Week Thirty-Four

We had many of our usual experiences this week that I will share with you through pictures.

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We started our week visiting members in our branch.  These two sisters were our guides.

 This is one sister we visited.  Her son was murdered a couple of years ago, and it's been really hard for her. But she is strong in the church and knows she will see him again.

 We had a Relief Society enrichment meeting at one of the sister's homes.  We are picking weeds from her bean patch to cook for our lunch.

                                                                  There we are in the weeds.

 This sister reminds me of my mom.  She just turned 85, and she always has a big smile on her face.  She is dicing squash that is similar to zuchini for lunch.

                                                         These sisters are preparing to grill fish for our lunch.

They used the banana leaves as tin foil to keep the fish from getting too charcoaled.

                      Milk fish or bangus were grilled.  We also had tilapia.  Both are raised on fish farms here and sold in the markets or the grocery stores.

This was our lunch--grilled fish, fresh tomatoes and onions, rice, grilled eggplant, boiled weeds with vinegar (tastes like spinach) and stewed zuchini-type squash.  It was very good.  They were kind enough to provide a fork and spoon for me, but most of them ate it with their hands.

                            There we are enjoying dinner.  Notice no forks.  Hands seems to work well.

 One of the sisters is showing us how to make Vicks vapo-rub.  You melt vaseline jelly in a double boiler, add eucalyptus jell and menthol oil and melt together.

Put the liquid in various containers and let harden for your menthelatum rub.

                                                                  Trying out our rub.

It was a missionary sister's birthday, so we had them come over for dinner and cookies and ice cream to celebrate.

We did apartment checks, and this is one of our favorite zone leaders.  We will miss him.

 Two cute little boys who run wild during our keyboard lesson.  They are cousins, but they are being raised as brothers by their mother who is one of my students.

 My San Jacinto girls who take keyboard lessons.  The one standing by me is getting married Saturday.  She is a RM, forty years old, and met a man on the internet.  They are being married in the Manila Temple.  We are so excited for her.

 We delivered paint to an apartment, and it poured while we were delivering it.  The missionaries and Elder Dinkel were soaked!  I stayed in the car and tried to keep dry and take pictures.

 After delivering paint, it was late, so we stayed in a hotel on the beach.  This is our hotel bed box springs.  Most Filipino beds are just the bamboo with no mattress on top.  With a mattress, this bed was just fine.

 We made scones, tortillas, and no bake cookies in one more branch before I left the area.  I have one demonstration scheduled for June 29, then I will have given all 7 of our branches demonstrations, plus demos in a couple of other areas that are not part of our area.  So fun!

These two sisters are sisters and are also my piano students.  These girls are tiny--4'9" or so, but big in spirit.  I'll miss all my girls!