Mid-week

This is Humble Jeepney Week.


We dedicate this blog entry to every jeepney that's had its glory days--somewhere in the past.


That still rumble along in spite of being looked down upon by the new little sporty jeepneys, or the big "bells and whistles" jeepneys.



We've been back from lunch and errands for a couple of hours. The office is silent except for rode noise and the air con. That's what it's called here--air con.

When I'm sitting at my computer and I lean forward looking to the right, this is what I can see:


That bright white stripe is Elder Reed's back. He's sitting at his computer working on--finance stuff.

And now a close-up:


Definitely worth a full shot! Hmmm. That office resembles his office at home--teaming with activity. How do you keep a perfectly clean office and get stuff done?

This is my realm:


I make sure my desk is cleared off once a day. I'm so exposed up by the front door. It's probably a blessing or my desk would also look like my desk at home.


We must be getting better at what we do. It feels smoother--under control. Not that it's perfect, just that we don't feel like we're about to careen over the cliff.

This week is interview week. President and Sister Hansen were in most of the day yesterday, he interviewing (companionships this time) and she teaching the missionaries all kinds of interesting important things while they wait their turn.

Many of Sister Hansen's teachings are health-related. She is a very capable woman, having raised 5 children herself. But no mother, no matter how "Super Mom", who instantly becomes the "mother" of 130 knows what to do with all the health challenges that arise.


She has a well-stocked bag of mom-tricks, including capable doctors. One of her tricks is knowing when to send a missionary to see Dr. Tan and when to just put him/her on a round of antibiotics, which is entirely within her realm. Often this is successful--no perscription is needed, just go to the pharmacy and pick up your choice of bacteria-killer.

We don't wait around before going the antibiotics route here. Seemingly innocent hurts or sniffles or pains can turn nasty fast, including many skin-related issues. A rash could put you in the hospital if you don't tend it properly. A cut is nothing to scoff at! Scrub it! Disinfect it! Keep it covered.

We (at least the mission oldies) have heightened awareness of this from having watched President Hansen suffer miserably through a bad case of cellulitis, which stemmed from from a simple little cut when he was trimming his toenails. Needless to say, when I slipped on some wet coral when we were up hiking in our foothills a month ago and received a good scrape on my arm, I scrubbed and scrubbed. It healed well, by the way.

If Sister Hansen is Dr. Mom, then I am surely her first assistant. Reminding the missionaries of their responsibility to exercise good hygiene and encouraging steady, thoughtful self-care are definitely within my realm. The missionaries--I am the one out front who talks to them about all sorts of stuff when they come into the office. I love them dearly and am eager to encourage them in whatever area they are low in.

Recently we had the four missionaries from Camotes Island come in to pick up their support. It just so happened that they were all sick--poor fellas, having to travel when they should have been home in bed. Nevertheless, here they were in the office, so I quizzed them about their hygiene practices. Three of them as good as took notes and the fourth acted like, "oh yeah, yeah, whatever." This was my signal for a Scotch Blessing, which I think surprised him! I reminded him in no uncertain terms that it is our DUTY to tend our bodies mindfully. We didn't come across the world to get sick casually--easily, or to make others sick, but to share the gospel!

It's time to wrap things up for the day. I will teach my first piano lesson in a half hour to lovely Edren Sagayno--a young mom with 3 children. Her husband is in Cebu 1's bishopric and is building a catering business. His food is veeeery good. Edren is absolutely steady in her practicing habits, which means her progress is steady also. Very satisfying for both of us.


Look at that fine hand position! Can't beat that in a new student.


You are always close in our hearts! Want to make our day? Just drop a line. And I mean a line. An epistle is certainly appreciated, but don't wait till you've done something spectacular say hello. We're grateful for this very special opportunity of service. We know the gospel is true--know by the whisperings of the spirit that this is His work--His church. For all the challenges of life, we have great peace in our hearts. Life is good with Christ as our focus and role model.

