Elder and Sister Whiting in the Philippines: Thankful to Be Here

We have had many and varied experiences this week. Some disturbing, most uplifting. We came across a fatal hit and run accident and were disturbed by the seeming lack of respect for the body of the victim. Filipinos have quite a fatalistic attitude about life and death. There is much in the way of untreated disease and injury here. A woman at church proudly told us she was 62 years old. She looked 90. We are thankful for healthcare in the U.S and pray we don't get sick here.

We traveled north in the mission to pick up a sister who lives in one of our districts. She has been called to serve in the Cavite mission, and we were helping transport her. She was to report to the Manila MTC the next day. She had already ridden a bus all day from the most remote part of the mission, and still faced a 6 hour bus ride to Manila the next morning, after spending the night at a Relief Society president's house in Munoz. (which by the way was an extremely humble home) We met up with President Clark there. Aside from presiding over the Angeles mission, President Clark also presides over the five districts within the mission, so it was his privilege to set this sister and another sister apart as full time missionaries and it was our privilege to witness the ordinance. It was so spiritual and reminded us of our setting apart. We resolved to be better missionaries. The sisters would leave Munoz at 2:30 a.m. to get to the MTC on time.

President and Sister Clark spent most of the week in Manila at a mission presidents seminar with the other 20 mission presidents and their wives. They were richly taught by Elders Anderson and Renlund of the 12, and Elder Maynes of the 70. We look forward to hearing their teachings this week at Zone Conferences.

While they were in Manila, Dad and I fulfilled our assignments at the office, which included preparations for Zone Conferences. We have been invited to attend the conference in San Jose, a part of the mission we haven't yet visited. This will be our first Zone Conference experience and we are so looking forward to it.

We attended the Camiling 6th Branch today. They have no piano player in the branch, but they have a keyboard which is programmed with the Hymns; so they either sing along to that or sing A Capella. The sacrament hymn was A Capella and it was so cool. For the postlude, several youth gathered around the piano and sang primary hymns loudly and happily. We loved it.

We leave you with these words from our wonderful President Clark: "We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, 'He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has'. Gratitude, brethren and sisters, results in love, unselfishness, and consideration for others. It has a refining influence, and when expressed, can be a beautiful thing."

We are grateful for you!
Mahal Kita!
Happy Thanksgiving!