Home Church

Four weeks of home church and I'm converted! Each consecutive week has become more and more relaxing and the children are falling into a routine. Abe and Mary prepare talks each week and share them on Sunday. Its an opportunity they are both excited to see the end of. 

Without visiting members face to face, our attention has been brought closer to home. It's amazing how much time WAS spent ministering to members that lived far away, now we text and WhatsApp or call. School and friends have not been disrupted much, and for the most part sports and after school activities are the same too. Mary's basketball tryouts were cancelled and then rescheduled after the coaches arranged for inter school games against faculty teams. She's both excited and nervous to try out for the team in two weeks.

Highlights from our week:

Saturday night s'mores and street games.

Home church, forts, board games and general social distancing.

Failed glucose monitor testing. I've tried two tests and torn both of them off playing tag with Moses or putting on a backpack. The test is supposed to last two consecutive weeks with the exact same meals at exact same times. (Think Groundhog Day.) Starting again tomorrow. Maybe I need to wrap the monitor with an ace bandage? I wonder how active mom's use the readers without tearing them off so frequently. 

Playdates with Moses, bus rides, trips to the park and the zoo.

Pi Day

I finished reading book that Sarah recommended, Invisible Women, and found time to read my first fiction book in months! (Skyward and Starsight by Brandon Sanderson). Maeser and I did start reading "Where the Red Fern Grows." He really wants a dog.

And my current favorite quote, as I muster up the time to write more: 

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man..." - Francis Bacon

An over due update.

Despite having occasional conversations with family, I feel like I haven't kept up to date the last few weeks. Some of the time consuming events have included:

• Women's Conference Work and then the cancelation of Women's Conference in Taiwan
• This flu-like virus that is stretching from China with tentacles reaching as far as Bangkok and Doha to interrupt schedules and events, Dan had some training meetings in Korea- cancelled, Bangkok- cancelled, and Oman- also cancelled
• A forthcoming race for Dan. His training schedule has been undeterred and he leaves on Tuesday for a race in Muscat, hopefully to remain as scheduled next weekend. I am no longer traveling as support crew because the most prudent course of action would be to keep at least one parent in the country at all times with the children.
• Maeser turning 8 AND having a long awaited birthday party. (If you are unaware of our birthday party policy, they only happen every 4 years.)
• Maeser getting baptised! Dan baptised him after church last Sunday and Mary and Abe were the witnesses. 
• Making summer plans, signing up for sports camps, calendaring family reunions, booking flights... the works.
• Taxes. Nuff said.
• Hosting YSA FHE nights and new to Singapore friends.
• Primary meetings and activities.
• Reading and some research. I know it is a luxury to have time to read, I'm thankful for it. 
• The Lord's Question
• Women and the Priesthood
• Jesus The Christ
• Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men (Reading as board for MIMB)
• The Coddling of the American Mind
• The Courage to be Disliked
• Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
• We Are Still Alive (research with Sage)
• Second Nephi

Sorry for the lists, I doubt that is why you are reading. I'm just glad I've made it this far in an attempt to record anything this week. I'll end with two (maybe three) thoughts from books I'm reading and a quote from Scout.

From Invisible Women, "... an other example of how much a diversity of experience at the top- matters to everyone." We can't all have the same experiences and expect to get the same results. 

Chapter 5 of Women and the Priesthood: "In The [Church], women are integral to Church leadership and governance. And because of the Church's lay leadership, actively participating members are all enrolled in what is essentially an ongoing leadership training program. A woman serving a a counsellor in a stake Young Women presidency may next be called to teach Sunday school or Primary or to work in the library. One of the reasons Latter-day Saints can mobilise so quickly in times of disaster is that we learn to lead, and we also learn to follow. Over time, we learn how to do whatever the Lord needs us to do." (emphasis added)

"It must be disturbing to see friends replaced with strangers, but all are welcome and all must be cherished." Seemed quite applicable to horizontal interpersonal relationships at the moment. Something I'm focusing on.

And last, in a serious conversation with Scout this week, "I can't be a mom. I don't know how to make breakfast." That just about wraps up my qualifications. 

Chinese New Year- Gong Xi Fa Cai

It's the year of the Rat! That sounds disgusting. I'm not familiar with all of the animals, there are 12 of them, but this year is the rat and you'll find rats as decorations all over the city. (Sometimes a Disneyfied kind- or one that looks like Jerry from Tom & Jerry, but other times a little too realistic to be cute.)

We had three days off of school and went hiking, park hoping, pseudo-camping (stayed until lights-out), some of us missed church because of colds, did some research, watched Disney + and played boardgames.

I'm working on several intense projects: ASIA Women's Conference, Research and the usual coordinating of events and emotions for the household, and I feel swamped. Add to that that Dan's back is a little stiff and I'm focusing on one day at a time.

Have you ever had insomnia? I'll raise my hand. I've never had a problem sleeping before, even when pregnant I'd just take half a Unisom and be fine, but the last two weeks have been crazy! Originally I thought it was a little anxiety about random things that keep me from falling asleep- kids this and that, doing better tomorrow than today, speaking assignments, traveling... the usual. But those never kept me up for more than an hour or two in the past. After consecutive nights, I realised, it might be something more, like a phase, and most people have had bouts of insomnia long before they were 37! I began to feel thankful that it was finally my turn and just a small thing, and somehow I'd learn to be empathetic of others who deal with this constantly. I'm happy to report I've had two really good nights of sleep and am back to my usual schedule. FYI: after three nights of tossing and turning until 2am, I decided the best approach is meditation and reading. And eventually you fall asleep and don't feel so anxious about not being productive or sleep deprived for the next day. 

