How about a Story or two?

As you come into Laoag there is a round-about. The market and city buildings are right there. We have showed you this round-about park in a few posts before. In our last post we showed you these decorations that took weeks to put up.

Let us share with you now the same area at night with all the Christmas lights on.

A block from this area is that Old Famous Catholic Chapel.

I promised you a story so here it is.

The Laoag Sinking Bell Tower is the tallest of its kind in the country. 

(Yes I said Sinking) When it was new, a man on horseback could pass through its arched doors. Today a man could hardly pass without stooping.

It sinks an estimated 1 centimeter a year.

So, the point of this story if you want to see this tower you’d better do it before it sinks away.

                                                   

So Christmas was a delight. A quiet morning at the office and then lunch.

As a new Mission President comes in there is a list of items that should be furnished. One of the items was a barbecue grill. When the president inquired about where theirs was they were informed that the last president took it with them and would not return it. It was lucky for us! The church then ordered a brand new grill. We got to try it out for Christmas lunch. 

Now understand that Elder Denkers thought he had died and gone to heaven to have home grilled (Angus Beef) hamburgers. As for the Filipino Elders they had never had them so they didn't know what the excitement was. Everyone enjoyed them. Most of the elders had at least three hamburgers to eat so I think they enjoyed them.

During the holidays the elders told us of a great grilled chicken place just down the street. We closed up the office and all went down to eat chicken and rice.

So the next story has to do with eating chicken.

Our Australian Elder told us that when he first arrived in the mission field he was sent to a very remote area. When they went grocery shopping he said everything was up on the first floor except the meat. The meat was down in the damp basement. The chicken was yellow and the pork was purple but they bought it anyway. 

You know what is coming next right? 

He got very sick from eating the meat. His companion was Filipino and he told the elder that he would get used to the food and to keep eating it. Yes he did? 

He kept eating it until he wised up. The doctor told him to go stickily vegetarian from here on out. 

Now the best part of the story is that a year later the elder was transferred back to this same area and he then could tolerate the basement meat. Yes his body did adjust to the food but not all in one week, it took a great deal of time.

We never know what will happen in the office. 

We wake each day to see who will come in and what for. Today we were so surprised as a bunch of sisters started showing up. Apparently it was the day that our two Sister Visa Waiters were leaving us. 

I must say this was a very, very sad time as we all cried then said our Good-Byes and took them to the airport.

We can usually expect a bunch of missionaries showing up on Monday, "P" Day to collect reimbursements, packages and have interviews. 

The missionaries and delivery people love the treat basket. 

Many of our missionaries use the candy to get inside doors.

Here in the Philippines the tradition is to go caroling and not stop singing until the people give you money. There is a good amount of money made with carolers. 

Our missionaries went and when people were about to slam the door they gave them a piece of candy. The people here were so surprised to have someone giving, instead of wanting money.

Just hanging in the Mission Office for just a bit.

                                             

    New Years night was a beautiful night. There was a soft breeze, just enough to keep the bugs away. The temperature was in the low 70's and there were firecrackers going off all around. We spent some time outside just taking in the last of the Christmas lights and listening to the noise of the fireworks and the party-goers.                        

Elder Corachea had told us that there are a couple of traditions here-

One is that you make as much noise as you can to scare off the evil spirits.

They make so much noise from car horns to revving their motorcycles and of course everyone else is yelling. They even take lids from the cooking pans and bang them together to make some real noise.

The Second thing is to jump up and down to make yourself grow taller. 

    (The Filipino people really like this one and they want it to work.)

So here we are trying out the Filipino traditions. We didn't have frying pan lids so we improvised. 

                                         

When we were asked what we do for fun, we have to say, it is enjoying the Office Elders and the missionaries, but some days it's walking the streets of Laoag.

Early morning walks takes us past a 7 Eleven.

This brings me to my next story. 

So my next story is about my shopping adventure. We were at the super market with everybody and their dog one day. I had waited in line for an awful long, long time. Finally, I made it to the cashier. She got me all rung up and then started to sneeze but she stopped it. I thought to myself you can’t stop a sneeze, it will be back.

Sure enough, in a few seconds she started to sneeze again only it wasn’t a sneeze. Oh Yes she did! She threw up all over. Some sprayed on me and my wrapped groceries. Remember she had me rung up so what do I do. 

