Lucky Week 13

 We started the week with the Senior Missionary couples luncheon at the mission home on Monday.  This is our mission presidency: Pres. Monahan (center) and counselors Pres. Mortenson (left) and Pres. Franco (right).

Senior couples--The Stamps, Us, The Mortensen's, the Monahan's, the Francos, the Engels, and the Fullmers.

 

Captain Moroni statues carved by a Filipino brother.  He supports his family by carving these in his shop.  If anyone is interested in purchasing one let me know.  They are about a foot high-18"?  Moroni sells for about p6000 ($150) and Liahona for about p1500 ($40).

Liahonas--I'm not sure if these are carved by the same brother as the Moroni's, or if his Liahonas are different.  I can ask the Fullmers if anyone is interested in these and find out more details.  The woodcarver is in their district.

Our first trike ride to do missionary work with San Fabian elders.  The two of them rode behind the driver on the bike and we stuffed ourselves in the center.  Brad says he's still sore from that adventure!

San Fabian elders and kids we met along the way.

        One of the homes had a pet rooster lounging about.  I couldn't resist the picture.

Over the river and through the jungle, to less active members we go. . .

On Saturday we visited 7 families with Sis. Lady (one of my piano students and the Relief Society President of San Jacinto.  The Branch Pres. made it a missionary day for his whole branch, and we split up with members and visited many of the less actives in the branch.  We went to 7 families and still have 3 more to see.

 

We passed these cages which are way out in the country, and they house fighting cocks, a huge past-time in the Philippines.

                                                 Pretty little girls we met along the way.

 

Way out the boonies visiting the elderly parents of one of my piano students Malou.  She has to walk a kilometer to catch a tricycle to go into town to church, and her parents are too old to walk that far, so they don't attend church.  They were glad to see us, though.

Sister Lady (San Jacinto's RS Pres.) and her son Anthony on the path to MaLou's parent's house. Anthony was the boy who was burned on New Year's. 

 One of the less active sisters said she was so honored to have such important visitors as us and wondered why she rated?  We told her we were there because she was important to Heavenly Father and He wanted her to know that He loved her and wanted her to come back to church.  In the closing prayer, she thanked Him for sending her Angels.  Other Filipino members have called us that.  That's the closest we'll ever come to being considered angels by anyone!

Malou brought me a sack of mangoes from her tree, and I a making jam out of them to served with scones for the San Jacinto branch on Saturday..  The mangoes are huge and so delicious!  I've learned I can make jam out of most any fruit, and I do it without pectin.  Equal amounts of fruit and sugar, a little lemon juice, and boil this with some apple peeling for about 10 minutes and walaa--jam!  Pineapple is my new favorite.  I love the "bite", but I also like papaya and mango jam.

I also learned you can make no-bake cookies without chocolate.  Use brown sugar, and if you like you can add peanut butter, or not, and you have delicious no-bake cookies.  Angela asked for the recipe so it is as follows:

No Bake Cookies
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. milk.  Combine this in a saucepan.  On medium heat, bring to full boil.  Boil 90 seconds.
Remove from heat and add 1 t. vanilla
3 c. quick cooking oatmeal
If you want peanut butter, add 1/2 c. peanut butter.. If not, you get butterscotch.

Stir the mixture till p. butter is dissolved, add oatmeal, and drop immediately onto wax paper (or banana leaves if you live here.)

If you want chocolate no-bake cookies, you can add 1/2 c. cocoa at the beginning and use white sugar.  However I made a batch with brown sugar (it's cheaper here) and without the cocoa (also expensive ) and added cocoa to part at the end when I was experimenting, and they turned out good.