March 22, 2012

We started out March with a ride to Calabanga,. It is the only ward in the Naga Stake that we have not visited. We thought it would be good to make a trial run and find the church. It took about an hour to drive and the church was right on the road. We decided to continue driving and see if we would come to the ocean and we did. The road was very narrow with lots of sharp turns, but it was a beautiful drive.

corn planted in the coconut orchard

Fences were around each house

San Miguel Bay

Fishing boats and fishing and crab traps in San Miguel Bay

Slow down - school zone

Hedges along both sides of the road to Calabanga

Old Catholic Church in Calbanga

On Saturday, the PEF committee had a Career Guidance training for the students that are applying for Perpetual Education Fund loans. Five students attended the training. We were assigned to give a overview of the Career Workshop and scheduled a Career Workshop for them.
On March 10 we were part of a training for the Legazpi Stake on the 3 and 3 program that is being implemented.  The area presidency has implemented a program to activate members.Each ward was to pick 15 inactive members and work with them to help them return  to full activity and eventually to the temple. The ERC has implemented  a program where 3 of the 15 and 3 active members that need help with employment will be helped individually to become self reliant. Pres. Villanueve  from Manila was there to help with the training. Larry and I worked with the bishops and ward councils in the afternoon. We decided to spend the night in Legazpi and enjoyed dinner with Carlo and Jamel. We attended church in the Legazpi Ward. The people were so excited to have another missionary couple in their ward. We had to tell them that we lived in Naga and were only visiting.
April 14, I finally went to the doctor. I have been coughing for about 2 months and then it settled in my ears. He gave me a couple of  prescriptions. Within a few days my right ear felt much better but the left one was more resistant. Tuesday, I discovered  what looked like bug bites but we decided it must be a reaction to one of the medications. I quit taking them but itch all over. If it's not one thing it is another.

Saturday, March 17 was the Naga Stake RS Birthday Celebration. Sister Baker and I both had the opportunity of speaking. The rest of the activity was held outside where each ward made a banner on Bloom Where You Are Planted. There are some very creative sisters. Elder DeGrange and I went home as we had already did a Career Workshop that morning. That evening we were tired so we met the Bakers at the Red Platter and had a relaxing dinner.

A car hit us in a traffic jam on our way home from Legazpi.There was a hugh traffic jam and we were in the middle of it. No one could even move and there was an ambulance trying to get through. This car thought he could sneak through with the ambulance. Instead he hit us. We were able to pull off the road and sat there  for about 2 hours before traffic was able to move. We got home at 11:00 p.m. We have never been in such a jam!

 We did not get damaged too much.
This is all for this time. As you can see - placing pictures is still a problem. Maybe by the time we come home, I will have it figured out. We have been here just about one year. The time has gone quickly and we have learned so many things about ourselves and the beautiful  area where we live and of course all the wonderful people.