Saturday morning we attended the baptisms of four people. One was a Muslim woman who experienced a faith changing spiritual experience.

We saw these three children shoveling the snow when we arrived at the chapel for the baptisms.

The second Cottage Meeting for Mandarin-speaking members and investigators was held Saturday evening at the home of Brother and Sister Hume. Brother Hume was a Mandarin-speaking missionary in Australia; his wife is from Taiwan. There were 26 in attendance, including five currently serving Mandarin-speaking missionaries. Four of the five missionaries are from Taiwan, the fifth missionary is from Mendon, UT.

Brother Hume is in the center of the photo with his hands up.

Elder Nethercott on the right is from Mendon and stands 6'6".

Brother Hume involved us in a fun activity involving smart phones and Kahoots. A Kahoot is a collection of questions on specific topics. Created by teachers, students, business-people and social users, they are asked in real-time, to an unlimited number of “players”, creating a social, fun and game-like learning environment. Players answer questions displayed at the front of the room on their personal device, motivated to answer correctly and score the most points. The faster someone answers a question correctly, the more points they get. The top 5 highest points scorers are displayed on the leader board at the front in-between each question, and the ultimate winner is shown at the end. Results, including who answered what for each question, can be downloaded afterwards.

We commemorated Easter Sunday by attending one of the YSA Wards in Edmonton. On the way home we saw two snow bunnies. 

Thursday morning we had a visitor at the Mission Office.

Thursday night the APs invited us to have dinner with them to celebrate April birthdays. 

From left to right: Elders Payne, Bonny, Mejia, and Hunsaker.

Fun fact: Robyn taught Elder Bonny and two of his sisters when they were in second grade.

This car was in the restaurant parking lot. 

The pipe by the front tire is the engine exhaust. Not sure about the metal can on top.

This winter scene greeted us yesterday morning -- on Good Friday. 

A verse from the hymn "The Wintry Day" seems appropriate: 

"Pale through the gloom the newly fallen snow

Wraps in a shroud the silent earth below

As  tho 'twere mercy's hand had spread the pall

A symbol of forgiveness unto all."

I love being the first to make footprints in freshly-fallen snow!

"Extreme weather gear" is much appreciated today.

There is a huge rabbit that scampers around the Mission Office parking lot. We noticed that the fur on the rabbit is changing colors. During the winter months rabbits have white fur, but it gradually turns to brown as spring arrives. Here are some footprints of our furry friend.

During the winter these rabbits are white. As spring arrives their fur changes to brown.

We had a very nice weekend. Friday night we attended "Colour Night" with 360 young single adults from the Edmonton area. This is an annual gathering that occurs towards the end of the academic year. There was a roast beef dinner, with all of the trimmings, a talent show, and a dance. The talent show was the best amateur show I've ever seen. Below are several photographs of the evening.

John and Jordan sat at our table

As part of "Colour Night," newsprint paper and crayons were on the tables. 

This drawing was done on the table next to us.

One of the neatest events of the evening was interactive voting. An internet site called Mentimeter (www.menti.com) was used. The following is a description of this site, "Mentimeter is a cloud-based solution that allows you to engage and interact with your target audience in real-time. It is a polling tool wherein you can set the questions and your target audience can give their input using a mobile phone or any other device connected to the Internet." The young single adults voted on who was the most eligible bachelor and bachelorette, who the cutest couple was, etc. Names began to appear on a screen with those getting the most votes appearing largest and in the center.

On Saturday we drove 1.5 hours south to Red Deer to participate in a Laurel/Priest Conference. There was a "Face-to-Face" panel discussion where youth submitted questions such as: "What are some of the benefits of leaving for your mission immediately after you turn 18?" How can I strengthen my understanding of the scriptures and their teachings?" and "What is a good strategy for learning how to learn from our trials?" The overflow area of the chapel was arranged in a cozy, comfortable setting as shown in the photo below.

                      

Sunday, April 9, was an historic day for the Church in Edmonton when a fifth stake was created. Congregations in the area gathered in several chapels to learn about the changes in leadership and ward boundaries. Elder Jorg Klebingat of the Seventy was the presiding authority. He gave a talk about God's love that I hope never to forget (sk). 

A YSA fireside was held Sunday evening to recognize those graduating from the University of Alberta Institute of Religion. We were surprised that there were no male graduates in the group. The Institute choir sang a beautiful number, and short talks were given by each of the five stake presidents. 

A photographic reminder of family and home that hangs in our living room.

A Canadian candy company with a familiar name.

Elder Schlachter and his companion came to the office today. People had trouble telling us apart.

Sand and dirt are used during the winter to minimize the problems associated with snow and ice. This photo is of a Walmart parking lot in Edmonton. The sand and dirt have been swept up and eventually will be hauled away.