I didn't get the opportunity to blog last week or rather I didn't take the time to blog. It seems like everyday I think of something I need to tell everyone and then forget, so I have started to make notes, now if I can find the notes, I will be in good shape.
On October 13th the office had a devotional with Elder Quentin Cook, Elder Jay Jenkins and President McClure. They did a question and answer type devotional, it took everyone by surpise so there weren't that many questions but it was informative and enjoyable. Elder Cook was very comfortable and really is an ordinary man with an extra ordinary responsibility. The office put together a choir for the occasion and did a good job. Filipino people do love to sing, they often do not have pianos in Relief Society or other meetings besides Sacrament Meeting, so someone gets up, sings a few bars of the song, says okay and we all sing and it sounds great. All the hymns are sung in English and I am grateful for that.
One of the sisters that works in the office was determined for me to try horseradish, so she brought some to work and made it into a salad. I found that what they call horseradish is not what we call horseradish. Philippine horseradish looks like a cucumber that is corregated and has a very bitter taste. The sister sliced the horseradish very thin and mixed it with onions and fish and some sugar. I ate some of it, but my stomach paid the price all afternoon. I think I have said before how anxious they are that we like their food. Everything they want you to try, they will tell you what part of your body that particular food is good for, I can't remember for sure but I don't think horseradish was good for digestion.
Most of the apartments here do not have clothes dryers, fortunately ours does but to use it we have to hang the dryer hose out the window. They do not have dryer sheets here, but the washer does make a buzzing sound when it is time to put in the fabric softener, most of the time I catch it. We really are so blessed in the US with such modern conveniences, I feel like I have stepped back in time about 30 years or more when it comes to household things and equipment.
I will never get used to the brooms here, I've thought about giving up sweeping because I get so frustrated doing it but then the dust bunnies get so bad I get the broom out for another try, unfortunately it is just as frustrating as the last time I used it.
I was looking at a visiting teaching report in one of the wards we were visiting and I was surprised to see that there were 12-16 sister on each route, some of the routes had a 100 % and all of the routes had at least visited some of the sisters on their routes and the traveling here is so bad and costly for many of the visiting teachers. Some of us are so lame in the US compared to the Filipino sisters dedication, they also work out of their homes as we do, have young children and many of the sisters on their routes do not have phones.
Sister Clark and I rode to Tarlac Stake with a driver on Saturday. It was a wonderful, the trip, took us about 2 1/2 hours and was outside of Metro Manila. It felt like a road trip in the country to me, so relaxing and refreshing. Everything was green, lots of sugar cane and rice fields. I really think I could live in a Nimpa Hut here in the Philippines, I like them. I would like to visit a shanty town before I go home just to see how the people adjust and live in their shelters. The people are so happy, I keep thinking they must have a secret inside their shanty towns that we don't know about.
A lot of the senior missionaries here read novels, that really surprised me, Sister Clark said we can do what we want on our down time. I don't think missionaries every have a down time from being a missionary, at any rate, reading novels on my mission is not on my list of things to do and going site seeing is not a priority either. I hear all the time, oh we will have to take Sister Burwell here or there, if I went to all those places, I'm not sure when I would have time to do my assignments.
I feel really proud of myself, we were sitting in a gospel doctrine class on Sunday and the teacher was teaching about forordination, I know that because she said the word in english, at one point the teacher and one of the sister got into a discussion that was getting a little heated, of course it was all in Tagalog, but I somehow sensed what the problem was and raised my hand and explained that I could not understand Tagalog but maybe I could answer, so I explained that we were forordinated to certain callings in the pre-existence but we are given our agency and it is up to us to be worthy to receive the forordination in this life, the sister immediately began shaking her head yes, the teacher agreed, she had left out that bit of info and the lesson preceded. The gospel is true everywhere in the world!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
October 12th
The internet was down all morning yesterday so am a day late blogging. I know you have all been waiting with baited breathe to hear news from the Philippines.
The other two senior missionary sisters invited Sister Clark and I to dinner last week. Sister J is filipino but has lived in the US for 24 years. Sister J does all the wooking and her meal was delicious, good ole pot roast, potatoes and carrots with a nice tossed salad. It was a nice evening.
