Bed bugs

One of the things you have to deal with in third world countries are bugs!  We haven't really had issues with any except for tiny ants and milipedes, until now.  We live in a two bedroom apartment.  One of the rooms we use for storage.  Last week, we were waking up every morning with two or three bites each.  We could even feel things crawling on us while sitting on the couch, in the living room, but couldn't see them.  Bed bugs are a big deal around here, so we started checking for them.   We checked in the seams and folds of the mattress, on the floor in all the cracks and crevices for any evidence.  We even put the legs of our bed in peanut cans filled with permethrin.  Permethrin is a strong insect repellant that you mix with water, so it's pretty potent.  We didn't see any traces of them, but we treated everything anyway.  The young missionaries have to deal with bed bugs constantly because they live out in the bush areas.  They are hard to get a handle on if you don't clear them up right away.  Oh, the joy's of living in the jungle!  Stephen, the apartment manager, is wondering if the housekeepers could be transporting the critters as they clean.  They have been instructed to leave their supplies outside the apartments as they clean.   We always have tiny, little ants around.  I will be sitting on the couch using the computer and  one or two will crawl across the screen.  I'm sure we've eaten many, no big deal though, it's just extra Protein.

Poor Sister Tucker, she's "in trouble" again at the ward!  Ha Ha!  We were in primary last Sunday trying to keep the kids under control, and there was a little guy, who is only about two, that was causing all kinds of trouble.  He should be in nursery at that age, but they'll go where ever they want.  We were getting ready to say the closing prayer, he was just laughing and hitting and being a little stinker, so sister Tucker took hold of his arm and put him out in the hall.  His dad was out there, so no big deal right?  Well, later on that afternoon, while taking a nap, her phone rang.  It was his mama.  She unloaded on poor sister Tucker!  She accused her of putting him out in the hall crying and much more.  Sister Tucker couldn't get a word in edge wise to let her know what happened.  This gal speaks good english, so she knew what was being said.  She just yelled at her and hung up.  She called me up to tell me about it, I told sister Tucker that I would try to talk to her and hopefully smooth things out.  We're both good friends with her, hopefully she will listen.  

It's been a week now since the blow up with sister Tucker and the other gal in our ward.  Sister Tucker was worried about confronting her.  She got to church ahead of Greg and I.  When we walked into sacrament meeting, sister Tucker came over to us all shook up.   She said as she walked into the  church, she was confronted by her again, and she let her have it again, in front of everyone.  She was so humilitated.  I told her I would try to talk to her after sacrament meeting.  After sacrament meeting I was able to talk with her and help her to see that anger towards someone destroys your spirit and that forgiveness and understanding is the only way to work this out.  We had a real good talk.  She became very tearful and said that she was willing to forgive her.  I told her we would all get together after church and work it all out.  I let sister Tucker know that it was all going to work out, she was so relieved.  After church I got the two of them together and apologies were made .  The bishop called us all into his office to talk about it.  The problem was, we couldn't understand most of what he was saying???  There was a good spirit in the room though.  I think everything will be alright :)

I got my hair cut the other day.  Let's just say I can't wait to get a nice, professional cut.  Like I've said before, I'm sure they've learned on the internet, because I've never seen the techniques they use!!  I just close my eyes and hope for the best.  When I tried to style it the next day, I could see the sides weren't even.  I called back to see if I could come back in to be evened out.  Jamie, the hairdresser, wasn't happy to see me again, but at least my sides are sort of even!  

It's been raining for two days straight.  Our apartment flooded once, so we're keeping a good eye on the water.  It's winter here, so we welcome the cool air especially when we play pickleball!   It feels like fall in the U.S., soooo lovely!  It's nice, it's in the 70's.   I don't think I've ever attached  pictures of our apartment, so I will in this post.

President Granger just sent two missionaries home the other day.  One for being persistantly disobedient, and the other just didn't want to be here anymore.  It can be a hard mission here, especially for the young missionaries.  They have to be willing to live in some not so comfy conditions such as; no A/C, bed bugs, no hot water and more.   Most of them do very well though, I don't hear alot of complaints.  A couple of the young men that got transfered to the island of Merelava (verrrrry basic) were really excited.  They loved roughing it and didn't mind harsh conditions, they were  Americans boys.  I'm sure it was like intense scouting. 

President Granger asked me the other day if I would get more of his filing all ready to go for the next mission president.  The Granger's really want things to be ready for the next mission president.  When they came to the mission, they didn't have much to go on.  It sounds like they had to reinvent the wheel so to speak.  He and his wife did a fantastic job, we'll miss them.  The new office couple should be here in July, they are the Davidson's replacement.  I'll close for now, as always we hope everyone is well.  We love and miss you tomas (so much).  Love, Greg and Ann