That's right. My family has informed me that I cannot be trusted to stand at our display table ALONE!:o) Ok. So at every meeting, it is prearranged if we are to have our display table set up. So far, it has been. We all have our own jobs to do, and then one of us (or any number of our family members) is to stand by the table and greet people. No problem. We all enjoy doing it. However, because Brendin and Alan set up the electronic equipment, and the other three kind of explore, make friends, and look for other missionary prayer cards, I am ususally the one to greet people at the table alone. Well, on our first week out, a little boy asked me questions about a snake-skin wallet on the table, and then he asked if he could have it. So I said, SURE!! I was talked to for that one. Then, this last Sunday, a lady walked by and asked if the elephant was for sale. It was such a nice elephant, too. It stood at about 6 inches high, and was a beautiful black colour with two white, removable tusks. It was Alan's favourite. But I didn't KNOW that until...later.:o( I smiled and kindly told her that I was sorry. The elephant was not for sale. A little while later, two men approached said table, and one asked me how much I would take for the elephant. I smiled and kindly told him that the elephant was not for sale. What a persistant man he was!!! He said, "Come on, when you go to Africa, you can have as many as you want!" And he was right. So I told him that I would not sell it to him, but if he really wanted it that badly, I would GIVE it to him. He refused that, put money ($50) in my hand. So, I tried to give him the money, but he would hear nothing of it. So, I justified in my mind that: 1) We are going to Africa in May--get lots of wallets and a few elephants and 2)That $50 can buy A LOT of wallets and elephants!

When Alan came to the table after visiting with some folks, he immediately noticed that, yes...the elephant was LONG GONE. So I explained to him the conversation between the gentlman and myself. That was when he told me that it was his favourite, and that while he was in Africa 3 years ago, he waited while the gentleman finished carving that sweet elephant, he watched as the artist painted it black with shoe polish, and he flew it back with him to present it to me...
The children all gave me a lecture, telling me that if I continue to give things away, we will have NOTHING left for the table. Then Austin went on to remind me that the rhino is HIS, and therefore cannot be give away by me, as did Brendin about the hippo! Yes, we can get more things in May, but that is still 2 1/2 months away! What is a woman to do??!!:o)
So we will see if I will be trusted to be left alone from now on, or if I have to be...watched!

On a more serious note, thanks for praying for little Esther Elliott. If you want to keep track of her yourselves, here is a website/blog that her dad is keeping up to date. Just some advice - have some tissue handy. www.danielelliottfamily.us

Have a great night!
Psalm 113:1,2
Love ya,

Ida
P.S. Brendin comes home tomorrow. YAAAAAAYYYYY!!!