During the setting apart of the 2 new branch presidents, one of the things the president of the mission stressed was how important it was to listen to the women in the ward or branch.  (This was my favorite part!)  He asked the question of the congregation, "Whose opinion is most important for the branch president to listen to----his counselors or the Relief Society president?"  The answer was "the Relief Society president."  He explained that the branch present is a man and so already knows what a man's opinion is.  The Relief Society president represents half the branch and knows things that he and his
 counselors will never know!  Gotta love the mission president, right ladies?

In his setting apart of the presidents, he also stressed how they are responsible for the YW just as much as they are  for the YM.  In Africa, culturally they are a sexist society and do not value women.  The Church's emphasis on family and on treating women equally is new.  And a very healthy change it is!

A few nights ago, I went to enter the bathroom and came face to face with either a very large mouse or a very small rat.  The poor creature was terrified to see me and ran for cover into a hole under our bathtub.  Gary promptly blocked the entry to the hole with a drawer from a bedside table.  You could hear him scratching or biting at the drawer all night.  Creepy!  We tried to get him out the next day but were unsuccessful.  Two days later Gary spotted another one of these guys in our dining room.  He made a beeline for the kitchen, and we barricaded ourselves in our bedroom for the night.  Next morning, Gary, wielding his trusty broom, went to war against the mouse.  Determined to find the rodent, he entered the kitchen and started moving the frig and then the oven.  The mouse ran out from under the oven and Mouse Hockey began!  Gary was chasing him around the kitchen, swatting at him repeatedly in an effort to whisk him out the door.  It took several swipes but then Score!!  Gary 1, Mouse 0.  Mouse is out!  Another triumph, my dear!