JUNE .... Goodbye to Philippines and Hello back into Family live

 

 Leaving the Philippines and all of the wonderful Senior Couples and amazing Filipino people brought out many tender feelings.    We have such a great love for the people that we work along side of .... as well as for those special Filipinos that we were blest to associate with and work hand in hand.

Hunter Bell announced his engagement to Sage Rowley ... and
we are excited to have her become a part of the Bell Tribe.

Ashley Bell Peterson's Family photo .... Ashley was
a true life saver in so many ways to Annie during
the past year in Annie's tumultous life.   Helped
ready and sell the 176 North home, helped her
move to our home on 200 West in Brigham City.
She helped plan the wedding, and be Annie's
surrogate mother while we completed our mission
in the Philippines.    What a blessing she has been to both
Annie, and to Me!

This is our final evening in Manila, Philippines.    Dinner with the
other Senior Couples in the Area Welfare Department.    Love these
selfless, amazing Senior Couples.   They have shared and lightened
our burdens, and brought friendship and joy to our life while we served
in the Philippines.

Bishop & Sister Marquez in the Baguio, Pacdal Ward.    We traveled
so much that we were more often visiting other Wards and Branches throughtout
the Philippines.    It was nice to feel that Pacdal Ward was our 'Home Base', and
could plan on at least 1 meeting a month to be there with them.    Strong members,
sweet, humble .... doing all they can to keep the commandments and share
the light of the Gospel into the lives of others.

This is the Philippines Area Welfare office.  L to R in Rear: Elder & Sister
Browne, Sister Grimshaw, Elder & Sister Robinson, Elder & Sister Owen,
Elder & Sister McIver.  L to R in Front:  Jairus Perez - Area Welfare
Director,  Me & Elder Bell, and Mae anne Vicedo.   (Elder & Sister
Stroud have preceeded us in returning home.    Kenneth Lee,
Emergency Services & Wheelchair, not available.  Willie DaSalla,
Finance, not available.)

Last Sunday with Pacdal Ward in Baguio .... very precious
and strong saints.    Love them dearly! 

Our roommate in our Hotel the last few
nights before flying out.    These little
geikos are found throughout the
Philippines, and quite often have been our
roommates.

Is great to receive a big welcome home and to spend time with our
amazing children and grandchildren.    Love being with each and
every one of them.

Kenzie, Jake, Alexander, Oakley, and
MaKai.   Best Buddies!

Our precious family in our backyard to be together and
celebrate being home.  One day to unpack suitcases and then .....

Preparations and Wedding time for Annie and girls
to Bryce Brasher up at our Cabin in the Uinta Mountains. 
Annie found this special man who loves her and cherishes
the 2 little girls.    Annie & Bryce are so much alike and
love good things,

Matt arranged to bring the family back to Utah,
and had done an online application to become
a 'minister' so that he could perform the
marriage.   A little unorthodox, but for now
it was perfect.    They will be sealed in the
Temple when everything is approved and
correct to proceed.

This is MaKenzie Jo Ball, Annie's youngest
daughter - a look alike of Annie and of me (coloring
of hair, skin, and eyes) but a firecracker personality.
She has given her mother a 'run for the money' since
birth.

This is Oakley Ball ... ready for an 'Outdoors
Wedding' for the girls and to be able to be a
big part of Annie's & Bryce's Wedding.    It was
a beautiful day!

Our Annie, Our Amy, and our Ashley .... 3 muskateers!    Truly
I love these 3 daughters of mine.

Annie and her 'papa'.   She has always been 'daddy's little
sweetheart'.    They have been fishing buddies since she was
big enough to walk and hold a fishing pole.

Two Bryces.     Bryce Brasher - Annie's new husband and gentle
soul willing and wanting to be the instant father of 2 little
darling girls; and our Bryce Bell - our eldest son (and Annie's
eldest brother)  and owner
now of Plumbing Professionals, Inc.    These 2 Bryces have
the exact same birthday (Feb. 19th) but different years, and
they both have a passion for hunting, and cowboy music, and
adventure.     We love both of our Bryce B.s!   

Me (Holly) and Jenni Bell
(Matt's wife) in a quick moment
after the wedding before she
and Matt and boys take off
to travel to Yellowstone with
her family.    They flew back
to Alexandria Virginia after
spending 2 weeks here in Utah
with us.   