Kevin and Ann
Elder and Sister Reed

Wowie! The Mandaue IS A LAKE

Showers going indoors
Showers going outdoors
It’s a duet of drops
We hope that it stops


One never knows.


The rain was pretty convincing,
which really had us wincing,
thinking about us blitzing
to the car without getting soaked.

Kevin was brave
did all he could to save
his princess from the wave.

I didn’t want us to fret
Travel when we’re wet?
Nay!
An umbrella for my fella?
We settled for a beach towel instead.

The roads were clear
which made us cheer
The traffic—you know how we feel
to have to deal
with so much congestion.
Ugh.

To our dismay
Many cars lay
Stopped—stranded
Dead in their tracks.

There was no turning back
To find a new track
For owners who were out wading
Their good humor fading


How did this happen?
I asked my wise prince
Too daring of speed
The thought made me wince.

Those engines were bathed
The water was deep
I sat oh so quietly
And didn’t utter a peep

Would our engine fail?
Would we become waders?
We took comfort in knowing
That Cebu has no gators.

It thundered, it lightening’d
Could this please be over?
Or else could we trade this Toyota
For a Range Rover?

Lake Mandaue went on
For more than a mile
Eventually though,
We left it with a smile

The shower had turned to a drizzle
It had surely decided to fizzle
The sun was trying to shine
And which meant we’d soon sizzle

On to Bogo we cruised
A good car, a blessing,
We mused

This light-hearted blog is done
We hope you’ve had fun
Please drop us a line
To help us not pine!

Time is like a dream and it is passing like a stream….


We are well here, and continue to learn in the responsibilities put before us. We aren't sure, but recognize hints that we may actually be acclimating to the temperature/humidity.

If you've read much of our blog, our morning begins with a great walk up through a subdivision called Beverly Hills. Many of the mornings of late seem cooler and there is often a breeze that reminds of the warm gusts at home that signal the shift from summer to fall.

We've had two typhoon warnings so far, with only one making it to Cebu. I say making it, but all we saw was steady rain for a day. Often a typhoon will be churning somewhere in the Pacific and the edges of the storm make themselves known here. Today is a little windier than normal; maybe it is connected to the typhoon that was announced and we've heard is hitting Luzon.

As I write this I see out the door of the office over on the other side of our stake center a large palm tree blowing in the wind. It is rather tall and singular in its place. The wind has wrapped all the frowns around to the downwind side. One branch has died and remains stiff and unmoving pointing directly into the wind. It reminds me of the Sesame Street character Big Bird, only green.



Watching our weather here, we're reminded of the summer hot days built by a high pressure ridge that can leave one wanting a little variety, like clouds or rain or something. Here there is plenty of variety with little chance of a ridge of high pressure. Often we are outside and if it is clear blue sky the sun can be hot and intense. But given time and not much, clouds will move across and often bring some rain.

Tropical rain is often very intense. I don’t think I will ever get used to the fact that when it rains the temperature doesn't drop, it will probably feel hotter since the humidity rises. Living our whole lives where rain, clouds, and darkness all equate to a significant lowering of the temperature, leaves us fooled again and again in those conditions. Either that, or hope springs eternal. We secretly hope for a really chilly morning. The locals think they happen, especially up on the mountain. If they only knew...

This morning we started on our usual walk with KaiKai and decided to walk over the back way to Guadalupe since it was Saturday and we weren't pressed for time. We didn't exactly know where to go, but KaiKai assured us that we could walk through the Boy Scout camp that is a stone's throw from Beverly Hills Subdivision. We had to see this one to believe it, since we've driven to Guadalupe and know that it takes 20-30 minutes in a car.

We walked on roads most of the time, including one that took us by the Provincial jail. There is some notoriety with this place, or rather the inmates. They have become famous for doing line dancing as a form of exercise. You can see them perform if you look on You Tube.

