We had two opportunities to participate in Halloween Parties.  One was a Stake sponsored trunk or treat There were a lot of very different costumes. The stake had dough nuts and cider for everyone. Above are some of the most interesting costumes.

Then on Halloween night our Ward participated with the Village of Magnolia. Each year the village businesses put tables or booths out side their stores and give candy and treats to all the children.  Our Chapel is just at the edge of the businesses, so we had not only candy but the kids could decorate a spider ring with sparkles  of about any color.  They also had small donuts attached to strings that the kids had to get with their mouth. They also gave out hot chocolate and hot cider( that was Sister Maxwell's) job.  My job was giving out the candy to the hundreds of children and their parents.  I thought it was going to rain, so I wore my black over coat.  One young girl took the candy and said, "Thank you Father" as she walked off.  What great memories!!

This is at Chittenden Locks

This is at Pike Street Market

Andy our Grandson

Sister Maxwell adding her Gum to the Wall

This is Gum all over the Wall

  We were really spoiled last Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday.  Becky(our daughter) & Michael flew in Wed. night and spent the next two days with us. We got to show them some of the sights of Seattle. On Friday we went to the Temple and then picked Kylie up at the airport. Saturday morning we went down to Puyallup to watch Andy play his last football game of the Season. We got to speak to him after the game for about 20 minutes before he had to get on his bus back to Oregon. Wow! he has grown about 2-3 inches since we left home. Kylie's hair is longer.  Didn't think to ask if she was going to donate it again like last time.

We really enjoyed visiting with the Harris'.  We really miss our family.

We continue helping in our ward with less active and new converts. We also taxi a car load of members to church each Sunday. More about the mission next time I add to the blog.

We have had a very
interesting week. Transfers were very traumatic for one of the Elders that live
down stairs. Initially, he was told that his companion was being transferred to
a different part of our zone. The next day this Elder was told he & his
companion were switching apartments with the Korean Elders, nearer to the
University of Washington campus. They moved and cleaned both apartments. Next
day, he & his companion went to tranferes expecting new companions while
staying at the University of Washington.

He got a transfer to an entirely different part of the Mission(Way down South
to Maple Valley). He never got to say good by to any of the Ward and never got
pictures he really wanted, besides he had to come back and pack his cloths. He
was not a happy camper! He will do great! He is one of the best missionaries we
have met. What caused this turmoil is the fact that a missionary from the MTC
ran off at the Airport and went home. The Mission President told us something
happens almost very transfer to cause last minute changes. Sister Graves the Mission
President's Secretary had to work all night re-typing transfers because of one
missionary disappearing. No wonder the Mission Presidents are younger!!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We have about six new elders in our Zone. Plus
we have the Korean Speaking Elders now living downstairs. Elder Parsons is from
Long Beach Ca., his Companion Elder O is from Korea. They are working with the
Korean Students at the University. The Saturday before transfers Elder White
& Sister Lee had birthdays the same week. The Sisters wanted to have a
Birthday party at our apartment. They would bring the food. We ate Japanese,
Korean and Hmong food. I enjoyed the food, but Sister Maxwell was not liking it
so much! Here are the pictures of the party.

This
picture is at transfers. The only sister staying is Sister Lee, the one in the
lighter coat. All the others are leaving. Transfers are hard on us old fogies.
We get really close to the younger missionaries. They call us Grandpa &
Grandma Maxwell. They cheer us up as we build them up. What a joy to have them
always

We have had a very interesting week. Transfers were very traumatic for one of the Elders that live down stairs. Initially, he was told that his companion was being transferred to a different part of our zone.  The next day this Elder was told he & his companion were switching apartments with the Korean Elders, nearer to the University of Washington campus. They moved and cleaned both apartments.  Next day, he & his companion went to tranferes expecting new companions while staying at the University of Washington.
He got a transfer to an entirely different part of the Mission(Way down South to Maple Valley).  He never got to say good by to any of the Ward and never got pictures he really wanted, besides he had to come back and pack his cloths. He was not a happy camper! He will do great!  He is one of the best missionaries we have met. What caused this turmoil is the fact that a missionary from the MTC ran off at the Airport and went home. The Mission President told us something happens almost very transfer to cause last minute changes.  Sister Graves the Mission President's Secretary had to work all night re-typing transfers because of one missionary disappearing. No wonder the Mission Presidents are younger!!

We have about six new elders in our Zone. Plus we have the Korean Speaking Elders now living downstairs. Elder Parsons is from Long Beach Ca., his Companion Elder O is from Korea. They are working with the Korean Students at the University. The Saturday before transfers Elder White & Sister Lee had birthdays the same week. The Sisters wanted to have a Birthday party at our apartment.  They would bring the food. We ate Japanese, Korean and Hmong food. I enjoyed the food, but Sister Maxwell was not liking it so much! Here are the pictures of the party.

This picture is at transfers.  The only sister staying is Sister Lee, the one in the lighter coat. All the others are leaving. Transfers are hard on us old fogies.  We get really close to the younger missionaries. They call us Grandpa & Grandma Maxwell. They cheer us up as we build them up.  What a joy to have them always around!!!

This has been even a better week.  The
non-member husband(Ben) we taught when we first came on our mission. He said he
just was too busy to meet with us for the entire months of December, January and
now most of Feb.  He wants to continue having the missionary lessons, starting
this Sat. Maybe this is the time for his baptism.

Sunday evening we went
to The Mission Home for a Fire Side.  We got to go, since the Sisters we are
responsible for, had two investigators that wanted to go, and our car was needed
for transportation. Those invited were missionaries with investigators, or
recently baptized converts.  Pres. Larkin gave a short talk about Joseph Smith
and then asked each new member to tell the group why they joined the Church and
when and bear there testimony. One young man got up that was baptized last
Saturday, he said he was 15 years old.  He said that prior to meeting the
missionaries he had had no contact with any religion and didn't know anything
about God, Christ, Bible, nothing!! He said he felt that there was more to
living than what he was doing. This doesn't sound like the usual 15 year old
boy!  He and the other converts bore tremendous testimonies. Pre. Larkin then
asked all the investigators to stand and tell why they were investigating the
church and what brought them to this point in there life. Each of the
investigators gave heart felt responses. The Spirit was very intense.  The
entire evening was a feast. I think that all the investigators will be baptized
SOON.

We are having a two Zone meeting this Friday with Pres.& Sister
Larkin and the zone leaders.  There will be talks, but also a lot of training
and roll playing to make us more effective teachers of the Gospel.

We are
still looking for the less active in the ward we are assigned to.  We get really
disappointed when some one we find wants nothing to do with the Church. As the
Asian Sisters say "So Sad". We also get excited when some one lets us in to at
talk.