I decided when we go to the temple, one week I do a session and the next I do inititories, I really love going to the temple each week. After going to the temple, two other senior couples and us went out to eat at a place called MOMO. I have told you before how I feel about eating out here, but I was nicely surprised. The meals all came about the same time, they were hot, in fact, I burned my tongue and the meal was delicious, I had enough to take home and have dinner the next night. I guess you just have to look or go to the right restaurant here.
I don't believe I told you, in the Philippines a restroom/bathroom is call the "comfort room" or CR, it totally makes sence to me. I must be really getting into the Talalog because I am having a hard time spelling English words, even when I sound them out.
We watched conference this last week end. Salt Lake sends us cd's of all conference sessions, so everyone in the Philippines always watch conference the week after the US. The mission president and his wife invited all the senior missionaries to the mission home to watch conference. It was great, we watched conference and then had a pot luck meal. I decided to make Taco Soup and baked beans, so off to the groacery store I went, list in hand. It took me over two hours just to find the ingredients I need and two stores (actually I cound everything but one ingredient, so I just left it out). When I had trouble finding something I would think I can substitute something else, but they didn't have that either anyway both dishes were a hit and I was pretty proud of myself. I used fresh green chilis for the first time, fortunately I got the right amount in the soup because my hand sure did burn for ahile after cutting them up. Sister Clark and I had to leave after the meal, we had an appointment with the stake president of the Las Pinas stake and his bishops to map out the boundaries of their stake. We were suppose to watch the second session with the Las Pinas ward but it took us 2 1/2 hours to get there so we missed the session. (45 minutes to get home, I don't know how that works). They are getting so excited about this mapping and we have found the best time to meet with the brethern is when the stake presidents have their monthly meeting with their bishop, etc. They usually do a little business and then we do the mapping which takes about 2 hours. At Las Pinas they also served us dinner. Just great humble people here.
Last Monday I got a call that someone was in the foyer to see me, when I went up, I was introduced to Eva and her husband. Scott and his companion had taught her the gospel 25 years ago, she is so grateful that they brought the gospel to her. I hope to see her again, she says she will bring her children in to meet me. Also when we were at Las Pinas a sister come up to shake my hand, looked at my name tag and said Burwell, I new an Elder Burwell who was here in 1983, I said that was my son Scott, she said yes, in his first area I was assigned to be an interpeter for him and his companion as they taught. I am impressed with Scott and with them that they truly do remember him. They both said he looks like me, has the same eyes, nose and smile and could even tell me somethings about their time spent with him. The sister from Las Pinas husband works here at the church offices and he was thrilled for her to meet me. It just boggles my mind, Sister Eva has had a sincere desire for years to personally thank Elder Burwell for bringing the gospel to her and to let him know she has served a mission, married in the temple and has four children. The Lord has blessed her and answered that desire, now it is all our hope that Scott will be able to come to the Phillipines while I am here and meet these good people again in person.
Elder Quentin Cook, from the 12 apostles, is here this week, everyone is so excited, they have been cleaning, painting, putting some new furniture and everything looks very nice. We will have a devotional with him on Wednesday evening, looking forward to that. Today is the day everyone, well not everyone but lots, so to the monthly world bazaar. There is such an interest in the mapping, Sister Clark and I decided we should stay in the office, wouldn't be very good if Elder Cook wanted to talk to us and we were out shopping.
I do have Skype now, still seem to be working out some bugs, but will be wonderful to hear voices I recognize.
The other two senior missionary sisters invited Sister Clark and I to dinner last week. Sister J is filipino but has lived in the US for 24 years. Sister J does all the wooking and her meal was delicious, good ole pot roast, potatoes and carrots with a nice tossed salad. It was a nice evening.
I decided when we go to the temple, one week I do a session and the next I do inititories, I really love going to the temple each week. After going to the temple, two other senior couples and us went out to eat at a place called MOMO. I have told you before how I feel about eating out here, but I was nicely surprised. The meals all came about the same time, they were hot, in fact, I burned my tongue and the meal was delicious, I had enough to take home and have dinner the next night. I guess you just have to look or go to the right restaurant here.
I don't believe I told you, in the Philippines a restroom/bathroom is call the "comfort room" or CR, it totally makes sence to me. I must be really getting into the Talalog because I am having a hard time spelling English words, even when I sound them out.
