Paete and Lumbang

We visited the Wood carving Capital of the Philippines, Paete, on March 28, and saw the workshops of the carvers from whom we have bought things. It was really fun.The whole town is woodcarvers, but most do Catholic images. Our two are members, and probably make a killing off all the senior missionaries--well, all missionaries!

The first picture is the chapel in Paete, then of the town and area, and the woodcarvers' workshops.

Next we went down to Lumbang, which is the embroidery capital. We saw tablecloths and things that have over a year's work in them. Very beautiful, made from banana fiber, among other things. But I didn't get any pictures.

Busy!

We have been so busy since changing assignments that we don't have much energy at night for blogging! We leave the apartment every morning at 7, and pretty much don't come up for air until we leave to come home at 4:30. Two days a week, usually Tuesday and Friday, we go out to visit missionaries in their homes, to check for the cleanliness and safety standards and to leave a message with them. We love visiting the missionaries! They are so sweet and so dedicated. We feel very privileged to be serving with them.

One Saturday, about three weeks ago, we went to Pagsanjan Falls, which is on a river in a lovely canyon about two hours south of Manila. We were to meet several couples from the area office there, but we drove down with Elder and Sister Paine. After waiting for our group for nearly an hour, we decided to go ahead on our own. It was a good decision, as they were just leaving in the boats as we got back.

Here is the view from the restaurant at the resort from which we left:

And here is the map of the river:

Each of us first had to don a life vest and a hard hat. David models:

We passed the Paines as we were heading out:

Each boat had two boatmen. When in the river, they had the easy job of paddling and talking to us.

When the river was lower, or full of boulders, they hopped out and pushed us along.

As you can see from the map, we passed several smaller waterfalls along the way to the Pagsanjan Falls.

 A large party of Koreans was just ahead of us. They got out at this fall to have a look around. I was very glad our guides did not offer the opportunity to us, as the logistics looked daunting!

The water depth is quite variable. Christmas Week, they said, the water was a good twenty feet higher, and they were unable to get all the way to the big falls. In dry season, sometimes there is very little water and they drag the boats much of the way. Even the day we went, there were some rock outcroppings that prevented water navigation. They had prepared for this by laying large iron pipes between the rocks, and dragging boat and passengers up over the pipes to get us to deeper water again! A very peculiar sensation!

We were told that we had the opportunity to go under the Pagsanjan Falls. We were not to go under the main part, but off to the side. We were sold rainslickers (disposable) to help stay dry. They didn't really give us the full story! When we got out of our canoes, we walked across a beach area, and someone collected our glasses for safekeeping. Then we boarded a bamboo raft with about twenty passengers--which as we boarded, was already about a foot and a half below the water. We had two ropes down the center to hold on to, and the new boatmen pulled on a rope that was secured across the water under the falls. David was kneeling and was somewhat secure, but I was "sitting," which meant I was actually floating the entire way. Once we got under the falls, yes, we were slightly over to the side, but I was actually submerged and unable to breathe for a short period. It was fairly unnerving.

Had I known that a swim was part of the plan, I might have remembered to secure my camera--it got completly wet and had water in the lens--and I might have been more psychologically prepared! (Fortunately, the camera dried out and works fine!) I don't think I would do it again, but if I did, I would sit towards the middle of the raft, rather than the side where I could float off so easily.

We returned to our own canoes, and had a chilly (we were wet) but uneventful ride back. All in all, quite an adventure!

Christmas #2

We invited missionaries to our apartment to Skype with their families. They are allowed to do this twice each year, so we wanted to help them be comfortable and enjoy their visits. I made some cinnamon rolls and some tortilla roll-ups, and we dug out all the sweets and nuts we had stashed around the apartment. The first came at nine am, and the last left at five pm. We were quite content, but too tired to cook Christmas dinner by then, so ate rolls I had made the day before, and apples! Afterward we opened our presents, and watched It's A Wonderful Life.

Elder Northrup, Sister Jensen, Sister Hansen, Elder Hansen, and Elder Eugenio

Elder Cruz and Elder Hadley

Elder Eugenio and Elder Grow

The next day, some of them came back because they weren't able to connect for some reason, so they were here from 12-3.  The rest of the day, we napped!

