Missionary Work on Overdrive!

Maayong Gabii Tanan!

Well this week was wild and fast paced. We are happy to see many things we have been working on come to pass.

Today we had 110 in attendance at church!!!  That is a new record and without any visitors from the Calape District it sure is good to see all the people.  We ordered speakers to be put in the hallway downstairs and upstairs so we can seat all the people. With Branch Conference coming up in 2 weeks we could have as high as 125 in attendance.  After Sacrament Meeting we had Budol-Budol (linger longer). I guess this will be our last one and it was great to spend the time with all the people we have grown to love.

Meljun getting in on all the good food

Also this week we started the Welfare Project in the Branch.  Elder & Sister Zorn came over to Bohol and purchased most of the materials for Pig and Goat Shelters.  The members have really taken over the lead on the project and things are happening fast.  (Elder Bell has been working on this for a really long time and so it seems so wonderful to have it approved and finally happening!)

Elder & Sister Zorn purchasing the lumber from the M & M Commercial Family Business

The lumber being cut from coco trees for the shelters

The chain saw cutters were haven lunch when we visited the site of the lumber. The dimensional lumber is cut on-site with a chainsaw and it is amazingly straight and true

Nanay Luisa who keeps us all organized as the project progresses. (We celebrated this woman's 45th birthday with her this week and she is an amazing bundle of energy as she runs a household for her husband and 9 children!)

We also went to visit a near by barangay that was helped by LDS Charities right after the Earthquake in 2013.  LDS Charities constructed a number of homes in the barangay that had no members of the church and helped them put their community back together.  Elder Halladay helped with the project and had shown us earlier in our mission where the home were located. We received word from Manila that people wanted to hear about the church. We were greeted with open arms along with the four elders. They lined up a meeting in the barangay hall for next Wednesday to have some of the members of the barangay meet with us. We will let you know how it goes.

Sister Bell with the barangay leaders we met

Two-story home provided by LDS Charities

(Elder and Sister Halladay, you will recognize this one!

Our Elders helping a Lola home with her bags

Our four elders helping a Lola home with her bag of rice from the local rice mill.

( I have to tell you this is one of my favorite pictures ever!  We were just getting ready to leave Matacida when Elder Javelo saw this stooped Lola walking down the street.  He immediately jumped out of the truck and took her hand.  The other elders followed and took all of her bags from her and then we followed slowly in the truck while they walked her the rest of the way home clear off the main road and out in to the bukid, visiting and chatting like old friends! It was one of the sweetest scenes I have ever witnessed.  Our missionaries are truly amazing!)

A great child swing in action

We had a FHE on Wednesday night at the Umbang Family.  It was Nanay Luisa's birthday and great fun was had by all.  The Elders always give a great lesson and much is learned and enjoyed by all who attend.

Tatay and Nanay Umbang with their great family.

(These two have raised some pretty great kids….they must be doing something right!

Cathleen Enad & Arc Umbang entertain all of us. Nidot Kaayo Kanta!

Well it time for me to turn this over to my better half. We love the Lord and we feel very privileged to be part of his work. May we always be found worthy of that trust.

Nahigugma ko kaninyong tanan!

Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo & Amigo)

Ayo Family and Friends!

I hope this letter finds you all well and happy!  Are you enjoying your Summer?  You must be….too busy to write, but that is okay.  We will be home soon and catch up on everything.  Please be ready to feed me some wonderful summer-time food!  I am very excited for a good BBQ, corn, tomatoes, berries…..soon!

Anyway, I digress!  It was a really busy week and this one is going to be just like it!  We started the week off with a Family Home Evening with the Viodor family.  I got in a few snuggles with my sweet baby.  I tell her always that I am her Americana Lola….I know she won't ever remember me, but I shall always remember her and this sweet family who we love so very much!

