They are creating a new stake that will take part of our mission and put it in the Quezon City Mission. The new Taguig Stake will encompass some of our proselyting areas, so we are giving three of our apartments over to them. This means that we must find and rent three apartments for these missionaries before June 4. Typically, the missionaries in the area find the apartments, and then we go look at them and see if they meet mission requirements, then talk to the owner about using our contract, make sure they have a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and come to terms. Many Filipinos do not have a TIN because they don't want to pay the taxes, and probably can get away with it. The Church, however, insists on the tax being paid, to the extent that we actually pay it. S0 if someone wants P10,000 a month, we pay the taxes in their name and they still net P10,000. It's a pretty good deal for them! But, we've had people refuse, either because they insist on their own contract or don't want to have the taxes paid, calling attention to them.
Besides finding these new apartments, we are also signing up replacement apartments for missionaries who have rats coming up their toilets, or whose apartments flood in the rainy season soon to be upon us. We also must inspect all 48 apartments for cleanliness and function once each transfer. So, Thursday we drove to the southernmost apartment in the mission to inspect. There is a checklist that they all have, that they will be graded on. The highest score is about 12 (which the sisters usually receive). If they score less than an 8, they each lose P400 of support, and the "House Mouse," the missionary with the longest time in the apartment, who is in charge of the house, loses P500. Their support is P4000 per month, so it is not an insignificant penalty.
We left our apartment at 7:30 am, and arrived at 9:10 at the first apartment, which, I think, is fifteen or seventeen kilometers away. We were able to see three apartments in that area, which is significant and very helpful. We have from 8 am to about 12 noon to see the apartments. The missionaries are in their apartments for that time Tuesday-Thursday, and on Friday, they are in until three o'clock, so we have a little longer. This may seem like they spend a lot of time in their apartments, but they have designated study time. They are to be dressed in missionary attire by 8 am, do personal scripture study until nine, then companionship study until 10. At ten they begin language study, which is 30 or 60 minutes, then eat lunch and go out. On Friday they add weekly planning from 1:00-3:00, then go out. They are back in their apartments by 9 or 9:30, and then in bed by10:30.
They weren't so clean this week, perhaps because they called their mothers on Monday, which is their P-day, so they didn't have as much time to clean. None were below 8, though. We drove back to the office, arriving something after one, ate lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon in the office doing paperwork.
That night we rehearsed for the ward talent/variety night.
Friday we began again, this time going to the northernmost area of the mission. We were very blessed this day because we were able to get to seven apartments, an unheard of number! We were in Tondo, that horribly poverty-stricken and scary area we were in on our first day with the Hiatts. It wasn't nearly as scary this time, after two months of driving all over the metro area! One nice benefit of experience, I guess. In addition, we had an appointment to sign a contract, and got that done, too. We missed our first Zone Conference to do so, but we felt this was more important, and the President agreed. We don't really have to attend Zone Conferences, but they are one of the perks. There is a nice day of spiritual meetings, a nice, catered lunch, and being with the missionaries. Nonetheless it was a good trade-off.
It was Friday night. We had to get bread, and I was tired, so while at the store we purchase some pre-made spinach quiches, and brought them home to eat. Afterwards we watched Scarlet Pimpernel until we fell asleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment