April 2016 Baptisms

 Zhanghua 1, April 30

Zhanghua 1, April 23

Wufeng, April 16

Wuquan 3, April 15

How to Use Up 72-Hour Backpack Peanut Butter???

President and I have been married for 35 years and during this time, he has never liked peanut butter any other way than spread in a PBJ or on toast. No Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfinger Bars, Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Cheesecake, etc. Just undefiled chunky peanut butter straight from the jar (creamy won't even do)! 

But I had over a dozen jars of creamy peanut butter rotated out from 72-hour backpacks to use up. What to do? Started looking online for an easy recipe that I could turn into a healthy treat! And guess what? President loved it and came begging for more! He is even amazed that he could love these as much as our missionaries do! So here is for all the missionaries and investigators that asked for the recipe:

Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Cooking spray

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) butter, melted and cooled slightly

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch (this will help you lift the bar easily from the pan in one piece). Spray the pan with cooking spray.

Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, stir with rubber spatula the melted butter and sugars until combined. Mix in the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined (be careful not to over mix the dough or the bars will be tough). Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, pressing and smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the top is slightly golden and firm to the touch and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 30 minutes (do not overtake). Let cool completely on a wire rack. Lift up on the foil overhang to remove the bar from the pan, and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut into desired number of bars. 

ENJOY!

2016 April Visitors

April 29 

Taking in the Taiping Night Market with this lovely couple! 

This is the greatest...each being married to a Taiwan Taichung Missionary!

April 30 

And second to that would be to have more than one Taiwan Taichung Missionary in the family!

April 27

What a lucky father to be able to stop by while on a business trip and see the surroundings of his son's mission!

April 26

 We miss our office couple so much, but we are excited they are here to stay for a while!!!

Enjoying our favorite vegetarian restaurant together in Taichung:

April 25

What a blessing to be able to see our Taiwanese returned missionaries often...at least for two more months!

April 25
AP coming back with his family:)

April 16
So great to see this sister and meet her husband and family, it's been over two years!

With her baby (trainee) at stake conference!

April 17

April 10

So fun to have this missionary and his family here for general conference festivities:)

April 9

Released already?! And with her family at the mission home!

April 8

So grateful this sister was able to come back so soon! 

And she was such a blessing to the Hampton family as well, taking many precious belongings home:)

4-28-16 Mission Leadership Council

Welcoming new mission leaders:

Counseling together:

Assistants conduct training on talking to EVERYONE:

Going outside for a practice:

These two sisters serving in the area surrounding the chapel...

 look like they already know what to do!

Lunch at the mission home:

It's Thai time!

 President loves it when I serve his favorite peach cobbler a la mode:

 Training by Sister Blickenstaff focused on recognizing that we are the Lord's servants and how to develop Christlike attributes in order to represent Him and teach with the Spirit. We need to lead by example and teach missionaries using PMG and the scriptures.
Role playing teaching opportunities:

 Teaching

 President instructs on the Doctrine of Christ and faith:

 Closing with the mission song:

 President counsels with sister training leaders on conducting effective exchanges:

 Our mission leaders:

4-26-16 District Training Meeting - Fengjia

District leader sharing with district members about one of his investigators:

Instructing on inviting investigators to church and using the pamphlets, after which district members spent time practicing:

 Singing Happy Birthday to one of our newest missionaries and celebrating with a yummy taro cake:)

 The Fengjia District

Russian Cuisine in Taichung!

Just a couple blocks from the mission home, you can enjoy sumptuous Russian cuisine!

 My lamb kabobs were amazing!

 As were the beef kabobs, pork rolls, and rice dishes:

 After serving in the office for 5 months, our Mission Recorder returned to the field:

Here is the Russian restaurant owner who met her Taiwanese husband in Japan and immigrated to Taiwan where they opened this lovely restaurant. And get this, she speaks fabulous Chinese!