Another Typhoon is Heading Our Way

We just got word that another typhoon is due to hit our area pre-dawn tomorrow morning and is now categorized as a Level 3. Level 3 will bring high winds and lots of rain, but nothing that should keep us down too long. We have evacuated a number of our missionaries to higher ground as lots of rain is expected. All other companionships have been instructed to have several days of water, food and candles on hand. We are prepared!
Most of us just got back power since the typhoon on Tuesday. We will update this blog if we have power as soon as it passes. Please join with us in prayer that these storms will be tempered and somehow diverted.

Thanks to all for your concern.

Typhoon Pedring

We received word that a typhoon was headed our way but it was categorized as a Level 2, which means lots of rain and wind but nothing too crazy. In the middle of the night it was elevated to a Level 3, still nothing compared to the huge Typhoon Juan we had in October 2010. The worst part of this typhoon actually bypassed us and swerved more towards Manila. So there is lots of flooding and problems in Manila. Throughout our mission we have had massive tree damage and lots of brown outs (no electricity) there are a few areas where missionaries have been moved because of flooding, but all in all we are in great shape. We feel very fortunate! (The mission home and office has been without electricity since yesterday morning 32 hours so far. We have a generator so we have a few lights, refrigeration, fans and the Internet! Many of our missionaries are using candles for the next few days. Luckily the temperatures are cooler than normal so the heat isn't too bad.
Our sources in Manila told us that we could go ahead and send our departing missionaries on the bus this evening. They say the problems in Manila are more in the side roads and that the major highway to Manila is passable. So with a prayer in our hearts for a safe journey we put our 11 belved departing missionaries on the bus. Tomorrow they will go to the Manila temple and then catch flights, buses and boats to their homes on Friday.

Saying Goodbye to the Larsons

The Area Presidency has requested that the Larsons transfer to Manila where they can share their medical knowledge and talents with the MRC (Mission Recovery Center) and the MTC (Mission Training Center), so they will be under the Quezon City North Mission. They have been helping out at the MRC between the departure of the previous couple and the arrival of the new couple. Now they will be able to substitute to give those folks added assistance when needed or a day off.
They were able to return to Cauayan to pack up their car and we were able to host a going away dinner for them. We appreciate all their hard work here in Cauayan and wish them well in their new assignment!

Transfer Day Photos

For some reason I didn't take many photos during this transfer day. We had a great transfer day meeting and always it was a real treat to get to see and mingle with our beloved missionaries!

Elder Hamblin is getting transferred to Tuguegarao (from one end of the mission to another!)



Elder Malimali, Elder Arabia and Elder Escalona. All hardworking great missionaries.

Eleven Amazing New Missionaries Arrive In Cauayan

President Carlos welcomes new missionaries and shares some of his vision for their missions before breakfast is served.

After a long plane flight, and an all-night bus ride the North Americans were particularly hungry and tired.

Wow! What a batch! They are astig!

They sang a gorgeous arrangment of "I Need Thee Every Hour"

After the transfer meeting we met with the 11 new trainers and their new missionaries for a brief orientation on the new 90-day training program for new missionaries. We are so excited to see and hear how this new program works for this batch.

At 5:30 am Thursday, September 8, 2011, 12 welcomed our newest batch of missionaries. We were totally impressed wtih every one of them! In fact they have so much musical talent that we asked them to put together a musical number to sing at the transfer meetings. Five were North Americans and 1 Australian. And low and behold they were able to sing two verses of a hymn in tagalog. All of the missionaries at the transfer meeting were totally blown away. They were fantastic. Not bad for a quick practice between showers, breakfast, interviews with the President and a 90-minute orientation meeting. We are looking forward to getting to know and work with these missionaries. They are truly a special batch!

Two Dear Elders Head Back to the US

Elder Brown with our Assistants Elder Katoa and Elder Hale and Elder Petrucci at the airport waiting for the plane to land.

