Temple Prep Class

A couple of pictures from our last temple preparation class. We

are sorry to see it end but are excited for those going to the temple.   We enjoyed teaching the class.  It was a blessing for us to be involved. The branch president taught part of the last class covering  the logistics of the trip which is only a couple of weeks away.  The branch had enough interest that they rented their own bus rather than sharing with another ward. They will spend 3 days in the temple and two nights in temple guest apartments.

BROWNIES

FRUITS OF THE ACTIVITY-  BROWNIES

The 10 minute video of Sister Oliver teaching the Young Women and their leaders to make brownies would have been more entertaining but it is probably too big for the blog.  They met on a Monday holiday at Gloria's house after the ward family day at the church.   We didn't attend the family activity due to Mission President's Staff Meeting but joined them in the afternoon for the YW activity.  Then we went straight back to the office to do Elder Oliver's Monday work which was still waiting for him. 

We lit the oven with a long roll of paper.  The whole kitchen is in that alcove, stove and sink on one side, counter across the back, fridge opposite the oven.

I was really impressed with Gloria's fresh flowers.  We had a fun time with the young women (and a few guys).  Sharon, Gloria's granddaughter, was really excited to learn how to make brownies.  She asked me if I can teach her how to make cookies next!

Mazamorra and More

Mazamorra de Maíz: This is a typical dessert in various countries in Latin America. The Colombian version is basically very well cooked white corn (for several hours) in water. It then will be sweetened with sugar cane or sugar and milk will be added. 

It may be common but we were just introduced to Mazamorra last Monday at the home of Gloria, a branch member.  If you think milk, corn starch and sugar you come up with a pudding like dish.  The mazamorra we had was more like cold corn soup with sugar on top (no salt).  It had soaked kernels of yellow corn in it.  The panela (brown sugar) was really interesting.  It is ground sugar cane pressed and formed into a round loaf about 3" thick and 6" around.  This was served in a separate bowl and you sprinkled it on your mazamorra according to taste.  I think I would have added a sprinkle of canela (cinnamon) too.

In our house we have single bulb light fixtures.  With the fluorescent bulbs we had quite a glare.  It was difficult to read under the lights.  Then Elder Oliver thought, "If Grandpa Grover were here he would have fixed those lights a long time ago."  So on one of his many trips to Home Center (Home Depot) to buy supplies for the missionaries, he bought a duel bulb socket adapter.  That improved things some, then he found yellow light flourescent bulbs.  That was sooo much better.  Thank you Grandpa Grover!  On a another trip he bought a shelf to make a bookcase out of our built in entertainment center.  Elder Torgerson is putting up bookshelves in missionary apartments.   Now we have a bookcase too!

Since I didn't bring any recipes I had to ask Liz for a brownie recipe.  I went on line to find an oatmeal cookie recipe and No-Bake Cookies.  Does anyone want to send me some recipes?  Quinton, do you have the no-bake cookie recipe? 

June 2012

Tonight we had a Family Home Evening!  With all the office missionaries (6) plus Torgersons and us (4) and most of the recent converts from the branch and a couple of investigators,   we had at least 25 people here.  We felt the love of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We showed "Reflections of Christ" and Elder Oliver handed out copies of the 13 Articles of Faith (in Spanish).  He asked various people to read and tell the meaning of the first three Articles of Faith.  We played a couple of games, really funny games  (en cargo de los misioneros), and then had brownies and vanilla ice cream.  Everyone loved it. 

We gave Idalba, a recent convert who doesn't read, a set of disks of the Book of Mormon.  I asked her if she had something to listen to them on.  She said yes.  Then she cried.  I have seen such a change in her since she was baptized.  She smiles with her whole countenance.  Her brother is now investigating, I think he has a baptism date set.  Hna Veronica and her brother Hugo were here.  Veronica has been a member since the early 80's.  She said she has received many, many blessings and her children as well.  (They were 2nd generation!)  Hugo, her brother was baptized last month after he came to live with her.  And Paola and her husband, Luis, were here.  Paola was baptized in April (the night of the big storm). They are wonderful.  And Francisca with whom we have visited (at her home).  Jaime and Blanca were confirmed today.  They have been investigators for about 11 months.  They were married and baptized last Wed. (there was some problem with her papers).  Jaime taught the investigator class today.   Sharon and her grandmother, Gloria, are "old" members; Gloria has been a member a year and Sharon for 2 years.  Sharon is 16 and very enthusiastic about the gospel and missionary work. She made Lizeth, 12 (Idalba's granddaughter) and David, 15 (Jaime and Blanca's grandson) feel comfortable.  David passes the sacrament each Sunday & I didn't realize until tonight that he is Blanca's grandson.

