A Week of Recovery, Planning, and Zone Conference

The flu bug caught us and laid us low for a week. A high fever for a day, bad headache, weakness and a little nausea to top it all off. Yes, it was quite a week. Mom felt like she was going to die in Manaoag, but she pulled through and we're back on two feet. The weakness and dizziness lasted for a couple of days after the fever spiked. I got it Sunday and about the time I was getting mobile, mom came down with it Tuesday. While we were recovering we considered our work and found a better way. We have an overview of the district and understand the branches and their challenges, so now we will focus on one branch for 8 - 10 weeks and explain, demonstrate, practice, evaluate, strengthen and re-train. We're excited to get into the training deeper and get closer to our members and their leaders. Saturday I will show the branch and district presidencies how to effectively train leaders and all in a calling. I know it is the first of many trainings that will be needed, but it is a real start at making a difference.

While we are working with the leaders we are also working with the members. We will visit families and challenge them to study the scriptures daily, have family prayer daily, hold Family Home Evening and plan to attend the temple. If anyone has a great FHE idea send it our way. We'll take pictures of us giving the lesson and let you help us in the work here in the Philippines. It needs to be fun, active, scripture based and low/no cost.

 This is inside the door of the Mission Office. We have a hand carved Moroni and the Title of Liberty carving on order. Someday it will remind us of our work of our mission to rally the saints to action to strengthen and protect their wives and children, homes and rights!

 We had an inspiring zone conference and after we were done we took a few pictures of each zone that was there. This is the mission paparazzi at their best.

 There were more taking pictures than were in the picture.

 Here we are, healthy and well again, with our Mapandan Zone.

 The birthday missionaries get their picture taken by everyone, a birthday song in English and another in Tagalog and then a trip to the gift box.

 There is a lot of excitement and decision making around the gift box.

Do I want a bookmark, notebook, stickers, markers... decisions, decisions!

We had a good week once we recovered and got back to work and met with the missionaries once again. We were blessed again, the typhoon that was headed straight for us turned north and we will only get clouds and moderate rains. The work goes on rain or shine, but it's nicer to work when it shines.

Another Week in the Work

We travel all over the mission and see sights that are difficult to look at and other times we catch a glimpse of the beauties around us. The fish farms have made some people wealthy, so new homes are going up in these areas.

This was a striking new home on their fish farm pond.

I don't understand the fish farm process, so I don't have any comments on the fences.

This is a shop where they build side-carts for bicycles. Some towns have their streets filled with these pedicarts. They are less expensive than using a motorcycle trike. We see them hauling pigs, chickens, sugar cane, coconuts, bananas, and lots of kids... sort of like a SUV at home.

A nice foot bridge over the river inlet waters. This is a river island near the mouth of the river that flows into the South China Sea.

We got bananas growing in our yard by our front gate. 

These bananas will be ready in a few weeks and we'll have to eat a lot or just share them with everyone. The big reddish fruit under the bananas is called the heart of the banana plant and it is edible too. We see them for sale in the grocery markets.

This cow was not use to seeing a car in her domain, but thankfully the road was wide enough here we could pass the trike and the cow without any problem.

This is a family we went to visit and invite back to church. It's actually the grandfather and grandmother watching their granddaughter while her mother was at work. When we arrived they were all curled up on a wooden square on the ground. It was hot and humid and a perfect time and place for a nap. We visited for a while and then went on our way. I asked where I could turn the car around and he pointed way down the road, over a bridge that I was not comfortable traversing, so I picked the widest spot on the road this side of the bridge and made a lot of back and forth maneuvers and finally got the car turned around. When we came back the family we visited was waiting to wave good-bye to us. I leaned out the window and took their picture. 

A friendly caribou, taking a rest from work in the rice fields this morning.

Rice fields with a "hay stack" on the far right. That is food for the caribou.

A look at a home, fields and hay stacks as we passed by.

White A-Frame chicken shelters on the hillside above the rice fields.

They plant string beans on the side of the fields and the beans climb these poles.

We visited a family with a new baby. The mom took a break fro doing the washing (by hand) to talk with us and share the smiles of her little girl.

We got our first packages from home! They were pretty well beaten up and had been taped to keep everything inside, but we got everything.

When we went to district conference they gave each of the speakers and leaders a rose. We got one too!

President and Sister Jensen were there. We always love to see them and share our experiences with them.

This was the view of  the yard at the end of May...

