Week 37--March 6-12, 2016

Exit day for 15 missionaries was on Tuesday, March 8. Exiting missionaries are Elder Mabbala, Elder Delicano, Elder Suldan (not exiting yet), Elder Davuke, Elder Hilario, Elder Ubias, Elder Gabertan, and Elder Jones in the background.

 Exiting sister missionaries--Sister Foote, Sister Canite, Sister Gison, Sister Huni, Sister Qumivutia, Sister Ajek, Sister Rosales, and Sister Pullicar.

Dessert on Exit Day is Mango Float. It is a frozen dessert made with, of course, mangos, graham crackers, and sweetened condensed milk. Yummy! We will miss this when we return home.

Since Exit Day was on Tom's birthday, and Elder Heaton's birthday was the day before, and Garnalee's birthday was coming up, Sister Bertin bought Kung Fu Panda Krispy Creme donuts for the three of us. She put a candle in each one for us to blow out.

Elder Suldan was one of the Assistants to the President who is going back out to the field. He sent us the sweetest text, "Dear Elder and Sister Harrington, This is E. Suldan. Happy birthday Elder Harrington. Thank you for all your sacrifices and love to all of us. I have looked up to you as my father! You have great dedication to the work. You are one of the best couples I have ever meet. I admire you to Sister Harrington. I really learned a lot from you. You teach me how to work in unity! Your humility is the unique attribute I have seen. Thank you for being my family for three months in the office and I hope it will continue. I will always pray for you. WE LOVE YOU. Signing off! E. SULDAN"

 Saturday, March 12, the San Jose Del Monte Stake Relief Society hosted a Relief Society Anniversary Party. The theme was "Faith in Every Footstep" and Alma 37:6: "...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass."
Each Ward dressed in pioneer clothes. Garnalee is pictured with some of the other sisters from the La Mesa Ward adorned in their pioneer hats.

 Each Ward was asked to honor the oldest pioneer member in their Ward. This beautiful sister from the La Mesa Ward joined the Church in 1979. She has nine children.

 Each Ward was assigned to do a skit, a fashion show, or an interpretative dance. The La Mesa Ward did a dance.

The La Mesa sisters gather for a group shot adorned with their aprons and hats.

Tom and Garnalee are joined on Saturday for a dinner out to celebrate her birthday by Elder and Sister Broadhead and President and Sister Bertin. We tried out a local Mexican Restaurant called La Poca Loca. It was recommended by some of the missionaries who live in the Lagro area. Not like El Mirador at home!






We spent several hours on Monday, March 7, getting the rent checks and tax forms in envelopes ready to be distributed on Thursday at MLC.  We celebrated Tom's birthday that evening at Chili's with a wonderful dinner and free Molten Lava Cake topped with ice cream (Tom had received an email with a coupon for free lava cake and no purchase was necessary).

Exit Day is followed on Wednesday with Arrival Day for 16 missionaries and Transfer Day for some of the In-field missionaries. Exit and Arrival Days always mean a busy week. We have gotten up earlier for three days in a row and late days at the office are catching up with us.