So, we had the missionaries over for dinner

[Iggy]

    Fair Warning:    @MormonGator I am Hijacking your topic ~

Hubby found out in Branch Council this morning that we, the active members of the Branch are to no longer have the Missionaries over for dinners. We can, however give the the foods to cook/eat themselves. Some how they are to only have dinners with the in-actives /*less*-actives and the investigators. To this I told my Husband, for this to happen, one or more of the active Sister members will need to be called to set up dinners with the in-active /less-actives via phone calls.

In 2011, out of my own pocket and out of my own cupboards, I provided bake ware, preparation bowls, 4 qt glass measuring bowls, glass 1 & 2 cup measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing & cooking utensils, set of four flatware (un-matched, but very good quality out of my own home). set of 4 melmac plates/bowls, cups-n-saucers our of my own home, 12 un-matched glass glasses from my own home, brand new set of three skillets w/lids at the cost of $59.99, then from thrift stores from the next two counties on either side of our town plus this one where we live I purchased glass bake ware (two casserole dishes w/lids, three loaf pans, two pie plates, a 9 x 13 and an 8" square pans, Revere Ware sauce pans (1 & 3 qt plus the top of the double boiler) w/lids, enameled cast iron 4 quart dutch oven, 3 quart electric crock pot,  a Presto Air Popper, four sets of four dishtowels/cloths [two dishtowels & two dish clothes that matched], four sets of four hot pads/mitts [two mitts w/matching hot pads for each set], a package of 8 scrub sponges, dish pan w/matching drainer & draining mat. Salt & Pepper set, large tin salt shaker for near the stove. Out of my own cupboards/food storage I gave them a recently purchased quart of cooking olive oil, vegetable oil, four packages of 12 double rolls of TP, a plastic grocery bag of bath soaps that Hubby can't use [they give he hives] and I no longer use bar soap.

Why did I do this? Because the Elder Missionaries commented on night at dinner with us, that they didn't know how to broach the subject with the RS Presidency who had been collecting Hamburger & Tuna Helpers, cake & cookie mixes, and even those Jimmie Dean frozen breakfasts that you fry up the meat/potatoes/onions/sweet bell peppers in a skillet, then add scrambled eggs to. The cost of hamburger & eggs were not in their meager budgets, and they had nothing to cook everything in let alone eat it off of or with.

Hubby and I broached it with the RS Presidency, who assured us they were broach it with the Missionary President. 6 months later there still was no *equipment* forthcoming, so I went into action. I had just received some monies from when my oldest sister had passed and her meager estate had been settled & anything of value had been sold. With that $500.00 I set up the Missionaries apartment - took pictures of everything, made an extensive list of everything, and gave printed copies to our RS Presidency, Branch Presidency, and the Mission President.

I also got our Branch members to donate NEW twin bed sheet sets, new pillows w/those protective zip into covers and zip into mattress cover protectors, blankets for summer AND winter (two for each bed) as well as two sets of quilts for each bed. 8 NEW complete sets of bath linens, and 4 packages of 12 decent plastic hangers. On all of these fabric items, three of the sisters took them home, laundered them for the first time, then embroidered "Property of the ______________ Branch of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints". On all of the electric cookware, one of the brothers used an electric engraver and put the same thing.

Now, in 2015 the *powers to be* decided to pull the missionaries from our Branch. They took EVERYTHING from the apartment. Stripped it clean! Our Branch President and our Stake President didn't even let the dust settle before they convinced those *Power's To Be* to return the Missionaries. It had only been two weeks, so the phone had not even been shut off, nor had the apartment been rented to someone else. But EVERYTHING was NOT returned. Matter of fact the Mission President said that he hadn't even started the process to have everything removed.

Turns out it was our own Branch Mission Leaders Wife who had, then she moved to a little town in Washington state (we are pretty much in the center of the Oregon Coast) while she waited for her husband to come home from Hawaii where his company had sent him for two months. We never got anything back - the Mission President through the church supplied the furniture and well worn bedding & mattress's. BUT no cookware, etc.