We watched conference this last week end. Salt Lake sends us cd's of all conference sessions, so everyone in the Philippines always watch conference the week after the US. The mission president and his wife invited all the senior missionaries to the mission home to watch conference. It was great, we watched conference and then had a pot luck meal. I decided to make Taco Soup and baked beans, so off to the groacery store I went, list in hand. It took me over two hours just to find the ingredients I need and two stores (actually I cound everything but one ingredient, so I just left it out). When I had trouble finding something I would think I can substitute something else, but they didn't have that either anyway both dishes were a hit and I was pretty proud of myself. I used fresh green chilis for the first time, fortunately I got the right amount in the soup because my hand sure did burn for ahile after cutting them up. Sister Clark and I had to leave after the meal, we had an appointment with the stake president of the Las Pinas stake and his bishops to map out the boundaries of their stake. We were suppose to watch the second session with the Las Pinas ward but it took us 2 1/2 hours to get there so we missed the session. (45 minutes to get home, I don't know how that works). They are getting so excited about this mapping and we have found the best time to meet with the brethern is when the stake presidents have their monthly meeting with their bishop, etc. They usually do a little business and then we do the mapping which takes about 2 hours. At Las Pinas they also served us dinner. Just great humble people here.
Last Monday I got a call that someone was in the foyer to see me, when I went up, I was introduced to Eva and her husband. Scott and his companion had taught her the gospel 25 years ago, she is so grateful that they brought the gospel to her. I hope to see her again, she says she will bring her children in to meet me. Also when we were at Las Pinas a sister come up to shake my hand, looked at my name tag and said Burwell, I new an Elder Burwell who was here in 1983, I said that was my son Scott, she said yes, in his first area I was assigned to be an interpeter for him and his companion as they taught. I am impressed with Scott and with them that they truly do remember him. They both said he looks like me, has the same eyes, nose and smile and could even tell me somethings about their time spent with him. The sister from Las Pinas husband works here at the church offices and he was thrilled for her to meet me. It just boggles my mind, Sister Eva has had a sincere desire for years to personally thank Elder Burwell for bringing the gospel to her and to let him know she has served a mission, married in the temple and has four children. The Lord has blessed her and answered that desire, now it is all our hope that Scott will be able to come to the Phillipines while I am here and meet these good people again in person.
Elder Quentin Cook, from the 12 apostles, is here this week, everyone is so excited, they have been cleaning, painting, putting some new furniture and everything looks very nice. We will have a devotional with him on Wednesday evening, looking forward to that. Today is the day everyone, well not everyone but lots, so to the monthly world bazaar. There is such an interest in the mapping, Sister Clark and I decided we should stay in the office, wouldn't be very good if Elder Cook wanted to talk to us and we were out shopping.
I do have Skype now, still seem to be working out some bugs, but will be wonderful to hear voices I recognize.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
September 27th - October 3rd
It has been another busy week. Our devotional was interesting, a sister gave the talk and did a lot of it in Tagalog which is very unusual. She gave a funny story, but most of us could not understand the funny part since she spoke Talalog, but we knew it was funny because all the Filipinos laughed.
I went to Talalog class on Tuesday, but the teacher interpets for general conference and so she is pretty busy until the third week of October. I know about 10 words now but am hesitate to speak them. I did say salamet (thank you) to our driver yesterday and he responded thank you in english, so I was thrilled I said it correctly.
I went home early on Tuesday, one of the couples gave me a ride, I was nauseated and the ole stomach thing, really felt awful. I didn't go into the office on Wednesday but Thursday was back again feeling somewhat better. It is no fun to stay at the apartment, gets boring pretty quickly.
I forgot to to tell about my second day in the Philippines. Sister Clark and I were going grocery shopping and came out our apartment door to catch the elevator, she was locking the door and as I went to push the elevator button, I look down and see this HUGH bug coming towards me, I jumped back and said what is that, Sister Clark said oh thats just a cockcroach, I said that thing is so big if we had a bridle we could ride it to the store, all the meantime dancing around. Sister Clark went back into the apartment got a big can of Raid (my first indication that the Philippines might have some modern conveniences available) and sprayed the cockcroach but it kept going, when I mentioned that the spray hadn't killed it, she said oh it's okay, it will eventually go feet up. Thank Heavens the elevator come and when we returned from the store, sure enough there it was feet up. I ask Sister Clark what we should do with it, she said the maintenance/cleaning people would take care of it and the next morning it was gone.
