District Leader Training Meeting August 27, 2013

District Leader Training:

All the District Leaders (DLs) come in for training and they bring 

their companions so it gets to be a lot of missionaries! :-)  

Elders Bandoy (DL), Oliva, Calisaan (DL), Bodkin (DL), 

Sembrano (DL), Abad, Pal, Cambe and Kaifoto.

Elders, Jones (DL), Aguilar (DL), Gallen, Richards, Sorenson,

Sarmiento, Seggay (DL), Oliva, Bandoy (DL), Tolentino (DL),

and Sembrano (DL).

Elder Slater (DL) is also training Elder Pacunla and they are 

pictured her with Elder Pascua (AP).  We see some of a side view 

of Elder Milligan.

Here is a better view of Elder Milligan with his trainer Elder

Stephenson (DL).

Here we have Elders Harding, Espaldon, Hansen (DL), 

Aguilar (DL) and Sorenson.

This is Elder Gallen and his trainer, Elder Bayubay (DL).

This is Elders Bodkin, Howes (Office Elder) and Minguel (OE). 

Elders Bodkin and Howes knew each other before their missions.

And both of them have twin brothers serving elsewhere.

Elders Oliva, Sorenson and Cambe are enjoying getting together!

Trip to Mindoro August 24, 2013

New Missionary Applications

Sister Nambio

Elder Marco

President interviewed these two and received their applications 

to serve a mission.  They are from the Pola Branch on the island 

of Mindoro. We had a wonderful visit with Elder and Sister Smith,

our senior couple serving on there. They picked us up and drove 

us straight to Pola for those interviews. We traveled from there to 

Socorro to look at the new meeting house that's needed there.

The saints in Socorro have been meeting under a tarp and are 

anxious to have a building to meet in.  We, then, headed to 

Calapan where President had interviews with some members 

there. We met the Zone Leaders there, also, so President could 

interview one of their investigators for Baptism.  We did a quick 

run through McDonald's to get a hamburger before the Smiths 

dropped us off at the port.  It was looking a bit choppy on the 

ocean and the sky was looking dark and cloudy, so we thought 

we'd better get to the port and leave as soon as we could.

We had rough waters going home from the Island of Mindoro.

Very rough waters...didn't stop us!

Sisters Going Home August 20, 2013

Sister Macheke had to go home to take care of a permanent Visa

hearing she had.  Sister Manwill had trouble adjusting to the food 

and then got an amoeba which put her in the hospital for a few 

days with IV medications. That kind of made it hard for her to 

adjust to the food again. She went home to get checked by her 

doctors at home and then see about getting reassigned somewhere 

else. We will miss them...

Church in Barra August 18, 2013

Tricycle Ride to the Barra Branch

This is a picture taken through the front window of my tricycle. 

This is a picture of some "Pedicabs" along the way.  Pedicabs are

like Tricycles but instead of a motorcycle on the side, it's a bicycle.

This is a little store along the way...

Children at play...

Goats at play...:-)  This is a common sight.  Lots of people have

goats...

Children playing in a wash area...See the water pump there on the

right wide?  I'm not sure what the sign says...

Not a real trusting look from the younger one... :-)

This might be called a sari sari store, but they also serve meals in 

these pots. Many call it "Point, Point" because you just point to 

the pot of your choice for your meal order...

Sister Hansen's first Tricycle ride.

This is a picture taken in front of the church.  This sweet Sister and

her pretty daughter that is probably 9 or 10 and towers over her

mother already.

Here she is again with her 8 yr. old son.

Here is the whole happy family!

This is a man that was just baptized the day before. He is with his 

wife and daughter.

These two women are sisters!

I love the look on his face!

The Children are getting ready to have primary outside.  Aren't

they beautiful?

Sister Hansen is trying to get a reaction from this cute little girl.

Sitting around waiting for church to start...

President talking to the Barra Branch President and a High 

Councilmen.  They are actually brothers.  This is a nice shot of

Elder Hansen looking content! 

Transfer week continued... The New Batch of Missionaries

August 2013 New Missionaries

This is another great batch of missionaries!  From the left, in front, 

Sisters Smith, Hingano, Brown, Kerr, Vaipou, President, me, 

Sisters Moimoi, Borg, To'a, Burnham, Reed and Elder Gallen. 

From the left in back, Elders Maglasang, Kaifoto, Langi, Shaw, 

Sister Macheke, Elder Kikel, Sister Ebuen, Elder Richards, Sister 

Finau, Elder Milligan, Sister Manu, Elder Adamson, Elder Perez, 

Sister Feinga, Elders Hammer, Parry and Toro.

This was a large batch...30 in all, but Elders Discanso and Tupou

came later.  As you can see, it took a couple of buses and we held

up some traffic!  Elder Toro and Elder Richards are by President.

