12 March 2023 Week #24: Projects of our own!
Dear Family and Friends,
Of the ten projects that weren’t complete when the Huskinsons left, we now just have one to finish. There were only a few things to do on most of them. We have been working on preparing projects ourselves for quite some time now. Well, last Monday we finally presented two projects that we have developed, and they both were approved!!! Oh, HAPPY DAY!!
One is to give TVs, printers, and a sound system to a school in Cayos, Dumangas, Iloilo. We will provide 12 TVs, one for each classroom that doesn’t have one. Most of our committee aren’t in favor of my philosophy on this. However, it got approved. I think they just feel sorry for us. Here in the Philippines, the high school kids stay in the same classroom all day. The teachers rotate between classrooms. So, if I’m a biology teacher and teach 6 periods a day, I will rotate through six different classrooms. In visiting schools, I had found this out. The rest of the committee had no idea. They thought the students went from class to class like in most of the U.S. We have had such a demand on TVs for the classrooms that the committee only wants to give about 1 TV per 150 students. Also, the classrooms are such, uneven ground outside the doors, even broken cement floors inside the rooms, that you would never put a TV on a cart and wheel it from one room to another. So, they are mounted on walls and locked into cages. That is all well and good. So, if you only give one TV per 150 students then that means one out of 5 classrooms gets a TV. So, I asked the committee, are we giving TVs because we believe as the schools who are asking for them, that they improve education? If so, then if your student is not in a classroom with a TV, as a parent, how do you feel about that? Then, if you are a teacher and you only get to use a TV for teaching one out of 6 times, are you going to take the time to prepare that lesson for one class when you have to be prepared to teach It without a TV for the other 5 classes? So, my philosophy is opposed to helping out a lot of schools with a little. I want to help a few schools with a lot. Then, if TVs really are effective, then it should show on test scores for the schools that have them. That will put pressure on the other schools and the Department of Education to provide TVs for schools. As a result, I just want to go to smaller schools, provide the TVS to all classrooms, and let that school shine. Now, that is only going to happen if the teacher knows how to use the TV effectively. So, Clyda and I have come up with 8 questions we ask the school before we make a visit. One question is to show us research that proves using TVs is affective. The other questions deal with how they feel a TV is used effectively. Then, when we go to visit a school, and they have a TV, I want to see a lesson taught using the TV. This Cayos School, answered all the questions well, showed some good research, and had a teacher teach us a lesson with a clicker as he circulated, used a powerpoint presentation, showed a video, and asked engaging questions for a group
discussion. He was impressive. Then, I want a commitment from the principal, to allow for two days of in-service on how to use the TV. Well, enough about that. The other project was the solar project out on an island for an elementary school. The island has never had electricity. This is one we are really excited about. The person who will manage and do the installation is coming from Orem, UT. It was a connection we found through the Peters couple serving in the Iloilo mission. I hope I can get the timing all correct for the delivery of supplies, all of them, on site at the same time we get the installer here from Orem. We are not supposed to pay for the labor, etc. for these jobs. This gentleman from Orem is paying his own way here and paying all his bills when he gets here. It is amazing! All we (LDSC) are supposed to do is donate supplies. Anyway, I hope to report back on great things with this. I’m excited to see lights in classrooms and hear and feel fans cooling the rooms off.
We had a fun FHE with all of us oldies on Monday, we taught the lesson. Tuesday was getting reacquainted with the ferry process and office work. That evening we had the McMullins, from Raymond, Alberta, Canada over for dinner. That was fun. They are here for a month of visiting. He served here back in 69-70. Then, he and his wife served here in the temple about 5 years ago. It was fun to visit with them.
On Wednesday we were taken to see a water project for a school that doesn’t have potable water. That was a headache, all these water projects are headaches for me. All I know about water is when you turn on the faucet you get potable water. If the water doesn’t come, or it isn’t potable then you must be camping, or you are in trouble. In other words, I haven’t a clue how to help them, and they think I should be able to solve the problem. Then, in the afternoon, we tried to enter our expenses on DELL. It should have been a 5-minute deal. Three hours later, with only one entry in, and we entered 510 dollars instead of 510 pesos($9.24), and couldn’t correct it, Clyda said she was going home. I don’t mean home to our apartment, I mean she is going home to Cokeville. It was a discouraging day. Opposition in all things. Monday was a big high, and Wednesday was a big low. I hid her passport, and we are still here.
