It's hard now as new beginnings show so much hope for the future and other great adventures come to an end. One thing you learn very early while serving a mission is that all things change. That is the only constant thing that happens in life.
Well this week we had transfers. We lost two great missionaries in Sagbayan, Elder Crowley and Sister Anderson. They both started their missions in Sagbayan and have been here for quite a while. It was time for both to leave for their own development and growth, but it is still hard to see the ones you love leave. But, at the sametime we received two new missionaries that are full of life and ready to start in one of the greatest area's of the Cebu East mission.
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| Elder Crowley (far left), Sister Anderson (back right side) |
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| We also lost a group of our Tagb Missionaries |
The next ending and new beginning comes from Elder (Marjonilo) Viodor. It marks the end of a era for me where I had a very capable and smart young man by my side as my branch clerk. He not only translated for me but taught me a lot about the language while I was teaching him to speak English. He also offered a great insight into the culture and helped implement many of the programs in the branch. You sure do not realize how much you miss someone until they are gone.
On the other hand Marjonilo's brother, Meljun, was call to be the branch clerk and he did a terrific job today with tithing and will be a great Branch Clerk. Also John Mark and many others have stepped up to help with translation. This is new beginning for them and also me. We will do terrific together.
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| Marjonilo leaving his family |
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| Marjonilo leaving his adopted LoLo & LoLa |
(It was hard to hide the tears and we are feeling the loss of having daily contact with him. But we are so proud of his decision to serve. He is an incredible young man who has helped us in so many ways. I told Aaron that is was almost harder to say goodbye to him than our own kids when they left on missions as we are not sure if or when we will ever get to see him again.)(Sis Bell's editorial comment)
Then one day after Majonilo left, his mother had a healthy baby named Mechila. We visited her to day in the hospital and everything is going well with this large baby sister.
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| Mechila with Evangeline, her mother, and sister, Angel |
So the next situation occurred while we were retuning from Cebu last night. We receive a call informing us that one of our Sagbayan missionaries (Elder Salazar) had be hit by a motorcycle while riding his bike. We finally caught up with him at the hospital in Tagbilaran. He was hit from behind by a drunk driver. After hearing about all the blood and everything we were happy to hear none of it was his. He came out with no broken bones and just a really sore hip, sprained finger and some bad whiplash (he was wishing that my Chiropractic, Chris, was visiting this week)
But in true Elder Salazar fashion…. he came to church today and in a couple of days will be on the run again up and down the chocolate hills of Sagbayan finding scattered Israel. The Lord sure watches over and protects his missionaries.
Well I am going to leave the rest of the adventures to Sister Bell. It is wonderful to serve a mission with her and she enriches my life and the lives of so many others. She is truly amazing.
I love the Lord and I love His work we are engaged in. May I always be worthy to do so.
Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo & Amigo)
Ayo Family and Friends!
I am really feeing lost tonight! It was so much fun to have Aaron and Stacy and the boys with us for two weeks. They just left early Saturday morning and we are missing them so much already! Look at this….
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| These are Rowdy and Colt's coloring pages from primary last Sunday. I found them in the closet at church today and promptly brought them home and put them on the fridge. It made me feel like a real gramma for just a little while! |
As Elder Bell said, it was transfer week and so the Ellsworth's had to put off some playing for a couple of days to help the missionaries. In fact, Aaron took my place and helped with transfers on Wednesday and I just stayed home with Stacy and the boys. We had a nice day off. The other days we had some fine adventures…..
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| Pebble Beach with the Ellsworths |
This is Pebble Beach. It is over on the East side of the Island. I have always wanted to go play there but never took the time until this week. It is all smooth pebbles with a healthy mixture of sea glass and shells. We had a fun time combing the beach.
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The same day we went to Pebble Beach, we had dinner with the Smalley's and the boys loved to hear the story of Bill and the Anaconda…"it was just a baby", says Bill!
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| The last play day on Bohol we were able to get to Magaso Falls. It is still a little murky from the rains but it is such a refreshing plunge on a hot, muggy day. We loved it! |
And speaking of plunge…Aaron, the daredevil of the family, took the Plunge at the Danao Adventure Park. Sadly, videos don't upload on this blog too well, but it really raised my blood pressure just to watch the video of him doing it. He was strapped to a really long rope (200 plus meters), upside down and then released over a very, very deep canyon. He just swung back and forth and back and forth until they hauled him back up! It really takes your breath away to see it!
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| Ellsworth's at the edge of the lookout on the Sagbayan road! |
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| John Mark and Colt |
Both boys grew very attached to this young man, John Mark. He was so cute with the boys and they wanted to know if they could take him home with them. He was their best friend while they were here. They were so excited when he brought each of them over one of his shirts as a momento of their time together. So the boys decided to repay the favor and gave him one of their shirts and also emptied their pockets of all their pesos and gave them to him. He really liked their little gift.
It was hard to send them off. We have so enjoyed the kids and grands that have come to visit us. It is incredible to share with them this amazing experience. I think they go home with a whole new concept of what it is we do with our time each and every day. I think we wore them out. We love our family so much and surely appreciate the sacrifice they have made to have us gone for so long. That being said…the time is quickly fleeting. We have so much to do and so little time left to accomplish all the things on the list. But, we will keep chipping away at it. When all is said and done I think we will be able to say we gave it all we got!
Love you forever,
Sister Bell (Mamala to all)
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