A Spiritual Feast...and clean teeth

Last weekend was such a spiritual feast for us.  Two General Authorities who are currently serving in the Area Presidency were here to divide a stake and spent extra time uplifting, training, sharing and interacting with the missionaries in the immediate Cauayan area.  We were invited to come and enjoyed our time with them so much.  I meant to get a picture of us with them and the time just flew by.  Elder Ian Ardern [who spoke in General Conference a few weeks ago-the talk on using time wisely with the reference to 'angry birds' crashing against brick walls] and Elder Brent Nielson were such a great tag team.  Their training was very enlightening and so informative.  We feel so fortunate to be taught at their feet.

Sunday night we had the invitation to come to the mission home for dinner with them and truly had a delightful time.  THEY ARE REAL PEOPLE!!!!!  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time and felt fed, both inside and out.  A true magic opportunity for us.

Monday I decided I would get my teeth cleaned.  Now let me preface this with a little background.  I have been going to my favorite dentist, Dr. DeFord since we moved to Omaha.  She is my dentist but also my good friend.  When we decided to serve this mission, she told me there was NO way I could go for 2 years without having my teeth cleaned.  I create plaque so badly so for Christmas last year, she gave me my own set of 'tools' and also gave me a lesson on how to scale my own teeth.  I have been vigilant in using them monthly but developed a paranoia that my teeth would need cleaning.  At home, I would get them done every 4 months so I thought I would search out a dentist here and get it done.

Now as I took my place in the chair, folks, I had immediate flashbacks of my days in the dentist office as a small child 55 years ago!!!  I took this picture for Kathy mainly...she would never believe this equipment!  And she even had a spit bowl!!!

The entire time I was in the chair, she was talking, asking me questions [and she had her hands in my mouth, expecting an answer!] telling me how white my teeth were, like black Americans, how most Filipino people and white American's have light yellow teeth, etc.  It was a hoot!  When we finished, she informed me that I didn't need to come back for a year and the only thing she actually did was give me an intense flouride treatment!    Cost???  400 Pesos  [a little over $8]    Amazing...

Dr. Luz Belinda Yap

We got two new missionaries this morning so we are off to Cauayan to help with breakfast and deliver the newbies to get them settled.  I have been feeling puny this week so will lay low for a day or two.  Sunday morning I fell in our kitchen and crashed onto the tile on my elbow and have been limping around.  Bodies of old people hurt when they fall...I think I pulled every muscle in my body but I am SO grateful nothing broke!  As I laid there, I could imagine so much worse-old people break when they fall and I surely don't want to end up with a broken anything in a third world country!!!  I also laughed thinking of Kathy's latest ouch [she ran into a door and thought she broke her nose] and knowing we may be 9000 miles apart, we suffer together!!

My owie bruised elbow that didn't break!!

I am still missing fall and the smells of autumn, the changing colors on the leaves, the crisp mornings, the football games and such but am so grateful that we are here serving these wonderful people.  Our mission has been such a blessing to us and we are only 10 weeks into it!!!!!  YIPEE!!!!