Uncles, Grandma and Grandpa extra that joined them in line.  It was crazy.  I still got my good seat but I was texting Dori telling her to hurry or I might have to pull a crazy dance mom move. 

 

The show was even better this time around.  Truly a joy to watch!  I am excited to order the video and see photos!  I hope there are good ones of Emmie I can get my hands one.  You where not allowed to take pictures or video during the show! :(  Emmie's friend Cynthia was the nurse tonight.  Such a sweet girl.
 

Thanks to all the friends that came to the Saturday night show.  Emmie really appreciated the support from so many of you.  Dori and Colton Shaner, the Compton girl's, and the Klump girls.  So nice to know you are all willing to support her.  We have great friends!

 

Sunday was truly a day of rest around here after our busy week.  We had our usual meetings in the morning then spent the evening together.  We decided to put up our Taiwan Christmas tree tonight.  It is not quiet where we want it, but it will do for now.  It is a bit to American right now.  Hoping it will become the treasure our Singapore tree had become over the years.  A work in progress I guess.  We do have two Christmas seasons to get it looking the way we want.  I am hoping to find a lot more items at Chinese New Year for it.  Dad even gave up watching a foot ball game to play our Christmas music.  It is really hard to get in the spirit of the seasons when it is so hot and not anything holiday going on.  At least in Singapore there was a lot of special events planned to get you in the holiday spirit.  Like Singapore Snow that was every weekend all of November and December.  Nothing like that here.  There is a bit of Christmas décor up but it has been up since last year and is old and faded! Hopefully it will be replaced soon with new fresh stuff.  It did help our moods to put our own Christmas tree up and have hot coco and Christmas Music tonight.  We decided with leaving for Sun Moon Lake on Wednesday that it was better now then when we got back.  We always do it the day after Thanksgiving.  Had to change it up a bit here this year!  Hard to believe Thanksgiving is next Thursday.

 

What I love about Taiwan.... Lots of opportunities for the girls to grow in way they would never do at home.



Happy Birthday to.... Can you believe NO Birthdays in our clan this week?

{I have had to catch up the last 4 weeks of super business in two long sittings.  Thanks for over looking all the grammar  and spelling mistakes. Not my strong suit and especially in a hurry.  Thought it was more important to get these events written down then spend hours proofing.  :)}



 

 

2-9 November 2014

HANG ON! This was crazy but wonderful week for us all!

Monday was spent with Adam down South again and me trying to get Lacie to get her homework done and off to Ballet. Then FHE by ourselves which just never feels right. Adam's driver that was hired to bring him home was the craziest yet.  He went the wrong way on the freeway!  Instead of backing up or turning around he just kept going till another off ramp (On Ramp) with people honking and flashing their lights at him.  Headed straight at him.  It was dark to boot!  This is why I pray every day that He will be safe and travel safe!

Washing machine died today so I couldn't finish the wash.  It literally came apart.  I am hoping a new one won't be so hard on our clothing!  This one ties everything so tight in knots when it rings it out.  CRAZY!  Waiting to hear when I will get the new one.  Have 3 loads to still do.  It will mean that the owner has bought us a new dryer and washing machine since we moved in.  The microwave is about to go out.  It takes 3min. to pop a bag of microwave popcorn.  It is only a matter of time.  I wonder how old all these appliances are?  At least our Owner is willing to keep us/Micron happy.  Others we know have a terrible time getting anything fixed.

Tuesday  Adam left early went down south again for more audits.  He was back earlier tonight because of Mandarin.  We are coming along with it.  We really like our tutor Amanda.  She is becoming like family.  It is really hard to spend 2 hours each lesson doing it though!  Lacie is really good. 

Lacie started doing a new trick.  She does a back walk over from her elbows now.  Got to find her and Emmie some tumbling!  They are really missing it and are good at it.  How to work it in and find it is the problem now?

Wednesday was spent getting ready for the Youth Conference Adam and I are helping with this weekend.  Luckily there was no Mutual tonight.  Emmie is super busy with the Dance Production practices.  Next week are the shows.  She has been practicing every day after school and Saturdays for 2 weeks now. 

Thursday is always a busy day with Mandarin taking up 2 hours of our evening.  I also had my follow up appointment.  I have to have 2 normal paps to be cleared.  If this one is not normal I will have to have the cone biopsy and endometrial biopsy again.  I so don't want to do that!!!!  Here's  hoping the pathology comes back normal!  Adam went down to the school and did my normal make sure Lacie stays focused so all her home work is done before Ballet and Mandarin.  Not a fun way to spend 2 hours but is what has to happen to help her be successful.

