Sunday May 6, 2012

This past week was a bit slow. Tuesday, was Labor Day in the Philippines, hence a holiday. The SM Mall hosted a job fair. We went to see what it was like and it was amazing.  People were lined outside the full length of the Mall. We went upstairs  so we could look down on what was happening. There were so many people all clutching their resumes and hoping for a job.  It was reported that there were between 5000-6000 people there. There were 550 that were hired that day. 

 There were so many people.

  Thursday and Friday, no one showed up for the English classes. There are youth conferences happening the next week and everyone is busy preparing. Saturday we were on the road early for a Career Workshop in Calabanga.  This was our first time to visit this ward. It is located about 20K from Naga. We picked up Sis. Abonalla about 7 a.m. so  we could be ready to start at 8. We started at nine

. People wondered in an d out all day with a total of 28 participants. There were 15 who stayed for the whole class. It is a lot of fun to teach the class and to get to know the members of the church. The Relief Society cooked lunch for us. Rice, of course, with chicken and hard boiled eggs simmered in a soy sauce mixture. It was very  good. When we were ready to go the sisters asked us if we could wait until the snack arrived. A tricie arrived with sticky rice wrapped in coconut leaves. They were warm and yummy.  They gave each of us  a bunch of 5 packets. We were going to see the missionaries later and decided that they needed to enjoy some sticky rice,too.

Sister Abonalla was the facilitator

Boys like to clown and eat

The RS Cooks. cleaning up

Jean and John

Exa is a teacher and Jen is leaving for her mission in a month

 It was a very hot day and it felt so good to drive home with the aircon cooling us down.  We were invited to a baptism that evening. Two young women were being baptized. They have been attending church for several months. Larry made the statement “do you really think it will start on time?”  To which I answered it doesn’t matter. We need to be on time. We arrived with about 5 min to spare and walked in to find it was half over. They had started Early! We were there in time to see the baptism . Bro. Cledera came back and asked me to give the closing prayer. It was good to see both Carmela and Jona so happy. We enjoyed hearing their testimonies even if we don’t understand much. We gave the Elders the sticky rice and headed for home. It had been a long day. 

Elders Winter, Collado.Jona, Carmela, E. & S. DeGrange

This a photo of Onie. He is our neighbor and calls us Grandma and Grandpa. He really likes to talk.He is 4.

                        Here is a photo that I took on the road.

When the chickens quit laying, you see them in pens along the roadside with signs that say 4 sale culled. Looks like this man bought a bunch and is taking them home.

All the Jeepney's are named and here is one just of Emma. How would you like to drive this?

We attended church at the Camaligan Branch. They meet in a brand new building and it is so nice. Because it is a branch, the building does not  have air conditioning. There are ceiling fans in the chapel and all the class rooms. The power went off a couple of times and my thoughts, “it is going to be really hot”. However, the power came right back and I was thankful. Larry bore his testimony. This was the day he was baptized when he was 16. It is a good day to remember. We then attended our ward at 1:00. We did not stay for priesthood and RS because after 5 hours of sitting we are ready to go home. It has been a good Sunday and even tho we do not understand much of the language we feel the spirits of those who bore their testimonies and know that they know what we know , that the gospel  is true.

One more picture. On our walk each morning we always see new things. On this morning we saw a favorite flower, a purple vinca. We have planted vinca for several years because it does so well in hot weather. Guess that's why it looks so good here. :)