We LOVE the Philippines

Yes, we do love the Philippines...and the end of our time here keeps getting shorter!  Our half-way mark has come and gone!

I shouldn't always show the fun outings with the senior missionaries, but we sure enjoy being with them.  Last week we went to a secluded cove for the day. We had to travel by boat and the scenery was beautiful...wearing the required life jacket.  Vendors came on shore and Donna found the Tahitian black pearl necklace she has wanted for years.  He made it right on the spot!

Transfer week comes every six weeks.  Many missionaries are transferred to new areas and new companions, beloved, faithful missionaries leave and return home, and new missionaries arrive!  New trainers are called and matched up with their new missionary for a 12 week training.  President Dahle chooses his best missionaries to be the trainers.  He prayerfully matches those trainers with a new missionary after interviewing the new batch.  This transfer was small...we had 9 new Elders!  It was perfect for a picture collage page. 

New Missionaries and their Trainers

Baptisms are wonderful events.  At a recent baptism, I just had to take pictures of all the cute children.  Most of these live close to us and play at the church.  The basketball hoops in the parking lot are constantly being used.  Surprising to me, basketball is a big sport for the Filipinos.  I am amazed when I watch these small children throw a perfect basket!

The cutest FACES...found at a baptism

Missionaries in Action

The pictures above are some of our everyday occurrences...missionaries singing at a baptism, baptisms with pictures taken for remembrance, and teaching and learning and inspiration going on at MLC (mission leadership council).

I wanted to start taking more pictures of the things we see as we travel the mission.  Below are just a few of the pictures I will always have in my heart and mind when I think about the Philippines.

Our Olongapo District (like a Stake) Relief Society had a celebration and everyone got involved.  Each Branch chose a country.  They performed a dance and brought food representing their country.  One representative from the Branch came to the front and told some history, culture, and stories about their country.  It was like a "Miss Universe" pageant with questions and talent.  It was such a fun afternoon with the sisters!

District (Stake) Relief Society Activity...done right!!!

Easter season is over, but I had to include one more picture for our family.  The Epperson's have a tradition that we wanted to participate in even though we are far on the other side of the world.  We call it an "egg fight", but it is really harmless.  Our mother would make soft boiled eggs for part of our Easter breakfast.  We would then take our egg in hand with either the 'large' end or 'small' end out and challenge someone.  We hit the eggs together and the one that doesn't crack is the 'winner'.  We continue until we have a champion 'large' end and a champion 'small' end.  We then vie for the champion egg!!  It is a fun, silly tradition that brings our thoughts back to our childhood and our wonderful, loving family.

These are some of our favorite things!!  Life is good.  

I love serving.  I love that I have my sister with me in the Philippines.  We work in the Mission Office and get to be out with the missionaries and the people.  There is nothing better than that!

time flies ...

time flies when you ignore posting on your blog!  a week or two turns into two months surprisingly quickly!  the best possible thing happened to me while serving my mission here in the philippines ... five of my most favorite people in the whole world traveled halfway around the world to visit!  i started to post about the few precious days we had and was so overwhelmed with the amount of photos to go through that i gave up.  sister epperson wasn't keen on the idea of posting when it wasn't 'her turn' so the blog sat dormant for too long.  we experience so many interesting things here and there is much to catch up on but today ... it's all about my little family!  get ready for photo overload!

who's the happiest person in the photo? hint ... she's in the middle!
 christian, stella, madeleine, lauren and cameron land in my world ... photo cred: sister epperson

from the airport straight to the beach to release the sea turtle hatchlings.  it is at the tail end of the hatching season so i was thrilled i got to share this experience with my granddaughters.  madeleine was studying life cycles in school so she was very interested in it.  everyone released several hatchlings and just enjoyed seeing the south sea for the first time.

it was diane's birthday and we had a great day at ocean adventure.  we HAD to experience the fish spa.  i LOVE the faces of fish pedicure virgins ... some were cooler than others and some were so animated i had to show them twice!  stella abstained but loved looking at the fish.  

crocs, tigers, dolphins and my favorite monkeys!   madeleine and cameron had a dolphin training encounter.  they were masterful!  then lunch on the beach complete with buko juice (coconut water) ... stella really wants mommy to share (don't worry ... she did!)

everyone had their first-ever jeepney ride to the palengke (open-air market) and then a quick trike ride home. trikes are big enough to hold a family of five (or more!) and all their purchases ... also cozy enough for a companionship of two!  we ended the day with dinner on the beach.  when in the philippines, you should have as many meals as possible on the beach!

this last set is a hodgepodge ... 

~ it's always fun to bury your sister in the sand.

~ stella gets her fashion sense from her uncle cameron.

~ a banca boat ride to the beautiful island of bohol.

~ bedtime stories with poppi.

