18 Dec. 2022 Week #12: Learning and Partying
Dear Family and Friends,
Monday went as usual with exercise, morning study, and then the TEAMS meeting at 9:00. A neat project was presented for a wing in a hospital that deals with mentally disabled children and youth. It is in a hospital that treats up to 3500 patients, but this wing currently has 33 people in it. Some are very challenging cases, some are moderate. It is good to be helping there. Then, training on finances, travel, purchasing, etc. The guy doing the training is so quiet that we couldn’t hear hardly any of the presentation. They are sending it to us in a powerpoint. We will watch it and then ask questions as needed. Then, we tried to catch up on correspondence.
One of our projects on Mindanao, the island where we can’t go, has run into a problem. It is a school in a poor place that we are building wash stations for. The school’s supply list wasn’t quite right with their drawings, and then our interpretation of the supplies wasn’t quite right with their description. As a result, we need to get them some parts they don’t have, and they will return extras that they have and don’t need. The supplier, Henry, has his store only about a half mile from our apartment. We wanted to see it anyway, so this was a good excuse to go to his place. We walked up there and got everything straightened out. He will get it taken care of.
For FHE we invited the other missionaries who live in this apartment building to come for a demonstration on RACHEL. It was a good time and we learned that some of the hundreds of programs didn’t work real well. They might work better with an Android or PC. We are all Apple products users. I will be experimenting on RACHEL with our DELL, we are starting to call it that now, most of the time. However, there were a couple of times this week when the D was replaced.
That evening we also got a call from our boss, Jairus, in Manila. He wanted us to come to Manila on Wednesday and stay until Saturday, for some big events and training. A couple of the missionary couples put some pressure on him to bring us up for the big events. He succumbed and gave us a call.
While exercising by the temple Tuesday morning we decided to go to the temple that day if we could get in. We hadn’t been to the temple here yet. When we got back home, I looked on the schedule and we were able to get into the 11:00 a.m. session. I had to get temple clothes since we didn’t bring ours. I’m pretty sure Filipino inches are smaller than American inches because the waist size I gave them about cut me in two. Maybe the food over here isn’t treating me too bad after all. They gave me a shirt to wear instead of my white shirt. You don’t wear a tie. I don’t know what they are called but it is a special kind of shirt. The shirt without a tie was the only thing that was different. The session was all in English with subtitles. I think that is really good so the Filipinos can see the written word while listening to it. The witnesses were a young couple. We watched the film in a room with murals all around with Philippines’ scenery. Then we went to another room depicting the terrestrial room. It was very nice. After the session as I was going to the dressing room a member of our ward that works at the temple asked me if I could come help do some sealings. The young couple had some family names to do and needed someone to be a son. I said yes. They went to let Clyda know so she wouldn’t be wondering where I was. She ended up joining us. We visited with the young couple after the sealings. He and her are the eldest in their big families and she is six months pregnant. This will be their first child and the first grandchild for both his and her parents. There is a lot of excitement for this child to be born. Since it took us a little longer things had gotten into place just right for us. It was now about 1:50 and we needed to be to the chapel for our Cebu Mission Christmas Devotional at 2:00. On the way out Clyda met a lady, Marilou, that we have needed to meet since we got here. The Huskinsons introduced her to us the first Sunday we were here, and we haven’t seen her since, and didn’t have any contact information. She runs a home for abused teenage girls, up on the mountain above Cebu. The home needs a lot of things. Marilou, just started to work at the temple this week. This was her first day. Besides that, she was suppose to work on Saturday not Tuesday, but a lady asked her if she could change days with her. Also, she had just barely rotated to the right spot in the temple so she and Clyda could meet. At the exact same time Clyda met her, I met a senior missionary. He and his wife were at the temple and they are assigned up in the Bogo District and are working with the branch in Medellin, the place we visited a week ago. We need some help with that MWP that we will soon be starting and he knew exactly what I was talking about and will be glad to help. It was a great day at the temple!
We were late to the devotional, but it started late so we were still early. They had the four zones from here on Cebu island at this devotional. There were 82 young missionaries and the new couple, the Dickinsons. It was an excellent devotional with Elder and Sister Woods speaking and then President and Sister Agustin. A very nice hour of feeling the Spirit. Then there was a break for them to change into their costumes for the party. It was about a half hour break. While we were breaking, since we didn’t have costumes to change into, we just sat in the foyer. President Gonzales and his wife, he is the first counselor in the mission presidency, sat down in the foyer, also. We had a pleasant conversation and they presented us with another project with the health clinic in their Barangy in Talisay. We are very interested in that one, also.