Well done, thou good and faithful servants! Elder Brown and Elder Petrucci were two great missionaries. Elder Petrucci requested that we serve lasagna for their going away dinner. We enjoyed lots of great visiting, testimony bearing after the dinner. Then the next morning they were able to fly to Manila before visiting the temple there and flying home to Utah the next day. We will truly miss these great young men!

Tuesday District Meeting in Roxas

Elder Jackson quickly got the Shaners involved in his district by asking them to do the training on how to work best with members. President needed to interview a few of the missionaries in that district and so I was able to go and watch the meeting. They both did an amazing job and I know that all the missionaries left the meeting with lots of ideas on how to better work with the members and with a resolve to improve their relationships with the members where they serve.


Elder Jackson's district meeting. (From left Elder Williamson, Elder Shackelford and Elder Jackson)



Elder Shaner shares his years of experience with the missionaries as he taught them how to better work with members.

Missionaries serving in the Roxas Zone.



I also got to slip into Elder Castillo's meeting for a few minutes and I was totally impressed with his leadership style and the great spirit that permeated his meeting. It was a great day!

Elder Castillo leads a discusion in his district meeting.

Missionaries in Elder Castillo's district.

Missionaries Serving in Burgos District



Elders Castillo, Petrucci, Aguiton, Prago, Biating, Lisaca, Ariete, Lasay, Biason Caoayan

 All of the elders serving in Burgos showed up for their district conference with pink ties. They all sang in the district choir. What a darling bunch of amazing elders! We are so proud of the hard work they are doing in Burgos.

Auxiliary Training in Burgos District

Sister Gwanzon teaches a section on how to teach from the scriptures. She had all these sister spellbound.

Each auxiliary gathered for an activity on finding answers in the new handbook.

A group pictures with the sisters from the Caliguian Branch

Sister Gwanzon, wife of Elder Gwanzon an Area Seventy, and I were charged with training the sisters from the Burgos District. We had representatives from the relief society, primary and young women. It was a busy afternoon filled with tons of great activities and training. We were so impressed with the wonderful women in this area. They came ready to learn and grow.

Random Shots Around the Mission

Several of the towns in the north end of our mission have these horse-drawn carriages. Notice the size of the horses they are a miniature breed.

These bananas were sitting on the missionaries front porch. A member cut down the branch from one of his banana trees. Each row is ripening at a different pace so the elders can have ripe bananas for quite a few mornings!

This rice is white and ready to harvest!

I loved this picture because it shows ripe rice next to a paddy of growing rice. You can see the change of color as the rice grows. Newly planted is lime green, the maturing rice gets darker green before turning golden before it's ready to harvest.

I always try to remember to bring my camera wherever I go. On every trip I spy something that makes me do a double take. Here are a few intersting things I've recently seen...

The Church's Jubilee History Display

Alicia welcomed lots of visitors to the exhibit

Large panels were set up around the cultural hall.

Lots of people came to see the exhibit

This year is the churches 50th year in the Philippines. (That is since missionaries were sent here in 1961) In order to celebrate it's heritage the church created a traveling display. Two of our districts were able to host the displays: Burgos and Alicia. On the opening day in Alicia many city and province dignitaries came to view it--including the governor. Many neighbors, and friends enjoyed reading about the church in the Philippines.

Career Workshop for Two Batches of Departing Missionaries

In the past we've always held the Career Workshop during the missionaries last day in the field. We decided to change things around and now are doing it a few weeks before they leave the mission--and it's optional. So since we have two departure dates in September (due to the closure of the Manila MTC) we held one workshop for all those leaving on either date. Those missionaries who wanted to attend signed up and came in for the day of training.

Bishop Acosta leads the workshop which offers lots of suggestions for how to present yourself to potential employers.

Our newest career workshop graduates! We are going to miss these awesome missionaries!

Elder Brown and Elder Petrucci are our first group to leave. This was our smallest batch ever to leave our mission. Oh, how we love these two great missionaries!

More of the Sister Specialized Training

One of the goals for this year's training was to make the day full of great relevant information and lots of interactive, hand's on classes. I am so proud of the work of the sisters who helped to plan and teach.

