We hope that if you take the time and read of our adventures, that you can share just a tiny taste of the experiences .... the joys .... some of the struggles ...... the vistas ...... and a few of the wonderful people with whom we rub shoulders with and work to serve in whatever capacity we are asked.
Thank you for taking a few moments and walking with us
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| We never tire of the amazing flowers and lush green growth that surrounds us in our travels. |
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| Here is Elder Bell explaining his feelings and ideas about Member Welfare Projects and how they fit into the scheme of Priesthood Leaders assisting their unit members who are extremely poor and needy(utilizing Fast Offering Funds) to have access to training, skill experience, and resources so that the families can become self sustaining. |
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| The ladies from the Pozorrubio Piggery Project which is now closed in our records. We have grown close to these hard working, humble women who many times are supporting themselves and raising their grandchildren while the parents are having to work in foreign lands. |
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| Elder Bell and David Bowman, Philippine Area Controller, discussing the excellent quality of the long knife made by one of our local member artisans. |
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| Bishop Viernes preparing the meeting place for the Dilan unit. We have shown pictures from this area before. This is a little unit that is growing and working towards becoming a Branch. We try to attend this unit whenever possible. I always have to smile ... because when we show up we are either asked to teach lessons or speak in Sacrament meeting. We love the humility and simpleness of these kind saints and their strong faith in our Savior. Bishop Viernes indicated that the leaders were looking into renting a building to hold the Church meetings in .... currently this area is set up off the side of a member's home. |
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| Yes ... Turkeys in the Philippines. The demand is great and the supply is very small; but on our San Juan Member Welfare Project they have a penned area in which they are raising Turkeys. They currently have 8 chicks and 12 growing hens & roosters. Come market time, they will have a good product to make available. |
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| Elder Bell is marveling at the "odorless piggery" that the San Juan project has constructed. They are over their construction budget and we are getting concerned if they will truly be able to reach the point of sustainability before project funds run out. It is sometimes difficult to administer these projects and keep everything in the controls that should be being made by the local project managers. |
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| We delivered 5 transport wheelchairs up to Lasam District Hospital, which we have a current project going to provide them with $10,000 worth of more lifesaving & needed hospital equipment. Hoping to deliver it to the Hospital before we leave the Philippines. |
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| A long range shot of one of the northern tips of Luzon as we traveled across the northern coastline. |
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| I just never completely get my fill of beaches and the tropical sound of the ocean. I continue to marvel at the beauties of this earth and the blessings multiplied to us every day. |
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| Last visit to the Lighthouse Sanctuary and Julie & Junell Hernando. LDSC has supplied all the beds, dressers, dining table and chairs, refrigerator, office furniture, etc so that they are now ready to receive those filipino girls from the exploited and sex trafficking life. This is an amazing family who have willingly been led and guided by the Spirit to make this their lives' mission. Special people who will always have a place in our heart! |
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| Chicks in the brooder ... here they are about 12 days old. Growing well. San Manuel Chicken Raising Member Welfare Project. |
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| We are visiting the 10 Elementary schools in the Ifugao Province for their School Garden evaluations. These are two 1st graders who are helping to carry the bamboo poles over to the stage to assist the older students in preparations for the school graduation coming up this next week. We love how they learn to work together and spread the work to all who are willing to jump in and help. |
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| This is an Ilokano Traditional garden 'scarecrow'. A 'pudong'. It is made by tying up a stick figure out of corn leaves or leaves from other plants. But this is a message to all humans that the products grown here are 'off limits' and not to be picked or disturbed by others. |
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| We are evaluating the school gardens. Each of the ten schools were given supplies and seeds, and taught the skills to the 5th & 6th grade teachers. The teachers brought it all back into their school curriculum, and their pupils prepared, planted, mulched, watered, weeded, and took care of their gardens. Each garden was quite unique because each school area was different. Some were behind buildings, some in front, some down the hill, some in terraces, some of the gardens utilized recycled containers, some actually filled the legs of old jeans with composted soil and grew their vegetable plants from the article of clothing container. |