...and this is the view of the yard yesterday. The banana tree is about 6 feet taller, the trees have filled out, the vines have covered the fence and the goats were moved across the street.

Along the Trail This Week

 I think I know where all the members of the church in the mission live... 

...at the end of a long muddy trail or on the other side of a river.

It's a long way down the road to our member's home.

 I think we will be able to perform in a circus when we get home.

We found all the saints we went out to see and have had a wonderful spiritual experience with each of them. It is amazing to be in such humble circumstances and feel the Spirit so quickly. We teach from the scriptures, testify of God's love for them and promise blessings through obedience to the commandments. We commit them to live the commandments, attend church and partake of the sacrament to renew their covenants each week. 

Every family has a copy of the book of Mormon on their shelf and know right where it is when we ask them to read the scriptures with us. We have a member of the branch with us to show us where the members live and also interpret for us. They often can understand English, but have a hard time speaking English, so our interpreter is important in communicating our message and helping us understand their feelings. Every family remembers the missionaries that taught and baptized them and have many fond memories of their conversion. We feel so blessed to be able to return to theses families and invite them to experience those sweet feelings again. 

Over the river and through the coconut, mango and banana trees to grandma's house we go!

 We found a home industry at the home at the end of this muddy road. They make bamboo and rope baskets for export.

 Tata Guiterras and his daughter and granddaughter accompanied us on this day. Tata is grandpa Guiterras nickname. He was one of the founding pioneer saints in this area of the Philippines, baptized in 1980, and a bold missionary. He loves to reactivate and help the saints. He has a garden at his home and gives half of the harvest to members of the branch.

 We had a problem and Tata was there to help us solve it. We received a wheelchair for an investigator with a paralyzed leg. Her knee is stiff and it is painful to bend it, so she needs a leg brace on the wheelchair. Tata cut a piece of bamboo from his pile at home to the length we needed, with a very dull coping saw...

...and trimmed the joints and smoothed the surface with his big, sharp, bolo knife. Tata was a carpenter before he retired and is still very skilled in the use of his tools. We tied the bamboo pole to the wheelchair armrest and fastened a sling to it to hold the sister's leg in place. It is a temporary fix, so she can attend church now. some members of the branch that have welding skills are working on a permanent solution. (Picture to follow in the next post)

Sandra and her two little daughters, her sister and the two missionary sisters. Picture before the pole was lashed to the wheelchair.

 

With scriptures, bamboo pole and muddy shoes we returned home with great joy and the sweet peace the gospel of service and love brings.

The week ended on another high note with two baptisms, one for the Mapanadan Branch and another for the San Jacinto Branch. We felt connected to all the baptisms because we had taught them in their homes, prayed and shared our testimony with them.

Sister Florida is a wonderful woman. She operates a private school in Alaminos and has been a Catholic seminary teacher. She was introduced to the Gospel by her grandson, who also baptized her.

It's always nice to ride off into another beautiful sunset after a week of work in the Kingdom.

TIRE REPAIR

You can't expect to go where we go and not have a flat tire once-in-a-while. I asked around to find out where to go to get a slow leak fixed. "Can I go to the vulcanizer in town?",  I asked. "No!" was the quick response. We learned that some places are willing to serve, but not trained in how to do a professional job. We traveled a half-an-hour to Urdaneta and had a shop do it there. They had a real patch and for $2.50 I had a professional patch job and can ride with confidence now. It was pouring rain and the noise on the tin roof covering the shop was deafening, but we all had a few good laughs. All the workers in the shop go to church each week, pray every day and don't want to learn more about the church today. Someday maybe.

IN THE KITCHEN
We received a precious gift last week... an extra framed picture of the Savior. We brought it home and hung it in our living room/kitchenette area. It is amazing the special spirit we feel in our home with a picture of the Savior mounted on the wall.

 The new picture is now placed with loving care in our home.

 

 We found some Tostitos and salsa at the store, so Marlene made some flour tortillas to make a Mexican dinner.

 

 This is a sure cure for cold hands.

 What a great Mexican meal, complete with; lettuce, avacado, Tostitos, salsa and a bottle of Mug rootbeer.

 

 This was another Mexican delight... taco soup for lunch.

 A new snack treat, prawn crackers, with real shrimp listed on the ingredients.

 

 When we're done with our meal it's so easy to clean up with cold water because we have Joy dish washing detergent with...

 

 POWER BULA!

 Believe it or not, those marketing people are at work over here too!