Sister Ambata and Sister Lumuag teach a section on Companionship Study.

Sister Shaner organized this fun class where sisters could make inspirational signs to hang in their apartments. They used chalks to highlight and enhance certain words and had all kinds of things to glue on and decorate their signs.

Sister Acal and Sister Velasquez organized this class. Each sister was given a fan to decorate. Sister Pulu's turned out awesome. These fans fold down in to a tiny circle and slip in a case. The paints wont' peel off when they are bended.

Everyone had fun painted their fans.

They turned out so awesome. We  used headlines from the Liahonas as our templates.

Sister Russell, Sister De Castro and Sister Pence shared tons of fun games for Family Home Evenings.

The Cat and Mouse game. Sister Monsalud is the mean mouse trying to catching the sweet little mice!

Another hillarious game! This one didn't take any special props.

Sister Breese taught a class on healthy, nutritious snacks.

Sister Villamor and Sister Webre taught a class on wonderful visual aids that they have made to help their investigators keep their commitments. (One example was a calendar to help them keep the Wof W. Sister Webre is full of great ideas.

I Feel My Savior's Love--Our Specialized Training for our Sisters

President felt like our sisters needed the opportunity to meet and train together. We did this last year about this same time. We gathered together a core group and the young sister missionaries did most of the planning and organizing. Our day started off with breakfast in the Mission Home. Then we moved to the church building next door where we enjoyed several musical numbers and classes on Personal Scripture Study, Companionship Study, Companionship Inventory, we had two craft classes one where they decorated these fold-up circular fans and the other where they made a inspirational sign to hang up in their apartments. We were amazed at their creativity! After lunch in the Mission Home there was a class on Family Home Evening Games and Object Lessons. Each sister left with their own kit full of game ideas and kits. (All the sisters had sent in their ideas and we compiled a book.) They got to make everyone's favorite game called "Don't Eat Pete!", then we got to hear how our beloved Sister Brown transformed her body through simple exercise, had a brainstorming session on P-Day fun and a class on nutritious snacks. The day ended with a slideshow of photos taken during the past year. I loved every minute of it and I think every sister went away feeling motivated and uplifted!

Lining up for breakfast

We served Emerills Famous Breakfast Casserole, watermelon, bananas and all kinds of juices.

Everyone got lots to eat!

Breakfast provided a great time for sisters to reconnect with batch mates and former companions. There were lots of screams, tears and hugs when they saw each other.

With 35 sisters the Mission Home was full of wonderful girls.

Sister George from Pakistan is such a great sport to try all kinds of new foods.

Yummy food and time to visit! What a great way to start the day.

Look at the beautiful sister missionaries. In many ways they lead our mission with hard work and dedication.

President Carlos was the kick-off speaker and he expressed his deep love and devotion to each of our sisters. He shared a powerful story of two sister missionaries who came here to the Philippines in the 60s and taught a man and his family who later became one of the area's strongest leaders.

Sister Sajol, Dhikao, Adino sang while Sister Fort sang and played the guitar to "If the Savior Stood Before Me." Notice Sister Fort and Sister Adino's matching blouses.

The Bagyo that wasn't much of a Bagyo

The tagalog word for typhoon is bagyo. We got an alert from the church that a possible level 3 typhoon was headed our way. We felt strong winds and rain. We moved a number of missionaries to higher ground. The sisters serving in Alinguigan (the town with a chapel on stilts) always is the first to flood so those sisters came to the Mission Home for one night. Then they went up to Cabatuan to work with the sisters there. That evening Sister Shaner had a dilemma, she was supposed to teach a class on Fettucine Alfredo to a bunch of women in Roxas. She had all the ingredients ready to go when they cancelled the event due to the weather. So she invited us all over to their new home to help her eat it. The four sisters (two from Alinguigan) the Russells (the Shaner's neighbors), the Breeses and President and I were happy to help her out and by the way, it was fantastic.

We had more fun listening to these darling sister missionaries giggle and enjoy each other's company!