Yikes! Snake!

Dear Family and Friends,

I don't even know where to begin!  This week has been so full of new adventures.  We finally arrived in Manila some 30 hours after leaving Utah. It was midnight in the Philippines and we were very tired as not much sleeping happened on the flight.  So we were supposed to look for a man holding a sign that said LDS Missionaries.  Well, we did not see any such sign and so an hour later we were still wandering around looking for the guy with all six of our very large suitcases in tow, when a man came racing down the aisle and looked very relieved to have finally found us.  So, we thought, mistakenly, that we would be very shortly at a hotel for some sleep.  Only Jason will understand the scene in the Manila streets. Holy Cow!  I thought I had seen some scary driving in different countries of the world but nothing compares to the streets of Manila.  It is beyond description (although I am sure Kevin will try).  It took 2 hours for us to get to our hotel that was 5 miles away!  So finally at 2:30 AM we were able to go to bed but had to be up at 5:30 for an appointment with Immigration!  Missionaries apparently don't sleep.

I am going to skip a couple of day....At long last we ended up on Bohol in the city of Calape (Ka-lop-a). We have settled in to a little apartment and have most of the amenities necessary for third world chic living. However, imagine my surprise when I arrived home yesterday evening to find a SNAKE slithering around on my kitchen floor!!!! You all know that I do not do snakes (right Joy Tenny?)!  Elder Bell quickly stopped the thing and got it outside. I am hoping this is not a regular occurrence but I am being very cautious about trips to the CR (comfort room i.e...bathroom) in the middle of the night.

Today was our first Sunday in the our Calape Branch and we were not that surprised when we were asked to speak just minutes before the meeting started.  We had been warned that this will be the case nearly every week so we will just get a little more prepared for future Sundays.  We later were able to accompany the Sister to a teaching appointment.  It was humbling to say the least.  The home we met in was a very tiny shack with woven mat walls and a tin roof. Two wooden benches was all the furniture in the house and a dirt floor kitchen with not running water, no refrigerator, no stove.  A family with two small girls and parents who are members but have fallen in to inactiviity. The Sisters wanted to invite them to attend church.  It was a sweet meeting and we were able to bear testimony that we knew they would be blessed if they could commit to attend church next week.

So we were about to wrap up our evening and get this post written when the Sisters called us and asked us to come help them.  They were at a teaching appointment when a 15 year old girl started having breathing problems.  So we rushed out the door to go find them.  Two hours later we had taken the poor girl to an emergency clinic and finally got the Sisters home just a couple of minutes past curfew.  Did I tell you that we live next door to two sets of Sister Missionaries?  We love having them so close and they certainly keep our lives interesting.  They are very sweet and we are hoping none of them get transfered next week as we are just learning to love them. They are all amazing missionaries.

It is very late and Kevin needs to have his time so I bid you farewell until next week.  I love you all and I am so very happy to be living the dream.

Love you forever....Sister Gramma Bell (Mom)

Hello to all!

This week has been a grand adventure.  Just to fill you in on transportation and driving on the roads. It is like a combination of being in a bumper car ride and racing the small indy like cars on the tracks they have set up. I am going to give you short version of the rules. First of all throw out all the rules you ever learned in drivers ed.

1. Flow -  means lines on the road don't count, 2 lane road could have 5 lanes of traffic if they fit or not.
2. Pick  - if you can get the front end of your car started in front of another you have the right away even if there is only 2 feet between the cars in the lane you are pulling into. Honk before entering lane to let them know they may need to move out of your way.
3.Pick and Flash - if you pass a car and another car is coming head on the one that flashes his lights first even if the flashing car is doing the passing.  You need to pull of the road or allow him right of way.
4. No see Chicken - when entering a intersection with no stop signs or lights if you do not look at other cars (like you do not see them) you have the right away.

So you drive with your right thumb on horn and be prepared to flash lights a at seconds notice.  California drivers would fit in well here.  Needless to say it is quite an experience.  The thing I worry about most is getting hit over the head by Sister Bell with her purse for being such a crazy driver.

On a spiritual note.  I have never seen a people he have so little but yet they have so much.  Many of them live in buildings we would barley call worthy of a barn for the cattle or chickens.  They have more power in their spirit and humbleness we strive our whole life to obtain. They have nothing but they have everything.

We love the work and find joy in doing the work of the Lord.  It is not always easy but it is sure worth it.

We love all of you.
Elder Grandpa Bell  (Dad)

PS.  We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world!