19 Feb. 2023 Week #21: On the Road Again
Dear Family and Friends,
It is a beautiful day in the Philippines. It has been a good week. Monday of course was meetings and office work. In the afternoon the Koyle’s and Taylor’s took us to Lander’s to get groceries. Our refrigerator was starting to look a little bare. We hadn’t been for 3 weeks.
Tuesday was a virtual meeting along with the others on the LDSC team. We were learning about “Single Drop for Clean Water”, another relief organization we partner with. They are really good. They help with delivering water to schools and communities, etc. We provide the materials, and they organize the labor, the engineering, and most importantly the training for the beneficiaries. The people need to be taught what it takes to have the project be sustainable. Without that training the project almost shouldn’t be done. Otherwise, it won’t continue to work for the people. It was a very good meeting. It was encouraging for us to help out on water projects for schools.
Wednesday was a big day full of all kinds of hurdles. Brother Colipapa picked up Sister Garner and us to go get driver’s licenses. He met us here at 9:15 and we arrived back at our apartment at 5:30 with our licenses. Oh, HAPPY DAY!! However, it was quite an undertaking. We didn’t have all the necessary paperwork, and I hadn’t applied for an appointment online. If we had known everything it would take, and had taken care of it beforehand, it would have just been a couple hours. As it was, we went to two different locations, back here to get a letter that we lived here, then to the barangay hall to show the letter so we could get a letter from them that we lived in the barangay. Then, photocopies of all the original documents (six of them), and then show them the originals and give them the photos of the originals. Now I know why it is so hard to find a CR (comfort room or bathroom as we would call it) with toilet paper. They use all the paper for government documents. Oh boy! But we are done, and we are licensed drivers!! It was February 15th, and we went out to dinner to celebrate, for that reason, and also because we hadn’t gone out on Valentines Day because we didn’t have a license to drive yet. We had a wonderful dinner at Italiani’s.
Yes, we live in a very comfortable situation. Thank goodness for our comforts. However, when you are out and about, finding a CR with toilet paper and a toilet that will flush is a challenge. For a country so concerned with Covid, where half the people still wear facemasks, who are always sanitizing, now you might know why, just visit a CR. Finding a decent one is a challenge. You better have TP in your pocket and know how to flush the toilet with pouring water in the toilet itself or in the tank. Even at schools you better be prepared. We haven’t found a school yet that you didn’t need your own TP and a bucket of water with a dipper for flushing. We are of the opinion that when we are in the mountains it would be better to just go out into the trees. However, we have found pretty good ones at McDonalds and there are quite a few McDonalds in the country. Oh well, enough potty talk.
On Thursday morning we had another virtual meeting in the morning. In the afternoon we went to Lapu Lapu to be a part of delivering a couple fishing boats to the fishermen. It has taken 4 months to construct two more boats. The first two boats were delivered right before we arrived. We have 4 more to go. I hope they will be done before we leave. One man is doing all the building himself. There are 16 people who will get the boats. Two people per boat. We now have 8 of them taken care of. It was a good day with the beneficiaries, members of the leadership of the church in the area, the stake president, the bishop, elder’s quorum president, a couple other people from the ward, the full time Elders and Sisters, Brother and Sister Colipapa and us. After they carried the boats down to the water, the boat people still had to get the motors going, the steering mechanism in place, the outriggers mounted, etc. The next morning Clyda and I returned to see the boats in action and take more photos. We arrived at the appointed time, 10:00. The boats arrived at 12:00. Filipino time. It was all good. There was a nice breeze blowing off of the ocean and it is a park where we dropped the boats off so that was our surroundings. It was a pleasant couple of hours waiting.
On Saturday we went to the Mandaue Stake Center for a Child Nutrition Screening. We have been to a couple of those now. They are just getting started with them for the 2023 year. They will do one in each stake. It is for members and non-members. I told you about one of these already. Pretty cool. Now if the parents and mothers will just be serious about eating healthy. They of course weight and measure the babies and children. They give them healthy snacks after the process. Then they provide individual feedback to the parents. Then they give some great instruction to the group encouraging them to eat healthy.
We came home to the beauty salon. I did Clyda’s hair for her. She is still beautiful so I must have done okay. Then we watched all 1 minute of Tel’s three matches at regionals. Congratulations Tel on taking first and good luck at state. We then watched Mylie’s basketball game and then the Cokeville kids. I’m grateful it is okay for us to do this and that we have the technology to do so. It was a good way to spend a real rainy day. It rained hard all day long.
Another couple has arrived from Twin Falls, the Bodilys, to work in the temple. Today was a good day at church. We had 3 excellent speakers. Sunday School class was very good. Henry always does a great job teaching. The speakers spoke on physical, mental, and spiritual preparedness. All three did a great job. They are very good speakers. Every talk we have heard since we have been here has been very good. Elder Bednar is in the country. I don’t know what all he is doing. He isn’t visiting Cebu but will be on a nationwide broadcast fireside from Manila next Saturday evening. We are looking forward to that. The gospel is true, and it is fun to see it active in these peoples lives. They are doing a great job of trying to live by the Beatitudes, just like you. Thank you for your personal testimonies that have inspired our lives. We wouldn’t be here without all of you. We are grateful that you “Lift Where You Stand”, and we are proud of you. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf and for your wonderful families.
