The Adventure Continues

Baby Whisperer

2011-10-01T14:00:00.001-07:00

This is the son of Bro & Sis Getoy - he is about a week old now. If there is a new baby around you know your mom has to check it out. His name is Evan Eastan Getoy.

New Flowers

2011-07-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

Some new pictures of flowers growing on the Temple grounds. The first two are in a new plant and are about eye level. The second two are of flowers in the Mortimer's back yard, though there are some in others areas on the Temple grounds. The last three were taken in the trees on the West side of the Temple grounds. These are large mature trees. The floweres only last a few days then they fall off onto the ground. When I walk around the "block" these litter the sidewalk on the West
side of the Temple. Each day the ground keepers clean them all up, and each day they start over again. I wish they would last longer, but there never seems to be a lack of these beautful flowers.

Lolla

2011-04-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

We went to church in the Mandaue Ward 2 today. After Sacrament Meeting (Sacrament Meeting is held last) Diane does what a good grandma (lolla) does - she has to hold all the babies.

Diane playing "lolla".

The baby's real "lolla".

Vito Senedor. He served with us in our last mission in Lucena. He is a remarkable young man and we love him dearly.

Elder & Sister Gale's (pronounced Gale) son with his wife and new daughter. Elder & Sister Gale manage the patron house here, and they are the ones who took us to Negros Island not long ago.

Sister Gale with Diane.

2011-03-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

We would like to thank our wonderful daughter-in law Kris for doing our Blog for us. She did not even kill me when we sent her 79 pictures to post. She is doing a little at a time so if you would like to see what we have been up too the last 5 months take a look, and check back often.

We love and miss all of you.
Love from the Philippines
Elder and Sister

Trip to Bahol

2011-03-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

The 2nd week we were off to the Island of Bohol with President and Sister Mortimer and their friend from Idaho - Connie. For this trip we took the Super Cat (boat), it is very fast, and 2 hours later we were back on land. The first day President was sick so he stayed home and came on Thursday. We had a tour guide that drove us around the Island. Bohol is a very beautiful island with its white sand and palm trees; I could have stayed there a lot longer.

All and all we had a great time and now we are ready to go back to work, serving the Lord in His House that is all clean from inside and out. Even angle Moroni got a good cleaning.

2nd WEEK and our trip to Bohol. Allan playing cars with a little boy while we were waiting for the boat.

On the boat.

Sister Mortimer and Connie

The ceiling of a VERY old church it was build around the 1500 and built by the Spanish.

Lunch at the Bee farm, and yes we ate the flowers on the salad. It was very good and pretty.

Getting ready for the tour.

Allan holding a hive full of BEES!

Sewing a bag that they make there. And yes I got one.

Weaving the fabric that is used to make the bags, place mates, table runner and alot of fun things.

It is so old fashion, but so very fun.

In the caves.

Shark jaws and they are REAL.

I wanted to get some for the grandsons, buy no way to send them. SORRY.

Animals of the sea.

A very big star fish. It was eating my fingers.

The blood monument in Bohol it is all about the Spanish when they came to the island.

Lunch on the river.

Up the river we go.

Having fun and yes that is real fire.

Allan with a Lizard.

My cute little guy.

I loved his little guy, he was so dang cute.

A tarsier, they are on the island of Bohol and no where else.

You can see how small they are.

Allan and his new friend.

The chocolate hills, but not at this time of the year.

This tells about the hills.

Whale and Dolphin watching. Did see some dolphins but a little early for whales.

Cleaning the Angle Moroni.

All Cleaned and we are ready to go back to work.

Trip to Negroes

2011-03-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Allan and I along with Elder and Sister Ganir and Elder and Sister Ward, flew to the Island of Negros (Occidental) and to the city of Bacolod. We were up in the air and back down before we knew it. The flight was over a total time of 25 mins. long. We were greeted at the airport by Elder and Sister Gale (pronounced Gal lee), they serve with us and are from Bacolod. We had a great time for 3 days seeing the city of Bacolod and part of the Island of Negros including a private island. We found out that Negros supplies 60% of all sugar that the US uses, and believe me we saw a lot of sugar cane fields and trucks hauling cut cane to the plants. They still use a small wood cart and carabao to take it from the field to the big trucks. We stayed at the Sugarland Hotel and all 3 nights they had proms going on it was so fun to see all the different dresses. We had a great trip with wonderful tour guides that we love.

Our trip to Negroes. Dinner with the group.

Allan loves Orchids and these where some very pretty ones.

We bought some and brought them home and are hoping they will grow on our window sill.

Hiking up to the falls.

At the 1st falls and a 1000 steps later.

Allan & I at the first falls.

Elder Ward, Elder Ganir and Allan at the 2nd falls.

Flying Foxes.

They would land on your finger.

Butterfly farm.

Outside the church in Bacolod.

At the ERC in Bacolod.

Our cute guides.

Us in front of it.

The ruins dating back to 1911.

The plague tells the story.

It is so sad that the Americans were the ones to burn it so the Japanese would not take it over.

The girls in the group.

The guys in the group.

Beautiful prom dresses.

They love to have there picture taken.

I loved this dress, and she was so sassy in it.

Taking sugar cane from the field to the road to be put on a truck.

The whole group.

On the boat to the island.

This chair is made out of a old tire, I think one would be great on the deck?

On the island of Jomabo.

Leaving the white sand.

Trip to Bogo

2011-03-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

The temple closed for 2 weeks for cleaning so we got to have some time for a little R&R, so we took some different trips around the temple area, before we start into the busy time in the temple, with school being out for the next 3 months the
temple will be very busy, we have baptisms every day the temple is open and they will go almost all day.

The 1st week we started by taking a day trip to Bogo. It is at the very top of the Island of Cebu. It was a fun and long day. Elder and Sister Ganir, Elder and Sister Richey were with us. The Richey’s are from Rexburg and they are the oldest couple serving in the mission, this is there 3rd mission to the Philippines but at 76 and 75they have more get up and go than the rest of us. We had a great time and saw some very beautiful areas.

Cute school girls.

Not just people ride the trik, and there was a baby goat on the top.

Elder and Sister Richey (from Rexburg)

A plague outside of the church

Our trip to Bogo, Sister Richey, Me & Sister Ganir

Very old Church built in the 1700

My flowers from Allan for Valentines.

Valentines Day

2011-03-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

We had a Valentines dinner for family home evening; it was fun to hear the love stories about the other couples that are serving here in the Cebu Mission. Allan gave me some beautiful flowers and we went to dinner with President and Sister Mortimer to celebrate the month of love.

Some of the couples serving here.

Pretty much the whole group serving here.

P Day

2011-03-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

Dinner with one of our old missionaries and his wife, Rett Ferrin, President & Sister Mortimer, Elder & Sister Byram.

Some Beauty For You

2011-03-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

These are flowers growing around the Temple. I took these pictures about 3pm in the afternoon in February. Most of the flowers have wilted or closed due to the heat of the day. I hope these bring some sunshine in your lives. Those in the trees are some kind of a magnolia, they have a wonderful, but faint, smell. When the magnolias are still in the tree they appear to be pink from underneath. Those that appear to
be spiders are wonderful, but they are very delicate. The wilt very quickly from the sun.

2011-01-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

The week after New Years we were working in the baptistry and had a wonderful group of youth come from Northern Samar. It is north of Cebu. It took them about 16 hours to get here. Some of the time on a bus and some on a boat. The Stake President could only bring 40% of the youth this time because of the coast. The rest will come in June. To be able to come they have to have 100% attendance in Seminary and church meetings. They came for 3 days and did 2 sessions in the morning and 2 in the afternoon for the 3 days. They have so much faith and are strong young men and women. I told them that I could see alot of future missionaries and church leaders amoung them. They asked if they could get a picture of us with the whole group. It was so much fun to be around them and to see their smiles and feel of the spirit.

The whole group from Northern Samar with leaders and Stake Presidency.

Stake President and his family.

Some of the young women.

Some of the young men.

More of the youth with some of the leaders.

More youth.

Christmas Morning

2011-01-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

On Christmas morning the Cummings had all the senior Temple missionaries over for breakfast in their apartment. The food was very good and there was a lot of it. Then at noon we all headed over to the Merriott Hotel for their Christmas brunch. This time it was some of the other missionaries that are serving here. As you can see, we did not go hungry. We had a good Christmas, but still missed our family and friends.

Sister Mortimer and I

Some of the couples waiting to eat. President, Byrams and their daughter and son-in law, Richies.

The COOK, Elder Cummings

The Waitress, Sister Cummings

Eating, what we do best. :)

This is Elder and Sister Ilagan and their family. Their son lives in the Philippines, the rest of their family lives in the US.

This is us at the Merriott for their Christmas Brunch. President and Sister Mortimer, Sister Kimber, Sister Bird, Elder and Sister Aguilar (she is the medical doctor for this end of the Philippines and is from California and is a sweetheart), Allan and I.

Byrams, Wards, and Ganir, Kristen and Scott

Cuyons, Jorgensens, and Lukes

The Cummings

Cebu

2011-01-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken about 500 yds from the Cebu Temple. This is a fairly typical Filipino neighborhood (burangay). Though it will seem crowded and impoverished to you it isn't as bad as it looks once you are inside meeting people. Up the hill from where the picture was taken is a Thai Temple that is interesting, and a zoo. They have a 14'-0 long python there you have your picture taken with it around your neck. Cebu is much different than the area we were in previously (Laguna). There is more money here, and some really nice homes - not far from where this picture was taken. About a half a mile from where this picture was taken there was a nice home (even by our standards) with a Porche and Mercedes parked near the home. Down town is quite modern with most shopping in several malls throughout the city. However, there is more crime here than in our last area. Much of the economy seems to be based on call centers though there is a large port facility on the other side of the city from where we are. Transportation is fairly easy for us - we use a taxi to go to most places, and there is a 10 passenger van available for the Temple Missionaries. We team up and go as a group for the most part when we use the van. We haven't had time to explore the island of Cebu yet, but hope to be able to see more of it in February. We really enjoy our work in the Temple and are grateful for the opertunity to serve. We hope all is well with you and your family.

Amorous

2011-01-15T15:06:00.000-08:00

The other day your Mom sort of let the washer get out of control – if you know what I mean. There is a picture to help you understand.

I have been finding faded flowers on the sidewalk in front of the temple when I walk. Today I went for a walk and it started to rain. About the time when I reached the point of no return it turned into adown poor – you would have to be in the Philippines to understand what it is like when it rains hard. I got my shower and washed my cloths in the process. After a decent shower and a change of cloths I went for a walk around the Temple grounds - between down pores. I found the source of the faded flowers, and picked some fresh flowers for your Mom.

They remind me of the magnolia flowers I saw on my first mission in the South, but these are not quite as big. Each bloom is just a little smaller than my hand. I wish there was a way to send the scent to you– it is wonderful.

Missionary Christmas Party

2011-01-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

Our Mission President, President and Sister Hansen. Our Temple President, President and Sister Mortimer

Elder Ko and his wife Kim. He is the 1st counselor in the area presidence.

