September 20th-27th
Can't belief another week has gone by already, seems like time is beginning to fly by, I will habe been here a month on October 1st.
We have a devotional every Monday morning here at the chuch office building, we sing a birthday song in english and tagalog to whoever has a birthday that week, have an opening song, an uplifting message and closing prayer. Really does get the week off to a good start. The speaker today said he had been assigned to speak last year and then the typhoon came so his talk had been waiting patiently in his drawer and of course his talk was on patience.
I am still doing the Tagalog lessons and they have turned hard, I have learned that I do not have a natural instinct of how to pronounce things, even when I learn it, it doesn't stick in my head for some reason. I mix peoples names up, we have a couple here with the last name of Ayres and I called them Avery until I was corrected, another couple's name is Dufrey and I called them Duprey, I really am embrassing myself. So am hoping learning a new language will help me learn to speak english better.
We attended the temple again on Wednesday evening. The Manila Temple has one of the most beautiful celestial rooms of any I've seen. When we leave the temple, everyone shakes our hand and thanks us for coming.
They have a place here called Mabuhay Desert where Filipino people, particularly children can come and stay while they are having medical problems taken care of. The people there also try to find free medical help. The people are usually from the providences and are very poor. Most of the children are there for cleft palates and club feet. Adults usually have cataracts or some kind of eye problem. A sister here whose husband is a church employe goes every Thursday morning and provides a fun short program for the children. They sing songs and last week they talked about families. They were given a picture of a tree, some cut out leaves and glue. With help they wrote the names of their family on the leaves and glued them to the tree. They were three adult women there who joined in and seemed to enjoy it as much as the children. One little girl Adrianne, who was 2 1/2 years old had a hugh cancer on her eye, it broke my heart. Her mother is 47 years old has ten children, Adrianne being the youngest, and then she has 11 grandchildren already. Her husband is a fisherman. Another little boy who was about 1 1/2 years old was born with a tumor on his nose and didn't get the attention he needed and now has a nose the size of a grapefruit. Really sad and I just wanted to hug them and make it all go away but the best I can do is go each week and help them have a fun time.
Thurday night we had a birthday dinner for the mission president at a greek restaurant. Elder Gunnerson and his wife sat across the table from me and in visiting found that he has worked for the church for over 30 years and a good part of that time was spent going around the world looking for temple and ward building lots. He asked me where my children lived and when I said Rebecca and her family lived in Franklin, TN, he told me that he had picked that lot for the temple, he had four lots he showed the prophet and he chose the one where the temple sets. I was surprised that he remembered it was built by an existing chapel next to an academy. Needles to say, I enjoyed my evening.
Elder and Sister Aguilar, who I met at the MTC, took me to lunch on Friday. They were so anxious for me to try more filipino food and were so excited when I told them I liked it, of course, I can't remember the name of it, but it was very good and they were happy when I told them so. They want to take me to a fancy restaurant, I will not tell them I am not impressed with the restaurants here and going out to eat is not one of my favorite things. They didi not invite my companion so I brought here back a cinnamon roll.
On Saturday one of the couple missionaries as us to go to the Asia mall, the biggest mall in the world, again not my cup of tea, but we went. You can imagine how surprised I was to find out the couple wanted to stay only 1 1/2 hours and visit only one store, so that is what we did. Since I found that sales floor at the top of Mega mall that is where I prefer to shop.
We still do not have a ward or branch assigned. The mission president wanted us to attend a branch that is over an hour away and since we don't have a car we would have to take a Taxi which would be very expensive, so Sister Clark is trying to get him to change his mind and in the meantime we are attending whatever ward. The filipino people have such simple, strong testimonies and understanding of the gospel and such a strong love for the Lord, even though I don't understand a lot of what they say, it is wonderful to part of their meetings.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
September 14th - September 20th.
I started Tagalog lessons last Tuesday, it's hard, but I am determined so will probably be taking lessons, twice a week until I go home eighteen months from now.
Have been working hard on learning the mapping and Sister Clark has finally trusted me enough to give a serious mapping project to prepare a stake boundary map to be sent to Salt Lake for approval. The work is very tedious but I like it. My next big undertaking will be to work with stake presidents & bishops with their maps to see if the boundaries we have match theirs and if not to make the changes, of course if there are stake boundary changes, then we have to talk to all the stake presidents who stakes border that stake to make sure they agree with the changes, you can see it does get complicated and sometimes a lot of discussion to get a stake president to be willing to change his boundaries. Mostly though the are co-operative altho we do have one now if the boundaries are changed the one stake president will lose a elder quorams president, relief society president and one other leadership position, don't know how that is going to pan out.