~ handmade lei and the reason i'm here.

it was a glorious few days and i will never forget the joy of sharing this land i've come to love with the people i love most.  i am so grateful every day that i have the privilege of serving a mission for the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints in such an amazing part of the world with such amazing people.  it is an experience i will hold in my heart forever.  i highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity!  'come what may, and love it'!

The Week that Was...

A new van was delivered to the office yesterday!!  We have gotten along with older cars since we arrived...which is okay when you think about the traffic!  One of our senior couples has had so much trouble with their truck...so they brought it to the office parking lot and took our van.  Yesterday, the fleet department in our Area Office brought us a replacement and took the truck away.  We were told the used van they were bringing had over 100,000km on it.  We were crushed thinking that Donna and I would have car problems out on the road.  You don't want that!!!!!  We were ecstatic when they brought us a NEW car with 1000km on it!  NOW we have the fear of putting the first scratch or dent on the car...or dirtying the inside!

The van is perfect for hauling missionaries, luggage, or furniture and household items.  We need one at the office, and we felt crippled without it.  We had smiles on our faces all day...and so did the office elders.

New Office Van!!!

We spent hours one day with 10 foreign (that's USA and Islanders) elders while they got a Philippines Driver's License.  It was a zoo and all outside!  I wish I had taken a picture!!  Maybe I'll get another chance.  The Area Office has asked the missions to have the elders get licenses if they have a license in their home country.  Our missionaries don't use cars, but if an elder is assigned to serve in the office, they do have the opportunity to drive.

We are finding many yummy (masarap) things to eat...some new to our pallet and some very familiar.  

1. the biggest and best avocados 

2. kalamansi juice...it is like a tiny lime and used to flavor many foods in the Philippines.  I ordered kalamansi juice for breakfast at a restaurant.  It was served with its own small picture of 'simple syrup' so that I could make it as sweet as I wanted!  I like it sour ;)

3. lunch of special grilled cheese sandwich, soup, and a fresh fruit platter

4. banana split with (purple) ube ice cream

5. corn on the cob!

6. the best French fries ever from the Army Navy Restaurant (Liberty Fries)

7. banana chips...they are very thin slices lightly fried and so delicious to eat as a snack

8. mangos, of course!  Whether we eat them plain or in a mango shake, they are delicious!  This area of the Philippines is known for the sweetest mangos in the world.  We live on what is called the Mango Highway!

9. pancit canton, my favorite kind of pancit...usually with onion, garlic, other vegetables (cabbage, carrots, celery, etc.), and then meat--shrimp, pork, chicken.

Our favorite part of the mission is our experiences with the young missionaries! It is a daily happening with our office elders living next door to us.  Our office elders are hand-picked by the President.  They are elders that he is proud to have represent the mission in many capacities.  We are constantly learning from them.  Below are pictures from two weeks ago.

1. Sister Plowman and Sister Kesler found a cute little place to eat in their Area. They said they are having to limit themselves to going only on their 'preparation day' because they eat cheesecake every time they go!  It takes them a week to walk that off!  They started telling us about this place they found with cheesecake like in the states AND cinnamon rolls like mom!!  When they said it wasn't just a bakery, but also had lunch/dinner entrees, we made a lunch date!! What fun we had with them!!!  And yes, the cinnamon rolls and cheesecake (many different kinds!) are divine.  We have met them two weeks in a row now!

2. Our current office elders: Elder Tupou, Elder Cervantes, Elder Poulsen, and Elder Detera.  The elders only spend a few hours a week helping in the office.  Most of their time is spent with a normal missionary schedule.

Elder Poulsen and Elder Tupou are our newest addition.  Elder Poulsen wanted to cook dinner for President and Sister Dahle and us!!  He has learned how to cook several Philippine dishes.  The President's favorite is Bicol Express.  Elder Poulsen made that for us!  It was so good and our first time to eat it.  The Mission Home was the perfect setting for our dinner.

3.  President Dahle is showing us a book about his ancestors.  The stories he tells are fascinating.

 Well, it is Valentine's Day week and everywhere we go it is decorated with hearts.  Of course, I love it because I love hearts! This is the sign at the round-about in Olongapo City.  It is also the week we have been waiting for...the arrival of Donna's family!

