The Quiet Life Begins

A bad attitude is like a flat tire. You can't move forward until you change it!

I am going to start with our sad news so if you would like to just skip this part and go down to the happy news I will understand....

                  Just skip down to the TREE....

Well we had some new missionaries come to Laoag and about 3 weeks ago, they were in an accident. A motorcyclist ran into them. What a heartache! To come to do missionary work and right off you hurt one of their own. It was a very hard time for us all. 

In the Philippines it is not who is at fault but who can pay for it.  

Everyone had to stay away and let the church handle this. The Church has Filipinos that know what to do. If any of us tried to get involved of course it would be, "Those rich Americans can make us rich as well." It was very hard to know what to do. We all wanted to know how the young man was doing but didn't dare ask. 

Once in a great while we would get a glimpse of how he was doing like....broken femur, there were 3 breaks in his legs and broken ribs. He had a helmet but they kept him in a comma (swelling of the brain) the whole time. 

About two weeks later the word came that he had passed. We all were devastated. The driver is having such a hard time. The Church will cover all the funeral and hospital expenses. One of our Church leaders (Cheeto) went to the funeral to represent us. 

( I felt Neil L. Anderson's talk at this General Conference was meant for us.)

Since we are talking about funerals, about every Saturday we have funerals go by. I thought I would share a few pictures of the parade that goes down the street.

These young men were waiting to start the parade for their friend. 

They said that he was stabbed.

This was a different funeral that same day.

You can always hear them coming. There is a band that plays ahead of the funeral procession. 

I am not sure if they walk to the church or to the graveyard.

I will tell you this, if you are in town and you hear the band playing you had better get in front of the parade or you will have a long wait.

On a happier note, I was out walking the other morning past this tree....

and this branch fell right in front of me! 

I am going to die!!! 

No sympathy from my SENIOR Companion though.

On a happier note we were able to have a wonderful District Meeting this week.

 The Elders did a wonderful job!

AND then they lost it!  

It doesn't take long and it doesn't take much and their gone.....

So I had a heart to heart talk with Elder Corpuz this week. I told him if he wanted to get back out in the field he would have to start teaching me more.                                                (ordering, mail, checking emails)

So it was off to the Post Office we went.

This is the building but you go down the side and down the ally.

And there she is, our mail lady with 3 packages for 3 missionaries.

Okay Elder Corpuz we'll need to try this one more time. 

If we (Snyder and I) tried it on our own, we would get lost trying to find this place again.

Remember I told you it was the "BER" months. 

(SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER and DecemBER)

Christmas is here but if you get confused thinking you missed Halloween do not worry! The store will remind you that we still have Halloween to celebrate.

Our President and his wife went out interviewing for several days. They met with a member who 18 years ago was accused of stealing $20.00 of church funds. The member paid the money to the ward despite claiming his innocence all along. He was still excommunicated anyway. Six years later he was rebaptized but there is where it stopped. None of his blessings were restored. He has no temple recommend, no priesthood and no church callings but he faithfully goes to church every Sunday and has sent children on missions.

The President met with him and found that there was paper work to be done. There is NO telephone service in this remote area, the internet was soooooo sloooow and spotty. The President tried his best any way. He was determined to get this good man back his well deserved blessings. 

Soon a Stake President came to see what they were up to. When he found out the problem he quickly whipped out his "BIG BOX." This box was something that his wife used at their school to get internet connection. It was BIG and Powerful and it GOT internet service, instead of 15 min to connect it took 10 min. The President then helped the Bishop fill out his part. He next worked with the wife with her section. The President then filled out the rest of the forms and he pushed the SEND button. The couple didn't really believe that it would all go through even though the President reassured them it would work this time. When the President got home from his trip he got word that the member now had ALL of his blessings restored!

 Yes the President was gone and so we ordered in! 

We wanted to celebrate Elder Denkers, "One Year Mark!"

I told you previously about the president finding piles of missionaries application that were sometimes three years old when he came in July.

He said that wasn't everyone but just the ones that had a paper work snag. 

Such as when the missionary was asked if his orthodontist work was completed, the missionary marked "NO" because he had never had orthodontist work done. That alone stopped his paper work. No one checked or asked anymore questions.

Then there was the question whether they would be willing to get immunization if they were to leave the country. Many of the Filipinos marked "NO" and no one ask anymore questions. So do you see the problem? The President asked the questions and found out that these young people did not know what immunization was and so they had marked "NO"! The president pushed forward and completed all of the past missionary application. He then let the young people know that they could serve a mission if they still wanted.