When we went into the cultural hall for the party, they gave the missionaries assigned seats, so they weren’t sitting with their companions or district or zones. They were all mixed up. There were probably about 50 Elders and 32 Sisters. Just a rough guess. Maybe even more sisters than that. There are a lot of sisters. Two from the states. There were about 10 elders from the states. Some of the elders from the states looked miserable. I figured they were hating their missions. Well, later when those elders were with their Filipino companions and districts and zones doing their prepared number, they all had big smiles on their faces and looked happy. So, I just guessed they weren’t enjoying being around some they didn’t know and who were talking in another language a hundred miles an hour. It was a party! I was shocked at how loud and rowdy the music was and with all the dancing, etc. I figured I was at a YSA party not a missionary party. It included a big meal in the middle of it, also. It lasted until after 8:30. That is when we left. There was an Elder Sorenson from Casper. A Kelly Walsh grad.
On Wednesday afternoon we headed to Manila. We got there in the evening and went to get a quick bite to eat at McDonalds. We had missed lunch and now it was kind of late and we had an early morning the next day. It was the same motel we have stayed at on the other two occasions in Manila, so we knew where to go from our motel to find eating places. That is one big crowded city. It took two hours to get from the airport to our motel.
Thursday morning we met the Haynes at their apartment building at 7:30 to go to the office. It was about a half mile walk to their place. We had song practice for all of us to be ready to perform at the devotional party at 8:00. Then we listened to a guy from Orem teaching us about a ventilator to use in hospitals that was developed at BYU. At 10:00 we were in the gymnasium at the Manila MTC. It was full of tables for a banquet. President Bangerter, the Area President, was having this event to celebrate with all the work force in the Manila area, and maybe more. They fed several hundred people. It was a wonderful hour and a half of feeling the Spirit with the telling of the Christmas story and Christmas hymns sung at key times during the story. Then President Bangerter and his wife addressed us. It was really good. I’m glad we were invited. Then the party began, we were the only mellow part of the program. We sang about five Christmas songs, not hymns. Then all the groups shared. Our WSR group is the smallest group with about 30 people. There were great and wild performances from all the groups, finances, purchasing, institute and seminary, travel, and FM. I’m sure I left some out. There were some great dancers and great singers. Also, we had the son of Elder Choi, the first counselor in the area presidency, perform on the piano. The Choi’s are from Korea, and the son lives in Texas now. He is a concert pianist. He is here to spend Christmas with his folks.
That evening we went caroling at a big mall. They had a grand piano that Elder Huff could really play. He is an excellent pianist. We had about ten missionary couples and 4 elders and 4 sisters. We sounded pretty good. It was fun to be a part of it and get to know some of the other couples who are serving in so many various capacities. It was hard to imagine as Clyda and I left the motel to go caroling, and we weren’t putting on coats and hats and mittens.
On Friday we had our 7:30 meeting. This time we were in the room instead of on TEAMS. At 10:00 our Humanitarian party began. It was a good time. We had Karaoke. I didn’t do Karaoke, but I did sing “Randolph the Bow Legged Cowboy” for them. We had a gift exchange where you can select a gift or steal one from someone else. We had a potluck meal. We shared the Christmas story as told by David Dayton’s grandson. It was good.
That evening we spent at our motel, we were very tired. We did go out to eat at Italianis. Then on Saturday it was a long trip back to Cebu, and it was so good to get home.
Today has been a wonderful Sabbath. Our Sunday School class had a wonderful discussion on tithing and temple work. Some great testimonies were born. Aren’t we blessed to have these two wonderful things as part of our lives. I think the greatest blessings we have received from paying tithing is the ability to distinguish between needs and wants, and not having a big desire for wants. The other great blessing is then being able to attend the temple and receive “great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” as taught in the temples. And the ability to make covenants so we can be with Tillie and Clyde again. This gospel is true, and we love it.
With love,
Dad and Mom
Grandpa and Grandma
Briant and Clyda
Text and Photos received from Mom:
Looking out our hotel window on the 4th floor at the high rise buildings across the street in this little section of Manila.
