Another Great Week!

Am I ever going to have a 'not' great week?...I don't think so!  The blessings are abundant and the learning is ongoing!  As we prepare for a visit from Donna's family, we have been looking around, thinking, and planning.  They are on our mind everywhere we go as we try to decide what to do and see during their short visit.  It is a huge blessing to have them come!

This week: dance presentation for Chinese New Year, picking a pomelo, a yummy mango shake, children's parade, tribute to all the FACS teachers--gallon man, and a stop at the bread shop!

These pictures are just a sampling of our week.  I must say that the water jugs made into a man bring me quickly back to my teaching days.  In order to teach our students measuring cup equivalents, we would make a "gallon man".  The FACS teachers know what I'm talking about.

This week was Follow-up Training where the newest missionaries and their trainers come back together for more information about our mission and missionary work.  Both Donna and I are involved, and it is one of our favorite days of the 6-week cycle.  The picture below is of a new missionary, Sister Plowman, who is from Gilbert, Arizona!!!  In fact she lives between Donna and I AND took guitar lessons from our brother-in-law, Jeff!!  This is such a small world!!

Donna and I with Sister Kesler (trainer) and Sister Plowman (new)

There was a World-Wide Missionary Broadcast this month!  We are at least a week late viewing it here in the Philippines, but it was fabulous.  The broadcast was from SLC and the "missionary committee" spoke with the missionaries about their service, their mission, and gave some inspiring messages.  There are some changes that were made that will be implemented this month here.  One of the changes was concerning the missionary "preparation day" schedule and weekly schedule.  The other major change was in the key indicators that will be reported each week.  All are good changes and the young missionaries are excited to implement them in their work.

On Sunday we had another broadcast.  This time it was for all the women ages 8-108+ in the Philippines.  Sister Oscarson and Sister Bingham, from the Young Women and Primary presidencies, visited the Philippines.  The Area President broadcast a meeting so that all the women could see and hear from them instead of just the few from the areas they were able to personally visit.  Here is a spiritual gem worthy of remembering from Sister Oscarson:  "When we give the Lord His time, He helps us manage the rest of our time!" 

Missionary Broadcast and Special Women's Broadcast

This dinner was a tribute to our father!

This week we found a street vendor selling hot, buttered corn on the cob on sticks!  Donna went in to pay the internet bill for the office AND I found the vendor!  I bought 4 raw cobs to cook at home.  Memories of our father came flooding to our minds.  He would tell stories of when he was a boy, and they would have a feast of corn on the cob for dinner.  He loved corn.

Senior Activity...on Saturday, we piled into a van and went to Nayong Pilipino on the old Clark Air Force Base.  It is a cultural experience with museums, parades,  and areas showing native villages of the Aeta, Ifugao, and Kalinga peoples with their homes, native dress, crafts, and dances.  It is always a fun day with the Senior Missionaries.

Nayong Village Adventures

Picture/chuckle of the week...where should I hang my clean laundry today?  I think it should go right here...on these wires the city has provided for me!!!

I'm looking forward to another great week!  How about you? 💗💗💟💗💗