More or leste

 While we wait to hear word on my visa, our move last week has turned out to be a blessing for many reasons.

Welcome to The Palm Beach Hotel

                    Our sliver of ocean view

                                 What a croc!

               You know I love those potheads!

For one thing, they are very vigilant about curbing their mosquito population with industrial size zappers everywhere. Notices are posted that they fumigate 3 times a week. I have not had a single bite since moving here and I am so grateful. Every bite's suffering lasts 3 loooooong, tormented days for me. 

                  We call them Frank Zappahs

Included in our rent is a breakfast served by a charming kitchen staff in the beautiful outdoor area by the pool. The best entre' includes  something we've eaten very little of for a year:

                           Bacon...........

  ...followed or proceeded by a swim for Rob

We see other people at breakfast, mostly business men and women from all over the world; China, Australia, Indonesia, Portugal. They mostly stay to themselves and aren't amenable to sharing a table but this morning we couldn't help but overhear a distinct Indian accent so we broke the code of silence and introduced ourselves to the man at the next table. We met Stanley from Mumbai, here on business for just for one day as a ship inspector. He calls Singapore his home. It was so great to sit at the same table and talk to someone about India, our first love. 

                            Stanley Steamer

We had daily housekeeping at the Green Diamond as well with Mary,  now we have Odelia and Tina. Odelia was surprised when we opened the door and she saw us for the first time. "Oh! I sat with you on the microlet!" How about that! What crazy odds! But the biggest bonus here is we have our own washer and dryer and can do our laundry whenever we want. 

        It's fuzzy logic, but we figured it out

Just for curiosity, we tried the fuzzy cycle. Seemed pretty smooth to us.

Off our back balcony between the trees and the concertina wire, we could see a little bit of the next area over. It looked intriguing. Rob convinced me to go exploring. (Not over the wire, mind you, but through the front gate)

We found another enchanted wonderland inside it's gates; tennis courts, trampoline, not to mention resident deer  "Inez" and "Anna". 

                 We want a deer for a pet, Dad!

Hidden behind a worn wooden gate was this pristine pool area. It didn't look like it was used much. "Who lives here?" we asked. "A man from France but only occasionally". I think Rob would secretly like to come back to Timor Leste and live here, work for the Frenchman and take care of his pool and his deer. 

Ahhhh, it is magical and innocent here in many ways, we really don't mind this last wait, there is so much to love about these people; their calm demeanor, their genuine friendliness, and their lack of guile. 

When you shake a child's hand, they put your hand to their forehead and then touch their heart. It's like Anna meeting the King's children.

You never know when you'll find a colorfully dressed woman holding her chicken

    They have teaser NT ice stores with no ice. 

      Their women carry their babies very low.

They can magically drive their scooters with no hands!

And they are very handsome!

I've raved about the students before and the fun we've had with them at English class. And we were just getting to know them by name! It's very possible next week is our departure week   Our Advanced class cancelled because we had no power. What a low note to end on. But we were able to say a proper goodbye to our Intermediate class. We played a final game outdoors in our courtyard and had a massive photo session as a fun way to end our time with them. Now it will be awkward if our visas take yet another week and we have to say "just kidding." But the Lallitans are poised to take over the teaching and they are going to love them too. 

With the Snows in Australia working on their long-term visas so they can stay 4 months longer and the Lallitans gone on a humanitarian trip, we had the rare experience of having time alone with Janu and Zelia.  We asked them to eat with us at a restaurant. We told them we knew an Indian restaurant down from the church but maybe they had a favorite one they could recommend. Zelia said, "we never eat at a restaurant" so it made it that much more special for us, knowing it was a rare occasion for them. We wanted to thank them for all they do for the branch and the English classes. They are so special and are soo loved by all the senior couples they've known through the years. They mentioned about 10 couples in all. Janu will someday be a branch president being the senior member of the church in the entire country and he will train many others in leadership, that's just how the Lord works when He needs to open up a new area. The Americans and missionaries provide leadership and example and training in the beginning stages but then the locals find their own strength and can then take the reins and grow in their own capacities. 

               Small in stature, large in heart

      We will never forget this precious time

There's a couple of phrases in my patriarchal blessing I'd like to share with you that I feel have been fulfilled on this mission.  One phrase states, "you will have many opportunities to bear your testimony in your life" Check ✅ 

The other phrase said, "You will be blessed with many friends". At the age of 17 when I got the blessing, I didn't feel that was a true statement at all. I struggled to make close friends in my life and had never quite felt like I was in the "in" crowd or had an overabundance of friendships, even later in life. But I feel such a deep closeness now with so many dear friends we have made in every phase of our mission; from the Family History Library, to India, to Timor Leste, with the fellow missionaries young and old, the saints around the world, and the people of many countries at large. It is now fulfilled prophecy. ✅  

I can honestly say I have been blessed with many friends on our mission and maybe I have finally learned how to be a friend as I've felt my heart expand to just keep loving more and more of God's children. We still have another country to go! Our brains have not been keen enough to pick up new languages at this stage of the game but let's hope our hearts are made of "super elastic bubble plastic"  to just keep expanding their boundaries to make more friendships and more loving ties. 

A friend loveth at all times...

Proverbs 17:17

A merry heart doeth good like medicine...

Proverbs 17: 22