Sweet success at last

Our direct assignment is to get the membership attendance of the Carigara District up to where it can be made a stake. Simple right? Well, how do you do that. We decided that the temple was the answer. There are many inactive members in the district and we decided that we didn't lack for members what we lacked for was activity. We need at least 25 active full tithe paying Melchizedek priesthood brethren in each branch. How do we do it. If we go to all the inactive and rejuvenate their testimonies and show them the wonderful benefits of the Temple they will have to be active to achieve a recommend status. They will have to pay a full tithe to go and most of them would have to receive the Melchizedek priesthood. What we found was that the inspiration we received to do it that way was just right. Those people still had the flame of testimony deep down in their souls and they have a very tender feeling toward the temple and the sealing of families. They really love their families and honestly want them for ever. When approaching the roughest of them all we have to do is ask- is there a God brother? This always makes them become very serious. Then we say"did he restore his church to the earth?" They are still very somber when they almost retrospectively say "yes he did." Then we tell them how God wants to give us all that he has and has given us the way to do that and all we have to do is reach out and take it but we must reach out. Then we describe to them the new Cebu Temple which will be ready for patronage in one year and three months and invite them to come with us to the temple. Some times we ask the children if they want to be a forever family to which they always answer affirmatively. One interesting note is that we usually start by using an interpreter and by the time we get part way into it, the interpreter will say "they understand you, go ahead." When they finally commit to go to the temple with us we congratulate them and then ask them if they have ever seen a "Forever Family" they say no. Then we pull out our camera and take a picture of their family and bring it back as a 4x6 picture and show them a forever Family. We have been doing that every day since we got here and its just now starting to pay off. Telisi branch averaged 55 in attendance now about 100. Capoocan averaged about 60 and are now close to 95. Carigara 1st branch were around 80 and are over 100. Carigara 2nd was around 80 and are now in the 90's. San Miguel we don't have new figures on yet. The most exciting thing is that this Sunday we had three or four new inactive families in each of the above mentioned branches. What a sight. You should have seen the members rally around them. It was one of the most heartening thing I have ever experienced. Amazingly, among them were old branch presidents and councilors. A district young men's pres. etc. So they weren't anonymous people they are people that really understood the gospel and are happy to be back. Well, as they say the proof is in the pudding. They are not active yet nor are they in the Temple but what is happening certainly raises our hopes and makes us know that what the Lord asked us to do was right on the money.

Ly Ann sang at the Youth Activity. She wanted us to write in her Book of Rememberance

More of the youth

Youth Activity - All the Branches performed dances

Luvim and Trixia. They have been interpreting for us on Tuesdays. Luvim is going to Manila for the Summer. We will miss her.

Rice Thresher. It is harvest time every three months. They are harvesting now.

Elders in Talisi smelling flowers. We haven't seen a lot of flowers everything is mostly green.

More coconut coctail in Talisi

Mercy and family in their Nipa

This is the group minus Elder Baloing who is taking the picture

Another Carabou and calf

Mercy going up the hill

Rice Field

More Spirit More Adventure

Next we visited a rice farmer whose crop had been destroyed and he had to re-plant. They have been members only a short time and that was a big hardship for them. They live quite a ways from the church and they don't always have money to pay the fare to ride (no one has cars). We thought he was complaining about his trials when we were informed that he was baring his testimony to us. They are preparing to go to the temple with us. When it was time to leave we asked him to call on someone to pray. He called on himself. We all sat there when all of a sudden he knelt on his knees to say the prayer. I was very touched by his spirit.

We then went through another rice field. This time it was not raining and the path was dry. We walked quite a long way . We jumped over two streams, crossed a 30 ft. log bridge, forded a stream that had rocks piled up to make a bridge to cross and walked up a small hill only to find the sister we had come to visit was not home. Her husband is a non-member and didn't seem very interested in talking so we made an appointment to come back next week. We then retraced our footsteps. We were doing quite well until we got almost back. All of a sudden the rock I chose to step on moved and down I went into a mud puddle (more mud than water). Well everyone rushed to my rescue. They helped me up and over to the stream to wash off my skirt. It was good that the day was almost over so we called it a day.
The only inconvient thing that happened next was that Abe had a Mission Presidency meeting at the chapel so I had to drip dry while they had their meeting before we could go home.

Bamboo Bridge

Mercy and We

As we were walking back from a beach front home a woman ran out from a business and called to us. She was a member but her husband is not and she wanted us to go to her home with them and talk to them. We walked across the road and up the mountain. It was quite steep so the Elders had carved out steps in the dirt so it was like climbing stairs up the hillside. It was beautiful up there. You could look out over the village and the beach and the ocean. They had a little more land than most so had vegetables planted in their garden. They were a happy family with a great spirit. It turned out that the father had been taught the lessons but for some reason had never joined. Abe just turned to him and asked him when he was going to be baptised. Well he set a date for April 25th and they want to begin to prepare to go to the Temple. When we left their sixteen year old daughter, Mercy, asked if she could come with us to work. How could we refuse her? So away we went.