Just last year this family (the ex-Branch Mission Leader and his wife and 4 kids) moved back into the Branch. Our Branch President and the recently called Mission Leader asked them for all of the items back. The husband was totally embarrassed by what his wife had done, and he went through the two U-Hauls of his belongings and gave the Branch back the items. Then he asked me to come and go over the dishes that had not been engraved. Armed with MY copy of the list, I picked out the dishes. Wife claimed that she had been told she was to take everything - so she did. 🙄 🤦‍♀️

Since my body has made it extremely painful to cook dinner for the Missionaries (actually to cook dinners for ourselves too), I have been supplying the missionaries with TP, bar soap, toothpaste/brushes, personal hygiene (whatever brand they prefer of deodorant, shampoo, body lotions, etc.) Dish detergent and just recently since I have been making my own Eco-friendly and quite good laundry powder - have given them a 6 pound container w/scoop for each load. One of the widowed sisters has been having them come over to use her machines rather than go to the really nasty laundra-mat in town. Her machines are in a downstairs section of her house, accessible with it's own exterior door and the door to the main part of the house remains locked. So it doesn't matter if the missionaries are male or female, the ones who are reassigned are to tell the new incoming where the key is hidden. Has worked well since 2004. 

Just recently the Sister Missionaries knocked on our door - they had an hour to use up before they went to dinner at a less-actives home near us and wanted to know if they could help me do anything. I was having trouble putting away the canned/boxed goods I had purchased in the last two months, as well as folding three loads of towels and two loads of bed linens. SO, armed with Sharpies, they marked the years on the canned foods with me, and took turns rotating the canned goods in my food pantry. Then we all sat at the now cleared dining room table folding the clean clothes. Even Hubby joined us and we related how we all helped our own mothers do this.

Then before they left for dinner, I got a paper grocery bag and had them *Go Shopping* from my hall bathroom cupboard [personal hygiene items], the food pantry and I had them get a package of 32 double size rolls of TP from the Master Closet. They liked the soup I had purchased some time ago that neither of us liked (new flavors), and I finally purged the canned foods that I LOVE but can't have because the fat content is way too high for me. Then I also gave them half of the Marie Callenders larger envelope packages of Corn Bread mix. They already have a new container of vegetable oil and one of the families gave them three dozen fresh from the hen house eggs.

I am setting aside a dozen cans of tuna and canned chicken chunks to go with the 2 dozen boxes of Tuna Helpers that one of the families gave them.

One thing too that just came to mind is to ask the RS Meeting Coordinator why couldn't we (the Sisters) put together a recipe booklet of Tried & True recipes for the Missionaries to have [and keep in the apartment] and use to prepare their own meals from. Like: Tuna Helper -Any Flavor, add two 5-8oz cans of drained chicken chunks, a hand full or two of frozen veggies (that have been thawed by rinsing with hot tap water and drained well) to the box directions. OR add cooked, frozen shrimp that has been thawed and heated up by placing in a bowl of HOT tap water, then the tails pulled off and drained well before adding to already cooked helper or Pasta Side.

If she hems and haws or says no, I will just do it myself. Every single recipe I have from my own Mother is just like what I described above. So, I'll just transcribe her 3x5 cards into an 8.5 x 11 format and put into one of the many 3 ring binders I have that are empty and looking for something to fill one with.

Sorry I have rambled on and on and quite literally Hijacked your topic @MormonGator  I give it back to you now. 😊

 

 

[pam]

12 hours ago, askandanswer said:

Who are the Cullens?

http://twilight.tribute.ca/the_cullen_family.asp

[Guest MormonGator]

10 hours ago, Iggy said:

Sorry I have rambled on and on and quite literally Hijacked your topic @MormonGator  I give it back to you now.

 

@Iggy, it is absolutely fine, no worries at all! 

[anatess2]

12 hours ago, askandanswer said:

Who are the Cullens?

You rock, a&a!

[anatess2]

One of the young men in our ward in Florida is currently serving in my hometown in the Philippines. 

Another young man from our Stake who has the same first name as the young man in our ward is currently serving in the same mission in my hometown in the Philippines.

