through our eyes...

Elders Nelson and Hardy...one year out

This was the view out our window...but it was much more spectacular!  Earlier in the office, Elder Hardy and Nelson told us it was their one year mark!  Our Elders are on their missions for 2 years.  The tradition for the Elders in this mission is to burn a shirt at their one year mark...hump day.  I knew immediately what was happening when I saw the fire and heard the yelling.  They had a pole with a shirt hanging and burning.  

The rain finally stopped in Guagua

With all the rain we have been having, it was a miracle that they had 30 minutes of clear weather.  It started pouring soon after they finished their celebration. 



The picture on the right is the flood waters we experienced in Guagua when we were taking supplies to missionaries.  They had been in their apartment for two days because of the flooding.  Church had been cancelled and everything.

We really can't believe all the rain we have had.  It is amazing to me that there hasn't been more flooding.  The water just disappears quickly.  On the road to the Subic Bay Freeport Area we have seen several mud slides from the mountains onto the roadway.

"trash day"the roadways...including trees in most cases.

It used to concern us when we saw smoke rising.  Now, we chuckle every time we see the smoke...knowing that it is 'trash day'.  Many people just burn their trash.  I should have taken a picture of our trash day.  A big truck drives up and about 4 men hop out.  At least one hops into our trash bin (a big one like at my condo community) and he starts throwing out the trash to the next guy.  We have our trash in bags, but not all the trash in the bin is contained in bags.  They just pick it up and get it onto their truck.  It is interesting to watch.  Then one of them comes to the office door to get paid...100 pesos.  This happens about once a week and never the same day of the week.

dirty or clean...which do you want?

This is a picture of one of our water filters!  We have 3 filters that the water runs through before we use it to wash dishes, drink, wash fruits and vegetable, or brush our teeth.  This is the one we change every 3 months.  The others are changed at 6 months and a year.  In some missionary apartments that we check, they have to switch filters out more often than that because of the quality of their water.  This looked pretty gross, but the bottom of the filter was pretty white when we pulled it out.

We wash every piece of fruit and vegetable that we buy in a bleach solution.  It is washed, rinsed, put into a tub with bleach and water to sit for about 3 minutes, then put into another tub with clean water to rinse again. 

a beautiful sunset over the bay...

And saving the best for last...another beautiful sunset.  We really do have a beautiful world.  The Philippines are beautiful.  That was our first impression as we drove from the busy, crowded city of Manila three hours away to our mission area.  I am grateful every day for the beauty.  May you have a fabulous week!
Love to you,
Sister Sisters Donna and Diane