Another Mode of Transportaion

During our first year here I've included many pictures of various modes of transportation. Today on our way home from church we followed this large truck that was full of lawn chairs and over 30 people. I wonder what would happen if they hit a big bump! When they turned into a gas station we followed them so I could get a good side shot. They were all so cute, they posed for the picture and yelled "God Bless You!" as I got back into our car.

The Moffat Family Visits the Mission Home

Elder Hale, Elder Moffat and Elder Katoa. (Elder Hale and Elder Katoa are the Assistants to the President and both were good friends of Elder Moffat)

Brother and Sister Moffat surprised their missionary by meeting him at the Patron House on his last day right before he went to the temple. They then traveled back to the Cauayan Mission area--visited Lagawe and Banaue at Sunrise, Santiago and Cauayan. They were able to stop by the mission home for dinner. We have loved Elder Moffat. He is one of those missionaries who was totally engaged in his mission. He is always excited about everything. I'll never forget when I fed him cheesecake once and he started giggling, saying "I'm giddy!" His filipino companion had no idea what he was talking about. He trained a number of missionaries and served in our mission leadership. Elder Moffat always did everything in high gear. It was fun to meet his parents and now we know where he gets his energy and enthusiasm for life. We wish them a great trip home. We will miss dear Elder Moffat!

It's Your Birthday--Is it a pig or cow day?

Ready to party!!!

We recently went to a members birthday party. Here if it's your birthday you prepare a big meal for all your friends. You wait on them and when they leave, you eat. Sister Ramos was celebrating her 60th birthday and she wanted a pig birthday. So they roasted a large pig (called lechon) and also cooked another whole pig. There were about six entrees all with pig! One of our friends at the party told me that when it's your birthday you decide if you want to serve pig or cow.

Another Transfer Day

This was a BIG transfer. We have lost close to 30 missionaries in the past 6 weeks and so it was time to do a lot of transfers. I always love our transfer meetings. President Carlos and his Assistants work hard to make it a very spiritual experience. They find the most uplifting music and videos to watch. We add some musical numbers and often missionaries are asked to come up and bear their testimonies. This time Sister Pence played a beautiful medly of hymns while each misisonary sat in silence and tried to prepare spiritually for a new companion and in many cases a new area. The spirit of the Holy Ghost was very strong and we were very much uplifted. Here are a few random shots taken throughout the day.

The chapel was almost full of missionaries who were affected by this transfer.

There's always some missionaries that find their way to the mission home for a little lunch or snack.

Elder Ward and Elder Molino (Elder Ward is the new district leader in Ilaga Zone)

Elder Penaranda with his follow-up trainer Elder Elgan

Elder Miole and Elder Schmidt (Elder Schmidt has been transferred to Ilagan)

New zone leaders for Ilagan: Elder Hardman and Elder Magsanoc

Elder Fry with his trainer Elder Farley (Both from California)

Elder Coleman with his trainer Elder Kelson (Love that pose!)

Elder Prago with his trainer, Elder Biason

Sister Brown will train Sister Panganiban

New Zone Leaders: Elder Bangal and Elder Goobie--watch out Tuguegarao here they come!

Elder Bean is the follow-up trainer for Elder Delector

Elder Haycock and Elder Brown, the zone leaders for Nueva Vizcaya

Elder Reyes and Elder Caamic are new companions

13 Leave and 12 Hours Later 13 New Missionaries Arrive

We drop dead in bed after we send off our precious missionaries, knowing that around 5:30 am we would need to have breakfast made and head to the bus stop to pick up our precious new missionaries. This time we had an even number of those going and those coming. We are impressed with the new batch, we told them they have huge shoes to fill but we are confident that they will be able to do it. Welcome Elder Coleman, Fry, Bacigalupo, Fantony, Cuartel, Lasay, Lisaca, James, Acu and Sister Panganiban, Franciscco and Lumauag!

