Halfway Home

The rainy season has begun.  It's not quite as hot as it has been, but it's much more humid, so it feels if not as hot, even hotter.  An American Elder's father served in the Philippines and he told his son that it's hot and wet, hotter and wetter, and hottest and wettest.  We concur!

Today we attended the Padapada 2nd Ward; a building with no air conditioning, just ceiling fans. We were done in by the heat by the end of the meetings and were grateful to retreat to our little air conditioned bedroom for the day.  We have decided we will never get used to the heat.  Even Elder Whiting, who was almost always cold at home, is having a hard time with the heat.  The Tagalog word for hot is Ma-een-it.  We have that word down!

We made back to back trips to Manila last week. Sunday we took Ron and Diana Williamson down for their return home.  They have been here four months helping out--and we have appreciated their help.  Monday, we took a Filipina visa waiter down.  She is now somewhere in the Salt Lake City East Mission.  We're sure her skin has dried out and she is freezing to death!

Tuesday, May 24th, marked the halfway point of our mission. It's all down hill from here!  We didn't burn anything--Elder Whiting didn't bring enough ties to spare one to burn, and Sister Whiting was not sure what sister missionaries burn.  It was too hot any way! So we went to dinner instead.

Friday night, we helped President and Sister Clark host the Guimba District leadership and their wives for dinner at the mission home.  There were about 25 in all.  They rode a jeepney for two hours to attend. After dinner, President Clark talked about the goal of making Guimba District into Guimba Stake and what needed to happen before that can come to pass.  He then entertained their questions and concerns about missionary work. They went away with a better idea of how to use the missionaries and what they need to do to become a stake.

Along with our office duties, we have been preparing our workshop for Zone Conference to be held June 7-9.  We will leave you with some thoughts from that presentation:

"Knowing who you are, changes what you do."  --Bonnie D. Parkin--

"We do not preach and teach to 'bring people into the Church' or to increase to membership of the Church.  We do not preach and teach just to persuade people to live better lives ... We invite all to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of the Celestial Kingdom to the sons and daughters of God.  No one else can do this."
--Dallin H. Oaks; Preach My Gospel, pg. 9--

Mahal Kita
Elder and Sister Whiting

Jeepney of the Week

This car was driving down the streets of Tarlac.  

Throwback to the first of the month and the Mission Tour With Elder and Sister Haynie.
This was the new members and investigators meeting at the Mission Home.

Our hard working Office Elder and Assistant take a nap in President Clark's
office during their lunch break.

Wives of Guimba District leadership with Sister Clark and Sister Whiting

Guimba District Leadership and wives at the Mission Home