The Senior couples serving in the Cebu Mission. We have Temple Missionaries, Family History Missionaries, Office Missionaries, Medical, and the rest serve out in the Mission.

Elder and Sister Ko, Elder and I and Elder and Sister Aguilar.

Looks Yummy!

2011-01-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

On the 28th of Dec, President had a small Mission Reunion for the missionaries that served in San Pablo with President, us and the Garins. It was a fun evening and we got to see some the Elders and Sisters that we loved so much. And no Philippine dinner is complate without the roasted PIG.

One of the missionaries that we love so much.

Love these guys.

The whole group.

The Roasted PIG.

It was so fun to see them again.

Vito Senador with Mom and Dad B.

2011-01-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Jollibee, yes we are back in the PHILIPPINES!

Home Sweet Home

2011-01-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is our very comfortable apartment. This was taken with a little Christmas up. We have almost all the things we need to live very nice.

Temple Work

2011-01-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

We have discovered something in the temple we do that we can talk about, and that we have learned to love. We were given the opportunity to serve as the Baptistery Coordinator a few weeks ago, and though it was a good experience almost everything that could go wrong did on our first attempt. Don’t assume it was a disaster – there were just lots of little things that happened all at once that moved us out of the orderliness and reverence we try to maintain the House of the Lord. It was obvious we needed a better way of doing things. To add to the difficulty is a language barrier. Those who come to the Temple are expected to speak English, but they can come from a culture that speaks Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, or another language we have never heard of, and then there are several dialects to go along with the various languages. Though most of the youth are good in English, some of the leaders are not, but they usually can perform the ordnances in the Temple in English well enough for us to understand.

We worked hard to develop a plan that would maintain the dignity, modesty, and order we need to maintain in the Temple (remember the Temple is a House of Order). We presented our plan to the Temple Presidency and they approved it. Yesterday we had four youth groups show up with over 100 young people total. They were scheduled at two hour intervals beginning at 7:00 AM (we had to be at the Temple at 6:00 AM to make our preparations). There are some concerns that need to be addressed by an adult woman with the young women, and some work to organize those who hold the Priesthood that come with the youth.

From the very beginning we felt a deep love and respect for the youth and their leaders. There were many youth, perhaps all, we would have brought home if it were possible. In two of the sessions there were boys who appeared to be 8 or 9 years old (Filipino children appear much younger than they really are). One of the tasks we perform is to be certain each young man and young woman is 12 years old or older. In one case the Stake President had to go ask the young man if he really was 12, and if he held the Aaronic Priesthood (necessary for young men). Fortunately in both cases they were.

There is a lot of work to do to be certain everything flows smoothly. It is hard to say if our planning was blessed or if we were blessed that we worked our plan – probably some of both. We had very few interruptions that helped us get through this process. Now that school is back in session we won’t have as many youth coming to the Temple as we have had for the last few days.

There isn’t a day that goes by that our appreciation and for love the Temple doesn’t grow. We miss being among the people like we were on our last mission, but the service we perform in the Temple is far more spiritual than our previous mission.

When we get a chance we will get a picture of one of these groups of youth so you can see for yourself how beautful they are.

2010-12-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

More pictures of the Cebu City Temple.

A few pictures from the Mission Reunion in Cebu.

Cebu City Temple

2010-12-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures I took of the Cebu City Temple this evening. The Temple grounds are not decorated as well as the Temple Square in SLC, but we hear lots of compliments from local non-members about how pretty the temple is. Hope your Christmas was happy, and filled with joy!

This is a picture of the building we live in. We live on the third floor (top) on your left on the back side.

Farewell

2010-12-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

Saying goodbye at the Airport.

Really fuzzy picture a lady took for us.

Giving hugs to everyone.

We'll see you in eighteen months!!

Glenda and I at the Falls, best friend (cousin) in the world.

2010-08-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

First camping trip of the season.

2010-08-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sadie's not quite cut out for camping life yet.

Ella taking a break from the heat and coloring in Grandma's trailer.

Spencer and Drew being boys.

The Princess emerging from Ella's blanket cocoon.

Allan out fishing.

Kris and I trying to get the kids situated while fishing. We almost lost a chair and a camera over the side.

Sleeping Beauty tuckered out from a long day in the sun.

Alex and Kris sending us off Monday afternoon. They stayed a few more days enjoying the campground.

More fun wedding pictures.

2010-08-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you Aunt Char and Mary for making the long drive up
to be part of the fun.....

Ella in front of The Darling Cake that Chelsie and Marc
picked out. And yes it look's like it is going to slide off.

One GOOD LOOKING GUY, you are way handsome Jayden

Two very cute grand-daughters at Chelsie and Marc's wedding

We're Doing It Again!

2010-07-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

On July 22nd, we recieved our second mission call and you will never guess where we will be serving for the next 18 months... maybe the temple gives it away.

Cebu City Philippines Temple Mission

We are excited and very happy to be returning to the people and country that we grew to love so much. We will be serving as full time temple missionaries under our old mission president, President and Sister Mortimer and working along side some very dear friends from Idaho Falls. We enter the MTC in Provo,Utah on November 8th. Stay tuned for more updates as we get ready to serve.

Chelsie and Marc

2010-07-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful and beautiful grand-daughter, Chelsie, found her prince charming, Marc Wichmann. They were married July 16th in a beautiful outdoor wedding. Grandma and Grandpa are very happy to have Marc as a new grandson-in-law. They are a darling couple.

Their first dance.

Part of the wedding line.

Three of the cutest grand kids ever. Ella, Carter and Carli.

Cutting the cake.

2009-01-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

I figured I ought to get these on here. Looking back I realize what a special moment this was. Two years flew by to us but I think at times it crawled for Diane and Allan as they sat in their apartment, in another country and pondered about doing the Lords work knowing they were where they are supposed to be and that it took them away from their family.

I sat back and took as many pictures as I could. Grand-children were moving so fast I couldn't keep up. Diane and Allan pretty much flew down the escalator running to their children. I love these pictures. Some are tender moments that show us the emotion of what it's like to be away from your loved ones for so long.

Can't Wait

The Gang

Long Walk

Almost There

Hugs, Tears and Smiles everywhere...

Grandpa with most of his crew.

Patty, Linda, Diane, Allan, Gerry and Rick

We're Home!

These are the last I have. Now that they are home I'm guessing Diane will take over. It's been a fun two years getting all these stories and pictures in my inbox. I'll miss it.

Love, Kristina (daughter-in-law)

2008-12-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

Today is D-Day December 1, 2008, we have are bags packed and in the car for our last trip to the mission home. We have some mixed feelings, we are sad to be leaving, but very excited to see our family and friends again. Elder and I have been trying to choose our mode of travel and just can't make up our minds. Over here there are sooo many choices to choose from. As you can see by the pictures, we can go by...

Boat,

Jeepy,

Motor Bike,

Carabao Cart,

Chariot,

Bike,

Trike,

Tank or Plane.

We hope that missionary travel has taken care of it for us. We look forward to seeing each of you next week. December 9th.

Love from the Philippines, one last TIME……

Elder and Sister Bringhurst
Soon to be just
Allan and Diane.

2008-11-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Nov13 (here) we hauled some missionaries from Sta. Cruz to Mauban, then down to Tayabas to help Pres. Anderson a little. We put a little over 150 km on our car in the process that lasted almost 6 hours. On the road from Tayabas to Mauban we came across to two accidents that had already happened. Fortunately we didn't see the human damage in either accident. I have attached some pictures so you judge for yourself how serious these were.

Today, on our way back from Sariaya we came across another accident that had already happened – just seconds in front of us. Diane actually saw a little boy thrown from his bike, not how it happened. I couldn't see around a truck in front of us, so I all saw was what appeared to be a lifeless little boy laying on the side of the road. By the time we got up to the accident the little boy moved so we knew he wasn't dead, though he was hurt badly. We asked a police officer there if we could take him on to the hospital in Luceana and he seemed grateful for the offer. The tragedy of it all is his parents had no knowledge of where he went. We hope the police helped them understand. The little boy cried all the way to Lucena (a good sign I think). When we got to the hospital everyone there assumed we were the villains and had caused the accident. So, as soon as we were certain he would be cared for we left.

In the Philippines the story of the Good Samaritan goes like this: A man is beaten and robed (an everyday occurrence). Another man comes along and sees the man injured and doesn't want to get blamed so he leaves the scene of the crime hoping no-one saw him. A second man comes along and helps the injured man to an inn and pays for his room and necessary medical attention. About an hour later he is charged with the crime and forced to pay an enormous sum of money to help the injured man and all of his relatives who come out of the wood work. Oh, now you want the moral of the story? Don't get involved or you will be blamed, and will be rewarded in heaven for being smart enough to stay out of the crime scene.

2008-11-14T19:55:00.001-08:00

Will here we are on the last 6 weeks of the mission and so I thought I better up date the blog with just a few pictures. We have some very mix feelings about leaving. On one hand we want to see our family and friends, on the other we don't want to leave these wonderful people and missionaries. We have been on the road and sitting a lot in District and Stake Conference's and saying a lot of goodbyes.

We have had some good times mixed in with work.

In September Us, the Ganirs, President and Sister Anderson had a P-day on the beach Of Puerto Galera, it is on the island of Mindoro we had to take a small boat to the island and then a trike to the pretties beach we have seen, it is know for it white sand beach's and shopping. It was a fun day.

Allan and I had our 39th wedding anniversary in September and the day was spent not by our self but with the whole Lopez Zone at zone interviews. There are a great bunch of missionaries and work hard.

As I said at the first we have had District and Stake Conference, these are some of the pictures of Siniloan District Conference. We had an area seventy there Elder Fernando and his wife, I helped do training in YW and they are great young ladies and work hard for the young women in the district. This is the area were all the wood carvers live and the talent that they have is unbelievable, and it is all done by hand, this is a picture of the 3 of them and some of there work that will be in our home when we get a home.

Last week we had Lopez Stake Conference and Elder and I had to speak, these people are so wonderful and kind. And the kids are so cute and of course so are the missionaries that serve there. Also last week was our last transfer meeting we have these every 6 weeks and they are so fun to see all the missionaries that are getting transferred to new areas and to watch there face's when they find out where they are going and who there new companion will be. This is my UTAH COUNTY BOYS as I call them. Elder Tarin is from Springville, Elder Winn is from Mapleton, Elder Woolley is from American Fork and Elder Bench is from Pleasant Grove. Elder Tarin lives were grandpa Long planted strawberries.

Going home means mailing box's and let me tell you that is quite the work, the post office is like one from the 50's and everything is done by hand this trip took just 3HOURS. But these ladies are great, and have been good friends to us.

We seem to be spending a lot of time at the Stake center and there is always something going on. These are some of my dear friends that we are going to miss. We came out of a meeting and there was Sister Palines and Tressel and Baby Diane waiting to see us.

The next 6 weeks are going to go by fast for us, we got a new couple in the mission that will take over our area, so President wants us to show them the ropes, but it will help to stay busy and on get TRUNKY..