Departure Day for Some Very Special Missionaries

Thirteen of our very best missionaries headed home this week. First, we had a wonderful day together including a going away dinner and testimony meeting. Our hearts are forever changed from the words we heard them speak as they shared a little about their experiences here. This batch truly lost themselves in the service of others and will be forever missed.

Ready for the all-night bus ride.

Lots of luggage

North Americans find their suits in the mission home suit closet. (Most take off their jackets when they arrive and two years later pick them up on their way home. Elder Sanders is particularly proud of the suit he had made here. Note the green lining and the green plaid vest!)

Thanks to a dear friend, Annalee Ward, every missionary creates a quilt block to go onto the mission quilt.

It's always so special to sit together their last night and share their experiences and testimonies with the rest of the group.

The three departing sister missionaries listen intently as one of the elders shares an experience he will always remember.

Wow, what a gwapo (might be spelled guago) group of missionaries.

Goodbye and God Bless Elder Constantino, Balaich, Maxfield, Joslin, Pincock, Bates, Mulliner, Moffat, Sanders, Ellis and Sister Banks, Rivera and Conje. We will love you forever!

Cauayan Zone--District Meeting

Each Tuesday morning our districts hold training meetings under the direction of each district leader. Last week we attended Cauayans. After the great training by Elder Escalona there was time for a zone picture. (Sister Banks and Sister Conje were heading home and this was their last district meeting.)
After the meeting the sisters came to the Mission Home to discuss plans for our upcoming sisters specialized training meeting to be held at the end of the month. President was in the kitchen wearing his BYU apron and getting the chicken ready to be marinated for the big going away banquet to be held the next day. Aren't these young women gorgeous? 



Elder Bangal Heads to Tugeugarao

Elder Bangal has been serving as one of President's fine assistants and now it's time for him to go back into the field. He told me that a senior couple serving at the Mission Training Center in Manila told him the day before he came to Cauayan, "Now it's time for the rubber to meet the road." So I guess it's time for the rubber to meet the road and time for Elder Bangal to get back into the trenches. He is really good working with and inspiring missionaries. We will certainly miss him around the mission office but look forward to hearing all the great he's doing.

Before an assistant heads back we ask if we can have a special dinner in their honor and Elder Bangal wanted to eat one more time at Hotel Andrea and invite the zone leaders and sister missionaries serving here in Cauayan. We had a great time in his honor! We love Elder Bangal and will miss serving with him on a daily basis. (He is the third person on the left)

New Rice and Missionary Work

This rice was probably planted a few days ago

This rice was planted several weeks ago. See what a vibrant color it is next to the beautiful bright blue mountains in the background.

What does rice have to do with missionary work? Let me tell you...
This is planting rice time in most of the mission. I know I showed some photos before, but the other day I got a close-up shot of newly planted rice. See how the field is flooded and the rice is planted in clumps. Within a few weeks it fills out and you can't see each invididual plant. I love the newly planted rice because it is the most beautiful lime green color. As it grows the color deepens to a darker green and then closer to the harvest it turns gold and almost white. As missionaries we love a scripture that says, "For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thursteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul." We believe that there are many being prepared to hear this great gospel and searching for meaning in their lives. They are ready to harvest. It's our job to find them.

A Day to Remember!

Last saturday we had close to 50 baptisms throughout our mission. Every zone had baptisms. Our job as missionaries is to invite others to come unto Christ by being baptized and become members of the church. We teach the gospel and invite and then it's up to the people to decide of it's right for them. We don't measure our success by the number of baptisms but by how hard we've worked. Still it is a wonderful thing to witness how these people's hearts have been changed and how now they want to align their lives with the Savior's. Many have had to give up bad habits such as smoking or drinking to join. Other's have had to change their work schedules to be able to come to church. It's a huge commitment and change--but oh, so worth it!

Santiago Stake Center where close to 20 wonderful people were batpized

Sister Villamor and Sister Webre taught this wonderful family



Elder Crowley and Elder Murillo work so hard in Alcala. The bishop called President and begged him not to transfer Elder Crowley and Elder Murillo. We love it when the leaders love our missionaries!



