School started at Ball State on Monday! We celebrated by biking 10 miles, getting home and ready, and opening the building at 10 am. We will try to have it open M-F from 10-5 so LDS students and their friends can drop in. FHE Monday night was a big circle get-to-know-you game. Our parking lot really fills up on Monday and Thursday nights! It was cloudy that evening and while we were talking and watching the sky, one brother pointed out a very distinct funnel cloud high up in the sky. Fortunately it fell apart. A tornado is something we don't want to experience while here.

Monday was transfer notices (happens every 6 weeks in the mission) and Wednesday was transfer day. Three of the six Elders in our district got transferred, including our Elder Tapp, who was here when we arrived and had been ever since. Our new Ball State missionary is Elder Magleby from Provo. We had 15 for Munch & Mingle on Tuesday. Brenda taught at lunch both T & TH and Gary taught the evening Institute lesson both Wednesday (in Marion for our 1st time - 3 students) and Thursday evenings (13 students - 35 total in 3 classes that night). First lesson in the Church History manual - about the Reformers. He loves the history.

Brenda spent her birthday morning feeding geese on our morning walk, the late afternoon having dinner at Chilis, the evening in Marion for Institute, and later evening playing Canasta at the Jacobson's. She appreciated all the phone calls, emails, cards, and presents! Friday was district meeting - first one after transfers so was a testimony meeting. All 10 took a few minutes each. It is great to hear from the Elders. They inspire us with their faith and diligence. They loved the baked potato bar we had for lunch. While reading scriputres Friday evening Brenda read some passages she wished she had seen before teaching on Thursday about the baptism of Jesus - bet she'll remember them even better now.

Saturday was our preparation day and we had company - Kevin, Dacia & Grandkids! We went to the Children's Museum, had a great dinner at Teppanyaki, sent messages around the "whisper wall", played ping pong (informed that the Olympics refer to it as Table Tennis), and ate a yummy birthday cake dessert. The weeks go by so quickly! Our broken sewer pipe is patched up, Kristin is 33 weeks along now and crocheting up a storm in the hospital, and we are praying, studying, preparing lessons, and making lots of food (zucchini bread with chocolate chips, tacos, and nachos were the hits this week). We are happy to be here on a mission.