With love,
Dad and Mom
Grandpa and Grandma
Briant and Clyda
Week #21 2/13-2/19
It is a beautiful day in the Philippines. It has been a good week. Monday of course was meetings and office work. In the afternoon the Koyle’s and Taylor’s took us to Lander’s to get groceries. Our refrigerator was starting to look a little bare. We hadn’t been for 3 weeks.
Tuesday was a virtual meeting along with the others on the LDSC team. We were learning about “Single Drop for Clean Water”, another relief organization we partner with. They are really good. They help with delivering water to schools and communities, etc. We provide the materials, and they organize the labor, the engineering, and most importantly the training for the beneficiaries. The people need to be taught what it takes to have the project be sustainable. Without that training the project almost shouldn’t be done. Otherwise, it won’t continue to work for the people. It was a very good meeting. It was encouraging for us to help out on water projects for schools.
Wednesday was a big day full of all kinds of hurdles. Brother Colipapa picked up Sister Garner and us to go get driver’s licenses. He met us here at 9:15 and we arrived back at our apartment at 5:30 with our licenses. Oh, HAPPY DAY!! However, it was quite an undertaking. We didn’t have all the necessary paperwork, and I hadn’t applied for an appointment online. If we had known everything it would take, and had taken care of it beforehand, it would have just been a couple hours. As it was, we went to two different locations, back here to get a letter that we lived here, then to the barangay hall to show the letter so we could get a letter from them that we lived in the barangay. Then, photocopies of all the original documents (six of them), and then show them the originals and give them the photos of the originals. Now I know why it is so hard to find a CR (comfort room or bathroom as we would call it) with toilet paper. They use all the paper for government documents. Oh boy! But we are done, and we are licensed drivers!! It was February 15th, and we went out to dinner to celebrate, for that reason, and also because we hadn’t gone out on Valentines Day because we didn’t have a license to drive yet. We had a wonderful dinner at Italiani’s.
Yes, we live in a very comfortable situation. Thank goodness for our comforts. However, when you are out and about, finding a CR with toilet paper and a toilet that will flush is a challenge. For a country so concerned with Covid, where half the people still wear facemasks, who are always sanitizing, now you might know why, just visit a CR. Finding a decent one is a challenge. You better have TP in your pocket and know how to flush the toilet with pouring water in the toilet itself or in the tank. Even at schools you better be prepared. We haven’t found a school yet that you didn’t need your own TP and a bucket of water with a dipper for flushing. We are of the opinion that when we are in the mountains it would be better to just go out into the trees. However, we have found pretty good ones at McDonalds and there are quite a few McDonalds in the country. Oh well, enough potty talk.
On Thursday morning we had another virtual meeting in the morning. In the afternoon we went to Lapu Lapu to be a part of delivering a couple fishing boats to the fishermen. It has taken 4 months to construct two more boats. The first two boats were delivered right before we arrived. We have 4 more to go. I hope they will be done before we leave. One man is doing all the building himself. There are 16 people who will get the boats. Two people per boat. We now have 8 of them taken care of. It was a good day with the beneficiaries, members of the leadership of the church in the area, the stake president, the bishop, elder’s quorum president, a couple other people from the ward, the full time Elders and Sisters, Brother and Sister Colipapa and us. After they carried the boats down to the water, the boat people still had to get the motors going, the steering mechanism in place, the outriggers mounted, etc. The next morning Clyda and I returned to see the boats in action and take more photos. We arrived at the appointed time, 10:00. The boats arrived at 12:00. Filipino time. It was all good. There was a nice breeze blowing off of the ocean and it is a park where we dropped the boats off so that was our surroundings. It was a pleasant couple of hours waiting.
On Saturday we went to the Mandaue Stake Center for a Child Nutrition Screening. We have been to a couple of those now. They are just getting started with them for the 2023 year. They will do one in each stake. It is for members and non-members. I told you about one of these already. Pretty cool. Now if the parents and mothers will just be serious about eating healthy. They of course weight and measure the babies and children. They give them healthy snacks after the process. Then they provide individual feedback to the parents. Then they give some great instruction to the group encouraging them to eat healthy.
We came home to the beauty salon. I did Clyda’s hair for her. She is still beautiful so I must have done okay. Then we watched all 1 minute of Tel’s three matches at regionals. Congratulations Tel on taking first and good luck at state. We then watched Mylie’s basketball game and then the Cokeville kids. I’m grateful it is okay for us to do this and that we have the technology to do so. It was a good way to spend a real rainy day. It rained hard all day long.
Another couple has arrived from Twin Falls, the Bodilys, to work in the temple. Today was a good day at church. We had 3 excellent speakers. Sunday School class was very good. Henry always does a great job teaching. The speakers spoke on physical, mental, and spiritual preparedness. All three did a great job. They are very good speakers. Every talk we have heard since we have been here has been very good. Elder Bednar is in the country. I don’t know what all he is doing. He isn’t visiting Cebu but will be on a nationwide broadcast fireside from Manila next Saturday evening. We are looking forward to that. The gospel is true, and it is fun to see it active in these peoples lives. They are doing a great job of trying to live by the Beatitudes, just like you. Thank you for your personal testimonies that have inspired our lives. We wouldn’t be here without all of you. We are grateful that you “Lift Where You Stand”, and we are proud of you. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf and for your wonderful families.
With love,
Dad and Mom
Grandpa and Grandma
Briant and Clyda
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