2008-10-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

Last night was a very special occasion for us! We met Sister Lisa (Lilia) Reyes in early April of this year. The missionaries in Candelaria had been working with her for some time and were running into questions they couldn't answer. At first they came to us to get answeres, and then finally they invited us to become involved in the teaching process of Lisa. Her husband is a born-again preacher in Lipa. You can imagine how he feels about her conversion. She lives in Candelaria most of the week where she teaches high school science. During the teaching process we met a family (Villanuva) Lisa brought to our weekly teaching sessions to learn forgiveness. Some time we will explain the details, but not here. So the younger missionaries worked with them for the most part (she speaks about as much English as we do Tagalog), except for a crucial lesson we taught with the help from a sister who lives here in Lucena. The mother, Melba, and her daughter, Mery Jo were baptized about a week ago. Melba is a remarkable woman who glows from inside. Last night we baptized Lisa. We are excited about this because it is the culmination of much hard work on our part and at least two other sets of missionaries.

In the picture Lisa is on Diane's left (dressed in white), and Melba is on her right. In the next picture (from left to right) is Elder Gaerian, Sister Gina (who has been there for the entire teaching process and chief fellowshiper),Diane, Lisa, me, Elder Orino, and Elder Staples.

A few months ago we set some goals for the rest of our mission, and with one exception we will have accomplished all we set out to do. We have been blessed, but more importantly those we have been working with (members and non-members) have blessed even more. We couldn't ask for anything better.

Storm clouds from our upstairs deck.

This is my Very Special friend she was born with Cerebral palsy and has to be in a wheel chair, but she is loved by all and is always happy.

Some of the youth in Lucena Stake after the broadcast of General Conference.

My 4 favorite people, Sister Palines, Marecel, Amy and Ashley at General Conference broadcast.

Mom

2008-09-17T15:55:00.003-07:00

On September 5th 2008 was a very sad day for me and my family. My wonderful and amazing mother passed away. I have had a hard time being away from her and the rest of my family. We knew that this day might come while we were gone but we hoped that it would not happen. We were just 3 months from the day to coming home. The night I got the call that she would not be here when we got home, my heart hurt so much. She was the heart of our home. I was able to talk to her one last time, to tell of my love and that I will never quite loving and needing her. She was also able to take to each one of her grandchildren one last time, tell them that she love him and will watch over them. I would call her every Monday morning, Sunday night in the states and the first words she would say were I love and miss you and I am counting the days, and then she would ask what we were doing and how we were. She would ask about the missionaries and the mission president. We would them talk about her and how she was doing and never once did she complained about the pain that she was in or the hard time she was having. She was a hard worker and taught her children to work hard. She loved to party and have her family with her. She was always there for each and every one of us. She would travel to attend blessing, baptism and anything else that evolved her family. I loved to arguer with her about who the next president will be. She loved her country and was proud of it.

I want to thank my kids for being there for me and to stand in for us. They are truly amazing. Every one of them was able to be there and to help. Stacy did a great job along with Scott, Alex, Mindy and Kim and there spouses and all 17 of my grandchildren. It is the first time they have all been together in 5 years. My mom would have loved to see it all. They stayed at her house and they each said that the magic was gone. But they could feel her strength and joy. My brother and sister have give mom so much love and care. They were always there for her. And made sure that she had what she need. I love and appreciate them so much. Mom always said that she wanted to all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren here when she passed away, and she just about did, all but 4 of her great grandchildren were there. What a tribute to her.They all have many happy thoughts of her. I know that I will see her again and that family can be together for ever. She is free of pain and is in the arms of my dad, she is there to take care of my brother Wesley and laughing with her brother Dale And grandma and grandpa Long are enjoying it all.

Mom I love you and will always love you. Until we see each other again I will hold you so dear and close to my heart.

Love Diane

Update!!

2008-09-17T15:55:00.002-07:00

I was just looking at our blog and boy am I behind. We have had so much going on that just to get a couple of minutes to write a little something and add some pictures and then send it to our daughter-in law so that she can post it, is just about impossible. But I told Elder that no matter what else we did today I was going to send some pictures and a little up date. As most of you know we got a new mission president and so we have been traveling to interviews with him and that has been really fun to see how the missionaries watch him and are eager to learn from him. In July we had a change to have 3 of the zone's that Elder and I watch over their apartment get together to celebrate the 4th and 24th of July. We had an old fashion party with grilled hot dogs, potato salad and all the goodies that when with it.

I think the elders and sister thought they were in heaven. And then we played games, sack race, 3 legged race and of course a water balloon toss that end up in a water fight. But a fun time was had by all.

The next day we had Zone Conference, and we got to learn from our new President and his wife. I hate sitting for 5 hours but it is well worth the message and lessons taught. We have a little island in the city limits of Lucena called Barra, it take's a 20 min boat ride to get there and the people are so very special and kind.

This is an area that is very poor, but they have a very strong spirit and Testimony of the church, Elder and I attended church there and it was one of the best meetings I have been to and as you can see the RS room was full to the brim. This last transfer we put sisters on the island full time and the members are in heaven, and the Branch President is so happy and we learned that little island has 4000 people on it and the sister said that they are going to teach each and every one of them, and nothing these two sisters they will give it there best.

Also in July we had to say goodbye to Elder and Sister Quiambao as there finished there mission and returned home. We love and miss them so much and as do the missionary, with every zone tie and I am quite sure it is one that our bishop gave for me to send over here.

In August we had a mission tour. And had the chance to learn From Elder Teh and his sweet wife Gracie.

After the meetings we had the honor of having them to our house for dinner before he did a fireside for the members of Lucena Stake, what an enjoyable evening it was. We have been with Elder Teh before but not Sister Teh. Also in August we started our around of District Conference's, first on the island of Mindoro.
This was kind of bitter sweet for us knowing it would be the last time that we got to see the sweet members and to feel of their love for us and the gospel. We will always remember them. Next was Marinduque, this island is so very special to us and again it was bitter sweet, we love these members so much and just saying goodbye was so hard. We will go back one last time for a pig roast and a finial goodbye.

When we started our mission 20 months ago I didn't think it would be so hard to say goodbye. Well if I have put you to sleep I am sorry. I will try and stay on top it better. Our time is growing short and we have so much we want to see happen and we hope it will, we will keep you posted.

Love Sister

2008-07-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

In the front of our apartment we have a gated patio of sorts. The patio is fenced (ornate metal) in with double wooden gates at the front and an ornate metal gate at the other end. Earlier this evening we noticed some bugs coming through a small crack in the front door. This isn't the first time this has happened – it is an annual ritual. Last year we hit it (the hatch) coming back from Lopez, and there was some concern we would get through it. These bugs are about ¾" long with a wing span of almost 2". They drop their wings when they land and leave a mess. Tonight Diane was out sweeping the bugs up when I took the picture. In the head lights of the motorcycles and cars going past our apartment it looks like balls of cotton everywhere. It is too bad there isn't a hatch like this on Henry's Fork because it would be an easy fly to tie.

2008-07-01T07:10:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update to let you know President Sister Mortimer are probably home by the time you see this.

The first picture is of all the senior couples with our new Mission President and his wife (President & Sister Anderson). We had a quick interview with him this morning and then lunch with all of the senior couples. In the picture we (Elder & Sister Bringhurst) are on the left, next is President and Sister Anderson, next to them are Elder & Sister Ganir, next is Elder & Sister Quiambao (they will be going home in a few weeks, and we will miss them dearly), next is Elder & Sister Ralphs. President and Sister Anderson are warm and friendly people, and he clearly has the Spirit with him.

Yesterday we took Elder & Sister Ganir on drive through the Rain Forest (a national park not far from here), and then on to Gumaca for lunch. On the way back we stopped at place were we could pull off the road and snacks are available. We were amazed at the amount of damage done by the recent typhoon. There is a picture attached, but you may not recognize the damage because you haven't seen the before to
compare with the after. They have a monkey tied up near the snack stand and we gave him one of my cookies. We hadn't gone far when we saw all family (troop is probably the correct term) of wild monkeys run across the road in front of us. There were even more in the trees where they ran to, but we couldn't get a picture of any of them.

As we drove on the view of Tayabas Bay opened in front of us, and I have meaning to get a picture every time go through here, so we stopped and got one this time. It might not mean much to you, but the vista is quite remarkable, and will help us to remember the beauty not far from where we live.

Last Saturday we went to Bara to work with the Sisters who live and work here in Lucena. Bara is an island within the city limits of Lucena. We wanted to support the Sisters and see if there was need for help for families living there following the typhoon. These people are quite resilient and most everything is back to normal.
About the only thing abnormal was the number of old trike tires the kids were playing with. I took one and rolled it through a clear area and a boy jumped over it. Before long we had as many as a dozen boys all lined up to jump over the old tires I rolled to them. Attached is a picture of some of the boys and their tires. One of the reasons we wanted to go was to work with Sister Noche. She is part of the family described elsewhere in our blog, and she is serving a "service
mission" here – meaning she will only be here for 6 weeks. She will serving a full time mission soon.

There are some other pictures we took on Bara so you can see the way the Philippines was 50 years ago. The little girl in red is my friend. We helped her parents get married so they could be baptized. We love these people dearly as do others who visit these wonderful humble people.

2008-06-27T22:05:00.001-07:00

A lot has happened in the last few weeks. We had our first full blown Typhoon come right through Lucena. You have probably heard about the many deaths that resulted from this deadly storm, but quite honestly we don't know of anyone who was physically hurt by the storm. Winds were up to 195 km/hr here when it came ashore. Some places have been without power and cell phone service for almost a week. As we have looked around the evidence of the storm is everywhere. Debris is plied everywhere waiting for someone to come along and remove it. There are homes that have been completely destroyed, and I have yet to find a banana tree that was not blown down in the Lucena area. Away from Lucena the damage is quite less. It hurts to see the families who lost the most because these are usually the people who have so little to begin with. All we lost is a set of scriptures. I have attached pictures for you of some of the damage including my scriptures and the replacement (for comparison). Marinduque has more damage than we do, and some parts are still without power. We won't the damage for ourselves for a few weeks until we go over for District Training. We think Mendoro had minimal damage, but we will see that too soon for our selves.

There are some pictures of missionaries we have come love a great deal! Each are special to us for different reasons.

The best news of all is a family we thought had left the Church has not – at least the wife has not and her testimony seems as strong as ever. We love her a great deal. Another lady we are teaching seems to be getting closer to baptism. This will be a real leap of faith for her because her husband is a "born again Christian" pastor. There is nothing wrong with her testimony – she just needs permission from her husband to be baptized. In another case a lady we have learned to love is ready to be baptized, but she and her family have moved so far from us it is hard to maintain a good relationship with them. They live on an island where there is no branch of the Church (and we can't go there), so it makes it very difficult for them to attend Church regularly. We don't have a solution for this situation yet, but we
are praying for some guidance that will make everyone happy.