I just wanted to show you that last Saturday at the mall they were looking for 

                                                    Star Talent.

Even in Laoag. Yes, it could happen! Someone famous could come from right here in Laoag.

Maybe one of these two kids who are waiting to preform.

This is specially for my friend Betty....

When the President got back from his trip he said that one of the area towns were a great distance apart. He realigned the boundaries so that the Branches had less distance to travel for its members.

Upon his return he declared, "I think we will have a Stake there soon!" His eyes lit up and he said, "With that, that Stake and then 2 more wards we might get a temple in our area!"  Wow to be apart of that would be the most rewarding feeling. Our members have to drive 6 hours (but most don't have cars) or they can take a bus (10 hours) to Manila to the temple. If you will notice, all the temples are down closer to Manila. We are praying for the day that these wonderful saints will have a temple much closer than Manila. The President can almost see it happening.

You've got to love that man!

Elder Taniela B. Wakolo was scheduled to come here just a couple of days following the typhoon but postponed his trip until now. 

(Elder Swann who is standing in the middle is from Fiji like the Wakolos' and they know the same family.)

In April 2017  Elder Wakolo was sustained (I hope I say this right) as an Area Seventy. (Philippine Area)

                                   

Elder Wakolo is from Fiji and when he met his wife, Anita Herberta Moimoi, she was a recent convert to the church when they got married. 

Over their first eight years of marriage Elder Wakolo struggled with excepting the gospel. He met with many, many different missionaries over those years. He went through all the discussions four different times.

At one point in their marriage Elder Wakolo asked his wife not to read the Book of Mormon in their home. I guess a lot has changed since then!

Have I ever told you about Cheeto? I did mention him briefly about representing the church at the funeral. 

Well Cheeto is involved in the church in this area. He is at everything and he can tell you anything. Once he even found someone we were looking for far, far away. He is a fun loving jolly guy. 

I wanted to show you that he can also dance!

                                   

At the last celebration they had a talent show and Cheeto, his sister with their kids and grandkids danced for us. It was GREAT!

                                          How about some music? 

It is a little choppy because I don't dare put too much at one time but you will get the idea. 

This young Sister wrote a beautiful song about, "Mothers." She has no music talent except she can sing and write songs.

                                                 

                             She is from Samoa and has played basketball internationally. 

                                                

                                                

                                                   

A few sisters asked if they could have a P Day activity at our house. 

Oh believe me it is not because we are so fun! No! No! NO!  It was because we have an OVEN and the sister had just gotten a package from her mother that had stuff for a pumpkin pie.

This is Sister Sison. She will be leaving us next week.

It's my lucky day! Elder Corpuz made soup and brought me some!

Wow look at the vegetable in that soup!

 Yes the Elder who wears these funny hats can make wonderful soup!

Oh look the sisters brought us a taste of pumpkin pie for the use of the oven.

I say taste because the Elders made very fast work of it.

                                   A little more about Elder Wakolo. 

He said his wife is the inspiration in his family. She is the inspired one who guides him. What a tribute he paid to his wife today.

He also said one of the toughest callings is to be a Mission President. 

I believe it! Right Keith?

Sister Peterson spoke and said that it was her first time to speak in front of a General Authority. Oh what a daunting task that would be. She then quoted 

2 Nephi 26:25 and said it is like the gospel. It says," Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey without money and without price." She then said, "The only requirement is to come to the table hungry."

So why am I quoting scripture? Today Sister Snyder and I were invited to attend the Mission Tour Meetings where Elder Wakolo and his wife taught us many wonderful gospel principals.

In Sister Peterson's talk she compared the time that the people were asked to look at the Brass Serpent to reading the Book of Mormon. Some wouldn't do it or won't do it. It's just to simple and easy. They don't believe when they are told that it will bring them or you closer to God. They feel that it's too simple and too easy.

We were taught that to better prepare for a mission we need to learn about Repentance. 

Repentance is such in important part of the gospel. There is growth with repentance and a fresh view of yourself and others.

Elder Wakolo made an interesting point. 

He said as you teach others about the gospel, when reading from the bible, you read, but when reading from the Book of Mormon, have them read! To me that is so powerful. To have them feel that special spirit that you get when reading the Book of Mormon is ideal.