Elder Cantos in Nueva Vizcaya taught these wonderful people.

Who says there's no culture in Cauayn

We recently found a really nice restaurant that has nightly entertainment. We went not knowing what to expect and were really impressed by the food, the atmosphere and especially the entertainment. It was a group who could sing almost any song from the 60's-70's. And they were great! The keyboard guy was so talented. They took requests and he could play about anything. His voice was awesome too and the lead female singer was truly professional. We had a delicious dinner and sat for an hour and enjoyed the music. Our bill? A total of $20.00 for the four of us.

It's a garden restaurant but with fans overhead and a nice breese it was pleasant.

Charming atmosphere

Delicious food!

We can't wait to take the Russells there next week!

Career Fair at CDC in Cauayan

This shows how the classrooms done have front walls. It's an interesting concept.

All of the blackboard messages were meticulously written. 

This is one of the primary rooms. The darling house upstairs is their reading loft.

There are many private schools in Cauayan. Filipinos truly value education and many spend great amounts of money on their children's education. One of the best schools in the area is CDC (don't ask me what that stands for). They have classes from preschool through high school. We have three friends that teach there. Last week they invited us to speak at a career day. Rudy was asked to talk about sales and sales management, and me to speak about being a writer. There was a doctor, lawyer, school administrator, engineer, architect and nurse also on the program. We were each given around 15 minutes to talk about our professions. It was held in the school's really nice air-conditioned auditorium. The high school students were very well behaved. We were greeted at the door and ushered upstairs to the fourth floor. I had never seen any school like it. It's like a high rise office building but there aren't any walls on the front of each classroom. When you stand in the huge lobby that rises up 4 floors you can hear all this chattering and see all the classes of children busily working and creating. I guess in the classrooms you don't hear others. After we spoke the students presented us with a lovely framed poem about our chosen profession and they had a bakery make a fabulous mango cake for each of us. We were so impressed by the school and the students.

A Visit From Our Favorite Filipino Twins!

When one cries, they both cry!

James is on the left and John is on the right next to his tatay (dad). I just want to nibble on these little boys!

Ranie, the Mission Home's gardener and his wife had twins on August 13, 2010. Recently his wife brought them to the office for a visit. They are just the cutest, chubbiest little guys you've ever met. One is named John Weldon Soriano (after Elder Starley who left last August) the other one is named James Weldon Soriano (still in honor of Elder Starley). One of their friends has a good sense of humor and told them they need one more son and they should name him--Job Weldon. (Well done!) They are really mama's boys and wouldn't come to any of us including Lola Imelda, the housekeeper. We're not sure how their little mom can manage with both of them.

The Banana Tree

Across the street is a banana tree. Recently I saw a large pinkish blossom and soon after there were tiny bananas. I've learned that a banana tree produces several bunches of bananas (probably around 50 to 100 per bunch) and then that stalk dies down and another one shoots up and produces another stalk. From watching this tree the past year, I see that it takes about a year before the next stalk is up and ready to produce.

More Quarterly Interviews

Elder Thomas got us all to think about Lehi's Dream. Wow, there are powerful applications in those passages that relate to us as missionaries.

Alicia Zone sang a beautiful hymn.

Roxas Zone leaders had each district stand on top of a blanket and without stepping off the blanket or touching it, they had to flip it over so that the top of the blanket was now touching the floor. It was really fun to watch them work together on a seemingly impossible task.

Ilagan Zone leaders got everyone up and moving with a rendition of the primary song, "Do as I'm Doing, Follow Follow Me." We all laughed and had fun and then they related that to how we can help our investigators follow Christ's example and be baptized by one having authority to do so.

A week after we began our mission tour for President's quarterly interviews we finished up by meeting with Cauayan, Alicia, Roxas and Ilagan Zones. As always, it was so much fun to see those missionaries and spend a little time with them. The zone leaders all provided fantastic training. I personally learned so much and I know each missionary did too!