Hallelujah! We were home almost the entire week and boy did we need it! We had so much to catch up on. Of course, we ended up going to see some new potential projects with some service missionaries and we did end up having to travel on Saturday, but we realized just how behind we are on some of the projects. It requires so much follow-up and revisiting some things in order to get it moving along. Our purchasing department has been busy with other things, so they are behind and everything just gets bogged down. And our Jaime Cardinal Sin project STILL hasn’t moved forward due to the fact the the Catholic Church has a new father and the government agency that needs to sign the MOA is switching the responsibility to another agency, etc. etc. Sometimes we wonder if it will ever happen. In the meantime the residents of this housing complex really need to get those water tanks installed so they can have access to clean water. Sometimes it seems so ridiculous that we can’t just make things happen! Patience!

Other than catching up on paperwork , we did manage to do some fun things. On Friday, Ryan Manrique, one of the Welfare and Self Reliance Managers we work with, asked if we could accompany him up to Olongapo to be on a panel discussion for a special activity in the Orion Stake for returned missionaries. We weren’t too excited about this because : 1. we were very tired and we had to get up at 4 am to get up there by 8 am. 2. we will be going up in this same area this coming week. 3. we had tickets to Vocal Point at 3 that afternoon. But, alas, duty called and we told him we would go. Actually, it worked out very well and it was very enjoyable. And a bit tiring, of course. But he drove (a bonus) and I could sleep in the truck. Also, I didn’t get car sick because it’s an automatic and the roads were mostly straight. And it’s always nice to get out of the city. AND- we made it back in time for the Vocal Point concert. The concert was truly so much fun. I really don’t know how 9 guys manage to blend their vocal parts so well while doing some amazing dancing and choreography. The crowd was so appreciative and fun as well. They really got into it! Mabuhay Deseret people were sitting right behind us with their lit up signs and sang along with a lot of the songs. They were getting some of the proceeds from the concert, so that was a double blessing. I’m so glad we had this opportunity. It was a little piece of home, in a way.

Afterwards, we went out to eat with a lot of missionary couples. We were going to go to a nice place to celebrate our anniversary, but they didn’t have a reservation until 9 pm, so we joined with the others and had a great time. We have a couple here for just two months. He is a member and is helping out with the legal department for two months. His wife is a Catholic but got permission to accompany. She and I had a great time getting to know each other during dinner. We share a lot of common interests (including K- dramas). After they finish here, they will go to many other countries over the course of two years. They are supposed to go home to California in between countries. Interesting arrangement, for sure. We are gearing up for our super busy week of travel this next week. It will be crazy busy, so once again, it was nice to be home for a week. I forgot to mention that on Wednesday, we had the wonderful opportunity to go to Mabuhay House to do our Wednesday Thrills with the patients and their companions. This one was super special because Dr. Bill Jackson, the founder, was there with his wife. It was so fun to visit with them and also to watch Elder Tidwell in action as he did his dental thing and demonstrated the proper way to care for your teeth. I did a simple craft with them- blossoms! And of course, we sang “Popcorn Popping” and I made popcorn for them. We love Mabuhay Deseret!

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