Thursday, we went to a grand opening of Sister Carredos’ latest massage parlor. She has a lot of them. This is a new one in the wealthy part of town. During lunch, her son-in-law and husband were talking about golfing. I made a comment, and they have invited me to go golfing with them. These are well to do people and they are members of a country club. They said they will take care of me. They said they aren’t any good, so if that is true, I should fit in.
On Friday we took the ferry to Bohol. It all went smooth. We stayed at a sketch hotel. It was clean, thank goodness, but I had to take a shower while straddling the toilet. Clyda opted out of a shower that day. So, Saturday we were involved in two WSR conferences where we had 40 minutes in each one to present to Bishops, Branch Presidents, and District and Stake Presidents, how to develop a Member Welfare Project, and how we are involved with helping them with their project. One conference was in Calape from 8-12. Then to Tagbilaran from 2-6. Then back to Tubigon to catch a ferry at 10 PM for home. We pulled in about 12:30. It was late, and we were tired.
Today has been a wonderful Sabbath day. It was our ward conference, and the youth had a choir that did two numbers. They were really good. It was all done by the youth, the conductor, everything. It was impressive!!
The gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and we are getting to see it in action in so many ways here In the Philippines. Our testimonies are strengthened as we see so many dedicated people attending these meetings to learn how to do what they do. Saturday was impressive when you watch 5 people on a trike come from 20 kilometers away to attend, just wanting to learn more about their duties so they can help their members. It is truly touching. They are impressive. Both places were packed. Great presentations, great questions, and a great Spirit. Every one of them is needed to help people get a hold of the stone that is rolling forth. “Lift Where You Stand”
With love,
Dad and Mom
Grandpa and Grandma
Briant and Clyda
P.S. In the one picture we have two sisters. Both use to clean at the temple grounds. The one by Clyda lost her job, because sisters can’t both work under the new contractor. She got another job cleaning the buildings on Sunday. She has cataracts and Clyda is working on getting her surgery. Mabuhay Deseret Foundation hopefully will clear her for the surgery. We don’t believe they are members of the church. Have to ride a Jeepney 1 ½ hours to get to the temple to work. Clyda the compassionate one is trying to get this to happen for this lady. Hopefully is will.
Week #24 3/6-3/12
Of the ten projects that weren’t complete when the Huskinsons left, we now just have one to finish. There were only a few things to do on most of them. We have been working on preparing projects ourselves for quite some time now. Well, last Monday we finally presented two projects that we have developed, and they both were approved!!! Oh, HAPPY DAY!!
One is to give TVs, printers, and a sound system to a school in Cayos, Dumangas, Iloilo. We will provide 12 TVs, one for each classroom that doesn’t have one. Most of our committee aren’t in favor of my philosophy on this. However, it got approved. I think they just feel sorry for us. Here in the Philippines, the high school kids stay in the same classroom all day. The teachers rotate between classrooms. So, if I’m a biology teacher and teach 6 periods a day, I will rotate through six different classrooms. In visiting schools, I had found this out. The rest of the committee had no idea. They thought the students went from class to class like in most of the U.S. We have had such a demand on TVs for the classrooms that the committee only wants to give about 1 TV per 150 students. Also, the classrooms are such, uneven ground outside the doors, even broken cement floors inside the rooms, that you would never put a TV on a cart and wheel it from one room to another. So, they are mounted on walls and locked into cages. That is all well and good. So, if you only give one TV per 150 students then that means one out of 5 classrooms gets a TV. So, I asked the committee, are we giving TVs because we believe as the schools who are asking for them, that they improve education? If so, then if your student is not in a classroom with a TV, as a parent, how do you feel about that? Then, if you are a teacher and you only get to use a TV for teaching one out of 6 times, are you going to take the time to prepare that lesson for one class when you have to be prepared to teach It without a TV for the other 5 classes? So, my philosophy is opposed to helping out a lot of schools with a little. I want to help a few schools with a lot. Then, if TVs really are effective, then it should show on test scores for the schools that have them. That will put pressure on the other schools and the Department of Education to provide TVs for schools. As a result, I just want to go to smaller schools, provide the TVS to all classrooms, and let that school shine. Now, that is only going to happen if the teacher knows how to use the TV effectively. So, Clyda and I have come up with 8 questions we ask the school before we make a visit. One question is to show us research that proves using TVs is affective. The other questions deal with how they feel a TV is used effectively. Then, when we go to visit a school, and they have a TV, I want to see a lesson taught using the TV. This Cayos School, answered all the questions well, showed some good research, and had a teacher teach us a lesson with a clicker as he circulated, used a powerpoint presentation, showed a video, and asked engaging questions for a group
discussion. He was impressive. Then, I want a commitment from the principal, to allow for two days of in-service on how to use the TV. Well, enough about that. The other project was the solar project out on an island for an elementary school. The island has never had electricity. This is one we are really excited about. The person who will manage and do the installation is coming from Orem, UT. It was a connection we found through the Peters couple serving in the Iloilo mission. I hope I can get the timing all correct for the delivery of supplies, all of them, on site at the same time we get the installer here from Orem. We are not supposed to pay for the labor, etc. for these jobs. This gentleman from Orem is paying his own way here and paying all his bills when he gets here. It is amazing! All we (LDSC) are supposed to do is donate supplies. Anyway, I hope to report back on great things with this. I’m excited to see lights in classrooms and hear and feel fans cooling the rooms off.