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| Elder Bell had been asked to harvest one of the cucumbers from this school garden. He thoroughly enjoyed the crisp, fresh cuke. |
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| Yes, I am harvesting cucumbers also. The gardens have grown well and the students are so excited when we praise them on their vegetables and the quality of the items. |
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| The flowers always catch my eye. |
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| Tis the flower season! We see many of these along the roadway off of the Baguio mountain, and along areas that they have cultivated and planted the original starts. |
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| This is a precious photo to us. We have traveled the 6 hours to meet with this Branch Welfare council 4 times total now. The La Paz Branch is up in ABRA Province, and has security issues so we cannot actually travel right into La Paz. We meet in Bangued and work together to assist them in developing their Member Welfare Project. They are outstanding men who want to assist the 'poorest of the poor' in their Branch ..... and there are many member families who fit this description. This area is a very poor area out amid the Cordillera mountain range. We continue to feel the Spirit prompt us, work with us, inspire us as we attempt to help them to be able to figure out how to put together a project that has all of the necessary elements of a successful plan. |
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| Another beautiful flower. I am going to have to have Jenni Bell give me some 'Flower Knowledge' when we are home so that I can call them by their official (no, not scientific) name. |
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| Just wanted to throw in a photo or two of a few of the amazing Church employees we have had the blessing to work with this past month. This is a better photo of Gordon Carmen (S.L. Welfare Department controller); and Steve Petersen (General Welfare Department Director for the Church). |
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| This is Daniel del Alemeida, our Philippine Area Director of Temporal Affairs. He has served in this same position in Brazil. He is a spiritual giant and a very kind and soft spoken man. Whenever we present a project to be approved .... he asks us "Did you feel the Spirit on this one?" He has touched our hearts and taught us more in spiritual matters and how it applies and works in ways we consider temporal. |
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| Ahhh .... another beautiful photo from our drive across the northern coastline. Many times we have meetings on the northeastern part of the island, and the next week have meetings on the northwestern part. So this time we took advantage and made our schedule a little closer and utilized the time to make this beautiful drive. |
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| The teachers from this school are very proud of their students' garden .... were more than willing to pose for a photo for us to include in our reports. |
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| Even the Vegetables have beautiful little flower blossoms to brighten the gardens and please the eye. |
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| This dear Church Service Missionary couple have given many, many hours of service with us. Elder and Sister Tiru will be a large part of our memories and the reasons for our successes with many projects and in many activities. They will complete their missionary service the same time that we finish ours. They will continue to serve as Temple Workers for the Manila Temple ... and hoping to see the Urdaneta Temple groundbreaking very soon. |
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| Some of the Member Welfare Projects are also raising Ducks. Duck meat is enjoyed here in the Philippines and is much better tasting than our 'wild ducks'. One of the delicacies is called 'Balut'. This is a fertilized duck egg that has been put in storage (or buried) for a month and then eaten. (We were warned not to eat because of the fermented bacteria ) ... most of the young Elders will attempt this delicacy.... and most say it is not bad. Some say like a boiled egg .... others say it is so hard to choke down. Nope!! Not on our list of accomplished things that must be done while in the Philippines. |
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| This precious little filipina was born Thursday Mar. 29. She is the daughter of Omar & Luz Moises. (San Manuel Branch) They have became quite close to us ... so they have blessed us to be Lolo & Lola (grandpa & grandma) Bell for this little girl. Rylie Marie Moises We are glad she arrived here safely. xoxoxo |
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| Rarely do you travel anywhere without seeing a boy with a basketball or a group of boys playing the game. They love basketball. Most of the Barangay (neighborhood) centers or halls have an area in which the young men and boys can have a hoop available to make shots and play the game. |
As always your post is filled with interesting experiences and photos. It was nice to see brother Steve Petersen who we know from our opportunity to host the welfare couples at the MTC.
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