Picture A Day

Day 243 - Tuesday, February 28, 2017 Today we said goodbye to our 23rd Batch since arriving on our mission.  They were a great group of eight missionaries.  We hardly knew they were in the house.  We had a great time teaching our final workshop today.  They were so receptive and asked such thoughtful, inspired questions.  One of the hardest parts of the meeting was preparing ourselves to say goodbye to two of our senior couples.  We will be eternally grateful for the Dansie's and Whiting's.  Senior couples are so important in a mission.  Without them, large and small details of a mission go undone.  To all out there who are at the age of retirement....Go On A Mission!  Better yet, sign up to go on a mission to the Philippines.  It will bless your life in ways that you could never imagine. 

Day 242 - Monday, February 27, 2017 And so it begins!  The shift of heavy books and light weight clothes to make luggage weight. Our cute sister from Pakistan had lots of onlookers cheering for her to take her suitcase from 41 kilos to 30 kilos.  Somehow .... she did it!  We all cheered when the scale gave her the reading.  Now lets hope that the airport has the same number on their scales.  

Day 241 - Sunday, February 26, 2017 Sweet Leah! Two of our returned missionaries (2 years apart). President Tabuada and the DeGuzman's (Tatay, Nanay, Lola) with President and me.    This is the adorable Sister Altea (RM) with her good husband and grandmother.  We better not forget this baby.  His name is  Clark Aison DeGuzman.  We are so glad that he was able to make a live appearance at Stake Conference. We didn't want to miss seeing this precious mission apo in person.  It is wonderful to see our missionaries marry and begin their multi-generational families.  

Day 240 - Saturday, February 25, 2017   We were delighted to be able to attend the Cabanatuan Stake Conference.  Because we have 4 Districts and 8 Stakes, we often have conflicts with some of our stakes.  This is a sister who just turned the magic number of 30.  I told her that soon I will be able to double her age.  She is a great example of grand, faithful members!

Day 240 - Friday, February 24, 2017   Although this is technically one day off, our trainers and trainees do such wonderful things to build the Angeles force.  They are trying to manage as the first transfer after hearing about the new schedule.  They are working in the booklet Adjusting to Missionary Life every.single.day.  That book is heaven sent.  It helps many a homesick missionary!   We love our trainees and trainers.  

Day 239 - Thursday, February 23, 2017   I may be biased but I think these are some of the greatest missionaries around!  Today we were able to spend time with trainers and trainees plus district leaders on both sides of our mission.  Whenever we have these meetings, we know that transfers are around the corner. We will have 9 depart next week and 10 new missionaries will arrive.  It's always a bitter/sweet moment in our mission.  

Day 238 - Wednesday, February 22, 2017 Today was a day of interviews in Cabanatuan.  Tomorrow is Trainer/Trainee meeting in Cabanatuan.  We are staying overnight again.  This time no one is sick.  President Clark went to Gapan for meetings and I took the opportunity to dine with the Dansie's before they go home.  They've given us some great months working, teaching and loving the missionaries and members of Cabanatuan and Bongabon.  They know the best dining spots.  A little unassuming Bistro had great food and a fun outdoors atmosphere.  We will miss you Dansie's!

Day 237 - Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Love letters from our little grands?!!!  Love them!

Day 236 - Monday, February 20, 2017   It was a Family Home Evening Monday at the Mission Home!  We love it when music and laughter of little children fill the walls of the home.  Tonight we had 30 or so guests.  Tarlac Ward 5 Sisters Driggs and Patac have had lots of teaching and baptizing lately.  One of the families that attended were at the very first FHE we hosted.  They are still attending but now they are bringing two different families close to the waters of baptism.  They will be going to the temple in a couple of months.  No FHE would be complete without cookies!  It was a successful night indeed.  

Day 235 - Sunday, February 19, 2017 It was our pleasure today to be with Elder and Sister Tobias.  He is the Seventy that presided over the Guimba District Conference today.  We have worked with them before and enjoy the great spirit that they carry with them.  They served as Mission President and companion in the Bacolod Mission until 2013.  They had a four-year-old son and other children with them when they served.  We both marvel that we have each been the caretaker for over 600 missionaries without help of a registered nurse. The only way this can happen is through divine help and fervent prayers on our behalf. (Also advice from good Elders (doctors) that we can chat with in Manila.) Elder Tobias and Guimba District Presidency

