Higher than a Roller Coaster, Faster than The Falls.

Well, what started out as boring quickly changed. I originally had planned on job searching for most of the week, but that didn't last long.

There was a frantic hunt to find a second hand copy of my university textbook. First we went to my campus, and wandered off to the bookshop there. Apparently the second hand bookshop is on the other campus.The woman checked her watch, "If you run now, you might be able to catch it." So we took off, and it started to rain, again. Someone, somewhere was out to get me. And five bucks said it was my grandfather and his wicked sense of humour.

We made it to the bus with a few minutes to spare and scanned our go-cards, only to discover that students with university ID cards can travel that campus shuttle bus for free. There went half a fare. So we got lost trying to find the entrance to the other campus and then when we did, we got lost trying to find the campus second hand bookshop, and then when we did they told me, "Sorry, we have a copy of the book you're after but we can't find it."

I threw a mild tantrum on the front step, much to the amusement of passers by, and then decided it was time to go home and handle this the old fashioned way; Facebook. Someone a few years ago must have created and Facebook group for people trying to buy and sell textbooks. So I posted in there the name of the book and waited. When nothing happened, I then went hunting. Scrolling through post after post, looking for one book (and I mean, I only have one textbook! Law students have about 6!) which I discovered to be had be a girl called Jalen.

I asked her how much it was and soon discovered, quite accidently, that she is a member of the church too! She was so willing to help me out, telling me she could hold the book if I wanted to look more and was even willing to post it to me if I needed it. It was then that I knew something about this girl was different, so I asked her, because that seemed to be, at the time, the only possible explanation for such kindness. After an excited conversation about degrees and missions, she agreed to bring it to Institute in a few weeks time.

Speaking of Institute, think of it as a giant scripture study class. Now picture 3 of them. That's Institute. We all split into whatever class we wish, and then sit there and be lectured and sometimes, it is genuinely really hard to concentrate! At the end of the class, Brother Milne, who I've known for years and delights in the fact I don't understand the meaning of "Do make-up work now!" and calls me 'Fern' because he somehow found out my middle name, asked for a class president. A friend of mine grabbed my wrist before I had the chance and next thing I know, "Fern! Excellent! You can be our class president!"

I swear I'm the youngest person in there! I have no idea what I'm doing! But, it's time to learn.

We had a few family troubles this week as well, but I guess it just proves that the family is usually the first thing Satan will think of attacking. We're a tight knit family, if someone slips, then we all do. It drags on us, feels like the world is sitting on our shoulders. Think Atlas, from Greek Mythology, instructed to hold the sky up for all eternity. I don't believe in that story, but I think it would hurt, being stuck under the sky forever.

What else happened... hrm... Well! We got to teach Melissa and Harriet again (Cooper didn't want to come) and we taught them about the Tree of Life. In the Book of Mormon there is a man called Lehi. Lehi has a vision of this tree which represents the word of God and people trying to get to this tree by holding onto an iron rod. There is a great mist around them and they cannot see ahead of them, so they must simply follow this rod. However some people fall away and are lost, and some people make it to the tree, only to wander off once they make it. Lehi and his family, and a few others, stay around the tree and are able to partake of the fruit, "whose sweetness was above all other fruit."

We discovered that Harriet and Melissa are visual learners and so, we created a Tree of Life for them. We set up chairs in the Rec Hall, and strung up a piece of string all over the room, which let outside and to a tree which we had decorated with lights and fruit wrapped in white paper, to represent the brilliance of the fruit on the Tree of Life. We then blind folded them and led them to the beginning of 'the iron rod'. My job was simple- distract them. Tell them it was okay to let go and play music as loud as I possible could. Yell at them, whisper to them; tempt them.

Because they're so easily distracted, I honestly thought they would not be able to hold on to the string for that long, but they did. Both of them made it to the very end and were able to partake of the fruit of the tree, In a way, it made me so happy because I could imagine Lehi's vision. I could imagine standing around it with my own family.

So, my dear friend Liam left on his mission on Monday. He will spend the next six weeks in Provo, Utah, before heading to Suva, Fiji where he will then spend the rest of his two years serving the Lord and the people. I honestly wish him all the best, and, as I have said before, I am so proud of him. From now on he will be called Elder Carter, and I look forward to keeping you up to date on the outcome of his exploits.

Also this week, I found out that another friend of mine has begun her papers, and I am quite proud of her as well. For now, she is unwilling for me to share her name, but when the time comes I will be the loudest to celebrate.

I did manage to find a job as well, as a Business Administrative Assistant at a company called RLBSolutions. I honestly have no idea what that entails though, but I am willing to learn.

A few hours ago, I got back from the temple. That's always a good way to spend the morning. And last night I looked after the beauty that is my cousins. They're truly treasures, and seriously funny.

That's all from me!

Georgia