2008-06-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we have updated our blog, but it seems appropriate to bring you up to date. Probably the most significant event occurred this last weekend when we had a District Conference on Marinduque. The way the Conference came is much the way your semi-annual conference comes to you where several stakes are provided with most of the messages via a broadcast. What was unique was how well everything was done on Marinduque. If you had been a visitor without prior knowledge of events on Marinduque you might have assumed all is well and has been for long time. There were some small glitches, but nothing that can't be fixed with some simple instructions. Gone are the days of wondering what else could go
wrong. Somehow it just doesn't seem the same, and we wonder why. We have been blessed to be a part of this remarkable change, but are more excited for the wonderful people on Marinduque we have learned to love so much because the Church is developing into the kind of organization that will bless their lives.

Following conference we stayed on the Island and spent our P-Day with the missionaries there near Torrijous on what is called the "white beach". This is about as far South in the Mission as you can go. Attached are some photos of our day there, with the missionaries, and one of a flower Diane found at the hotel were we stayed. If you are wondering about the green coconut we are drinking from it is called "buko juice. It is actually quite refreshing even though it isn't
cold. There isn't the flavor of coconut as you know it because these are young coconuts. The meat inside is only about a ¼ of inch thick and is used in making buko salad. We ate fried chicken and some fish that were caught locally, and lots of buko salad provide by the Sister Missionaries and President Juhlo of the Gasaan Branch. Juhlo is pronounced "hoo loa". He is a remarkable man and a very good Branch President. We have a great deal of love and respect for him as we do for all of the leaders on Marinduque.

We are also teaching some remarkable people right now. We are working with Sister Lisa in Candelaria. She is the wife of a "born again Christian" pastor. She would be baptized tomorrow if she could get permission from her husband. She also feels a responsibility toward their congregation, and worries what will become of them when she is baptized. She faces some difficult decisions in her life right now.
We are also working with a lady who recently moved here from Taiwan. Her husband is an inactive member, but supports her 100%. Our only problem with her is they moved about as far North in the Mission as you can get. They live on a small island called Pilillo. We hope to be able to baptize her soon too. There are some special circumstances here we will have to work through. We are also working with a man and his wife in Lipa who some hard choices to make. Though there are over 600,000 members of the Church in the Philippines (only behind Mexico and Brazil outside the U.S.) the Church here is very much like the Church of the 1800's. The problems may be slightly different, and the names are not the same, but the effects are remarkably similar.

Our mission here is rapidly coming to an end and though we are excited to see our family and friends again, we will always feel a terrible loss for the people we have come to love here. Earlier this week we sent a Sister Missionary we brought with us from Taiwan home, and said good by to young Filipino missionary we have always loved as our son.

2008-05-27T06:59:00.001-07:00

I hope you enjoy the pictures of the flowers I find. Today has been rather slow – all of our teaching appointments fell through, so knowing we will be busy the rest of the week I thought I would send these to you. Don't ask what kind of flowers they are, because with the exception of the decorative pineapples I don't have a clue – well there are some new orchids. I know I have sent lots before, but each time I see purple orchids I think of Kim, so bare with me.

2008-05-09T17:20:00.001-07:00

Not long after we arrived in the mission field and started going to
Marinduque we met a family name Noche. The missionaries on Marinduque
had been working with a daughter of a less active family (Gracie), and
wanted our help to activate the parents. Gracie was baptized shortly
after we started meeting with the family. You need to understand we
were only going to Marinduque once a month, so this is home
teaching/visiting teaching in slow motion.

The Noche family is made up of the parents with an older daughter and
an older son who are members but not living on Marinduque. At the
time they were raising grandsons from both of these older children.
These little boys looked and acted like brothers (2). There is a son,
Meco (24), a daughter Gracie (20), and another daughter Princes (12).
We loved this family from the moment we met them, but it wasn't clear
they felt the same way we did. At each invitation to come to church
they would find an excuse not to come. Finally after 4 months Brother
Noche told us he was working on Sunday at the Public Market (planky),
and the money he earned on Sunday was being used to pay off a debt.
He promised us the debt would be paid on June 10th and they would
start attending church after that. To our knowledge they haven't
missed a Sunday since.

A few months ago we approached them about going to the temple, and we
used a large pop bottle to start a "temple fund". On our last visit
we counted the money and they had almost enough to make the trip to
Manila. You need to understand they live about an hour from the dock
on Marinduque and three our boat ride to Lucena, and about 6 hours on
a bus to Manila. So, the next time you don't think you have time to
attend the temple think this through.

Elder & Sister Ralphs came over from Marinduque to travel to Manila to the temple. We met the Noche Family there and Diane and I were their escorts as they were endowed and sealed together as a family. This was a very special experience for us and for the Noche's. Sister Noche cried like a child when they were sealed. Later Brother Noche told me he sensed he was missing something in life that we had and
decided that it was the temple. Long before we invited them to go they had decided on their own to go.

We don't know if the older children will ever become active and be sealed to their parents or not, but Gracie and Princes have been sealed to them now. I had the honor of doing their recommends for them. Meco will go through the temple just before he leaves for his mission (soon), and Gracie will also put in her mission papers soon.

2008-05-02T09:12:00.001-07:00

Not long after we got here we noticed an area near a town called Tchong where there are several flower shops of sorts. A couple of them have orchids growing all over. Since today is my birthday I got to make a decision, so I chose to stop and take some pictures. I have chosen just a few of those I took, but enough that you can see some of the beauty here. Actually there is beauty all around, but we sometimes fail to see it for a number of reasons. Mostly driving is tenuous enough that you can't take your eyes off the road long enough to see the flowers everywhere. Diane likes flowers, but doesn't share my enthusiasm for them. Perhaps it is just that they are so different here, or perhaps it is the stark contrasts we see every day that keeps me looking for the beauty. If we focused on the other we would drown in pity. What ever it is I really do enjoy the flowers and the kids. Between flowers and kids I have hundreds of photos.

I have also included a picture I took this morning in a District Meeting of a missionary's shoe. We were setting behind him when I noticed how worn his shoes are. I think of him as being relatively new here, so it caught me by surprise. Perhaps you can begin to understand how hard these fine young missionaries work to wear a good pair of shoes out in less than a year. They are a badge of honor!

2008-04-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

On Monday the senior couples got to have a very fun P-Day. We went to Pagsanjan and traveled up the river to Pagsanjan Falls. They push, pull and paddle you in a canoe and these boat men are very small people, about 30 mins into the trip our boat man turned around and said that we were very big and he was going to die, I can't believe he said that but they do tell you the truth, I guess it is diet time. After about an hour we arrived at the falls. We then got on a bamboo raft and were pulled through the waterfall and needless to say you get very very wet and get a great back, head and shoulder massage. On the way up we saw people that live along the river, they are called river people. After the trip through the falls and a slow trip back to our starting place we saw monkey's (look close in the one picture) and
butterfly's all along the way.

This had to be one of they most beautiful places we have been to, with it's high canyon walls and beautiful hanging plants and trees and the weather was just perfect.

This was a fun and relaxing day for all of us. Maybe President Mortimer knew we needed this so we could get through the next 3 days of Zone Conferences and sitting for about 7 hours, but the work shops are very good. The couples include Elder and Sister Ganir and Elder and Sister Ralphs.

2008-04-13T08:25:00.001-07:00

Not long after we got here we met the Palines family in Lucban. Sister Palines has been Diane's best friend - we get a text every morning with some kind of spiritual message from her. She was here in Lucena today to watch Gen. Conference (Lucban is in the Lucena Stake), and I took these pictures. Next Sunday I will baptize her daughter-in-law Gerle. Her daughter Trezal just gave birth to "baby Diane" named after you know who. Kira is Gerle's daughter and is about 2 months old. Baby Diane is about a month old. We love this family a great deal. The two sister missionaries are serving here in Lucena, and love them a great deal. I was teasing Sister Cubio because she fell asleep between sessions. Sister Matapule is a wonderful missionary - she is from Tonga, and Sister Cubio is a native missionary.

A little girl who wasn't sure I could be trusted.

Diane with Baby Diane and Kira

Diane with Sister Goldie's two kids.

Diane with Sister Goldie's new daughter.

Gerle Cagas Palines with her daughter Kira.

Sister Goldie and her new daughter.

Sisters Matapule and Cubio.

Two girls who reminded me of my granddaughters.

2008-04-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Each morning (almost) I go for a walk along a canal not far from our home. This is a very poor area where people live in very humble circumstances. Usually, I take some candy with me to give to the children along the way, but it has gotten out of control to the point where the parents are now demanding candy. This morning I deliberately didn't take any candy so all I had to say is "walla" meaning I have none, or if they persist I say "hindi para" meaning I have no money to buy candy with. As I walked I found some flowers along the way and thought perhaps you might be able to appreciate the stark contrast we see daily between the beauty all around us and the poverty we see everywhere. I have never taken pictures of the humble circumstances some of these people live in because it would offend them. At every turn we find stark contrasts - these pictures of the flowers are just a reminder of the beauty here and the heart rending sights of poverty we see so often, but the contrasts are in every facet of their lives. For everything we find to dislike we find more to love or appreciate.

Diane has been after me to capture a picture of all these electrical meters - it shows how many families are all tied into one power source. Frequently we get some unwanted guests at our home. There is a picture of one such visitor - I asked him to move on.

2008-03-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

I thought you might like to see some new pictures of flowers I took recently. There are three pictures of poinsettia's - there are red, white, and lavender. The red and white bloomed about Christmas time and have started to fade somewhat with the hotter weather we are now having. The lavender are just now blooming. I have attached a few pictures of some orchards as well. Hope these pictures bring you a sense of well being and happiness as they do us.

2008-03-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

These were all taken at Balayon District Conference.

2008-03-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

Most of these pictures were taken at Siniloan District Conference.

2008-03-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

Pictures taken on Marinduque looking down on the port.

2008-03-03T14:48:00.001-08:00

More pictures from Siniloan. The Filipino couple are Elder & Sister Qulambao. In the picture of us at dinner are Elder & Sister Ralphs, Ganir's, Mortimers, Qulambao's, and a very large python "sherly" watching us eat.

2008-03-03T14:46:00.001-08:00

In addition to the other things we do as missionaries and as a member of the Mission Presidency we also work through the Mabuhay Foundation to help people who have physical problems. This young man was attending Church in San Jaun, Batangas the day we went there. He cannot stand - he must get around on all fours. The good news is Mabuhay has accepted him and with a small donation they have begin the long process of helping him live as normal a life as is possible. It would be hard to describe everything we have seen here, and you wouldn't believe all that we have seen. There are times when I wonder if the Philippines is collection point for those with physical problems, but I assume every third world country has similar problems.
We feel fortunate to be able to help even a few. Not every application we have sent in has been accepted, nor does everyone who has need want to take advantage of Mabuhay. I have selective as to who I have sent this too - I know these pictures are hard to look at, but consider the life of this young man, and how wonderful it will be when he can stand for the first time in his life.

Getting Even

2008-02-13T21:04:00.001-08:00

We know your winter has been tough, but probably beautiful at times. Yea, we miss the snow and beauty of the mountains covered in snow, but when you see these pictures maybe you will realize it isn't all bad here, and just maybe you are tired of all that white stuff. In the first picture notice what we have here for white stuff on the ground.