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, pam said:

http://twilight.tribute.ca/the_cullen_family.asp

So, does the Twilight series take place in Utah?  I don't get it.  I've never read the series.

[pam]

3 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

So, does the Twilight series take place in Utah?  I don't get it.  I've never read the series.

No in Forks, Washington  

[zil]

10 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

So, does the Twilight series take place in Utah?  I don't get it.  I've never read the series.

Not only do I not get it, I don't want to get it.

[pam]

3 minutes ago, zil said:

Not only do I not get it, I don't want to get it.

That's okay.  I get it and I wish I had never got it.

[mirkwood]

6 hours ago, pam said:

http://twilight.tribute.ca/the_cullen_family.asp

TMI

[Vort]

4 hours ago, pam said:

That's okay.  I get it and I wish I had never got it.

My wife is one of the best, most virtuous people I know, and she really enjoyed the books. I have never read them, but I'm inclined to like them just because I trust my wife.

[anatess2]

13 minutes ago, Vort said:

My wife is one of the best, most virtuous people I know, and she really enjoyed the books. I have never read them, but I'm inclined to like them just because I trust my wife.

I pretty sure this is going to be the one and only exception... 

[Guest MormonGator]

20 minutes ago, Vort said:

My wife is one of the best, most virtuous people I know, and she really enjoyed the books. I have never read them, but I'm inclined to like them just because I trust my wife.

Do you and her usually have the same tastes in "literature" (I will not call the Twilight series "literature" in the same way I won't call Adam Sandler an actor)? 

[Vort]

44 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

Do you and her usually have the same tastes in "literature" (I will not call the Twilight series "literature" in the same way I won't call Adam Sandler an actor)? 

We used to. She introduced me to Jane Austen, and I introduced her to Orson Scott Card. (And Edgar Rice Burroughs...but we'll just ignore that for now.) Lots of fun being exposed to new types of literature. In recent years or decades, my taste has migrated toward nonfiction of various types, while she is very much into I guess what might be called traditional romances. She also does way more casual reading than I do.

[askandanswer]

20 hours ago, Iggy said:

    Fair Warning:    @MormonGator I am Hijacking your topic ~

Hubby found out in Branch Council this morning that we, the active members of the Branch are to no longer have the Missionaries over for dinners. We can, however give the the foods to cook/eat themselves. Some how they are to only have dinners with the in-actives /*less*-actives and the investigators. To this I told my Husband, for this to happen, one or more of the active Sister members will need to be called to set up dinners with the in-active /less-actives via phone calls.

In 2011, out of my own pocket and out of my own cupboards, I provided bake ware, preparation bowls, 4 qt glass measuring bowls, glass 1 & 2 cup measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing & cooking utensils, set of four flatware (un-matched, but very good quality out of my own home). set of 4 melmac plates/bowls, cups-n-saucers our of my own home, 12 un-matched glass glasses from my own home, brand new set of three skillets w/lids at the cost of $59.99, then from thrift stores from the next two counties on either side of our town plus this one where we live I purchased glass bake ware (two casserole dishes w/lids, three loaf pans, two pie plates, a 9 x 13 and an 8" square pans, Revere Ware sauce pans (1 & 3 qt plus the top of the double boiler) w/lids, enameled cast iron 4 quart dutch oven, 3 quart electric crock pot,  a Presto Air Popper, four sets of four dishtowels/cloths [two dishtowels & two dish clothes that matched], four sets of four hot pads/mitts [two mitts w/matching hot pads for each set], a package of 8 scrub sponges, dish pan w/matching drainer & draining mat. Salt & Pepper set, large tin salt shaker for near the stove. Out of my own cupboards/food storage I gave them a recently purchased quart of cooking olive oil, vegetable oil, four packages of 12 double rolls of TP, a plastic grocery bag of bath soaps that Hubby can't use [they give he hives] and I no longer use bar soap.

Why did I do this? Because the Elder Missionaries commented on night at dinner with us, that they didn't know how to broach the subject with the RS Presidency who had been collecting Hamburger & Tuna Helpers, cake & cookie mixes, and even those Jimmie Dean frozen breakfasts that you fry up the meat/potatoes/onions/sweet bell peppers in a skillet, then add scrambled eggs to. The cost of hamburger & eggs were not in their meager budgets, and they had nothing to cook everything in let alone eat it off of or with.