Carter and Grandpa ..... Big passion for fishing.    They have been
fishing in Mantua Reservoir since being home.    This is a 19 inch
rainbow trout that Carter caught .... nice fish, great Job, Carter.

Grandma likes to set up the pools in the backyard and
let the grandkids romp and play .... they have missed us
as much as we missed them.

This is Kole ... Ashley's second son. 
He is a sweet .... and busy , almost 2 year
old boy.    It took me 2 days to win him over
to grandma.... but boy am I glad that I did!

This is the back seat of the truck.    I have vowed to clean out my
closet from all of the old clothes that just do not fit anymore, and to
attempt to simplify my life a bit.   A few trips to the Deseret
Industries should allow these 'gently worn' clothes that I do not
fit into any more to be utilized by someone else who is smaller
than me and could use some usable clothing.          I love that we
can share those things that we really do not need anymore with others
in our communities that could use them.        In America, we have so
much that we take for granted or expect to have ......... in so many, many
other countries the people are poor and are lucky to have enough changes
of clothing to last from wash day to wash day.       I am humbled and
grateful to have been so richly blest to always have everything that I need,
and many of the wants of my life.            I hope that we can all be
more appreciative of what we have ..... and be more willing to share
with those who are less fortunate than us.

MAY ....LAST MONTH .. joy and sadness

Started out May with a 'Hand over Ceremony' at the
LASAM DISTRICT HOSPITAL  on the far north
end of Luzon.   LDSC provided much needed Life-
Saving Equipment  ... along with more beds, matteresses,
medicine stands, crash cart, etc.     It makes it
possible for the hospital to treat the people that come
into the hospital with life-threatening emergencies - not
send them the 3 hours to the next big hospital.

MAY has came and just about gone by now.   It has been a busy month filled with tying up loose ends and getting everything lined up and ready to pass on our mission assignment to Elder Wayne Robinson & Sister Betty (Elizabeth) Robinson from Spokane Washington.         This month has been very busy with requests for Member Welfare Projects and more trainings and meetings to help the Priesthood leaders understand "How to develop a Member Welfare Project and Who they are for".      

    It is going to be difficult to say goodbye to so many who have became dear to our hearts ... but we are so ready to be with family and be a part.    

This is the crash-cart that will hold the defibrillator and
necessary equipment and supplies to be able to quickly attend
to emergency situations within the hospital.   

Elder Bell always loves to be right in the middle of the
younger missionaries.   These are amazing young men and
women with big testimonies and huge hearts to serve.

Up to now, I have not had a good opportunity to capture a photo
of one of these tractors they use out in the rice fields.   It also
doubles as a mode of transportation when not working.   Here the
entire family is climbing on and going into town. 

This is a 2-section Hen Setter that Elder
Bell has built for the Filipinos to be able
to use.   It keeps the Hen sitting on the
eggs for enough time to hatch out all
of the eggs.    Adds to the number of
viable chickens in the flock.      This
one we took up to ABRA province for
the La Paz Member Welfare Project.  

This is looking out off the balcony beyond our home office doors.  The
rainy season is preparing to begin, and we have had huge thunderstorms
almost every day for the past 2 weeks.     It is beautiful up here ... a certain
peace - and definately the temperatures are more tolerable than down
the mountain.     We have grown to love Baguio and the mixture of Pines
among the tropical foliage.   Love this land .... love the myriads of people.  

Another meeting with a Branch Council and
District SRS personnel.   Hoping that they can now
plan out their member welfare project to help the
'poorest of the poor' of their members .... and receive
the confirmation from the Lord to proceed forth with
it.

Precious and beautifully
innocent and pure.   "Become as a little
child."

Found a pearl diver who has located a cache of these
out off the coast.  Now to figure out if they are the
real ones or the counterfeit that was made in China.

My precious families are taking advantage
of good weather and the 'call of the
out-of-doors'.    I am missing each and
everyone of my children and grandchildren... we
have much 'catching-up' to do!!!!!

This little trooper is like her mother
(Annie) and loves to be outside and go
fishing.    Ahh, it does a mother and
grandmother's heart good. 

Brayton, 2nd oldest grandson, graduated from Weber High
School this past week.    Here he is with his father, my Bryce,
and his gorgeous mother, Kate.    Love this special family of
my eldest son.    So proud of this young man ... 