My fourth day in the Phillipines I was just coming out of my bedroom, the conversation between Sister Clark and I went something like this: Sister Clark said Oh we have a geko, I said a geko, she said yes a lizard, (I thought I know what a geko is, my mind was racing trying to remember if Scott had told me they live in peoples houses). I asked what are we going to do with it, she said just leave it, it won't hurt anything and it eats bugs (my thought, there is no way that tiny little geko is going to eat those hugh cockcroaches). I said, we cannot leave the geko here, I don't want it crawling on my bed or anywhere near it, she said it'll kill the bugs, I said I'll kill my own bugs, how do we get rid of it, at this point Sister Clark was getting very protective of the geko and I was pacing the floor, so finally I got hold of myself and went to my room. When I come out Sister Clark had picked up the geko and put it outside on the window ledge, much to my relief. I have found two more cockcroaches in the apartment, but they were dead, I keep forgetting to ask Sister Clark how many you have to see before they spray the whole apartment. I suppose there is some rule about they have to be alive when you see them, dead ones don't count.
Thursday night Elder/Sister Burningham, here on a security mission, invited all the senior missionaries to their apartment for a spaghetti feed. They furnished the spaghetti and sauce and assigned everyone else part of the meal to bring. It was so nice, they have a beautiful apartment. After we ate, the entertainment was to tell funny mormon stories, we got to laughing pretty hard at some of them, particularly the "real" ones, of course everyone tried to convince you theirs was really true. I still was not feeling very well and almost didn't go, but so glad I did, just the lift I needed to get going again.
There is one day a week that everyone has a no drive day, here where we are, on your no drive day, you can't drive after between 7:00 am - 10:00 am and 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm, some areas you can't drive at all on your no drive day. The couple we ride with have a no drive day on Friday, so we leave the office at 2:00 pm every Friday, really makes a short day.
I've learned that when someone in the Philippines tells you something is just across the street, don't believe it, across the street to them could be anywhere within a 2-5 mile radius. And rarely does anyone go home the same way they went somewhere. Even driving to the office each day, we come one way and go home another way, it still confuses me but makes since to everyones else and since I am not driving I don't need to figure that one out.
Our mission president did assign us to go to the La Mesa branch, so we went for the first time on Sunday, as we don't get conference here until next week end. Elder/Sister Beckstrand have been driving to the branch for about 2 months, so we go with them each week. I am so excited to finally be able to go and see the same people each week. They have two fulltime young sister missionaries there too and they are really excited to have us. Everyone welcomed us with grins, handshakes more than once, I love it! It takes us one hour to drive there and often the Beckstrands said 2 hours to get home, depending on the traffic. I enjoyed the drive, saw lots of families out doing things together, mostly along the street. It was so good to see so many children and families. The branch has several children so that will be nice. I was surprised the chapel is very nice and set back in amongst some interesting housing on a dirt road. Sister Clark already has about 12 piano students lined up to teach during sunday school time, sounds like a big task to me, there is one adult sister who is self taught on the piano, but doesn't have confidence enough to teach, so Sister clark has her work cut out for her.
We got home from church had about 3 hours and left to meet with a stake president and all his bishops to check their boundaries. We had one of the drivers from the area presidency drive us. The drive took about an hour, we met with the brethern, which took about two hours, part of that time is waiting for everyone to get there. I love meetings with the filipino's, they know how to laugh, get things done and have a great time doing it. Things may take a little longer with all the laughing, but you sure feel good when you leave the meeting.
I don't know who is reading my blog, just a short comment "read it" would be nice, it is easier to blog when I feel like I am talking to someone specific.
I went to Talalog class on Tuesday, but the teacher interpets for general conference and so she is pretty busy until the third week of October. I know about 10 words now but am hesitate to speak them. I did say salamet (thank you) to our driver yesterday and he responded thank you in english, so I was thrilled I said it correctly.
I went home early on Tuesday, one of the couples gave me a ride, I was nauseated and the ole stomach thing, really felt awful. I didn't go into the office on Wednesday but Thursday was back again feeling somewhat better. It is no fun to stay at the apartment, gets boring pretty quickly.
