Temple and 81 year old sister is baptized

A little hard to see from this picture but there is quite a load on this tricycle.  It is amazing what they pack down the road.  Beautiful country.


This is a fun little island attached to Bohol.  We go with the missionaries sometimes to visit in this area.

 Our Calape Branch had a special temple day on February 14th.  We picked these precious sisters up at 5:00 a.m. to meet the ferry at 6:00 so we could be on the 9:00 session.  The Sister in the purple is Sister Neuva and she is 80 years old.  She came down the road on the back of a motorbike to meet us at 5:00 a.m.  I don't think she slept all night.  The sister next to her is 74.  Such faithful sisters.  They so appreciated the ride to the ferry.  I think they go to the temple about twice a year. It was a wonderful day.  

We are buying tickets for the ferry.  The sister in the red joined us and I think she is 81 or 82.  I don't know how she came to the ferry but she was there by 5:30.

I went to the 1:00 session by myself.  Norm was in the Family History Center.  As I was coming out I met this wonderful surprise.  I can't tell you what that does to my heart.  They were there with some investigators that were baptized I think that night.  Tremendous Elders!!!  Am I a happy Grandma or what!!!!!


We are waiting at the pier for the ferry.  The sister by me is single, Sister Ligaya Bagio.  She led the singing for our choir, is the District Young Single Adult leader.  Wonderful sister.  Is a good cook and cooks for our district meetings etc.  The Sister in the grey shirt is our Relief Society President.  Married to a white man and she speaks English very well.  She and her husband are temple workers as well as everything else.   All of these sisters speak English quite well.  The Sister holding her fingers up has 5 children and her husband works abroad.  I think she sees him once a year or something like that.  You wouldn't believe where she lives.  I think she does have electricity but they always look so nice.  She has taken a class to learn how to sew.  It is such a slow process.  They get a machine if they take a 12 week course and complete the class which she did.  We carried her machine through rain and mud.  I don't know how they survive.

Back in Bohol.  We are following our twin.  The Caycayons have the same kind of truck as we do and we so love being with them following them around.  They leave this week and we are so sad about that.  They are taking one of the trucks to Cebu for the new missionary couple that has just arrived from Australia.  They will be in Bogo which is at the top of the Island and we definitely will not be working with them.

These are a couple of my piano students.  They are waiting for their lesson in the Loon Church.  They are the cutest boys and they are really practicing.  It is a joy to be with them.  They are trying so hard.

Last week the Robertsons from the mission office came over.  They have been replaced in the office with Elders.  They will be released the 1st of May so they are going to move into the Caycayons apartment in Tagbilaran for 2 months and help out there.  We will be happy to have them here with us on Bohol.  They came over to get a little acquainted with the surroundings.

Norm ordered a Halo Halo which is desert.  We all had a wonderful meal and then they brought out his Halo Halo.  He was overwhelmed.  We all waited while he ate it.  It is a meal in itself.  They put all kinds of fruit, beans, ice, ice cream etc.  It is really delicious and it is BIG!

This cow is a little bit in the way.  Small matter!

Terrible picture but these Elders are on top of the tricycle.  They called  and  wanted their picture taken as they drove by.

We had a baptism for an 81 year old sister, Sister Reymunda, and also an  8 year old little girl  The sisters asked us to pick them up and then go pick up Sister Reymunda and the 8 year old.  We got Sister Reymunda and then went on for the 8 year old.  The sisters got out to get her and while they were gone this lady comes down the road - we couldn't drive up the trail to the house - with her 3 children and climbs in the back of the truck with Sister Reymunda.  We didn't know what was going on and no one was talking to us.  Finally the sisters came back and the ones in the back seat were the ones they had gone to get.  Well, it was all wonderful but they all filled up the back seat and there was no place for the sisters but the back of the truck.  Nothing for them to sit on.  They had to just bounce along for about a half hour.

We made it to the church and this is our dear sister walking in.

Taking pictures before the baptism.  It took both of the Elders to baptize Sister Reymunda.  It was really difficult getting her in the water and then getting her down and up.  An experience I will never forget.

The sisters who helped teach her.  The Sister in the pink is just getting ready to leave on a mission.

This is the Mother and two other children in the family of the cute little 8 year old.  Don't know who the man is.

President and Sister Tanner came over for our District Conference.  They had to get a van from the Elders so they surprised us and came to the baptism.  They just loved it.

Getting in the truck to go home.  Sister Tanner asked if she could go with us to take her home.  I told her no, there wasn't room.  She climbed in anyway and was in the back of the truck bumping along with the Sister Missionaries.  She had on this light colored skirt and she really was on her way to conference but it didn't bother her any.  She loved the experience. 

We are out of the truck going to start up a trail to where she lives.  I couldn't believe she could make it because it was quite a way in the jungle and we were stepping over all kinds of things.

This is her home and her son who is 50 and gay.

