Week Sixty

Here are some pictures from this week.

We liked this festive Christmas tree next to an old church that saw on one of our trips to check out apartments.  The tree is decorated with hundreds of boxes tied with bright ribbons.  Creative!

These are the transfer team--Elders who can move mountains (well, refrigerators at least) effortlessly!

                    Here are some Zone Leaders who found an apartment near us for Sisters.

                      Possible new apartment for Sisters.  It's better inside than it looks!  But it looks pretty good.  It has bars on the windows, a gate, and screens.  Doesn't get much better than that!

Cupcakes for the Christmas party.

Not ice cream, but cupcakes, for one Sister's birthday.  She is a new missionary and had been pretty homesick, so we thought a birthday treat would brighten things up for her.

                           Some Primary girls performing at the Branch Christmas Party.

                           Elder Dinkel getting in the holiday spirit by playing a relay game.  Hooray!

                                                                            Fun!

                                                       One of the Primary girls. . .

                        playing with a little girl who wants to do all the things the adults do.
We didn't have a lot of pictures this week, but we hope you enjoyed what we had.  We hope you're all ready for Christmas!  Be safe, and drive carefully.  We love you!!!!

I forgot to put this picture in, but notice what the woman is carrying on her head.  It's two big fish!  They stuck out both front and back.  The women here carry all kinds of things in baskets on their heads.  Amazing!

Week Fifty-Nine

We started out our week by going to dinner at the Sunset Bay Restaurant.  We love the food and the beautiful sunsets.  I wish my camera could pick up the reds, but it just doesn't!

Tuesday we said good-bye to some really special missionaries.  Sister Lagrimas was the only missionary left from our first area in Manaoag.  We will always have a special place in our hearts for her.  Unfortunately, two of the other missionaries who left Tuesday are still stuck in Manila and unable to go home because Immigration is holding their passports.  We're not sure what that's all about, but hopefully they can go home soon to their families in Canada and England.

New missionaries arrived Wednesday.  If their moms wrote me, I try to get pictures of them.  Sorry, but that's the way it works!

                                                Some new Sister missionaries. . .

                                                                     More Sisters. . .

                       All the Sisters along with the STL (Sister Trainer Leaders) on the far right.

                                                                Some of the new Elders. . .

                                  All of the new missionaries along with President and Sister Balledos.

                               Can you guess that his mom wrote us????

Banana bread treats for all the departing missionaries after transfer meeting--120 more or less!

                                                         First companion. . .

                        New companion.  Sister Miller is now a STL and will be Baguio.  Way to go!!!

                                                                        On her way. . .

                            Sister Gaddy's a trainer, and here's her new companion.

                                                        Agoo 1 Primary Presentation

                                                                    Agoo 3

                                                       Damortis Primary

                                                                     Rosario Primary

                                                                      Rosario dance

                                                                       Damortis dance

                                                                          Agoo 3 dance

                             Agoo 2 dance.  They showed various ways to wear this cloth costume.

                                                                      Agoo I dance

Tubao dance.  They only had a couple of young people, so the women and young boys were good sports and joined in.

                                                                      Tubao

                                                                   Agoo 1

                                                                       Agoo 2

                                                                     Agoo 3

                                                                      Damortis

Rosario

My friend from Damortis--the 73 year old RS President.  She made peanut butter for this activity, and promised to teach me how to make it.

Cleaning up after the fun.  Actually, I wanted you to see their rafters broom.  A pretty tall witch could ride that!
So, this was our week in pictures.  Hope you enjoyed it!  If you want to see more pictures of the mission and the missionaries, our friends the Fullmers, the other senior couple, said we could include their blog address for you.  They have a great camera and take wonderful pictures.  It's myronandfaylenesmission.blogspot.com.  There is also a mission blog now baguiophilippinesmission.blogpot.com.  Have a great week!  We love you!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Thanksgiving at the Dinkels

San Fernando, LaUnion, Philippines

November, 2013

                                                             Some Elders,

                       Sorry it's blurry, but it's the best I had of Elders.

                                                            And Sisters. . .

                                                     And more Sisters. . .

                                                      And the Fullmers. . .

And my Picture Crew Sisters (whose moms/relations are following our blog, thus more pictures!)

And our President and his family (plus a missionary) made up our Thanksgiving crew.  We learned that it's true!  If there is room in the heart, there is room in the home.  We managed just fine with all 37 people here!

This is our no-bake class we had on Saturday.  They loved making tortillas, scones, and no-bake cookies.  

                 

           

This was our week in pictures.  Hope you enjoy!  Have a great week.