This area has a beautiful domed church with stained glass, all of which was built many years ago by the people of Guadalupe. The building doesn’t have the highly finished presence of some similar structures, instead it is at the end of the road through the village and the road completely rings the church property. And in that place appears to be the center of attention for the people of Guadalupe.



Our walk dropped us out on the back side of the street that circles the church and we ventured up on of the side roads to see where it went.



Since this is our preparation day and KaiKai doesn’t have kids to go to school, or his work, we had the time to explore. At first the road was busy and was not a relaxing stroll. But as we continued to climb in elevation there was less traffic and more opportunity to stop and look and talk with the people that live in that barangay.


This house intrigued us with it's purple roof and well maintained garden


We kept asking and were assured that indeed the road would loop back to where we began. At one point we sat and visited with a family that lived at the furthest point of our travel. They eek out a living harvesting Mangos and bamboo. They had cows ,chickens and perhaps other forms of sustenance, but it seemed pretty bleak.


You will see very steep hillsides where a plot has been cleared and a crop planted. When you are used to row crops that are planted on flat ground and seeded with a tractor, this site can really amaze you, no pun intended. What you see is the end of the season corn plants.

The Philippine people are quick to smile and engage in a conversation, (which would be simple and short if not for KaiKai), in all kinds of hard circumstances. We were informed that if we followed that road it would lead us to the area of the jail, where we wanted to go. We were told it would be approximately 30 minutes. Well, time can be relative!

Forty-five minutes later when asking other people walking the road we were informed it would be approximately 30 minutes, and so after another 45 minutes we arrived at the road by the jail. We saw some great scenery, and enjoyed seeing and hearing the large stands of bamboo. Some of the stalks were 6-9 inches in diameter and 35 feet tall. It is an amazing plant in it’s' design and usability. I mention hearing the bamboo, when the wind blows and pushes the stalks it is like the biggest wind chime you have ever heard. It is not loud but you hear all multiple tones produced by the various sizes of the stocks. We felt removed from the city bustle even though we were really pretty close.

We are well here and hope that you are also. Thanks for your interest in our adventure............. Elder and Sister Reed


PS. Here is the jeepney of the week.

As a side note this driver has painted on the inside for his riders to see, this statement.... Successful people do not have any special opportunity, they just work hard and succeed on principle!

All the best............A&K

On the Road to Bogo

Think back to "The 10 Commandments" with Charleton Heston. The Israelites have worked through bondage and plagues and they've finally been set free. They prepare to go, gather, and begin the departure. That departure—masses of people heading out is what getting out of Cebu feels like to us as we drive north to our Sunday assignment in Bogo.

There are lots of interesting people, vehicle-animals as well as animals driven for food or merchandising. It’s teaming movement, ruckus, a constant din, occasional accidents or near misses; dust and grime. (Actually, MGM makes it look pretty clean.) Some travelers are impatient and push their way through the throng. Some wait their turn—patiently or in quiet joy or resignation. Fast or slow, the movement continues on and on. Progress is made—hopefully. The promised land inches closer.

Whoa! Am I talking about the Israelites or Kevin & Ann on the Mandaue Road? Hmmm. There are striking similarities as we inch our way out of town. To a small-city dweller, the inner clock is set at 20 minutes; the time it takes to escape heavy traffic congestion. Our inner clocks will probably adjust in about 13 months when it’s time to come home…


We inch along a 4-lane almosthighway instead of out over the open plain. Of course it’s paved, and at the moment in quite good condition. The painted lines are new and easily seen if anyone is interested in observing the boundaries they are meant to create. It’s flexible here though; the two lanes going either way may become 3 or 4 lanes as the traffic ebbs and flows.

Flow is a good word for Philippine traffic. Think of fish in an aquarium. They just swim without running into each other. Ironically, the only time the traffic snarls is when there is a barangay (that’s like a big neighborhood—our address is technically Cebu City, but Lahug is more informative) traffic enforcer. They look very official in full uniform, and blow their whistle like a professional musicians, but—what happens to the swimming fish when there is someone standing in the middle of the street waving their arms? It's always a mess.

