Missionary friends and Apple of Gold

Recently, we had two fun opportunities to strengthen relationships of the long-term missionaries at the center. We get so busy here with all the different times people are busy, it is very rare we all get to be together for over an hour at a time. These two events we fun and blessed moments together.

First, we had a "girlz night out"! All of we missionary gals met in our long-term missionary building about 8pm on a Friday night. It was one of our Brazilians b-day, so we celebrated. We played games and had LOTS to eat (our Brazilians are notorious for cooking here), facials, massages, pedicures and manicures! It was so much fun!

Second, we did the first Apples of Gold dinner with Bob and Betty (missionaries from Canada) . It was Italian (had to use Bob, he made the manicotti). Actually, Bob and Betty did all the cooking, while I was in charge of all else. For dinner we had: Italian flatbread with the oil dip, minestrone soup, Italian green salad, lasagna, manicotti and Italian Cheese Cake. All the food was from scratch! We opened the evening with just the women present. I explained what Apples of Gold was and how we adapted it to here in Africa at the center, specifically. I say "adapted" because many of the ingredients we cannot get here, so we improvise. Betty had the recipes printed for everyone and demonstrated how she made the bread and lasagne. After she was finished, I spoke about Friendship. I used several of the girls here as examples in my life of Friendship, as well as "gal friends" from the bible. Betty also spoke of her Friendships here. After this hour of tim etogether, the men joined us for dinner.

My part was to "set the mood", so I prepared the room as a restaurant with six tables at odd angles covered with red and white checkered tablecloths. The centerpiece: a candle, and a gerber flower laying by the candle with tiny white wildflowers resting on it beside a golden apple. I had place settings to mix up the people and I called the names out for each table and seated one table at a time. One married couple was at each table. There was Italian music playing in the background and tiny white lights were hanging around at the entrance. Everyone visited over the appetizer of bread and dip. To begin dinner, Betty dipped the soup into bowls and I served. Next the salad, lasagna and manicotti was put on each table and everyone ate "too much" - but still had room for the cake! Everyone had a lovely time and we gave gifts to our Directors, Steve and Ros. After the holidays, two of the gals are going to do the second Apples of Gold and have already said dinner would be Tex-Mex! There are no Mexican restaurants here or in Nelspruit, SA....so I am really looking forward to it.