We had a fun FHE with all of us oldies on Monday, we taught the lesson. Tuesday was getting reacquainted with the ferry process and office work. That evening we had the McMullins, from Raymond, Alberta, Canada over for dinner. That was fun. They are here for a month of visiting. He served here back in 69-70. Then, he and his wife served here in the temple about 5 years ago. It was fun to visit with them.
On Wednesday we were taken to see a water project for a school that doesn’t have potable water. That was a headache, all these water projects are headaches for me. All I know about water is when you turn on the faucet you get potable water. If the water doesn’t come, or it isn’t potable then you must be camping, or you are in trouble. In other words, I haven’t a clue how to help them, and they think I should be able to solve the problem. Then, in the afternoon, we tried to enter our expenses on DELL. It should have been a 5-minute deal. Three hours later, with only one entry in, and we entered 510 dollars instead of 510 pesos($9.24), and couldn’t correct it, Clyda said she was going home. I don’t mean home to our apartment, I mean she is going home to Cokeville. It was a discouraging day. Opposition in all things. Monday was a big high, and Wednesday was a big low. I hid her passport, and we are still here.
Thursday, we went to a grand opening of Sister Carredos’ latest massage parlor. She has a lot of them. This is a new one in the wealthy part of town. During lunch, her son-in-law and husband were talking about golfing. I made a comment, and they have invited me to go golfing with them. These are well to do people and they are members of a country club. They said they will take care of me. They said they aren’t any good, so if that is true, I should fit in.
On Friday we took the ferry to Bohol. It all went smooth. We stayed at a sketch hotel. It was clean, thank goodness, but I had to take a shower while straddling the toilet. Clyda opted out of a shower that day. So, Saturday we were involved in two WSR conferences where we had 40 minutes in each one to present to Bishops, Branch Presidents, and District and Stake Presidents, how to develop a Member Welfare Project, and how we are involved with helping them with their project. One conference was in Calape from 8-12. Then to Tagbilaran from 2-6. Then back to Tubigon to catch a ferry at 10 PM for home. We pulled in about 12:30. It was late, and we were tired.
Today has been a wonderful Sabbath day. It was our ward conference, and the youth had a choir that did two numbers. They were really good. It was all done by the youth, the conductor, everything. It was impressive!!
The gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and we are getting to see it in action in so many ways here In the Philippines. Our testimonies are strengthened as we see so many dedicated people attending these meetings to learn how to do what they do. Saturday was impressive when you watch 5 people on a trike come from 20 kilometers away to attend, just wanting to learn more about their duties so they can help their members. It is truly touching. They are impressive. Both places were packed. Great presentations, great questions, and a great Spirit. Every one of them is needed to help people get a hold of the stone that is rolling forth. “Lift Where You Stand”
With love,
Dad and Mom
Grandpa and Grandma
Briant and Clyda
P.S. In the one picture we have two sisters. Both use to clean at the temple grounds. The one by Clyda lost her job, because sisters can’t both work under the new contractor. She got another job cleaning the buildings on Sunday. She has cataracts and Clyda is working on getting her surgery. Mabuhay Deseret Foundation hopefully will clear her for the surgery. We don’t believe they are members of the church. Have to ride a Jeepney 1 ½ hours to get to the temple to work. Clyda the compassionate one is trying to get this to happen for this lady. Hopefully is will.
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