The din is deafening, but muffled by our Toyota’s quality insulation, a small blessing. To have a car at all here is a blessing.

Animals? A double decker truck load of pigs, street-smart dogs trotting along just outside the run over zone; purposefully. Where do dogs go that makes them trot along so importantly? Tethered goats that munch nonchalantly, oblivious to the swirl of humanity around them. Cats and cocks are present also, but either caged (cocks) or cagey (cats).

If modern vehicles represented biblical travel creatures, the buses would definitely be elephants. Now don’t get all technical on me! I KNOW that elephants resided in a different corner of the woods than the Holy Land, but they fit the bill for my mind’s visual exploration. They, like buses, are the largest beast on the road, lumbering along assertively. They’re bigger than anyone is willing to oppose or contend with, moving remarkably fast considering how full they are. They snort and roar, weaving and swaying in and out of traffic like a Porche. If you’re a passenger you’re required to leave all your confidence with the driver when you board, along with your pesos. If you’re a transplant to this life, you pull over, let them pass, and vow to NEVER ride one because you want to live to return to your family and loved ones.

Next in the travel hierarchy are the jeepneys. Sassy and temperamental like camels, they are the overwhelming utility travel for most folks, and own the road unless a bus happens to be in the vicinity. They seem safer unless they’re overloaded with supplies or produce, which is much of the time.

Trikes. Hmmm. Donkeys? There are LOTS of them, especially lining the sides of the road in the little towns we pass through. Were there donkeys for hire in Jesus’ time? Trikes are a remarkable little beast of burden. For being a small motorcycle or bike with a side car, there could be as many as six people riding them, plus the driver.

We left most of the plain motorcycles back in town. They are an economical travel choice, holding from one to five riders. Their drivers are expert at weaving in and out of traffic. Imagine stopping at a light, leaving a respectful amount of space between you and the next car, and having it filled in with motorcycles that ride slowly up on either side, never putting down a foot for balance, and never taking out a mirror (that we’ve seen). This is the nature of the road in the city.

Finally the caravan cacophony thins as travelers go their own way, and we move more easily. Kevin drives on patiently or in quiet resignation. Or maybe it’s exhaustion. I’m exhausted because I’ve watched it all. We nearly got crunched back a ways. Our prayers for safety are always heartfelt, even as we plead for the same watchful care each time we head out.

An hour later we are out of Lahug, through Mandaue, Consolacion, Lilo-an and Danao.

We’ve reached the point in our travel of jungle forest on the left and ocean on the right. There are resorts all along the way, but not what you’re thinking. There are no fancy hotels, just day-use beach properties. Ocean front property can be owned on Cebu, which makes long beach walks almost impossible. Who ever heard of a fence or wall into the ocean?

And now through a winding canyon that will break into rolling hills of sugar cane. We’ve driven blissfully for a couple of miles without anyone in front or behind us. It’s blissful but not restful because of the children playing along the edges of the road. We MUST not run over anyone while we’re here. Or their dog or goat.

It’s a great relief to leave the city behind. I don’t know if I stirred your mind enough in my description. Do you feel tired? Are you tense between the shoulder blades? Think of an hour of Fairview Avenue at its worst, then add trikes and motorcycles to the traffic mix, dogs along the edge, and pedestrians walking out among the cars. There. NOW do you feel tired?

The relaxed undertone out in the provinces is almost tangible. Dusk has settled over the world (it is 6:00ish) and we are happy to pull into Bogo where we have a room reservation at the Park View Lodge. This is a modern hotel with eight rooms. We are the only guests tonight. Although the mattress makes “firm” seem soft, we sleep deeply in the quiet. Next time we come we will bring garbage bags to tape over the windows for a little more darkness, and egg crate foam for a more padded sleep. Nevertheless, the quiet is like a mind and body feast. We arrived in sound condition, and our $18 room is a bargain. Count your blessings--name them one by one.

