Big Busy Day!!!

We started out this morning (early) to drive up to Lucban to a district meeting with the missionaries from Mauban, Lucban,Tayabas, and Sariaya. We took the Zone leaders with us (Elders Bates & Bungay). Getting there was a little problematic. The town is pretty much closed down because of this festival, and the Church is on the far side of where we had to leave our car. By walking and catching a tricycle ride we finally arrived on time. Lucban is having its harvest festival beginning today. A family we have been working with invited us to the celebration several weeks ago, so we decided to make a business trip and see some of the local culture at the same time. This festival is world famous, and it showed by the number of foreigners there today. To help matters we had an invitation from the Lucena 1st Ward Missionary Leader to lunch at local bakery/reception hall where he works.

went to lunch at the "Koffee Klatch" run by Mrs. Milada D. Valde. She was a very kind and gracious host. We ate everything you can imagine and more. It was wonderful! The catch was somehow her daughter found out Diane had a wedding business and wanted to pick her brain. We talked for a while and agreed to meet with her in Lucena on a P Day.

We visited with the family who had invited us and exchanged gifts. There is no way to stay a head of Sister Paula. Her husband isn't a member even though several sets of missionaries have tried. He agreed to come to church during our meeting today. Following this meeting we did an apartment inspection of the Sisters Apartment (one of our tasks is be certain all the missionaries in our area are living in a clean and safe environment), and then we had to walk back to our car. On the way we took the attached pictures.

The first picture shows some of the way the town is decorated for this festival and how crowed the streets were. The second picture was taken at lunch at the Koffee Klatch. The third picture is of Daine and the Sisters trying on some hats that were for sale. Yep, she bought one as did Sister Neuenswander, and Elder Bates bought one for his mom. The fourth picture is of another building decorated. The decorations are made from rice and water and then coated with sugar and colored. The last picture is obviously Diane trying on a hat, but in the background Elder Bungay has a hat on and isn't happy about it - I think Elder Bates put it on him.