Aguilar District Conference

It was a "brrrrrrritht sunshiny day".  We began the day with an hour-and-a-half drive of about 35 Km/21 miles to get to district conference in Aguilar. That's about 15 miles per hour for an hour-and-a-half. It seems like you're going a lot faster... but you're not. There was the usual morning traffic with people going to the market, going to church, funeral processions, bottle-necked intersections, near misses and slow drivers, but we planned the travel time right and we arrived 30 minutes early. That gave us a little time to decompress from the stress of the road and prepare for the conference.

Along the way there were a few rural straightaways that provided a view of the countryside and the beauties of normal life in the lowlands.

The familiar statue of the farmer and his carabou in Bugallion alert us that we are getting close to Aguilar and the conference.

We spotted the chapel off the main road and pulled into the parking lot. We can tell the members were cleaning the building this morning to get ready for conference.

Conference is a great time of gathering and meeting with friends and family. This lola (grandmother) loves to hold her granddaughter. Grandma's worldwide share the same feelings of love for their children.

A faithful few arrive early to meet the visitors. We were given beautiful flowers to wear in conference as visiting participants from the mission presidency... a wonderful tradition all over the Philippines.

This is a view of a training session before it began. The room was filled with the women's auxiliary leaders by the time the meeting started.

The conference choir. Nothing like blending the voices of the YSA's in a big choir for conference.

(Upper Left) Elder Collado (former Baguio mission president before President Jensen) and President and Sister Jensen, Sister Lindsay and some of the district presidency joined the choir for this picture. The young man in the front row, second from the right is the second counselor in the district presidency and a YSA. He is a returned missionary and a school teacher... and is looking for an eternal companion.

Wonderful families with beautiful children filled the halls for conference.

After conference the branch presidents made their offices available to the mission presidency so we could do temple recommend interviews. What a great experience it was today.

When the meetings and activities are over, many of the members from distant branches climb on a jeep and ride home together. Sort of like a branch SUV.

Another jeep load of members ready to journey home with their missionaries. Some may have to ride on the top of the jeep.

Kids were pretty reverent during meetings, but were really excited to run outside after the meeting. It was a nice 90 degree/cool February day.

Another happy lola.

This is a nice looking bridge, but it is often under repair. There are several temporary joints covered with a 3 foot wide metal sheet that is just laid on the top of some kind of under-structure. As I drive over them I hope they lay flat and don't flip up or slide off to open a gaping hole to the river below.

On the way home we passed lots of carts loaded with crops from the fields; sugar cane, rice, corn, tobacco and livestock feeds.

Other carts are laden with their wares; baskets, ropes, and Mylar balloons for the town festivals.

It was a good conference, We felt the Spirit, shared our testimonies and renewed recommends and wonderful friendships with the saints. We can barely see their poverty, because their smiles are so big and their faith is so strong. These are wonderful, humble, happy saints in the Kingdom.