Senior Couple Responsibilities

 One of many responsibilities Senior Couples have is to conduct surprise inspections of Missionary Apartments.  These are done periodically to be sure that they are clean and organized and that the Missionaries are following mission rules.  Sometimes we have to use GPS just to find the apartment.  Regular street addresses are seldom available.  It’s more like ‘go to the blue house then turn left and go past the arch with the golden garland, and the apartment is on the right”.  You might think I am kidding, but I’m not!  Beside general cleanliness, these inspections include preparedness for emergencies, filtering water so it is safe to drink and guarding against disease-carrying insects.  

Sister Roberts and I have been working with the Mission President and other Senior Couples to make sure that we are fair and consistent in how we grade them.  It’s important because if they FAIL the inspection, we withhold a portion of their support payments as an incentive to ‘clean-up’.  These Missionaries work hard and in very difficult circumstances, that our natural instinct is to be charitable in how we score them, but in the broader view, we are trying to teach them important life skills that can bless them throughout their lives.

We have also been arranging for mass immunization clinics to be conducted during Zone Conferences this week.  Many of the Missionaries arrive here in the Philippines without having received the required immunizations.  Obtaining the vaccines, syringes, needles, consent forms and the medical professional to administer the immunizations has consumed much of my time this week.  I was concerned about looking like some kind of drug dealer going to Pharmacies’ and Hospitals all week trying to get everything ready.  We will be providing over 120 immunizations if everything goes as planned.

Sister Roberts is always busy making travel arrangements and other preparations for Missionaries who are returning home and those who are just arriving.  She could easily get a job as a travel agent (if those careers still exist) when we get home.  I get two or three calls a week from landlords who have a complaint about the Missionaries living in their apartments or wanting an increase in the monthly rent.  I am still working on the best way to tell them that “we go by the terms and the lease agreement and don’t give rent increases just because you have a broken water line or want to remodel”.

Speaking of REMODEL, we got word yesterday that the Mission Home and the Senior Apartments are due for a ‘sprucing-up”.  I asked the facilities management team leader "what are we supposed to do while you are painting and fixing up the office and our apartments?”  He suggested we take a vacation.  Yea, like that’s going to happen!  Oh well; I have my swimsuit at the ready, just in case.

I got my first hair-cut in the mission field this week.  The guy cut my hair, gave me a scalp massage, back massage, straight razor trim on my neck and a hot towel; all for 180 pesos.  That about $3.50 USD.  I may never come home!! – Elder Roberts