Saturday we had Makati Fourth Ward Women's Conference, from 9-1 at the bishop's house. We spent the first thirty minutes putting together lap games for hospitalized children, to help with the Young Women's Camp service project. They are going down to Bago, and area hurt badly by the typhoon, and will be giving the games to children in hospitals there. Then we had classes on Homemaking for Gypsies, Raising Stripling Warriors, Strengthening Marriage, and Staying in Contact with Far-Flung Families.
I may have mentioned before that our ward is largely expatriates. If you can speak Tagalog, you are not supposed to be in that ward. English is spoken as the common language among visitors and immigrants from all over the world, but largely Asia and the South Pacific. The woman giving the Homemaking for Gypsies classes is getting ready to make her eighth international move! Her husband has been living in Malaysia for the last five years, and commuting on weekends, and now, she and the kids are moving back. We have people from the Area Offices, lots of missionaries, and lots of international businessmen and their families. One family is native Filipino but have lived in the US so long that their children don't speak Tagalog, so they come to the International Ward so their kids will understand.
Carey says my blog is like a restaurant review--I guess it is! But we broke between lessons for fruit and veggie snacks, cheese and crackers. Then after those classes, the bishop, who had just come in on the red-eye from Jakarta, and his wife, who is in the RS Presidency, gave the final class on building a Christ-centered home, and as one method, writing a family mission statement. We then broke for a lovely assigned potluck lunch. The bishop works sort-of with the foreign service, and must entertain often, so they live in a beautiful, large home that is perfect for events such as this. Camella could have her piano recitals in such a home! Sister Bohn leads a girls' choir there and had their performance in her large entertaining room.
David came to get me and we, after getting onto the wrong part of the road and taking a 30-minute detour, went to a beautiful Philippine Handcraft store called Balikbayan Handcrafts, and bought a few items. I feel sure we'll stop there before coming home!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Transfer week in the Manila Mission
This was our first Transfer Week in the mission, having arrived ourselves on the last one. I already described the farewell traditions for those going home. The new missionaries arrived from the Philippines MTC early Wednesday morning. Missionaries from the States arrive very late Tuesday night, and are put up in a motel. But beginning with the arrival in the morning, the mission office was in for a day of chaos.
We don't really have a place in the office. The other couples have places and computers, but since we don't have an official office duties, and are out so much, we work at a conference table with our laptops. Since we didn't have early transfer duties, we thought it prudent to stay away from the office as long as we could.
New missionaries usually go to the Mission Home for their arrival breakfast and orientation, but the home is undergoing extensive renovations. Apparently it had been remodeled several years ago, but inadequate support had been placed in the floor of the second story. Now they've gone back to reinforce those beams, and several rooms are involved. The new mission president coming in July will be bringing a 15 year old son, and perhaps they are doing some of the remodeling based on that. Because of that work, the missionaries were brought to the chapel by the mission office, instead. There they had donuts and juice for breakfast, orientation meetings, pizza and fruit for lunch, some more meetings with their trainers, and were given a sack lunch for their evening meal, since they might not arrive in their areas until past dinnertime. We were given the assignment of picking up some tables, food and drink at the Mission Home and bringing it to the church building. When we arrived at the small mission office, it was quite full of missionaries and missionary luggage, the latter completely filling up our little conference room.
Through an oversight on the other end, the missionaries coming over from Palawan did not have their travel phone with them, and were unable to notify anyone that their flight was an hour late. The airport website listed their plane as landed, so there was a deal of wondering where they were! Finally a couple of elders drove a van to the airport and finally found them and brought them back. We had been asked to deliver some new sister missionaries to an apartment where they could stay for two nights until their flight over to Palawan, and it was about an hour's drive. We arrived back home at six, but heard later that the couples in the office were not able to leave until 6 :30.
Thursday we drove all morning again, checking out a new apartment for some elders in Parañaque and doing a couple of deliveries. Friday was another drive day, as we returned to Parañaque for the third day in a row. It's the hour's drive that we keep having to take! We had planned to leave early from our apartment, but Brother Base texted us that he was planning on washing our car that day. He is the mission's handyman, which the couples have hired for car care and heavy housework. He told us to stay at the office, that he was coming in. He came by bus from Cavite, which is about fifteen miles south of here, so he didn't arrive until 9:30. We were pretty ancy by then, but then remembered that the missionaries stay in their apartments until about three on Fridays, doing their weekly planning. So, we finally left on our planned trip at 11:45, but weren't quite as upset about it as we could have been! We had to deliver some medicine to a sister that needed it quickly, so we grouped as many deliveries together as we could. We were coming home in heavy traffic and I needed to go to the store, so we ended up stopping at the mall nearest home and eating there in a Philippine restaurant. Only Maria might recognize the food we ate, but it was Lechon (fried pork belly), Kare Kareng Crispy Tadyang (fried beef ribs), and Ginataang Sigarillas, some kind of green beans cooked in coconut milk, with, of course, rice. I'm trying to experience the full culture of the Philippines, which means giving the food a chance. I haven't found much that I've really loved, but I'm willing to keep trying! We were served purple, white and lime green rice muffins as an appetizer. I'm not usually appetized by that much food coloring!