I'm starting to get the hang of the grocery stores but still confusing, I have lost a little weight, maybe I'll just stayed confused at the grocery store and see how the weight goes.
We still have not been assigned a ward/branch yet so we just go to one that is close because we have to pay a taxi. This last Sunday we were able to get a ride with a senior missionary couple and went to the Makati Chapel which was the first chapel built in the Philippines. It is also a chapel Scott went to for six months while he was on his mission here. He said he baptized several converts in the font and spoke several times from the pulpit, who would have thought I would ever be sitting in that same chapel? The Makati area is very clean and I would love to be living there.
I would like to do some walking outside, but can't find an area that feels safe enough. They do have an exercise area in our apartment building, I did buy some walking shoes and socks with the idea of walking on the treadmill, but I prefer the outdoors. Okay, so I'm looking for excuses to stay off the treadmill, let you know how that goes.
One of our senior elders was bit by a misquito that gave him dangue disease and had a really rough time, spent five days in the hospital and one week at home and still gets tired very easily. I have increased by committment to spray Off on me everyday. Our medical personnel here at the office said the misquitos will be worst this year because of the flooding in our area last year.
They are building two new buildings next to our apartments, it is so interesting to watch the men work, the work is 24 hours a day and the workers have living quarters right on the site, you see the change of shifts as one group leaves the sleeping quarters and other group go in to sleep. They have their laundry hung out to dry and every team wears a different colored t-shirt mostly with long sleeves. At around 7:00 am every morning they all gather in a group listen to some encouraging words, have a prayer and then do calisentics, mostly arm waving and some leg lifts and then everyone goes to work. In the warehouse district it is the same ritual except some mornings the workers there do some jogging down the street. Almost everyone here carrys some kind of towel or small rag for face wiping and you often see workers take off their t-shirts wipe down the upper part of their bodies back and front and put on a clean shirt. Even little children will have a small rage stuck in the back of their shirts. I have been using kleenexs but may at some point try the small rag, probably not, wiping my sweaty face more than once on a rag would be like using a bath towel twice in a row and you all know how I feel about that.
The mission president is having a birthday this week so we are all going out to dinner to help him celebrate. I haven't been to a restaurant here that I really like. All the orders are taken at the same time but the food is delivered to the table all at different times and the food is often cold. No one seems to mind, well I do but when in rome,etc.
Typhoon season is about over and so far haven't had one. I am told when the typhoons come through the building get cleaned up, the way these buildings here look, I think we are due for one to clean them up, but of course you can't just have a typhoon that cleans buildings they seem to want to clean everythings else in their path.
Have been working hard on learning the mapping and Sister Clark has finally trusted me enough to give a serious mapping project to prepare a stake boundary map to be sent to Salt Lake for approval. The work is very tedious but I like it. My next big undertaking will be to work with stake presidents & bishops with their maps to see if the boundaries we have match theirs and if not to make the changes, of course if there are stake boundary changes, then we have to talk to all the stake presidents who stakes border that stake to make sure they agree with the changes, you can see it does get complicated and sometimes a lot of discussion to get a stake president to be willing to change his boundaries. Mostly though the are co-operative altho we do have one now if the boundaries are changed the one stake president will lose a elder quorams president, relief society president and one other leadership position, don't know how that is going to pan out.
I'm starting to get the hang of the grocery stores but still confusing, I have lost a little weight, maybe I'll just stayed confused at the grocery store and see how the weight goes.
We still have not been assigned a ward/branch yet so we just go to one that is close because we have to pay a taxi. This last Sunday we were able to get a ride with a senior missionary couple and went to the Makati Chapel which was the first chapel built in the Philippines. It is also a chapel Scott went to for six months while he was on his mission here. He said he baptized several converts in the font and spoke several times from the pulpit, who would have thought I would ever be sitting in that same chapel? The Makati area is very clean and I would love to be living there.
I would like to do some walking outside, but can't find an area that feels safe enough. They do have an exercise area in our apartment building, I did buy some walking shoes and socks with the idea of walking on the treadmill, but I prefer the outdoors. Okay, so I'm looking for excuses to stay off the treadmill, let you know how that goes.
One of our senior elders was bit by a misquito that gave him dangue disease and had a really rough time, spent five days in the hospital and one week at home and still gets tired very easily. I have increased by committment to spray Off on me everyday. Our medical personnel here at the office said the misquitos will be worst this year because of the flooding in our area last year.