Sister Bell with her Viodor grand baby

We are smack in the middle of the rainy season…we never really had a dry season…but anyway, it rains at least every other day.  Sometimes it is just for a few minutes as it was this day, but you have never experienced rain until you see it rain in the Peens.  We went out teaching with the elders just a few minutes after the rain quit and this is what we experienced…

Tip-toeing through the flooded field 

This area we usually cross a little creek on a three foot long foot bridge.  But today it was a raging river.  I crossed first and hiked my skirt up to my knees and fared okay.  Elder Bell just jumped in with his shoes on and pants not rolled up and we both got wet to mid-calf.  The elders did not want to get their pants or shoes wet so they took the time to roll the pant legs and carry the shoes and socks.  It was a fun sight to see.  

We made it safely to the other side

Just as the elders were getting to the far side of the flooded field, this caribou approached us and she was having a great time in the water. She was rolling in it and jumped up to come check us out.  Sometimes my life is so surreal….I can't even explain it.

Baptism of Sister Villatima

Saturday was the baptism of Sister Verona Libransa Villatima, the lady we traversed the flood to teach! She is a sweet friend.  We are the same age and just somehow connected the first time we met.  We are also teaching three of her grandchildren who will be baptized in July.  

So I want to end with the story of sacrament meeting not just today but usually.  Today it was crowded and as the meeting was just getting started, more and more people started coming through the doorway. I sit at the keyboard up in the front and it was interesting to watch.  All the chairs were taken and so first the elders jumped up and gave up their seats to the new-comers.  Then without any fuss or interaction the youth would get up and give their seats to the next set of new-comers.  This happen four different times.  We had so many new faces today and our youth are so in-tune to the fact that investigators need to feel like they have a place and are welcomed.  It was fun to watch.  

The next thing I notice is during the sacrament it is so beautiful….as each person partakes of the bread they quietly bow their head in silent prayer.  It happens row after row all the way to back of the room.  These people reverently worship their Savior.  They are such a great example of devotion and truly remembering their baptismal covenants in such a humble show of devotion.  From these people I have learned so much.  Man, I love being a missionary.  It is a remarkable experience!

Have a great week!  We love you all so much.  We think of you and speak of you often.  You are a great support to us in this wild adventure.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Love you forever,

Sister Bell (Mamala to all)

The Beginning of the End

Maayong Gabii Tanan (Good evening to all)

Better late than never. Yesterday was one of those marathon days that gets you home late and dead in your tracks. After church, with 94 in attendance, 3 young men receiving the priesthood, interviewing 5 for 1st time temple recommends in the branch and also the district level we rolled in last night at 8:30 from Danao ready to eat and hit the sack. Feeling very good about all the spiritual progress the new leaders of the branch are having and also the members. Of those five new first time temple recommend holders, two are Louie May Umbang and Tis Rocoma. Both of them have theirs papers in waiting for their mission calls to arrive in the mail any day now. It is great to see so much progress with those we have grown to love to the bottom of our hearts.

Well 'the beginning of the end' means that we helped with the last transfer we will help facilitate while on our mission.  The next transfer home we will be part of it.

I have learned that when you are dealing with souls of people you love there is never time to do everything you could do.  There is always one more to reach and help.  So we are down to setting priorities and doing the most is the shortest amount of time.  Because our time is short.

We helped with transfers this week and we were able us our multi cab and put it to good use.

Elders loading the Tagb Missionary luggage on top.

Tagb and Valencia Missionaries heading to bus station and individual areas.

Remember in the Peens there is always room for one more.

In the process of transfers we lost one of our beloved Sagbayan Missionaies (Elder Salazar).  But every time we lose one we always get a new great missionary to replace him.  Our most recent incoming missionary is Elder Javelo. He is great missionary and will also be one the great missionaries to serve in Sagbayan. It seems like we always get some the best.

Elders Javelo, Ramos, Acedilla & Birdiguil

Also this week Sister Bell was able score a big one at McDonalds. So at their open house in Tagb they gave away the famous McDo Umbrella. We did not make it to open house so we asked if we could just buy one a couple of weeks ago.  They were not on the menu so it would have taken a act of congress to get one so we gave up.  Well this week during closing apartments in Tagb we just happen across McDo's and they were selling them for P100 ($2.00). So Sister Bell scored big and got her wish.