Musings

We've been in the mission field for four months now. In practical terms that equates to:
4 cardboard canisters of Quaker Oats
3 tubes of Crest
25 lbs. whole wheat flour
4 sets of earplugs each
3 transfers

I look at the newest missionaries, who on Friday won't be greenies any more because there will be fresh greenies, and marvel at how much they have acclimated in just six weeks. One new sister in particular has been serving in the City Zone where I've been able to watch the process on a weekly basis.

First week after arrival--very excited
Second week--tired, overwhelmed and tearful
Third week--hunkering down and getting through; still tired; no smiles
Fourth week--gloomy--depressed--my motherheart full of ache for her. All I could say was,"c'mon--you're doin it--you're learning it--you've got the best trainer in the mission--don't give up"
Fifth week--a new woman! Tears jumped to my throat when she walked through the door with a new countenance. Bright! Enthusiastic! Reaching out!

Thank you, Lord.


This surely must mean that Kevin and I feel completely at home after four months.

Here are some pluses:

We like being mission companions.
We've become teachers in new realms.
We're healthy and increasing in strength and stamina thanks to our daily hill walking.
We have a reasonable level of confidence in our office responsibilities.
We've become dear friends with the other missionaries.
We've made friends, even outside our missionary circle.
We feel trusted by our young missionary associates.
We know our way around our grocery store of choice.
We can estimate the time needed for most errands and come within an hour of accuracy.
We've climbed Mt. Manungal.

Here are some minuses:

A city of millions-plus population is still noisy and dirty.
Filipino mosquitos love my ankles.
Cebuano streets don't connect with each other.


Lopsided and badly out of balance. Did you notice that the pluses are deliciously personal while the minuses are shoulder-shruggingly impersonal?

There is happiness going on here, even as we wrestle with the challenges of our new realm. Hope you've got the same.

Love and blessings,
Kevin & Ann

Those of you who are old enough to remember The Johnny Carson Show might recall the feeling of disappointment when Johnny was out for a time and there was a guest host. You probably still watched anyway just out of habit.

Well, Heeeeeeeeere's Kevin!

Our week here has been forward in it's progress and educational in it's demands. For Ann there is always a flurry of activity between her regular duties as to inputting records into the Church information system and the supply and organization of the materials for the missionaries. For me in the back office it is the start of the learning curve as it relates to understanding IMOS. Over the past couple of years the Church has been changing the Mission Operating System to one that is internet- based. We are 'on' now after a few delays, the first of which preempted our actual hands-on training. Now that we are on, I am learning as I go. We haven't been here long enough that it's that hard to switch, but for one who is neither and accountant nor a computer programmer, understanding this new process will just take some time.

In the last couple of entries we told you of a change in part of our mission assignment. After the mission tour, Elder Ko of the Area Presidency asked President Hansen to assign the senior couples to attend some of the outlying branches in the districts. Just as a refresher, in the missions of the Church if there is not sufficient membership in an area to form a stake with wards, then branches are formed and a number of those congregations are organized into a district. Although the district organization has a district presidency, the organizational authority rests with the mission president. Ann and I have been assigned to work in the Bogo Branch and in the Polambato Branch. Today (Sunday) we attended the District Conference held at the Bogo chapel.


Looking back along the beach to where we stayed in Bogo.

The District Conference included a leadership meeting and the Saturday evening adult session of conference. Ann and I decided to go on Saturday, find a place to stay and attend all the meetings both days. It was a good opportunity to meet many new people and find out about the branches we will attend. We will keep you apprised of those interactions as they develop over time.

It really is enjoyable to sit in a meeting with the Saints in this part of the world, and as the meeting progresses, realize that similar training goes on all over the world. And even more is the realization that our human frailties and foibles are the same all over the world.