Week #12 12/12-12/18
Monday went as usual with exercise, morning study, and then the TEAMS meeting at 9:00. A neat project was presented for a wing in a hospital that deals with mentally disabled children and youth. It is in a hospital that treats up to 3500 patients, but this wing currently has 33 people in it. Some are very challenging cases, some are moderate. It is good to be helping there. Then, training on finances, travel, purchasing, etc. The guy doing the training is so quiet that we couldn’t hear hardly any of the presentation. They are sending it to us in a powerpoint. We will watch it and then ask questions as needed. Then, we tried to catch up on correspondence.
One of our projects on Mindanao, the island where we can’t go, has run into a problem. It is a school in a poor place that we are building wash stations for. The school’s supply list wasn’t quite right with their drawings, and then our interpretation of the supplies wasn’t quite right with their description. As a result, we need to get them some parts they don’t have, and they will return extras that they have and don’t need. The supplier, Henry, has his store only about a half mile from our apartment. We wanted to see it anyway, so this was a good excuse to go to his place. We walked up there and got everything straightened out. He will get it taken care of.
For FHE we invited the other missionaries who live in this apartment building to come for a demonstration on RACHEL. It was a good time and we learned that some of the hundreds of programs didn’t work real well. They might work better with an Android or PC. We are all Apple products users. I will be experimenting on RACHEL with our DELL, we are starting to call it that now, most of the time. However, there were a couple of times this week when the D was replaced.
That evening we also got a call from our boss, Jairus, in Manila. He wanted us to come to Manila on Wednesday and stay until Saturday, for some big events and training. A couple of the missionary couples put some pressure on him to bring us up for the big events. He succumbed and gave us a call.
While exercising by the temple Tuesday morning we decided to go to the temple that day if we could get in. We hadn’t been to the temple here yet. When we got back home, I looked on the schedule and we were able to get into the 11:00 a.m. session. I had to get temple clothes since we didn’t bring ours. I’m pretty sure Filipino inches are smaller than American inches because the waist size I gave them about cut me in two. Maybe the food over here isn’t treating me too bad after all. They gave me a shirt to wear instead of my white shirt. You don’t wear a tie. I don’t know what they are called but it is a special kind of shirt. The shirt without a tie was the only thing that was different. The session was all in English with subtitles. I think that is really good so the Filipinos can see the written word while listening to it. The witnesses were a young couple. We watched the film in a room with murals all around with Philippines’ scenery. Then we went to another room depicting the terrestrial room. It was very nice. After the session as I was going to the dressing room a member of our ward that works at the temple asked me if I could come help do some sealings. The young couple had some family names to do and needed someone to be a son. I said yes. They went to let Clyda know so she wouldn’t be wondering where I was. She ended up joining us. We visited with the young couple after the sealings. He and her are the eldest in their big families and she is six months pregnant. This will be their first child and the first grandchild for both his and her parents. There is a lot of excitement for this child to be born. Since it took us a little longer things had gotten into place just right for us. It was now about 1:50 and we needed to be to the chapel for our Cebu Mission Christmas Devotional at 2:00. On the way out Clyda met a lady, Marilou, that we have needed to meet since we got here. The Huskinsons introduced her to us the first Sunday we were here, and we haven’t seen her since, and didn’t have any contact information. She runs a home for abused teenage girls, up on the mountain above Cebu. The home needs a lot of things. Marilou, just started to work at the temple this week. This was her first day. Besides that, she was suppose to work on Saturday not Tuesday, but a lady asked her if she could change days with her. Also, she had just barely rotated to the right spot in the temple so she and Clyda could meet. At the exact same time Clyda met her, I met a senior missionary. He and his wife were at the temple and they are assigned up in the Bogo District and are working with the branch in Medellin, the place we visited a week ago. We need some help with that MWP that we will soon be starting and he knew exactly what I was talking about and will be glad to help. It was a great day at the temple!
We were late to the devotional, but it started late so we were still early. They had the four zones from here on Cebu island at this devotional. There were 82 young missionaries and the new couple, the Dickinsons. It was an excellent devotional with Elder and Sister Woods speaking and then President and Sister Agustin. A very nice hour of feeling the Spirit. Then there was a break for them to change into their costumes for the party. It was about a half hour break. While we were breaking, since we didn’t have costumes to change into, we just sat in the foyer. President Gonzales and his wife, he is the first counselor in the mission presidency, sat down in the foyer, also. We had a pleasant conversation and they presented us with another project with the health clinic in their Barangy in Talisay. We are very interested in that one, also.
