LDS Music Workshop--Lift Up Your Voice and Sing!

We have the most wonderful and talented group of senior couples and as we've been out working with various church units we realized that there was a need for some music training. So we designed a music workshop, which we are taking on the road and doing most Saturday mornings for the next several months. Our classes include the following:
Beginning Choristing
Choir Directing
Primary Music
Music Kit (where they make all kinds of instruments and music teaching aides to take home)
FHE Music Fun

Each participant gets to pick two classes to attend. Afterwards we offer a few one-on-one private piano lessons for people who can play the piano but want a little instruction to help them improve.

So far the workshop has been well received and we have loved sharing our love of music with the wonderful members throughout our mission.

 In Santiago Stake we had a great turnout. This is our FHE Music Class where we created a family orchestra.

 Sister Shaner is teaching participants how to sing in a round!

 Sister Mills taught Primary Leaders how to make music in primary lots of fun.

 Sister Gottfredson taught beginning choristing.

 Participants left knowing how to lead hymns.

 Sister Laker and I taught the class on making a music kits.

 Participants made a variety of musical instruments and song aids to make music lots of fun.

 Everyone went home with a bag full of great music aids.

In our FHE music fun we made a family orchestra. You are looking at our paper section. They  used the paper to create musical sounds. It really sounded awesome. We also had a metal section and wood section.

One way to enjoy music is to feel it with your body and so we used streamers to move to the music.

These are jam-packed mornings full of laughter and song.

A Little Mexican Fiesta Thanks to the Russells

Sister Russell built up a virtual 2 year supply of food and when she left we all got to stalk up our cupboards. They had friends from home send them some Mexican food, which is really hard to find here. Also there was a loaded avocado tree in the yard of the home they rented (The Shaners have since moved there) and we were able to have guacamole! Last week our seniors gathered for a Mexican Fiesta and it was mucho bueno.

We had Chicken Enchiladas, Refried Beans, Guacamole, Mexican Corn Relish and Spanish Rice.

Elder Tadena

About a month ago we got word that one of our dear missionaries was struck by a drunk motorcyclist. He and a fellowshipper were hit and both flew across the road. The fellowshipper was hospitalized and released but Elder Tadena fractured his leg in two places and required surgery. He was transported to a hospital in Santiago where he stayed for several weeks. The missionaries in that area really rallied to his support and they took turns staying with Elder Tadena day and night. He is now at the MRC (Mission Recovery Center) in Manila. We so love and appreciate him and hope that he recovers quickly!

 Elder Miole, Huffstutler, Schmidt and Valdez were just some of the elders who took turns to stay with Elder Tadena.

                                                          Time for a little McDonalds.

We invited the missionaries who stayed with Elder Tadena to come spend a P-Day at the Mission Home. President grilled bbq chicken and we had a feast! These elders truly stepped in and served a fellow elder in need.

A Special Talent

One of our missionaries little sister, who is 16 years old, is an amazing artist. She is hoping to raise enough money to go to art school. We decided to have her do a commissioned art piece for us. I designed it in my head. I wanted a jeepney (I have always been fascinated by jeepneys) that was packed full of people of all ages. I wanted chickens up on the roof. I wanted missionaries in the painting and a little bamboo thatched roof home. She quickly painted the painting and sent it to us and we couldn't be happier with it! It is now hanging in the eating area off the kitchen. She surpassed my expectations!

President and His Assistants

We have been blessed with wonderful assistants during our two years here so far. Every one has been absolutely superb. We are amazed at their talents, their insights and their flexibility. Life in the mission is always changing as we try to respond to the needs of our missionaries. We appreciate our current assistants-- Elder Miole (from Davao) and Elder Huffstutler (from Alabama). Elder Miole's father served in this mission many years ago as the Mission President. He lived in Ilagan when he was a young boy. Sometimes people recognize him and it's been fun for him to reconnect with people his family knows.

                                        Elder Miole, President and Elder Huffstutler

Saying Goodbye to the Russells

It was a very sad day in our mission when we had to say goodbye to our dear friends and fellow missionaries--Elder John and Sharon Russell. They came knowing what it takes to be a valuable senior couple. This was their second mission--they had served previously served in Maine.

They spent their days loving, lifting, nurturing and teaching three struggling branches and guess what? Those branches slowly but surely started improving. They also loved the youth and personally saw to it that a number of young men submitted their mission papers. They were sought after seminar, youth conference and auxiliary training speakers. They truly helped their corner of our mission blossom like a rose!

