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

Some of the Workers

Lt to Rt Me President of the Rotary Sister Karganella(GiGi) Stake President Bro Guerra

We have had floods as you know some areas are in great need. Yesterday we travelled to a place called Tarlac in the Angeles Mission to assist in packing rice into 5 kilo bags ready for delivery tomorrow.We are working with the Local Mayor, the Rotary club and the local Church leaders. We received 650 50 kilo bags and managed to get 450 bagged up hopefully the rest will be bagged up today so we can get them all delivered to the needy people tomorrow. I was very tired after driving back to Dagupan we got home after 10.00 am having got up at 5pm. There was however a great feeling packing all the rice. All the fulltime missionaries were there as well as members working really hard.

Ruben who I also hope to sponser. I just feel very drawn to both Ruben and Aileen. the children are free to come and go Ruben runs off looking for his family he says that he dose not know who he is. He loves to have my camera and take pictures.

Yours truly with Kayla  in my arms, who loves to be cuddled and can't stop eating. I expect that she is afraid that she will be hungry again. Kayla is very loving despite the ill treatment she has received in her short life, if any of the children are crying she goes up to them and pats their back and tells them not to be sad and not to cry. Aileen, one of the children who I hope to sponser when I return to England.

Carley being held by one of the staff, has just been brought into the home she had been badly  treated by her mother and grandmother. She was malnourished and had been tied up you could still see the scars on her wrists.  She just wanted to be picked up and cuddled, she kept calling me Lola(Grandmother) and kissing me. She is the size of a two year old but is three or four. I felt very humble that she would trust me, she just keeps eating all the time I suppose that she is afraid of not getting any more food. .

Two of our associates with the owner Bro.Campos of ACOS Enterprises, who is a member of the Church and is giving George and Rowel  training in landscape gardening

A lovely view on our journey

Rowel and George

There are many of these churches in the Philippines they copy a lot of what we do and can be quite antagonistic towards us.All the buildings are the same and look a bit like the Salt Lake Temple

They call them selves Inglesa ni Christo. If their members do not pay their tithing there names are read out in the congregation. They are very strong here, although I met a new member who had been a member of the I ni C and had joined our church. she had been the YW leader in th I ni C.The translation of their name in Latin means Church with out Christ. 

One of the training places we have three our members training in servicing air condition units and refrigeration. they are planing to eventually set up their own business

Our CTR Class in Dagupan 2nd Ward

Me speaking at an employers meeting at the ARVC(a government training centre for people with special needs) explaining what we can provide in the way of help for the trainies at the ARVC 

                                                             

                                                                   Well that's All for now