This and that

I didn't think I had many pictures this week - but decided to send a few.  Don't you love the basketball set up.

Norm and I were waiting for the sister missionaries to give a lesson and then we were going to give them a ride home. We saw this cute path that led to the ocean and decided to check it out.  These are rock stairs.

Another view looking back up.  There were stairs and then grass and then more stairs and more grass - I think about three sets of them.  It was in the middle of one of them that I fell and GREAT was the fall thereof.  The steps were a little mossy which I didn't realize.  I wasn't paying attention and the first thing I knew I was down.  Probably the hardest fall I have ever had.  The rocks were not forgiving.  I lay there for a while totally stunned - hurting and wondering what happened.  I was grateful to finally be able to get up and find that I could move and nothing seemed broken.  I have a LARGE bruise on my backside and believe me it is large - there is a lot of backside.  (I have refrained from sending a picture :)  The worst was I fell on my already fragile wrist.  I could not move my fingers or wrist without great pain which really scared me.  Had I not already had a rod in my wrist I think I would have been in trouble because all my weight came down on my wrist.  Truly another miracle - after two days there was no pain and except for being black and blue I am good as new.  Thank you for your prayers.  I have been so blessed.

This is the ocean we got to after falling down the stairs.

Our way back to the truck - beautiful country and my handsome companion.

The sisters who live behind us heart attacked us before they got transferred.

Elder Francom - Jake's last companion before Jake got transferred - invited us out for another baptism.  They were hoping to baptize in the river again but the weather didn't permit so they went to another chapel quite a ways away.  The boy on the right baptized the little girl by him.

I wondered about the water.  The font is outside.

This is the chapel - Pilar - with the font on the side.

Sitting in our apartment with the zone leaders and STL's - Sister Trainer Leaders - trying to figure out how we were going to do transfers.  Sister Warner on the couch is from Utah - I keep thinking Cody should look her up. She comes home in April and is a most wonderful missionary.  The sister with her back to us said something I will never forget.  Her name is Sister Deliarte.  She was going to Cebu for training and there wasn't anyone to go with her.  I told her I was sorry she had to go by herself which meant going on the ferry, finding a taxi in Cebu and getting to the mission home.  Her reply was instant, "That's ok Sister - I have the best companion - The Holy Ghost.

Another basketball bank board.   Don't you just love it. 

The sister missionaries that were transferred from our zone.  Sister Mangompit - so glad she transferred - in 4 months Norm never got her name right and now I can quit being embarrassed. Sister Lagaspi has absolutely no support from home - she doesn't hear from anyone but she says that is ok.  A wonderful sister.  And Sister Warner - She was so good to help us get adjusted to this adventure.  This McDonalds is very close to the ferry so soon as they buy their ticket, if there is enough time, we always make a stop - the missionaries are always hungry.  I think I am too.

Saturday morning I was doing my hair in my dark cubbyhole and all of a sudden the room was rocking.  And it was a serious rock, not just a tremor - instantly your heart starts beating fast. Nothing tipped over but I wondered where I was going.  It lasted for about 5 seconds but I was surely glad it stopped.  It was a humbling few seconds.

We visited Talibon today for church.  It is about an hour and 15 minutes away.  While we were sitting in Sunday School the R.S. president asked me to teach the R.S. lesson.  Panic immediately set in.  Why wasn't she teaching it!  She said she would get an interpreter for me.  I felt very strongly she should have taught it.  They don't mind at all asking or telling someone at the last minute that you are doing something.  They think you can do anything on the spur of the moment.  This is the third time we have visited this branch and the other two times they had a missionary teach it - I think next time I might go a little more prepared. The lesson was on prayer - I barely had time to read it before I was on.  I hope it was ok.  Once again - I know all of our prayers were answered.