Sweet Blessings

Wednesday was a memorable day. We worked in Capoocan with Elders Baloing and Joey Carbanaran along with a sister. There is a special spirit in Capoocan. We visited the Villegas family. While we were talking about the temple I asked their daughter to express to her mother what it would mean to her if they were to get sealed in the temple. She bore her testimony and soon they were both crying. We thought the girl was about sixteen years old but it turned out that she was almost twenty-one and planning on going on a mission in August. She said she had talked to the District President on Sunday. That is when we realized who she was. The District Pres. had called Abe last week and told him he had a girl who wanted to go on a mission but didn't have the money to do her dental work. She needed $1,000 pesos ( which is about $20.00 American dollars). We told him we could help. We wanted the gift to be anonymous so she didn't know. For a Philippino to go on a mission they must come up with about $2400 pesos (which is roughly $50.00) and their parents have to promise to pay something (no matter how small) each month while they are serving, then the church will pay the rest. This girl would have had to move to Manila to work to earn the money and the church would have taken the chance of loosing her, so it was worth it.
Joey was the other one we helped to go on a mission. He had saved all but $1000 pesos. We gave $500 and he came up with the rest somehow. He is working full time with the missionaries now until his call comes. His family are all non-members and they give him a bad time so he prefers to be with the Elders. He is so great. He has a smile that won't quit and a testimony that is as big as he is small.

Inside Talisi's outside Meeting House. They have been having about 52 people coming. Last week they had 75.

Talisi Temple Prep Class - We are huge beside them

More of Talisi

Kids are kids wherever you go

Here is a picture of someone's prize cocks. Cock fighting is a big sport here, especially on Sunday afternoon. Many times we see these roosters caged during the day.

Cocks that Fight

Rice Thrasher being transported on a motorcycle with two people sandwiched inside

Look closely at This Little Piggy Went to Market. The Philippinoes will carry anything they have to in their tricycles. Here is a pig going to market. We have seen just about anything you can imagine being transported this way.

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Kareoke Singer at the Relief Society Party 5 years old

District Relief Society President

Winners of the Games at the Relief Society B-Day Party

All in a Days Work

Friday night Abe had to go to the Mission Office for his Mission Presidency Meeting. I took a couple of small books to read while I waited for him. When we got there he got a call from President Cinco from the Carigara District. He handed the phone to me. President Cinco asked me if I would give a talk the next day at the District Relief Society Birthday Party. Of course I said yes but couldn't believe that they waited until the night before to ask me. I couldn't believe it but the two small books I brought was exactly what I needed, along with a Liahona magazine that was sitting on the desk at the office, to write the outline for my talk. I was able to get it done by the time the meeting was over. That must have been a record time for me to prepare a talk. Call it coincidence if you will but I call it a blessing. The talk went well and they seemed to understand me even though no one interpreted for me. They played games and had a dinner. The only weird thing was that the meeting was two hours late starting. We call that Philippino time as it happens all the time. Even the leaders don't expect to start much earlier than two hours late.
The next day was Sunday. We went to Carigara again because we were getting new Branch Presidents in both Branches as well as in Capoocan. I went in the church and sat down by the Relief Society President while waiting for the time to begin class as Relief Society is first. Soon it was time to go and in we went. Just before the opening prayer the President handed me the Liahona magazine and said that I would be the teacher that day. My mouth must have dropped but I said a little prayer, swallowed and stood up and it turned out to be a great lesson. The Relief Society President would insert things in Waray-Waray as we went along and everyone seemed to understand. The Lord knows my weaknesses and he certainly is there by my side when I need him.
We have spoken every Sunday since we have been here and I think this was the first Sunday Abe has not had to speak.

Tricycles at stop light in middle of Tacloban. They give rides to people in the city. There are just as many coming from the other direction.

When we see this we know to turn left to go to the mission office

Convienent Clothesline along the highway

Quillinita Family

Making a fishing net. It is a little like tatting.

Talisi a Hidden Paradise

What a wonderful experience we had in Talisi. Each set of missionaries we work with turn out to be the best. We can't believe there are so many that are so good. We had some very spiritual visits there. Talisi is a beautiful little community right by the beach with blue water rolling against the beach where palm trees grow and the hillside is dotted with little huts. I had the feeling of being in the canyon with camps all along the path. The sad thing is that when the typoon came it deposited a lot of debris from across the sea and deposited it on their beautiful beach so it is very poluted with paper wrapers and plastic.
The people are so humble and sweet and they welcomed us with open arms. They all treated us as though we were something special. Even the people we didn't visit shook our hands and thanked us for coming. We felt like we were in a parade. The missionaries had told them we were coming so they were all very excited.
We had five special visits there in about four hours. We met with members to encourage them to prepare to come to the temple when it opens in Cebu next year. They are all so trusting and believing. They all want their families sealed to them. We bore our testimonies and read some sciptures and talked to them about how we feel about forever families. There was a great spirit there. In one home especially some of the people were crying and said they felt like they were in the temple already. The missionaries didn't even have to translate for us and they knew what we were saying. They all hugged us and the little children all followed us back to the van.
They loved Dad's whistling and clicking his tongue and we sang "I Hope They Call Me On a Mission"
We could hear them repeat some of the things we said as we walked past. Some young people were playing a game in the dirt that looked something like tic tac toe so I asked them if that is what it was. As we were walking away we could hear them saying tic tac toe, tic tac toe.

