Day 128-Time’s A’Melting- 08-03-06

Let’s see…Happy Thing for Day 128: My blender. I love making smoothies in the morning. I brought a blender with me on my mission. I wanted to be able to make smoothies just like at home.

Fruit Smoothie Recipe (you can’t spell recipe without p-i-e-r-c-e)
½ cup raw almonds
1T. sesame seeds
1T. flax seeds
3-4 frozen bananas
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple or other assorted frozen fruits

Begin by taking your ½ cup of almonds and letting them soak overnight in a glass of water. In the morning, take the soaked almonds and put them in the blender along with 2 cups fresh water. Blend on high. Strain the almonds and what is left is the “milk.” Add the almond milk back to the blender. Next, add the seeds and then the frozen fruit. Blend on the smoothie setting (if it has one. Mine does, so there you go.) The frozen fruit makes it thick and cold just like a soft serve ice cream. Just the thing I look forward to on a hot 100 degree plus day like today. Not only does it taste good, but it is good for you. Serves 2-4 missionaries or one really hungry one.

We went by to see J today. J is from Ghana. He’s been investigating the church since February of this year. He saw the new Joseph Smith movie with Elder Buttars and Elder Chacon last March {Day 79}. We’ve taught him just about everything, but we still don’t have a baptismal date yet. Today we went over and watched the Bruce R. McConkie Atonement talk. J really liked it. He had a couple of roommates there and they watched it, too. We told J that we would come by later with another gospel message. He said Sunday afternoon would be fine.

The meeting with J went great. You could really feel the spirit. I do have something to say, however, on how people from Ghana choose to cool their homes.

When we went in to teach J, I thought, “Oh, Boy! Teaching a lesson inside! Now I can get out of the sun and out of the heat for a little while.” Well, I did get out of the sun at least. Most of the people I’ve met from Africa don’t use their air conditioners. When we went inside, J just had his windows open. It was about 108 degrees with the heat index. Elder Pierce and I were sweating profusely. J was sitting, watching the dvd quite comfortably. Of course, he was in his undershirt and pajama bottoms. We were in full missionary clothes. I reflected back to a movie I often watched as a child; Tiny Toons How I Spent My Summer Vacation. “Boy, it’s getting hot in here. Say, Dad, how about a little A.C.? Air conditioning wastes gas. I’ll just crack a window.” Don’t you dare, Wade! People will think we can’t afford air conditioning.” Plucky Duck, Mr. and Mrs. Pigg Humming “Old McDonald Had a Farm…Pop Goes the Weasel!) (Hahahahaha)

I’m serious. It was so hot in his house I wouldn’t have been surprised if the clocks on the walls started to melt until the whole house looked like one big Salvador Dali painting.

And speaking of people from Ghana…V and her family moved. V, D and N are no longer in the Herndon ward. V did not want to leave her ward. The people have been so nice to her. Bishop T promised that the people in her new ward would be just as nice. As I’ve come to find out, members of the church are the same great people everywhere you go. I’m sure V will love her new ward and her new ward will love her.

V moved on {Day 123}. We would have helped with the move, but were told that they had plenty of people to help. On that day we were planning to go to the Visitor’s Center with D and B, but that never happened.

Another busy day. I’m tired. Good night.