The world might be focued on the Olympics but we don't have TV cable service so we can't get streaming. That is okay though - keeps us focused on our lessons. Spent hours Monday creating a slide show for the Thursday lesson on Observing the Laws of Physical Health. Using 2 primary songs and photos and images it taught "my body is a temple" and "the Word of Wisdom". Turned out pretty good and even now those songs are going through my head daily. Best attendance yet. We had healthy refreshments that night! FHE was 'Christmas In July' with a white elephant gift exchange. Everyone brought so many treats we ended up bringing most of our caramel popcorn home . . and finished it off slowly all week long!

We had a unique missionary experience. Tuesday evening the doorbell rang and a 49 year old guy asked if we were Mormons. He said he had heard some things about Joseph Smith and wondered how he fit in with Christ and did we worship Joseph, etc. So we sat out on our porch benches across from him and shared the story of the restoration and answered a number of questions for him. He seemed interested in having the Elders come by to teach so we got his contact information. Guess since we are at the Institute all day, the Lord has to send investigators to us! Those District Meetings and mission prep classes, where we role play teaching situations, are paying off!

The fast worked. We got rain. Very early on Tuesday morninng a major thnunderstorm rolled slowly through. We didn't hear it the first three hours but the loud and frequnt thunder woke us at 6 am. It was pouring rain. By 8:30 it was really nice so we drove to a park and walked on the river path for 2 1/2 miles (round trip). We saw two heron, lots of ducks, geese, and heard a symphony of insects and birds. Every garbage can at the park had toppled in the storm. Branches were strewn about. Some roads were closed with trees down from the storm. We got home and shortly it started to rain again and just poured hard for over an hour and the wind blew too. Although we were fine here, thousands were without power as branches fell on power lines. About 11:30 am the sky cleared and 8 kids showed up

for Munch & Mingle. (One young man asked for some peanut butter to put on his sloppy joe - said he learned that before his mission from former senior missionaris here!) The next morning we drove back to that park and with plastic gloves and garbage bags in hand, we walked the other direction along the river picking up drink cups and trash that had blown there during the storm (or been discarded by careless folks). Not all our morning walks are along the river. Ball State is between summer and fall semesters so campus is quiet. We walked to the bell tower and even spent some time seeing the campus library.

Saturday we went to Indy (Indianapolis) and attended part of the Seminary Teachers training and then taught a workshop, twice, to groups of YSAs at the Indiana annual YSA Conference. Our assigned topic was "Reaching Out to Rescue." Still struggling to limit lessons to the allotted time - always prepare too much . . . We had an encounter with a mouse who wanted to make our pantry his home. Plans have changed - no earthly home needed now. . . Monday was Brenda's mother's 82nd birthday. Her cancer markers are staying stable and she is hanging in there through more chemotherapy. Hope you have a good year, Mom.