Marinduque

We got home not long ago from Marinduque. The trip is always exhausting, but this time was more difficult than any other trip. We catch the 4:00 PM boat here in Lucena (meaning we need to be at the port at 3:00PM) and then it is a 3 hour boat ride. It is hot and usually crowded. When we arrive at the port on Marinduque the missionaries pick us up and drive us to a motel. So, we get nothing for dinner that night except for a snack we bring with us. Breakfast in the morning is a granola bar and a can of juice. We left the motel at 8:00 AM on Sat. and got the Church in Mogpog in time to meet with the District President before our training began. Training begins at 10:00 AM. I am the presiding authority so Pres. Marchanio conducts the meeting and then turns the time over to me. If we have common business or instruction with the sisters and brethren then we stay together and do that first and then separate. You would be proud of the way your morther stands up and tells it like it is! I teach the the brethren and your mom teaches the sisters. At noon we left the Church with the Zone Leaders (missionaries -Elder Macanlalay and Elder May to work for the rest of the day. They kept us busy until 8:00 PM teaching non-members and visiting inactive members all day. On previous visits we met the Norte family. It took several visits and a priesthood blessing but they committed to come to church this Sunday - they did - in fact every family we visited that day came to church - members and investigators. It was a remarkable day in that everyone kept their commitments. We stomped out through the jungle (there is a picture attached of us crossing a stream on a bamboo bridge) to visit a young woman who was scheduled to be baptised in Aug., but the Elders moved her date up to Sunday (today). We didn't have lunch or get a CR break. CR is the comfort room. We usually take the missionaries out to dinner because they have to drive us everywhere and in interpret for us - we call them our "baby sitters". In the course of our work we also did some work on a problem in the District I can't tell you about, but it was more hiking through the jungle to meet with a man and discuss the situation. On the way to the restaurant we picked up another set of missionaries. We had dinner at a German restaurant in Boac. This is the closest thing to a real steak you can find in the Philippines. The total cost for the dinner for all 6 of us was 1800 pesos or about $36. When we got back to our motel I called Pres. Mortimer to fill him in on the situation and he gave me some instructions that kept us up late that night. Sunday began early because we had to be at the Church early to meet investigators and less active members who were coming. Breakfast was another granola bar and a diet coke. While there I took care of the business with the District Prese. Following Church we drove down the beach for the baptism. There is a picture of Elder Macanlalya and the lady to be baptised. On the way I took care of business with another Branch Pres. We couldn't use the font at the church because the water pump is broken. We met in a lipa hut on the beach and had a wonderful testimony meeting following the baptism. We then hurried down to the port to catch the boat home and sit for another 3 hours with no lunch. We go home about 7:30 PM and we are tired. Attached is a picture we took on the beach of us with Pres.& Sister Junda (pronounced Honda). Pres. Junda is the Ist Councilor in the District Pres. and his wife is the District Primary Pres. We really love these people. We love and miss each of you! But, not enough to leave the most wonderful experience you can imagine behind. We have so many goals (families to get active, or part member to get baptized) we can't leave now. Execpt for being there to see each of our children born this is the best life has to offer! well the grandkids fit in there somewhere - like at the head of the list.

There is a picture of the sunset taken from the boat on the way home. It gets dark here at 6:30 PM throughout the year. The last picture is of some little kids playing the on the beach near our motel.