Six Great Missionaries

Here are our 2 office elders, the assistants, Sister Wily and Sister Baird. They're all in the same district and go to the Baton Rouge 3rd Ward. A lady in their ward is taking them all to lunch at PF Chang's along with 2 other people, at least one being an investigator. So they met at the office then all went together in the van. I'd like to think that the elders' moms taught them about letting the ladies have the seats, but you wouldn't know it from this picture!

While Elder Lauper was doing whatever it was that he came to the office to do, I had a chance to visit with Sister Baird.  (She and Sister Wily are companions.) She was telling me about a service project her district had done for a non-member.  The story is so unbelievable and horrible.  I'm thinking that this happened not too long before Christmas. The woman and her daughter, a girl in her late teens, were home when the husband/father came in and shot the woman in the heart with a hollow point bullet.  Then he went to the stairs and shot and killed the daughter, who was coming out of her room upstairs, and killed himself.  What a tragedy.  Somehow the woman survived but was in a coma for some time.  When she came out of it she found that "friends" she knew but hadn't seen for 5 years had the daughter cremated, which she had specifically not wanted, but her wishes were ignored.

If that wasn't enough to deal with, the woman's sister and husband then came down from New York to "help out." Their way of helping was to pretty much lock the woman in her room, take what they wanted and trash the house. And now the parents of the dead husband are trying to take the house.  It goes to court next week.  It never ceases to amaze me what people will do for money and material things.  Sister Baird and Sister Wily will be returning sometime soon to check on her in hopes that she might be ready to listen to the good things they could share with her.

It seems like I've mentioned Sister Baird before, but if not, she's one of the newest sisters, arriving with Sister Mishko, Elder Casillas and the others, in New Orleans instead of Baton Rouge because of the cancelled flight.  She's the sister from Arizona that we met in Cedar City when she was a student last year at SUU.  Sister Wily is Samoan, but hails from West Jordan, and was playing the ukulele when we came into the office today!

Tonight we went out to dinner at Bistro Byronz and to a play at Theater Baton Rouge (a community theater) with President and Sister Riggs. Pres. Riggs is the Baton Rouge Stake President.  What nice people they are and so enjoyable to be with.  Dinner was so good, and we'll definitely be returning.  So, the definition of a Louisiana Bistro is an unpretentious neighborhood restaurant where people gather day and night to relax, share conversation and enjoy good food at a reasonable price.  Perfect! My kind of place.  Marc had the Debris Sandwich (very tender pot roast on a bun with "real mashed potatoes") and I had the Veggie Gratin (vegetables and pasta in a nice sauce with mozzarella cheese.) Delish for everyone.  The play was Young Frankenstein.  I know. I know. Mel Brooks is a bit risky as a missionary, but we figured it was okay if we were with the Stake Pres.  It was well done with pretty good acting and great sets.  The music was the best! Was the Gene Wilder version a musical.  I didn't remember that it was.  All I could remember was "abi-normal," "hump, what hump?" and "Puttin' on the Ritz!"  Very funny and a very fun night!