All the sister missionaries in our zone meeting at Arellano Stake center. Sister Jensen mission Presidents wife is the tall sister with dark hair in a red top stood behind Sister Walker and myself

The strange looking fruit is called a Dorian it has a very strange smell some people say it smells liks nappies, however I did not find the smell bad and the fruit was good but very hard to get at as the outside is sharp.

I will put the other pic of the inside of the fruit.Have ended up with the pictures the wrong way round I will have to try and find out why that happened, but you get the idea

Our first car outside Rosalas Stake center we went down to help members log onto ldsjobsm, my first long distance drive.

This is a little restruant that one of our Ward families the Ventenillas treated us to as you can see it is  out on the water and we had to cross a bridge to get to the little hut which was exclusivly for our use. When you want a waiter you have a little drum to bang and they come to your hut to serve what ever you want. The food of course is Philippine and all different kinds of fish and vegetables as well as meat dishes.

This family Fabito made us so welcome . The mother was out at work, as their Father had died last year of TB. The children rushed around to find us seats to sit on the little building in the back ground is their house. they has to be beought into the chapel to shelter during the typhoon. Sister Ventinilla with Sis Walker and my self. I took some photos of the children on their own and they just loved to see them selves on the camera.The Ventinilla Family have only been members four years. They have full embraced the gospel and do all they can for the members.They took their people mover and transported all the members they could find in trouble and got them food and shelter. they als call on us to make sure that all was well with us.

Some other members of the Fabito family.Tthe older lady is the grandmother

Our first Saturday in Rosales with the Guerra family at The Pancake House been given a treat by Sister Walker. Well I have managed to get some photos on the blogg by myself but I do not know quite how and I seem to have lost some of them.

Continued life in the Philippines Baguio Mission

 Well a lot has happened since I last wrote any thing. We have seen all sorts of things. There are people that are reasonably comfortable and others that live in extream poverty.We are made welcome where ever we go and we are offered the best of all they have.I h ave taken lots of photos so I will try and put them on this blog so you can see what I mean

More Just trying to practice putting pictures on my blog

This is a picture of Sister Walker and my self having a ride on a Tricycle a motor bike with a side car and no windowes so if it rains you get wet, it is rainy season at the moment but as you can see we are nice and dry and having fun see other picture

These are four of our Manager's children dressed for a presentation to celebrate a milestone in the Primary history every ward did a presentation to celebrate the event doing many traditional dances. It was really enjoyable the children were very enthusastic with their performances and the little ones joining in where ever,however a good time was had by all.

 Sister Walker looking after baby Guerra while watching the presentation. We had our first Philippine food that day as every body brought food to share.

Having a laugh in the Trike

Leaving for Provo MTC via Salt Lake I thought I would wave the Flag

 This is a bit all over the plac I am sure with practice I will get better

Philippines Pictures

The stage ready for the Primary Show at Arellano Stake Centre

Having a meal with our manager Gerry Guerra and his family

This was made by the office staff to welcome us on our first day

All the children wear school uniforms I think they are very smart, these are Gerry's two oldest daughters just called in at the office before going home

Blogger: Coopers Croft Mission - Manage Posts

Blogger: Coopers Croft Mission - Manage Posts

The Iron Rod

Dave Rush the writer of the Iron Rod.

My good friend Tony's first visit to the London Temple

This is just me practising how to put a picture on the blog. My friend Tony Remple and our Bishop Barry Kenchington on Tony's first visit to our Temple. I did try and take photos of my visit to the Philippine Embassy but they did not work out so Pedro is teaching me this evening how to do this task and I thought that this was a good photo outside our Temple.

Preparation for the big day

I have been really busy getting ready to go on my mission. The work on the house is nearly finished and I am now preparing my new rooms for my return so that I can put all my remaining belongings away so that Jeris, Alan and the boys will have the whole run of the house.

I have been up to London twice once for the two day Careers Workshop run by the Church. I have been given a great deal of help by Bother and Sister Cambell and Sister Groves who are assigned to London Hyde Park. I have personally used the church resources and have found them to be excellent and they are continually upgrading the facilities etc.

Two weeks later I had to return to London to obtain my visa for the Philippines. It was necessary to stay again to wait for the visa so I once again went to the Employment Centre at Hyde Park Chapel and was made very welcome, and received more incites into the running of an Employment centre, which I am sure that will stand me in good stead on my mission.

I was also very fortunate in been able to stay with Kirsty Winkworth's mother Andrina who made me most welcome and I got to know her much better and I look forward to her coming and living in Bournemouth. I am sure that we will have lost of fun together when I return.
During my last visit to Hyde Park I was also able to meet with the Music director and listen to one of the weekly recitals put on every Thursday what a wonderful missionary tool.

I also visited the Victoria and Albert Museum for the first time and while I was waiting for the Embassy to open I sat in Trafalgar square in the sunshine, after I collected my visa I decided to have a late lunch in the crypt of St Martin in the Fields and afterwards I went up  into the Church and was able to listen to the choir practicing, the acoustics are really good and I really enjoyed listening to them. I will have to visit London more often there is so much to do and see and I only seem to go when there are other reasons to go, so I really should make more of an effort to explore our capital city. I thought that I  had got some pictures of my trip to London but I must have done something wrong with the camera so I will have to learn how to put pictures on the blog another time.

To go back to the begining

I put my mission papers in on the 15th December, at the end my interview with President Martin he asked me if I was well and I answered apart from a bit of sciatica I was fine, subsequently I suffered severe pain only to discover that I had two slipped discs in my lower back. I found my self a really good chiropractor who has given me excellent treatment and I am fighting fit once more. I told my doctor that it was a test of faith. I did however wonder what was going on for that occur. My chiropractor told me that I had had a problem for a long time, so it just need to be sorted out before my mission.

I received my call Wednesday 31st March in the  afternoon I really thought that it was never going to come. There was a late post delivery that afternoon.   My daughter Jeris was just going to collect the her children from school when she looked in the post box to see large letter from Frankfurt.  She rushed up stairs to give to me and had to go straight out to school, so she had to wait until she returned to know where I had been called to serve. the first thing I looked to see where I had been call to serve the Cebu Philippines( I have since been re-assigined to The Baguio Philippines Mission) and then I looked to see when I needed to report to Provo the 19th July, so it meant that I would be able to attend my youngest daughter Selima's wedding on the 17th July. The next thing I did was to let Selima know that I would be able to attend her wedding We both feel very blessed. I then let the rest of the family know.

 When I put my papers in I did not know that she would be getting married what a blessing to be able to be here for her wedding. I will also be able to see my newest grand daughter Iris as she will be flying in to attending the wedding with her mother from the USA. 

To go back to the call Jeris and the boys Isaac and Orson arrived back wanting to know where I would be going the got on to the computer to find out as much as they could and kept printing me off information about Cebu the new temple and there maps, pictures of the area the boys were very excited. I look forward to the time when they come to serve their missions.

Since I received the call there have been many telephone calls and e-mails made and sent regarding travel dates times etc. I have been able to speak to my companion Sister Walker who lives in Salt Lake, so I am looking forward to meeting her on the 19th July at the MTC in Provo. I have had e-mails from my Mission President with advice and answers to questions that both Sis Walker and my self have had.

My latest challenge is that what I thought was going to be a simple repair job to the front of my house turned out to be a major problem, so my little nest egg has had to be raided once again. I do know the the Lord is taking care of me and that all will be well.

My Call

I received my call from President Monson to serve in the Philippines Baguio Mission and I'm very excited and humbled.

The Manila Temple in Philippines