(Actually, I am very aware of some of the things keeping me up, but didn't disclose them in the letter home. I am nervous about visiting the Congo, about Women's Conference, Maeser's Baptism and having "the talk" with him, about teaching my children correct principles before the rest of the world teaches them something else, about supporting the Primary President in our ward- I'm certain I am the worst counsellor she could ever have drummed up, wanted to do and be better and yet focusing on small incremental changes so that they last and that slowly buy habits are changing, my parenting hazings and skills, learning to control my emotions with teen (pre-teen)-agers, loving more than correcting, teaching more than disciplining. I can go on, an on, and if I'm awake at 1 am I'll give you a detail list of things that make my heart flutter and my blood rush.) I am doing better, I guess sometimes things pile up! I spent the last long night repeating in my head "Take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow will take care of it's self." And I've utilised teh sleepless nights with some reading and meditation. All in all, not bad, just sleep deprived.

We're almost through birthday season with Maeser's coming up in a week. Eek!  Eight. He wants a double decker cake, night swimming and a family movie. Easy Peasy.

I really appreciate family letters! As I was posting Bonita's last one, I realised she'd already written 130 times! Thats a lot of writing and a lot of time has passed. Only a handful of letters left on their mission. Christy and Ann also write often.

We've made plans to use Wolfcreek at the beginning of our summer break, thank you Bonita and Stewart!  We have plans to hike, swim, relax, get over jet-lag and bask in a glorious wilderness. (Something a city of 6 million people has a hard time offering.)

Slowing Down December

It was a beautiful Sunday. Quite a miracle because Sundays aren't usually the most joyful day of the week. I haven't pinpointed what was the most effective strategy today, but the underlying theme was simplifying. I think we've settled on a new Sunday dinner plan, and not having any company over was so nice.

I'm returning to this letter 5 days later as the final rush caught up to me. Today is the last day of school, I can't wait for the school break. I've caught a cold, a tropical cold is still the same as a winter cold. But I'm happy to be sick now and not over Christmas or when traveling to the Philippines.
Catching a cold has also slowed things down and Christmas cards aren't out yet, but I'm enjoying writing them.

Highlights:

Moses singing, "Four calling birds, three Fentons, 2 turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree!"

And Abe's prayer on the food this morning included "Thank you that Fenton came yesterday, please bless that he can come today or tomorrow."

Apparently we need more Fentons.

We found eggnog. Saving it for Christmas Eve.

Abe made 18 loaves of bread on Wednesday and is excited to take a couple weeks off.

Sick. Sore throats are the worst.

We went to the annual bubble snowfall for FHE on Monday night and rode the Christmas Carolling Bus downtown on Orchard Friday.

I went on Abe's school field trip to Little India, I haven't been on a school bus forever, but it was well worth the delicious food!

This is how you host party.

Our neighbours hosted an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party, we're using our sweater as a get-along-shirt in the future.

Sunday dinner, I still think this is the easiest meal yet. We're going for a second round this week.

Game nights.

Making Christmas treats for classroom parties. "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch."

The Nutcracker

The typhoon may have fizzled in Quezon City but our friends who went back to the Philippines for a wedding got caught in part of the storm and just got back. Their flights were cancelled then delayed, but the worst of the storm was flooding and I think most filipinos have a lot of experience with rain.

This friend who went back to the Philippines is a woman I minister too. It is partly because of her that I applied to take some classes in January. (One on Mental Illness and Recovery and another focusing on Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.) I was accepted? Both courses are offered by the Singapore Social Service Institute, I had to apply to take both courses and then had an interview last week (because I'm not a registered professional). I just found out I was accepted into BOTH! It's really nothing big, but I'm excited anyway. When applying, I mentioned MIMB and working extensively with children and youth within church. I was surprised to see that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was actually listed as an organisation that SSI partnered with. I think the training will better equip me to evaluate program structures supported by MIMB, and I'll be better prepared to support members. I've had two women approach me this year who were struggling with self harm or contemplating suicide. I hope to better understand the impact and scope of appropriate strategies. In summary, I was accepted and the two classes are in January.

I've started keeping a list of stuff on why phone so when I sit to write I can REMEMBER what happened! 

Mary was Clara in the dance concert. Mary DID NOT attend all of the rehearsals as she was also in the play, but doubled up as soon as the play was over. Her amazing teacher knew she was a little behind and turned what could have been a demoralising event into something special. There really was NO way Mary could have caught up, and it was difficult for her classmates to be patient with her. Mary came home discouraged just last week, but she was certain she knew the dance. I know the teacher invited Mary to be a narrator/actor, dressed her in Clara's costume, and slightly altered Mary's dance part and it was beautiful. Mary felt confident and important. The hardest part for Mary was staying in synch with her peers, and as soon as she was dressed as Clara, the teacher gave her a few extra pirouettes and a separate entrance and all frustration was dissolved. I'm thankful for someone who looks for alternative solutions, who is creative and more interested in the individuals around her than perfecting a routine. 

Mary is a teenager. And such a lovely one at that. She is even tempered, patient, and overly accommodating at times... when we asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, she said, "I think the kids would like to see Frozen 2." And dinner, "I think Abe wants to go to Wild Honey." 

We had a successful Ward Christmas Party and opened registration for ASIA Women’s Conference.

I went shopping in Malaysia with Julie, we decided to go to the Lulu Lemon store that Dallin had so desperately wanted to go to. Not worth the trip for the shopping alone, but it was fun to hang with Julie.

Abe is branching out and experimenting with quiche.

Last week was full of concerts, beyond Mary's dance concert, Maeser had a Gamelon concert and Scout had her Winter Celebration. She's perfected the hula and can't wait to show anyone and everyone.

Oh! And Maeser broke his toe playing tag in the dark. This fit so well into our scripture study last week: 1 John 2: 8-11. Thanks, Maeser.

That's a wrap! Making a list makes so much easier to write!