'
Little side note: We have now been pulled over by cops or traffic monitors five times since we arrived! It's all but once been for trivial things, just so they can get money from the "rich white guys." And, of course, by most local standards we are quite wealthy. However, so far, except for the encounter with the sticky cop the other day, and actually, maybe even then, we have been saved by our missionary tags. They look and say, "Oh, you are missionaries! OK, you can go." So, another blessing of service.
We don't really have a place in the office. The other couples have places and computers, but since we don't have an official office duties, and are out so much, we work at a conference table with our laptops. Since we didn't have early transfer duties, we thought it prudent to stay away from the office as long as we could.
New missionaries usually go to the Mission Home for their arrival breakfast and orientation, but the home is undergoing extensive renovations. Apparently it had been remodeled several years ago, but inadequate support had been placed in the floor of the second story. Now they've gone back to reinforce those beams, and several rooms are involved. The new mission president coming in July will be bringing a 15 year old son, and perhaps they are doing some of the remodeling based on that. Because of that work, the missionaries were brought to the chapel by the mission office, instead. There they had donuts and juice for breakfast, orientation meetings, pizza and fruit for lunch, some more meetings with their trainers, and were given a sack lunch for their evening meal, since they might not arrive in their areas until past dinnertime. We were given the assignment of picking up some tables, food and drink at the Mission Home and bringing it to the church building. When we arrived at the small mission office, it was quite full of missionaries and missionary luggage, the latter completely filling up our little conference room.
Through an oversight on the other end, the missionaries coming over from Palawan did not have their travel phone with them, and were unable to notify anyone that their flight was an hour late. The airport website listed their plane as landed, so there was a deal of wondering where they were! Finally a couple of elders drove a van to the airport and finally found them and brought them back. We had been asked to deliver some new sister missionaries to an apartment where they could stay for two nights until their flight over to Palawan, and it was about an hour's drive. We arrived back home at six, but heard later that the couples in the office were not able to leave until 6 :30.
Thursday we drove all morning again, checking out a new apartment for some elders in Parañaque and doing a couple of deliveries. Friday was another drive day, as we returned to Parañaque for the third day in a row. It's the hour's drive that we keep having to take! We had planned to leave early from our apartment, but Brother Base texted us that he was planning on washing our car that day. He is the mission's handyman, which the couples have hired for car care and heavy housework. He told us to stay at the office, that he was coming in. He came by bus from Cavite, which is about fifteen miles south of here, so he didn't arrive until 9:30. We were pretty ancy by then, but then remembered that the missionaries stay in their apartments until about three on Fridays, doing their weekly planning. So, we finally left on our planned trip at 11:45, but weren't quite as upset about it as we could have been! We had to deliver some medicine to a sister that needed it quickly, so we grouped as many deliveries together as we could. We were coming home in heavy traffic and I needed to go to the store, so we ended up stopping at the mall nearest home and eating there in a Philippine restaurant. Only Maria might recognize the food we ate, but it was Lechon (fried pork belly), Kare Kareng Crispy Tadyang (fried beef ribs), and Ginataang Sigarillas, some kind of green beans cooked in coconut milk, with, of course, rice. I'm trying to experience the full culture of the Philippines, which means giving the food a chance. I haven't found much that I've really loved, but I'm willing to keep trying! We were served purple, white and lime green rice muffins as an appetizer. I'm not usually appetized by that much food coloring!