Day 234 - Saturday, February 18, 2017 This may seem like an unusual picture for the day.  There is a great story behind it.  We were able to attend the Tarlac Stake Conference on Saturday evening.  We love doing this because it is the Stake where we live.  Although we had a district conference at the same time in another part of the mission, we were able to split our time because they both had Seventy's presiding.  We were singing the opening song and the power went out.  This wonderful group of saints did not skip a note or volume while singing.  It is one of the charming traits of a Filipino.  You carry on come what may.  Everyone stayed in their seats while some of the brothers went out to turn the generator on.  We sang hymns while waiting and the power came on, partially.  There was enough for lights but not aircon.  The meeting went on and we loved the talks, the music by the choir and the overall feeling.  It is definitely another snapshot that will go in my memory bank

Day 233 - Friday, February 17, 2017 Our senior couples ventured to the historic island of Corregidor for a preparation day activity.  Corregidor is a small rocky island in the Philippines about 48 kilometers west of Manila.  It is strategically located at the entrance of Manila Bay.  This island fortress stands as a memorial for the courage, valor and heroism of its Filipino and American defenders who bravely held their ground against the overwhelming number of invading Japanese forces during World War II.  We love seeing our senior couples enjoying one another's company.  They work so hard for our missionaries and members.  

Day 232 - Thursday, February 16, 2017 Today was another great day of meeting with missionaries in the Santa Ignacia zone.  This Elder and I were talking about the CLS program (Companionship Language Studies).  Our native missionaries benefit and are challenged to study English daily during their language studies.  This will benefit them not only on their mission, but throughout their lives.  Our missionaries are truly "biyaya para sa akin!" (blessings for me).

Day 231 - Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Today we were able to spend time with these great Elders from the Bongabon zone.  We are missing one of the elders but his companion left room to photo shop him in.  Interviews keep us in the car driving but the fruits of being with each missionary is priceless!

Day 230 - Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Happy Valentines Day!  It's always nice to receive surprise messages from missionaries current and past throughout the day.  It's all about love!  Today we enjoyed a few hours to explore the history of this great land we live in.  During World War II, the Philippines had many historical events that took place in areas throughout our mission.  Most people have heard of the Bataan Death March.  The march ended here in our mission. There are shrines that memorialize these important events in history.  We have tried to travel to these areas before but something always came up.  Today we made it!  It was a very spiritual and moving experience as we saw, "The Wall of Heroes" dedicated to Filipinos and American brave men and women who, in defense of the Philippines in various places in the islands, died in battle or while in captivity.  We also saw many other markers that reminded us that freedom is not free from sacrifice.  Presiden

Day 229 - Monday, February 13, 2017 Today is a great day!  President Clark and I celebrate 36 glorious years of marriage.  We were married on Friday the 13th.  We were the 13th couple to get married in the Salt Lake Temple that day.  We were married in sealing room 13.  By all standards, that makes us one very lucky couple.  We have experienced so much during those years.  I must say that never have we seen so much of one another or learned more from one another than this time we've been in the Philippines. And we love it!  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined marrying someone with such wisdom and goodness, honors his Priesthood, loves his family and his missionaries and me.  It's a match made in heaven!  

Day 228 - Sunday, February 12, 2017 This is our theme poster for the year.  We study consecration and seek to make it a standard of our work.  It seems an appropriate picture to post on Sunday as we renew our covenants with the sacrament.  Have a great Sabbath!  #Hisday

Day 227 - Saturday, February 11, 2017 No one ever anticipates being sick.  Especially when you are staying in a hotel and you're supposed to travel a windy, mountainous road early the next morning.  Somehow a flu virus infected one third of our mission within a 24 hour period.  It is a mystery that only Dr. House could figure out.  President Clark had to leave me at the hotel while he went to Baler for a District Conference.  He wasn't feeling very well either but went ahead to Baler.  It gave me time to reflect on the blessings of good health and modern medicine in the Harvest Hotel located in Cabanatuan alone.  (Alone is a relative term.  Texts and phone calls from sick missionaries poured in to break up my solitude throughout the day).  By evening, most of our missionaries were feeling better.  

Day 226 - Friday, February 10, 2017   This is our third and final Zone Conference this transfer.  It was located in Muñoz.  The zones of Guimba, Paniqui and San Jose attended.  This is a picture that warms my heart. There are many missionary moms that do so much for all of the missionaries in the Philippines.  We received a box after Christmas that had Plan of Salvation kits in Tagalog.  Each kit came in a baggie.  Our missionaries teach the Plan of Salvation often.  They were so gleeful when I told them what the contents were.  Many said that they were thinking of drawing it out themselves.  Instead they have a durable, laminated set that all who speak Tagalog can understand and enjoy. Thank you missionary moms for a gift that keeps on giving!  We are grateful!