We stayed at Nailon Resort, remember in Cebuano you pronounce all the letters and the 'i' is 'ee' so it is Na-ee-lun, unlike the American pronunciation nail-on.

As part of our stay. of course we went on our morning walk, hoping there might be some beach shoreline to receive our early morning attention. We were successful in our beach quest, and found a very different beach than we described in last week's posting. Ann described last weeks beach on Camotes as a collector's beach, with shells and coral tossed up on soft, white sand.

This beach is made up of two kinds of coral; wet and dry. Ann described it as a tossed salad shoreline; lots of different colors and shapes and textures, none of which could be walked on with bare feet. Coral is very interesting to look at after it has been beat upon by the water for a time and or rolled in the surf. There were very few shells, but we managed to pick up a couple that will go in the collection.




Because of the distance from the road to the beach and the slow progress on the beach, (we walked very carefully; coral would leave a reminder if you fell on it or had to put your hand down to catch yourself) we didn't actually get very far. When we popped out to the road there were these young people packing water from the source to their home. We also met two fellows who make really nice chairs out of an indigenous tree that is great for outdoor use, you know the gnarly ones with the natural character that enhances the design.




Plant of the week: Ananas comosus from the Bromeliaceae family. Did you know that the pineapple is the only bromeliad fruit in widespread cultivation? We came upon this pineapple plant on our path from the beach to the road, and having never seen a pineapple actually growing before, took this picture. I had heard that people who worked for the summer on pineapple plantations in Hawaii wore heavy arm coverings; now I see why!


I spoke briefly with this father and son as they readied their boat to catch 'breakfast'.


Ann has a fascination with the antics of the 'conductor', or in this case, conductors.

That's it from over here. We are really enjoying this opportunity in our life. We thank all of you who have expressed your support in word and prayer for our well being.

All the best and remember keep your sandals on!

Love Ann and (the substitute)

Happy Independence Day America!

We're pleased to report that the Philippines celebrate America's Independence Day also. We didn't really expect anything; the Philippines received their independence from the United States many years ago, and as you recall, they celebrate Independence Day on June 12th. Well! We were surprised and delighted when the celebrating started on Friday the 3rd. Such a fireworks show as you can hardly imagine! We had just wrapped up our work day and were looking for a little supper. As we walked toward a restaurant community we were amazed at the lights in the sky! We stopped to watch--explosion after explosion--and after 10 minutes we decided to eat at an outdoor restaurant facing west so we could be entertained by the fireworks as we ate. Interestingly, they didn't seem to draw much attention from the locals; I guess we were appreciative enough for this million-plus city?

We couldn't imagine a better show on the 4th, but sure enough. Could it have been created for these six expatriates who were spending the weekend on Camotes Island? Where the show Friday night was toward the mountains, this one was over the ocean! It lasted for two hours! We were returning from our explorations when it began, and we finished watching it from the balcony at the hotel. Spectacular! I know--you're wondering where the pictures are to prove it. It was such an intense show that we were glued to it--couldn't take our eyes off it even to prove with pictures what we were experiencing.

Well, they were both lightening storms, but it seemed fitting to assign our Independence celebration to them. We, being true westerners, have not experienced electrical storms like those who've lived, say, in the mid-west. It's good to be wowed. The storm on Saturday night was a bigwow.

We giggled about writing a fireworks spoof as we ate our pizza on Friday night. The funny thing is that as I write this we're having yet another great storm. I'm sure for all the thunder that's shaking our office's stone floor, there is lightening out there somewhere, but from the office windows, just rain. I see blue sky to the east, and the rain has slowed from a turn-on-the-shower to vigorous-steady-sprinkle. No, it's still raining too hard to want to dash upstairs for lunch. This would definitely be considered a respectable rain in Boise.

At either end of the precipitation spectrum are these criteria: can we make a dash for it without getting soaked (light rain) and, can we still see the line down the middle of Salinas Dr. (torrential downpour).

