Visit To Mindoro During National Family Service Week

This is Elder and Sister Campbell (Steve & Roselie) in their nice place on Mindoro.  We had them staying with us for over a month trying to find them a place.  We had taken them to Mindoro to the District Conference there in July and we showed them this place, but we weren't sure we wanted them a boat ride and a long drive away from us.  However, they soon settled on going there and we are delighted for them.  They are very much needed there and they are already making a big difference to the Branches.  They are visiting members, inviting less-active to come back to church (with much success), finding investigators, having groups in their home for Family Home Evenings and other gatherings and are a great support and help to the missionaries there!  They are a wonderful couple with powerful testimonies.  We feel so blessed to have them here!

Just a roadside scene on Mindoro

Are these children cute or what?  We are sitting on the bumper of the side car of a Tricycle in the parking lot of the Church in Calapan on Mindoro.  Those sticks laying on the ground at the left are what they use for outdoor brooms.  George had some temple interviews to do there while I got to visit these children and other members there at the church.  I also got to go visit the Campbells and see their place.

The Native crafts at the Palangke

Rubi sitting down in the handicraft area of the palangke.  We are

 searching for trinkets to send to our grandchildren.  We had a 

good time.  Even though it is quite hot in there.

Elder Johnson's Birthday!

Elder Johnson is showing his birthday desert...chocolate mouse pie.  George & I split one.  Yes, it was really good!  On the left is Elder Johnson (AP), Elder Jerusalem (AP), Elder Judd (Office Elder, financial), Elder Torres (Office elder, secretarial) on the right in front, and on the other side of me in the back is our new office elder, Elder Surio.  It was a fun time! 

We went to this restaurant, Arrabella's, for Elder Johnson's birthday dinner.  We had been hearing about it for some time.  The former mission president and his wife, the Andersons, were said to have really liked this place.  It was a favorite of theirs.  It was pretty good.  As you can see from the picture the ceiling is very low.  Honestly, I think it was under 6 ft.  You had to duck way down to get in the door and you had to duck as you walked inside if you were very tall.  George got a rib-eye steak, but wished he would have gotten the t-bone.  I had a Dorey fish.  It was pretty good.  They have a lot of Italian food choices on the menu.  However, I think it is the deserts that the elders really love there. 

Road Travels

This is a typical sight on the roads of the Philippines...A funeral

 procession.  There are many people walking down the road

 along side and behind the hearse carrying the casket.

  It causes a lot of traffic conjestion.

This is a pretty common thing to see riding down the road!  

It's a double-decker truckload of pigs!

I hope you can click on this picture and see theses girls a little 

close up.  The umbrellas here are used for protection from the sun

 as well as from rain.  All the children here wear uniforms.  I hope

 to get more pictures of different ages and different uniforms. They

 are so cute.  These girls, I think, are high school age.

This pig is HUGE!!  He took up pretty much the entire space of 

the Jeepney!  Can you see his snout sticking out the right side!  

I wish I could have gotten a picture of his face from that side!

We are on the road a lot traveling around the mission.  This is just

 a typical roadside fruitstand.  They have a lot of these 

all over the mission.

Elder Jessee's Medical Release

Elder Jessee became very ill after only 7 weeks in the field.  He was diagnosed with Thyroiditis (sp?) and bordering on Hypothyrodism.  Apparently his family has a history of thyroid problems.  The doctors say it will take at least 6 to 8 months to get to feeling well enough to come back, so he was given a medical release.  Salt Lake told us that there is a 95% chance he will come back to the same mission.  We hope so!  These pictures show us at the airport with him saying our sad goodbyes!  It was really hard to see him go.  He is a sweet, talented elder and we grew to love him a lot!  It was a dark and rainy morning too!  We had to leave the mission home by 4:15 a.m. to get him to Manila airport for a 7:30 a.m. flight.

Zone Workshop on Marinduque Sept., 2011

I had to add this picture.  It is taken from inside our car on the Ferry.  Elder Johnson & Elder Jerusalem saw this lady sitting on a chair outside of our car.  They both hopped out and began talking with her.  There was a crowd of crew men standing around and listening.  They ended up given her a Book of Mormon and she gave them her name, address, and cell phone number so the elders on Marinduque could come and visit and teach her more!  A while later we saw her reading the Book of Mormon and took this picture for a memory!  They were pretty happy with the experience!

More of Marinduque!

This is us with our zone in Marinduque with our AP's squating 

down in Front...Elder Johnson & Elder Jerusalem.  From the left,

Elder Lucero, Elder Trapsi, Elder Waga, Elder Davis (in back),

 Elder Blanco, Elder Hurst, Me, Sister Hilario, Sister Camingoa,

 Elder Dela Cruz, President, Elder Nance.  This was our second

 to the last zone to do the workshop on the Doctrine of Christ 

Train that I described before. 

Marinduque District Conference Sept., 2011

This is another boat much like the one we are on.

Enjoying the view!

Here is beautiful Marinduque again.  This is taken from the ferry boat on our way to Marinduque District

Conference.  President Peterson (George) and his counselor President Merdegia had a lot of inviewing to do on Friday.  They were changing the District Presidency.  The District President there, Pres. Lim has been serving as President there for many years.  He actually was a Counselor to George's Mission President back in 1970-1972...and has served in many callings since then.  He has been a Branch President, a Temple, Stake and District President before, an Area authority, Seventy, and a Mission President.  He and his wife are very faithful members here...some of the great pioneers of the Philippines!!  Wonderful people!!  We were so busy we never took the time to get a picture taken with them!  I am so sad about that!  I hope we can get one some other time!