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.