Whirlwind Week & HOT, HOT, HOT!

Maayong Buntag Pamilya & Amigo's

This was a whirlwind week. On Thursday we went on the 'Circle Bohol Tour'.  We visited all 35 or so apartments in one day on the Island of Bohol and took GPS locations and pictures of each apartment. Two of our Nindot Kaayo (very great) office Elders were with us.

The missionaries in Loon had a great missionary open house.  We are so privilege to be able experience the doings of so many missionaries.  They do all the hard work in the trenches each day and invite us to be part of there labors.

This is a object lesson given to show how we need to band together so the wind can not blow out our light.  While apart no body could keep their candle light going for more than a few seconds.  Together all were able to keep all of our lights glowing.

 The power of many working together!

A cute little girl watching her Branch work together from a great vantage point!

Sister Broughton and Elder Singsam, 2 new missionaries sharing a New Zealand song in the Peens.

Saturday was another special day in Ubay. We attended the Pagbuyagan of Say (Sie as in Lie) Boyles, a 14 year old boy who wants to serve a mission when he turns 18.  The faith and testimony of these young people is very amazing to witness.  They seem to understand and have the ability to know and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ after a short time in the church.

Elder Borrego, Elder Gacad, Say, & Elder Tyrell

April 16, 2016…Say Boyles baptism.

We realized a couple of months after we arrived in the mission field that many of these young missionaries we are working with lived in dirt floor huts and joined the church within 1 to 3 years before serving a mission. They saved their own personal money for years to even be able to contribute a small portion of the cost of their mission.  The spiritual depth of these young missionaries is amazing. They have pure hearts and open minds that allows the Spirit of the Holy Ghost to teach them the truth they so boldly testify of. They enter the mission field with not much in there bags and a heart filled with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They carry their free copy of the Book of Mormon that is marked beyond belief.  They testify of the truth and learn a language in a short length of time and testify of the boldly of the truth.  Each time they do, we have our own testimonies strengthened.

I love the Lord and his work we are engaged in. Some days are long and a little hard but worth every minute of it.  I always dreamed of living in a place where time was turned back.  Where most people had a sense of moral decency and respect for the Lord and other people.  Well I am living the dream.  That describes to a tee this land and the people who live in it.  Children have fun rolling an old tire down the road and pushing it with a stick.  They are also grateful for the food they have that day and many times helped to provide that food.  May we all learn to look at life with such humble and happy hearts.  They have so little but yet they have so much.

May the Lord Bless you with the Righteous Desires of Your Heart.

Nahi Gugma,
Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo and Amigo)



Dear Family and Friends,

It has been, as Elder Bell stated, whirlwind week and a very HOT, HOT, HOT week.  The 'dry season' in the Peens is no laughing matter.  It is just plain hot and miserable.  We are so impressed that our young missionaries can be out working in it all day and then go home to their hot apartments to enjoy the hot air the oscillating fan pushes around. They really are amazing!  Hot makes me grumpy and I have an air-conditioned truck and apartment.

We started our week with a Zone Conference on Tuesday.  We always enjoy these because none of us missionaries ever has enough time with President and Sister Tanner so we really enjoy our time with them.  This trip they even stayed with us in our little apartment and I am so glad they did because it made feeding 30 elders breakfast before the meeting a lot easier with the help of this great lady.  I kinda think we were cut out of the same bolt of cloth.  We can both roll with it pretty easy when it comes to taking care of a crowd….

The cooks…and Elder Grey, the photo bomber!

Part of the gang of Elders (again Elder Grey)

The custom is to leave your shoes at the door of a home you visit.

By Wednesday we needed a little catch up time. So we were really happy to have a day at home.  We did many loads of laundry and had all the day to give to Seminary and Primary preparation for the end of the week.  So about 5:00 I asked Elder Bell if we could finish off the day with a date out to the Isla Hayahay to have some dinner and watch the sun set.  It was well worth the trip and did not disappoint.  We ordered the sweet and sour fish and it too did not disappoint!

You know, missions are hard!  Not every week is full of rewards and warm fuzzy feelings.  Some weeks are just plain hard and you are pretty glad when they are over.  But, we always have Sunday!  Sunday helps me recharge my batteries.  Sunday I get to go to church not once but twice and spend time with people I have grown to love.  Sunday I get to partake of the sacrament and spend just a minute thinking of Him, the one for whom we do all of this.  Sunday I get to take a couple of hours and work on this blog.  As I do that I think of you and that too recharges my batteries because I know that it is your love, support and prayers that gets us through weeks like this that are just a little bit hard and little bit discouraging.  But, now I am ready to start a new week with renewed hope, energy and refocus on what really counts.  Thanks for the time you give us.  It is appreciated!  I love you all and I miss you terribly.  I hope you are well and happy.

I love you forever,  

Sister Bell (Nanay, Lola, Amigo)