Sister Hansen, myself, Elders Merriam and Pascua are looking on.

Elder Gallen is with Elder Hansen in the far back by the bus...

Getting acquainted... 

I'm not sure what Elder Howes said to Sisters Burnham and Reed,

but they are either excited or very surprised!?

Here they are getting ready for orientation...

Some of our beautiful sisters from the new batch... Sisters To'a, 

Manu, Hingano, Feinga, Finau, Vaipou and Moimoi.

More of our lovely sisters!  Sisters Kerr, Smith, Brown, Burnham,

Reed and Ebuen.

Gathering in the office before heading to the church next door for

the Training Meeting...

President and the AP's are doing a wonderful job of training...

I was able to talk to them at the meeting about emotional 

preparedness and dealing with stress.  President talked about the 

"Doctrine of Companionship".

President is always ready to talk and give counsel wherever he is.

Elder Burton got transferred from being an Assistant to President 

and will be training Elder Toro.  Elders Toro and Burton are 

waiting with Bishop Baliwas for lunch to be served!

Sisters are always first!  Sister Price is training Sister Vaipou. 

They will get us started with our lunch of Sopas, Pandesal rolls 

and homemade chocolate chip oatmeal cookies!  Bishop Baliwas,

Rubi's husband, and Rubi are serving!

This is Sisters Niupalau, Price and Vaipou.  Sister Niupalau was 

Sister Price's trainer and now Sister Price is training Sister 

Vaipou.  They like to think of themselves as being related...like a

grandmother, mother and daughter relationship!  :-)

This is another batch picture with Elders Discanso and Tupou this

time!  In front, Sisters Ebuen, Hingano, Vaipou, President, 

Me, Sisters Kerr, Smith, Brown, and Burnham.  In back

is Elders Maglasang, Kaifoto, Langi, Tupou, Sister To'a, Elder 

Kikel, Sister Finau, Elder Adamson, Elder Hammer, Sister 

Manu, Elders Parry, Richards, Milligan, Sister Moimoi, Elders

Perez, Discanso, Shaw, Sister Mecheke, Elder Toro, Sisters

Feinga and Reed.  Elder Gallen is hiding behind Sister Reed.

Elder Burton's Birthday August 13, 2013

Celebrating Elder Burton's birthday at Arabella's.  Great food and

great company!  From the left, Elders Pascua, Minguel, Burton, 

President, Me, Elder and Sister Hansen, Sister Manwill, Elders

Howes and Merriam. 

Elder Burton having Arabella's famous chocolate mousse dessert 

for his birthday...Even though he has a Pazookie waiting for him 

at the mission home!  He loves his desserts!  He can handle it 

because of CrossFit!  Lol...

Transfer Week August 11-15, 2013 (The Outgoing Missionaries)

Visit From our Returned Missionary, Lowell Surio

Elder Burton, Brother Surio, Rubi, Lowell's cousin, Elders Pascua

and Merriam. We had a great visit, even though it was a busy time

...Transfer week! :-)

Our Departing Missionaries

In front, Elders Delfin, Sollano, Silvosa, Clark, Pesamino and 

Tagulao. In back, Elders Guba, Rosario, Natividad, Sisters Padua,

Francis (Bano), Cayanan, Snow and Nabus, Elders Meniano,

Mendoza and Orro...with President and I in the far back.

Elders Gub and Orro, Sisters Padua and Nabus, Elders Delfin,

Sollano and Mendoza...

Elder Tagulao's family came to pick him up and they joined us

for Family Home Evening that night before taking him home.  

Sister Francis is in the background, then me, Elder Tagulao's 

Sister, Dad and Mother, Elder Tagulao and President.

Sister Hansen and I with Elder Tagulao.

At the Bus stop with Sisters Hansen, Cayanan and Snow, Me, 

Sisters Nabus, Padua and Francis...

Elders Sollano, Silvosa and Delfin

Here we are waiting for a bus!

Love these Elders! Elders Meniano, Mendoza, Silvosa, Me, 

Elders Guba, Orro and Sollano...

We just added and jump here! lol... Elder Pesamino joined in.

Elders Delfin, Sollano and Mendoza...waiting across the street for

a bus going the opposite direction for Elder Delfin, who is going

straight to his relatives house instead of going to Manila with the

rest of the missionaries...

Sister Cayanan's family came to pick her up while we were waiting

for the bus... President, Me, Sister Cayanan, her mother, brother,

van driver and her good friend are pictured here!

Elders Rosario, Meniano and Orro are patiently waiting! :-)

Elder Sivosa looking through a jeepney with his "thumbs up"! I'm

sure going to miss that smile!