HAPPY HEARTS DAY TO ALL!!

what thinks Christ of me? ...

i was reflecting today during the sacrament about what had i done in the past week that was Christlike.  there was plenty i had done that was not, but at this particular time, i was desperately trying to focus on the good!  the scripture in luke came to my mind and i was reminded that asking is praying sincerely, seeking is studying the scriptures so i can know His will, and knocking is the doing ... the intent to act when i the receive answers i seek.

i am serving a mission for the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints because i asked to know His will for me and He answered.  everyday i go forward with a leap of faith and hope that i am doing what i need to do to help build His kingdom here on earth.  i feel His love every day, even when i fail (probably more so!).  i am growing in ways i never expected, but at the same time, i feel i'm not doing all i can do to maximize my learning time here.  so the question i ask myself is 'what thinks Christ of me?'.  

am i serving my fellowman with a pure purpose?  am i working to develop Christlike attributes so i can show and feel more charity toward others?  what would He have be do today to help lift someone else?  

i am loving my time here in the philippines.  the people are fantastic!  and while life goes happily and busily on back home without us, i wouldn't trade this experience.  am so grateful i am here with diane.  it has been easier than i ever thought it would be and i'm sure she is a large part of making it seem that way.  it's impossible to comprehend but our eighteen months here is more than half over.  i want to make the most of every day we have left!  sending much love your way!  donna

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? 💗💗💟💗💗

behold, my joy is full ...

last night, our apartment was full of the joyful sounds, rising from the parking lot below, of young men playing basketball and children playing in the grass well past dark.  it gave me the idea for the theme of my blog entry this week.

• i love the sound of a parking lot full of young men having good, clean fun!
• i love an office full of elders!
• i love watching a full circle of elders pray before they go out to find people to teach the principles of the gospel!
• i love faces full of joy!

• i love a beach full of new friends enjoying spending time together!
• i love a sky full of clouds and colors!
• i love a night sky full of stars (yes, i know the moon is not a star ... but trust me, there are stars there!)!
• i love a car full of senior missionaries embarking on new adventures!

• i love a full choir of angels!
• i love a room full of wide-eyed, 'can't wait to start my mission!' elders and sisters when they arrive every six weeks.  this happened again this week and, like we've said before, it never gets old.
• i love the same room full of newly-called trainers, eager to embrace their new, wide-eyed companions and love them through the transition into their next 18-24 months. 
• i love a traveling cart full of baskets.
• i love a pond full of garra rufa fish ready to feast on flesh.
• i love this world ... full of beauty and wonder.
• i love a heart full of gratitude for being able to experience it all, plus SO much more every day.

• and in three short weeks, i LOVE that my arms will be full because the five people i love most on this earth are coming!  my cup, which is beyond full, runneth over!

all you need is love!  xo donna

Lumpia...Pancit...Caldereta...Adobo

We, senior sister missionaries, had a cooking activity!  We had so much fun learning how to cook some of our favorite foods from our new life in the Philippines.  We have an expert amongst us, Sister Mila Wright.  She brought us into her kitchen where she had everything prepped and ready to go.

Mila is a fabulous cook and had our attention!  She is always cooking in large quantities for one thing or another...today it was for us.

Donna can do it and I can do it...take a large tablespoon of filling and roll it up in the paper thin wrapper.  We seal the edge with egg white and we have Lumpia ready to be fried!  Yum!  It was a very similar process to making burritos.

Lumpia has been one of our favorite things to eat.  It is like a little egg roll.  Mila's recipe has mostly meat in it, but others we've eaten have more vegetables.  Both are yummy.  We took some uncooked Lumpia home to eat later.  When 'later' came, I wanted to try to 'fry' the lumpia without oil!  It worked good enough for me.  The wrapper got brown and crispy and the inside got hot...perfect.  I know it isn't the way to properly prepare lumpia, but it was fast, easy, and fewer calories.

My other favorite dish is Pancit.  Our first time to taste pancit was at a baptism.  I was told that pancit is eaten at any special event like birthday parties, etc.  There are different kinds of pancit, too.  The biggest difference is with the noodle that is used.  I've discovered my favorite to be the Canton noodle.  Mila showed us how to make two different types of pancit...one with Canton noodles and the other with a thin rice noodle.

This is the Pancit Canton.  It is meat, vegetables, and noodles.  The process is similar to making fried rice or at least that is what it reminds me of.  I tried to make Pancit after I had it at the baptism.  I failed!  My second attempt was much better, and now that I've had a lesson it will be perfect. :)

Caldereta is called a stew (with a special seasoning).  Mila's recipe is meat, potatoes, and carrots.  It is thick and yummy.  Adobo is the favorite of our office elders.  It seemed to basically be meat in a special broth.  It is usually served over rice...like everything here.  Still my favorites are the lumpia and pancit.  

We are loving our time in the Philippines.  The people are the best.  The young missionaries are stellar, the absolute best!  And the senior missionaries are fun to be with.

We are starting our new year with a bang.  Our new mission president has been announced and will arrive July 1.  Transfer week begins tomorrow again.  Like Donna said, the activities are the same, but oh sooooo different!  And there is always something new to make life interesting!  Actually, life is ALWAYS interesting!!

From our home to yours...with love!