Well another week in Paradise has come and gone. We came here just as the rainy season was supposed to be in full swing and honestly, we haven't thought it so bad. We have rain every few days but usually only for a few minutes. But don't get the wrong idea here…those few minutes can really lay down some water! Well, this week has been really pretty rainy every single day and with the rain comes a little cool so we love the rain because it really makes the heat so much more bearable. The native Filippinos are actually COLD! Trust me it is not cold it is not even a little bit cool but it is at moments quite pleasant.
This week we have been busy as usual. The thing I love about my mission is it is never boring. Everyday is something different than the day before. They really pound into a missionaries head the concept of 'planning'. The young missionaries have to plan every minute of every day so that they are productive all the time. It is very different for senior missionaries. We can not plan because every day will unfold in the most unexpected ways imaginable. This week we have been trying to find a way to get a large chunk of money transferred into the country so that we can buy a Jeepney. Well it is just as complicated to get money as it is to get a license or a visa or buy groceries or any number of things in the Philippines. Nothing goes smoothly and everything has mountains of read tape!!!
We were able to make it to the far side of the island this week and I did not actually get to stick my toe in the water but I was pretty close just the same.
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| This area is called Jagna. It is directly across the island from Calape. There are no big waves on any side of the island, just gentle rolling waves. |
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| The Gazebo |
This adorable gazebo is owned by the only little dive shop we have found on Bohol. The bridge to it was knocked down in the last typhoon and has not been rebuilt so the gazebo is falling in to disrepair.
Remember we told you that they celebrate Christmas her for all of the 'ber' months, so they were just starting the Christmas holiday when we arrived in Septem'ber' and now more and more Christmas decorations are going up. I could not resist a photo of this 'Island Style' Christmas Tree!
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| Yes those are coconut shells and yes they are painted in festive blue, pink, and yellow! |
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| And I could not resist this tree hanging inverted from the ceiling to keep the busy one-year old out of the decorations. |
Sisters Astilla and Contago with a family at Family Home Evening in Loon.
So, the last thing I want to tell you about today are AMIGA! Now in Spanish the word Amigo and Amiga are the words for 'friend'. One denoting male and the other female. Well the word for friend in Cebuano is Amigo with no difference in male or female, because the word Amiga is for the most obnoxious creature in this place. They are tiny little bugs (much smaller that an ant or mosquito) and they crawl all over everything! EVERYTHING! They love the kitchen and are found on every surface. They infiltrate containers that have food stored in them. They are crawling on your clean dishes, your dirty dishes, your books, your bags, your skin. They drive me crazy! I have not found any sprays that kill them. The only thing they don't like is water. So they are usually not found in the shower but that is the only safe place. I even found them inside the sealed mylar bag of dried Mangoes! So that is my little rant on Mga Amiga (Amigas). One of the things I don't like about the Peens!
Well, I am going to sign off for now. Elder Bell has lots to tell you about and this is getting lengthy. Please have a fabulous Thanksgiving. Please know that when we list our blessings this Thanksgiving, you are listed among them. We love you all and miss you terribly. Enjoy every single bite of Pumpkin Pie you take (and think of me)!
Love you forever,
Sister Bell (Nanay, Lola, Amigo)
Maayong Gabii - Pamilya, Anok, Apo and Amigos
Well this was an interesting up and down week.
We introduced a Member Missionary program call Flood Bohol with the Book of Mormon. After ordering the supply of Book of Mormons needed for the project and getting the wheels turning in the Branch's on the Calape District we attended 2 open house work shops with Calape and Loon. One of the Lady's in this picture is an investigator and she is marking her own Book of Mormon.
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| Marking Books of Mormon |
Just a brief explanation of the project. One Branch invited members out to a fellowship work shop. Twenty People came and they split off in groups of 2 and took 2 names to visit and they invited them back to church. The following Sunday some of the less active and part member families attended Church. This week a fireside was held showing members the importance of members in missionary work and copies of the Book of Mormon were handed out to be marked with 15 questions of the soul (thank you Vicky Fowers) listed in the front and marked scripture answering those 15 questions. They were challenged to give the Book of Mormon to a friend and discuss briefly one of the 15 questions. Then involve the missionaries in the process while staying involved the with the friend. We are starting to see some success and are praying for much more in the weeks to follow.
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| This is Elder Navarro giving a presentation on the importance of members in missionary work. |
We just had a visit a few minutes ago from our Calape Sisters and the news they gave us brought tears to all of us.
We were asked last Tuesday to go with the sisters to teach a man that is seriously studying the gospel and had some very deep complicated questions he was asking (very often we are called in when the missionaries are confronted with that kind of situation). We followed the spirit as the lesson progressed and thru the lesson I answered from the Bible and Book of Mormon a few of those questions. This man, Brother Allen, had been given a Book of Mormon 3 days prior and he already had read to Jacob.
After the meeting he would not say the closing prayer so he asked me to give it. I gave the prayer 90% Bisayan and 10% English. We prayed he would discover the truth.
Latter in the week he would not make an appointment for a return discussion. The sisters were heart broken and to be very truthful so was I.
Then a miracle happened. He showed up at church today (we were attending 2 other Branch's and were not there). The talks in church were perfect for him and answered his questions. He attended sunday school and participated and asked many questions and most all of them answered by the members. After he asked how he could join this church. He is now after one week of reading, on the book of Helaman.
This story is still in the making so we will update you as it progresses.
We love the land we are in and the work we are engaged in. But most of all, we love these people. They are deeply spiritual and very humble. They love their families and still have a very good perspective of what is important in life. We learn much from them each day.
Gugma (love) to all,
Elder Bell (Lolo, Tatay, Amigo)
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| Caribou going to work. |
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| Pool at the HayaHay Resort by the Ocean |
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