Day 225 - Thursday, February 9, 2017   Yesterday we began with a sunrise, today it's a sunset.  We've had two great Zone Conferences with one left to go tomorrow.  The sun is setting over the Angeles Mission and our valiant missionaries.  With each passing day we are more and more grateful.     Yesterday Elder and Sister Richards arrived!  President Clark and I were traveling until late so tonight we made up for not being here.  We had them, some of our senior couples and Mila and Gus Lacinlale over to the mission home for dinner.  We will be forever grateful that we have an office couple to seamlessly take care of our office needs once Elder and Sister Whiting return home.     Tarlac Zone Conference Outtake.  I promise I'll put the better pics in a different post next week.  Tomorrow we go to Muñoz for Zone Conference.  

Day 224 - Wednesday, February 8, 2017 This is the view from our car as we traveled to our first of three Zone Conferences this morning.  No doubt it would be a warm day.  By noon, in Cabanatuan, the real feel weather was 100 degrees.  Here you see 50 people searching for shade before group photos. Despite the hot weather outside, the chapel was a comfortable sanctuary for the Spirit and our missionaries.  It was a great day to be in Cabanatuan! 

  Day 223 - Tuesday, February 7, 2017 There is a hustle and bustle about the office as we prepare for Zone Conferences.   Here the birthday bags are being prepared.   We can't wait to see some of our missionaries tomorrow!   Anxiously awaiting the next 3 days!

Day 222 - Monday, February 6, 2017    Elder Apolinario (office) & Elder Bleazard (asst.) Elder Swaney (office) & Elder Sabangan (asst.) Every time one of our office staff changes, the Elders march over to the local print shop to get a hot off the press photo.  They get a serious picture for posting on the board.  We throw a lot of difficult situations their way but they are always very happy to serve.   

Day 221 - Sunday, February 5, 2017 It has been a wonderful and reflective Sabbath today.  I loved hearing the testimonies of many in Tarlac Ward 5.  The leaders announced that everyone must keep their testimonies to 3 minutes but there is so much to share.  Just when you think it is time to finish the meeting, a few more rush up to proclaim their thoughts and feelings.  While it's mostly shared in Tagalog, I love the passion of each member who stands to testify truth.  Then there are two darling children sitting near me who took a while to warm up to the woman with white skin and white hair (and finger puppets).  Eventually we made it there.  We sing a closing song that I've come to love while in the Philippines, "I Have Work Enough to Do, E're the Sun Goes Down." Soaking in every moment of the day, including those that build character through hard work and difficult situations.  This is what I've known for 2 1/2 years.  This is what I love.  So today th

Day 220 - Saturday, February 4, 2017 This is a quote that went in my article for Ang Tinig on Monday.  We are learning how to be consecrated missionaries.  Thought provoking statements like this lead our missionaries to assess their own personal level of consecration.   

Day 219 - Friday, February 3, 2017 Our travels for interviews have taken us across the island this week.  Tonight we stayed in San Jose Nueva Ecija so that we could interview our missionaries tomorrow.  We took advantage of the occasion by having our complete mission presidency join us for dinner. Since Elder and Sister Spung were close by we were so pleased they could join us. President Cruz (left) and President Tabelisma (right) help President Clark more than you can imagine.  We dined at the "Farmhouse Restaurant" in San Jose.  As you can see, the food was good but the company was the best.  We surely love all of the people around this table!  

Day 218 - Thursday, February 2, 2017 Tonight we visited these two valiant sisters in the Capas ward.  The sisters are pictured with their Ninety Day Vision planning board.  These sisters just came to this ward and soon the board will be populated with perspective members out into the month of May.  They are both courageous, kind, very diligent and fulfilling their purpose as missionaries.  We had a delightful visit and look forward to great things coming from Capas.  We love and appreciate these sisters!

Day 217 - Wednesday, February 1, 2017 Tonight President Clark and I had a special treat.  We were asked to speak to LDSSA college students from Tarlac Agricultural University.  The requested topic was Mission, Education and Marriage.  They were a great and attentive group of Latter-day Saint students plus three friends.  We spent two hours together talking about some of the most important decisions they will make in their young lifetimes.  Dunkin Donuts was a nice addition to the event.