Welcome Aboard the Freight Train With No Brakes

It's been another whirlwind week jam packed with all kinds of experiences and events. First and foremost was welcoming Elder and Sister Richards to the mission on Wednesday. It fell to us to welcome them as President and Sister Clark were at zone conference in Cabanatuan. The Richards' are happy to be here and dealing quite well to the time change and culture shock. We gave them a brief tour of the mission office, took them to dinner, then took them to their little home.  They seemed delighted with it and were happy to be "home".

Next day, we picked them up and, as the title implies, threw them right into mission life.  It was zone conference session #2, so they got to meet many of the missionaries and participate in the events.  We presented our powerpoint on fitness that we mentioned last week, and it went really well.  Hopefully we were able to motivate the elders and sisters to exercise each morning. Thursday evening we had dinner at the mission home and introduced Elder and Sister Richards to Elder and Sister Pugh and Gus and Mila Lancanlale.  Jet lag hit them pretty hard at that time, so we cut the evening a little short and took them home.

Next morning, we were at their house bright and early and drove them to Muñoz to the third session of zone conference. They met more missionaries, we did our presentation again, then we headed back to Tarlac, stopping to see a sisters' apartment on the way.  We took them  grocery shopping and then home to let them finish unpacking and to rest some more.

Saturday morning, Sister Whiting woke up ill, but we went to the office anyway and learned that Elder Richards was ill as well. We spent just a couple of hours at the office before we had had enough; then went home where Sister Whiting slept the rest of the day.  As it turned out, it was an especially quick acting flu bug that hit the mission hard.  All total, 77 missionaries were sick on Saturday, including Elder and Sister Pugh, AND President and Sister Clark. The Clark's were traveling and Sister Clark was so ill, she stayed at the hotel while President Clark battled through his illness to attend his meetings, then he too crashed and slept it off.  We didn't expect that gathering for zone conference would make so many of us ill!  Today we are all feeling much better.

We attended church today in Burgos--most likely our last trip out there--then went to the office to finish up what we didn't get done yesterday. This evening, we attended a great baptismal service of a woman who was thrilled to become a member of the church. It's been a pretty good day and week in spite of the flu.

We leave you with these words from the Prophet Joseph Smith:

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, 'til it has pentrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every nation, and sounded in every ear, '

til the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

Mahal Kita,
Elder and Sister Whiting

Jeepney of the Week

Zone Conference Luncheon--clockwise, L-R: Sister Pugh, Elder and Sister Richards,
Sister and President Clark, President Garcia (caterer and counselor in the Stake Presidency),
Elder and Sister Dansie, Elder Whiting. Not pictured, Elder Pugh and Sister Whiting

Dinner at the Mission Home. L-R: Elder and Sister Whiting Sister and President Clark,
Sister and Elder Pugh, Elder and Sister Richards, Gus and Mila Lacanlale

Elder Alldredge with Elder and Sister Richards.
The Richards' worked with his grandfather in the temple.

That's a lot of rice!

Pedicab complete with umbrella shade.

So long Burgos Branch!