Rice 102, Golden Investigators

Maayong Buntag Pamilya ug Mga Amigo!

Well, it was our first week flying solo here on Bohol without the Halladays (our other senior couple).  They are home now and hopefully resting a little.  It is still a little overwhelming to think of doing this all alone, but with the Lord's help I think we can at least give it a good effort.  So now we have 81 missionaries and all the apartments they live in to look after!  Thankfully they are amazing missionaries who really do more looking after us than we do looking after them.

I am an anomaly in so many ways here.  First, it is the curly gray hair.  Not many senior Philippinos let their hair gray naturally and so few have anything but shiny, long black hair.  So, they can't quite get over the gray curls.  But, the thing that really throws them is the fact that I drive!  It is a wonder and amazement to many of the Philippino missionaries and members.  Plus, most senior couples have just the one standard issue car, so they go everywhere together.  But, Elder Bell and I have two cars so it is common for us to divide forces to get more things accomplished in a day.  Saturday was our Relief Society Anniversary Commemoration.  I picked up a group of women in Sagbayan and headed for the party.

Sagbayan Sisters

These women have a great time together no matter what the circumstances are.  So the celebration was very similar to the Christmas Parties that we attended in December.  Every branch was to do a "presentation".  The presentations can be anything at all you have a mind to do.  But the really big thing here is 'videoke'.  This is a form of karaoke but with the dance moves.  And they all know the dance moves.  So at any given moment 12 women, of all ages, can get up on stage and bust out some dance moves.  They giggle and have so much fun together.  It is fun to watch them have fun!

Another thing that I have noticed is that March seems to be kite flying weather here just like at home in Utah.  But all the kites are handmade.  There are kids everywhere flying their great little handmade kites.  The light-weight bamboo is used for the frames and then they just use an old plastic bag for the covering.  I finally caught a picture of these boys flying their kites in the parking lot at the church.

Homemade kites!

I have no idea who these little boys are.  They are just neighborhood kids who used the tree-free parking lot to fly their kites.  There are not many open places here other than rice fields.

Another thing I have noticed is that most of the kids do not have a room full of toys to play with.  In fact I have never seen any store-bought toys in any house I have ever been in.  The kids here play outside.  They play with sticks and they all play basketball from a very young age.  The other toy I have seen a lot but never captured on film, is an old tire.  They roll old motorcycle tires down the street using only a stick to control it (just like kids did in the beginning of the last century)!  They are happy kids and easily amused.  There is something to be said for simplicity!

We had a huge primary today in Ubay!  There were 8 children there with their parents who were new investigators.  Elder Bell is going to tell you about one of the families later.  But, they really had fun in primary.  I don't think they had ever played with play dough before.  It is a big hit here.

Ubay Primary!

Today I had Elder Tomakin and Elder Caballa helping me in Sagbayan primary.  As I talked to them after I realized that neither one of them had ever been to primary before as they are both converts.  So I was explaining all the how's and why's of primary to them.  They were so excited!  They had so much fun learning the songs along with the children that I think they will become regulars.  So, I told them next week they had to give the sharing time and they were pretty excited.  I explained how everything that the children learn through sharing time and singing time, the children share with the entire branch at the end of the year in a Primary Sacrament Meeting Program.  They were pretty excited about that and then realized they would be long transferred by that time of the year and asked me to record it so they could see it later.  It is fun to teach the kids (of all ages) in primary!

Well, I will let Elder Bell take over for now.  It has been a busy week with long days in the seat of the multi-cab.  But, we come home very tired at the end of a day and know that we have done some good in the world.  It makes for good sound sleep at night and a full heart to start it all over again the next day.  I really love serving here.  It is not all easy but I see the hand of the Lord in all that we do.  I know that he loves His children in every land and in every isle of the sea.  How thankful I feel that He has entrusted a few of his children to my care and keeping.

I love you all and miss you madly!  Be happy!  Work hard!  Pray with your families and trust Him in all that you do.

Love you forever,

Sister Bell (Nanay, Lola, Amigo)

Nindot Jud Adlaw (Very Great Day) Pamilya ug Amigo's

Well I will start with Rice 102.  I am going to show you the different stages of rice growing and delivery to the market place.  In Rice 101 I showed the field being prepared and leveled, flooded and planted by hand. I will show in Rice 102 growing, harvesting from the fields, thrashing and drying.

This is what beautiful rice fields look like as they are growing.  They are watered at least once a week by rain or by wells drilled in the rice fields.

 Terraced Rice Fields in Danao

Scare Crows to keep birds off rice fields.

Then the rice is cut with a machete by hand and bundled and carried over by the road or open area to run through the trasher.

Thrashing Machine and Rice drying on the side of the road.

After thrashing the rice is put out for a day to dry on the side of the road or open flat spot.

Burning the chaff and stalks after thrashing.

Well one thing that reminds us a little bit of home is the burning of the chaff and stocks of the rice and also burning weeded areas.  Just like the spring burning of the ditches in Hooper.

At a later date I will show you Rice 103.

Now on to a Golden Investigator.

We were called this week to a teaching appointment with the Zone Leaders in Ubay, Elder Borrego & Elder Mangroband.  We were going to testify to Bobby and his family.  Let me tell you a little bit about Bobby.

Bobby was preacher for another church until 5 years ago.  He served as a missionary for 2 or 3 years also.  Five years ago he left the church because he could see that the gospel of Jesus Christ as described in the Bible was not being followed.  He started a self-ministry to help children and young people get to know the Savior, believing that one day he would find the truth. He has sometimes over 100 people come to his home on Sunday to hear about the Savior and his teachings.

Bobby has been reading the Book of Mormon and he knows it is true from the spirit he always feels as he reads it.  We testified to him in his language and told him we also know the Book of Mormon is true.  He agreed to go to church with us for the first time and he did on Sunday.  He also asked Sister Bell to come and teach all 100 of the youth he has come to his house.  It was at the same time as Sagbayan church so we could not do it this week.  He committed to be baptized in 4 weeks and knows that Joseph Smith was prophet.  As he comes along we will have a opportunity to teach all the people who look to him for spiritual guidance.

 Bobby and his family (8 children) coming to church for the first time.

We look forward to showing you many more experiences with Bobby and his family.

We started a few months ago attending Ubay ever sunday before we attend Sagbayan.  Ubay is on fire as far as missionary work is concerned.  There are 20 people committed to be baptized before the end of April. We have baptisms in Ubay next Saturday in the ocean. It is great to be part of the members of both the Ubay Branch and the Sagbayan Group.  They are just like our family.

Well I want all of you to know that I love the Lord and I love His work.

Daghang Salamat (the most thanks)

Elder Bell   (Tatay, LoLo, and Amigo)