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.

APRIL ...Inspirational General Conference and *blink* ...

Intricate and delicate flowers ... so beautiful!

Elder Dennis Smith and Sister Donna Smith ... Served
in Philippines as only Humanitarian Missionaries in
2009 - 2010 .... Wonderful work.   Been serving
as wheelchair Specialists for Asian and European
Areas ever since.    Planning on ending their
specialist mission at end of this year, and possibly
serving another humanitarian mission ... they tell
me ... maybe Iraq.      These are brave and valiant
souls in the service of the Lord.    

Fighting Cocks (Roosters) in the back yard of hotel
we stay in while in Ifugao ... can you imagine how
much sleep we really get?

April  came in with wonderful and inspiring messages from our living Prophet and Apostles of the Lord, Jesus Christ .    Wow!   Powerful messages watched at 12 midnight and 4am in the Area Offices.   It was humbling to listen to and witness the solemn assembly and raise our hands to sustain President Russell M. Nelson and the first presidency.    One of the newly sustained Area Seventies, Kenneth Lee, is a man that we work with in the Wheelchair Program here in the Philippines.   In ways, he has become like a son to me.     He is the third of those we work with who are called as Area Seventies.    They are good men who are willing to dedicate their time and talents in service to their fellow Filipinos and to the Lord.  

Training 2 Stakes and 3 Districts of Priesthood Leaders down in
Digos City Area on Mindanao.   Already have 1 proposal
put together and we are preparing it to go for approval .  Mindanao
is the area where most of the Muslim Terrorists are ...
so to go there we must be very careful and follow every
order from Security ... and have a native Filipino with our
side at all times.

This is a typical 'better bathroom' in many
of the hotels we need to stay in during
our travel adventures.  The shower ...
toilet ... sink ... all in same small
enclosure area.   

Elder Bell and Sister Tiru at the Ifugao School
Gardens 'Community Day'.    10 schools will compete
on a 'Cook off' and Poster making contest ... as
well as the final judges decisions on best gardens.

Excellent school gardens.

A potted eggplant plant ... one of the
prizes to the winning school.

School poster display to record their garden and activities.
Note photo on right center ... Elder Bell is fairly noticable
and has left his'big smile and kindness' to many of the
students and schools.   

A student and her mother working on their entry into the
school vegetable 'cook-off' competition.   

Big celebration for the 10
schools and the communities to
'show off' their garden's harvest
and what the students have learned.

This is Boisie ... he is one of the Head administrators at EastWestSeed Foundation ...
who LDS Charities partners with to provide the training and seeds
for the schools involved in this project.     The area in which this
project takes place is in the same area as the world famous
Banaue Rice Terraces that the Philippines is famous
for.    

All the main partners pose for a photo as we visit the
Bolog School where the main 'Community Day' was
held, and all of the main competitions.  

Another school represented by
this mother and daughter team.

It is always a surprise to see a pineapple growing
on a plant .... not a tree.

Elder & Sister Tiru (our Church Service Missionaries
who have helped us on many projects) behind
Elder Bell during the ceremony.

Elder Bell bringing smiles and sharing a message of
fun and enjoyment of gardening and working together with
students and teachers.  

All the vegetable based dishes prepared
for the school 'cook-off'.   Filipino
dishes so Elder & Sister Tiru are judges
in our behalf.   

Elder Tiru also assisted us in judging the posters the 10
students representing the different schools drew and colored.
Here he is having the Filipina girl explain the drawing and
message of the poster.  

One of the most appetizing Filipino Dishes that was based
around vegetables grown in their school garden. 

Elder Bell with Boisie and Maresha, the Project Manager,
with the winning school of the Best managed school garden.

 

This is the Beach Resort we stayed at for 12 days while
we held and assisted in teaching the Basic wheelchair
assessor training in San Fernando, La Union.   

a

I am going to miss being surrounded by beautiful
flowers from the Philippines.

We have our trainees sit for the class in a wheelchair
and allow them to understand more the experience and
importance of a well fit and prescribed wheelchair for the
recipient. 

The churchyard of the Sevilla LDS Church where we held
the wheelchair assessor trainings was filled with plants
bearing this beautiful, intricate flower. 

Part of the training is teaching
them proper transfer techniques
and how to teach them to
others.  

Yes .... I really love the Flora.

Elder Dennis Smith and Elder Bell discussing a part
of the training.

  

 

I found a special place in my heart for this family.
Gary ... the father ... dives for the pearls and other
shells, relics that he can find along the coast line
and makes the pearl necklaces and earrings.
His wife, Norkia, sells the products up and down
the beach along the line of beach resorts.    I
gave Gary a Book of Mormon, and told him that was
the most precious gift that I could share with him ...
and testified of it's truth and the joy that it could
bring his family.     He is in our prayers that he
will continue to look for truth and see beyond
his temporal existence.

Elder Bell assisting to make some of the adjustments needing
a strong hand during an 'LDSC Active Wheelchair' assembly.

Sister Precious Aquino and Sister Genalyn Jucutan - our
new Church Service Missionaries in the Wheelchair
Project Program for ITRMC in La Union.    They both
attended the assessor training .. fun girls to work with. 

This man has spent his life being mobile by walking on his
hands because his legs have no strength.  (Polio)   This is
his first wheelchair.   Amazingly strong upper body and
I could not believe how well he could fold up his legs
and walk on his hands to get around.    It was time to give
him better mobility and access to more things in life. 

This is Gary and Norkia's family again .... with the beach, the
surf of the La Union coastline behind us.   It was a beautiful
place to stay while in La Union, 

This woman has had both legs amputated.   She came and
was measured for her own wheelchair..   She was extremely
happy to be given one ... knew she would never in her lifetime
be able to afford one.       The Missionaries assisted us in
bringing the recipients in and being friendly.    No Proselyting is
the rule as they assist us .... but they leave kind impressions and
good spirits with all that come. 

This gentleman was ravished by polio, and in the past year has
had a stroke leaving him home bound.   His new wheelchair
allows him to now get out and be able to go to market and
be involved in community activities.     He was really a
pretty tiny little man with a barrel chest and wasted legs.

This gentle man touched mine and Tharon's heart.    He was
given a wheelchair.... and I worked closely with him  .... had both
the resemblance and personality of a chimpanzee ... made me
smile.

Inactive member from San Juan Ward working at the
Sunset Bay Restaurant.    Juanalyn Rivera ... told her
she needs to become active and attend Church when
possible so that she could receive the blessings that
God has for her.    A very sweet, beautiful
Filipina woman.     Also told her if she wants to find
a good man .. she needed to come back to
Church and find one who knows the truths
of the Gospel and will take her to the Temple. 
She wasn't offended ... but very humble and
grateful that I cared enough to talk to her
about it.       I will be praying for her. 

Another Photo from the Sunset Bay
resort in La Union.    I think this
has been my 2nd favorite resort
to stay in (Isa Hayahay on
Bohol still holds #1) .... the food was
good and the atmosphere
was very tropical and peaceful.
And we overlooked the ocean
at breakfast and dinner
every day!!

Last shot of our room at the Sunset Bay Resort.