WITH THE OBVIOUS EXCEPTION OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS ---------

We have not missed too much over here.  Most anything we need is available, (providing we want it badly enough to find it and pay for it!)   

However, I DO miss Macaroni and Cheese. ' ( I am not talking about Kraft, which our family calls "yellow death")!!   
My mother made, and my daughter makes, the BEST Macaroni and Cheese.  That talent skipped a generation, because even with their recipes, I can't seem to get it right.  Today, I decided to try again, with a recipe for the crock pot that my friend put on Facebook.  Here it is, and we enjoyed it.  The texture was perfect, but the flavor was a little bland.  Elder ALWAYS tells me it needs onion.  It doesn't. But I will work on it a bit and try again!  We enjoyed the green beans from Baguio much more.  Sometimes, we eat steamed green beans and a baguette of french bread, and that is all we need.  Just FYI, the winter squash is fabulous here, too.  

And it is Singkamas Season again!   Last year, we saw these all over the streets, but we thought they were turnips or potatoes.  We finally met them at a branch party.  They are Jicama, and SO GOOD.   A little bit tricky to peel, but you just slice them and eat them like fruit.  Sweet.   The missionaries will nibble at a plate of them all day, just like my candy dish! 

And speaking of our missionaries:

 Here they are outside of the Mission Home Friday night. Once in every transfer, President and Sister host MLC (Mission Leadership Council) at the mission home.  All of the ZLs and STLs attend, with the APs and TAs.  (Okay, the Zone Leaders, 20, Sister Training Leaders, 8, Assistants to the President, 2, and Training Assistants, 2)   We have to arrange to bring the ZLs from Mindoro, and they stay two days. They begin at 10:00 am, finish at 5:00 pm.  Sister does a large and very fancy lunch for all of them.  Then, she feeds them again in the evening.  We had to run over last night with their mail and orders for their zones.  Boxes and boxes of literature, etc.  

Here is Sister Revillo with her STLs,   Sisters Ordakowski, Osumo, Dudas, Oyler, Anderson, Avila, Zollinger, and Verdeflor.

Then, they changed their clothes, and we all walked down to a neighborhood park to let off some steam.  

Ready to play!

And the Sisters, looking very different.  These women are athletes!  And, they planned the fun.

Choosing up the side, for a hotly contested game of Steal the Flag.  

Which went into the dark.

While that was happening, Jenny was preparing the evening meal for them. Cooking the tuna sauce for the pasta------This is the BACK kitchen.  Not the main kitchen.  Jenny had already cooked about 500  lbs of spaghetti.  

Cutting the brownies to go with Ice Cream.








Another table setting for 36 people.  And the dishes to do afterward.  All in a day's work for them.  In between, Sister Revillo ran into the kitchen to prepare the pasta sauces.  

What was I doing while all of this was going on?  Well, Immigration still plagues us.  Last week I was sent a list of 34 missionaries who had to go back for more fingerprinting.  We called all of them to tell them to get 6 photos ready, and wait for instructions.  They did that on their P Day Monday.  Then, on Thurs I was told to have them all at the Area Offices at 8:00 am on Saturday.  More phone calls.  Too late to get the Jardines up here from Mindoro.  Elder Yourglich had a very important baptism scheduled.  We worked hard to put them into two or fours  to travel, so their companions could stay home and work.  Ahh, gotta love the government!  And, in the end, they put all of ours LAST, because they are closer than other missions, and our Sampaloc Elders didn't get home until 10:00 last night.

News from Sampaloc Twig  Branch:

We continue to feel needed there, at least.  I prepared my Primary music and sharing time, and Elder prepared his Temple Preparation lesson.  WE packed a lunch. We arrived on time.  Things went okay until third hour, when Sister Tapiador asked me if I would teach Relief Society today.  And so, I did. 

  And, the auditors arrived for the financial audit and they needed Elder Schlager.  Immediately following the Block, we had another Baptism. In the swimming pool, of course.  Elder Schlager conducted it. Little people running all over the place.  Yikes!  

Pretty much the entire branch stayed and attended.  The small Elderly man with no tie is our new Brother Manuel.  

 

  This is Sister Roselyn.  The little boy in blue is her Gabriel.  She was baptized last Saturday, Confirmed on Sunday.  Today she was sustained as 2nd Counselor in the Primary Presidency.  She also did the talk on baptism at the baptism.  

Then, we met with our four students for the Temple Class. Elder started to teach, but the President came to get him to help the Auditors.  So, I finished the lesson for him.  It was fun, and our darling Elders stick around and translate for us.  (Elder Hart and Elder Buhler, above.  As one famous line says, "Everybody works here!"  That is no joke in the Sampaloc Branch.

Then, we went to see Sister Almocera again.  Here is her son, and little granddaughter Guianne.

And here is her special wheel chair, provided by LDS Charities.  It has no wheels-----they are in our trunk,  on their way to the Haslems tomorrow for replacement.  She can not do anything for herself.  Even sit up, without support.  But her Daddy was so loving with her.  I was quite impressed with him.  

  

Then, we drove back to the office.  Elder had a Presidency Meeting with Presidents Revillo, Jose, and Barlow.  We got home about 7:00 pm.  

Tomorrow a new week begins!   

Who knows what that one will hold!!!

It is STILL so much fun in the Philippines!