'
Little side note: We have now been pulled over by cops or traffic monitors five times since we arrived! It's all but once been for trivial things, just so they can get money from the "rich white guys." And, of course, by most local standards we are quite wealthy. However, so far, except for the encounter with the sticky cop the other day, and actually, maybe even then, we have been saved by our missionary tags. They look and say, "Oh, you are missionaries! OK, you can go." So, another blessing of service.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Church on Easter
Since it was Easter Sunday, the choir sang. We rehearse the Sunday we sing, and practice the song for next month at the same time. So, we left here at nine, had choir practice and three meetings with the 4th ward. Dad is now the sort of official Primary/Priesthood pianist, and I taught the RS lesson, #26 on preparing for the Lord's coming. We then attended Sunday School in 3rd Ward, the Gospel Essentials class, and then Priesthood/Relief Society. Another little anomaly we have noticed here, perhaps leftover Spanish influence (they ran the Philippines for something like 400 years)--- if the teacher hasn't been able to finish her lesson by 3:00, when church is over, she just finishes the lesson! At 3:10 she still hadn't started the last section, so I left! We'd already been at church 6 hours, and were quite ready to leave!
One thing, though, that is so uplifting is that even though I don't understand most of the words, I know what they are talking about and understand the essence. And they know what they are talking about. These members are mostly poor in worldly acquisitions, but they are definitely not poor in testimony and gospel knowledge. The lessons are edifying, even with my limited understanding.
Speaking of understanding, the language customs here are really funny. They'll often start a sentence in English, and finish in Tagalog. They always read in English, and always write on the board in English, but most are not comfortable conversing in English!
One thing, though, that is so uplifting is that even though I don't understand most of the words, I know what they are talking about and understand the essence. And they know what they are talking about. These members are mostly poor in worldly acquisitions, but they are definitely not poor in testimony and gospel knowledge. The lessons are edifying, even with my limited understanding.
Speaking of understanding, the language customs here are really funny. They'll often start a sentence in English, and finish in Tagalog. They always read in English, and always write on the board in English, but most are not comfortable conversing in English!
Baptism
The APs had a baptism into the 3rd Ward Saturday, so since we are attending there as well as 4th, they invited us. We were about four feet inside the door when the ward mission leader approached us and asked if we could play and conduct the music. We said, "Of course," and he said, grinning, "I love Senior Couples!" The baptism, of an unrelated sister and brother, Jennifer and Elias, was sweet. It was pretty casual. People didn't dress up. Dad and I made a couple of procedural mistakes (I didn't know they planned to sing with me, so just started in playing; Dad stopped the interim music because he thought everyone was back, but Elias wasn't,) which were received with good humor. The Filipinos sing with gusto; that was fun. The talks they gave were spot on, and not five-minute jobbies but full-length talks. Then the RS pres. had brought egg salad sandwiches for afterwards, but also, a recent convert's family had brought birthday celebration food--a lot. So, we had an extra meal at 3 o'clock! Maria, they brought Pancit (a thin rice noodle dish with some meats and veggies and a sauce, which we squeezed some tiny limes over--delicious!) and Pichi-Pichi, (a sweet dessert made by grating cassava root, then cooking it with sugar until it gels and rolling it in grated coconut-actually quite tasty), and another noodle dish I didn't get the name of, which was thick round noodles that had hard-boiled eggs and shrimp on top, and tasted as if dressed with bacon grease--not my favorite.) Anyway, there was a big turn-out of ward members for the baptism and it was really nice.
We had planned on shopping for apartment supplies after the baptism, so drove to Cash and Carry, our favorite mall. It is cash only, has a nice supermarket, an Ace Hardware, a National Book, and a Japan Store, all of which we use frequently, plus a number of smaller stores, without being huge and overwhelming.
When finished, we drove toward home and stopped at the brand new Century Mall, where we had seen a new Japanese restaurant, Kimukatsu. We had their specialty, katsu, which is tender pork which has been shaved very thin, then rolled up with spices and seasonings and breaded with panko bread crumbs, and fried slowly. It tasted like Lucy (breaded) pork chops, only better. There were only chopsticks (we found out later we could have requested silverware), but we impressed ourselves by being able to manage them. The katsu came with wonderful dipping sauces and rice, and was preceded by grated cabbage with three dressings, and miso soup. For dessert we decided to throw caution to the wind, and Dad had Sea Salt and Sesame ice cream, and I had a black sesame pudding I can't recall the name of, a little white, gelled square with black sauce over it. All was delicious and we had a lovely evening.
We had planned on shopping for apartment supplies after the baptism, so drove to Cash and Carry, our favorite mall. It is cash only, has a nice supermarket, an Ace Hardware, a National Book, and a Japan Store, all of which we use frequently, plus a number of smaller stores, without being huge and overwhelming.