The famous McDo"s Umbrella and our Tagb zone leaders, Elders Tamayo and Fangon

Well, their is about 20 more things to talk about so I will turn it over to my better half to finish up.

We are truly seeing prophecy come true as we watch these valiant young men and women gather the Lost Tribes of Israel in these the last days. We have been blessed to serve among such good and honest people. May we always be worthy of this blessing.

Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo & Amigo) 

Ayo Family and Friends!

It has been a busy week!  Rarely is it so busy we can't get the blog written on a Sunday night but this week…..Ooeeee!  All was not lost though because as we waited the few hours it took to get our five sisters interviewed I was attended to by these lovelies….

Sister Annabelle and her daughter, Sariah

This is Annabelle Nueva and her daughter Sariah.  They are the dearest people.  They were at the Calape Church when we arrived for the interviews (President Nueva is Calape District President and they were waiting for him to finish up his day so they could get a ride home).  They stayed just so they could visit with us and while we visited they massaged my neck, my back, my hands and arms and even my tired, old feet!  Sister Annabelle is a dear, dear friend of mine.  Have you ever met someone and within the very first minutes of getting acquainted you just feel like you have known and loved them all of your life?  Well, Sister Annabelle is that for me.  As she started talking about our eminent departure, we both teared up and just had to stop thinking or talking about it.  Leaving her will be very difficult for me!

We were able to go visiting/teaching with the elders this week. 

Sister Verona and three of her grandchildren

Meet Sister Verona and three of her grandchildren.  She is a sweet woman whom I feel a close kinship too.  I think because we are nearly the same age and have grandchildren that we love and care for.  She will be getting baptized this coming Saturday.  We are so happy to know her and be a part of her life.  She is just a joy.  We really love to go teaching with our missionaries too….we are really going to miss that!

Seminary started again for the school year last Saturday….

Sister Janeylyn Racoma our new Seminary Teacher

 It was hard to have to give up my teaching position!  I really loved teaching seminary in Sagbayan.  But this is our new teacher, Sister Janeylyn Racoma.  She is going to be a wonderful teacher.  She came so well prepared for the first lesson.  I was really impressed!

As Elder Bell said, it was transfer week and these are the missionaries that left the Tagbilaran Zone.  They are great missionaries and will be wonderful in their new assignments.  But still, we hate to see them go….

Our departing missionaries

This is Sister DeLeon…she is such a happy person.  I just loved being around her.  She lights up a room with her smile.

And just one last pix….

Chicken for dinner

                                     

I guess chicken dinner tonight for these folks!   I love the Peens!  Everyday you see things like this that you would never see back where we come from…..

Have a great week everyone.  We love you and miss you and look forward to seeing you all soon!

Love you forever,

Sister Bell (Mamala to all!)

A Little Bit of Everything!

Ayo Family and Friends!

It has been a busy week even with a sick day right in the middle of it, so I am just going to give you a pictorial walk through our week……

Sagbayan Branch arrives at Regional Conference

 We had a special Regional Conference today and so we rented the bus again to take our branch to the meeting in Calape.  It is always a fun time for everyone and we follow along behind with our multi-cab full as well.  Almost always we have about 25% of the entire congregation  with us when we arrive.

Sister Segovia

 I was so happy to see this sweet sister walk in.  Sister Segovia, from Loon, has not been out to meetings for some time as she had a stroke a few months ago.  She is now walking on her own and has good speech ability, but she has paralysis of her left arm.  She is such an amazing woman with a faith that truly can move mountains.  She had me lean in really close and she asked me for a favor…."would you pray for me?"  That was the favor….please join us in doing just that for this sweet Filipino pioneer!

Branch members and Elders on the way to Sister Verona's for FHE

 We had two different Family Home Evenings this past week.  This is a shot of some of the members and elders walking through the rice field to get back in to Sister Verona's house.  It had been raining earlier in the day and so the walk was wet and muddy but that never stops us from going.