Talisi's Meeting House and a Prospective Forever Family

Talisi - Elders Garces and Saclapus and Branch missionaries

Talisi - Hillside of banana trees

Talisi - villiage by the sea

Drinking coconut coctail at Talisi

Bumpy Road to Calubian

We got up early today. We had to meet President Cinco and his counselors at 7:30 in Capoocan. We then drove another hour and a half to Calubian over a very bumpy road. It was a beautiful drive but I couldn't take many pictures because of the bumps.
When we arrived President Cinco jumped on the back of a motorcycle and rode over an even bumpier road to San Isidro. The Branch President there has a terminal illness and it has been a long time since he has been able to visit.
We spoke at Sacrament meeting, of course. We are always treated like we are general authorities wherever we go. President Sampson is a wonderful leader and the Branch has a great spirit. We were able to talk with him for two hours after the meeting block while we waited for President Cinco to return. Here is a man who really loves the gospel and is not afraid to tell everyone he comes in contact with. He is only a high school graduate but has a lot of knowledge about history and other things because he continues to read a lot.
He told us of the faithful saints in his branch and how many of them have to walk up over and down a steep mountain to come to church. It is hard for them to do all of the activities but they do their best. He told about cleaning the church himself and sometimes staying there all night because it got so late. I told him he needed to delegate some of the responsibilities and that is when he told us about the people living so far away.
I don't know when I have heard a more humble, sincere testimony; mine was greatly strengthened that day.

Family Home Afternoon

We had a fun afternoon on Saturday sharing a Family Home Afternoon with the Capoocan Branch. About 50 people came. Most of them were young. We were to give the lesson about temples. We had for our theme, "They will walk with me in white for they shall be worthy." We dressed in our white clothing and the lesson turned out good. We sang songs and played a couple of games. Those who lost had to perform some talent. Most of them sang a song. Dad lost so had to perform. He decided to teach them to sing "Sweetly Sings the Donkey." They loved it. The kids were laughing and had a lot of fun. We then had treats. Someone brought doughnuts, I made popcorn balls, the missionaries brought pop and one of the members brought comote (which is a sweet potato that grows here). There would have been a lot more people show up if the food had been free but because they had to bring some our numbers were smaller. The crowd was just right for the room we had though. We all went away feeling happy. I forgot to take pictures though. How mad I am.

Our little neighbor. His father died and his mother had seven children. She couldn't take care of them herself so they were adoped out one by one.

President Cinco, a small giant

The weather hasn't been too hot yet. It still has been raining a lot. It will rain really hard for a few minutes then the sun will shine and it will be beautiful. Then it will cloud up and really give us a good downpour.
We are looking for another apartment closer to our area so we won't have to drive so far everyday. There is a new one in Capoocan that is right in the little fishing village where the District President lives. It is made of cement and painted a pale yellow. It looks quite large, especially in the midst of all the little nipa huts surrounding it. It isn't finished yet so we will see what the possibilities are when it is done. We have signed a three month contract where we live so couldn't move for another two months anyway.
President Cinco is a great man. He is so happy and has this huge smile. He is very short but is a giant of a man and can speak as well as any leader in the US. After serving a mission for the church he was going to go away from his village to find better opportunities for employment but he had a strong feeling that the Lord wanted him to stay there and help build the Kingdom in his small part of the world. So he and his family live in a Nipa Hut with all its accomodations. They need leaders like him so badly. He is the middle man in the fishing industry. I guess he buys the fish from the fishermen and sells it for them.

Huge tree in fishing village near the ocean in Capoocan

Homemade pull toy/ brother and sister

Cute boys with their homemade pop guns made from bamboo. They push a small rock or spit wad through and it makes a popping sound

The waves crashing against the wall at the beach

He was cutting grass with a big knife by the ocean just down from our apartment

Coconut Shells drying by the ocean used for firewood

On Top of a Hill overlooking the ocean

Just Cooling Off

One Cool Farmer

We had another great day. Elders Balowing and Manarang are awesome. We love teaching with them because they have such a great spirit. We went back to visit the farmer who had been plowing the day we visited his wife. She wasn't there today so we went into the field to see if we could get him to take a break and visit with us. His wife says he works all the time and hasn't been to church for a long time. We waited for him to finish the row he was on. He agreed to give his carabou a rest and come in and talk to us. He had a shirt on and nothing else that we could tell except it covered the important parts. He tied up his carabou after he lead it to a water hole for it to wallow in. He went into a little shed and put on a pair of pants then came in and visited with us. He was a sweet man and still has a strong testimony. We read scriptures about keeping the Sabboth Day holy and challenged him to rest both himself and his carabou on Sunday. He promised that he would come. When we left we saw him go back into his shed and take off his pants and walk back to his field where he resumed his plowing. Where else but the Philippines could you see that?
The elders reported to us that since we have been visiting the sacrament attendance has risen from 115 to 150. I pray that they are sincere and that it will continue. It made us feel good.