Hubby and I broached it with the RS Presidency, who assured us they were broach it with the Missionary President. 6 months later there still was no *equipment* forthcoming, so I went into action. I had just received some monies from when my oldest sister had passed and her meager estate had been settled & anything of value had been sold. With that $500.00 I set up the Missionaries apartment - took pictures of everything, made an extensive list of everything, and gave printed copies to our RS Presidency, Branch Presidency, and the Mission President.

I also got our Branch members to donate NEW twin bed sheet sets, new pillows w/those protective zip into covers and zip into mattress cover protectors, blankets for summer AND winter (two for each bed) as well as two sets of quilts for each bed. 8 NEW complete sets of bath linens, and 4 packages of 12 decent plastic hangers. On all of these fabric items, three of the sisters took them home, laundered them for the first time, then embroidered "Property of the ______________ Branch of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints". On all of the electric cookware, one of the brothers used an electric engraver and put the same thing.

Now, in 2015 the *powers to be* decided to pull the missionaries from our Branch. They took EVERYTHING from the apartment. Stripped it clean! Our Branch President and our Stake President didn't even let the dust settle before they convinced those *Power's To Be* to return the Missionaries. It had only been two weeks, so the phone had not even been shut off, nor had the apartment been rented to someone else. But EVERYTHING was NOT returned. Matter of fact the Mission President said that he hadn't even started the process to have everything removed.

Turns out it was our own Branch Mission Leaders Wife who had, then she moved to a little town in Washington state (we are pretty much in the center of the Oregon Coast) while she waited for her husband to come home from Hawaii where his company had sent him for two months. We never got anything back - the Mission President through the church supplied the furniture and well worn bedding & mattress's. BUT no cookware, etc.

Just last year this family (the ex-Branch Mission Leader and his wife and 4 kids) moved back into the Branch. Our Branch President and the recently called Mission Leader asked them for all of the items back. The husband was totally embarrassed by what his wife had done, and he went through the two U-Hauls of his belongings and gave the Branch back the items. Then he asked me to come and go over the dishes that had not been engraved. Armed with MY copy of the list, I picked out the dishes. Wife claimed that she had been told she was to take everything - so she did. 🙄 🤦‍♀️

Since my body has made it extremely painful to cook dinner for the Missionaries (actually to cook dinners for ourselves too), I have been supplying the missionaries with TP, bar soap, toothpaste/brushes, personal hygiene (whatever brand they prefer of deodorant, shampoo, body lotions, etc.) Dish detergent and just recently since I have been making my own Eco-friendly and quite good laundry powder - have given them a 6 pound container w/scoop for each load. One of the widowed sisters has been having them come over to use her machines rather than go to the really nasty laundra-mat in town. Her machines are in a downstairs section of her house, accessible with it's own exterior door and the door to the main part of the house remains locked. So it doesn't matter if the missionaries are male or female, the ones who are reassigned are to tell the new incoming where the key is hidden. Has worked well since 2004. 

Just recently the Sister Missionaries knocked on our door - they had an hour to use up before they went to dinner at a less-actives home near us and wanted to know if they could help me do anything. I was having trouble putting away the canned/boxed goods I had purchased in the last two months, as well as folding three loads of towels and two loads of bed linens. SO, armed with Sharpies, they marked the years on the canned foods with me, and took turns rotating the canned goods in my food pantry. Then we all sat at the now cleared dining room table folding the clean clothes. Even Hubby joined us and we related how we all helped our own mothers do this.

Then before they left for dinner, I got a paper grocery bag and had them *Go Shopping* from my hall bathroom cupboard [personal hygiene items], the food pantry and I had them get a package of 32 double size rolls of TP from the Master Closet. They liked the soup I had purchased some time ago that neither of us liked (new flavors), and I finally purged the canned foods that I LOVE but can't have because the fat content is way too high for me. Then I also gave them half of the Marie Callenders larger envelope packages of Corn Bread mix. They already have a new container of vegetable oil and one of the families gave them three dozen fresh from the hen house eggs.