Teaching Sister Verona

 The sweet sister in the back with the black and white blouse is Sister Verona.  She is 58 years old and she has three grandchildren attending church with her as well.  She has a baptismal date for June 24.  She is a soft spoken woman with much strength and courage.  She has been looking for the truth for some time now and is thrilled to have found something that rings so true to her.

Sister Erlinda Jandayan and husband

 The other Family Home Evening was at Sister Erlinda Jandayan's house.  She is a member along with her only living son and his family (you have heard us talk of the Jandayan Family many times) but her husband is not a member.  The elders keep working with them.  Sister Erlinda is a sweet Lola that loves us beyond reason and we surely do love her as well.

 We did a few apartment checks this week….for many months I have driven by this grove of palm trees on the way to the Pilar elders apartment.  I have always been fascinated by the amount of ferns growing on the trunks of the trees.  It is an 'old growth' grove of trees but is has a beauty of its' own.

These are our Pilar elders.  Elder Susaya and Elder Apales.  I promised them they would be in the blog this week….it is the goal of most of the missionaries to make it to the blog at least once in a while. We love our missionaries!!

John Mark and Justin

 These young men, John Mark and Justin, are always ready and willing to do whatever they are called upon to do.  This day they went to Danao with us to teach some temple prep lessons to Sister Gonzaga who will be attending the temple for the first time ever on our next temple trip in July.  She had missed the first two lessons of the class that is taught on Sunday and so we were just getting her caught up with the rest of the class.

And finally…this new little family of ducklings….Who can resist such a cute shot?

Well Sister Bell did a pretty good job of recapping the week. There are always many more people to meet and visit and in Sagbayan, always new people joining the church and gaining their own testimonies. It is exciting to see this process move forward.

I attended Branch Presidents meeting on Saturday with President Racoma. At the end they always ask each branch if they have any problems or anything that they need help from the District.  It was great to jointly go over needs of Sagbayan Branch along with President Racoma.  After I thought about it and the problems we have are the best problems any branch or ward dreams of having…...

The first is having room for all the new people investigating and joining the church. As soon as the insurance is cleared for the new chapel construction will start. But as they always say in the Philippines "There is always room for one more".  This applies in all areas of life, jeepney's, tricycles and also letting people live in their homes when they have none of their own.  But regardless of how crowded the church is they alway make room for one more.

The second was getting baptismal clothing to accommodate all the baptisms we have.  That will also be solved after the new chapel is built.

It is great to live amongst such humble people who make due with whatever they have and also share it  with others. If all people in the world today looked at life as they do it would be a Zion-like society. May we always remember to be "So Much Thankful" for life and everything we have.

May the Lord bless you with peace and joy in your hearts.

Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo & Amigo)

To close, I will just add my testimony to Elder Bell's….I am 'so much thankful' for this wonderful experience to serve by the side of my husband and among this powerful group of saints.  They have given me much and have blessed my life beyond measure….for all of this I am so much thankful!

Love you forever,
Sister Bell (Mamala to all)

Mission call and more!

Hello to all from the top of the Chocolate Hills of Bohol!

Well another fast and furious week with blessings for all involved.

I will start with the mission call and the two that are coming soon;  This week our dear friend Claudius receive his mission call.  We have worked with him our entire mission trying to help him get a head start and put his feet on a productive path in life.  His father died while he was young and his mother and his sisters and he have weathered all the storms on their own.

So on Tuesday he finally receive his mission call to the Cagayon de Oro Mission in Mindanao, Philippines.  That is the island south of Bohol.  He enters the MTC on July 28, 2017.

Claudius opening his mission call

Waiting for Claudius to open his call

The Shamrell's and the Calape Sisters were there with us to see him open his Mission Call

This is a shot of Sister Bell and Sister Nacalaban who started her mission in Sagbayan next to us.  It is always great to reunite with our special missionaries we have served with.

