PIONEER DAY AND ANNIVERSARY IN THE PHILLIPINES

Each morning in our mission office we have a prayer and devotional. This past week I (Eileen) was asked to give the devotional on July 24^th.  In Utah, July 24^this a state holiday as residents commemorate the Mormon pioneer’s entrance into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.  I decided that it might be appropriate to learn more about the early pioneers of our church here in the Philippines. 

During the Spanish-American War in 1898, two missionaries from Utah, preached while stationed in the Philippines. Missionary work ceased in the Philippines at the beginning of World War II and resumed again two decades later. On April 28, 1961, under the direction of Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, the Church was legally registered in the Philippines and received permission to send missionaries to the nation. In 1969, the Church had spread to eight major islands and had the highest number of baptisms of any area in the Church. On September 10, 2017 Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles created the 100th stake in the Philippines.

After creating the 100th stake, Elder Andersen asked why among all the nations of the earth “has the Savior set His feet so firmly here in the Philippines? It is because of who you are,” he told the Filipino members. “This is a special place. Do not underestimate who you are. … The most important part of the Philippines is the people.”

With the creation of the Antipolo mission in July of 2019 there are now 23 missions in the Philippines and over 750,000 members. We are so blessed to be a part of this era of great growth in this area of the world.

Thursday we went out to lunch with the office missionaries. We took a “trike” which is the equivalent of a motorcycle with a side car.  Trikes are a common form of transportation here, with the fare being about 60 cents (USD) to a dollar depending on how far you are going. The trikes can weave in and out of the thick traffic and can get you to your destination faster than a car. For Elder Keller’s birthday we went to a restaurant where we got a BBQ chicken quarter and all you can eat rice for $2.00. I am not a huge fan of rice, but the young missionaries sure love the deal.

Friday we had the Taytay and Antipolo Zone Conference. President and Sister Alder have invited me to go to each Zone and new missionary conferences and talk about ways the missionaries can stay healthy. Russell stayed at the office so he could go help Elder Bills with his first driving experience here. The Bills will be working in the office with us. They arrived this past week, and are still trying to get settled. 

President Alder started out and finished the day by telling the missionaries how much he loved them. His love is obvious as he greeted each Elder with a smile and a big hug, and each Sister missionary with a warm handshake.  He then asked how many missionaries used their morning commute to invite someone to go to church. When only one Sister raised her hand, he expressed his disappointment. He then challenged every missionary to have at least one invitation offered by that evening and asked the missionaries to text him and let him know what happened. By the end of the evening, 172 invitations had been extended by 44 missionaries. I thought that was a pretty remarkable response by an inspired leader. I determined that I need to do better about opening my mouth and sharing the gospel and have given out two pass-along cards since Friday. Unfortunately with the language barrier there isn’t much I can say to share my testimony. We are hoping that we can get pass-along cards with the phone number of someone who can actually speak Tagalog to a potential investigator.

There were several takeaways from Zone conference. President Alder said when he ever feels tired he looks at the picture of President Nelson and thinks to himself, “he is doing so much more than me, and he is almost 95 years old, of course I can keep going.” 

One of our young Elders spoke about  how moved he was when Elder Renlund came to visit the Philippines. Elder Renlund said he came representing the Savior to say thank you to the missionaries for their efforts.

Saturday was Russell’s and my 41^st wedding anniversary. It is actually the 7^th out of the past 8 years where we have been on a full-time mission during July. Last year, our 40^th, was the one year when we were not.  However, at that time we were serving as Church service missionaries. To celebrate, Russell cleaned out our previous residence getting it ready to return to the landlord. He then took me shopping to buy a bed and recliner that would be more comfortable for me. The furniture that we have been using has been very painful for my back. I was thrilled to get some new furniture. We won’t be able to take it with us to back to the U.S. but hopefully our replacements will love it almost as much as I do. To get to the furniture store we took a trike to avoid the traffic. On the way home we took a jeepney.  Our jeepney fare was 20 cents each.  It was interesting traveling the way the locals do.

Today I drove the car for my first time here.  Sunday’s are the lightest traffic day so that was a good. I haven’t killed anyone yet so that is also good. 

Brother Bobbit working on the yard outside of our office. He hand cuts the grass with shears.

Look at the size of this cockroach. It was close to 3 inches long.

Elders celebrating Elder Kellers birthday. He is 6'4" and towers above most Filipinos.

