31 Oct. 2022 Week #5: It's On Us Now

Dear Family and Friends, Week #5

We are grateful to know that Coach Dayton is doing better and has gone home. It was good to see a picture with Coach Nate at the hospital with him. Janet said that was the best medicine. I’m so grateful for my association with these two men. They have been tremendous mentors to me. I’m not a very good guy, but I’m much better because of their influences, teachings, examples, and friendship in my life.

Last Sunday we flew to Manila for a leadership conference with all the leaders here in the Philippines over Welfare Self Reliance. (WSR) There were about 30-40 of us there. It was three long days of a great conference. I am so impressed with all the incredible things that are going on here to try to help these people have a better life. These leaders love for their people is amazing. They have powerful testimonies. It was interesting. There are five of us couples from the US involved in this humanitarian work. There are a lot of other couples involved in Member/Leadership Support or working in offices or helping with health, etc. But at our conference it was about 20-30 Filipinos and the five couples from the US involved in Humanitarian Aid. All of the teachings and conference, discussion, etc. was in English and most of them speak it quite well. As soon as we are on break they are all speaking in Tagalog or Cebuano or a combination of both, and they are laughing and having a good time. Most of them have a great sense of humor. The discussions are very sincere and serious, but humor is always involved appropriately. It is incredible to see all that is taking place. We approved just last week for a few thousand pairs of glasses to be purchased by the church, the frames will be donated by other organizations, and with them we’ll help run all the vision screening tests (all volunteers) to identify all the kids and adults that need these glasses. This is done in connection with the Department of Health. Even then we are only a drop in the bucket, but we are helping some.

Another big thing that was approved was the purchase of 90 Rachels (basically servers) to help with the education of students who live in the middle of nowhere and don’t have any internet service, to be able to connect to educational curriculum and there is no junk on these servers, just educational curriculum. This was another huge project in connection with the Department of Education worth thousands of dollars. With just these two projects it totals about $100,000 dollars. The Rachels connects to so many kids it is about $1 a piece for each kid and the glasses are about $5 per kid. Amazing!!

The conference was Monday-Wednesday from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. It about killed me. Clyda did well except on Tuesday a bug got in her pants and bit her 14 times. She had huge welts. It caused several sleepless nights, but she is doing okay now. We got back here and hit the pharmacy to get some Benadryl and Cortisone crème. 

On Thursday morning we went to the Office of Immigration to get our Biometrics (fingerprints, etc.) done so we could get our Visas. Oh boy. A driver from the Manila mission picked us up and took us there. He thought someone was suppose to meet us, but didn’t know for sure. He dropped us off and it was a BUSY place. We had to cross a street. Two guys met us in the middle of the street and said they would help us so follow them. We started following them until we could tell that wasn’t the thing to do and we then said sorry we are going in the building by ourselves. They were leading us away from the building. We went in and no one spoke English. We found our names on a list and so they were about to take us someplace when my phone rang (thank goodness the day before I got a Philippine phone). It was our driver telling us to come back outside. We went out and he took us to another vehicle that had another couple from America. We got in that vehicle and put our luggage in that vehicle. We got to know the Bittons (a couple that raised their kids in San Diego and then moved to Spokane four years ago). They are MLS missionaries on the Panay Island. They had flown in that morning for the same purpose. Finally Kjim, our helper from the Manila HQs came to our aide. He took us right in, past the huge lines, up to the front, (he had made an appointment for us at 9:30 and it was now 9:30), and we got our Biometrics completed. Hopefully we will have our visas soon. 

Then off to the Mall of Asia for an hour or so before they took us to the airport. While at the mall we got some French fries at Chiles. There were several American eating places. The fries were delicious. We also saw a 40 foot or more fake Christmas Tree.

Then to the airport and back to Cebu. We caught a taxi home and found out we didn’t get ripped off. The driver was honest with us. A good member that has some kind of position in the Welfare System and works with us (Butch Calipapa) let us know that we were treated fairly. He called us to make sure we were okay. He asked us if we had enough food and water for a couple weeks, because we could lose power. We are on the edges of a Typhoon. It has been really rainy and windy. 

I have driven to the Temple and back twice now. It was scary and only a quarter of a mile. We do drive on the right side, but it is mayhem. 

Elder Randy and Sister Julie Huskinson are now back in Rexburg and it is up to us now. No more vacation with tour guides. Reality is setting in that we really don’t know what to do. This will be interesting. 

Also, here are a couple pictures. One is from our drive last week up in the mountains to eat, get vegetables, and go to the flower gardens. The name of the restaurant is Lake View. So a picture of a lake view off in the distance. Another one of the tables with roofs that the children helped build on their playground at the school where we brought in a water line with potable water. Very few schools have potable water.

Then we have a photo of us with the Huskinsons and the Cebu Temple in the background. Lastly a photo taken by Sister Garner of us and the Woods at church today. The Woods are health missionaries.  They will only be here in Cebu for 6 months. Then they go to Manila where he will oversee all the health and welfare of all missionaries in all 23 missions in the Philippines. They will then serve in Manila for two and a half years. They have a three year calling.

 

We met more amazing people at church today. I am so impressed with their 

testimonies of the same things I have a testimony of. It Was the 5th Sunday lesson, and it was on encouragement of being self-reliant. One counselor taught about the blessings of tithing, the other counselor taught on the blessings of fast offerings. Then the stake self-reliance specialist, an energetic, classy, little Filipino lady taught them about being self-reliant. She handed out a worksheet to about 50 couples and single adults, to fill out so they can evaluate where they are financially, and then got them to yell out that they would return the paper filled out to the Bishop next week. She yelled out, just like a cheerleader in the US, “will you take this sheet home and fill it out”, she yelled it out a couple of times and held her hand on her ear to get them to yell yes back a little louder, then she continued in the same way as she walked up and down the aisle in the cultural hall (where this lesson took place), “will you bring it back to the Bishop next week” then hold her hand on her ear again. She had them yelling pretty loud Yeses by the time she finished. Then she bore a powerful testimony of the gospel and the Lord will help us be self-reliant as we help ourselves and pay tithing and fast offerings. 

Then they planned their Ward Christmas party for Saturday, December 10th, at 5:30 p.m.

They tell us that Filipino time is if they get there within the hour of the scheduled time it is good. They let us know to not expect them to be on time very often. However, Sacrament Mtg. started right on the minute at 1:00. At the end the Bishop stood up and said we would have a joint meeting for everyone except the Primary in the cultural hall and it would start at 2:10. It started right at 2:10 and ended right at 3:00. I was impressed.

Finally, they have powerful testimonies of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, President Nelson is a living prophet of Jesus Christ for us on the earth today, this is the only true church on the earth today, and Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. 

 

With love,

Dad and Mom

Grandpa and Grandma

Briant and Clyda