October 27th - November 8th

Things are going fine here in the Philippines. I am still learning about the culture, loving the people and having great experiences.

We have had two Philippine holidays in the past two weeks. The day they vote is a national holiday: they vote every six years for a new president and every three years for barangay president, etc. (would be like our local elections). And All Saints Day, which is like our Memorial Day but lasts for about four days.

We went to another mapping meeting with a driver, he works in our department. It was up in the mountains and around a beautiful lake, the winding roads were a little rough at times. His name is Ralphie and he took us by his home to pick up his 4 year old son, Ammon, and 9 year old daughter, Lalia. His home was interesting, it is in a long row of house connected to each other, no yards and just a fire wall between their house, front & back, from the neighbors. The houses were dirty looking but at one time were painted eggshell colors, his house was pink. Right out in front of his house a lady had set up a street vendor to sell food she was cooking, all this in a street that equals one lane of our traffic. The kids rode in the back seat with me, it took them a little bit to warm up, but all I needed to do was scratch Ammon's back and we were friends. Lalia laid her head on my shoulder and fell asleep.

I have started a walking exercise. They have that treadmill in the apartments where we live but I have told you about that, it just doesn't work for me. I walked a couple of days back into the neighborhood that is near the office and that wasn't great but better than the treadmill and then I decided to see if walking around the temple grounds would provide the exercise I needed, so that is what I am doing 5 days a week. It takes me about 30 minutes to walk three times around the temple grounds, it is pretty warm but I am loving being outside and feeling safe walking.

We had a senior couple go home last Thursday and another senior couple go home today, another couple will go home on the 16th and the last for awhile will go home on the 19th. We had a new couple arrive last Monday to replace the couple that went home today. There is not a replacement for the first couple.

It is so interesting to see signs here, of course there is the US military influence but just how they speak english is interesting, almost sounds like baby talk. The filipino people say they love to hear Americans speak Tagalog because it sound so cute and formal. Some signs I have seen lately kind of give an idea how they put english words together: Construction sign- "Caution Men active", another construction sign-"bear with us"; temple sign-"no picnic or socials on temple grounds"; road sign-"Killing Zone-because of Recklass Drivers;" orange juice ad-"lots of pulpy"; name on package of toilet paper you put in your purse just in case-"Joy Pop Up". Well you get the idea, keeps me chuckling.

I am loving the branch we are attending even though it takes an hour to get there. The missionary couple we ride with started teaching a family history class two weeks ago, so for the last two weeks I have gone in their class instead of the gospel doctrine. Sometimes it is just good to hear good ole english during a lesson, however I will be going back to the gospel doctrine class next Sunday. I saw this little baby boy and went to his mother and asked if I could hold him, she handed him to me and he immediately kissed my cheek, well I am in love with 8 month old Enos and held him for a bit again yesterday.

Sister Beckstrand and I were asked to bear our testimonies in RS and then I was asked to teach the RS lesson on Nov 21st. Sister Clark teaches piano students during sunday school and RS and they are doing very well, she says one of the girls father decided he wanted to learn with his daughter so she is teaching him, too.

We will be going to Iliola mission next week for four days and hope to complete the mapping for that mission while we are there. Elder Bunnell who is over the mapping of the Philippines told me that no where else in the world are they doing the kind of mapping we are doing, we are the pioneers, doesn't seem that complicated to me, I have learned it very quickly , the first time I sat down to try the mapping, I suddenly felt like I had done it before. This truly is the Lord's work and need in the Philippines and I am thrilled to be called to be part of it.