The Wrapping up Scenes

Ayo Family and Friends!

Have you been worried about us missing in action?  Well, we have a story to tell…..

On July 6 we were sitting in the Cebu Temple when we noticed the lights flickered.  We did not feel it, but there had been a fairly large earthquake on the Island of Leyte.  Leyte is a neighboring island of Bohol and it just so happens Bohol gets all of their power from Leyte.  The power line to Bohol was so damaged in the earthquake that we lost all power to our island.  We have been functioning without power for more than a week now.  They also discovered all of the transformers on Bohol had been blown and they did not have enough of replacements to fix the problem so it will be weeks before we are fully restored to power.  To top all of that off….we had to move July 8 to Panglao which is a good 90 minute drive from Sagbayan and in the new apartment for the couple soon to replace us, we have no internet.  So even if we have power we have no connection to internet.  It is a rough way to wrap up a mission but we will survive!

We are sitting at the Sagbayan Church this afternoon, accessing their internet so we can publish this blog.  It was crazy that we had to miss a week after all of these many entries so we have many things to share about our wrapping up scenes of this mission.  Here goes…..

As we stated before, we were in the temple July 6-7 with about 18 members of our branch.  Five sweet sisters we were able to escort through the temple for their personal endowments.

Sisters Racoma, Enad, Umbang, Gonzaga, Gambe, Anober, Umbang, Racoma

Nino Laurel and Claudius 

We also were able to have these two newly called missionaries join us in the session.  Our friend, Claudius from Calape Branch and Nino Laurel from Loon Branch.  It was really a wonderful event.  It was the final temple trip for us with Sagbayan members…one more thing wrapped up!

We cut it pretty close with Louie May Umbang…..she actually opened her mission call at the Patron House just an hour before we took her through the temple.  (Sometimes mission calls take a long time to get to the Peens) 

Louie May reading her Mission cal

 Louie May reading her mission call to the San Pablo, Philippines Mission.  She will leave on August 18, 2017 and serve for 18 months.

We also sold the Multi-cab this past week for a very good deal to a local business owner in Tagbilaran.

Goodbye Multi-cab! You served us well!

 And with that money were able to buy two used vehicles to help some of our branch members.  This bought this sweet truck for the Viodor family so they can help with the branch welfare project when they need to sell pigs and goats and it will help with their fish selling business also.

Viodors Truck

 And this sweet multi-cab for the Jandayan Family so they can help with troop transport in the future and it will help them with their business as well.  Yet another 'wrapping up' scene for the Bells!

Brother Jandayan with his new multi-cab

Yesterday was a great day for us…..we witnessed the graduation of eight branch members from the Self-Reliance course, Start and Grow Your Own Business.  This is our second group to finish the 12 week course.  Congratulations!

Brother Gambe, MelJun Seliote, Sister Joenilyn, Sister Ocabat, Sister Racoma, Sister Analie, Sister Jovilyn, Sister Janet Racoma.

It was our great privilege to witness the baptism of Tatay Simeon Viodor yesterday.  In fact Elder Bell got to do the honors.  This was a wonderful 'wrapping up' moment for us as we have been praying for this occasion since we first met the Viodor family two years ago!  This means finally the entire Viodor family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  His son, Elder Viodor, should be very proud and happy for this day!

Brother Simeon Viodor Baptism

The Viodors let me hug and smooch this baby as much as I want….they always tell her about her 'Americana Lola"!  Look at that hair!

Cake from the missionaries

 The missionaries surprised us with a farewell cake last night after the baptism….we are really going to miss our missionaries. They have been one of the highlights of our mission.  The joy and enthusiasm with which they serve.  Man, we love our missionaries!

Saying goodbye to sweet Sister Segovia

One of the most difficult 'wrapping up scenes' yesterday was the visit we made to sweet Sister Segovia.  She has had a stroke in the last few months and has regained her ability to walk and speak but has lost the use of her left hand.  It is very frustrating for her.  But as we spoke the prominent things on her mind were her temple recommend….. Somehow it was lost while she was in the hospital after the stroke and she is very concerned to get a new one (we made sure the proper authorities know about that), and she told us that she promised the Lord if he would help her walk again she would continue to attend church and help with the missionary work until the day she dies.  We have learned so much from this amazing, faithful woman.  She will never know the impact she has had on us.  As a parting gift she gave me her only remaining treasure.  I walked with her to her bedroom and she dug in the bottom drawer to pull out an amazing seashell that she got on her very last trip to the ocean.  She gently placed it in to my hands and I wept as she hugged me goodbye knowing that I will likely never see her again in this life!

Today we were able to speak in Sagbayan Branch for the last time….another wrapping up scene.  It was sweet to be able to share with our beloved brothers and sisters the feelings of our hearts.  To be able to thank them for the profound influence they have had in our lives.  From these dear people we have learned what it means to be Christlike.  We hope only to be able to pay forward the wonderful lessons we have learned from mga miyembros sa Sagbayan Branch.  Salamat Kaayo Sagbayan!

Nahigugama mi kaninyong tan an!! (We love you all!!)

Love you forever,

Elder and Sister Bell (soon to be returning missionaries)