MISSOURI TO MANILA

MISSION OFFICE UPDATE MAY 2015

VASTLY SUPERIOR TO THE

PREVIOUS VERSION !!

Here are Elder Blakely, replacing Elder Schlager, and Elder Brewer, replacing Sister Schlager. They are young, trim, quick, and more visually appealing. They also are well prepared. Elder Brewer is 25, with a degree in IT and a year of work experience behind him. I don't think it was his life goal to be a secretary, but he can do with a keystroke what takes me 10 minutes, and can do in an hour what takes me half of the day. They are going to be terrific. Sadly, I think Sister Revillo's concerns about the state of the office and the tendency to be just short of a "frat house" atmosphere may also be well-founded. She has revived the signs that tell the missionaries it is bawal to "linger longer" in the office!

Here is the "old" office staff. We, Elder Rawson and Elder Houston are leaving. Elder Rawson, next to me, is going to Mindoro---he is so happy about it. Of all of our experience with Office Elders, I believe he is the one who tried hardest to get it all done and STILL be a missionary. He and his companions really worked at getting out to teach as often as they could. His companion has been Elder Condes, next to Elder Schlager.

Just a few pictures of my dear little Primary. I am going to miss them so much. They need me and love me and I love them.

OUR LAST ZONE CONFERENCE:

Jenny and Eugene, Sister's "helpers", who do most of the cooking and serving. Another beautiful and masarap meal. All delivered to the chapel and ready to go.

It takes a lot of rice to feed 100 hungry missionaries!

If the office DOES stay neat and orderly, Elder Condes back there will deserve the credit. This Elder is our new financial secretary, and he is a cleaning machine. Also speaks English very well. He is a nurse, and his father is with the coast guard and nearly always at sea. He was allowed to see his father last week, when the man came to town, because they had not seen each other for over 3 years.

All of the missionaries enjoyed the lunch very much, including the old ones!

Zone Conference April 28, 2015

Morong, Marikina, Quezon City, Taguig

NEW FRIENDS:

Here are Elder and Sister Burt. They arrived in our mission yesterday from Gisborne, New Zealand. This is their first mission, and they are going tomorrow morning to Mindoro. He started as a teacher with a hobby as a beekeeper. He did it so well, he quit teaching and raised 5 sons selling honey. A LOT of HONEY! 30 tons per year! She is a darling. They are excited and happy to be going to Mindoro. They will replace Elder and Sister Barlow. They married at 21, met the missionaries at 22, and were baptized and then sealed one year later.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY........

We left at 7:00 to go up to Sampaloc, so that we could collect the luggage of Elder Hart. He is leaving this week, and it was easier for us to bring him in with us. But, we had to leave early, as soon as I finished in Primary, as we had an appointment in Binangonan.

We promised to go back and say goodbye, but just have so little time and so much to do. So, we left at 11 to get there right after church, (it is a long drive from Sampaloc to Binangonan,).

Here is your funny story: WE got about halfway down the mountain, and the phone in Elder Hart's pocket rang. Well, he is on his way home---the phone is NOT supposed to be in his pocket. Even the best of them are still only about 20 years old. So, we went back to give it to his companion. Then, I texted the Primary President," We are late. So sorry. We ARE coming".

I suspect that she went, "They are going to be LATE?" Arghhh!

When we got there, she had the entire primary corralled in the Primary room. They brought me in and