We took a trike to lunch. Needless to say it is challenging to fit 5 American missionaries on a trike. Filipinos regularly put 5 people on a trike. 

Sister Gibson and Eileen before our first trike ride. It was a little tight!

Russell on trike with Elder Bills to side of him. 

Eileen on my first jeepney ride. 

Jeepneys are colourful long jeeps, people frequently hang off of the back during the ride.

Eileen in her new recliner, you have to understand what I was sitting in before to truly appreciate this  gift.

This is our old bed with our new mattress on top. I sort of have to do a high jump to get into bed

FINALLY GETTING SETTLED

Russell wrote the last two weeks of our blog, as I was frankly too busy to do it.   It is hard to believe that we just arrived three weeks ago. It seems like so much has happened in that amount of time.  We arrived in the Philippines just two days after the Alders. As we didn’t have an apartment at that point, we spent the first few nights in a hotel near Manila.  When we finally moved into a house the young missionaries had found, we realized that it was unsuitable for our needs. We lived out of suitcases, with no way to cook, hang up our clothes, or even get out of bed without climbing off the end of the bed. When we first arrived in the Philippines, Russell initially thought he would be doing the finances for the mission. When he realized that something needed to be done immediately regarding accommodations for the senior missionaries he took on the job of housing.  We searched extensively and finally found a high-rise building  with apartments that we both felt good about. We lined up two units to close on, when the landlord withdrew at the last moment. It was very discouraging.  Instead we were shown another unit which finally seemed like home for me. We were excited to find it and closed the deal on that very day. This morning in church the speaker said something akin to this; sometimes it seems the longer we wait for an answer to our prayers, the more we appreciate it when we finally get what we were seeking. That is the way I felt about our current  apartment. I was so grateful to have finally found a place. Perhaps we weren’t able to close on the other units because Heavenly Father knew there was something better that would present itself if we were only patient.

I have truly enjoyed working with President and Sister Alder and the young missionaries. I am currently serving as the nurse. I have told the missionaries that my calling is to help them stay healthy so that they can share the gospel more effectively.  We have had a number of challenges health wise among the missionaries. Since we have a new mission, I don’t have any documentation to tell me where to send them regarding their health needs. This is something that we are working on. I need to establish relationships of trust with medical facilities in the cities where are missionaries serve so that I know where to send them if they become sick. The missionaries are all kind and grateful. I have had many text me and say they love and appreciate me. This makes the calling so rewarding as I feel like perhaps I am doing some good. 

The Filipino people are kind and gracious.   I don’t think they are used to seeing foreigners around here. They seem to bend over backwards to help us. As we were trying to prepare the apartments for Sister Gibson and the Bills, I walked over to Waltermart 8 times in one day. That name is not a mis-spelling. We live next to a small mall called Waltermart. On one visit I had a number of heavy items for the apartment I bought from Ace Hardware. One of the young attendents in the store put my items in a cart and walked me over to our apartment. I tried to tip him and he wouldn’t allow me to. Almost everywhere we go someone tells me that they know someone who is a member of our church. This was something we never experienced on our previous missions in Germany or Indonesia. It is nice to have the opportunity to talk about our church for a few moments. 

I am grateful to be serving this mission and for God’s patience with me when I am perhaps not as patient as I should be. I am surprised at how quickly I am becoming adjusted to the lifestyle here. I knew my expectations had changed quite a bit when last Thursday I woke up and thought to myself “it is a wonderful day, I had a brief hot shower, and I got no new/fresh bug bites.” 

Macky is our guard. He is wonderfully pleasant and works 7 days a week, 12 hours/day

We saw these signs at a local restaurant- the people here are not afraid to post scriptures in public places

Russell buying mangos and avocados from a local vendor

Bugbites while at a store, good thing I was wearing long pants

Sister Rose caters our mission luncheons. I told her I thought it looked like a wedding reception

These children were hanging out in front of our office. They thought it was really funny that I would come talk to them.

NO LONGER HOMELESS

Today we attended church for our second time here.  I (Russell) was wondering if the quiet reverence we experienced in the chapel last week was abnormal.  It was similarly reverent today.  The members are typical to anywhere else in the world in that they love greeting and conversing with each other before and after church meetings.  However, in the chapel it is quiet.  I think it is partially because there is a door that remains shut between the church foyer and the chapel.  People converse in the foyer and halls but not once they enter the chapel.  I wonder if at home, in our effort to make our meetings inviting to everyone, we keep all four doors to the chapel open.  This may lead to a lack of clear delineation within the church building between where we converse with one another and where we worship. 

