Week 75

Mardi Gras was Tuesday, and we decided to go to Lafayette to watch a parade in a bigger city this year.  It was great fun and the crowds were bigger than in Alexandria.  We were farther back from the road than last year, so we didn't expect to get any beads, but the "throwers" have very strong arms so we got quite a few.  (This was one of three different parades along the same route on Tuesday, and there had already been several parades earlier in the week.)  A lot of people were tailgating, just like for a football game, with grills and lawn chairs, and just a general party atmosphere. Here are far more pictures than anyone needs, but we wanted to remember our last Mardi Gras:

At the very end of the parade a truck with high wooden sides drove by and some people were throwing their beads BACK into the truck.  There must be a limit to how many beads folks want around the house if they go to a parade every year.  Still a lot of cleanup after one of these--beads all over the road!

Wednesday at district meeting Elder Kerr took this rather shaky selfie of our whole district.  Transfers are this coming Wednesday and we're pretty sure we'll be losing a few of these folks.  (Of course, we're losing us, too, but not until the next Tuesday!)

Normally at the Oakdale prison we meet in a section of the chapel, but this week we were moved to the religious services library because the Catholics were having their Ash Wednesday service in the chapel.  We walked in with the visiting priest who marked all the participants with the ash cross on the forehead.  He normally comes on a different day, but Ash Wednesday is important to the Catholics.

We visited the Alexandria institute class Wednesday evening, and were so happy to see the young man who was baptized a couple of weeks ago attending.

On Thursday we finally got to see our inmate at the Pollock prison after six weeks of lock-downs.  It was so good to see him.  He got quite emotional at one point in our discussion about the Savior's grace.  We will miss him and the men at Oakdale when we go home.  Unfortunately the senior couple that was assigned to take our place here was reassigned to an entirely different mission, so we don't know when there will be someone to visit these men again.  While waiting for the chaplain to come escort us to the chapel, we visited with the Catholic Priest in the lobby.  He had his container of ashes and told us that it was going to be Ash Thursday since he couldn't come the day before.  He told us about the symbolism of the ashes--signifying humility before the Creator and recognition that man is "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," and the cross on the forehead reminds them to focus on God and not on themselves.

After Pollock we went to Marksville for the first of this round of missionary apartment inspections, then we visited the seminary class (one whole student) in Marksville.  Friday we did the inspections in Alexandria and Pineville.

In our never ending quest to eat our way across Central Louisiana, we had dinner with the Boswells and Greens in Alexandria on Friday night and with the Stephensons (my former student) in Pineville on Saturday. 

Today during testimony meeting so many people expressed their love and gratitude to us for serving here, and it was very touching.  They also thought it was our last Sunday, so they had a surprise Linger Longer after church!  Before we ate, the branch president's wife said, "We lived in Utah for 10 years, so we know that all you get to eat out there are casseroles and jello salad.  We put together this Louisiana Survival Kit so you can keep up your new eating habits."  They gave us a fun tote filled with 10 different mixes (gumbo, jambalya, red beans and rice, etouffee, etc), some seasonings, a How to Talk Louisianan book, a little recipe book, an Official Cajun t-shirt, and a card they had all signed.  Then they served red beans and rice, cornbread, slaw, cabbage, and coconut cake.  We were surprised, pleased, and stuffed!

Here are some of our dear friends from the Marksville Branch: