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!

Burgers and Pizza and Fries, Oh My!

Just when we thought things couldn't get more hectic, they do.  We don't even have an opportunity to get "trunky", we're too busy!

Monday, we stayed late at the office to help with the new leader training meeting. Since most of the missionaries  who attend have traveled  quite a distance, the mission feeds them (and us) pizza when they arrive.  Tuesday, we drove an hour and a half north to San Jose to get a needed signature from a missionary. It was a total of 3 hours of driving for the 30 seconds it took to get the signature.  But it was needed in Manila, so we got it in the mail later that day.  It was a beautiful morning, and the traffic wasn't too bad, so it was all okay; just part of the job.  We had McDonalds for lunch, worked late, and had McDonalds again for dinner.

On Thursday, with the help of Elder and Sister Pugh and the office elders, we moved furniture into the senior couple house, then took them all out for pizza. We worked late getting things organized in the house and had McDonalds for dinner.

On Friday, we again drove to San Jose where we met President and Sister Clark, Elder and Sister Spung, and the rest of the mission presidency for dinner. There is a new counselor in the presidency, and this was a "get to know you" gathering.  President Clark relies heavily on his counselors to ease the burden of running a large mission and presiding over four districts.

Yesterday we had errands to run at the mall, so we ate at Burger King.  Last night was another late night in the office and another trip through the McDonalds drive thru. So you can see with our busy week we ate a very unhealthy diet.

Today we went to Dapdap to church--we hope to go one more time before we leave.  Those people are dear to our hearts. This afternoon, we put together a powerpoint presentation for zone conference next week.  The topic is the 30 minutes of exercise the missionaries are supposed to be doing.  Many of them don't do it for various reasons; one being they don't know how to exercise.  So our presentation gives them ideas on how to exercise and will hopefully get them to understand the importance of exercise so they are motivated to do it.  After so much pizza, burgers, and fries last week, we'd better follow our own advice!

We leave you (and us) with this health reminder from the Doctrine and Covenants:

"All saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their naval and marrow to their bones; and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint." --Doctrine and Covenants 89:18-20--

Mahal Kita,
Elder and Sister Whiting

Jeepney of the Week

Early morning sun on the newly planted rice.

Rice fields as far as the eye can see.

How many Filipinos can fit on a trike?

Filipinos carry heavy loads on their heads.

Pretty in pink!

Dinner with the Angeles Mission Presidency.  Clockwise left to right: Sister and President Cruz, President and Sister Clark, Sister and Elder Spung, Elder and Sister Whiting, Sister and President Tabelisma

100 Islands and Commuting by Trike

While everyone back home is shivering through winter, we are enjoying unusually cool weather for the Philippines.  Although it's not cold by any stretch of the imagination, it has been quite comfortable.  We hope it lasts another month or so.

Since the car we are driving was in the shop last week, we commuted to the office via trike.  We learned firsthand that trikes are built for Filipinos, not Americans.  Each day we would go out to the road and flag down an empty trike, then wedge ourselves into the sidecar and off we went! Outside of the bubble of the car, we got an up close  and personal view of life in the Philippines; the sights, the sounds, and the smells.   We were not thrilled when one morning our driver took us past the "Wet Market" where they sell fish and other cuts of meat from all parts of the animal.  It smelled horrible. We were glad when all we could smell again was exhaust fumes! Haha!  We were happy when we got word the car was finished a day earlier than promised.  Although it was a fun experience, we are glad we didn't have to commute by trike our entire mission.

Tuesday, we took a P-Day. We went with all of the senior couples to the coast to Hundred Island National Park. We drove from the Angeles Mission through the Urdaneta Mission and the area where Elder Clark from our home ward is serving.  We didn't see any missionaries, but we saw several LDS chapels.  When we got to Hundred Island we rented a motorized outrigger and took a tour of these beautiful volcanic islands which have been carved into interesting shapes by the tide.  They are located in the Lingayen Gulf of the South China Sea, where U.S. forces returned to the Philippines during WW2 to help liberate the country from the Japanese.  It was a fun day of sightseeing and socializing with the wonderful senior couples we serve with.

On Friday, Elder Whiting made a loop through Mabalacat and Angeles doing various mission tasks, and last night we made an emergency trip to Capas to fetch a very homesick missionar back to Tarlac for some counsel and TLC.  Yesterday morning we watched the worldwide missionary broadcast with the Tarlac Zone.  It was fun to see first hand the reactions of the missionaries as they learned of the changes in their schedules and reporting of key indicators. Some didn't quite know how to take the news.

We continue to prepare for the arrival of Elder and Sister Richards, who will be here in just over a week.  We look forward to meeting them and getting them trained in their duties in the short time we have with them.

We leave you today with the words of a hymn that has been running through our minds:

"The time is far spent, there is little remaining ..." --Hymn #266--

Mahal Kita,
Elder and Sister Whiting

Jeepney of the Week

Ready for a fun P-Day

The crew at Hundred Islands.  L-R: Elder and Sister Spung, Sister and Elder Dansie,
Elder and Sister Pugh, Sister and Elder Whiting

Filipinos take sun protection seriously

Ready to ride a 10 person banana tube!

Aa cozy ride in a trike to the office.

Our view from the trike.

Yes we have no bananas!

a little girl playing with her pet ducks.

We watched this bike zigzag through traffic.
The lady on the back has wonderful balance!

A Special Event

What a week it has been! On Monday we taught for the very last time our departing workshop.  This batch of missionaries went home not only to various islands in the Philippines, but to places like Florida, St. George, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Sri Lanka.  It's pretty tough saying goodbye to missionaries you have become close to and know you will never see again in this life.  We've done it enough times you would think we would get used to it, but we never do.  It's always a very emotional time.

Wednesday we welcomed 18 new missionaries from all over the world. We did our new missionary orientation for the last time.  It's a strange feeling to be doing these tasks that have become part of our lives for the last time.  At the same time, we look forward to coming home and seeing our loved ones.  We have learned and experienced so much, and have met some of the finest people on the planet during our mission. We will definately miss them.

Friday and Saturday were very special days for us.  Sister Bonnie Oscarson, General Young Women's President, and Sister Jean Bingham, General Primary First Counselor made a visit to the sisters who live in the stakes and districts of the Angeles Mission. They came for a day and a half of visits, training, teaching, and devotionals.  The mission office became the reception/break area, so we were blessed to greet them one on one when they arrived.  They were accompanied by their spouses and by Elder and Sister Alan D. Haynie of the Seventy.  They were all so gracious and loving; just regular, genuine people.  They were so easy to talk to, without a hint of self-importance about them.  Before they came to the office, they had stopped and visited members in their homes. What an unforgettable experience for them and for the members.

Sister Oscarson and Sister Bingham taught a seminary class Friday evening to young people from two of the Tarlac wards.  What a treat for those young people, and even though they may not have understood every word spoken, just to be there was something they will always remember and treasure.

Saturday, they arrived bright and early for more training in various focus groups.  While they did their training, we turned the mission office over to their spouses and Elder Haynie so they could do some preparation of their own.  Elder Haynie was using Sister Whiting's desk and when he saw the family picture she keeps there, he asked all about our children.  Soon he was showing Sister Whiting pictures of his children, and it was just like they were old friends talking and laughing.  Sister Haynie is as unpretentious as they come as well.

Between the morning and afternoon training sessions (these general auxiliary presidencies work very hard!) they had lunch and a rest period in the mission office.  In the afternoon, they held a general leadership training meeting, which was packed with sisters, took another short break in the mission office, and ended the day with a devotional for sisters age 8 and up, which was even more packed. Every room in the stake center was full of sisters young and old; and what they couldn't understand through language, they experienced through the Spirit.  Such a great day.

After the meeting, it took Sister Oscarson and Sister Bingham several minutes to make their way through the throngs of sisters from the chapel to the mission office, graciously posing for pictures as they went.  Their spouses went out to help escort them through the crowds, but soon they were posing for pictures as well!  Sister Whiting and Sister Clark were on the steps of the mission office just watching the spectacle, and before they knew it they were posing for pictures too! Sisters Oscarson and Bingham finally made it into the mission office, and it turned out that Sister Clark and Sister Whiting's photo session was a sort of diversion that allowed our guests to depart for some much needed rest at their hotel.

This was an event these Filipino sisters will always cherish.  Many of them came as families and made a day of it; the husbands dressed in their Sunday best tending the children outside. Others came as wards and branches in rented jeepneys and buses traveling many hours to attend.  All of them were so thrilled to be there--it will be a highlight of their lives.

We leave you with these words from Sisters Oscarson and Bingham from the September 2016 General Women's Meeting:

"Fervant charity, meaning 'wholehearted', is demonstrated by forgetting the mistakes and stumblings of another rather than harboring grudges or reminding ourselves and others of imperfections in the past."  --Jean B. Bingham--

"Sisters, I don't believe that conditions are going to improve going forward.  If current trends are an indcation, we need to be prepared for the storms that lie ahead.  It would be easy to throw our hands up in despair, but as covenant people we never need despair. As Elder Gary  E. Stevenson has said, 'Heavenly Father's generous compensation for living in perilous times is that we also live in the fulness of times.'" --Bonnie L. Oscarson--

Tandaan mo, mahal kita,
Elder and Sister Whiting

Jeepney of the Week

Lunch with the Pugh's at the Chinese Restaraunt last week.

Saying Goodbye to Elder Navadya Silva as he prepares to return home to Sri Lanka.
He served in the office, and will be a great strength to the Church in Sri Lanka

Our Salt Lake guests arrive!

Elder and Sister Whiting with Sister and Brother Oscarson

Lunch between training sessions.
Clockwise from bottom: President Clark, Sister Clark, Sister Oscarson, Brother Oscarson, Sister Haynie,
Elder Haynie, Sister Bingham, Brother Bingham, Sister Whiting, Elder Whiting

Elder and Sister Haynie and Sister and President Clark

Sister Oscarson greeting the throngs of sisters.  She is in the plaid jacket with her back toward the camera

A day never to be forgotten!

Brother Oscarson had his photo op as well!

Balancing her wares on her head. And she was walking very fast!

Street cleaners in Manila.  A Dangerous job.

Peddler selling foam mattresses; what most people sleep on.

Sugar cane harvest is in full swing.  This truck is headed toward the
processing plant located near the Mission Home.

A typical "family car".

Halo Halo

If you are wondering what in the world Halo Halo is, let us explain.  Halo Halo is a Philippine dessert whose literal translation means "mix mix".  It's really good and is a mixture of many sweet things, usually jello squares, coconut milk, cheese chunks, fruit and anything else sweet and tasty.  That's kind of the subject of this post -- just a mix of things.

Earlier this week we had a sister missionary go to the Missionary Recovery Center for treatment. It was determined that she needs to be released to go home to finish recovering.  She had left most of her belongings behind and it fell to us to deliver her things to the MRC. We attended sacrament meeting at 9, then took off for Manila.  It's not every day that a Sunday drive takes you to Manila, and usually it's anything but a relaxing drive.  But the traffic was light and we made it in good time.  Dear Sister Peel, the MRC nurse, had lunch ready for us and while we were eating, President and Sister Trask, Manila MTC president and wife popped in.  They finish their service this week, and it was great to meet them before they leave.  Before we knew it, we had been there an hour.  Traffic was even lighter coming out of the city, and we were back to Tarlac in record time.

Elder Whiting has been working on getting the new senior couple's house ready, and Sister Whiting has begun compiling the 2016 mission history along with her other duties.  It has given her a chance to reminisce about the past year and how much has transpired.

On Friday we had our pre transfer staff meeting, and afterwards went to lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant with Elder and Sister Pugh. Then Sister Whiting rode with the Pugh's and Sister Clark to Angeles to pick up an order at the capiz shell factory.  We had a great visit on our drive down and back, and we didn't get lost in Angeles like the last time when we couldn't find the quilt shop. Whew!

This coming week is transfer week, and we will, for the last time, teach our departure workshop. We are writing tonight from the mission office as we wait for the missionaries from the outer areas of the mission to arrive for interviews, dinner, and to settle their finances with Elder Whiting.  It will be a late evening and it has been a long day.

This coming Friday, on the heels of transfer week, the mission will help host Sister Bonnie Oscarson, Young Women General President, and Sister Jean Bingham, 1st counselor in the Primary General Presidency, as they visit and do training with the local units' young women and primary presidencies.  They will spend two days training and meeting with the sisters from all but two of the units within the borders of the Angeles Mission.  Since the mission office is attached to the Tarlac Stake Center, where they will be meeting, the mission office becomes the reception area for them.  We are looking forward to meeting them and hearing their counsel.  As it was for President Nelson's visit a year ago, the FM group is busily cleaning, painting, and sprucing up the grounds and buildings.  Exciting times!

We leave you with a "Halo Halo" of sweet scriptures:

"Doubt not, fear not." --D&C 6:36--
"Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." --2 Nephi 2:25--
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." --Philippians 4:13--
"I have engraven thee upon the palms of my hands."  --Isaiah 49:16--

Mahal Kita,
Elder and Sister Whiting

Jeepney of the Week

Angeles Mission Baptisms for 2016--around 1,300

Can you find Elder Whiting in this closeup of the baptism board?

Hand painted Capiz products

Hand made Capiz products

Sprucing up for our special guests includes scrubbing the roof.

Peddler standing in the middle of Manila traffic

Another peddler crossing four lanes of Manila traffic--risky business!

This peddler sells curdled milk and toppings--a popular breakfast