I know it looks like white sand, but in reality it is coral - some pieces are big but most are small. There are several different kinds with each variety being a different color and shape. Sea shells are everywhere, and we brought home more - as if we need more, but this time Diane found a bright yellow one, and so I searched until I found one that I thought would be equally good, but mine is just orange and not fully colored like hers. The two Elders on the rocks are Elder Schow from Pleasant Grove, Ut. and the other is Elder Senedor from Cebu (prounced see-boo).

We love both of these missionaries a lot. Elder Schow is being transferred to your brother Fredie Guerurrero. Since we love both of the missionaries we are excited to see them together, but saddened that they will be on Mendoro where we seldom go.

We love you all, and wish you could be here to play in the water with us.

2008-01-01T10:28:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2007

2007-12-29T06:33:00.001-08:00

It has been a while since we have updated our blog. The reasons are varied, but for the most part we have simply been too busy. Much of what we have been doing cannot be discussed in a public forum like this. We have learned to appreciate all that it takes to make a Ward and Stake function well. So many times we have wanted to transport people from here to watch and see how you do it there. We are grateful for those of you who serve with a humble willing heart.

We have been busy setting up an apartment in a small town south of here called Cantanuan. We have long wanted missionaries there, but there has been a shortage of missionaries due to several missionaries going home. Now we are starting to get more missionaries in and we will open four areas next week, including Cantanuan. Attached is a picture of a family that lives across the street from where the missionaries will be living. We talked briefly with this family and they are anxious to have the missionaries visit them and share the gospel with them. Not only is our mission changing because we are getting more missionaries, but when we first got here we had about 80% American missionaries and 20% Filipino missionaries. Now things have turned almost completely turned around and we have almost 80% Filipinos. Sadly, some are the only members of the Church in their families. Regardless of where they come from (we have missionaries from the U.S., New Zealand, Pakistan, Samoa, and the Philippines) we love them all. They have become much like our sons and daughters. I have attached a few pictures of the missionaries so you can get a feel for these remarkable young people.

Our Christmas was different than any we have had in the 38 years we have been sharing Christmas together. Rather than immediate family we had to reach out to those we love here. For the most part it the missionaries and members we have come to love. A family we will always love is Noel and Maricela Parafina and their son Ashley. This is a family we started working with to get them married so they could be baptized. If we could we would bring them home with us. We had another family (Paul and Connie Merkle) who we have worked with similarly. It is so rewarding to have them in our home with their children. Connie has a son who is two months old. I have included a picture Paul and Connie with their new son.

We also went to the Social Services Compound here in Lucena with the missionaries to put on a Christmas program for the children they foster there. These children have been abused and used to the point when we went during the summer they would not go near anyone who looked like an adult. This time they hung on us and played games and sang songs with us. I think I am beginning to understand the love our Saviour has for children better. I wish I could fix all the wrongs that have been done to children but I know it isn't possible (at least not right now, but He will take care of that I promise). I know better what it is like to love unconditionally though.

We also allowed a few of the American missionaries who are close (physically and emotionally) to us to use our computer to call their parents on Christmas. We worked out a schedule so they could call and we could call too, and set up a table to use for their companions to study while they talked so he would be within sight and sound of them (mission rules). I hope it helped their parents, and it helped us not to focus on how much we miss all of you.

This is a special time of the year in the Philippines. Flowers bloom all year long, but I was particularly surprised at the pretty flowers that bloomed just before Christmas. I have attached a couple of pictures you might find interesting. Poinsettias are in bloom, but I didn't get a picture - sorry they are truly amazing in how vivid the colors are.

We have the opportunity to go to the temple in Manila once every six weeks. We go with another senior couple Elder & Sister Ganir. They too are from Idaho. We have the Stake President in San Pablo, Pres. Fabrous, take us in when we go. Traffic into Manila is restricted by the last number on your license plate, so we can't drive in on Fri. or Sat. Having him drive takes the pressure off me because it would be easy to get lost and going in just once every six weeks isn't frequent enough for me to learn all of the short cuts he uses. Driving here is difficult enough without having to worry about getting lost. On our last trip I took some pictures of the temple grounds just after dark.

We love our work and the people we work with beyond anything we can describe. We have discovered that there is a special bond that comes between us and those we serve and serve with. We consider this bond to be a tender mercy given to those who serve our Saviour. Our work has helped us understand better the meaning of the scriptures to "organize yourself and prepare every needful thing". We feel closer to our Saviour and love Him more each day. We trust you are being blessed in our absence, because you are in our prayers and we know our prayers are answered. Perhaps when the time is right we can explain in private some of our experiences we have had. Trust me when I say the gospel changes lives. Sometimes it makes people happy and other times it creates problems for them. Sometimes people recognize the truth right away and others struggle with it for ever. It brings great joy to us to see people come to know and love our Savior as we do.

2007-11-16T05:48:00.001-08:00

2007-11-16T05:42:00.001-08:00

We go through cycles every 6 weeks of everything in the mission based on when new missionaries arrive and some go home. Last week week we had three Zone Conferences in Lucena, Lipa, and Los Banos, we get to hear President Mortimer give the same talk on 3 different day and we learn something different each day at the end all the elders and sister enjoy a pictures session and is great to see some of the one's we have had in our area that have been transferred, with the last transfer day we got in some of the biggest Tongs I have seen, I have included there picture along with my girls that I love so much. We spend 3 to 4 days in the mission home so the travel is not as much and at the end of the week we get to go the temple. Elder and Sister Telford went home about 6 weeks ago and we got in a new couple the Ganir's and since we can not drive in Manila on Friday and the Ganir's don't know the way we hired a driver to take us into Manila and while there do some shopping including a short visit to the pearl market I have never seen so many kinds of pearls in my life and they were so beautiful, they will make you a necklace while you wait. The ones I have around my neck are black pearls the other picture is of a jade and coral necklace. We also had Stake Conference here in Lucena the weekend before the start of Zone Conferences and Pres. Edwards and his wife came. Pres. Edwards in the 2nd quorum of the seventies - a general authority and the area president for the Philippines. We have traveled with him before when he was a councilor to Pres. Gerrett in the Area Presidency. After the Sat. night session he and his wife, President & Sister Mortimer, and President & Sister Bangal (Lucena Stake President) all came to our house for dinner. We have a great deal of love and respect for all of these people.

Today we attended church in Sariaya because we have been working with a couple there (Brother & Sister Cabrera). Sister Cabrera was baptized 3 weeks ago, and yesterday her husband and brother were baptised. I wish I could go into all of the detail about their conversion, but I can't. You will just have to take my word for it that everything we put into our mission to this point has been worth this one family. Even if nothing else good happens it will still be worth it. Today Sister Cabrera was called as the Young Women's President in the Sariaya Branch, and I ordained Gerry and his brother-in-law (Jesus) Priests in the Aaronic Priesthood. We love this small branch. I wish you could have seen your mom today. One of the baptisms on Sat. was 13 year old girl. Her left hand has been burned badly and has left her without the use of her fingers. She hides her hand indicatively now because of the scares and the way her fingers are pulled in tight. Your mom held her deformed hand gently and helped her move her fingers a little, and showed more love and care for her than she has probably known before. After the meeting she wanted a picture with us with her in it, but separately - I think this means she loves your mom more than me. When I get copies of these pictures I will send them to you.

I can't believe how fast the time is going we are just about to our 10th month mark and still have a lot of work to do. We wish that you all could see and feel the things that we do. The love we have for these people is so great and just to see one person come unto Christ is so wonderful.

We love you all.

Friends

2007-11-01T05:25:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

Because yesterday was Halloween and today is all saints day (much drinking, etc.) we have to be in early. Yesterday, Halloween, it rained like nothing you have ever seen. We have two sets of Elders and one set of Sisters here in Lucena and because there is concern for the sisters when it is raining that hard (the area they live in is famous for flooding) we decided to deliver some cupcakes to be certain everyone was in and safe (they were).

Yesterday at the SM Mall they had a costume contest so we decided to check it out. The pictures attached came from there. We thought you might enjoy some of these.

2007-10-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

Again it has been a while since we sent you an update. There are some good reasons for this: First, much of what we have been doing cannot or should not be discussed in an open forum like this. Trust me, there have been some some really special things happen lately that have renewed my faith in the the power of the gospel to change lives. We have also been really busy. We took a boat to Marinduque last week at 2:00 AM to take care of some business there and got home about 8:00 PM that night - short night and long day.

I went to Manila the day after a mall was bombed for some training for Stake Presidencies and Mission Presidencies. I went 6 months ago and I can't believe the difference 6 months makes. I knew more people this time and the training was great. I was still on a high from General Conference so this had a similar effect. There is a picture attached of your mom talking to one of you through our computer in the mission office while I was in Manila.

We just got some pictures from an Elder we worked with on Marinduque so I have attached them. The first one was taken just after we met with a man and his children. Just in case you think you aren't rich then examine this picture closely. These are very humble people we have learned to love more than I can express. We are so grateful for the experience of just meeting these people let alone helping them gain a testimony of their Savior and His plan for happiness.

Perhaps you have seen the butterflies we sent to Granny J and to my Mom. They came from the Island of Mendoro. There are some native people there that live very primitive lives called "Munions". These people catch the butterflies and sell them to a family who puts them in the frames you have seen them in for sale. The picture is hard to see because it taken from a moving car.

We have learned to love the missionaries, whether native or foreign (I say foreign because some come from the U.S. and some from other countries than the Philippines). Sometimes we get too attached to some of them and then it is heart breaking when they go home. Attached is a picture taken at Zone Conference on Marinduque - we call them the "Duque Elders". This picture is outdated because some have gone home and all of the others have been transfered since this picture was taken, each of the missionaries is special to us - partly because we spend so much time working with them on Marinduque and partly because we can't help ourselves.

We are truly blessed to associate with these missionareis.

Last Sunday we traveled to Lopez to Stake Conference. The Stake Presidency was being changed and the old Stake Pres. (Pres. Azaras) was being released. We love him a great deal - he has been really good to work with the missionaries. The presiding authority was Elder Teh (pronounced Tay). We have traveled some with him and his wife previously and have learned to love and respect them both a great deal. He is the 2nd Counclor in the Area Authority. Sister Teh is founder of the Deseret Mabuhy Foundation that helps children who have cleft lips and pallets, club feet, and some other problems. We recently sent a referal in for a child on Marinduque and we wanted to ask her to personally to reveiw this case.