They are building two new buildings next to our apartments, it is so interesting to watch the men work, the work is 24 hours a day and the workers have living quarters right on the site, you see the change of shifts as one group leaves the sleeping quarters and other group go in to sleep. They have their laundry hung out to dry and every team wears a different colored t-shirt mostly with long sleeves. At around 7:00 am every morning they all gather in a group listen to some encouraging words, have a prayer and then do calisentics, mostly arm waving and some leg lifts and then everyone goes to work. In the warehouse district it is the same ritual except some mornings the workers there do some jogging down the street. Almost everyone here carrys some kind of towel or small rag for face wiping and you often see workers take off their t-shirts wipe down the upper part of their bodies back and front and put on a clean shirt. Even little children will have a small rage stuck in the back of their shirts. I have been using kleenexs but may at some point try the small rag, probably not, wiping my sweaty face more than once on a rag would be like using a bath towel twice in a row and you all know how I feel about that.
The mission president is having a birthday this week so we are all going out to dinner to help him celebrate. I haven't been to a restaurant here that I really like. All the orders are taken at the same time but the food is delivered to the table all at different times and the food is often cold. No one seems to mind, well I do but when in rome,etc.
Typhoon season is about over and so far haven't had one. I am told when the typhoons come through the building get cleaned up, the way these buildings here look, I think we are due for one to clean them up, but of course you can't just have a typhoon that cleans buildings they seem to want to clean everythings else in their path.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
September 9-13, 2010
I have been working hard on learning the mapping, it is done on google earth. Salt Lake sends us maps they have of the stake and ward boundaries of the Philippines, we take what they send us and draw out the boundaries on google earth and then meet with the Stake presidents, bishops, ward clerks, or whoever the stake decides to send to our meetings and they make corrections to our maps. We come back to the office clean up the changes and they go to the area presidency and if they okay them they are sent to Salt Lake for approval, so far 32 are either approved or in the process to be approved. I don't know how many there are but this is only a handful.
Sister Clark and I flew to Cebu on Friday morning and met with three different stakes. The meetings are very intense and take a least 2 hours as they search for their correct boundaries, some are a little more prepared than others, in fact one Stake President come in by himself and we were done in less than a hour, was great. Sister Clark and I are they only ones doing the maps so I am really anxious to learn so I can hold meetings at the same time as she does and we can do twice the amount.
I really was not looking forward to another plane ride so soon. Their airplanes are buildt with short legged people with small behinds in mind, needless to say I have neither, but fortunately the ride was only about 80 minutes. We stayed at an old hotel but clean. On Friday we didn't get back to the hotel until about 7 pm so we decided to eat in the coffee shop connected to the hotel. There were several men when we entered so we sat way back in the corner and the next thing we knew it must have been one of those good ole boys meeting with lots of beer. Sister Clark ordered as tune sandwich it had almost a tablespoon of tuna on it, I ordered and bacon and egg and got bacon, egg and hamburger patty, at least I could taste what my was. Saturday we have a meeting at 9 am and then attended a session at the Cebu Temple, there was such a sweet feeling there, I felt rejuvinated and wanted to linger but we had been invited to a luncheon with President Ko and all the stake people who were invited to meetings, it was very nice. I took a picture of the luncheon set up and as soon as I learn how to take the pictures from my camera and put them here on my blog I'll do that.
We have not been assigned a ward/branch yet so we went to one of the guys that works here ward because they were having their Primary Sacrament meeting. It was wonderful, all the boys in the primary wore white shirts and ties and all the kids knew their parts with out help, of course some of the little sunbeams went up, looked out and saw all the people and hid their face in their dad's pant leg, cried or just stood there just the same as sunbeams in the USA. I got to hold a 2 month old baby for the entire meeting, it was great.
Sister Clark and I flew to Cebu on Friday morning and met with three different stakes. The meetings are very intense and take a least 2 hours as they search for their correct boundaries, some are a little more prepared than others, in fact one Stake President come in by himself and we were done in less than a hour, was great. Sister Clark and I are they only ones doing the maps so I am really anxious to learn so I can hold meetings at the same time as she does and we can do twice the amount.