Friday all the morning was spent with Adam and I running around gathering up the last minute things for the Youth Conference.  Surprising how fast the morning goes when you have a dead line.  We then met most of the kids at Jasper Villa to car pool up to Yan Men Shun Mountain Scout Camp.  It was a very nice camp Taiwan Standards.  Not clean at all but nice buildings.  Sadly mostly Squatty Potties!

Emmie came up with Carrie Chiles because she had dance practice till 5:10.  This meant she squeezed in with Colton Shaner, Quinn Chiles, Aidan Chiles and Michael Gordon all who had sport practices till about the same time.  Last minute she had a chance to ride up with the Bishop, Rebecca Gordan and Alison Beck, but still chose to come up with the boys. Just made Adam and I laugh!  Emmie, who has always thought boys were gross; has decided boys are more fun then girls who can be emotional at times.  Can't say I blame her.  She did say it was it was embarrassing to sit on Colton's lap, so she slid off and sat on the floor.  It was just to twisty and everyone was sliding back and forth in the car up the mountain.

We took up Emmie's friends  Addy Southham, Elizabeth Klump and Becky Christianson.  They made up a fake diary that was all about each of the boys and Addy being in love with something about each of them.  Totally believable because Addy is a bit boy crazy.  They read it to us on the way up and ask Adam to plant it in the boys cabin. 

Friday evening at Youth Conference was filled with team building games, a camp fire and songs and so much food!  It all really went well and the kids coming up late really didn't miss much because we ended up leaving late from Jasper Villa.  Nice evening and the kids really did have a good time.  One of the games was drink a blended up McDonald's meal... Fear Factor Style!  Emmie got chosen to do that one.  She was instantly green.  I just knew she was going to VOMIT!  She started gagging at the smell of it and it couldn't drink it.  Only Aidan Chiles was able to do it.  He drank 3 cups of it!  Gross!!  Emmie said it tasted like salty vomit.

Saturday was a really neat day with the youth.  We had breakfast and then in the early morning set out on the Faith Walk I learned from Badger Creek when I was a college student at Ricks.  It was one of the best ones I have every put on.  The setting was perfect and those helping did an amazing job.  The kids all really liked it and said it was the favorite part of the weekend.  Some huge lessons learned for us as Leaders and the youth about themselves and others. At one point Emmie wondered clear off headed across a parking lot and to the road.  She had left the meadow and when I noticed her I had to run after her to catch her.  She was embarrassed at the end but it was a powerful lesson.  She was listening and following the music she heard.  She couldn't hear anything but the music even though no one else could hear it.  Even when brought back to the meadow she was confused and struggled to climb stairs to get away from the cans that made such loud sounds.  Finally she could her the soft constant sound when I ran to her add again. Before she fell off the sharp edge of the stone stairs.  This gave us an opportunity to talk to the youth about how as leaders and their parents too, we would run to their aide when we see them wondering off from what we know to be the safe path.  That their was not one of them in the group that we wouldn't do everything in our power to go after to help back to the safety of the gospel.  Most of the youth had watch her struggle in some potentially dangerous situations.  There were many other lessons that they all talked about.  It was a great experience.  Adam ended it with the object lesson with the Sugar, M&M's, Donut Wholes and Milk, about our time and our priorities. 

 Sadly I had to take Emmie back into town for Dress Rehearsal. So Rebecca Gordon went with us.  This meant they missed the hike into the Hidden Hot Springs and a Picnic Lunch after the Faith Walk and more Team Building Games.

 

Sunday was the ending of our Youth Conference.  We had a fun slide show in a combined meeting and the Bishop reviewed the lessons learned in our Weekend together.  It was really well done by the Gordon's in one week!  Adam and I felt privileged to be there and do the small part we played.

Bishop Beck designed the logo for the Youth Conference and had it silk screened on sack back packs for the youth.  Adam and I talked about with the Faith Walk and his object lesson what are the things we need to put into our spiritual bags to be a survivor!

 

 

That was our crazy but amazing week!  Now onto another post to get caught up!  So busy right now!

 

 

Happy Birthday to  Olive and Coralee!  When did these baby girls grow up?

 

What I love about Taiwan.... The people in our ward!  We are so blessed to have a strong ward here.  Yes it is just barely big enough to be called a ward but it is an amazingly talented, neat group of people!