So Elder Wakolo told us more about his conversation from what I mention above. He tells that when he said that his wife couldn't read the Book of Mormon in their home she then started inviting the missionaries to their home to eat. Sometimes they feed the missionaries three times in one week. 

At one point she got her Patriarchal blessing and it said her husband would take her to the temple. She then wondered if she had married the wrong man!

Oh Look Elder Reyes is here and trying to get in the picture!

Back when Elder Wakolo was being taught the gospel there were six lessons in a discussion and he went through them four different times. He was very determined not to join the cult.

It was the twenty-third and twenty fourth missionary that turned Elder Wakolo's life around. They answered his questions using the bible which he wanted and then they said, "Brother Wakolo if you owned your own business who's name would you put on it?" Elder Wakolo said, " His own!" That did it. In all the churches that Elder Wakolo had been to, few had the Saviors name on it. 

He pleaded for the missionaries not to give up. He said tearfully, all those twenty-two missionaries before had been planting seeds and he was eternally grateful to them.

Elder Wakolo had the missionaries role play what he had just taught them. 

Elder Wakolo has been here two and a half days and he has given away six Book of Mormons! A missionary told me that all the pictures taken of him has him holding a Book of Mormon. Go ahead, Go back and check it out!

It was a great and powerful day to be taught by one of the Lord's servant.

I love this Zone! Elder Reyes' new Zone. They all dressed alike.

With the Mission Tour this week we have had Elders staying next door for a couple of nights. They come over for water. 

The Elder sitting has just gotten out of the hospital with dengue fever and came over for medicine. It wasn't long before we were giving out peanut butter sandwiches and apples. You can't take medicine on an empty stomach. 

                                 (Yes, the others just wander in.)

                    

So we close with a LOVE YOU ALL at the close of this long and Wonderful Day!

Sincerely, The Sister Sisters

Our 8th week out and Family Week in the Phillipines

The President and his wife spent a few days driving up to the worst hit areas, from the typhoon, to check on our missionaries there. They said there were places where there were miles and miles of down power lines. They expect it to be 3 months before they have power.(No fans at night for a while) In some case they still don't have running water in their apartments. One place that the president passed by was a beautiful jungle but now they said, "All the leaves are gone and it is just a bunch of brown sticks. It looks like a forest fire hit it.

Oh I forgot I wanted to show you our neighbors house after the storm. 

These woman were out first thing cleaning it up.

We were told that the church paid out one and a half million pesos to help these victims.  WOW so much money!   That is twenty-seven thousand dollars in US money.

I also found this where the sisters were practicing a dance during their stay here. Sister Anderson, from St. George, is in it so I must show it. Sorry for going backwards in time. 

Funny story....One of our brand new elders arrived in his apartment. He wasn't feeling well. He emailed his folks to let them know he arrived safely. He told his mom and dad he was sick and then he showed them some pictures of his awful apartment. Well you guessed it, the president soon got an email from the parents about the horrible conditions that their son was living in. 

The president sent them a kind letter back and said that the son was better now and doing well and that the president saw the apartment. He had asked the elders to PLEASE clean up the trash left by the previous elder and then their apartment would look quite a bit better. The president then reminded the parents that the son was now living in a 3rd World Country and that his apartment was one of the better ones!

After the Typhoon came the clean up of 22 girls, the washing, the 10 missionaries leaving, the 20 missionaries coming and getting the Kartchners here and we hadn't been shopping for over a week. We finally found time to leave work early and go grocery shopping! :)

I always love to see the little ponies. 

On the way back we were picked up by a decked out Tri-C. Just look at this modern day set up. And the music was blasting, American music that is!
This was our first Tri-C Cadillac ride here in the Philippines.

We also got behind traffic on the way to town. I think we were sitting next to this car with the exhaust pipe blowing right in our faces for about five minutes. 

Yep they are trying to kill off the Americans. It's a slow and smelly death.

Hey check this out. Sister Snyder made homemade noodles! We had some good chicken noodles soup. Guess we will do this again for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Today (a couple of weeks after Veva made noodles), we bought fettucine and broke them up so we could make Chicken Noodle Soup again. 

                 (We both have colds that the wonderful elders gave us.) 

They turned out pretty darn good. Since we can't find Egg Noodles I guess this is what we will use each time. (We will survive! and we can adapt!) 

Okay back to the "Family Week." It started with an afternoon full of activities. It was also the day that as we were leaving to go join the fun, the elders stopped us and asked us to talk at the baptism later in the evening. Well somehow we pulled it all off.

