Hunting for food is an adventure……………

 

            This is one of our favorite places on Lacson Street to shop for fresh fruits! Lots of varieties here! 

                                                     The shopping malls have great stores, so modern!

                  

 

                                                          Oil isle lots of Palm, and Coconut oils.

                                                             Look what I found!

The other day at the store I found some really interesting stuff. It’s really fun to look at different kinds of things you find here in the stores.  This is a jelly like stuff… tapioca? It has different colors. There is a dessert called “Halo Halo” which has all kinds of different flavors and textures in the ice cream dish. Maybe this is what they use???

                                            

                            

Jack fruit grown is our back yard. People cover these with a bag to keep the ants off them to ripen.

                                                     

                                               A truck load of Jack Fruit some grow as big as a toddler!

                                                    

                                                           You can even find them bottled in the stores.

                                                  

                      Jing, our grounds keeper is cutting us a fresh Coconut right from the back yard!    

                                                        

                                                                                     Fresh soft coconut.              

                                                  

     Guyabano; Babana ( Illongo) White inside, Medium size seeds distributed in a watermelon. 

     It is sweet and sour flavored. Can be made into shakes, from the Meat. Good to fight cancer.

                                         

                                              “Atis” eat fresh Just don’t eat the seed!

                      

                                    “Rambutam” eat fresh or a shake.  the fleshy meat is around a large seed inside.

                                                       

                                                            Banana Heart (Puso Sang Saging) It is used as a meat filler,

                                                chopped up and made into a meat patty.  sometime it is made into adobo.

                                                                             

                                             “Mangosten” fruit is very healthy we are told. The fruit is around the large seed.

                      The peeling is very thick is dried and boiled in water and is used for Herbal/Medical purposes.

                                                                  

                                                             Green Papaya used in soups, pickles (atsara).

                                                                  

                                                           Chinese Radish, very hot, gets milder when it is cooked.

                                                         

                                              “Upo” cooked can make “Upo adobo.” Add to Sardines, cook and serve.

                                                This is also dried and used for a scrubber. It is left to dry on the vine.

                                             

                                                  This is like Zuchni squash. some people peel, slice. dip in egg and fry.

                                        

   Eggplant   Okra & Long Green Beans 

                                                         

                        Bitter Gourd, “Amargoso” Sauté cover with eggs and fry.  Cook sliced in tomatoes.

    

     “ Sayote” Tastes a lot like celery, but doesn’t have the strings.  Has a solid fleshy substance.

                          

                                                    Fresh fish we found in SM the super market.

                                         We see the fishermen  on the ocean out side our house  

      

Pork comes, fresh, frozen, and roasted.  Sorry, I lost my picture of Lechon.  Maybe I can post one later.

     

Pork… They love their pork. We see the big ones traveling off to market riding in a SeaTac or trickles side car. In the stores it comes, in all cuts. I even found pork chops cut along the grain instead of across. Pork comes fresh, frozen, canned or cooked. Oh, How the Filipinos’ love their pork. Adbo it is one of their nationally acclaimed dishes made with pork. Sometimes it is made with chicken which is their favorite meat Adobo is often cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, and water. It is flavored with onions, garlic and ginger. It is a practical way to preserve without refrigeration.. Sometimes seafood is used. We are told this is the dish they prefer to eat during holidays

Lechon is also one of their favored dishes. The Pig is spit toasted over coals to make it crispy, and a golden brown. It is served liver sauce which is the best part according to any Filipino you ask.

     

                          

                                               Below we found these items at a school where they taught

                                        food processing, dried fish, pickled vegetables and pineapple jam.

                                                   

                                                       

                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                           These are a crunchy corn, garlic flavored snack.

                                  

      “Halo Halo” means mixed in English I am told. It really is a mix! They start with a ground ice base and milk then     dried cooked beans, cubed green Jell-O, red, white and green kaong ( it’s like tapioca, some fruit and then to top it off with “Bupu”(sweet jam flavor) made from Taro. Then a rolled cookie is added. It is……..well, let’s say a dining experience!

June - Reasons why we are here “Our Missionary Work”…

The” SRC Team” Luisa Soberano, Ester, Brother & Sister Detal, Sister Green, Erwin Boiser, Joel & Judith Partidoi, and Nymfa; Elder Green, he is gone, teaching the “Career Workshop.” The Perpetual Education Fund (PEF) has been reorganized.  It is no longer part of the seminary program.  It is now part of a three legged stool; called, “Self Reliance” (SR). · Self Reliance (SR): This means informing & teaching members how they can use the resources and programs avalible around them. In being equipped they are better able to provide for them and their families needs. Through educating our members they are empowered to care for their physical, social, spiritual, and mental needs themselves. In doing so, they also are better able to help their neighbors. · Jobs: Most jobs are found by networking. Members are encouraged to log in on to the churches internet site called; ldsjob.org, when they are looking for jobs. In fillings out their work profile and resume they can be connected to perspective jobs. The Site helps employers find the ideal employee from applicants’ information on the church database. This helps employers and employees connect! It is a perfect match! · PEF Student Loans: Student are loaned money from the church under conditions that they will start payments to the loanafter gaining employment.

ER-PEF loans; lots of paperwork!!!

Sister Green, Sister from Kalibo, Eleonor C. Roberts & Anne Marie A. Dela Peῆa

· ER-PEF:

This program has been created as of the result of the Yolanda Typhoon which hit the Philippines on November 8^th 2014.  Active members are being offered low interest loans; ER-PEF, this is a pilot program in the areas affected. There are 7 areas in our missions which have been affected and pinpointed by the brethren.