This is her CR - comfort room or better known as bathroom.

 Another picture of the Lanzadares family.  It has almost been a month now since he has quit smoking.  He was to conference this weekend with a big smile on his face.  The man in the hat just happened by.  He is also a member but less active.  Brother Lanzadares is working on him.  He is a great missionary.  Brother Lanzadares has his grand daughter who wasn't feeling well and the sister missionaries are Sister Grigg and Sister Palmieri from California.  They are working so hard in this area.  Great missionaries.

 We found this little hut thing by the water.  Kind of fun.  It is about 20 minutes away from us and you pay 20 pesos for an hour per person to go there.  It is a pretty view of the ocean.  We enjoyed a few minutes.  I am facing the water - sorry  - that would have been a much better picture.  Taking a pillow next time.

 Back to Sister Oncines.  Our Sister Missionaries went with us this time.  A man was there whom she said was her Uncle but we know it is a boyfriend.  We are so sad and so trying to help her.  That is wood for her to make a fire and cook.  The cloth hanging down is her door.  Roof not in too good a shape.

This picture makes it look big but it isn't.

Another day we went with the Elders.  These are her two youngest daughters.  The one in red is in the 3rd grade and the other one is 4th grade.  They don't live there because they don't like the man.  I guess the mother was mean to them so they are a little afraid of her now.  They just come and visit.  We are so sad about it all.  We have talked with the branch president.  We give her a little food.  We took her some glasses because she said her eyes were bad and she couldn't read.  We later learned that she doesn't know how to read.

We told her about conference and the Elders told her we wanted her to come and she surprised us and came.  Afterwards she and the sister missionaries came over to our place and ate along with President and Sister Tanner.  She can't talk to us but the Sister Missionaries are a huge blessing to us.  I think she enjoyed it.  I sent her home with food not realizing until later that she wouldn't have anywhere to put it.  Oh well,  I hope she didn't just feed the boyfriend and I mostly hope she know we love her.

 We have lots of these kinds of pictures.  A meeting of some kind and every time there is a meeting there are lots of pictures.  We really love being with the missionaries.  We can communicate with most of them.

 And this is the choir we worked with to sing for our District Conference, yesterday, February 21 and 22nd.  We sang "I Know That My Savior Love Me" Saturday night and we sang "If The Savior Stood Beside Me and I Need Thee Every Hour for the Sunday Meeting.

It was an interesting experience.  I learned a lot.  I think they did a good job. It was our first conference.  A lot of people came.  Norm and I both spoke.  That was harder than being in charge of all the music.  I played on an electronic piano.  I tried my best to make it sound pretty.  There is an organ button and a piano button.  The volume is controlled by another button but you have to take your hands off and change it.  Well, all in all, it was ok.

I loved listening to President Tanner.  He is truly an inspired Mission President.  It is such a blessing to be with him and Sister Tanner.  The other speakers took too much time and there was only 15 minutes left for the two of them.  Sister Tanner took 2 minutes and President Tanner packed a lot into 10 minutes.  It was a privilege to have them in our home to eat afterwards.

This has taken way too long and I don't have time to proof - so hope it makes sense.  Love you all!

Our boy and CSP

Visited Oncines Family - the family Jake found and baptized.  The father passed away since and Sister Oncines is struggling.  These are her two youngest and the two missionaries that visit her.  This is truly her home and she has absolutely nothing.  We took her a little food - have no idea what she lives on.

Precious Jenny Rose - We sat on this bench.  About a foot away is where she builds a small fire to cook on.  There is no water or bathroom.  Couldn't see a bed, there must have been a mattress somewhere. Could see no sign of food anywhere - no dishes, no sink, there was just a wall

The highlight of the week was seeing Jake.  He is an amazing missionary.  We went to Cebu to a special meeting with President Beck, General Young Men's President and his wife and Elder Bowen of the Seventy and his wife.  They are in the area presidency in Manila.  It was a great meeting.  Norm and I went a day early on the ferry and went to the temple.  Stayed at the patron house that cost us $2.50 to stay a night.  Wonderful deal.  They have a cafeteria there but it is Filipino food which isn't our favorite.  They have a distribution center there and a family history center there.  We visited all of them.  It was a wonderful two days.

I gave Jake extra hugs from all of you who wanted to give him a hug.  I so wish we were still in the same area.  It is impossible for us to visit him now.

We had a Community Service Project tearing down this school which was damaged in the earthquake a year ago.  The whole thing was this white cement - thick walls.  The men took sledge hammers and literally pounded the walls out.  It was a huge project.  I wished I had taken a picture before we started.

When they got it loosened a little in some places they could tie on to something and pull some of it down.

A classroom in another school nearby.

The back wall was the last to go.

Another tug of war or rather tug of cement.

This is Nino that I teach piano lessons to.  The cutest guy.  He is also Brother Lanzaderas' grandson.  His mother is a school teacher and lined up this project.  The most wonderful people.