All this "free" precipitation is noteworthy to desert creatures like us. I bet we've had more rain since we got here than Boise gets in a whole year. The Filipinos grumble about it--always carry an umbrella--are tormented by it, especially those whose homes aren't built to withstand the elements. I'm sure a lifetime of wet gives them a completely different perspective than ours. The missionaries go about their business very matter-of-factly in it. Most of them have "work shoes"--not very attractive--rubber--but very practical for the elements. If they will just wear their polishable leather shoes to church and zone meetings...

Our week's labors had a wonderful carrot out in front of them; Camotes Island. Scurry. Complete. Wrap up. Finish. Leave the office details taken care of for a few days. Not that we spend much time in the office on the weekends anyway, but it just felt right, and besides--who wants to return from a weekend away to last week's work?

Our ferry port was an hour's drive north in Danao City, and we needed to be ready to board an hour before the 5:00 departure. Now do your math; we didn't get much sleep Friday night, but our excitement seemed to generate energy enough.


Here we are, six senior LDS missionaries in our missionary-type Toyotas ready to load. It's a process here. In case you've take the ferries in the Seattle area--not quite like that. As you can see, we are still in full darkness at 3:45 am. I am snuggled under our pillows sleeping in the air conditioned car. Kevin will be off with the other fellows making the arrangements. Look what I missed for that quiet, snuggily sleep:


We've only seen one other complete sunrise since we got here because an unblocked eastern horizon is miles away.


Could sleep be better than this?


If you supervise the sunrise you're guaranteed an extraordinary day. I believe this so completely that on mornings at home when we're out walking along Mountain View Dr. as the sun is about to crest, I insist that Kevin and Sandi and I stand and wait to see that diamond of light come over the mountains.

I slept through this. We'll probably have to go to Camotes again.


Our 3-hour ferry ride included a new friend who turned out to be a savvy Camotes consultant. MonMon, "short for Emmanual, a Bible name" was in class 4 and knew a lot about his island, including where we'd want to buy souvineers, that there were small crocadiles in the lake, and even where the missionary's apartment was. He was lively and full of chatter, and would have been our tour guide all day (?!? definitely NOT a suspicious American child!) if we had just said yes. He declared himself a Catholic, sang us some songs about Jesus, and even got us singing the ones we knew. He liked Wurthers candy, but not banana bread with raisins. By the end of our trip he was feeling pretty comfortable with me--kind of snuggled up right next to me--hand on my shoulder, hand on my knee. I know. You're horrified. If it has been my first month here I'd have been horrified too--all that close touchy business with a stranger. MonMon was one cute, smart kid, and he sure helped the trip to Camotes go fast.

Thinking about MonMon, Filipinos are good at close; much better than Americans. Notice their close proximity in some of the jeepney pictures. Or picture this: one of the elders was notified this morning that his mother had passed away. He's come into the office and is sitting waiting for the City Zone Leaders to come. When the Zone leaders arrive, the Filipino ZL plops down beside him and puts his arm around him and hugs him as natural as could be. There is plenty to be learned here.

We pause now for our regular features of plant and jeepney of the week:


You probably recognize this fella from the plant section of Fred Meyer, or maybe you have a lone, spindily one in your livingroom that started its downward spiral the second you brought it home. This is a Croton from the Euphorbiaceae family. There are over 1200 species, and as you can see, what grows in a tropical climate is a far cry from what grows in a warm, dry, low-light home. It's the color--we love the vivid red and yellow leaves! I give you permission to put yours out of its misery. Just throw it out and get a plant that will thrive in indoor Boise conditions!

We see Crotons some in Cebu, but on Camotes they are planted along the sides of the roads like hedges. They might all be the same species, or there will be a variety. Either way it's like driving through an alley of plant fireworks for all the vibrant color. Could these shrubby splashes of color really be what you've seen around Boise?