We also had the 4th temple preparation class this afternoon.  There were 14 there (besides Elder Oliver & I).  The branch is planning to go to the Bogotá temple in July.  It will take a whole day (or night) to get to Bogotá.  I will ask President Prince if we can go.  I was even able to say in Spanish "No podemos salir la misión sin su aprobación."  "We can't leave the mission without his approval."

I have a date to teach the Young Women to make brownies.  It's a good thing Liz sent me the recipe.  I might need the recipe for Wacky chocolate cake as well (with no e
ggs) since the brownies takes 4 eggs per batch.
 Nos acostamos.  We are going to bed!  Buenas noches.

Elder & Hna Oliver

The missionaries are wondering: Cali or Medellin Mission

We are getting instructions on the division of our mission.  We have a new financial secretary for the Medellin Mission in training at the office. A redhead from Chile.  A records secretary and a new assistant will be coming in for training the next transfer day, 12 June.  The President's office computer has a picture of a missionary standing in front of a road sign which points to Medellin one way and Cali the other.  He is scratching his head and wondering where he will end up. 

Monday was a holiday here.  It was the second holiday this the month.  We celebrated 1 May,  as the day of the worker and 21st as the observed day of the Ascension of Jesus.  Actually the 18th was the day but observed on Monday. Sound familiar?  In April there were also two holidays for Easter weekend.  Thurs and Fri. The schools took the whole week off but the workers and banks got two days. I think there was only 1 in March.  It was a Monday holiday for Saint Joseph.  The list of official holidays has four holidays in June but the last is observed 2 July  and another is Father´s Day on a Sunday. Leaving us with two days again in June. One is the Monday after Father's Day.  Mother's Day wasn't on the official holiday list but it was observed.  Sister Oliver got a long stem red rose at the store and one at church.

Last Sunday our area 70 from Venezuela spoke to all married couples in the stake in a fireside.  It was a great meeting and was very well attended.  This caused the temple preparation class to move to Monday, the holiday.  The class was pretty well attended for a holiday afternoon, 17 were there.  The class last Sunday had 21.  This week the conflict is stake priesthood but it doesn't start until 5 p.m. We are waiting to hear what the Branch Pres. decides on when to have the class.

We seem to baptize at the end of the month here.  Sister Oliver will be overwhelmed with new records next week.  The missionaries are planning to baptize and confirm 50+ this weekend.

Mission Study Desks

We went to get some rocks for book ends from the rockslide across the street.  (Shades of Stansbury Island--but we had to find "square" rocks) The following story about mission study desks and bookcases made us think of bookends and bookcases at home.

Elder Oliver and Elder Torgerson spent most of  Thursday looking for missionary desks.The misionaries each get a study desk with a built in bookcase of one or two shelves at the back.   They are really small and most of the desks we saw on our house inspections were just used to put things on.  They were too small to study at.  We have new houses and we want to get them desks with bookcases.  The office had told the missionaries to find a carpenter to built them a desk.  That would have cost about $180.   We set out to buy desks.   All  wood desks were $200 for a small 3 foot desk.  Wood frame with formica top desks were $150 for the same size.  The La 14 (catorce) or Exito stores sell a "you-put-together" desk for about $75 without bookcase.   The only thing with a bookcase was a computer station which is not as deep as a regular desk and has a pull out drawer for the keyboard.  It did have a shelf and a CD rack at the back.   Elder Oliver wouldn't buy those and that caused the search.    Saturday the search continued.  When I told Sister Prince that in Monterrey we bought resin tables for the elderes use as study desks at COSCO,  she remembered we have a MAKRO.   Today we went to MAKRO.  They actually had two good choices; a table like we used in Monterrey ($50 on sale until Monday) and a good put-it-together desk for $60.  Neither had the required bookcase.  We continued on to HOMECENTER, a Home Depot type store.  There we came up with a plan to buy shelves and brackets for attaching them to the wall, about $10 each.  Both the desk or table and the shelf would be bigger than anything we looked at on Thursday.  Now we have to sell Sister Prince that the shelves don't have to be attached to the desk.

I really like our new bookends.

Mother´s Day 2012

Living room with a picture and a plant.  Tomorrow will be going to young women´s to talk about temple marriage and teach temple preparation in the afternoon.