Sunday, December 9  We have finished another week and survived.  We are learning slowly.  Our trainers go home this week and we will really be lost.  They are so knowledgeable, that they will really be missed and we'll be all that's left.  Jerry has a new gps and phone and mission van to deal with apartment hunting and care.  I have notes and notes on how to do excel programs.  I'm not sure who is more dangerous.  I only lost two baptism records last week.  Hopefully the Church sends them back this week so I can make corrections.  I received the mission President's calendar and just as he walked through the office I was printing January and it came out cut in half.  I just told him that I had lightened his burden by cutting his work load in half.  I think he wonders about me.  We had our senior couples Christmas party last week.  There are 18 couples in the mission and all very nice and doing great and various jobs.  One new one comes today.  I'm hoping they give them a double assignment - MLS - member leadership services - and a couple of hours in the office helping us.  By the way we found out our mission president served his mission in Fukuoka, Japan, the same mission as Connie.  That was 40 years ago.  I need to tell him the story of the butt sumo female wrestling champion.  He should really appreciate it.  Jerry celebrated his birthday last week.  He even got his favorite banana cream pie.  I'm finding I don't have all the conveniences of home and try to make due but sometimes it doesn't turn out just right.  For all the friends in Nampa - Connie and Lindsay got together last week and made Christmas candy and cookies.  The tradition continues.  I guess Grandma Mary and I taught them something.  They even sent Craig Castagneto his favorite spritz cookies.  Don't know how he rated.  Got a little view of the area on Saturday.  We had to go out on the peninsula to take drawers to elders and pick up a mattress.  Went to a picturesque town of Gig Harbor.  Beautiful town wrapped around a little harbor.  It reminded me of the east coast towns I grew up around.  Then we drove through a park at Point Defiance just on the south of the Puget Sound.  It was a beautiful area - moss on trees and ferns growing all over pine trees.  It looks just like the movie set on Twilight.  I can't wait to go to Forks, but it's about 4 hours away - up on the western tip of the mission.  I guess the rain makes for green beauty and we have lots of rain.  This week we have the missionary Christmas party.  We have a room full of packages.  It should be an interesting day - party all day with the elders and sisters.  They should be very excited.  Will report next week on the details.