Rain, rain, stay, stay!!

Ayo Family and Friends!

Someone told me that the dry (HOT) season ended the last week of May and right on time, last Sunday just after we had published the blog, the heavens opened up and we had a good rain for the first time in many weeks.  It has not stopped raining every day or sometimes at night for 2 or 3 hours since.  It rained all but one day this week and now all the dry rice fields and all of the 'chocolate hills' are greening up again and it is looking more like the Philippines to me now.  With the rain comes the 'muggy' but I have decided I would rather have the muggy than the dry heat.  It was pretty unbearable for me.  And now all of our good farmers are out plowing and planting the fields again.  You have never seen such hard working people.  They do all of the farming the way our grandparents did a couple of generations ago.  It is a wondrous thing to experience.

Plowing the field with the Caribou to grow vegetables. And two people seeding the field a few rows behind the plow.

We always start our week off with a missionary breakfast as Monday's are P-Day (preparation day) for our missionaries.  It is the one day of the week that they can email home, do their laundry, buy their groceries for the week and other such tasks.  It is a really full day for them and passes much too fast.  We host the sisters one week and the next week we host the elders for breakfast and they love to come for pancakes!  Well, this week was sisters breakfast and so all of those beautiful women came to share a few pancakes with us.  We love to have them in our home and to share this time with them.  They are silly and fun and serious and capable all wrapped up in one beautiful package. We love our missionaries so very much!!

The Calape Zone Sisters

It is hard to remember at the end of the week what we did all week.  So I use my pictures to remind me of what all went on this week.  But, some weeks I forget to take pictures and then I am in trouble but this next picture did remind me of the events of Thursday.  We traveled up to Ubay to take an investigator to Talibon so that she could get a birth certificate, so that she can get married, so that she can get baptized!  Many adults have never had a birth certificate probably because their parents could not afford to register their birth or some such thing.  And so as adults they have to come up with the money to get the certificate and it can be pretty overwhelming for the budget that barely puts food on the table. So, we always will offer to help them with the finances to get these documents.  The cost of these range from about 350-500 Pesos.  In US dollars that is only about 10 bucks.  It does not seem like much to you and I but to them it is something they can never save for.  It is such a little thing that helps them make big changes in their lives that have eternal consequences.  How can we not help?  Anyway, Thursday was just such a day as we tried to help Maribel to get her birth certificate.  But that is not what this picture is about…As we were driving, Elders Head and Borrego scooted up to the window of the cab and Elder Borrego said, "Sister and Elder Bell, can I ask you some questions?"  "Sure Elder. What's on your mind?"  "Well, before my mission I never really appreciated the advise of old people but now I really think you have some wisdom to share." ('Old people' he called us) So he proceeded to ask us all about dating and marriage and how to find the right partner.  We had no sooner started sharing our vast amount of knowledge and wisdom on the topic when Elder Head said, "Wait, this is good stuff we should take notes."  Out come the trusty notebooks and they scribbled away frantically as we talked.  Well Elders, I hope it all works out in the end but right now you are missionaries….Stay focused!!!  (It was a pretty funny moment) But, in true missionary fashion, they took notes so as not to forget anything important that was said.

Elder Head and Elder Borrego taking copious notes. 

For some reason I have had a rough week.  I never really expected to struggle with missionary work but my humanness takes over once in awhile and I lose sight of the eternal perspective of this work.  As I sat in sacrament meeting today it all came back in to focus for me and I remembered once again that He, who loves us so much, already suffered for all the pain and anguish my soul has or ever will experience.  He knows my heart.  He knows my struggles.  He knows my weaknesses and He knows my strengths.  And so once again, I relearned the same lesson I have before learned….turn it all over to Him.  He will carry the burden.  He is in all the details of our lives and so today I have remembered that  and I rededicate my life and my service to Him and to this great work!  He has blessed and will continue to bless me and my good husband and our great kids and grandkids for the few months we offer to this work.  Whew…I am so glad to remember this great truth that I know but had lost sight of for just a little while.  I love my Heavenly Father and His son.  How thankful I am for His plan of happiness for me.  How thankful I am for the redeeming love of my Savior that lifts a weak soul as mine and makes me better than I was before.

Please know that I love all of you.  Your love and support is felt in many ways as the days and weeks go by.  The letters, emails, prayers and thoughts are all felt right here in my overflowing heart!
Love you forever,
Sister Bell (Nanay, Lola, Amigo)


Maayo Kaayo simana Pamilya & Amigos.

What a difference a few day can make.  Most of the time in the Peens it is like living in the Uintah Mountains.  It rains for 2 or 3 hours every day or some times at night. It lowers the temperature all day and makes this garden we live in come alive.

Well, we moved the Panglao Sisters to a new apartment on Saturday with the help of the Zone leaders from Tagb and our trusted friend Claudius.

 Moving new refrigerator for the Sisters

We also sent off two missionaries that have grown very near to our hearts.  They are returning home this week and I will sure miss these two missionaries.  We have worked beside both of these missionaries as they served in the mission home. Elder Bermoy, taking care for all the apartments in the mission and being our Zone Leader. Elder Saluta serving as assistant to the President and being our Zone Leader. All of these young men are courageous in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and have great stories of scarifies in serving the Lord.

Elder Saluta and Elder Bermoy

Today we attended Branch Conference in Inabanga.  The Sagbayan Group we attend and are working with is part of the Inabanga Branch.  We took half of the members of Sagbayan to the conference in Inabanga and sang in the Branch Choir. We love serving with these people.  They truly are our friends.

Inabanga Branch Conference with Sagbayan Group

Last of all we taught with the Calape Sisters on Friday afternoon. We went to Pangangan Island right off the shore of Calape.  It is connected by a causeway so you drive to the Island.  It was a delightful experience.  We taught lessons to two referrals they had contacted one time previous and visited Brother Ferdie who has been a long standing member in Calape for years.  Then we tried to find a lady we had talked with a couple of months ago and said we could stop by her house.  We did not find her but we found another lady who gladly invited us into her sitting porch.  We started teaching her a lesson about families and it brought tears to her eyes.  Special moments like these are what you come on a mission to do.  When the spirit touched their hearts and you feel that it one of the best experiences you can have in this life.

Sister Delos Reyes and Sister Varias teaching a humble woman how to be with her family after this life.

When you see these young missionaries in action you can see the hand of the Lord as he directs this work.  They bless the lives of so many people with great sacrifice on their part.  Many of the missionaries work for 2 to 5 years to earn money to even have a chance to serve a mission.  The amount they save is just a small portion of the cost of their mission.  The amount that is donated to the general missionary fund of the church and the amount left over from the cost of US missionaries make it possible for them to serve.  But in the Lord's eye they sometimes give all that they have and the sacrifice is accepted by the Lord.  

Next time you wonder rather you should donate some money to the general missionary fund of the church, do it.  You may be helping one of the future General Authorities or Church Leaders in a third world country gain the foundation they need to be a valiant leader of the Church in the future.

I will close by letting you know or if possible feel the joy I receive from serving the Lord with such a wonderful companion.  We feel his love each day from the missionaries, members and investigators we work with.  He is truly directing our lives as we serve.  I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and the way for all of us to return back to our Father in Heaven.

May the Lord bless all of you with the righteous desires of your hearts.

Nahi Gugma always,

Elder Bell (Tatay, Lolo and Amigo)