Family Unity Week

2007-09-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have really been busy! We have been to three District Conferences (Balayan, Siniloan, and Marinduque), three Missionary Zone Conferences (Lucena, LIpa, and Los Banos). Earlier this month we heard about the "Family Unity Week" here in Lucena and asked if we could attend the intial planning meeting - we were so welcome we found ourselves on the board of directors for the various activities. Though this is sponsored by the City of Lucena the Stake Center was the focus of most of the planning meetings and some of the activities. At the end of the first meeting Pres. Bangal handed out copies of the "Proclamation to the World" and the lady who was acting for the Mayor came back the next week and read almost all of to the city officials there. She said' "this is exactly what we need to promote here in Lucena". She was more excited about it than someone using it as the basis for a sacrament meeting talk. Some of our missionary work kept us from a few of the activities, but Fri. we (most of the missionaries in the Lucena area) and the Stake Pres. (Pres. Bangal) went to the local City Jail to visit with the inmates and try to offer them some comfort. We showed the video Finding Faith in Christ and just talked to some of the inmates. Most are women (mostly in their 20's) and most are in for drug use/trafficking. There are 106 inmates of which 67 are women. In the first picture attached are four women I sat next to. The one on the right has 3 years remaining, and the other 3 each have 4 years to go. At the conclusion of the video there wasn't a dry eye in the place. These ladies in the first picture wanted a copy of the picture I took so we have printed them off and glued them inside copies of the Book of Mormon (Aklat ni Mormon) to take to them when we get a few minutes. None of these people seemed hardened or harmful and I actually felt bad for them. Diane talked to one of the guards and she said some of the women are innocent it is their boy friend or husband who is using and distributing, but they were home when the cops came with the drugs in the house.

The next day we went with the youth from the Lucena Stake to a facility the City Social Services run for children who have been abandoned or have been referred to them by the police. They lady who took Diane and I on tour said they frequently drive around town at night and pickup children who are rummaging through the garbage. There are 13 grils and 37 boys in this facility. All of the girls have been physically and sexually abused, all of the boys have been physically abused and most of the boys had been sexually abused too. She told us storeis I won't repeat here. Some how I had hoped this kind of thing was unique to the U.S., but it isn't. Some of the kids wouldn't have anything to do with any of us who are old enough to be an adult until later. Please understand there were groups of kids from all three Lucena Wards, the Lucban Ward, and the Tayabas Ward to perform for these kids. We also had 22 missionaries counting us and some Stake Leaders including Pres. Bangal there. The missionaries got the kids involved in some games and mixed with them during the performances. There were some very tender moments as these kids bonded with the missionaries. Again, the Spirit was so strong there. The people who run this place were amazed that so many young people would come and help these kids. We have been invited back to both places.

Now, if you know of anyone who is looking for a service project these kids could use some hygiene kits. They don't have to be elaborate, but there is a real need at this facility. If you know of anyone who wants to take on a project then give them our e-mail address and we can help them with where to send them and who to contact. These people who are running this facility are operating on virtually no budget at all.

We love you all and miss you. We know it is getting close to Christmas because they have been singing Christmas Carols in Church and playing Christmas music in the malls for about a month now.

An overdue update!

2007-09-17T06:32:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since we updated our activities. There are several reasons, but for the most part much of what we have been doing cannot be discussed on an open forum like this. We have a new District Presidency in place on Marinduque and though we still have some wrinkles left to iron out things are progressing well. I suspect even a change of this magnitude at home would leave some ruffled feathers and wrinkles to work out. We are really excited about the change we made in the Branch in Torrijos Marinduque! The new Branch President is a man I met on the boat while traveling to Marinduque a few months ago. He asked if he could speak to me because he couldn't get a calling in his branch. Now he is the Branch President and doing a marvelous job. We know he is working hard with the missionaries there and they tell us he fasts and prays before he makes a call to any position. The attendance at Sacrament Meeting in his branch is increasing each week.

Several years ago the Church started a program in the Philippines called "the family week". They bring all the resources of the local governments together in each city to help families build stronger relationships and help them work through problems. We heard about the meeting here in Lucena from the Stake Pres. (Pres. Bangal) and asked him if we could attend. Not only did we get invited we found our way on the broad of directors. As the first meeting progressed I got the impression this wasn't much more than patting themselves on the back for a job well done in the past, and they would continue the same programs without much change. Near the end of the meeting they asked us both speak. Please understand we only heard about this program a few days previous to this meeting. I challenged them to set goals and to be specific enough that they could mark progress. It was dead silence in the room. It was like you expect us to perform too? Yep, I do. Diane outlined the love we feel for the Filipinos and how our family functions at home - obviously this had a very sobering impact on them. Later, a sociologist that heads up the social service programs for the city asked to have us teach her the gospel – not just give her more information, but teach her.

In addition to this we have been very busy visiting the various District Conferences in the Mission. For the most part this is where being a member of the mission presidency comes into play. This is much like your Stake Conference with the Stake Presidency presiding only here there is District Presidency we presiding. In real terms this means unless something really serious is happening we just get to speak at these conferences and provide some training.

As you know I have really enjoyed taking pictures of the sunsets. Normally, the only time I have to do this is while we are on the boat to or from Marinduque. But, another passion has to do with kids. I love little kids and have lot of pictures I have taken. Normally I haven't been able to be candid about it, but still I like them. Attached are a few I have taken.

Please know we love you all - igibin tayo

More Pictures to go with the Update!

2007-08-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Update

2007-08-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Our hard work on Marinduque has finally come to the point where a new District Presidency has been called and sustained. As mentioned previously we have also called and sustained a new Branch President in Terrijos on Merinduque. I am not certain I can find the words to describe how we feel about all of this. I am not accostumed to having been blessed to finding the solution to so many problems in such a profound way. I won't detail the problems we have encountered on Marinduque, but the solution is in place. Attached is a picture of the new District President - President Reyos. I know he is old, but he has more experience than most men. He has been a district president before and a temple worker twice, once in Canada and then in Manila. He choose two very professional men as councilors - President Montiel and President Janda. I don't have a picture of Pres. Montiel yet, but attached is a picture of Pres. & Sister Janda (we really love these two people and consider them as close friends). As a Secretary he chose a man who is second in the National Treasureay on Marinduque and soon to be the first in command there - Brother Carabido. Keeping track of funds and setting up a budget has been difficult in the past, so this man is a C.P.A. and an admistrator. The executive sectary (Borther Glenn) has been a member for a year (yesterday) and has a ton of talent. He is in a position now to learn everything he needs to know to be the next District Pres. or a Branch Pres. His wife is not a member (yet), but he is a remarkable man. We love all of these men! We believe the work on Marinduque will progress now without any limits except our own. The Lord has provided the leadership and now the rest is up to us and the members there. We are excited and humbled at the same time.

When we have a few minutes, usually on the boat going home, I try to capture the sunsets each evening. I have attached a couple of pictures I took from the baloney of our hotel room on Marinduque. Usually we see flying fish and I shot about 30 pictures trying to capture these little fish. I never did a fish in the picture, but in the one I have included you can see how the take off leaving a little wake in the water and a splash where they land. With the rest of my time I wonder the beach picking up sea shells and taking pictures of kids. I have a whole bunch of pictures of kids I plan to make a slide show out of someday. I thought you might like the one I included here.

Please know we feel truely blessed to be here and see the hand of the Lord in our work. We love these people and the missionaries more than we ever thought possible. We still have about 16 months left and already we are dreading the thoughts of leaving these people

2007-08-15T06:17:00.001-07:00

2007-08-15T06:12:00.001-07:00

Jeepnie Near Majajay

2007-08-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

2007-08-15T06:03:00.001-07:00

Mindoro

2007-08-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't sent an update for a while for a couple of reasons: First, we have been very busy, and second much of what we have we have been doing has needed to be kept quiet. We have been traveling a lot, and will be for a while. We attended and took part in the District Conference on Mindoro on Aug. 4th & 5th. We don't often go there, but have really enjoyed the few times we have gone. The boat ride is shorter than the ride to Marinduque and the District is better organized there than on Marinduque. We both spoke during the conference, me during the Sat. leadership training and Diane during the Sunday meeting. I spoke about how members can assist the missionaries and Diane spoke about how we recover the less active. Attached is a picture of members who traveled to conference on Sunday in a jeepnie. They came from Pinamalayan. You sort of have to ask yourself if members at home have enough faith and want to attend conference badly enough to make a three hour ride like this.

We came back and then went to Santa Cruz to work with Elders Brown and Mendon. We have known Elder Brown for a long time and have always enjoyed working with him. Not long ago we were there to work with one district to encourage the less active to come back, and we were invited by Elder Brown to come back and work with some of their investigators. They are really good missionaries. They are the Zone Leaders in the Santa Cruz Zone. We spent most of the day with them and drove the circuitous route back to Lucena. Attached is a picture of a jeepnie that didn't quite make the turn. Two days later we went back to Santa Cruz for Zone Interviews, and left that afternoon for Marinduque. The next day we met with Brother Reyos and called him to be the new District Pres. Following this we met with Pres. Marchano and released him as District Pres. He took it better than I thought he would. Not long before this we replaced a Branch Pres. in Terrijos. I believe both of these changes will help the members on Marinduque and the missionary work there. The cute couple on the tricycle is President and Sister Janda she is theDistrict RS President and he is 1st counselor in the district Presidency this is how they travel all over the island.

Attached is a picture of me pointing to an orange - I know it is green, but they tell me they are like a cross between an orange and a grapefruit. Oh, I nearly forgot - this is the rainy season here. That doesn't mean it rains everyday, but it does mean when it does it is still hot and even more humid. It also stirs the sea up a little, or a lot like on our ride to Marinduque. When the natives are sea sick you know it is pretty rough. I took some pictures of the spray from the boat as it crashes through the waves, and one is attached. No, we didn't get sea sick, but one of the missionaries did on the way home. They kept us waiting near the pier for over an hour and waves were really bad - at one point I was certain one of the trucks in the cargo hold was going to tip over - but it didn't so all is well.

We attended a fireside the missionaries in Lucena put on Sat. night. The chaple was almost full with new members and investigators. They told us there were 23 investigators in attendance. A job well done by the missionaries!

We are still working with several young couples that need to get married before they can be baptized. Each one seems to set the standard for difficulty in solving the probelms.

In the this picture is Elder Quiambao and sister the tie that he has on is one that Bishop Johnson gave last summer and elder love it we have seen alot of the ties that were sent over here.

Day at the Beach

2007-08-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

Along with some of the missionaries in our area we went to the beach not far from Pagbilo. Actually it was a long walk in and a longer walk out to where we could catch a jeepnie. The water was warm and sun was hot. This is the first real P day we have had for a while. Not much by explanation, but fun to look at. I think I could become a full time beach comber. We found all kinds of sea shells, coral (three different kinds), some bottle caps, and other interesting junk.

2007-07-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't sent an update for quite a while for two reasons: First, we have been too busy, and second, we thought some of the things were doing would be boring. This rambles a little so be patient with me.

Everything here revolves around a six week cycle of transfers. Once each six weeks we get some new missionaries in, and several go out. President Mortimer calls the process of deciding who goes where with whom "working the board". We have very little imput to this process. We are now just learning this can be a very painful process for us. We have learned to love some of the missionaries more than either of us thought possible. Usually, this happens when we work we a set of missionaries several times. In the process of working with them we develop a bond with them that is stronger than you might think. When they get transferred it is painful, but when they go home it is almost unbarable. We know we will probably never see most of these missionaries again. It is something like telling your children good bye with finality.

During this cycle we have Zone Conferences with each Zone in the mission. There are times when it is good to see missionaries we haven't seen before, but it is always exciting to see how much each missionary grows and develops. In each of these Zone Conferences Pres. Mortimer will take a couple of hours and go into detail about some gospel topic. These "workshops" are amazing! Since he uses the same topic in each Zone Conference you would think it would get boring after a while, but it doesn't - his discussions/presentations just get better.

