Pho and Harry Reid

What a Sunday! The first part was great... fasting, church, the usual thing. After we were invited to dinner at the home of one of the sisters I visiting teach. Von was a Laotian refugee, a convert married to one of the counselors in the bishopric. When we arrived at her house a huge pot of broth was boiling on the stove for pho. (I keep calling it "fa" as in fa la la la la. It is really "fuh" which rhymes with duh.) After our first experience with pho in Virginia with Heather we weren't so sure we liked it. Maybe it as the tripe. Yeah, pretty sure it was the tripe.

This pho was delicious. Von dished up humongous bowls of uncooked rice sticky noodles and poured the boiling broth over them. They cook instantly right in the bowl. A couple of meatballs, some marinated beef, a shrimp or two and we were ready to customize our dish with an assortment of celery, green onion, cilantro, garlic, bean sprouts, lime and sugar. Oh, and hot sauce. I loved it until Von added the Thai basil which had a strong flavor I didn't especially care for.

Von is also the ward's expert egg roll maker. I had to miss her class in Relief Society, so I was really happy she made some for us tonight.

We wowed them with our ability to eat with chopsticks. One of their twin 15 year old daughters made a chocolate cake for dessert.

Then we rushed to the stake center where Senator Harry Reid and his wife were presenting a fireside entitled "Why I Believe." They told the stories of their conversion to the gospel and bore their testimonies. There was a secret service agent seated by each door as they spoke.

This fireside reminded me that we are all equal in the sight of the Lord. Before Senator Reid spoke, our stake president asked a new missionary who will be set apart tomorrow to bear his testimony. At the conclusion of the meeting a line of people formed in the aisle to shake hands with Senator Reid, but on the opposite side of the chapel the young missionary was also surrounded by a sizable crowd wishing him well and shaking his hand. It reminded me that we are all brothers and sisters - the senator, the young missionary, my friend Von.

(As we stood in the chapel afterward, I told Steve, "Too bad I don't still have Flat Adrian." That would have been a kick to take his picture with Senator Reid.)