 A week or so before they left we had a game night. They love games but rarely had an evening off to come and play with us. Here Sister Russell and Sister Shaner are cracking up over a funny story that Elder Gottfredson is telling!

 Elder Gottfredson always has something funny to tell us.

 We're playing crud with Rook Cards and I think President Carlos was winning.

 On Sunday Nights we always gather for a meeting and time to share the ups and downs of their week. On the Sunday before they left, President cooked his famous Chicken Cacciatore, Sister Shaner made her delicious break sticks, we had salad, broccoli and Sister Laker's scrumptious coconut cream pie. No wonder we can't lose weight!

 We gathered for our last group picture. This makes me tear up just thinking about it.

 We presented the Russells with a book full of photographs from their days here in the mission. Every missionary wrote them a note. Besides working with three branches they served as our apartment couple and knew and loved every missionary.

The dreaded day arrived. Here they are in the airport. That was the only time I ever saw Elder Russell with his jacket on.

We love the Russells and will miss them terribly.

Happy Birthday USA

We took an afternoon off to celebrate the USA's birthday near July 4. Our senior couples came over for dinner and they stayed for an afternoon and evening of fun games. We all laughed a lot and it felt good to think about home and enjoy each others company.

 I brought a few decorations and we were able to decorate the two tables.

 Waiting for the burgers, hot dogs (we got a shipment from Manila with real American burgers and hot days!) Watermelon, potato salad made us feel like we were at a BBQ back home.

 Sister Russell with the Mills gather in the kitchen for the blessing on the food.

                                             The Gottfredsons and the Lakers.

                                                        So much yummy food!

                                               We had enough to feed an army!

 After the sisters whopped the brothers in Taboo we played a rousing game of Apples to Apples.

 Not sure what Elder Laker is doing here. It looks like a little jig.

We didn't stop there. After Apples to Apples we ended the day with our favorite game called crude.

The Philippines Cauayan Mission has certainly been blessed with a wonderful team of great senior couples. Each has their own amazing set of talents and when we combine them--watch out! We can do incredible things.

Mission Tour

We just finished our final mission tour. Each year a member of the Area Presidency and his wife come and tour the mission. They spend time training, interviewing, checking apartments, and getting a feel for a mission. We are just entering our third and final year. We had the privilege of having Elder and Sister Teh here this year. Elder Teh is a member of the Seventy and our Area President.
Here's our schedule:
Monday--
They arrived on Monday morning.
We had a luncheon and then a meeting with our assistants to discuss the needs of the mission from our perspective.
Elder Teh interviewed each of our four couples.
We  had dinner with the couples.
Later we had a wonderful family join us for Family Home Evening lesson, games and snacks. We also invited Elder Golightly and Elder Averion to join us.

 Our great crew of senior couples. Elder and Sister Teh are in the center.

 We enjoyed a number of fun family home evening games.

 This wonderful family enjoyed spending time at the mission home with Elder and Sister Teh.

Tuesday--
We left at 5:30 am to go to Santiago
Meetings with leaders and sisters began at 7 am
Training ran from 8:00 to 12:30
Luncheon followed
Afternoon of interviews
Rush back to Cauayan for dinner
Evening Devotional with members from various districts in the area

                                                                      Bambang Zone

                                                              Santiago North Zone

                                                                         Solano Zone

                                                             Santiago South Zone

                                                    Celebrating our third quarter birthdays

                                            Nanay from Santiago made our delicious lunch.

                                                We were feed both spiritually and physcially!

Wednesday
Meetings started at 7 am here in Cauayan
Same schedule as Tuesday but we rushed to Roxas for the Evening Devotional
Ate a picnic dinner in the van on the way to Tueguegarao

                                                                             Alicia Zone

                                                                       Burgos Zone

                                                                       Cauayan Zone

                                                                           Roxas Zone

                                       Lunch was prepared by Sister Uy and it was delicious.

                       We are getting ready to sing a thank you song to Sister Uy and her crew.

                                              We wrote new words to an old song.

                                                      Celebrating  birthdays.

Thursday
Meetings started at 7 am in Tuguegarao
End of Tour meeting with assistants
Same schedule as before with Evening YSA Devotional in Tueguegarao
Ate dinner at restaurant that night

                                                               Ilagan Zone

                                                           Tuguegarao South Zone

                                                       Tuguegarao North Zone

 Brother Pete and his wife cooked for us on Thursday and oh my, what a spread! He is a true maximizer.

                                                     Celebrating more birthdays.

Friday
Ate breakfast at hotel
Took the Tehs to the airport (unfortunately all flights were canceled that day and they ended up having to drive to Manila)