Mixed in with this we travel to Marinduque each 3rd weekend to do leadership training. I think we are on verge of making a break through there. I can't go into detail now, but later I will explain. Just know we are excited about our work there. There are families on Marinduque we love and look forward to seeing each month. One family in particular has brought a lot of joy into our lives. The Note family has been more than inactive for quite a while (like 20 years), but after some work and love they are attending regularly. They always insist we eat dinner when we visit.

This thought runs through everything we do and the things I list here: We have seem to have a big impact on people. I am not certain I fully understand it, but nevertheless it happens almost daily. I know some of it is the Spirit working through us, and some of it is part of the culture here where people give deference to older people, but in reality it seems beyond my comprehension. I fear you will think I am boasting, and I am not. I occurs to me that Diane is a significant part of this. It is amazing to see how people love her and flock around her.

We are back into the wedding business, but in a different way. I have lost track of how many couples we are working with right now to get them married so they can be baptized. They are scattered all over and it takes a significant amount of time to go hear and understand the problems each couple has (they are all different), and most require some financial aid to make it happen. Don't panic, we aren't selling the family farm to make this happen, but in most cases it costs about $10 to help them get to and from the various government agencies involved and then some time and travel on our part to secure the necessary documentation so they can be married. In one case we had to travel to Lopez to ask the Stake Pres. there to travel to Lucban (about 120 km) to merry one couple. Whatever it takes we solve the problems the younger missionaries can't (not that we are any smarter it is just that we have more freedom to travel than they do, and a little less fear of the bureacracy). We have also made some friends in the National Statics Office that help us.

Not long after we arrived here we met a family in Lucban where only the father (tatay) is not a member. He is wonderful man and we have been trying to get him to take part in the missionary lessons since we first met him. Last night he had the first lesson. I am not certain what broke the ice, but I think it had something to do with us just dropping in and talking to him about some fishing poles he makes and sells. If you get one in the mail for the kids it came from Tatay Paulines. When we get him baptisted there will be a big celebration! Last night two of the best missionaries we have ever met did most of the teaching - Sister Neuenswander & Sister Estrada. Sister Estrada has been out less than six weeks and she is just terrific! I will get a picture of them and send it to you.

Before we met with Tatay Paulines we went to Majayjay to work with Elder Guererro and his companion Elder Berbers. Several weeks ago we met a part member family there and we wanted to go back and make certain Christina is keeping her commitments. While we were there we ran into an older woman (87 years old), and her daughter sewing on an old Singer peddle machine like your mom learned to sew on, and some cute kids. There are some pictures attached. The little girl is probably a grand daughter of the lady sewing and a great grand daugther of the older woman. The bingo party was just some people getting together and having fun. It surprises me that the younger missionaries won't stop and just chat for a minute with people like this. We had a good time talking to them and they invited us to join in the fun, but since they were playing for money we declinded.

On our way from Majayjay to Lucban we crossed a river where some people were doing their laundry. Your mom wanted me to send this picture to you in case you are feeling like doing laundry with a washing machine is a pain in the neck.

Today we went to Bara (a small island in the middle of Lucena) with a set of sister missionaries to help a couple get everything they need to get married. These are very humble people in very humble circumstances. I couldn't bring myself to take any pictures because they would have known we trying to capture their poor circumstances. It is amazing how easy it is to love these people.

Mixed in with the pictures is one of Marecel Parafina with her sister and mother. You probably recognize Marecel. She and her husband (Noel) where the first couple we helped get married so they could be baptized. Her mother has been to our home for a family home evening and we have met her sister before, but both have tried to keep some distance between us and them. Just before we left for Marinduque last time we attended Noel's birthday and we got the attached picture that evening. The next day we took copies of the picture to all three ladies and gave Marecel's mother and sister and a copy of the Book of Mormon with our testimony and picture in it. Tomorrow night we teach Nanay (Marcel's mother) the first lesson, but her sister wants to wait to get married before we teach her.

Though we have had some trails this week and some frustrations we are completely absorbed by what is happening around us. It is hard to believe how many people we see each day and how much they appreciate our help. There is another story about a man who lives in Majayjay that will be interesting if we can find a solution to his problems. Each new set of problems we encounter seem to be just an order of magnitude greater than the previous. It is amazing how much help we get from above and disappointing how long it takes me to recognize His hand in all things.

2007-07-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes even we need to be reminded of how beautiful the Philippines can be, and how blessed we are to be here. Ask yourself what kind of power, glory, majesty, love, or knowledge it takes to create a scene like this. I don't even know where in my mind to go to try to comprehend how He did it. If he can do this can you even begin to imagine what He can do for us?

Hear them Roar!!!

2007-07-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Birthday Celebration

2007-07-02T08:47:00.001-07:00

Tonight we celebrated Noel Parafina's 23rd birthday. You might wonder what this has to do with missionary work - actually quite a lot. Attached are some pictures we took not long ago. The first picture is of Meracel's sister (I have been introduced, but don't remember her name) and her baby. She is a none member we are hoping to be able to get her to church soon. The second picture is of Diane (aka as lola [grandma]) doing her best to spoil kids. The last picture is of part of the gang that showed up to wish Noel happy birthday. There are members there and several who are not (yet). If their home appears to be humble you need to understand they have just moved from a more humble home to this more comfortable home. Just as we find it difficult to tell them how much we love them it is also hard to explain how much and why we love them to you. It is just one of the blessings that come in the service of our Savior. If this were the only good thing that happened on our mission, and it isn't by a long way, it would still all be worth everything we have put into it and will yet put into it.

Sunset...breathtaking!

2007-06-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Marinduque

2007-06-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

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.

General Authority

2007-06-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

Not long ago the Lucena Stake was reorganized with a new Stake Presidency. At first I was dubious about this change because I considered President Sanglap and personal friend and we had forged a very good working relationship with him. The new Stake President will be remarkable! We have known him since he moved hear as the new CES corridantor. Elder Rex E. Gerrett presided at the leadership meetings and the process of selecting a new Stake President. Following the meetings on Sat. we had him, his wife, Elder Costelas, and Pres.& Sister Morimer to our apartment for dinner. Elder Gerrett is a General Authority and served as first councilor to Elder Oaks when he was here in the Philippines. I think Elder Gerrett is in the first quorum of the Seventy. I have known him since we arrived here, I first met him at a mission president seminar in Manila, and we have attended meetings where he has presided as he worked his way through the San Pablo Mission on a "mission tour". We have also known Elder Costelas and his wife for quite a while and have learned to love and respect them as well. His wife did not come with him on this trip. He is an area seventy - meaning he serves as a seventy under the direction of the Area President Elder Gerrett. Eder Gerrett will be released in July of this year.

Special Afternoon

2007-06-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

We went to a district meeting in Tayabas this morning and helped some Sister Missionaries (most of this week has been helping Sister Missionaries), but when we got back we decided to take some things Ashley had left here and visit some members in Ward 2 we haven't seen at church for a while. One in particular is "big mama". I don't know her name, but this is what everyone calls her. As it turns out her great grand daughter had given birth to a baby boy not long ago so we went to see the new baby. You have to understand it is so hot here now it is almost impossible for even the natives to deal with the heat. This little boy was born at 7 months and is running a slight fever. Sister Bringhurst offered some motherly advice - like don't wrap the baby up in this heat and get a fan in here now. They asked for priesthood blessing, so we had to drive back across town to get my oil and back. Maracel and Ashely went with us (Maracel likes the air conditioning and Ashley likes to ride in a car). When we got close to our house Ashley said, "lolla bayan!" meaning grandma's city. Anyway we got back with the oil and administered to the baby. The mother (I don't know her name) is a member, but the father is not - he isn't around anymore - I sort lost track of the conversation at this point due to traffic and interest. The baby weighes 2.1 kilos about 5 lbs. It wouldn't surprise me to see some of these people at church Sunday. We really love these people though the neborhood they live in is not clean or pretty. One of the gifts of the Spirit is to be able to love regardless of circumstances. Great grandmother, grandmother, and mother were all grateful for our assistance - what more could you ask for?

How far would you go for a baptism

2007-06-03T11:40:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a trip to Mauban. We have been going there about every two weeks to work with Elders Gwynn and Yumol. One of the families we have been working with are members but have been very inactive for several years. We first met them a few months ago and discovered their youngest daughter would have her 8th birthday in late May. We suggested the father become active again and baptise his daughter. As it turned he isn't ready yet, but we kept our word to his daughter that we would attend her baptism. The elders took us on trek through the jungle/forest to some water falls where we baptised his daughter and confirmed her. I am not certain how far we had to walk into the water falls, but my guess is little more than 2 miles each way. I hurt my knee last week and it was an ordeal to get there and back. In addition to the four missionaries we had three investigators in attendance.

The first picture is you mom (Diane) on the trail.

The second picture is Diane with Babelle Moncada just before she was baptised.

The third picture is Babelle in the water with Elder Gwynn (Elder Gwynn is quite tall, so he is kneeling in the water) I know Babelle looks like she is 5 not 8, but most Filipino children seem much younger than their American counter parts.

The fourth picture is of the water falls

The fifth picture is looking down stream from the water fall

The last picture is of us standing near the falls

2007-06-03T11:33:00.001-07:00

Staying Busy!!

2007-05-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week! We traveled from Lucban in the north to Mariduque in the south. We have worked with missionaries in Lucban, Mauban, Lopez, and on Mariduque. In the process we have made it possible for three couples to be married soon and out of these there will be four convert baptisms. Please understand, we didn't do the finding or the teaching, we have been able to solve problems that have persisted for many years in some cases. One lady told us she has been praying for her and the father of her children to be married so they could be baptized for three years. We told her we are the answer to her prayers. We have found a way to help these people overcome the obstacles the Philippine Government puts in their way to becoming a legitimate family. In 1st Timothy, the 4th chapter and the 3rd verse Paul is explaining some of the pitfalls the saints will have to endure in the last days. Among these is "Forbidding to marry". The process of finding someone to perform the marriage and the process of obtaining a license to be married is almost impossible for most people to do. They first must obtain a Certificate of None Marriage. This may sound funny, but what they are doing is proving the husband and/or wife to be have not been married before. The NSO office won't allow us to file for a couple, but will allow us to pick up the CONM once it is completed if we have several documents with us. This may not sound like much, but most of these families can't afford to get to Lucena (the provintial captial) let alone return in 2 weeks to pick up the CONM. We have found a way to solve the problem for most people. In the case of the three families in Lopez it cost us about 300 pesos per couple and some time at the National Statics Office, but we have been able to do it for three couples now, and we have two others in the process. It takes almost all day just to file, and then another day to pick up the CONM. We are able to pick up the CONM in about an hour.

