Feeding The Five Thousand....OK....the Sixty

Amazing how you can plan for something for days and it comes and washes over like a tidal wave, and you are left wondering what hit.

Our zone conference was today and quite marvelous.  I have thought about and schemed for days how we could serve 60 missionaries Cafe Rio Salads.  The exact moment that Sister Sederholm asked if I would be willing to plan a lunch for zone conference, I thought "Ah....Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salads!"

I had as much ready by this morning as I possibly could.  I got up unusually early so that I could get ready for the day, and fry up the corn tortilla strips to put on top of the salads.  Then we loaded down the car with all kinds of things needed for the lunch, including rice cookers, electric skillet, crock pot (that little red crock pot has performed heroicly for the last week....percolating through long nights and long days), bowls, dishes, ladles, and other utensils, not to mention a huge pot of black beans, a large pot of sweet pork, 8 large bags of corn chips for the tables, etc.

We managed to get to the church at 8:30, and were given permission to use the temple guest housing kitchen.  If there had been other guests, we wouldn't have been able to use it.  We received help from several young missionaries to empty the car and carry it up 3 floors to the real kitchen.

Within minutes after we arrived most of the other senior missionaries came and all began to pitch in.  We had to stop for a half hour to troop over to the temple steps to get our zone picture taken.  We all convened in the chapel for opening exercises and I rushed back to the kitchen.  I worked frantically to get everything chopped up ....then the others were released from the conference and came and together we got it all done....and ready to serve at noon.  Having all that help in the kitchen is a beautiful thing!

I meant to take pictures, but by the time we served the lunch, that was the last thing on my mind.

The lunch was an unqualified success, I am most happy to say.

We had 8 or 9 senior missionaries standing on one side of the table dishing up one thing.  One dishing the beans, one the rice, one the meat etc.  I just stood to the side and watched and listened.  The young missionaries were soooo cute!  Some of the comments were:

"You really DID fix us Cafe Rio!"

"This tastes just like the real thing!"

"I have missed this so much!"

"Cafe Rio is at the top of my list of places to go when I get home!

"You just became the most popular senior missionary!"

And there were more....all really nice statements.  I knew this group would love those salads because most of them come from areas where Cafe Rio is popular, but I was blown away by how much they really did love them.  For a brief time we worried that there wouldn't be enough - but by the time the last missionary had gone through the line, there was enough for seconds....and missionaries had all they wanted.  They went back and dished up their own salads.

We brought out the cupcakes....about 150.....and quite a few said they had eaten so much that they had no room left for dessert, but the cupcakes eventually all disappeared.  Sister Sederholm made some decadent chocolate cupcakes with a cream center and some white cupcakes with a sweet raspberry filling.  I made chocolate with chocolate icing, pumpkin with cream cheese icing and lemon with lemon cream cheese icing.  The young men and women seemed to love them all, but I received some very complimentary thank yous about the lemon cupcakes.  I like them a lot.

Here is the really sweet thing.  Not only was there enough - and to spare - but there was enough beans, rice and pork to serve tomorrow night at the center!  Kasper can't make it, and I was thinking I would have to get up and put together a dinner for the YSAs..... but now most of it is ready.  I just have to made some pico de gallo and guacamole and purchase some tortillas.....and make some more cupcakes.

It doesn't get any better than that as far as having everything go right.....see?.....  I told you....even in small matters like feeding His missionaries a meal....the Lord is in the details.

We ended the day with 9 of us seniors around the Thorne's table playing Nines.  It was a nice easy and relaxing way to end the day....I lost....but then I always do.

But I still feel like a winner......great friends who help, great young people serving the Lord, plans that actually come to fruition.... and an easy day tomorrow at the center!!!!!