Well we started off with whirlwind 3 day tour of the Island. We checked 40 apartments for 80 missionaries in three days. This time we installed smoke detectors in all the apartments. We stayed in Tagbilaran the first night and stayed in Talibon on the second night. On these days we carry a lot for things for apartments and circle the Island and also catch all the interiors areas also. The multi cab is a great blessing at these times. It make our job so much easier.
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| Multi Cab stuffed with every thing under the sun. |
We met up with 2 special sisters that helped train us when we entered the mission field. They lived in the apartment right behind ours. Sister Lappay started teaching us the language and introduced me to Balut. Sister Stanley was new and we went through adjusting to a new land together. We road our first tricycle with these sister and some of the first teaching experiences we enjoyed.
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| Reunion Sister Lappay & Sister Stanley |
We also attended Stake Conference in Tagbilaran Saturday afternoon and Sunday. President Bowen was the visiting authority. He is the Area President for the entire Philippines. He and his wife were pleasant to meet with. Friday night we had dinner with the Bowen's and the Tanner's. It was great to sit at the feet of one the General Authorities and learn the gospel from them. We had a special meeting with the missionaries after Stake Conference and he is terrific missionary. He even got a referral for the waitress at our table while we were eating. He gave that to the sister and told them to visit her with a marked Book of Mormon.
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| President Shane Bowen the Area President for the Philippines |
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| This is one of the Beauties of Bohol |
Well I am going to wrap this up for tonight and let Sister Bell take her turn.
I love serving with my eternal companion Sister Bell. She is the most Nindot Kaayo Gwapa Kauban I could ever ask for. She is special in so many ways and makes the journey we are on more enjoyable than I could ever imagine.
I love Lord and love his Gospel. I know from the bottom of my heart it is true.
Nahii Gugma ako Pamily ug mga Amigo.
Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo and Amigo)
Ayo!
It is pretty late so you may not get too much of a coherent letter from me tonight but here goes…
We spent a lot of time on the road this week and I don't know why but those days are really tiring for us. We sleep well at night. So, I kind of thought there would not be much to tell you about this week but I was wrong…there is always something to share with you.
Saturday we were in Ubay, yet again, for another baptism. This one was awesome. We had Sister Espera Abay-abay, who is 80 years old, baptized and a young man who is nine years old, Jubel Sabroso. We are going this week to try and help his mother get a birth certificate so that she and Jubel's father can get married so that they can get baptized. It is all so complicated here. There are so many little issues that prevent baptism and sometimes it takes a long time to clear up all of the road-blocks.
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L-R: Elder Kuhn, Elder Tuai, Elder Gacad, Sister Espera, Elder Head, Jubel, Elder Borrego, Us
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| Waiting House |
So this is the little waiting house that we gathered in to have our baptismal service. As we were just about to start the first talk, a young mother jumps up and tears across the beach a break-neck speed, dives in the water and pulls her baby, who is floating face down in the water, out of the ocean! It scared me to death. It could have been the worst day ever. But that mama was so fast the baby had hardly even swallowed any water. We paused for a brief moment and continued on with the meeting. Never a dull moment here!
This weekend was wonderful! It was so amazing to be taught by President and Sister Bowen. They are our age and have been serving continuously for 16 years!! And they had served as mission president for three year before that. (Fowers, you will be interested to note he was mission president of Barcelona, Spain Mission. They said you will love your mission). Anyway, it is inspiring to hear all of their counsel. We got to spend a significant amount of time with them privately over meals and such and I am just amazed by how long they have served and lived outside of the USA. It makes my 23 months not seem quite so long or hard. I can do this!
We love what we do…even on the hard weeks. We know we make a difference and do the things that we have been sent here to do. There are times in my life when I just think about how blessed I have been to have been born to goodly parents, who taught me gospel principles all of my young life. I was just given all this goodness and never really had to work too hard at it. I listen to the stories of our missionaries that have come to serve after just one year a member and whose families are not members and they make great sacrifices to be here and to serve so well. I wonder if I would have gone out searching for truth if I had not just been given it?….Who knows. I do know that I have been blessed beyond measure to live in a time when the gospel has been restored in it's fullness on the earth. I know that I have been blessed to be born to wonderful parents that lived and served all of their lives the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that I have a loving Father in Heaven who wants me to return to Him some day. I know that I am blessed beyond reason and beyond measure to have the wonderful family I have and true and faithful friends. Life is good folks! Count your blessings and feel joy!
Love you forever,
Sister Bell (Nanay, Lola, Amigo)
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