Russell and Eileen's Church Missions: EARTHQUAKE

Early Thursday morning, a few minutes before 5 AM, I (Russell) was lying in bed having just woken up. I felt a soft shaking of the bed and thought for a second that perhaps Eileen was trembling in her sleep. The epicenter of the 5.7 earthquake was about 100 miles east of us in the ocean. The only damage we experienced was that our clock fell off the wall and broke.

On the medical front, Eileen had some issues to deal with other than Dengue Fever. Our last elder hospitalized with it left the hospital on Saturday (8 days ago) and this week he got bit by a dog and is now getting rabies shots. Another elder, while playing basketball a week ago Monday (the young missionries’ preparation-day), tore the cartilage in his knee and will be going home early this week. A none too subtle reminder that your life can change quickly and unexpectedly.

We found the last two houses we needed for the upcoming transfer on Wednesday, when we will get 16 new missionaries. One house we were able to move into on Friday and the other won’t be vacant until the 21st of this month. As we have been unable to find anything else in the area where it is located, we will have to put two elders in with another set of elders for 10 days. Not ideal but still an answer to prayer. The house we moved into on Friday was very much an answer to our prayers and it turns out the prayers of the owners. This is the house they raised their children in and they don't want to sell it for sentimental reasons. I told Eileen the reasoning sounds kind of familiar. When we moved the sister missionaries in, we found a note on the wall from the landlords which read, “Dear Sister Day and Sister Payot, Welcome! We hope you find peace and prosperity in your new dwelling. Our family did as it was our first home. Please feel free to call or text me for any concern. Live Jesus in our hearts forever. Oabel Family.” It is now clear to me why all the other potential places I thought we had found for the two sister missionaries failed to materialize. When the other locations were failing for various reasons President Alder told me, “The Lord will provide.” It is clear I need to trust in the Lord more.

Yesterday, on our preparation-day, Eileen and I went to the Taytay Public Market. It is a covered open market encompassing several blocks. Most of the vendors were selling either clothing or food items. Since parking would be very hard to find, we rode a bus there and a jeepney home.

Grace attended church with us this morning. She was one of half-a-dozen investigators at church today. Lance had another obligation with their two girls. They will receive another lesson from the sister missionaries in our home tomorrow evening. On the way home Grace told us that Lance showed the picture of them being taught by the missionaries to his aunt and mother in Idaho. Grace said the aunt asked when they were going to get baptized. It is good to know that they will have family support in their journey learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was just three weeks ago today that Lance and Grace first met the sister missionaries in our home. Grace told Eileen today that she has now read through the first few chapters of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon.

It rained so hard this week that the streets flooded. I (Eileen was taking a missionary to the dentist for a root canal and had to walk through several inches of rain water. Good thing I had my Crocs on. I came back to the office and washed both my feet and shoes off with soap. Lots of hidden surprises come out when the streets flood.

The Elders after Russell moved two of them into a new apartment in Bagon Nayon.

This Elder had the toenail on his left foot removed 3 weeks ago. Another ingrown toenail is occurring on his right foot. He never complains, yet I know it has got to hurt

The Elder was instructed not to wear closed toe shoes with his ingrown toenail. He was wearing his "slippers." They ripped so he duct taped them, and then that tore, so he hand sewed them together.

We let the sister trainer leaders choose their own drapes for their new house.

I wondered how this picture got on Russell's phone. He said Sister Bronson picked his phone up, took a selfie and said Sister Healy will understand this.

Homes built along the river on our way into Pasig for Zone Conference

We moved these sisters last week. They made us some brownies in their toaster oven as a thank you.

Sister Payot and Sister Day in front of the "miracle house," The price was less than what we are paying for some of our tiny apartments. We will be putting 4 sets of bunk beds in here to house 8 sisters during transfers.