Hello Friends,

Have you been for a walk lately? We have had some spring-like weather followed by winter. As a result, the crocus and daffodils are beginning to shoot up.

I've heard from a number of people that they are finding mice in their houses! The icy temperatures have encouraged them to move in where it is warm and comfortable. There are many ways to catch mice. You can check Amazon to see the vast variety of options: poisons, spring traps, no kill traps, sticky paper traps and traps that remind me of a diving board that drops the mice in a bucket! The question is whether you want to kill them or catch and release them. If you decide to catch and release, remember to take them far away from your home and other houses...mice can travel far. Conventional wisdom says that if you have one mouse you can count on having 10!

Finding out how they come in is important. Mice can get in a crack as thin as a nickel or keyhole. Basically, if you can stick a pencil in a space a mouse can come in that way. Usual entries are the gaps around pipes and cracks between doors or in walls. Use steel wool to plug holes around pipes under sinks or use spray foam (although they might chew through this) and make sure your dryer vents have a screen. Mice will climb your downspouts and come in cracks around your room through your gutters, even!

The good news is that wild mice (like deer mice) prefer to live outdoors and do not choose to eat human food. The bad news is that wild mice (like deer mice) aren't easily trapped because they don't eat peanut butter or cheese or other usual bait. It's hard to put bird seed in many traps. Mice travel around the edges of a room, so set your traps against the wall and under furniture or in the cabinets where you see evidence (chewing or poo). Make sure to clean up evidence so that you can be sure they are still using that route. Don't forget to check your traps daily. You don't want the smell of a rotting rodent!

Unfortunately, even after you catch (or kill) the your current residents more will come as long as you have space attractive to them more will come. To help with rodent infestations:

• clean up pet food and bird seed and keep it in a sealed tin or plastic tub
• leave a radio or tv running when you aren't home because they don't like the noise
• leave lights on to deter them
• avoid eating on furniture and leaving crumbs behind
• sweep floors and wipe down surfaces after eating to clean up bits of food

There's no shame in having rodents...they come in the cleanest and tidiest of places this time of year. Just be sure to nip the problem in the bud!

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30, room 100.
Our Bible Study group loves linguistics! We also enjoy digging into the meanings of words and phrases in Bible passages we are studying in various languages. This week we were discussing Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." We zeroed in on the tense of the verb "have been saved," which is called present perfect tense in English. It is showing that the action of the verb is in the past, but also that the result of the action continues on to the present time, and that it is likely to go on into the future. The verb in Chinese shows no time attachment and implies that the idea of being saved already exists. How fascinating!

We also returned to our study of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5: 38-42, where Jesus urges us to love our enemies and to pray for the people who persecute us. This teaching certainly goes against the natural inclination of our hearts. We want to hate our enemies. God is telling us to be "love" people, because He loves us perfectly. Ash Wednesday (also Valentine's Day this year) is the start of the "I LOVE YOU" season of Lent in the Christian Church. It is a period of repentance, prayer, and fasting that prepares believers for Good Friday, when Jesus died on the cross, and ultimately for Easter, the joyful celebration of Jesus rising from the dead.

February 20: We will talk about helping people in need. Join us as we begin Matthew chapter 6!

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00, room 100. 
We went to Mudbugs to celebrate Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. We heard a little bit about Carnival in Brazil. When I got home I turned on the news: there were snippets of footage from Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival! How apropos!

February 20: Join us as we play bunko, a fun parlor game.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 209.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00, upstairs classrooms.

as a result: so...

shoot up: plant sprouts coming up out of the ground or when plants (or children!) begin to grow quickly

a number of people: more than one person

encouraged: helped, supported

check: look at or confirm

vast: large or many

catch and release: live trap and let an animal go outside

conventional wisdom: common knowledge

can count on: trust

even: also

wild: not pets

bait: food or other objects used to attract some living thing

daily: every day

current residents: someone or something that makes someplace a home

rodent: mice, rats, chipmunks, squirrels, etc.

infestations: large populations of pests or nuisance animals, insects, etc.

shame: embarrassment

tidiest: most tidy or most neat and clean

nip in the bud: stop early before conditions become worse

linguistics: the science of language
to zero in on: to focus on, to concentrate on
to persecute: to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religious beliefs
inclination: a disposition or bent, especially of the mind or will; a liking or preference
a little bit: not much

snippets: little pieces

footage: video or a length of film made for moves or news

apropos: appropriate (from French) pronounced ah-pro-pro