More thoughts and pictures

Christmas Day at the Children's Home, me being silly

Christmas in Dagupan Philippines

I have just had a really lovely christmas here. Christmas Eve. My companion Sister Walker had her family visiting, so I went out with Julene Lopes  the Bishops daughter who was waiting to go out with me a full hour before we were due to leave she was so excited to come with me as my companion. We joined up with our local missionaries and went to visit the childrens home that we have been working with. We met at the ERC office at 9.30 am I left the car to be cleaned and we travelled to the home on a cheepny.we gave out some books of Mormon and I explained where the Bof M came from to one of the other passengers. The missionaries had bought food and presents for the children. Julene helped to give out the gifts that our YM and YW had prepared. The missionaries played games and did some magic tricks to entertain the children, we shared our testomonies and sang the children also sang and danced for us.when we had finished at the home we parted company I collected the car and took Julene home.

 When I got home Bro and Sister Ventenila were waiting for me to go out with them to visit some less active members and some of the not so well off we took food and the gifte YM and YW had prepared. The dropped me back home and I then got ready to go to the third ward Christmas party where Sister Walker and  family joined us for the evening.

Apple and her new husband Nathan also arrived back from their wedding in Manila so more celebrations.

Sunday Christmas day we had a short service at our ward all went home for snacks and then on to the Children's home once again. Sister Walker's family bought lunch for all the children and helpers plus our selves. There were songs again. Sister Walker's great grand children enjoyed playing with the children as much as they enjoyed having them there. Rivka Sister Walker's daughter in law had brought goody bags with a mixtuer of things in them. We all had so much fun watching the children enjoy themselves I am going to miss them so much.We finished off our evening back at our house and had some supper before the family returned to their motel.

I was able to get hold of nearly all my children and speak to them so a really nice end to the two days.
We do not have a day off on the 26th here We had returning missionaries for a Career work shop. I had arranged for Wendel to come and help but he had a rush order with his business to finish and was late so I had to do most of on my own. Sister Walker spent the last morning with her family befote they moved on to another part of the Philippines.


                                                On the Cheepny with the missionaries
                           Sister Dela Cruze who cooked the food for the children holding Kylia

                                      Kayla could not stay awake and Mama Chit with her little girl

                                                              Children dancing

                                                                            All of us
                                                              Singing O Joy to the World

                                             Julene with the gifts made by the YM and YW



                                                         Some of the families  we visited

                               This should be Apple and thr RS diong the Hula to O Holy Night
                                            Just a few more pictures of our rice packing 
More tired missionaries we won
We are winning. We packd up 450 50 kilo bags leaving 200 to be finished the next day.
Rotary Clib members who came along after they had finished work. It was a very long day for every body
Still more bags to pack elders just having a break
I think I am beginning to get a bit tired
 2 very tired missionaries 
The  suprise Wedding Reception for Sunshine (Councilor on the Young Womens Presidency) 
Cutting the cake
Me drinking coconut juice from a fresh coconut 
Buffet for Sunshine's suprise Wedding Recption on the river cruse 
Halloween in the office courtsy of Apple
Mission home Dining Room
Dagupan Missionaries at our last Zone Confernce held at the new Urdeneta Mission home which is on the same site as the Urdeneta Stake Building 15th September 2011. Our meetings are usually held at Arellano Chapel. On this occasion we were all invited to Urdeneta so we could see the new mission home which has just been built. We are waiting to hear when the name of the Mission will be changed, as the Baguio Mission Home has now been de-commissioned  and will be sold
A typical Barangay (village)Halls some are larger. People waiting for the rice distribution, many of their rice fields have been flooded and so they have lost their crop
All ready to go out to the villages and distribute the rice
One of the vans waiting to re load the packed bags to distribute the rice dealers gave the time and fuel free to help
All ready to give out the 5 kilo bags
Every one  having fun with the bags
This lovely Lady had just come from working on her farm and gave me such a lovely smile, when I asked if I could take her picture 
Some of the Rotary Group that came in after work to help
Two very tired Missionaries
More pictures of the rice packing, having a lunch break