Malipayong adlaw sa kasingkasing!

Malipayong adlaw sa kasingkasing!

(Happy day of hearts) I am not too sure that is a real greeting or not but it was sent to us this morning by President Saballa, who is a Philippino counselor to President Tanner, and if he can use it so can I!  So there you have it, Happy Valentine's Day, Philippino style!  Surprisingly, Valentine's Day is celebrated here just the same way it is in the states; chocolate and flowers for the one you love.  At church today all the leaders started the meetings with a Valentine greeting and even centered the topic of the meetings around love.  I am happy to be spending this day with the man I love.  He is pretty good to me when you really stop and think about it.

I want to start off with the biggest event of the week….we got a new granddaughter!  Baby Violet was born February 11, a healthy and cute little girl.  If I am totally honest with all of you, it was hard to not be with Kariann when she had the baby.  I have missed the last two babies and it is one of the things I love the most in this world, watching my grandchildren being born.  So, I am a little sad to have missed it, but I am so happy she is well and healthy and that everything went well even though she decided to come breech.  She has one tough mommy!

                                                         Meet Baby Violet Lynn Fierro!

We spent most of the week off the island.  We were in Cebu at a Senior Couples Training.  We stayed in the home of President and Sister Tanner for three nights.  We spent Thursday actually training and Friday we were able to have a play day and all went to Comotes Island for the day.  Comotes is very beautiful.  I picture Hawaii to look like this back in the 60's before it became over run with tourist.

We left the house about 4:00AM so that we could catch the earliest ferry at 5:30.  So this is the amazing sunrise over the ocean.  I don't get to see that very often and it was beautiful. However…….

This guy missed the whole thing while he caught up on his lost sleep!

We got to participate in my favorite past time, Snorkeling!  Yeah!  The ocean renews my spirit like nothing else can.  Elder Bell and I were the only old folks snorkeling but some of the others enjoyed a refreshing swim.

The water was so clear and warm.  But, there were not that many fish down there and I didn't even care.  As long as my face is in the water I am happy!  Comotes has a few really nice resorts on it.  We asked about prices and they are not very expensive.  Maybe some day we will go back and spend a day or two when you come to visit!! (That is a pretty good bribe).

This is a picture of our senior couples (minus me as I am taking the photo).  Sister Tanner is the one in the navy blue shirt on the left.  President Tanner could not join us as he had a few too many fires to put out that day.  But, this is the lot of us and we love them all but, we are really short handed. So, if any of you are even thinking about a mission please come join us!  We need you desperately as the Halladays are going home in just a couple of weeks.

It was very renewing to spend a couple of days with people that are involved in the same work you are on a daily basis.  It helps us feel like we are not alone and that we have some pretty amazing team mates even though we do not see each other very often.  It is interesting to serve in a mission that has several islands included in the boundaries.  It really complicates mission work as travel inter-island takes so much time.  But somehow our good mission leaders have made it all work.  We love the Tanners and are so happy to have their leadership.  They are great people who work three times harder than any one of us senior couples.

I love you and miss you.  I hope our little Valentine's blog finds you all well and happy.  Remember the Lord is in charge.  Turn all of it over to Him and it will work out for your good in the end.

I love you forever,
Sister Bell (Nanay, Lola, Amigo)



Nahi Gugma Ako Si Sister Bell! (Thats what you say to the one you Love on Valentines Day! Well, except insert a different name because Sister Bell is already taken)

Well I will tell a little bit about the senior couples training.

We started out with a really great visit with the Assistants to the President and the Mission Home Elders. It is great to work with these wonderful and smart Missionaries.  Many thing were discussed and plans made to help us be more effective in helping the Missionaries.

We had dinner out at a great German restaurant Thursday night.

We also had a presentation given to us by Ray Goodson who runs a foundation called Rise & Rebuild. He was one of the first mission presidents in the Philippines in 1961.  President Kimball call him to be one of the first mission presidents and gave him a charge to convert a nation. 

Rise and Rebuild is working on projects making hollow blocks from scratch and putting public restrooms in public market places, drilling wells where needed and also many other projects across the Philippines.  When the typhoon hit Tacloban in 2013, he organized  and administered a project to rebuild appox. 3,500 homes for the victims of the typhoon.  They contacted many returned missionaries from all over the Philippines and within 2 days many returned missionaries made their way to the area and provided both temporally and labor to the project.  Our son Jason was one of those returned missionaries that answered the call.

We may see if we can assist with a project on Bohol that would provide employment for the members in the area and provide people with homes and public restrooms that were destroyed in the earth quake on Bohol 2 months before the typhoon hit in 2013.

Well a fun time was had by all as we went to the Bukilat Cave and explored for a little while.

 Sister Bell standing in the water that fills the floor cave.  It rises and falls with the tide and is very clear.

One of the fantastic beaches and resorts on Comotes

Well I will leave you with a portion on my Testimony

I know God is directing the work we are engaged in each day because I have seen his hand in all things.

I testify the Lord will bless you if you obey his commandments and call on him daily for his help in all aspects of your life.

I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer.

I know Joseph Smith was Prophet of God and that we have a living prophet on the earth today.

I love my family and all my friends.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Amping to all my Pamilya and Amigos

Elder Bell (Tatay, Lolo, Amigo)