June Deux

Well, this is our second June in Manila and the start of the rainy season is upon us. I have only had to use an umbrella a couple of times so far. We are mostly in the temple or our apartment. Since we don't get out much, we don't experience the rain as much as the rest of Manila city dwellers.

The temple department traded out their older van for a new Hyundai Staria van. Hey, it has cooled seats in the front and second row. Pretty big deal here in Manila. Laurie has gone from being "a person with a strong desire" for heated seats, and has switched her story to the whole cooling seat concept. The gift of "not being hot all the time here" has not come to her yet. She has a little less than three months left now and she would sure love to have that gift soon.

Laurie and I feel like our pace of living here continues to pick up. There is always so much to do. I am still "connected" to our small business, so there always seems to be something going on that needs my attention. This mission has been pretty different in regards to "the business" compared to our Montreal Mission. We will leave this one alone for now, but I think I will do a "Post-Manila" blog upon our return and share a little more about my work and our mission at that time.

I've decided this is going to be just a few more pictures and a little less talk...., since I am so late in getting this out for June. I already have something to add for July. We will see if I can remember it next month.

For the most part, I put information in this blog based on my content from pictures, my journal (which "can" be weekly, on a good week), and from my calendar. I then figure out how much I cannot put in for various reasons and then I post what is left that feels right to post. So, here we go with what's left and what feels right.

I will start with a couple of pictures I took in the temple parking lot at two different times of the day. Probably only me (and my Mom) would appreciate that I put in the date and time of the picture. But, that is the privilege of the writer...

Taken from the Manila Temple parking lot - 5:05 a.m. 6-14-2025

Taken from the Manila Temple parking lot -4:38 p.m. 6-15-2025

Meatloaf

For those of you who don't know me that well, I love meatloaf. Just so you know how much, I ask Laurie to make me a meatloaf dinner for my birthday as often as she will let me. We normally don't eat it that often from birthday to birthday - well, maybe not even once between birthday's, but I love it. I love the way Laurie makes it also. I have her make an extra batch of sauce that goes on the top so I don't get robbed of that great taste.

Well, I just had to give the following a try. I found meatloaf in a can here in the Philippines (albeit a very small can). I did try it, and like most other meatloaf options I have tasted, it just didn't hold a candlestick to my dear wife's meatloaf. I really didn't try very much of it to be truthful :).

I must admit, I had never heard of meatloaf in a can.

The "dollop" on top in the middle was telling...

Chocolate (Cacao) Tree

Just a few feet away from our apartment, on the way down to the gazebo, stands a cacao tree. We had no idea what it was. There are so many fruit trees on the temple grounds, I still don't know what they are all called.

One of the Filipino sisters who stays temporarily in our apartments grabbed Laurie one day and told her all about it and then gave her some cacao that she has cooked up from the tree. I have been using it in some hot chocolate I occasionally have just to remind myself of the colder weather.

Here are a couple of pictures representing this little story.

Cacao Tree on the temple grounds next to our apartment.

One of the pods on the tree, and me holding
Sister Cordero's final cooked up cacao

Bread Pudding

I just have to put this picture in here. I was amazed to find some bread pudding in the Apero restaurant just across the street. It was only the second time we have eaten there. I like bread pudding so I ordered it. I realized half way through eating it that I needed to take a picture of it, thus it is not too pretty, but it does show you everything that was on top of it. When it was brought to me, I thought "oh my goodness!" and thought I would have to "carry on" through eating it. Boy, was I wrong. I was amazed at how well the topping (fruit compote/chutney - kind of) complimented their bread pudding. It was excellent. I felt like I was only eating a few calories :)... We are going to have to go back before we leave.

Bread Pudding from the Apero restaurant across the street.

Final Stretch

Let me wrap up the blog with three paragraphs that come from something that happened in June. The first paragraph is a request from our daughter-in-law (Ellie Randall). Ellie was given a subject to speak in her Sacrament meeting (our Church's main Sabbath Day meeting) a subject she wanted some insight on from the two of us. (I hope she will be OK with us sharing her request to us). The other two paragraphs are the first paragraph's from our respective responses to her. Don't get me wrong, both of us had much more to say but you don't need to hear it all :).

Ellie Randall's Request

"Would you be willing to share with me what having a willing heart and mind means to you and how that played into your decision to serve a mission even though it may not have been the most convenient time for you personally?"

Laurie's First Paragraph of her Response

"I always thought I had a willing heart and mind but, there have been times in my life that the Lord will give me opportunities to "prove" it, or perhaps "test" me is a better way to say it. How willing am I really?? I have learned that these "tests" come at inconvenient times, or when I feel especially unprepared for them. I think the "test" is more of an opportunity for me to learn for myself how open and willing my heart and mind really are. The Lord already knows."

My First Paragraph of my Response

"First, I will answer you with a few verses I read this morning that directly apply to having a willing heart and mind. Please review Mosiah 5:1-5. The first few verses are a bit like your request to us today. The more direct response is found at the first of verse 5, 

“ 5 And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days,…”

All the covenants I have made with Heavenly Father have directed me to do His will when He tells me to do it. I am not perfect at this, but I am better prepared today to understand how to respond to His direction than I used to be. I stay on the covenant path as I do the things I covenanted to do. It is a simple plan."

Thank you for asking Ellie. It was nice to ponder at this time of our mission. I would guess our responses might change with time, but maybe not quite as much as one would think.

I will end this blog with one last picture of the Manila Temple. This temple and the time we have spent here has changed us forever. I feel like I need to pay tribute to it just a little more.

I hope you all have a wonderful July. I plan on it myself. Here is the final word of this blog.

Isaiah 52:7 "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"