When finished, we drove toward home and stopped at the brand new Century Mall, where we had seen a new Japanese restaurant, Kimukatsu. We had their specialty, katsu, which is tender pork which has been shaved very thin, then rolled up with spices and seasonings and breaded with panko bread crumbs, and fried slowly. It tasted like Lucy (breaded) pork chops, only better. There were only chopsticks (we found out later we could have requested silverware), but we impressed ourselves by being able to manage them. The katsu came with wonderful dipping sauces and rice, and was preceded by grated cabbage with three dressings, and miso soup. For dessert we decided to throw caution to the wind, and Dad had Sea Salt and Sesame ice cream, and I had a black sesame pudding I can't recall the name of, a little white, gelled square with black sauce over it. All was delicious and we had a lovely evening.
Friday, April 18-- A Day of Little Miracles
Friday morning we worked in the office because we had so many contracts to work on. The missionaries were having a New Trainer meeting in preparation for transfers this week. After the meeting, most of them came over to the office (across the parking lot.) One who came in asked us if we had a contract for him, which we did, and it saved us a trip. Little miracle 1. Next, we were trying to talk to a landlord who was charging P200/month for garbage, which the sisters in the apartment had never paid before. He only spoke Tagalog, and David's wasn't adequate. We asked for help, and a sister missionary volunteered. It turned out that she had lived in the apartment before, and had, indeed, had to pay a garbage fee. Problem solved. Little bit bigger miracle #2. That afternoon we went to an apartment where the sisters had leaking sinks and had an astronomical water bill. We knew they had found another apartment, and we casually asked when they might set up an appointment for us to see it. They had finished their planning meeting early that day, and said we could go right then. We saw the lovely apartment, and are in the process of putting in a contract. If you could understand the driving here, you would understand how big a deal it was, not to have to make another trip! Biggest miracle, #3. The Lord blesses us every day, in ways large and small, all of which help us to feel His love for us and his young missionaries. The gospel is true!
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Food
I think I mentioned that we went out to eat a while back, and had lechon and lumpia. The day we went to the temple we had to stop and eat on the way, so we went to a Robinson's mall ( I mention these names because Maria will probably recognize them.) There we decided to try Max's--"The house that chicken built." It is a local Manila restaurant with many branches, that we thought was fast food. Once we got in and sat down, we learned that it had a full menu, and offered many Philippine dishes. One was Pinakbet, and vegetable and shrimp dish that included ampalaya. Maria had loaned us a children's book that told the origin of this vegetable, a long, green, cucumber-looking one with ridges that are wrinkled in between. According to the story, it is very bitter, so I anticipated that. I had bought one the first week we were here, but really had no idea how to cook it, so ended up keeping it until it spoiled. They are reputedly very good for diabetes. The waitress encouraged me to also try some Creamy Chicken Tinola, which was a very tasty cream of chicken soup. She must have gotten credit for selling it to us because her name was beside it on the bill. The Pinakbet was very good, except for the ampalaya which was just as bitter as anticipated. I'm glad to say I've tried it, but probably won't again! I asked a Philippine elder later if he really liked it, and he said he did. An acquired taste, I guess, but I don't plan on working too hard to acquire it!
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| Ampalaya |
Crooks? Or VIPs?
I may have mentioned that part of our responsibilities include dealing with problems the missionaries are having in their apartments, often at the assignment of the Sister Stucki. Some of the things on our list for the last two weeks:
Besides approving new apartments, getting them into the Church system and getting the contracts made, signed, and notarized, and coordinating with Brother Base to get the new ones set up with the standard furniture, etc., and shopping for replacements to all that, the above are the things that fill our days. Today we thought the toilet was a pretty high priority, so we drove up to Santa Cruz, which turns out to be pretty much the farthest north of the mission. It took us over an hour to get there and when we turned down the street, we learned that it is a giant palengke or market, which allows vehicles through but with barely space to move, and certainly not to turn down any side streets. We finally got through and called the elders, and they came to get us (on foot) and took us back several blocks by another route. We fixed their toilet, and left fifteen minutes late for our next appointment which was for signing a contract and getting all the paperwork for the new apartment. What we didn't understand completely was that this was at the extreme opposite end of the mission, and took us another hour and 3/4 to get there, including time for some drama on the way.