We all just stood there. She attempted to try to finish but very soon realized that she was not going to make it. 

She let an awful cry for her manager. The manager called another cashier who had no idea what had just happened. The cashier was talking and confused on what was going on and not looking down. I was pointing as fast as I could to get her to look down but she ignored me and stepped right in the mess. 

She gagged and about threw up. Now she was sick but hung in there. She quickly grabbed a washrag that they use to wipe the counter down and wiped up the counter.

 NO, NO she spread the throw up around. There were no paper towels just that old used wash rag. The cashier started to bag up my groceries and I motioned for her to please wipe the throw up off my things. 
Yes she did! 

She grabbed the only thing she had which was that old wash rag and spread the stuff all around. To say the least I touched nothing until I got in the shower and Sister Snyder soaked everything in Clorox water for about an hour.

My thought on this...Watch those sneezes they are tricky!
Now I think if she is pregnant and has morning sickness I’m okay. If not I may be in trouble.

About every community has an outdoor market. This market would be like a Walmart, it has everything. Everything is on different floors. Clothes on one floor, meat on a different and then vegetable on a different one.

Welcome to Laoag Outdoor Market.

Looking down below on some of the venders.

This it the meat floor and you had better be able to handle the smell.

Vegetable area

Just outside the door.

The three different floors of the Outdoor Market.

Jollibee is big here in the Philippines but I hear it is coming to America. I wonder if they will serve rice with their food like they do here.

Growing up my Mom would say, "Veva can fix anything." 

Here we have an elder who will be going home on the 23rd of January. He refuses to buy new shoes for that amount of time. The heel was split apart so we took the Gorilla Glue, I brought from home and Veva went to work. This is a week later and he is still going.

 When he came back in he showed us this part of his shoe and we said, "Even Veva can't fix this!" Here's hoping they last a few more weeks.

The latest job for Sister Snyder was the Office Elder who, like the other Elder, refuses to buy a new belt for the few months he has left here. 

Out came the Gorilla glue and the Mighty Glue.  When she was done it wasn't the prettiest but it looked like it would hold.

Our AP's (Assistant to the President) have been stressing about Zone Conference coming up. This will be the first one that Elder Ballan has done and the first Elder Rees has been over. 

Elder Ballan just did his first MLC (Mission Leaders Conference). It was on New Year's day and when he got done he was completely exhausted.

(late night and lots of stress)

Thursday was a busy day as we got things ready to go to Zone Conference, some 6 hours away. We collected mail, loaded packages and furniture into the truck. There was medicine that Sister Snyder and I had to run into town to the Mall to find and send with the Elders for the missionaries way up there.

The Mall opens at 10 am and before you go in the National Anthem plays. After that we go pass the Security Guards who checks us out.

The Mission Office is quite an interesting place. I'm just amazed how these young men have gotten comfortable with praying anywhere in the room with anyone around and in broad daylight.

The AP's have been working on their presentation for Zone Conference.

                                                                              

The office was buzzing with the AP's going over their presentation. We worked quietly as not to disturb them. Soon we became the audience with them asking us the questions they would ask the Zone. When it was done and they were ready to leave we felt like proud parents sending our grandsons off to do a great, rewarding work. 

It makes me laugh because there were times that Elder Rees would say, "Help me practice my English!" 

Zone Conference is given all in English and so often when they haven't used the language there are words that they struggle to recall.

Our sad story.....Zone Conference was held in Cagayan, which is the farthest away from us (about 6 hour trip). Today we received several BIG boxes of Christmas gifts and many of the boxes are for the missionaries up in that area.

So sad because we don't know when someone will be going that way again. I guess Christmas in Feburary is still good Right! One box said on the outside, "Open ASP"!

All the boxes that arrived today, which is the day after everyone went up to Cagayan. Many of these boxes are for the missionaries up that area. 

On Saturday we had our first Primary Activity (Early morning P.J. Party)!

We walked down to Wilcon the other day, which is a big store like Lowes. I noticed that as these workers went from one part to the other part of the store the security guard had to pat them down. I took a picture and then asked how I might get her job!

Looks rough but someone has to do it!

Is that called one of the benefits of that job? 

Just asking!

Love you all! 

Love the Sister Sisters