With this loan members between the ages of 18-60 are being offered an opportunity to get their back to work in a better position.  They can get a small loan for schooling in their occupational. This schooling is short term (2-3 months). It is hoped to help update skills or empower their knowledge through schooling.  Upon completion they will be candidates for a tool kits such as a sewing machine, welding tools, carpentry tools etc to help them get back to work.  The only requirements are that they feel they are needy, are active at least 3 months in the church and approved by their bishop.  When they get a job they are required to start the pay back. The payment is to be a small portion of the loan.  When they stay active in the church they will get more of a discount on the loan.

We have been visiting schools in Kalibo and Roxas to assist in get this program started. There is lots of traveling to the island of Panay in the “Iloilo Mission.”

We have been offering the same Self Employment Workshop we taught in Europe on our mission there. In one stake we advertised it for 8-10 the stake specialists (facilitators) to attend. Well, it got away from us. The woman in charge told us the day before that 50 had signed up! The class works best with 8-10 people. Everyone wanted the class! When we got there people kept coming. By the time the class ended there 90 people who had shown up! You have to know almost everyone has some kind of business on the side if it is not their sole income. Many are unemployed so they have to come up with something to survive! This class is a popular one to say the least.

Elder Green also teaches the “Career Workshop” to Missionaries ready to return home.  Today he had 12.

Self Employment Work shop

Iloilo, Panay/June 28, 2014

When I am not traveling with Elder Green I work in the Self Reliance Center (SRC) entering preferred schools off the list we receive from Manila. In the center we also check the PEF student loans and help answer the students’ questions as to how their loan payments are coming.  We also are adding students into the database for the loan applications, though I haven’t been trained to do this yet.

One of the BIG assignments lately has been to tally the “Works Force Baseline”. This has been sent out throughout the Philippines. The 2 page survey has much more information for the church leaders to know how to better understand what the saints’ lives are like here.  I hope it will help these humble, obedient people. They are so special!

President has assigned me other assignments which has been next to impossible to accomplish with all our traveling. One of my first assignments from President Lopez was the “Harman Grant Music Program.” Keyboards and training materials for conducting and playing the piano are given to each mission upon request with an administrator of the program. We ordered 5 keyboards and teaching materials.

Sister Neff has been teaching students throughout the mission. Students are loaned a keyboard upon the agreement that they will practice to keep the use of it. They must agree to use their skills in providing music and conducting in church services and teach others to do the same. After they learn how to play the piano good enough they can keep it! We have three out of five on loan now. Today Elder & Sister Neff have just been transferred to Sipalay, five hour south of Bacolod this may change the program a bit here.

I have learned how to add baptismal records to the church database also. There about 200 baptisms a month in the “Bacolod Mission.” Most of the Senior Sisters do this.

There is lots of work to do to keep the kingdom rolling forward. It is great to be involved in building the kingdom here upon the earth!

May-

The Filipino people are so…..wonderful! As we travel around they are very warm and receptive to our message. Most everyone here has some kind of business, even if they work for someone else.

I recall when we were a young struggling couple we did many things to add to our small income. I tended children, took in washing, ironing and sewing. Elder Green cut fire wood or haul hay to sell in Las Vegas. He bought cars and traded them. We even bought and sold our houses just right when the bank transferred us. We would buy a house low, fix it up or finish the basement thus adding to the value.

I was very careful when we shopped at the store, using coupons and following all the store sales. I made whatever we needed if I could or doing without. All our meals were made without mixes. Those days we were busy with children, stretching our time with all its demands and making ends meet. As we work with the people here I can relate some to the struggles they are making to survive.

Homes are very different they are made of bamboo, wood, cinder blocks and galvanized steel or concrete or any combination. Many homes are built right up to the sidewalk with a small business in the front or on the other side of the front fence. Some have Iron doors in the front of the store or garage. Some people have barbed wire fences around the yards which are usually very small about a eighth of our lots, but lot sizes differ.

 

This home is one of the nicest ones I have seen.  It is in our neighborhood, ours is not this nice.

Many people wash their clothes by hand. If you are lucky enough to have a washing machine it is very small. Two towels and a few wash clothes will fit in ours. It is very old and rusting out. The landlady has ordered another one, but it is on back order. Maybe we will see it before we are done with our mission.

Our church houses are so beautiful and striking in comparison to the little fragile house built around them. They are very functional with tile floors and gated windows and doors. Some have air-conditioning while others just have electric fans.

This church house sits on a hill in Vallehermoso, Negros Occidental, Philippines. A branch meets here, they will soon grow.

The Kalibo, Panay, Philippines chapel is located deep in a downtown neighborhood surrounded by simple homes.

Here at the waterfall we found some cute children selling dried fruit and candy coconut cakes.  How can one resist?

President Lopez has cautioned us about buying food from the street venders, thought we would sure like to help them make a sale, but we don’t want to get sick.  We shared our goodies with our class. 

 

Jollibee’s is the Philippine’s version of “Kentucky Fried Chicken.” Above in the wrapper is rice not a burger.

There are many good credible restaurants here, so when we are out and about we are ok. We also take some food just in case we don’t find any place to eat. There are a few large modernized grocery shops here which we were pleasantly surprised. We can get many American brands here. Kellogg’s cold cereal is packaged in Thailand! Peanut butter, Smacker’s jam, Best foods Real Mayonnaise, and other brands are found here. Many street venders have bakeries. There are many small businessmen which use the side cars to make their stores a mobile business, selling where ever they go. Sorry, I can’t find the picture of that.

We are truly blessed to be to be here.

April-