Today is Sister Gibson’s birthday.  She is a single sister serving as the mission secretary.  She has served two prior missions, one in Salt Lake City at the Family History Center and one in Spain doing records preservation.  She is from Tasmania in Australia and knows the Barnards who we served with in Indonesia.  She also knows Chuck and Fran Molton, who she served with in Family History. 

Yesterday we moved into an apartment that we will call home for our tenure here.  It is a 12-story high-rise with two towers and another under construction.  It has a combination of one- and two-bedroom apartments.  The two-bedroom units, which I am working to have for each of the seniors working in the office, have between 45 and 50 square meters of floor space. 50 square meters equals 538 square feet.

It feels great to be able to have our things in closets and no longer living out of a suitcase.  By tomorrow I should have two other units (unfurnished) under contract and one week to get them ready for occupancy before the next couple arrive.  Both Eileen and I feel very grateful that we have been able to find accommodations which are safe, easy to find, with good access to shopping, near each other and only six kilometers from the office.  This is indeed a great blessing. 

Eileen has been very busy dealing with the health challenges of our missionaries.  I have been impressed at how quickly she has got up to speed with her new role.  She does love the young missionaries and being a nurse. 

I am at the office right now since we have yet to get internet in within our apartment.  Outside it is raining hard, accompanied by thunder and lightning.  I took a picture of some kids showering off in the street. My car is also getting a free washing.

Sister Gibson with her birthday cake

WEEK 1

We arrived in Manila last Sunday night, so we have now been here a week.  Things have been coming at us fast with last Monday being the first day the mission was officially open.  Before I (Russell) address two specific subjects, I thought would note a few first impressions: (1) the weather is not that bad, hot? yes, but not unbearable; (2) the Philippine people may be the most easy-going and friendliest on earth; and (3) daylight driving, when the GPS is working properly, can be entertaining and fun, perhaps like unto a sport – Eileen thinks I am adapting too fast. More on driving in a future blog entry.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, President and Sister Alder conducted meetings with the missionaries in the west, central and eastern parts of the mission.  Our being invited to attend all three, and speak briefly, was unexpected but greatly appreciated.  During our prior missions we have not had a lot of interaction with the young missionaries due to the nature of our assignments.  That is not the case this time!  We have now met all the young missionaries and due to Eileen’s serving as the mission nurse she talks and texts with several each day.  Just yesterday, by 7:30 AM on Saturday morning she had received texts from eight separate individuals.  I believe Eileen is going to love using her nursing skills and being more interactive with the missionaries.  

While I have enjoyed working with President Alder when I was on the Stake High Council in Centerville and have seen how well he interacts with the youth on Trek and Young Men’s camps, both Eileen and I were amazed at how well he and sister Alder conducted themselves during those first three meetings. You would have thought that they had been doing this for years.  I was truly impressed with the instruction they gave, the love they expressed, and the motivation to succeed they inspired all of us with.

As with most new operations, the start of this new mission has seen its share of unexpected challenges – computer systems that don’t work properly, physical infrastructure issues, and new and inexperienced personnel (like me) who are desperately trying to learn their role while on the job and at the same time setting up files and implementing proper procedures.  I know that I am making mistakes along the way and probably missing many issues that need to be dealt with.  But you don’t know that which you don’t know.  The experiences of this week have caused me to have more respect and less critical judgement of those who have had to start new endeavors with the Church.  Joseph Smith, the pioneers, my ancestors who joined the Church, all were trying to do their best at implementing something they were asked by God to do with their limited talents and experience.  Our Savior said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  Today I have a greater appreciation of His direction on this subject.  

Russell and Eileen with President and Sister Alder at their home, this poster was put up in their garage to greet them when they moved in.

One of our meetinghouses with trikes in front

Missionaries leaving our zone meeting on a Filipino trike

Don't forget the other two missionaries. A total of 5 passengers can ride on these trikes.

Those black cables are electrical wires hanging down. 

These flower pots are made made from water bottles which are painted.

The cover for the motorcycle keeps the driver dry in the rain

Jeepneys are painted colourfully with a horn on the front. They are a common form of transportation.

This little blue sign with the arrow is the way you know how to get our  office