You must understand that in the Philippines, there are lane stripes painted on the roads, but no one pays any attention to them. You will daily have someone turn left from the far right lane, etc., as well as have five or six lanes when there should be three or four. People basically do as they please. IF THEY ARE FILIPINO. When a white guy finds himself in a left turn lane, and moves over to the straight lane, he is pulled over by a cop. In the Philippines when they give you a ticket, they take your driver's license and you have to go pick it up at the station house, often very far away. We had been warned about this, and it was suggested we carry a photocopy of our drivers' license so we could present that, instead. However, when you are going into gated communities, your must surrender your drivers' license at the gate, and paper won't work. So, when the pulis asked for David's license, I gave him the real one. Oops. He didn't speak much English, and we understood virtually none of what he said, except pick up driver's license at the station. We didn't really have to play dumb--we were. We kept asking him if he couldn't just let us pay the fine to him, and keep our license. We probably corrupted the poor guy, because I doubt if that money ever sees the light of a government office, but we did finally talk him into taking the fine--Php2000! That's $50 US. But we were grateful, and headed on down the road. He stopped us again a little bit later and moved some cones so that we could get into a different lane, and asked us where we were going. David told him, and he gave us directions which we could not understand. We subsequently missed the turn and ended up going about five miles further because we were on a causeway and there was nowhere to turn around. We finally got to the end and found a place to make a U-turn---and were met by the same cop, who pulled up beside us on his motorcycle and basically said, "I thought you were going to Las Pinas." David told him we had missed the turn, so he said, "I will escort you," and led us all the way to the turn-off. That was very nice because we were still unsure, but it was also creepy because we wondered if we were ever going to be rid of him!
Got the apartment signed and got back up to the office after 3. We ate our lunch then, worked on paperwork, and then were invited by the APs to attend a teaching appointment with them tonight at 7, at the church by the office. We decided it was too much driving to go home and come back, so went to a mall and did a little shopping. We weren't really hungry since we had just eaten, so we each had a chocolate shake from a place called Cali Burgers, and got some pastries from a bakery. Went back to the Church where David practiced the piano--he's been called as the Primary Pianist--only to be called by the APs (Assistants to the President)that the appointment had been cancelled. It then took us an hour to drive home because everyone comes out at night.
- Elder needs new sheets; get some from storage and take them to him
- Sisters need a blender
- Elders' toilet isn't flushing; fix
- Sisters need a screen door on their apartment going to their laundry room, so they can leave the door open and get air circulation
- Sisters' door broke off hinge
- Elders having terrible problem with rats, including, the rats ran right over the sticky rat-traps, and tracked the glue all over the floor
- These need a fan
- These need an extension cord
- Sisters need bars on their windows; go pay 1/2 to the owner so he'll get it done.
- Sisters are being charged for garbage collection; it's not in their contract and they've never been charged before
- Sisters' charge for water has jumped tenfold; find out why
Besides approving new apartments, getting them into the Church system and getting the contracts made, signed, and notarized, and coordinating with Brother Base to get the new ones set up with the standard furniture, etc., and shopping for replacements to all that, the above are the things that fill our days. Today we thought the toilet was a pretty high priority, so we drove up to Santa Cruz, which turns out to be pretty much the farthest north of the mission. It took us over an hour to get there and when we turned down the street, we learned that it is a giant palengke or market, which allows vehicles through but with barely space to move, and certainly not to turn down any side streets. We finally got through and called the elders, and they came to get us (on foot) and took us back several blocks by another route. We fixed their toilet, and left fifteen minutes late for our next appointment which was for signing a contract and getting all the paperwork for the new apartment. What we didn't understand completely was that this was at the extreme opposite end of the mission, and took us another hour and 3/4 to get there, including time for some drama on the way.
You must understand that in the Philippines, there are lane stripes painted on the roads, but no one pays any attention to them. You will daily have someone turn left from the far right lane, etc., as well as have five or six lanes when there should be three or four. People basically do as they please. IF THEY ARE FILIPINO. When a white guy finds himself in a left turn lane, and moves over to the straight lane, he is pulled over by a cop. In the Philippines when they give you a ticket, they take your driver's license and you have to go pick it up at the station house, often very far away. We had been warned about this, and it was suggested we carry a photocopy of our drivers' license so we could present that, instead. However, when you are going into gated communities, your must surrender your drivers' license at the gate, and paper won't work. So, when the pulis asked for David's license, I gave him the real one. Oops. He didn't speak much English, and we understood virtually none of what he said, except pick up driver's license at the station. We didn't really have to play dumb--we were. We kept asking him if he couldn't just let us pay the fine to him, and keep our license. We probably corrupted the poor guy, because I doubt if that money ever sees the light of a government office, but we did finally talk him into taking the fine--Php2000! That's $50 US. But we were grateful, and headed on down the road. He stopped us again a little bit later and moved some cones so that we could get into a different lane, and asked us where we were going. David told him, and he gave us directions which we could not understand. We subsequently missed the turn and ended up going about five miles further because we were on a causeway and there was nowhere to turn around. We finally got to the end and found a place to make a U-turn---and were met by the same cop, who pulled up beside us on his motorcycle and basically said, "I thought you were going to Las Pinas." David told him we had missed the turn, so he said, "I will escort you," and led us all the way to the turn-off. That was very nice because we were still unsure, but it was also creepy because we wondered if we were ever going to be rid of him!
