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| A quick photo of Elder Bell's handiwork out on the roads of Manila. He and a truck kept trying to access the same lane of traffic ... after the sideview mirrors kept hitting each other I finally told Elder to 'back off' it is not worth getting into an accident .... so Elder Bell slows and the pick-up truck barrels to the front, and pulls in front of us - clipping his bumper to the seam where our van bumper began - which grabbed our bumper and full grill assembly and ripped it off. I got out and looked and had to have Elder and 2 more men help me pull it off and throw in the back over the luggage and heads of other Elders and Sisters in the back seat so that we could travel the rest of the way into the city. Traffic in MANILA is unbelievable....absolutely have to experience to believe. |
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| Family Home Evening in Manila - all of the Senior Missionary Couples came together with the Area Presidency and put together newborn kits to take into the 2 main hospitals here in Manila - where the poor are serviced. Both have an average of 300 births A DAY! We had to have over 600 of the kits to take into the Hospitals. Merry Christmas to the newborns in those Hospitals this day!!! |
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| Elder Bell and I are with one of our partners to purchase 10 bunk beds for the "Safe House Shelter' for the exploited and sexually abused young girls. The Philippines has over 60,000 children who are 'targeted and caught up' in this heinous practise. We are so grateful for organizations who are willing to make the effort to make a difference in these little girls' lives. |
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| Elder Bell and Elder McIver are working on the assembly of our new line of wheelchairs arriving in the Philippines. This is an 'active chair' with many, many adjustments. Both Elders had to become proficient on the assembly and adjustments. Then we each travel to the Wheelchair partners in our assigned area and train all of their assessors on the wheelchairs. I am SO GLAD that Elder Bell has strong hands and is mechanically inclined! |
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| This was our Thanksgiving in the Manila APO. All of the Senior Missionary couples gathered together to share Thanksgiving together. Great food, good company..... but nothing can compare to being with family and eating the traditional family favorites and sharing stories and making plans. We are so eternally thankful for our bounteous blessings ..... to live in America, to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives, to have living Prophets to teach and guide us, to have homes and good food on our tables,(yum...Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, good corn on the cob, tomatoes that taste like a tomato homemade rolls, pumpkin pie .) to have an auto to drive, toilet tissue in most public restrooms (restrooms with toilet seats) .... just to name a few. |
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| This is another photo of our assembly line in preparing the NewBorn Kits for our Family Home Evening. Some of you may recognize some of the baby blankets that are being included in the packets. THANK YOU, each of you, who donated your time and these wonderful blankets to give to new mothers to wrap their little 'bundles of joy' in. They are each deeply appreciated!! |
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| Yup .... me showing you the nice little packet once it is wrapped tightly. 4 cloth diapers, the receiving blanket, diaper tabs, wipes, baby soap, onesies, small tube of sore butt creme. A wonderful gift for the Sisters to take into these 2 hospitals where the mothers are stacked 3 to a bed, and they line the halls as well as fill the rooms. A humbling and heart string -pulling experience. We are sooooo blest to live in the United States and have adequate health care and facilities. |
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| This is Elder and Sister Whitehead who works in the Dental Office at the MTC. They brought their daughter to also serve this mission. She is a 'simple young woman with a big heart and alot of fun'. |
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| Elder Bell and I were invited to Brother Fababier's 72nd birthday. We have one of our Member Welfare Projects in this area. The young Filipino Missionaries are assisting in cooking the pancit for all of the Branch Members .... BEST PANCIT I have tasted!! |
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| We are in IFUGAO working on a Project with the DepEd. LDS C is financing a large program to train the teachers on Nutrition, Improved planting and harvesting techniques, bringing in tools, seeds, and seedlings. |
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| This is the Tarpelein that identifies us and the EastWest Seed Foundation that we are partnering with to get more nutrition training into the Elementary age schools. |
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| Here are 2 of the trainers from EastWest Seed Foundation as they prepare the seed packets and work together to finalize the last day of training of the 5th and 6th grade teachers. Vegetable seed packets went into each school. By the way --- this is in the Province where the World Famous BANAUE RICE TERRACES are located. Farming is very important in this region. |
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| Elder Bell is part of the line up to award the teachers' certificates of course completion. East West Seed Foundation is represented, the Head Director from the IFUGAO Department of Education, and LDSC. All of the Teachers who attended the training were very happy that their school was selected to be a part of this program, and to have the opportunity to share this information and skills with their students. |
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| These are the tools that we gave to each school for them to utilize as they implement this training in their schools. They will prepare the soil and plant in January ((CRAZY>>>RIGHT!) And harvest is planned at the end of March. They grow vegetables year round here in the Philippines. |
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| Sister Tiru (one of our Church Service Missionaries) and I in our 'Chinese Silk dresses'. TWINS :) I bought the material and paid to have the dresses made by a local seamstress. This woman and her husband are our 'Right Hands' in so much of the work that we are doing in the Baguio and Pangasinan area. I thought this would be a special treat for her. |
