Table of Contents
The hottest news off the press this week is the change of the name of this paper from The Servant to The Herald. Frankly, there was so little response to the first issue that the editors felt a name change might bring more interest. We aren't planning to increase subscription rates, which are still the lowest in the country.
To Elder Michael Jones who is living and serving in the Bronx, New York. Named for Jonas Bronk who established a farm there in 1639, today the Bronx is the northernmost borough of New York City and the most densely populated city of it's size in the United States.
We're called to serve in special places
With loving hearts and beaming faces
In a place whose name trips off the lips,
The Bronx
The buildings here are big as mountains
The sweat in summer runs like fountains
In that garden spot of civic pride,
The Bronx
We live in big apartment houses
Swept clean of rats and free of louses
And we move with practiced ease throughout,
The Bronx
We eat strange food like lox and knishes
And Bagels with gefelte fishes
This place is one big gastronome,
The Bronx
We serve the Lord as best we can
And testify to every man
In this the best of mission places,
The Bronx
Elders Jeff Jensen and Greg Taylor (both in the MTC) write that they are doing well and see each other every day. Greg is learning to eat in Spanish while Jeff is eating in Portuguese. Elder Jensen leaves on the 18th of this month for Lisbon. Elder Nathan Mathis wrote to say they had four baptisms so far this month and plan to have three more next month. The bad news is that Elder Lance Wilcox will probably be home by the time this newsletter clears the censor's office and goes to press. The good news is that the censor (Sister Taylor) is out of town this week so I can write anything I want without getting a lecture, or worse, the look if she disapproves.
Sister Christina Nally, daughter of Lon and Kaye Nally, will be entering the Missionary Training Center in Provo on November 11. She will be serving in the Netherlands Amsterdam Mission. Congratulations to Sister Nally and her family for this great opportunity to serve. A word of caution to you though, Sister Nally: either you drop an occasional note to the editor of this paper or every issue will contain some disparaging remark about the Netherlands Amsterdam Mission.
Elder Jeff Jensen, still in the MTC, sent in this month's recipe. Jeff will leave for Lisbon in another week and is already preparing himself for the great food he will have in Portugal. He may not know it yet, but Portugal is one of the great seafaring nations of the world, and their cuisine reflects this long and close association with the sea. Elder Jensen has been eating at the MTC cafeteria where he hasn't had many chances to try the foods of Portugal. Last week, however, they did feature one dish straight from the back alleys of Lisbon and he said it was delicious. Here it is:
Simmer five pounds of scales from Atlantic Codfish for two hours. (At the normal ratio of scales to codfish, it will take about 700 pounds of codfish to get five pounds of scales). Carefully drain off the water, being sure to save it in a glass container (not plastic). Put the scales aside on a cookie sheet and allow them to dry in the sun. Mix one cup of the water with a cheap yellow cake mix and bake it per the cake directions. When cooled, sprinkle one half of the fish scales on top of the cake and the other half on your head. Sit back, eat, and enjoy.
On Sunday, October 9, 1994, there occurred an event of staggering importance. Bishop Phillips began the Sacrament Meeting on time. Several members of the ward were caught completely off guard as they thought they still had several minutes to mill about in the halls and chat with their friends. One prominent member of the Relief Society Presidency said, "I don't know how he did it. I thought I still had several minutes to mill about in the halls and chat with my friends. I guess I was wrong." When asked if this was going to be a regular feature of the Plano 8th Ward Sacrament Meetings, Bishop Phillips said, "No, I don't think so."
In a ceremony held in the men's shower room of the Plano Senior High School gym, Keith Taylor has been honored for his accomplishments and leadership in the field of news reporting. When asked about the guiding principles that were most responsible for his stellar success, Mr. Taylor replied, "I never stoop to reporting both sides of an issue." It was agreed by all in attendance that those were certainly words to live by. After the ceremony, refreshments were served and then the showers were turned on for a quick and easy cleanup.
Where to start??? With the creation of a new stake last month there have been many changes in both the stake and ward organization. Gale Johnson and Jim Pardoe have been called to serve on the Stake High Council. Shafique Janmohamed has been placed in the Stake Mission Presidency. Tony Port is the new Stake Clerk. Marti Taylor has been called to be the new ward Young Women's President and Lauralea Moline had been tapped to head the Primary. Construction work will begin on the Legacy building in January and will continue for four months. New bishop's offices will be built, freeing up additional classrooms now used as bishop's offices.