Got the apartment signed and got back up to the office after 3. We ate our lunch then, worked on paperwork, and then were invited by the APs to attend a teaching appointment with them tonight at 7, at the church by the office. We decided it was too much driving to go home and come back, so went to a mall and did a little shopping. We weren't really hungry since we had just eaten, so we each had a chocolate shake from a place called Cali Burgers, and got some pastries from a bakery. Went back to the Church where David practiced the piano--he's been called as the Primary Pianist--only to be called by the APs (Assistants to the President)that the appointment had been cancelled. It then took us an hour to drive home because everyone comes out at night.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Corregidor
From my earliest memory I recall the name of Corregidor, shaded with an awed lowering of the voice or with a grimace of anger. My friends, predominanly the Larricks, often played war and looked for "Japs" to kill, and foreign, exotic-sounding names--Bataan, Corregidor, Luzon--were also uttered.
Today all of that was reawakened and brought much more forcefully to my understanding. For my children, who probably have not much of an idea what Corregidor was or meant, it is my understanding that it was the first major battle the US ever lost. I could be wrong about that, but after McArthur left the Philippines, Japan sought to dislodge the remaining Allied forces from the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, to open the bay for their use. They had just toppled Manila. Their plan to conquer Philippines was thwarted by the courageous forces under Jonathan Wainwright who held them off for five months. The Japanese had taken Singapore in two weeks. The fall of Corregidor, and thus the Philippines, occurred pretty much simultaneously with the Bataan Death March.
We and the Paines left the dock in Manila Bay at 8:00 this morning and rode a ferry boat over to Corregidor Island, just over a 1 1/2 hour trip. We then boarded a bus with a guide and began our tour of the Island. We toured for about an hour, then had an early lunch, I'm sure to stagger us with the other buses. Lunch was very good and typically Filipino.
After lunch we toured for another two hours. I'm not going to give a history lesson here, but it was a very moving day, looking at the bombed-out shells of American/Filipino barracks and gun emplacements, etc. One barrack is entitled the "Mile-Long Barracks" and is the longest barracks in the world, housing 8,000 soldiers. It is very easy to see how this could have been considered a perfect posting before the war--beautiful jungle trees, flowers, ocean breezes, etc. When we saw the tunnel 8,000 injured soldiers and medical staff lived in for that five months, with often no more than two hours of electricity for lights and ventilation a day because the Japanese kept bombing the generator, we also found it easy to see how heaven could turn to hell.
After the ferry ride home, we had an hour to rest before meeting the Thelers at a restaurant, Caruso's, for dinner. It was a wonderful Italian restaurant where they make all their own pasta. We had a really nice evening, the three couples visiting and enjoying the great food.
Today all of that was reawakened and brought much more forcefully to my understanding. For my children, who probably have not much of an idea what Corregidor was or meant, it is my understanding that it was the first major battle the US ever lost. I could be wrong about that, but after McArthur left the Philippines, Japan sought to dislodge the remaining Allied forces from the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, to open the bay for their use. They had just toppled Manila. Their plan to conquer Philippines was thwarted by the courageous forces under Jonathan Wainwright who held them off for five months. The Japanese had taken Singapore in two weeks. The fall of Corregidor, and thus the Philippines, occurred pretty much simultaneously with the Bataan Death March.
We and the Paines left the dock in Manila Bay at 8:00 this morning and rode a ferry boat over to Corregidor Island, just over a 1 1/2 hour trip. We then boarded a bus with a guide and began our tour of the Island. We toured for about an hour, then had an early lunch, I'm sure to stagger us with the other buses. Lunch was very good and typically Filipino.