I really was not looking forward to another plane ride so soon. Their airplanes are buildt with short legged people with small behinds in mind, needless to say I have neither, but fortunately the ride was only about 80 minutes. We stayed at an old hotel but clean. On Friday we didn't get back to the hotel until about 7 pm so we decided to eat in the coffee shop connected to the hotel. There were several men when we entered so we sat way back in the corner and the next thing we knew it must have been one of those good ole boys meeting with lots of beer. Sister Clark ordered as tune sandwich it had almost a tablespoon of tuna on it, I ordered and bacon and egg and got bacon, egg and hamburger patty, at least I could taste what my was. Saturday we have a meeting at 9 am and then attended a session at the Cebu Temple, there was such a sweet feeling there, I felt rejuvinated and wanted to linger but we had been invited to a luncheon with President Ko and all the stake people who were invited to meetings, it was very nice. I took a picture of the luncheon set up and as soon as I learn how to take the pictures from my camera and put them here on my blog I'll do that.
We have not been assigned a ward/branch yet so we went to one of the guys that works here ward because they were having their Primary Sacrament meeting. It was wonderful, all the boys in the primary wore white shirts and ties and all the kids knew their parts with out help, of course some of the little sunbeams went up, looked out and saw all the people and hid their face in their dad's pant leg, cried or just stood there just the same as sunbeams in the USA. I got to hold a 2 month old baby for the entire meeting, it was great.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wednesday of each week is considered temple day for senior missionaries. Sister Clark and I went to the Manila Temple and did an endowment session. I thought of Scott the whole time, how he would love to have been with me as his mission was over before the Manila Temple was completed. It is beautiful but very small, only one endowment room so sessions are only every 2 hours. Some youth were there doing baptisms. It was obvious how much the filipions appreciate the temple. One of the filipiono sisters that works in the office with me, saw me waiting to cross the street to go to the temple, so she grabbed my hand and led me safely across the street, I just love it! There is an under ground tunnel that goes from the chuch office building to the temple, but it requires 20 steps down and 20 steps up and my knees don't like that much climbing.
We went out to eat with two missionary couples, they all think that is a big treat, but I would rather not do that so often mostly because I never know what I'm going to get. Last night I had a bad case of diahrea most of the night, no idea what food caused it, but fine this morning and all of the swelling of my body is gone, so there is a silver lining in every black cloud.
They want Sister Clark and I to have a car, but she refuses, says she has prayed about it and the Lord told her the priesthood needs to take care of our travel needs. I wouldn't be able to go one block without plowing into someone, so I believe her pray was answered correctly. We have taken a taxi a few times which costs on the average of 60-70 pecos each time. Sister Clark keeps very good track what where we are going so we don't get the long more expensive trip each time.
I'm beginning to catch onto my mapping responsibilities and really like doing it. Sister Clark and I are the only ones working on these maps right now and Salt Lake is anxious for us to complete this project which is still months away or more.
There is no hot water in our apartment. The showers have been rigged up with a small hot water heater but the kitchen has a one handle faucet, there is no hot water tank. Washing the dishes with cold (there is no cold water, just pee warm) is not very sanitary to me. Sister Clark often just rinses her dishes to clean them, but I get out the dish soap for mine.
I still feel like I am in a dream and can't wake up but I'm sure it will get real soon, everyone says it takes up to three weeks to totally adjust. I'm going to begin taking Talalog lessons next Tuesday, I have a hard time understanding everone with their accents so maybe I'll do better learning their language and they'll have to deal with my accent.
I'm missing my family, those hugs and kisses are very important to me, giving and receiving. I did meet up with Elder and Sister Aquilar yesterday at the MTC here. It was so good to see them and I did get two good hugs. Sister Aquilar is a doctor and is temporarily assigned to the MTC here, they were called to the Cebu mission.
What I need are some nice long informative e-mails so I know what is happening with each of you. Was great to get one from Douglas yesterday that brought me up to date. I have been checking Allyson's and Andew's blogs regularly, and often go back to see those five little heads surrounding the TV on Allyson's blog, makes me chuckle and warms my heart everytime I see it. Ingrid sent me a short note yesterday, thank you!
We went out to eat with two missionary couples, they all think that is a big treat, but I would rather not do that so often mostly because I never know what I'm going to get. Last night I had a bad case of diahrea most of the night, no idea what food caused it, but fine this morning and all of the swelling of my body is gone, so there is a silver lining in every black cloud.
They want Sister Clark and I to have a car, but she refuses, says she has prayed about it and the Lord told her the priesthood needs to take care of our travel needs. I wouldn't be able to go one block without plowing into someone, so I believe her pray was answered correctly. We have taken a taxi a few times which costs on the average of 60-70 pecos each time. Sister Clark keeps very good track what where we are going so we don't get the long more expensive trip each time.
I'm beginning to catch onto my mapping responsibilities and really like doing it. Sister Clark and I are the only ones working on these maps right now and Salt Lake is anxious for us to complete this project which is still months away or more.
