Week 4--A month in Oklahoma!
Well, this has been a very interesting week.  First the odd things:  When we came home from ward prayer last Sunday (had just been gone an hour) our bathroom floor was completely flooded.  There was no obvious place the water had come from, but there it was, and Kerby quickly got it all cleaned up.  On Monday morning just before 4 am, we woke up to a magnitude 4.7 earthquake, centered about 50 miles north of us. We shook for close to a minute! We have since learned that Oklahoma has a lot of earthquakes due to all the oil well-related activity.  On Tuesday all the apartments were sprayed for bugs (preventive for the winter, nothing scary happening).  Wednesday seemed to be a pretty normal day until 10:15 pm, when we heard a huge gurgling sound in the bathroom, ran to see what was happening, and found the floor completely flooded and sewage backing up into the tub--and this time there was a most unpleasant odor as well.  Noble Kerby got it all cleaned up, and the next day the apartment maintenance folks were here by 8:30 am  to work on the sewer lines outside.

Now on to better tidings:  FHE was glow stick capture the flag.  Every week they have really creative, fun activities at FHE, and they are careful to be in and out in an hour.

Glow sticks inside water bottles on the center line, and a glow stick around each wrist just before starting--it was crazy!

Tuesday evening was the 4th annual Fanfare of Lights on campus.  They served hot chocolate and cookies, we all got orange glow sticks to put on our heads or around our necks, several musical groups from the University and the junior high performed, and Elsa from Frozen and Rudolf of the red nose were wandering through the crowd. After the performances, Santa came out--dressed in an ORANGE suit (we've told you these folks are maniacs for black and orange), and he counted down to the lighting of all the buildings and trees (again, orange and white lights).

The big O all aglow--unfortunately you only see Kerby's shadow in front of it

A small fraction of the sea of orange and black clothing in the campus bookstore

Soup Tuesday (last of the semester) featured macaroni and cheese soup and honey whole wheat bread (my sister's great recipe).  We'll heat up frozen soups from previous weeks (some that preceded us and some we made) Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so there will be something warm and good during the first three days of finals.  Various volunteers from the two family wards will make breakfast those three days, as well.

Elder Kerr at his kitchen post

Thursday night was the Parade of Lights down Main Street in Stillwater.  It was a truly small town experience, and I say that with love.  The parade included the high school marching band, trucks of FFA students, the 4H club, horses, police and fire trucks, bagpipers, and suddenly I said, "Hey-that's Sister Taylor!"   And there were all our missionaries distributing pass-along cards while they walked behind a truck with a Christmas tree in it and the name of the church on the back.  They gave out between 200 and 300 cards.  The parade ended with Santa--this time in his red suit.

The couple we replaced had starting working at a thrift store called Elite Repeat for their community service, and subsequently, sisters and elders take shifts there on Saturday.  We began working there this Saturday, as well.  Elite Repeat takes donations, sorts them carefully, and only sells the very nicest items, then all the proceeds go to charitable organizations.  Nothing that can't be sold there is wasted, though; everything that is donated gets used or passed on in some way.  I spent my time sorting clothing, and Kerby was putting pre-sorted items on hangers and taking incoming donated items.

There was a tiny little Christmas tree in the closet of our apartment, and we bought a wreath and a poinsettia, so that is the extent of our decorations.  We also put up and decorated the tree at the institute.  Students won't be here to enjoy it long, but at least it looks a little like Christmas when they come to study or socialize between finals.  Kerby made his traditional cookies--triple chocolate chip, snowballs, and shortbread--in the institute kitchen on Friday.  We shared them with the missionaries and the few students who came by on the last day of classes.  Today we made up nice little cookie boxes and gave them, along with the christmas.mormon.org pass along cards, to our three neighbors.

Testimony meeting was very nice today.  Sweet, sincere testimonies born by sweet sincere people.  We really love the young single adults with whom we've been called to work!  Elder Kerr bore his testimony and alluded to a statement from President Eyring that all learning in the gospel comes through the spirit.  Everything that we know and love about God and the gospels comes only as we are taught by the Holy Ghost.

We just got back from a little open house at the bishop's house.  People brought snacks, we had ward prayer, and then watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

Our baby Christmas tree