After lunch we toured for another two hours. I'm not going to give a history lesson here, but it was a very moving day, looking at the bombed-out shells of American/Filipino barracks and gun emplacements, etc. One barrack is entitled the "Mile-Long Barracks" and is the longest barracks in the world, housing 8,000 soldiers. It is very easy to see how this could have been considered a perfect posting before the war--beautiful jungle trees, flowers, ocean breezes, etc. When we saw the tunnel 8,000 injured soldiers and medical staff lived in for that five months, with often no more than two hours of electricity for lights and ventilation a day because the Japanese kept bombing the generator, we also found it easy to see how heaven could turn to hell.
After the ferry ride home, we had an hour to rest before meeting the Thelers at a restaurant, Caruso's, for dinner. It was a wonderful Italian restaurant where they make all their own pasta. We had a really nice evening, the three couples visiting and enjoying the great food.
Good-Bye to the Burts
A senior couple that has been serving Member and Leader Support over on Palawan finished their 18-month mission on Wednesday. The tradition here for going-home missionaries is a trip to the American Cemetery with the president, then in the evening, a dinner at the mission home* with all the senior couples. I don't know exactly how this works for young missionaries yet.
President and Sister Stucki and seven senior couples gathered at the Mission Home and had a delicious meal of barbeque pork sandwiches, unusually good baked beans, corn on the cob, salad, watermelon and pineapple. For dessert there was poppy seed cake and ice cream. It was good to get with other senior missionaries and share "war stories" (often about driving) and experiences.
After dinner we retired to the living room and sang a hymn together. I played, Elder Northrup directed. After prayer we had testimonies from the Burts and the Stuckis, then sang another hymn and had a closing prayer. We did not know the Burts, just meeting them tonight. They are from Cardston, Alberta, Canada. I wish we had had the opportunity to get to know them better; they seemed really great. After final good-byes and a little apartment business with President and Sister Stucki, the evening was concluded.
*For any readers who are not LDS, the Mission Home is the home of the Mission President and his family, but it is also the place where arriving and departing missionaries come to and leave from, and where one of the MP's offices are. He has another at the Mission Office, which in this mission is in a separate location.
President and Sister Stucki and seven senior couples gathered at the Mission Home and had a delicious meal of barbeque pork sandwiches, unusually good baked beans, corn on the cob, salad, watermelon and pineapple. For dessert there was poppy seed cake and ice cream. It was good to get with other senior missionaries and share "war stories" (often about driving) and experiences.
After dinner we retired to the living room and sang a hymn together. I played, Elder Northrup directed. After prayer we had testimonies from the Burts and the Stuckis, then sang another hymn and had a closing prayer. We did not know the Burts, just meeting them tonight. They are from Cardston, Alberta, Canada. I wish we had had the opportunity to get to know them better; they seemed really great. After final good-byes and a little apartment business with President and Sister Stucki, the evening was concluded.
*For any readers who are not LDS, the Mission Home is the home of the Mission President and his family, but it is also the place where arriving and departing missionaries come to and leave from, and where one of the MP's offices are. He has another at the Mission Office, which in this mission is in a separate location.
Monday, April 7, 2014
The Church
The Church here in the Philippines was begun because of the testimony and tenacity of a sister. Her husband and she had been stationed here during the war, and remained to help afterward. She worked very hard to get the Church here, and due to her efforts, a chapel was built here in the 60's. That chapel was the Buendia Chapel, built out in a large, grassy area far from much else. Today, that is the chapel next to the mission office, and the one that we attend. Notice the change in surroundings.