I am setting aside a dozen cans of tuna and canned chicken chunks to go with the 2 dozen boxes of Tuna Helpers that one of the families gave them.

One thing too that just came to mind is to ask the RS Meeting Coordinator why couldn't we (the Sisters) put together a recipe booklet of Tried & True recipes for the Missionaries to have [and keep in the apartment] and use to prepare their own meals from. Like: Tuna Helper -Any Flavor, add two 5-8oz cans of drained chicken chunks, a hand full or two of frozen veggies (that have been thawed by rinsing with hot tap water and drained well) to the box directions. OR add cooked, frozen shrimp that has been thawed and heated up by placing in a bowl of HOT tap water, then the tails pulled off and drained well before adding to already cooked helper or Pasta Side.

If she hems and haws or says no, I will just do it myself. Every single recipe I have from my own Mother is just like what I described above. So, I'll just transcribe her 3x5 cards into an 8.5 x 11 format and put into one of the many 3 ring binders I have that are empty and looking for something to fill one with.

Sorry I have rambled on and on and quite literally Hijacked your topic @MormonGator  I give it back to you now. 😊

 

 

@Iggy my son's mission address is

Australia Adelaide Mission
PO Box 97
Marden, SA 5070
Australia

[zil]

4 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

Australia Adelaide Mission
PO Box 97
Marden, SA 5070
Australia

So, what, we address our letters to "Elder son-of-askandanswer"?

[JohnsonJones]

4 hours ago, Vort said:

My wife is one of the best, most virtuous people I know, and she really enjoyed the books. I have never read them, but I'm inclined to like them just because I trust my wife.

I know at least two of my daughters have read the book series.  I have not nor have I seen the movies.  I did have a daughter who played the soundtrack/theme song quite a bit while visiting.  As such I DO almost have the theme music memorized.

[Iggy]

1 hour ago, askandanswer said:

@Iggy my son's mission address is

Australia Adelaide Mission
PO Box 97
Marden, SA 5070
Australia

I am assuming you are talking about//referencing the cook books?  When I get it compiled, I will email it to you, and then you can send it on.

[zil]

1 hour ago, zil said:

So, what, we address our letters to "Elder son-of-askandanswer"?

Or maybe we go Scandinavian: Elder Askandanswerson.  Yes, I like that better.

[Just_A_Guy]

“Missionaries for Dinner” sounds like the name for a summer zombie-slasher film that would do very well in Provo.

Edited November 13, 2018 by Just_A_Guy

[Guest MormonGator]

1 minute ago, Just_A_Guy said:

“Missionaries for Dinner” sounds like the name for a summer zombie-slasher film that would do very well in Provo.

Funny you mention that. 

When we picked up the missionaries once (not this set), they asked what we did. Without missing a beat, LG said "We kill missionaries." Then she locked the door and grinned. 

[askandanswer]

10 hours ago, zil said:

So, what, we address our letters to "Elder son-of-askandanswer"?

Letters addressed to Son of the Enlightened One will reach him from any country, even if you leave off the mission address. 

[askandanswer]

9 hours ago, Iggy said:

I am assuming you are talking about//referencing the cook books?  When I get it compiled, I will email it to you, and then you can send it on.

Well, in his letter last Monday, he mentioned that he's running low on toilet paper and he's not happy with the limited amount of kitchenware. 

[NightSG]

53 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

Well, in his letter last Monday, he mentioned that he's running low on toilet paper and he's not happy with the limited amount of kitchenware. 

Goodwill had a couple of martini shakers for $2 each. I could send him one. 

[zil]

2 hours ago, askandanswer said:

Letters addressed to Son of the Enlightened One will reach him from any country, even if you leave off the mission address. 

You seem to think that I'm not going to write a letter and send it to that mission office.  You appear not to understand that I don't care what they might think when they see the letter is addressed to Elder Askandanswerson, AKA Son of the (self-named) Enlightened One.

As it so happens, I have some 52gsm Tomoe River paper (that's thin, like Bible paper) and airmail envelopes (that are probably 25-30 years old).