Foodie Friday--February 6, 2016

During language/culture class Friday afternoons we get to have foodie Friday. Before the food though Joel fills us in on all the office "gossip". I need to video him too because it makes it all the more funny. Sometimes I wonder if he should be telling us everything he does but it is just the Filipino culture. Everybody else in the office knows so he doesn't want us to feel left out. For as shy as they are they sure don't have a problem being blunt and honest when it comes down to it. Joel always brings a good laugh. He told us a cool story during our meeting too though. In 2012, the Philippines was really struggling with the amount of fast offerings they were receiving from the members and the amount that was needed. Meanwhile there was a stake conference going in Zimbabwe where the general authority was asking them to fast and pay fast offerings. He told them to fast for two meals. A year or two later he returned and asked how the fast offerings we going. With great pride the members explained they had been blessed for doing as he asked and had fast for two days every month. He said, wait I said only to fast for two meals. And they responded "Brother, here in Zimbabwe we only eat one meal a day". Back to the Philippines.... A year or two later the fast offerings received was not self sufficient for the church here. In 2014 they had another conference where the topic was stressed again. The general authority explained that the supplemental fast offering money was not coming from the United States or Western Europe but from Zimbabwe, from a people so obedient and faithful they fast for two days. Joel's point was that the Philippines is indeed a third world country, but people have more money than they think and we have to teach them about being grateful and doing what they can with what they have. The Filipinos tend to get stuck and have a hard time seeing a vision but always want more and more. Back to foodie Friday, it was a safe bet. Ice cream. But the Filipinos do it a little different, instead of a cone or cup they like to put their ice cream in a roll it pandesal like a sandwich. Apparently the only logical thing to do with something you can't eat rice with is to eat it with bread. It actually isn't too bad! We had mango and ube flavored. The classics.