We were asked to bear our testimonies today in our Ward,
and I couldn't pass up the chance to take a photo of many of
the precious saints that we have grown to love in Pacdal
Ward, Baguio Stake.   Shy, kind, humble, loving souls.

Bishop Marquez and his dear wife, talking their 2 week
returned Missionary son into snapping a quick photo for
us as remembrance.   Have grown to love them and
appreciate their diligence and willingness to serve and
lead with love and kindness.  

These are scenes and memories that will never leave
our minds and hearts.  This is absolutely 'normal' life here in the
Philippines.  Kids out playing, houses up the hill and
multi-levels the entire hillside.  Laundry and trikes and
clutter on top of each other..... and happy smiles.

The "Lion Head" -- chiseled a bit, and
shaped by the Local Lion's Club of
Baguio.   Huge tourist
attraction and huge problem with
the traffic coming up Kennon
Canyon.

This is an addition onto this members home that he has been
able to pay for because of his part in a Member Welfare Project
in the Branch.    This in Lubao ... they are raising pigs.   

Love the ducks and geese, chicks, piglets,
baby goats .... awww .. kind of thinking
a farm is a pretty interesting life.

We will miss having so many varieties of bananas ...
and always available.  They grow in so many backyards
and along pathways. 

Another family that has benefitted from the Pig
Member Welfare Project in this area.    They were wise and
kept their pig pen simple, sturdy, but sufficient to do the
job.     She works odd jobs to bring in whatever
monies that she can for the family.   He also. 

This is the young man who had surgery last June in Baguio. 
He had a huge bulbous structure removed from between
his eyes.   We ran into him while up training on a new
Branch request for a Member Welfare Project.   Was a wonderful
reunion with him and his mother.   He is looking great!

Do you like the shower that these pigs can get in their
piggery.   This is one of the 3 Group Member Welfare Projects
that are still in 'Pilot' stage.   This 2 month old piglets love
sprinkler time!     This project if for 2 wards in the La Union
Area.    Represents 24 families.   

These beautiful trees are bright red-orange
and dot the roadways.   We love the drive
down through the provinces when these trees
are blooming or the Mango trees  are
ripening.  

This is another family who have benefited from the
Branch Member Welfare Project.   She is 65 and goes out
all day to find work.   Currently she puts in 11 hours a day
during the harvest of the tiny red peppers.   She spends the
entire day out picking the peppers.   She makes 300 pesos a day
during Pepper season.  (That is 6 dollars for back breaking
labor out in the hot .. bearing down sun.)   Her first husband
passed away and this is her 2nd husband.   His health prevents him
from being able to go out and do much labor, but he helps with
the pigs and the 4 grandchildren that they are raising.    It is
a hard life in the Philippines. 

This is the Group Project again, in La Union.   Elder Bell enjoys
visiting with the brethren and swapping 'livestock raising
tales'.    

I like this photo because I know that alot of the children will
gather scrap lumber and wood from the tree areas and bring
the sticks/wood home and then the family will build a fire and
burn the wood to this stage - and then sell it for charcoal.  Many
people will purchase it because most Filipinos will cook their meals
outside over a pit or fire area.   Some have old style BBQ grills and
will boil the water for rice on one side and then sticks with pieces of
meat skewered through.   This will either be the family's meal or
it will be sold to neighbors.

This is the Wandering Jew plant that I dug up along the
crack in a sidewalk back in April when we had to wait
for our tires to be put on (driving on mountain roads with
our wire webbing coming through the tread ....scary
stuff).     It is growing well and loves being outside
on the balcony. 





We love the work.   We love seeing people's lives changed
for the best and the richness of kindness that pervades the
work that we do here.   

We will miss being in the thick of Missionary work ...
but Family time is calling.    We fly home on June 11th...
a wedding on June 16th .... time to be with our precious
loved ones.       

This is just a picture of our 'project board'
on our wall in our home office.    I keep track of
all of the projects and what is happening on
this.     Quick Glance concept.    Here you just
see the Member Welfare Projects that are
approved and in process ... and below are the ones
that are in the preparations and putting together
stages.       These MWP are a true miraculous
blessing in the lives of our poverty stricken
members.   What a wonderful program to be
involved in  .... humbled to be a part of it.