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| The main gate to the Buendia building and the mission office, off of H.V. Dela Costa, a very busy street. |
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| The chapel. To the right you can see another curb; that is by the mission office which shares the parking lot with the chapel. |
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| Trying to give a little scale. |
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| Another view, with Elder Northrup helping to give the setting, no longer a pastoral one! |
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| And a close-up,, just for fun. |
Friday, April 4, 2014
Random pix
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| We got our rug and two new small tables last week, and added the Philippines map this morning. We think our decor is complete! |
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| This is our least favorite intersection, and we drive it at least twice a day! Those towers on the left are our apartment complex; our building is the one on the right. This street leads to the Mandaluyong-Makati Bridge, which we must take over the river to get to and from home. The mission office is about six blocks behind us in this picture. If you look closely you can see five lanes converging into two. There are probably four legitimate lanes, and one more because wherever a vehicle can squeeze in, it will! This is not counting motorcycles, which go anywhere they can fit. |
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| I've been trying to photograph jeepneys. They are local buses, and they are ubiquitous. I also think of them as Philippine folk art. They are outrageously decorated! And, 98% of the time, have religious pictures or scriptures on them. I think the Philippines is also 80% Catholic, and there are evidences everywhere. There are lighted billboards inciting people to pray, forgive, serve, whatever. I saw my very first filthy graffiti yesterday, so it isn't nearly as prevalent here as in the US. Anyway, jeepneys are how most people get around, and they are, indeed, everywhere. And, a nuisance to drive around! |
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| Passengers generally get on and off through the rear opening. |
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| Just a shot down a sidewalk. The Vulcaninzing shop is on the corner, and on down the street are other shops that people generally live behind. I've wanted to take pictures of actual homes, but it's very hard to be discreet, and I don't want to offend. |
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| The big sign we often see when out and about. |
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| A not very good view from a skyway, basically an overpass that allows cars to move over large areas quickly. We were on this one by mistake yesterday, and actually ended up out at the airport while intending to deliver pillows to the MP's home. Sister Stucki gives each new missionary a pillow, and it's our job to buy them. |
Temple
Fourth ward temple night was Thursday, so we decided to go. The temple here is interesting; maybe I've shared before. The two session rooms seat 24 each. There is no chapel, so you wait in the endowment room. Because the temple is small, there can be much demand. We were there by six, so got a ticket for the 7:00 session. The first time I went, last week with the Relief Society, as soon as I was dressed I went to wait for the sisters I came with, but the workers kept trying to get me to go on in. I didn't, but they were very worried about it. Lo and behold, we all got in, and the session started five minutes early. Thursday night, there were enough there that they ran two concurrent sessions, so that left five seats empty in ours. Then, they started ten minutes early. I guess if no one else is waiting, they go ahead and start. But that doesn't explain why they were rushing me to get in there the other day when they started early!
I have bought a new camera, since I left my charger somewhere, but it's still a point-and-shoot, so my pictures are not wonderful, but here are some:
The south side of the temple. With no tripod, we have to take double pictures to document! Maybe we'll learn to stand in different places and photoshop!
Moroni and "Holiness to the Lord" are not actually on the temple, but on the spire out front.
Beautiful windows.
We don't know what this little building is on the temple grounds, but it was pretty.
The Philippines Area Office across the street from the temple.
Elder Northrup at the temple
See the itty bitty crescent moon?
The nights here are wonderful. You can't see all the city grime and wrenching poverty, and can see pretty lights on buildings and feel the warm, tropical breezes. It would have been fun to go somewhere after the temple for pie or something, but it took us a full hour to get home as it was.
I have bought a new camera, since I left my charger somewhere, but it's still a point-and-shoot, so my pictures are not wonderful, but here are some:
The nights here are wonderful. You can't see all the city grime and wrenching poverty, and can see pretty lights on buildings and feel the warm, tropical breezes. It would have been fun to go somewhere after the temple for pie or something, but it took us a full hour to get home as it was.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
More driving in Manila
We had planned to visit apartments in Pasay, but it turned out that those missionaries were to be in for interviews today, so we were left with an unplanned morning. A package showed up in the office for a missionary in the Cavite Mission, so we volunteered to drive it down. It turned into a three-hour adventure, largely because they have things here called "flyovers" where ramps take you up and over a busy intersection. We didn't entirely understand the GPS instructions, so made one intersection three different times before we found the right route! Repeat that at a couple more huge intersections, and you get the idea. We were driving quite a distance, anyway, to a city called Alabang, if you want to look it up. The mission home there is in a secured subdivision where you have to surrender your driver's license at the guard house, to retrieve when you leave. A very beautiful subdivision, though, one that calls up what I used to think of when I heard "Philippines"--lovely tropical architecture, lots of palm trees, wide streets--in short, a very wealthy subdivision. I would be most happy to live there.
Home by noon, then contractors (this is a loose term) arrived to install bars in our and the Thelers's windows. David went up to their apartment and sat with the workers until about three, when they showed up here to do ours. The quality leaves a little to be desired, but we now have bars on our front windows. They left shortly before five to return tomorrow for touching up the paint. We ate and then took a walk on the beautiful roof of our building, where it was cool and tropically romantic, probably because it was dark and you could see all the city lights around. Must be away early tomorrow.
Home by noon, then contractors (this is a loose term) arrived to install bars in our and the Thelers's windows. David went up to their apartment and sat with the workers until about three, when they showed up here to do ours. The quality leaves a little to be desired, but we now have bars on our front windows. They left shortly before five to return tomorrow for touching up the paint. We ate and then took a walk on the beautiful roof of our building, where it was cool and tropically romantic, probably because it was dark and you could see all the city lights around. Must be away early tomorrow.
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