There is no hot water in our apartment. The showers have been rigged up with a small hot water heater but the kitchen has a one handle faucet, there is no hot water tank. Washing the dishes with cold (there is no cold water, just pee warm) is not very sanitary to me. Sister Clark often just rinses her dishes to clean them, but I get out the dish soap for mine.
I still feel like I am in a dream and can't wake up but I'm sure it will get real soon, everyone says it takes up to three weeks to totally adjust. I'm going to begin taking Talalog lessons next Tuesday, I have a hard time understanding everone with their accents so maybe I'll do better learning their language and they'll have to deal with my accent.
I'm missing my family, those hugs and kisses are very important to me, giving and receiving. I did meet up with Elder and Sister Aquilar yesterday at the MTC here. It was so good to see them and I did get two good hugs. Sister Aquilar is a doctor and is temporarily assigned to the MTC here, they were called to the Cebu mission.
What I need are some nice long informative e-mails so I know what is happening with each of you. Was great to get one from Douglas yesterday that brought me up to date. I have been checking Allyson's and Andew's blogs regularly, and often go back to see those five little heads surrounding the TV on Allyson's blog, makes me chuckle and warms my heart everytime I see it. Ingrid sent me a short note yesterday, thank you!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
All is going well. I never got my days and nights mixed up so am sleeping good. I was introduced at the office yesterday and got my computer up and running. Today I spent working on maps and reconstructing borders of stakes and wards, just practice, not smart enough yet to be on my own. Sister Clark is a very good teacher and patient.
My office is in the basement of the chuch office building here, but nice. The last two days I have experience filipino food for lunch, only disliked one thing called "adoba"? Of course some of the funny guys are trying to get me to eat the "bullit'? Scott already told me it is a rotten egg, thank you Scott.
Oh, my ride is here so will do more tomorrow.
My office is in the basement of the chuch office building here, but nice. The last two days I have experience filipino food for lunch, only disliked one thing called "adoba"? Of course some of the funny guys are trying to get me to eat the "bullit'? Scott already told me it is a rotten egg, thank you Scott.
Oh, my ride is here so will do more tomorrow.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Here I am in the Philippines, travel weary and in cultural shock but surviving. I arrived in Manila exactly 24 hours from the time I left Salt Lake airport. My legs and feet were very swollen and am having some trouble getting the swelling to stay down but each day is better. The apartment isn't all that great, but I fixed up my bathroom and bought a rug for in front of the awful couch and have hopes to do something with the dinky bedroom I'm in. I have didn't mix my nights and days up, so I have been resting good. No one will believe I am awake and up by 5:30 am. I can't figure it out either, except it is light and I do have a big window in my room.
I feel disoriented but the Lord told me to go to work and that will change, so will go the office on Monday and get started. Sister Clark took me to the office late yesterday afternoon and I met a few people. Will tell you more about the office after I have worked in it for a few days. We will be flying to Cebu on Friday and back on Saturday. Sister Clark says by the time I leave I will have traveled to all of the Philippines.
I have met several of the senior couple missionaries and the senior sister missionary couple. They all are very nice but all the couple missionaries will be leaving the first week of November, some will be replaced and some won't, just not enough to go around. We went to Taco Bell last night for dinner, not my favorite place but we went with 2 missionary couples and that was nice.
Every time I get in the van to ride somewhere I feel like I'm on one of those bumper car tracks, fortunately our car has never been bumped, but almost! I am amazed I haven't seen an accident or pedestrian hit. I sort of feel like I am in a cartoon and can't find the way out.
All said and done, I am doing fine!!
I feel disoriented but the Lord told me to go to work and that will change, so will go the office on Monday and get started. Sister Clark took me to the office late yesterday afternoon and I met a few people. Will tell you more about the office after I have worked in it for a few days. We will be flying to Cebu on Friday and back on Saturday. Sister Clark says by the time I leave I will have traveled to all of the Philippines.
I have met several of the senior couple missionaries and the senior sister missionary couple. They all are very nice but all the couple missionaries will be leaving the first week of November, some will be replaced and some won't, just not enough to go around. We went to Taco Bell last night for dinner, not my favorite place but we went with 2 missionary couples and that was nice.
Every time I get in the van to ride somewhere I feel like I'm on one of those bumper car tracks, fortunately our car has never been bumped, but almost! I am amazed I haven't seen an accident or pedestrian hit. I sort of feel like I am in a cartoon and can't find the way out.
All said and done, I am doing fine!!
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