What a Day - N writing

I've been wanting to jot down the events of a day over a week and a half ago and I just haven't done it. If I don't do it soon, it will likely become foggy and forgotten. It was a Friday and we'd had notice from Stake President Lai (small in stature Chinese man - large in faith and testimony) that he would be visiting us that day - coming from Singapore - to orient us on our Seminary and Institute responsibilities. (Yes, we'd been teaching for several weeks, but he's a very busy man. We had offered to go over to Singapore, but he said he'd come to us - no small task) He wanted to take us out to dinner after, but I thought it would be nice to just have dinner in our apartment and he agreed. Of course, I wanted dinner to be low key, but nice and had planned and shopped. Also had to have my Seminary lesson ready for the same night as he would be staying. Got an early start to the day and worked at getting everything prepared for dinner. Just about the time I thought it was all prepped and refrigerated (oh that's an art in itself in my super small refrigerator) and figured a few minutes with my feet up and studying the lesson would be valuable. Phone rang and it was one of those 'trouble in River city' calls. One of our elders needed to be in Singapore in a couple of hours for a Dr. appt - lots of trouble with his knees since he got here and has been bicycling all over Malaysia - well not really - but it probably feels that way. The office elders needed us to bring him to City Square to Emigration - put him in a taxi and send him across and they'd meet him on the other side. They also had President Lai and they'd send him over for us to meet. So we went as quickly as we could through traffic jams to city center. Garald double parked (super busy area) and I took the hobbling elder with me from taxi to taxi to find someone who'd take him over to Singapore. No go. Finally with my broken Malay and the driver's broken English, I found one driver who said he'd take him to a Singapore taxi. So I said good luck and sent him on his way. He speaks the language even less than us. Then we waited for Pres. Lai. wondering how long they'd let us stay in the emigration pull thru. A cell phone call next informed us that the office elders had forgotten their passports, therefore they were unable to take Pres. Lai into the drop-off area on their side. So now he was coming over in a taxi and we were back to the original plan to meet him at our church house - back by our apartment. In my head, I'm hoping the dinner is going to come together in time. Not that any of these elders would understand that concern. Back to Taman Molek and Pres. Lai is sitting on the sidewalk by the church. After picking him up, we enjoyed several hours together at our apartment. Dinner was good. He had a 2nd piece of pineapple cream pie - (Evelyn - you'd be so proud of me) and then he talked very candidly and openly with us about the branch and the possible upcoming division. Next he and Garald dropped me off at the church to get set up for Seminary with strict instructions to keep the door locked until students arrive. I was going to go visiting with them, but it was too late. So Garald took him to visit some members. They arrived back in an hour with 2 Seminary students who hadn't attended before. Pres. Lai stayed for Seminary and shared some thoughts with the class. It was about 10:00 when the last student was picked up at the church - we get Pres. Lai back to the emigration point and the two students home and are heading wearily home. The phone rings - the elders are distressed as they're clear out in Megha Rhia and someone has stolen one of their bicycles. So we had to do a little rescue there. We laughed as by the time we picked them up some children had returned a bicycle that they'd just 'found.' Interesting. Well, it was a full and fulfilling day. I was nervous about teaching, but of course, he was kind and positive. We also gained valuable insight into what was going on 'behind the scenes' with the branch division. Went to bed tired.

P.S. Hooray, I have purchased a very valuable piece of kitchen equipment - a rolling pin. Garald spotted it on a bottom back shelf in a little Kedai (store) It was labeled 'movable stick.' Perhaps I could have found one sooner, but I doubt it, if I'd known what to call it. Life continues to be interesting.

P.S. Again: We actually got up several times in the night last night to try to find out the latest national BYU ranking. HOORAY - 3rd in both polls. Yup - we're Jimmer fans too. Go Cougs!