Mission President's Seminar Nov. 2011 in Baguio

This picture is taken off our hotel room balcony at The Manor in 

Camp John Hays at Baguio, Philippines.It is beautiful and cool 

weather there!  It was a great place to have the seminar! 

Beautiful Grounds!

Beautiful hydrangias!  We don't see these in San Pablo!

Another view from our balcony!

More of the beautiful grounds!  As you can see, Philippines

 is ready for Christmas.  They start early.  They celebrate in 

September, October, November and December for Christmas 

holidays.  Christmas music has been playing in the malls 

for 2 1/2 months so far!

This area on the grounds is called the friendship garden. Abraham 

Lincoln's statue is sitting at the other end of the garden.  Notice 

the big pine trees in the background.  You won't find pine trees 

anywhere else in the Philippines...only in Baguio! 

Beautiful view at night!

...And another!

Lovely nativity and decor in the lobby entry of hotel.

Hotel restaurant had fabulous food!  Presentation as well as taste!

How's this for a Christmas tree?

Marinduque Special Training Nov. 2011

Beautiful scene of a roadside view on Marinduqe!

This is a view behind us at that previous picture...It is very typical

 to see this.  The Philippine people are very resourceful on 

places to hang or lay their laundry out to dry!

The winding roads on Marinduque!

Specialized Training for the Marinduque Zone...Having their
snack after the meeting!  It was a wonderful training on the Power
 of the Book of Mormon in Conversion.  Elder Johnson, our AP
is in the lower left side.  Above him, starting from the left...
Elder Blanco, Elder De Leon, Sister Baladad, Sister Camingao,
Elder Waga behind her, Elder Trapsi, Elder Haake, Elder
Lucero, Elder Abanggan above him, Elder Dela Cruz and Elder 
Pratt.  They were a fun group!  It's always good to be with 
the missionaries!

Elder Johnson getting creative with his photography!  This is a 

shot of the seaside at night on Marinduque!

Here we are on the boat home from Marinduque with 

Elder & Sister Packer!

Baptism in the Ocean Nov. 2011

Walking to the beach for the baptism!

 This is the place for the Baptismal service in Lopez Zone 

on the beach.

This is one of the Sisters getting baptized...5 of her children were 

getting baptized with her.

One of the cute kids attending the baptism.

Some of the group wanting to take a picture with us!

Another child that attended.

...And another!  Cute, huh?

All in white...some are baptizing and others getting baptized.  

We are in the middle of the back row.

Here is the group going out to be baptized.  This is a beautiful

shot captured by Elder Packer.  It has become a famous picture

in the mission!  Beautiful!

Here is President Peterson with Elder Sollano and it looks like

Elder Navarro behind the tree!  President is always teaching!  

This was another great picture taken by Elder Packer!

A special hymn being sung by our missionaries at the service.  

It was beautiful!  From the left, Elder Michaels, Elder Smith

(picking through in the back), Elder Francisquete, Elder 

Sollano, Sister Rombaoa, Elder Delos Santos, Elder Navarro,

Sister Uy, Elder Miranda, Elder Valenzuela, and Elder Agan.

Good Bye

Sister Alferez with President & I at the Airport.

Halloween in the Philippines

Halloween is not celebrated the same here.  You ask any of the missionaries from the Philippines if they ever dressed up and went "trick-or-treating" when they were kids and they would tell you they did not.  It is celebrated in connection with their "All Saints Day", November 1st.  They get out of school for both days and go with their families to the graves of their loved ones and bring flowers and light candles at their grave.  However, nowadays some bring their children to the malls to trick-or-treat to the stores.  This is a picture of some that we saw in the Mall on Halloween.

More Mission Tour/Zone Conference

The Siniloan Distict...From the left, Elder DeYoung, Elder Orro, 

Sister Batan, Sister Gabonada, Sister Billings, Sister Ballesteros, 

Elder Adap, and Elder Sambile.  Elder Gomia and Elder De Guia 

are not in the picture because Elder Gomia came down with the

 mumps a few days before and so were not able to attend...

very sad!  Elder & Sister Teh are in front with us.

This is the Cabuyao Zone...Front row is Elder Silvoza, Elder 

Hurst, Elder Vandermyde, and Elder Roxas. Middle row is 

Elder & Sister Teh & us. The back is Elder Torres, Elder Mayola,

 Elder Pesamino, Sister Bowthorpe, Sister Yoro, Elder Doughty,

 Sister Huerta, Sister Watkins, Elder Glenn, Elder Mendoza,

 Elder Elliott, and Elder Caubalejo.

This is the San Pablo Zone.  The front row is Elder Pascua, Elder 

Abendanio, Elder Surio, Elder Nalesoni, Elder Culaban, and 

Elder Judd.  Middle row is Sister Bennett, Sister Packer, 

Elder Teh, Sister Teh, Sister Peterson, Sister Walker and Sister 

Montegue.  Back row is Elder Sanchez, Elder Galutera, Elder 

Washburn, Elder Bennett, Elder Packer, Sister Escalona, 

Sister Romua, Sister Alferez, Sister Cinco, President Peterson, 

Elder Mina, Elder Palavi and Elder Remollo.

This is the Santa Cruz Zone...Front row is Elder Johnson, Elder 

Belandres, Elder Shepherdson, and Elder Brown.  Middle is 

Elder & Sister Teh and me & President.  Back is Elder Knight, 

Elder Guba, Elder Castillo, Sister Buton, Elder Butler, Sister 

Roque, Elder Villanueva, and Elder Yance.

After a Devotional with Elder Teh for the Balayan Deistrict

Here we are with President Cananea and his wife and two children.  We didn't get a picture of them when we spoke at their District Conference.  She is the one that fixed us a meal with a purple (ube) cake and called it my "birthday cake" and they sang to me.  She brought a cake this night also...two actually...one for me and one for Sister Teh.  Lovely family!

This is the choir director for the Balayan District and her family.  

Good people.