When we went into the cultural hall for the party, they gave the missionaries assigned seats, so they weren’t sitting with their companions or district or zones. They were all mixed up. There were probably about 50 Elders and 32 Sisters. Just a rough guess. Maybe even more sisters than that. There are a lot of sisters. Two from the states. There were about 10 elders from the states. Some of the elders from the states looked miserable. I figured they were hating their missions. Well, later when those elders were with their Filipino companions and districts and zones doing their prepared number, they all had big smiles on their faces and looked happy. So, I just guessed they weren’t enjoying being around some they didn’t know and who were talking in another language a hundred miles an hour. It was a party! I was shocked at how loud and rowdy the music was and with all the dancing, etc. I figured I was at a YSA party not a missionary party. It included a big meal in the middle of it, also. It lasted until after 8:30. That is when we left. There was an Elder Sorenson from Casper. A Kelly Walsh grad.
On Wednesday afternoon we headed to Manila. We got there in the evening and went to get a quick bite to eat at McDonalds. We had missed lunch and now it was kind of late and we had an early morning the next day. It was the same motel we have stayed at on the other two occasions in Manila, so we knew where to go from our motel to find eating places. That is one big crowded city. It took two hours to get from the airport to our motel.
Thursday morning we met the Haynes at their apartment building at 7:30 to go to the office. It was about a half mile walk to their place. We had song practice for all of us to be ready to perform at the devotional party at 8:00. Then we listened to a guy from Orem teaching us about a ventilator to use in hospitals that was developed at BYU. At 10:00 we were in the gymnasium at the Manila MTC. It was full of tables for a banquet. President Bangerter, the Area President, was having this event to celebrate with all the work force in the Manila area, and maybe more. They fed several hundred people. It was a wonderful hour and a half of feeling the Spirit with the telling of the Christmas story and Christmas hymns sung at key times during the story. Then President Bangerter and his wife addressed us. It was really good. I’m glad we were invited. Then the party began, we were the only mellow part of the program. We sang about five Christmas songs, not hymns. Then all the groups shared. Our WSR group is the smallest group with about 30 people. There were great and wild performances from all the groups, finances, purchasing, institute and seminary, travel, and FM. I’m sure I left some out. There were some great dancers and great singers. Also, we had the son of Elder Choi, the first counselor in the area presidency, perform on the piano. The Choi’s are from Korea, and the son lives in Texas now. He is a concert pianist. He is here to spend Christmas with his folks.
That evening we went caroling at a big mall. They had a grand piano that Elder Huff could really play. He is an excellent pianist. We had about ten missionary couples and 4 elders and 4 sisters. We sounded pretty good. It was fun to be a part of it and get to know some of the other couples who are serving in so many various capacities. It was hard to imagine as Clyda and I left the motel to go caroling, and we weren’t putting on coats and hats and mittens.
On Friday we had our 7:30 meeting. This time we were in the room instead of on TEAMS. At 10:00 our Humanitarian party began. It was a good time. We had Karaoke. I didn’t do Karaoke, but I did sing “Randolph the Bow Legged Cowboy” for them. We had a gift exchange where you can select a gift or steal one from someone else. We had a potluck meal. We shared the Christmas story as told by David Dayton’s grandson. It was good.
That evening we spent at our motel, we were very tired. We did go out to eat at Italianis. Then on Saturday it was a long trip back to Cebu, and it was so good to get home.
Today has been a wonderful Sabbath. Our Sunday School class had a wonderful discussion on tithing and temple work. Some great testimonies were born. Aren’t we blessed to have these two wonderful things as part of our lives. I think the greatest blessings we have received from paying tithing is the ability to distinguish between needs and wants, and not having a big desire for wants. The other great blessing is then being able to attend the temple and receive “great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” as taught in the temples. And the ability to make covenants so we can be with Tillie and Clyde again. This gospel is true, and we love it.
With love,
Dad and Mom
Grandpa and Grandma
Briant and Clyda
Looking out our hotel window on the 4th floor at the high rise buildings across the street in this little section of Manila.
We got to go caroling at a mall her in Manila with a great group of Senior and young missionaries. It was fun!
Comments
Post a Comment