And the walls came tumbling down.  I think they are hiring someone to come take down the roof and then they are going to rebuild.

These are the children that were in the two classrooms. It will be their new school.

It has been a lovely Sabbath day.  We picked up Sister Oncines and took her to church in Inabunga.  We had our 3rd choir practice this afternoon for conference which is two weeks from today.  I think it is going to turn out ok.  I am playing and Sister Ligaya Bagio is leading.  It is mostly young people and most of them are the missionaries here.  It won't be fancy but it will happen.

Our Life

Life in Calape - that is where we live.  I put off getting my hair done but this turned out to be a very nice experience.  

 

When I first saw this picture I thought it was Betty

And this is the bathroom sink.  There is no such thing as hot and cold water.  There is just one facet and that is water.  The medicine cabinet is underneath.

This is the kitchen facet.  The turn on thing is the short silver thing about 2 inches high.  The bottles in back purify the water which we use for vegetables.  We can't drink this water but we do brush our teeth with it.  The black knob on the facet determines if you are using purified water or regular.

Our clothes drier.  Haven't used a drier in  4 1/2 months.  The chair in the background is totally useless and that is my garbage container.

Clothes didn't dry today so had to sleep under them.

Cream on a shelf in the grocery store.  No refrigeration.

This is our milk we drink - not too bad if you get it cold.

Just had to include a public restroom.  You will notice no seat and no paper.  The rest is left up to your imagination.

This is where we buy our meat - a little pork but mostly chicken.  Not too far from our apartment and it is very clean.

Our landlord owns this bakery.  His wife's name is Aileen.  They are the nicest people.

The market is behind his store.

We buy mangos, bananas, the watermelon looked good but aren't very tasty. Walk down the aisle between the two and they have vegetables.  We find good squash, potatoes, carrots and onions.  That is our diet.  Oh, and they have cabbage and cucumbers too.  No lettuce.  We buy eggs here too - never refrigerated and we have no idea how long they have been there.

Standing on our front step - our neighbor is remodeling.

Elder and Sister Wieland from Oregon work in the Family History Department in Cebu.  The temple was closed for 2 weeks for cleaning  so they came to our island and did workshops and helped people.  They were amazingly wonderful.  We fell in love with them and wish we knew what they know about family history.  This is their second mission.  He is a retired pharmacist.  Their first mission they went to Malaysia as MLS like we are and they have quite the stories.  They hope to go on a third mission in a few years to China.  They will be through here the end of April.  I feel like everyone is going home and it is making me sad.

We took them to see the chocolate hills and he stopped and talked to these sisters.  They teach young people.  He sang I am a Child of God to them and they exchanged email addresses.  We really enjoyed being with the Wielands.

The sisters we go visiting with - we are on our way to see Brother and Sister Lanzaderas and a cow was stationed along the way. The path is totally non driveable and mostly muddy.

President and Sister Tanner came over for the weekend with the two senior couples who serve in the office with them.  We had a meeting in the church here in Tagbilaran and then we went out to eat.    It is very special to be with these good people. Sorry it is so dark but it was a beautiful setting.

Sister Tanner, Sister Caycayon from Hawaii who goes home the first of March and Sister Boothe from the office who goes home the first of March as well. They have no replacements for either of these couples.  I think they are bringing in Elders to serve in the office and we will be the only Senior Couple on Bohol.  We are nervous about that.  The Caycayons are responsible for half the island and we have really relied on them.

Early the next morning, like up at 4:30 (how is that for spending a nice night in a motel ?) so we could leave at 5:15 to catch the boat to go see dolphins.  It was the worst weather.  Totally rained the whole day.  The wind blew and we bumped along for an hour and 20 minutes and saw no dolphins.  This is the office crew and President and Sister Tanner.

Going in and out to the boat.  We all actually went surfing.  I just stuck my head in shortly but it was so beautiful.  We fed the fish and it was like in a different world.  It was raining and I had no towel because I wasn't going to get in the water and no change of clothes and it was cold.  The first at being cold in the Philippines.  I was more than miserable.  Just shivering and gravel/sand between every toe.  I thought I would never be the same.  We had taken a lunch which was delicious but too cold to enjoy.  The rest of them were such troopers.

On the way back President Tanner was catching a few winks.  We used umbrellas to protect us from the wind and rain.  It took only 45 minutes to get back as we weren't looking for dolphins.  I was actually glad to get back to our apartment.

Sister Caycayon from Hawaii and Sister Robertson from the office.  The Robertsons leave in April.

This is our boat and I was so happy to be docked.  Brother Caycayon is in the front, then Sister Tanner.  President Tanner has his back to us.

Yours truly doing I don't know what - Norm just likes to take pictures.  I always sport the best hairdos. And that is how I looked all day.  I was just soaked through and through.