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| I have to throw in something of nature .... to share our experience with you. The size of this spider is about the size of the Palm of my hand ... and then the legs span out. They grow them big here. This was off the side of the gates at the Area Presidency offices. |
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| This is the graduating group of trainers (teachers). They enjoyed the training and now have a lot of good 'hands-on' information and activities to work with the students. We are excited to see this program go foward in our area.  line up and have Christmas dinner. I felt like I was serving in the school hot lunch line ..... but such joys on the children's face. It was our Christmas present to them ..... and to ourselves to see them so happy and having a good time and good food.. |
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| Elder Bell and I at a Christmas Party up in Tuguegarao. This young woman is thrilled to have her new wheelchair and the possibilities it is opening up in her life. She continues to praise LDS Charities and how it is blessing her life ... and the lives of so many. |
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| I was asked to be one of the judges of a competition between the wheelchair technicians assembling a supportive wheelchair.. We had to evaluate each adjustment and assembly point. They all did a pretty good job. We are very happy to see the skills and abilities that are being gleaned from training and actual distribution of wheelchair activities. |
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| Elder Bell and I are in Vigan and are training the assessors and technicians on the assembly of the new model of wheelchairs. |
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| Elder Bell and I were actually able to provision the first 'new model of wheelchair' in the country. This gentleman was given a wheelchair from LDSC 7 years ago ... and he has WORN it out. So, our Partner, University of Northern Philippines, had assessed him for a new size 15.5 wheelchair ... but had none in stock. So with the arrival of the new Wheelchairs, they had stock. This gentleman lives in a city close to Baguio, and so we brought the chair back with us and met with him to give him his new wheelchair. He is very happy (hard to see his big smile)!! His legs have no strength and he has a large deformity (like a hunchback) on his right dorsal side ... about 6 inches from his buttocks. Because of all of the adjustments available on the new model chair; we were able to accommodate for his deformity and still have the wheelchair back offer him support!! Great!! |
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| Attempting to capture photos of the 200 children that we treated to a Christmas dinner and party for those students who are beneficiaries of the "PURPLE CENTERS" save a Child program. If you watch General Conference next April .... you will see a video produced by the LDS Philanthropy groups which informs about the work that the humanitarian funds are doing across the world. In April you will see videos about Purple Centers and Gentle Hands - 2 groups that we partner with. This group is up in BAGUIO and are children who actually live in and around the IRISAN DUMPSITE. The families make a living by digging through the dumpsite and gather materials that can be recycled or sold. |
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| The Children who are screened and have lung damage (from all of the smoking fires from cooking/ the methane gas being formed from rotting garbage at the dumpsite/ burning of plastics and other toxic materials, etc) and need to be taken out of that environment on a daily basis - after the screening, the children and cleaned up, provided a school uniform, given a hot nutritious lunch every school day, and medicines .... and they are able to stay in the school system for their entire school career ---- because The PURPLE CENTER funds their time in school. LDS Charities helps to provide the Rice and the Medicines for the Children. SO, for Christmas, Elder and I invited all of these beneficiary scholars up in the Baguio IRISAN DUMPSITE to come and enjoy a nutritious dinner and a party. (at our expense) The children loved it! The teenagers put together a program and danced the native dances, the choir sang beautiful Filipino Christmas Carols, It was a Christmas party to remember. Have grown to love these children. |
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| This is a sunset out the back of the building we have having the Christmas Celebration. We showed the video of the Nativity from the Bible Videos that the Church has produced. It was a great experience. |
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| These are 11 year old to 16 year old Filipino boys who are dancing the native Tribal dance for us. They set their own music by using the drums (Bronze drums) in front of them. It was fun to watch. HAHAHA -- they pulled us up and had us dance with them. They were honoring us! |
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| This 15 year old young woman has captured our hearts! Her family lives on the Irisan Dumpsite. Angelica has an older brother and a 5 year old younger brother. We are still trying to learn more about her family. She has always just watched us with adoring eyes and she has a sweetness about her that is just so refreshing and trusting. I asked her what her plans for the future are. She wants to finish high school and go on to a University in the area. She wants to become a Social Worker and help others. Elder Bell calls her one of our 'Filipino daughters'. |
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| Branch President Omar Moises and Sister Luz Moises, explaining to me the progress on the Member Welfare Project Chicken Coop and some of the small problems they have encountered. We are meeting with them weekly to provide the funds for the materials for the construction project. Their community is out 'in the boon-docks' and so there is no building material supply store available for them to set up vendor forms with. So we carry large amounts of PESOS with us so that we can purchase their supply order. We travel constantly .... from one place to another. |
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| A captured picture of the students who have finished their Christmas dinner and are examining the contents of their goody bags. Sweet children who have been given a chance for success and a life outside of 'digging through garbage for a livelihood'. Christmas Eve is now drawing to a close. WE WANT TO SEND OUR LOVE ACROSS THE OCEAN WE WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WE LOVE YOU DEEPLY, AND APPRECIATE YOUR INFLUENCE AND FRIENDSHIP IN OUR LIVES. MERRY CHRISTMAS! MAY YOU KNOW TRUE HAPPINESS. |
