There are a lot of birds around here and I’ve no idea what most of them are, including the little guy in the picture. This afternoon a beautiful bird landed on the fence beside me with bright red plumage on the head, a white band around the neck, and black feathers on the body. Of course, my iPhone was in the Center being charged and I wasn’t able to get a picture. I’m going to start bringing my CoolPix camera as well as it has a somewhat-capable zoom lens. I’m sure I’ll see this bird, or a brother again.

General Conference was this past weekend. It was a delightful set of sessions and I’m downloading them to watch again during slow times at the Center. Perhaps it has something to do with age, and perhaps it has something to do with being on a mission, but General Conference just seems to get better every year. Elder Holland followed by President Uchtdorf were a powerful one-two testimony and talks that definitely need to be studied.

This morning after the Visitors’ Center Training Meeting, Nina and I went over to BYU-Hawaii to start the process of getting an ID card and to check out the book store. There are around 3,000 students at the University and I understand that plans are under way to double the capacity. All of the students I’ve met at the Visitors’ Center have been just delightful to talk with and interact with. This afternoon I met a couple of families that were here to check out the University as a possibility for their graduating senior. Another mother and daughter were here having just registered the daughter who will start this fall. I asked her to come over and say hello when she gets here in the fall. Now I just have to remember what she looks like (fat chance…).

The past two Mondays were very slow at the Center. Some of that is because the Temple is closed on Mondays, so the Distribution Center and the Family History Center are closed as well. Today, however, was vastly different. It is clearly Spring Break across most of Utah! Our shift this afternoon was the busiest shift we’ve had since we arrived.

And, speaking of arriving, on Wednesday we will no longer be the “greenest” missionaries! A new sister missionary is coming from the MTC to work at the Center. She’ll soon be an integral part of the group. Three of our sister missionaries are headed out for their three-month period doing “normal” missionary work (called going “full field”). Two sister missionaries are returning on Wednesday from their three-month stint “full field”. Several companionships are being changed and some of the sisters are moving from their current apartment to a different apartment. So, Wednesday things get shaken up a bit and we’ll be feeling more like “old hands” at the Visitors’ Center missionaries!

I’ve been fussing with new header pictures, but they aren’t lining up correctly. Something is causing them to be cut off on the right and left side. That’s a problem for another day.

Life is very busy at present!