It can’t be July already..

We missed a week somewhere in the shuffle!  We were on-the-road quite a bit doing area book checks and got sidetracked! 

Things are back to normal now and it is a new month so definitely need to get a new fruit posted. 

Some friends in the Tanza Branch (Pesa’s) gave us this spray of Makupa from the tree in their back yard.  It is quite pretty and they taste like apples.  They don’t have millions of seeds like so many of the Native fruits over here. 

We ate them for a Sunday afternoon snack with some of the missionaries and some Naic Branch members.  Everyone really enjoyed them.

We were excited to find out that the 4^th of July is a holiday of sorts here in the Philippines.  It is US/Philippines Friendship Day.   All of the missionaries in our little compound are Americans so we celebrated the day together with a traditional meal of meatloaf and Kraft Mac ‘n Cheez.  It doesn’t get much more American than that. 

The Sisters provided a flag for a centerpiece we talked about what we love about being an American.  Monday, was a morning FHE.  We walked to the beach near the apartment and the missionaries played beach volleyball, kick ball and baseball.  Lots of exercise and fun in the heat!  Afterward we came back to the apartment for hot dogs, potato salad, chips and watermelon. 

It was undoubtedly an American celebration.  The Zone sang “happy birthday” to Sister Smith as she turned 29 once again. 

This is transfer week so there are changes brewing once again.  We will be getting several new Zone members and we’re excited to meet them.  We always miss our transferring members.  The Zone is doing well with 10 or so baptisms already for the month.  Lots of additional baptisms scheduled for the rest of July and the first part of August.

President and Sister Golding who have been serving on Palawan for 19 months went home to Las Vegas this week.  They are an exceptional couple and will be greatly missed.  They are going to be taking up permanent residence in St. George so will hopefully get to see them on occasion.  Next month the Hussey’s go home to England and we’ll be the senior Senior Couple!  Hard to believe.