Jeepney of the week: Oops! This isn't a jeepney, but a another mode of transportation on Camotes. Couldn't resist this Barbi boat.


Now for the real jeepney of the week:


Quite sporty, don't you think?



One gift that many Filipinos have is that of making you feel like royalty. Our hotel was, as you can see, most pleasing, but it was the people who took care of us that made it a treat. They were quite concerned about the lightening storm which knocked out the power, and were very sorry to have to move us to the 3rd floor for electricity purposes. No problem, and thanks for the bucket to wash our beachcombing treasures in.


My Little Island Hotel sits on a hill overlooking the ocean. Sorry, the high clouds make it hard to tell where ocean meets the sky, but trust us, you're looking at a breathtaking view of both out there beyond the green.

It seems a shame not to hang out and enjoy a nice resort like this. Look at that pool! It begged for a little attention from us, but no, MonMon had given us a vigorous tour itinerary for the day, so following breakfast we headed right out and didn't return until bedtime. We saw the lake--a little disappointing if your idea of a lake is cold, clear and pristine. No crocadiles either. This cave though--enchanting. We could walk right down into it, and the water in the pools was crystal clear and about knee deep. Sister Morgan and I hitched up our skirts and went wading. Unfortunately those photos could be used as incriminating evidence against highly respectable senior missionaries so they were edited out of this blog entry. Don't worry! We were completely respectable, just not very pretty about it. Oh talk about cool and refreshing though! Not cold by any means, and of course the air down there was thick with humidity, but still cooler than outside. I think I could have laid down and just floated around for a few hours. Kevin was taking the incriminating pictures.


Camotes is part of an ancient volcanic system. There are no craters, etc., but lave. I mean LAVA. Remarkably, they raise lots of corn there, planting between the lava sheets and boulders. Needless to say, there aren't rows of corn, but the fact that anything grows at all on that rocky island is something.

The shoreline alternates between black lava cliffs and white sand beaches. We experienced both; this very charming cliff park where we ate lunch, and Santiago Beach, which needed a good, American combing. You don't know what ocean treasures Mother Nature has left for you if you just walk out to the water's edge and stand looking at the horizon. You've got to mozy along--don't step on the starfish--head up to the high tide mark if it seems like there are no goodies at the water's edge. Do you need a piece of the ocean? There are plenty to share drying on our kitchen counter at this very moment.


The cliff park included slides and platforms for a quick ocean entrance, like this teenager. We behaved and just watched.


GERANIMO!!!


A Sunday morning photo shoot while we waited for breakfast to cook. Left to right--Elder & Sister Morgan, Elder & Sister Watkins and yours truly.

The sweetest part of the weekend defies a visual image; worshipping with the 30 church members and investigators in the Camotes branch. No matter where you are, there are probably church members meeting on Sunday morning to renew the covenant of baptism and grow in the gospel. Such was the case here. We met in a member's home. The music director sang the introduction and we all sang acapella. The Spirit obviously didn't mind our humble circumstances, because it was there in rich abundance. Testimonies were eagerly shared; it was a spiritual feast.

Then it was time to go home. Sigh. That's a sigh of utter contentment and gratitude for dear people to share a fine weekend with; beautiful, interesting sites to see, the ocean's treasures generously offered, souls filled.


The three amigos sitting on the ferry bench in front of the three amigas.


And as you can see, the sunset on the return


and pink clouds the welcomed the night, ended our weekend in Camotes as spectacularly as it began.


I think of you as I write, beloved family and friends, and tear up for knowing without a particle of doubt that we are God's children, here experiencing mortality for important eternal purposes. That we share this experience to learn from and teach each other. That we are most precious to Heavenly Father, who wants us to return to him more than we can imagine. That He has provided every tool we need to succeed in this mortal sojourn. We know this is true. We're grateful for the gospel and the opportunity to serve in the Philippines. Blessings on you and all you love. Elder and Sister Reed