As for the other two missionaries that have their papers submitted.....After the usual send back from the area for one thing or another, Sister Tis Racoma's paper are in SLC awaiting assignment. And Sister Louie May Umbang and in the Area and hopefully going to SLC this week. We now have 4 other missionaries to help get their paperwork going.  We will help get them started but Elder & Sister Shamrell will see them through to receive their mission calls.

The second item is the school project.  We were called on friday by Elder & Sister Zorn from Cebu to ask if we could attend a acceptance meeting at a school very close the where we live.  Elder & Sister Zorn are Welfare Service Missionaries. LDS Charities had put together a project to supply 800 chair - desk combo unit to various different schools on Bohol. We attended a acceptance meeting for 200 of these chair-desk combos.

Calatrava Elementary School chairs

Sagbayan Branch Presidency & Relief Society, GMA Foundation Rep and District and School Officials and Teachers 

The GMA Kapuso Foundation helps schools all over the Philippines by building new class rooms and facilities for struggling schools districts.  LDS Charities provides many different items for schools like this one as partners to improve education and health to many people in the Philippines. 

So if you have ever wondered what LDS Charities does with money that is left to them from people who want to make a difference in the world, this is a very small part of what that money is used for.  They help the poorest of the poor raise their quality of life and give them a hand up.  I am honored to assist in a small way as part of this work.

I am going to close with a great picture along the road over to Danao.

The beautiful land of Bohol we drive through daily.

I will close by expressing to you, in a small way, the love I have for the Lord and His work.  We have been blessed to meet such wonderful and humble people. We love the Land, we love the people, and we love the work of the Lord. 

Nahi Gugma Ko Kaniyong Tanan (I Love all of You)

Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo and Amigo)

Ayo Family and Friends!

It has been a busy week…as they all seem to be this entire mission!  We took a quick trip to the dentist on Monday with a couple of folks from the branch…Oh that I had unlimited resources to help those with dental needs!  On Tuesday we were able to do a few apartment checks in Tagbilaran but we hurried through them so that we could be ready for the week we had planned to spend with Elder and Sister Wilding.  If you remember a few months ago…I discovered Elder Wilding and I are cousins (3rd) so we were excited to get to know them a little better and to show them the sights of Bohol.  They live on Cebu and are assigned in Bogo (very northern end of Cebu).  They traveled via ferry to us late Tuesday afternoon and we picked them up at the Tubigon Port.  We headed out to our beloved Isla Hayahay for a couple of days.

On Wednesday we took them snorkeling and then on Thursday the Shamrells joined us and we did some sightseeing.

Shamrells, Wildings and us at Mag-aso Falls

Elder Wilding zipping across the canyon!

Sister and Elder Wilding at Hill Top 

It is so much fun to spend time away from the pressures of the mission and hang out with the other senior couples.  Elder Wilding and I have the same blue eyes!  Blue eyes are a strong gene!

We ended the week with a few visits and a glorious youth activity on Saturday night.  It was movie night at the Bells!  They love to gather at our apartment for any kind of activity but they especially love movie night.  This time we watched "The Best Two Years".  It is pretty fun to watch them giggle and scream at movies!  We of course sat there all sappy and kept thinking about how this would likely be our last movie night with these incredible kids.  I never knew a heart could love so many people so much as we love this Sagbayan Branch!

Chocolate cake after the movie with 20 of our closest friends!

Elder Bell is keeping a running list of everything that we need to get done in the next two months.  It is extensive and exhausting!  But I am sure everything that needs to get done before we leave will get done!  After all….whom the Lord calls, he qualifies!  We have certainly felt that blessing come true in our own lives as we have traveled this journey through the last 21 months.  We seem to be able to do things that seem beyond our abilities and somehow we have been able to accomplish them.  It is a remarkable experience to serve a mission.  I highly encourage anyone of any age that has a desire to give and serve to consider it.  You will be amazed at how the Lord can use you!

Love you forever,

Sister Bell (Mamala to all)