Her Grandfather, who is a recent convert was able to baptize her.

Then it's back to the games and the kick off of "Family Week."

First game is for the little ones.

 Those are treats and little prizes they are trying to get. 

 Do you see the young man who is pulling the rope up and then letting it down. 

What a tease!

Boys now...

Even big kids...

This is a game where the teenagers try to get through to the other side and then they get a treat. The treat is over by the colorful umbrella.

This is my favorite game. They made Veva and I try it and we had so much fun.

It's like bowling.

You must throw a flip-flop and knock the fip-flop off the empty can. 

The can (short can) MUST flip over to win your prize.

This is a game that the kids would play at night in the streets of Laoag.

And of course there is always the good old sack races.

 And the best part was when our Elders showed them how it is really done.

Elder Maraket and Elder Swann

Yes there are more games!

A race to the top...

And even MORE games!  This one is cool. 

To win they must make the longest line. 

There are two groups competing to make the longest line.

The MC then tried to give away more prizes by asking for special items such as:
a sock with a hole in it, dental floss a $100.00 Pecos. tooth paste and so on.

Now it's the tossing of the penny candy and YOU'd think this is all, Right?

But NO there was a prize given for one last thing.....

You have 10 minutes to go out and around and see who can collect the most trash! 

What? 
What a great idea for clean up at the church on a Saturday night!!!! 

As you know the church has WiFi so you will find people charging their phone all over the church any day of the week.

Speaking of WiFi, these friends (the kids thought of it) of ours decided to NOT sell lemonade after the Typhoon. They decided to give electricity so people could charge their cell phone. 

Yes they ran an extension cord from their house and gave people access to the electricity (they have a generator). Many people did not have electricity after the storm.

Okay it is the end of the week and Saturday is the last day of "Family Week".  

It begins with a 5:am Stake Family, "Walk".

                                  

 Dear, Dear these Philippinoes! 

So here is Veva and I standing out in the dark at 4:45 to try and get a Tri-C. Well not many around at that time of the morning. About 20 minutes later we get one and when we arrive at the church there are two woman there. 

                                  What happened to the 5:am? 

The woman told us that someone said they told the Philippinoes 5 so they would all be there by 6:00am. I wish we had known that! While waiting we got a text (around 5:45 ) from the president asking if we needed a ride! 

 Really folks? 

Okay we did enjoy our visit with these ladies. I am so glad we were there early after all.

Some of us are ready to go! Where is the rest of the ward?

 Six o'clock and here they all come.....

Even our Little Jamie Girl is here ready to go..

Afterwards there are exhibits. The exhibits are judged so they are a big thing. 

This girl has prepared a basket of food. This is what they would take to a person who is sick.

These last three pictures or of our ward's exhibits. This is the Bishop's wife.

This is our Bishop...

Of course our exhibit won first place. The bishop was very proud.

Then there was the entertainment by each ward.

The City Mayor was invited to come speak at our celebration. This is her. 

Sister Peterson told us that the sisters told her that the Mayor was, "Very Sexy". Sister Peterson later learned that to them, "Sexy " means "Skinny"! 

                   Nope not one person here have called Veva and I "Sexy"!

After the day celebration it is our wards turn to clean the chapel. This is Veva sweeping the Rec Hall. Check out the wonderful brooms that they use here. This is a big Rec Hall and plus the chapel. This could take all night!

There is this broom if you would rather. 

Mel is the lady that works at the Mission Home. She was in charge of cleaning the chapel. After we all got done we rode the Jeepney home with Mel.

An interesting Tri-C. Want to buy something?

A shoe repair store we passed by today.

The president ordered lanterns. Now when the missionaries don't have power they have a solar lantern. It can even charge one cell phone. We are excited...

Okay this picture is one of the many, many, many, pictures that was on my phone. When we ride with the Elders they are just down right crazy. Talking crazy and singing made up songs. I let them use my phone to entertain them so they would give us a rest. Elder Swann said if he starts to become insane like them that I was to flick (wait was it hit or was it slap or was it beat?) HIM.

Well tomorrow is Conference for you all. We will be asleep during Conference. (O,h but so will some of you!)  It will be our Fast and Testimony Meeting tomorrow. Next weekend we will have a schedule given to us as to when we can go to the church and watch Conference.

Enjoy and keep us up to date on what's  going on at Conference.

Till We Meet Again....The Sister Sisters