Blog 29 September 6 to 18, 2015

This is terrible.  We have been too busy to keep up with the blog for two weeks.  I seem to be sending more pictures than words but the pictures will remind us of the places and people we work with.  Becky was able to Skype us yesterday without interruption.  We have not had internet for two weeks so it was a great surprise.  She said that Leonard Dressel gives the blog to the colony.  If that is true I O Leonard a big favor or two.  Hello to my colony friends and family!  Becky has informed me of the difficulty in keeping a teacher there.  I think the problem is the students!  They were pretty rough on me so I am sure they keep the teachers in tears until they quit.  I may have to come back for a while and take the abuse again!  Wow I miss you all.  I have a few pictures I brought that I show to my closest friends but they don’t understand our lifestyle in North America.

Back to my job of keeping a journal of our activities…we had district conference on Sept 6.  It is so great to see old friends and the missionaries we know.  Monday and Tuesday we did business, met with mission leaders and tried to find an ink cartridge that fits out machine.  Of course we will have to go into NAGA to get one so we are handicapped for printing right now.  We have been busy training the missionaries to do the family history approach with the less actives and investigators.  They are hesitant to try the first time.  We trained the Nabua companionship on Wednesday but forgot to get a picture of the Elder Taylor from California and Elder Soto from Manila.  Thursday was an amazing day.  We went to teach the Buhi district with the Zone Leaders.  We did a 20 minute lesson on how we can get inspiration from the Book Of Mormon and the Bible.  We learned a lot together including the two way communication with Father.  When we talk to Him it is called prayer and when He talks to us it is called revelation.  We are so fortunate to have personal revelation for ourselves and our families but also revelation to His prophet in the world’s behalf.  I am so lucky to be one of the few (15 Million) on this earth who know about a modern day prophet.

We went back to Buhi on Friday to do the companionship training.  Valerie goes on line with two missionaries to research and print their 4 generation group sheets while I teach the family history dialogue to another companionship, then we trade companionships.  We did the whole district, all three companionships in one big day.  Of course they love the root beer floats we give them and the Canadian flag pin they get when they graduate from our class.  Buhi is a remote city away from other places.  It is at the end of the highway on a beautiful fresh water lake.  Fishing They are amazing missionaries.  These are the sisters that serve in Buhi, Sisters Baguio and Moebias.  They have too much energy.  They are both college graduates who chose to serve a mission before entering the workforce.  Sister Baguio is a teacher.  Don’t let their sweet smiles fool you, they are so energetic it makes us run to keep up!

The elder closest to the camera is the District Leader, Elder Cayago is one of my heroes.  

He is so obedient.  He and his companion Elder Leota from Australia left the training and tried the family history approach with a less active that day.  We received these texts from their experiences.

This was the text we received Friday night after their appointment.

It works, FH Really works…we used it in our less active’s appointment and they kept us there for nearly 2 hours because they wanted to know more and more.  They even gave us food so we would stay longer. BIG BONUS!  We also used FH in our OYM approaches.

On Saturday morning we got this text:

Last night we were amazed at how easy it is and how effectively it works!  Thanks.

On Sunday they reported this:

Hey so yesterday we were at the chapel because that less active member wanted to do his family history work.  We helped him out with it and we were able to send 5 names to the temple for ordinances including his parents and siblings.  He was so happy!  He said he wants to come to church with his wife to help her with her tree too.  So we are hoping she comes because she hasn’t been to church in a LONG time.  This stuff is great!  Thank you once again!  The power of family history.

We went to Lagonoy for the family history event on Saturday.  They are such great people out there but do not speak English very much.  They understand us but are not able to communicate as well as they wish so they get frustrated although we understand them very well.  We had a few tech problems but it all worked out in the end.  This is the group for the beginning session which Valerie is operating from her computer at the front of the chapel.

This little guy couldn’t take his eyes off me because he hadn’t seen a white person before.

Sister Marcial is a school principal, stake relief society president, ward FH consultant and  adopted a little girl from a 15 year old girl who couldn’t take care of her new baby last year.  She is teaching this session on Searching In The Philippines.

This is her little girl. n a white person before.

We were doing a beginner class with the missionaries and investigators in another room.

On Sunday afternoon we were watching the rain pour down and decided to drive into Baao centro about 1 km away from our house to see the flooding.  Whoever planned this city didn’t think of drainage in the rainy season.  The city center, which is always a Catholic church, is in the lowest part so it get’s flooded in every down pour.  I have a video of the action as well.

But, it doesn’t stop us! another room.

Life goes on as usual!  This is just at dusk on Sunday evening.

And so ends another week.  Some of the days are looooong but the weeks and months are flying past.  We thought we would have all of the Philippines converted by now and then we could tour but we are just shifting into a higher gear with our new “train the missionaries” plan.  It has already started to work and will get better but we are impatient and wish for things to speed up so we can see the results of our efforts more quickly.  I guess this is one of those lessons in humility I need in order to keep focused but I hate humility and I am not good at being disciplined! 

We love you all.  We pray for every part of your lives and for your continued health and success.  Thank you for all the thoughts, prayers and sacrifices in our behalf.  Keep the Faith!