Christmas #1, By David

We are settling in for a quiet Christmas here.  After having sunny weather for awhile, it is very overcast and rainy this Christmas Eve.  It actually makes it seem more like Christmas, and our apartment seems more cozy.  Of course, the temperatures are still warm, and people are wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts out in the rain.

Yesterday was our Mission Christmas party, attended by 220 missionaries and senior couples.  The 40 missionaries over on Palawan had their own party last week.  Cheryl and I helped around the edges.  She was in charge of table decorations, and we transported the Mission Home help with her food to the chapel.  We also helped serve the meal.

Our assignment has expanded.  In addition to being the Housing Missionaries, Cheryl is now serving as office receptionist, and is in charge of entering the referrals into the software database and finding them on the map.  What normally are 5 to 10 each day has risen to 20 per day this Christmas season.  On transfer day, she processes the scheduling, interviews, and paperwork for the incoming missionaries, and arranges for transportation.  She has also assumed the work of the language training course coordinator.

I have, with trepidation, assumed the position of Financial Secretary.  The Elder who I replaced had an MBA and was CFO of Franklin Covey. 

The missionary work is going well.  Our mission has had 1000 baptisms this year.  The young Elders and Sisters are remarkable, and we love being able to support them.

Tables and decorations--$20 budget for 28 tables!

Missionaries getting ready for gift exchange

Our talented pianist, Elder Thurber

Santa, Mrs. Claus, and his elves arrive!
(President and Sister Ostler and the Assistants to the President.)

The festal pigs

As funny as it is to see a full-sized missionary in a star costume,
this nativity play by the missionaries was really very nice and
quite reverent.  They sang, I think songs from The Forgotten Carols,
and we learned what nice voices several of them have.
It was really very sweet.

Second Good-Bye

We had a second good-bye dinner with the Thelers, and hello to the Hansens. We went to Chilis in the Power Plant Mall (I have no idea why it has that name). The lights there, inside and outside, were amazing. I didn't get my camera out in time to take pictures of the palm trees with lights strung down each frond, but we did take some inside the restaurant and one out in the mall.  No, your monitor is not distorting things, the Christmas color of choice in this mall was orange!

Northrups, Hansens, Paines, Thelers

If I cropped out Elder Paine's shoulder, I would not have all the lights on the second floor!

Thelers flew out the next morning, Dec. 20.

Farewell Testimony Meeting

Two couples left us this week, the Thelers and the Jensens. We didn't know the Jensen's as well. They were the Self Reliance Center missionaries, and started their mission being headquartered over in Manila proper. A couple of months ago, a portion of our ward building at Buendia was remade into a new SRC, and they moved their operations over there, just across the parking lot from the office. From then on, we saw much more of them. The Thelers were in the office, he as Mission Financial Secretary and she as Mission Secretary.

Jensens, from Kansas City

Thelers, from Draper, UT

Since we knew they would be going and not be replaced, our assignment changed to include their duties with ours. David is now Financial Secretary, and I am the Mission Secretary. We try to check apartments two days a week now, and work in the office the other three days, and go look at new apartments as needed.

Thelers took a few days to go up to the Banaue Rice Terraces, and returned Wednesday afternoon. that evening we had our formal farewell dinner for them and the Jensens at the Mission Home.

 The remainder of the evening was spent in sharing testimonies, and how they had been strengthened by missions, lots of hugs and farewells.

Tuesday, December 16

Tuesday, I got to go to Virlanie again. Sister Jamie Bohn was the person who started it, and she moved back to the states last summer. Then Sister Theler took it over, and their mission ended. So, now it's mine. On Tuesday, many people were celebrating Christmas holidays, so there were only two of us to go, The RS president, Micah Bremner, and me, but-she brought her six kids. It was really great. They and the children enjoyed each other and all went well. However, I need to remember some more kid songs, and to learn some in Tagalog.  That's my new project. If any readers have suggestions, I welcome them!

Tuesday we also started walking around the roof deck, mostly because I'm bored to death with the exercises we've been doing since we got here (when we exercise, which is not nearly as often as we would like to.) The internet is not reliable enough to get our exercise program we subscribe to, so we just do the same. Anyway, it's really nice up on the roof. At this season and time of day, anyway (December, 5:30 am) it is beautifully cool (70s) and beautifully visual, with sunrise and the river flowing through the city.