I forgot to to tell about my second day in the Philippines. Sister Clark and I were going grocery shopping and came out our apartment door to catch the elevator, she was locking the door and as I went to push the elevator button, I look down and see this HUGH bug coming towards me, I jumped back and said what is that, Sister Clark said oh thats just a cockcroach, I said that thing is so big if we had a bridle we could ride it to the store, all the meantime dancing around. Sister Clark went back into the apartment got a big can of Raid (my first indication that the Philippines might have some modern conveniences available) and sprayed the cockcroach but it kept going, when I mentioned that the spray hadn't killed it, she said oh it's okay, it will eventually go feet up. Thank Heavens the elevator come and when we returned from the store, sure enough there it was feet up. I ask Sister Clark what we should do with it, she said the maintenance/cleaning people would take care of it and the next morning it was gone.
My fourth day in the Phillipines I was just coming out of my bedroom, the conversation between Sister Clark and I went something like this: Sister Clark said Oh we have a geko, I said a geko, she said yes a lizard, (I thought I know what a geko is, my mind was racing trying to remember if Scott had told me they live in peoples houses). I asked what are we going to do with it, she said just leave it, it won't hurt anything and it eats bugs (my thought, there is no way that tiny little geko is going to eat those hugh cockcroaches). I said, we cannot leave the geko here, I don't want it crawling on my bed or anywhere near it, she said it'll kill the bugs, I said I'll kill my own bugs, how do we get rid of it, at this point Sister Clark was getting very protective of the geko and I was pacing the floor, so finally I got hold of myself and went to my room. When I come out Sister Clark had picked up the geko and put it outside on the window ledge, much to my relief. I have found two more cockcroaches in the apartment, but they were dead, I keep forgetting to ask Sister Clark how many you have to see before they spray the whole apartment. I suppose there is some rule about they have to be alive when you see them, dead ones don't count.
Thursday night Elder/Sister Burningham, here on a security mission, invited all the senior missionaries to their apartment for a spaghetti feed. They furnished the spaghetti and sauce and assigned everyone else part of the meal to bring. It was so nice, they have a beautiful apartment. After we ate, the entertainment was to tell funny mormon stories, we got to laughing pretty hard at some of them, particularly the "real" ones, of course everyone tried to convince you theirs was really true. I still was not feeling very well and almost didn't go, but so glad I did, just the lift I needed to get going again.
There is one day a week that everyone has a no drive day, here where we are, on your no drive day, you can't drive after between 7:00 am - 10:00 am and 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm, some areas you can't drive at all on your no drive day. The couple we ride with have a no drive day on Friday, so we leave the office at 2:00 pm every Friday, really makes a short day.
I've learned that when someone in the Philippines tells you something is just across the street, don't believe it, across the street to them could be anywhere within a 2-5 mile radius. And rarely does anyone go home the same way they went somewhere. Even driving to the office each day, we come one way and go home another way, it still confuses me but makes since to everyones else and since I am not driving I don't need to figure that one out.
Our mission president did assign us to go to the La Mesa branch, so we went for the first time on Sunday, as we don't get conference here until next week end. Elder/Sister Beckstrand have been driving to the branch for about 2 months, so we go with them each week. I am so excited to finally be able to go and see the same people each week. They have two fulltime young sister missionaries there too and they are really excited to have us. Everyone welcomed us with grins, handshakes more than once, I love it! It takes us one hour to drive there and often the Beckstrands said 2 hours to get home, depending on the traffic. I enjoyed the drive, saw lots of families out doing things together, mostly along the street. It was so good to see so many children and families. The branch has several children so that will be nice. I was surprised the chapel is very nice and set back in amongst some interesting housing on a dirt road. Sister Clark already has about 12 piano students lined up to teach during sunday school time, sounds like a big task to me, there is one adult sister who is self taught on the piano, but doesn't have confidence enough to teach, so Sister clark has her work cut out for her.
We got home from church had about 3 hours and left to meet with a stake president and all his bishops to check their boundaries. We had one of the drivers from the area presidency drive us. The drive took about an hour, we met with the brethern, which took about two hours, part of that time is waiting for everyone to get there. I love meetings with the filipino's, they know how to laugh, get things done and have a great time doing it. Things may take a little longer with all the laughing, but you sure feel good when you leave the meeting.
I don't know who is reading my blog, just a short comment "read it" would be nice, it is easier to blog when I feel like I am talking to someone specific.
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