Mission Office

This past week we were in the office every day as we continue to learn our duties. Here is the Liloan (pronounced Lee-low-an) Stake center and mission office which is right next door. This is where we will be attending church. Because of General Conference and our trip to Bogo last week, this week was the first time we actually attended meetings here.  Meetings are mostly Cebuano with some English mixed in. We generally know the topic but not all that is said about it.

 
The Mission Office reception area where Sister McNett will be.














 and finance office for Elder McNett.

These are the Elders currently serving in the mission office.  What an amazing group of young men. From left to right is Elder Head (finance secretary training Elder McNett), Elder Bermoy (housing and mission car coordinator),  Elder Saluta (mission office secretary and travel coordinator training Sister McNett), Elder Jimenez (training to replace Elder Artigo), Elder Artigo (referral, office supplies and mail), Elder Bayot (assistant to the President) and Elder Nelson (assistant to the President). After next transfers Elders Bermoy and  Saluta will be back out in the field and Elder Head will replace Elder Bermoy in the office.  Elder Artigo will be going home.

 

On Thursday we had an office full of Elders and Sisters from all over the mission. All the mission trainers and their companions gathered and were then transported to the Mission Home to meet with President and Sister Tanner and receive additional instruction. We ae meeting lots of missionaries, which is one of the benefits of being in the office.

Two major blessings came this week when we picked up and installed both a washing machine and a water filter for the kitchen faucet. With the filter in the kitchen we used less than half of the bottled water than we have in previous weeks.

 

 

 

On the subject of water, after dinner one night last week we went to do dishes and there was no water coming into the house. Gratefully, after about a half hour it was back on. We are not sure how long it had been off, but went out the next day and purchased two five gallon water containers as an emergency supply so that we can at least wash hands and flush the toilet. A ready water supply is something that we too often take for granted.

Shopping for food is always an adventure. We never know just what we will find. Here are a just a few items we noticed this week.

How many flavors of Spam could there possibly be?

Chili Squid? I promise to bring some home if anyone wants to try it.

And last but certainly not least – rabbit fish cakes. Janica - just how fun are those?

Right across the street from where we shop for food is a McDonalds. On our way home Saturday we stopped and brought home two Big Mac meals. We never imagined a time when McDonalds would ever taste so good, but it was.

And we end this week with a small Philippine cockroach. The picture doesn’t really do it justice or indicate size. They are tough. One of the office elders thought they had smashed it and after about a minute it started crawling again.