Sunday, October 25, 2015

October 25, 2015

Would you believe another busy week? haha  I have been worrying about the YSA Conference coming up.  So much to do and we didn't have a place with only 2 weeks to go!!  So Sister Visaka took me to a place to look at down in Ponadura, at the Aqua Pearl.  It was a really nice place.  It had everything that we needed!  Right on the edge of a lake, a pool, big areas to do things in, nice rooms, really pretty....but the price was pretty high.  I think Pres Kolitha wants us to go to Kandy and do the hotel there.  Which is fine....just so we can get something!!!!  We had a nice dinner and FHE with the Hendricksons.  We planned the Halloween party and decided everything we were going to do.  We had a great dinner, played games, and worked on a puzzle.  It was a fun evening!  Tuesday was Katie's Birthday!  We had our first district meeting earlier with the new elders.  It worked out really great!  Steve gave a wonderful lesson to them!  They are going to be ok!  They are learning and have great attitudes about the work...and they are really happy to be back in Sri Lanka!  So that is really great!  Steve taught a lesson to Taniya and then we headed to Sherines for the birthday party at seminary!  We bought lunch at Dolce Italia and then we were off!  It was very yummy and we had a great time!  We also taught our seminary lessons.  I really felt the Spirit teaching, which we do with these great kids!  We finished and then headed to Darshini's to teach the next class!  I love going there too!  We both do!  Love the youth of Sri Lanka!  Steve taught Taniya again while I figured out some banking stuff!  We then went to Inoka's for English and piano class!  Steve loves teaching those kids the English class.  They are a lot of fun!  We headed to Shanika's where we watched Meet the Mormons.  I just love that show.  The last story always makes me cry!  The elders came with us!   Steve and the elders also taught Gayani and she wants to be baptized a long with her husband and 2 kids!  Wow!  She is really a special lady!  She came to church last week and loved it!  Everyone treated them all so well.  Such a blessing!  I taught piano and we had our English class.  Not very many came tonight...with the rain and all.  But it was great fun!  Later, we went to see Thilukshi. Her family used to come to English class until they got the devastating news that she had blood cancer.  She is 15.  It was very hard on their family.  I talked about this several months back as we were able to visit in the cancer hospital when she was first diagnosed.  They gave such a grim outlook back then.  She has had her chemotherapy as well as other treatments and lost all her hair.  On Tuesday, she called me!  She said she had gotten home from the hospital after 4 months!  And she wanted to know if we could come and see her!  It made me so happy to hear her sweet voice!  Her father works for the Air Force and her mother makes food and sells it.  She has a younger brother as well.  Her father has a van so he said he would come and get us after English class.  They also were picking up Brother Lyle, who is the one who introduced them to the church and got them to come to English class (they were actually going to the class with the Porters when they were teaching it on the Air Force Base).  AND....Nilmani and Hansani and Jinuka also came with us!  They had to get special permission for us to go to their home as it was Air Force housing.   It was so fun seeing sweet Thilukshi!  She had a wig and had her ports and things still in her arm.  She said they didn't want to remove anything until they finished some more testing, etc.  She was darling!  She was outgoing and sweet and happy!  It was really great to be with all of them.  Nilmani and her mother cooked a fabulous meal for us with yummy dessert!  She also gave Steve and I a little gift...these little bears.  They are all just the most amazing people!  Great night with all of them!  Friday, Steve went with Naveen to see his village.  He has always wanted to show Steve where he grew up and meet his parents.  Steve enjoyed that so much.  He was offered "toddy" which is a natural fermented alcoholic drink made from coconut trees!  Luckily, he turned it down!!  (hahaha)  I had piano classes and banking to do!  Later, we went to the Cioconut Lounge where Katie's family was celebrating her birthday and invited us!  We met her friends from school and some of her relatives.  The food was really good and we had a good time!  Katie is so much fun.  She loves Steve's soft hair and my pointy nose!  We rode a trishaw to get to the restaurant and it was the worst ride we have had since we got here!  Terrible driver!!!  Glad we are still in one piece!  I went with the Hendricksons Saturday morning to get the candy and prizes for the Halloween party!  They are really great people and very generous.  We also stopped and got some fresh bread at Paan Paan.....yummy!  I had some piano classes and also stayed for seminary.  Sister Shehara taught her first lesson and did a great job.  The boys were pretty shy but they will warm up.  That is how it was with them when I started teaching them piano!  We had a nice visit afterwards.  She is a sweet gal.  We got invited to Brother Franklins birthday party at his home with his family.  Wow!  Talk about a wonderful meal!  They had so many wonderful things and spent a lot of time putting it together!  We enjoyed visiting with them too!  Such a special family!  Today was another great Sunday!  Wonderful lessons, lots of investigators and the wonderful people of Colombo branch!  We headed to Negombo after church to plan the YSA Conference.  It really was great!  I think I might survive now!  I have been so worried about getting it together...after all...it is in 11 days!!!!!!  Great guys helped us plan the things they would enjoy doing!  It will be great!  We fed the elders tonight.  They were in Negombo last night and today for church.  Now they are back!  We had a wonderful shrimp dinner!  Now our big week is here!  President Russell M Nelson!  We are so excited!  What a great blessing for the wonderful people here!  President Berrett will also be here for a meeting with us and the other 2 elders.  It will be a great week with the Halloween party at the end!  We are blessed and we are happy!!





Inoka and Naveens new picture..









Katie's 16th Birthday Party at Seminary








Thilukshi is home from the hospital!!!















Some of the best people in Sri Lanka!





Naveens home village and property.





Newly planted coconut tree.


Old water well.




Naveens father getting me a king coconut.







Coconut trees to gather juice for toddy.

Bucket to gather coconut juice.






Worker moving from tree to tree on a tight rope..





Naveens family and house where he grew up.




His friend who is a fisherman...

















His village temple.































Katie's 16th Birthday party at Cioconut Lounge!

Robbie
















Happy Birthday Franklin!













The party went way too long for Madelina!