Old Friends in New Places

As many as you know, I was back on the road again recently for work. Aaron was a little worried about me making this trip alone while being pregnant, but I couldn't convince him to go with me. So instead I twisted the arm of my good friend Jennie Arrington. We have known each other since we were eight years old, but haven't spent much time together since her family moved from Texas to Florida and mine to Washington. Atthe last minute she was able to go with me to three of the four cities on my latest recruiting trip and I thought I would share some photos of the places we were able to go when I wasn't running around to all my appointments. This first one is of us at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan.



This giant Buddha is at a monastery that is located not too far from where I served my last area of my mission in Kaohsiung, but it was just far enough as a missionary to not have taken the trip to see it. This was only one of thousands and thousands of Buddhas we saw that day, but it was definitely the most impressive!



This is still at the monastery, but we were DYING it was so hot!!! I thought it was hot enough being pregnant in Washington, but those 2.5 weeks in Asia really did me in, I tell you what. Jennie and I had to reward ourselves for our forbearance of the unbearable heat with a little ice cream. From that day on out, ice cream was all I wanted.



From Taiwan we went to Hong Kong and actually had the sunniest weather I have ever seen there. For our first day we were able to take the Ferry across to Hong Kong island before I started working and actually got some nice views.



This one is taken from "The Peak" looking down to the Harbor below. The last time I was in Hong Kong, pretty much all we could see from up here were clouds and smog, so Jennie and I were definitely excited.



This was also my first time to go to the Hong Kong temple. I don't know if you can even tell I am in the picture, but I am that tiny little dot in front. We had enough time on our last day to go through a session and meet a friendly old man afterward. He was so chatty, wanted to tell us his whole life story, and then wouldn't you know it, we ran into him the next day at church too! And I ran into my mission president's wife as I was heading into the ladies' room. It's a small world, I tell you what.



So there we have just a few pictures, though Jennie took about 500 I think. If you want to see a few ore you can check out my Facebook (if you are my Facebook friend, of course!!). Hope it's convincing all of you to want to come on my next trip with me!!