Who you Know

Around the first of July, I got a brainstorm to go to Greenhills with Jonah and get some pearls for the girls.  I sent an email to the other sisters in the Area office for advise on where to go. It ended up that Sister Almeida the DTA's wife (Director for Temporal Affairs) wanted to go with me. I had no idea that I would be included in the VIP treatment. First of all a secretary called and told me Sister Almeida wanted to go and then arranged for a driver. When I got to the Area office and waited for the driver I found there were no drivers available so arrangements had been made with Jim and Jean from the Presiding Bishops Storehouse (the store that sells the church books and clothing articles) to come take us. Jim drove and Jean turned out to be a translator at the pearl market.  Having the details all whisked away is heady stuff!
I felt like a bobbing headed toy being pulled along by an invisible leash when we got to the Mall. Imagine acres of stalls one after the other of colorful goods.......No, you have to experience it. I had been told about it, but you have to be there to see, hear, and smell. It's an experience. I quickly learned not to make eye contact and especially not smile because every singe booth had a deal and a sale. I just kept my eyes on the goods as I followed the ladies and gentleman in front of me. I memorized the hair clip so I wouldn't get lost in the sea of dark haired heads. My head was in constant motion and I had given Jonah my wallet because I knew she could take care of it better than I in a crowd known for pickpockets.

Jean and Sister Almeida - ladies who know what they are looking for and where to find it. Sister Almeida had some favorite vendors and went straight to a stall in huge block of about 80 stalls- each looking exactly like the other. About 2 minutes into the mall I wondered what in the world I was thinking to head out with just Jonah. I realized I'd been greatly blessed and watched over by someone.

Sister Almeida was able to get me to a good vendor and Jean was able to talk her into a much better price than I would have gotten on my own. 

Luckily for me they loved shopping

We ordered a pizza (it was huge!) and then went out for another half hour while it was being prepared and wended our way through the stalls so Sister Almeida could get some bags for her grandchildren. Then we zigzagged through the mall again to eat pizza and roamed once more through the mall to pick up the pearl earrings and the necklaces that had been lengthened. The vendors do all they can to give us exactly what we wanted by finishing and touching up everything right there in the stall.

It took two people to carry this pizza! After the five of us ate what we wanted, the extra pizza was put into boxes to feed another four families.

After dropping off Sister Almeida off at home, we went to another mall and picked up a chart for the PBStorehouse which only took about 20 minutes and then went home in the rain storm.
Herre are the three J's Jim, Jean, and Jonah

I would love to go again someday, but I don't think I could do it without this team.