Since our last report we worked with the missionaries in Mauban. We like going up there, but it is difficult on a good day, and it rained most of the way there making it more difficult than normal. We visited with several inactive members and some investigators to get them to attend church. For the most part we were received well and most made commitments to attend. Elder Gwynn is fun to work with and cuts us no slack whatever. The rain that morning made climbing up the stair ways slippery and difficult for even me, but Diane took it all in stride and never complained once. There are times when I think Elder Gwynn is seeing how far he can take us before we complain or quite, but the reality is he just works hard all of the time. We trudged through the slippery steps and through the mud to meet people and get commitments from them. There are a few pictures from Mauban attached.

We went to Lucban to a missionary district meeting and to see the festival going on there now. We had been invited several weeks ago by a part member family, so we mixed business with pleasure and went to see for ourselves. We were invited to a luchan while we were there by a lady who runs a bakery and catering business. It turns out she had heard of Diane and her decorating skills and wants to meet with her to get some "professsional advice". Attached are some pictures of this festival. The father (tatay) in this family has seen many sets of missionaries come and go without ever attending chruch. I told him he could come of his own accord I would tie a rope to him and a carabow and drag him to church. He finally agreed to come. He has been offended by the local bishop and we are trying hard to get this family over the bitter feelings and return to activity. While in Lopez later in the week we got the Stake President there to agree to perform the marriage of this man's daughter. President Azaras agreed to travel there (no small distance) and perform the marriage. I think I will still be a guest speaker at the ceremony. This should go a long way to dispel the reasons they have for being angry with the bishop. They know we love them and will almost anything to help them. We have a agreement that one year after the marriage they go with us to the temple in Manila.

We went to Lopez to work with Elders Brown and Lerio. Elder Brown is much like Elder Gwynn but much softer spoken. He has been begging us to come down and work with him and visit some families he has been working with. These are the ones we have helped to get their marriage licence so they can be married before baptism. Attached are some pictures taken while we trudged through the hills and rice fields to these out of the way places. Never did Diane complain or slow us down. Her knee hurts, but she is determined not to let it slow us down or interfere with loving these people. She is truly remarkable! As you might expect the missionaries love her.

We just returned from Mariduque. While there I hold a leadership training session much like the ones you have when you go to Stake Conference. We started last month with the basic organization of the Church, and simply went into more detail this month. President Mortimer has given us the assignment to strengthen the leadership on Mariduque. We think we have finally found the real reason they are not functioning as they should. After we meet with President Mortimer we will probably change our tactics some and focus more on just a few individuals. Going to Mariduque is an arduous task. We have to travel there by boat, and it takes an hour to load, three hours of travel, and then at least an hour to unload and get to a hotel. We normally have dinner about 9:00 PM. Coming this time was a nightmare! It has been so hot here it is unbelievable. Some of the older people tell us they don't ever remember it being so hot and humid. We couldn't find room to set outside so we had to sit inside the cabin without any air conditioning. To top it all off we were all fasting to improve the missionary work in the San Pablo Mission.

Beautiful Pictures!

2007-05-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

Mauban

2007-05-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

We frequently work with missionaries not in our immediate area. One area we have enjoyed in Mauban. Though it isn't far away it is a difficult trip because the road is being reconstructed. There are areas where there is no road at all. The town of Mauban is difficult to figure out. We don't have to go far before we are completely lost. It is a town of stark contrasts. For example the Church is located very close to the local red light district. It is right on the ocean and is picturesque in places, but dirty in others.

We have been working with a man who claims he was offended many years ago when his friend was released as Branch Pres. We think we better understand the situation now, but the good part is he has agreed to return to Church. He is elderly and clings to his hurt feelings like we would a long lost friend. He thinks we are some kind of authority and is honored when we visit him in his home. Another family we have been working with is a local barber. There is a history to his becoming inactive, but the good news is he has agreed to return to church work out his problems so he can baptise his daughter (there is a picture of her included).

we agreed to return to witness the baptism on June 1. We feel like getting people back into activity is more important, in some ways, than convert baptisms. The one thing these small wards and branches need is leadership.

As you know, our daughter Kim, has been updating our blog site so you can see our pictures and know what is happening. Not everyone could open the pictures we were sending so this seems to be the best solution.

The two missionaries working in Mauban are really good missionaries. Elder Gywn is from Minn. and Elder Yomol is a native missionary. Elder Gywn is one of the hardest working missionaries we have. He is always grateful for our willingness to meet with less active members and some investigators. During this last trip they took us to a poor part of town (see the attached pictures) where we met with a father who has been inactive for a long time, but his 10 year old son rides his bike to Church every Sunday (about a 15 KM round trip). There is a picture of Diane with him attached. The father also agreed to return to Church. Elder Gywn is funny. He knows Diane has a stiff knee, but he still walks like he has to cover the whole town in one day. He took up and down stairs I didn't think she could do, but never complained and always kept up. During this adventure (like home teaching on steroids) we visited with several less active and invited them to put behind them whatever caused them to become inactive. In some cases they lack the money to get to and from Church and in others there are deep buried secretes. Diane was particularly vocal this time and helped a family realize they have the money to go if they will save 3 pesos each day. 3 pesos is about 6 cents. In others when we sense a deeper problem we allow them to tell us if they are comfortable doing so, and if not we just urge them to work through the problem. It seems to help them if we don't show any dismay at indiscretions - being non judgemental is guess. Again, I may be wrong and should show more outrage, but their humble existence makes that difficult. Only once have I been bold and straight foreward with a man. I try really hard to allow the Spirit to guide us.

In one of the pictures Diane is standing near a girl making thatching for walls and roofs of huts. She earns 40 pesos for making 100 of these long strands. I don't know who the people are in the last picture - they just seemed to want their picture taken.

Enjoy the pictures and see how others live. We love you all.
--

New Dog..?

2007-05-20T09:50:00.001-07:00

We did some back countgry trecking with the missionaries in Lopez today and came across a couple of dogs we thought you might be interested in.

Big Busy Day!!!

2007-05-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

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.

BUGS!!!!!

2007-05-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

We were just getting ready to go to bed and something flew at me. I knocked it down and guess what we found? This is some sort of giant horned flying beetle. We have been hearing noises in the ceiling off and on all day. A good does of permethrin slowed him down.

Big Day!!!

2007-05-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a remarkable day in the history of our missionary experience. Noel and Marcela Parafina were baptized tonight. This is the first family we started working with that needed to be married before they could be baptized. This process of teaching and getting married and to baptism has taken more than a year.
Tonight following the baptism I wrote on the black board "Elder Bringhurst 64 + 16 = 80" and "Ashely 3 + 16 = Elder Ashley" Ashely is the 3 year old son of Noel and Marcela in the attached picture. A significant part of the ward attended the baptism tonight to show their love and respect for Noel and Marcela. Most thought this idea of Ashely serving a mission (to be like the two really good missionaries that taught them Elders Guerrero and Gonzales) was terrific.

2007-05-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

This week has been filled with a lot of travel. We have attended two Zone interviews and solved a few problems, but nothing to brag about. Yesterday we drove down to Gumaca and spent the night so we could meet a set of missionaries to travel up to Catanaun. There is a small branch of the Church there and we were asked to investigate the area to see if it would support a set of missionaries. I guess I will never get over the love/respect these people show us. It happens where ever we go. When we arrived at this small branch of the Church we were greeted warmly as usual, but this time the 2nd councilor in the Branch Pres. asked me to bless his new daughter - "Alisa Jensen Joyce Degal Sangmir" - she is 11 days old. I don't know why these people find so much to respect in us. It should be the other way around. Though we are not rich we have enough to live on where as they seldom do. We have a wonderful fully functional ward at home, and if one family is missing in these branches they suffer. We are seldom too hot or too cold in our meetings at home, and it is never cool enough in their buildings. Children often wear a small towel tucked behind their neck and down inside their shirt to absorb the perspiration it is so hot. I thought preparing just six trays for sacrament meeting meant we had a small ward. Today the missionaries we had with us blessed and passed the sacrament using just a single tray for the bread and another for the water. With all of this I have seldom felt the Spirit more in any meeting. There were 24 of us in attendance including the four of us (missionaries).

The first picture is of me holding Alisa. The second picture is of her parents holding her, and yes, that is the way they dress for Church. It is all they have.

Friendly faces

2007-04-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is Connie & Paul Merl. We met them when we attended Church in Pagbilao.

The next picture is of Noel and Marcela Parafina just after they were married with their son Ashely. They will be baptized on May 9. The missionaries had been working with them for over a year when we met them. They couldn't get past the part about needed to get married so they could prepare for baptism. Noel has been reluctant to be baptized because he works 7 days a week. We helped them get through the marriage and showed him how he can use his lunch hour on Sunday to attend Sacrament meeting. We really love this family!

Missionary Work!

2007-04-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

The first picture is when I was able to deliver Elder Carpeo's mission call. We frequently use local missionaries to fill in as "service missionaries" for six weeks. In this case Elder Carpeo had sent his mission papers in, and when they came I got most of the Lucena Zone together to give it to him. He hugged me and cried when we got it. After he got his composure I called Pres. Mortimer and let him tell President where he is going. The package was unopened until he got it.

The second picture is of Connie and Paul. Paul is a member, but his new wife is not. She was married today, and Diane got to be the witness for the bride. I will baptise her this Sat. after Lucena Stake Conference.

After the wedding there was a luncheon for the newly weds at the Church in Paglabio - please note the decorations. They came from Picture Perfect Weddings.

The last picture was taken at the compound where 3 sets of missionaries live in two apartments. We met for part of P day and had a barbecue. We enjoy the missionaries a lot!

2007-04-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of the wedding for Connie Cargason in the Mayor's office in Pagbiliao. The second picture is of the bride & groom at the Church - note the decorations. The third picture is of Ashley. We have hired his mother, Marcela, to clean our house. Marcela and Noel will be getting married on Monday and hopefully the baptism will follow soon after. The third picture is of Marcela in our kitchen. We came home early on the day she was cleaning and Ashely wouldn't leave me alone to send a note with his picture. He reminds me of Kobe. We love this family a lot and hope to be able to see them to the temple in about a year.

2007-04-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

The first picture is your mom and I at the youth conference in Lucban yesterday (4/20/07). Your mom was the first speaker and did a really good job. In my remarks I said I loved my wife and held her close to me. Seldom do Filipino men show any affection for thier wife in public. It got lots of cheers from the kids. There were over 700 young men and women at this conference. The second picture was taken on a P day when we had a barbecue at the elder's apartment complex. I wanted you to see these flowers. We have a few of these growing at our apartment too. Flowers are blooming everywhere here! The colors and variety are amazing. Everyone needs a coconut tree. This is only tree where every part of the tree is used. The milk from the green coconuts is called Buko juice. Your mom doesn't care for it (mostly because it is very good laxative) and I sort of like it. They make a salad from the young coconut meat called - you guessed it - Buko salad. I don't

Bringhurst Bunch Getting Bigger......?

2007-04-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Attached are pictures of your new brothers. The first is Elder Guerrero, and the other is Elder Narag. Don't worry, they both speak English (which is better than any of you did when we first got you). Really Elder Bringhurst is joking but I am sure that when they do leave the Philippines I hope that their luggage is checked very carefully because I am sure my mom will try to get at least one or two babies back home!!!