Week Seventy-five

Here are some pictures of this week.

 This is Daisy.  She is one of my piano students from SFLU, and the RS President, temple prep teacher, institute teacher, and missionary fellowshipper.  Not a bit busy, is she!

 Zone leaders who shared lasagna with us.  It was the first time for each of the Filipinos to not have rice for their meal!  But they loved lasagna, so we'll see. . .

 This was a gathering at the fishing village where we went visiting with the Elders.  The women get together and play bingo as a past time.  Notice all the posh chairs and tables they use--NOT!

                                   A man and his sons are constructing a boat near the bingo game.

 One of our investigators who attends Primary each week.  She is doing her family laundry by hand in the bucket.  We gave her a CTR ring and she is wearing it on the other hand.  Cool!

 The girl in the center is a recent convert, and the older 2 are attending church and learning when she is taught.  The little ones just come for entertainment and treats!

 These are some of my Sisters from Manaoag who showed up for the farewell today.  I think heaven must be kind of like that--having great joy from being reunited with people you love.

 We call this lady Mother because she's like one.  She raises beautiful flowers and we love to visit her.

 This Sister is special to us also.  Elder Dinkel gave her some advice that she has cherished.  We have grown to love her so much.

 This Sister's husband is blind and she cares for him each day, along with her two boys.  What a great example of charity!

 Here is my sweet friend Dola who orchestrated the farewell for her son and also us.  What a great friend and sister!

 Here is Maribel who is also a special sister and friend.  These people will be in our hearts forever.

                                         Another view of some of the women there.

                                        These are my piano students from San Jacinto.

 These are my San Fabian girls.  They also traveled far to come and see me.  They are both preparing for missions soon.  They are so grateful for learning piano, and I am grateful to have been able to teach them.

 These are all the piano students along with Sister Shamrell, their new teacher.  What a privilege to work with each of them and to help their talents to grow.  Some things change lives forever, and some people are in your hearts forever.  These will be in mine always.

 Sisters Luz and Rose.  What sweet, special sisters.  They are tiny but great women in the gospel.

 Sister Lady with Anthony.  He used to sit on her lap during lessons and didn't want her to play the piano, but he's much bigger and more grown up now.  He and Elder Dinkel have a connection.  Anthony loves cars, and Brad would take him out to the car and let him "drive"  for a while to give us a few moments of peace during our lesson.

 Sister Malou.  She is now married and moved away, but traveled back by bus to spend this afternoon with us.  So special.

Brad with special pal Anthony.

Week Seventy-four

                                Last trip to Baguio with Zone Leaders

                                 Brad with two of the three Assistants to the President.

We were able to meet the Burts, our good friends who are our "batch-mates" and have been serving in Palawan near Manila.  We both had to come to Manila to be fingerprinted.  It was so fun to see them after 17 months

               This old building in Manila was built by the Spanish, then went through the War II.

                                             Breakfast with the Burts.

                                 Three Stake/District Seminary activity for young people.

                            Two new members at their baptism with wonderful missionaries.

Week Seventy-three

Mom and Bob and us enjoying dinner at the Sunset Bay Restaurant.  We missed the sunset!! Darn

They brought two huge suitcases loaded with children's clothing for the poor Filipino children.

                               This was the suitcase Mom brought for herself--tiny!

We had some strange fruit to try from the market.  The back one was like honeydew, and the center one was like nothing you've ever tasted before!

                                                     Piano students.

                                 Mom with the children in the fishing village.  They loved her!

                                      We visited the sari-sari store of one of our home teaching families.

                                   RS Presidency and the children from the village.

                                We were playing "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes."

This little girl was taking great care of her little brother.  The siblings here are so sweet to one another.

                                                        Feeding the masses.

                                                 At Mines View in Baguio.

The Sisters came over to meet Mom and Bob, so we had to feed them leftovers.  They loved them!  Then they sang some songs for us.

                         A feast for when Elder Ardern was here.

We had six Elders stuffed in the back of our car.  I couldn't get all their faces in, but you can at least see parts of all six.

Neighborhood children as we went teaching with the Sister missionaries.  They follow us in droves!

A member we visited.

                                           They are sorting onions in front of his house.

                             We went down a long alley alongside the market to get back to the home.

     Visiting with a sweet lola (grandmother) with the Sisters.  Both these Sisters are from Kiddibas.

Our Young Women's President just had a new sweet baby girl that we visited.  Below are family members also.

                     Elder Dinkel is trying to be as dark as the Filipinos.  He's almost there!

                Relief Society Sisters performing Caribbean dances at the Stake RS Birthday party.

                               Sunset Bay again, this time with the sun.

                                    Some of the sweet people from Agoo 2 Branch.

                          At the beach by Pres. and Sister Balledos' house.

One last dance group.