Tender Mercy

 Opportunities to break the routine in the Mission Office are usually welcome.  We had that opportunity this week when Sister Roberts exclaimed: “I’m done with BCR’s!”  
March was a record month for Baptisms in the Cauayan Mission and getting all the ordinances recorded is a time-consuming task for Sister Roberts.  

We decided to take a day out of the office and selected 5 Missionary Apartments for inspection.    We love the opportunity to see new places and visit the Missionaries where they live.  Sometimes we are a little surprised at the humble conditions, nevertheless, the Missionaries are expected to maintain their apartment in a clean and orderly manner no matter how rugged their surroundings.  It breaks our hearts when we have to issue a failing grade.  We try to be positive and give them hope but were not always sure we are successful.  Looking at these pictures, you might think that our Missionaries live in luxury homes.  I assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.

One of the apartments on our list was new and far away from the mission office, so I had the added task to capture the GPS coordinates (Latitude / Longitude).  I stood at the front door and read the coordinates as Sister Roberts wrote them down.  When we arrived back at the Mission Office late that night, I could not find the paper she had written the coordinates on.  

I search the car, our files, the trash, over and over again with no success.  I was ticked that we had traveled all that way only to lose the paper.   I looked again on Saturday.  I even called the missionaries we had visited last, to see if I had left it in their apartment; “sorry Elder Roberts, we don’t see it anywhere"! 

Sunday Morning as we were preparing to travel to the tiny Naguilian Branch, I stepped in the office briefly and THERE IT WAS.  Hanging precariously on a shelf below the counter as though an angel had placed it there; in a position that I would be sure to notice.  Small Thing, I know, but I was very happy to find it.  Elder Roberts

Small Birthday celebration for one of our guards!

Avacodo swirl ice cream and delicious mini ube cakes.  Ube, pronounced oo-bae, is a bright purple yam used to make desserts.

One of our Elders received a 'care' package from home.  He shared his bounty with us.

No Seat Belt Law?