This and that

Quite often as we drive to San Clemente we see these carts laden with

homemade crafts coming into town where they sell their things

My kids know how much I love the Booganvilla vines whenever we go to California

or anywhere else that they grow. Well they are every where here so I can see them to

my hearts content

 

These two guys and their companions were at our house one day and we were showing them

thru the house and when they saw our bed they go " Oh a real bed and they dove onto it"

 

Driving out to Bamban there is a place where they have a huge herd of weeder geese, can you see all of them in this picture? It is so funny to see them herding them down the road like a herd of sheep.

Of course I never have my camera when we see that. Kent says they clip their wings so they

 can't fly away.

 

When the rice is drying on the roads the goats and chicken take full advantage

funerals

We have been to two funerals the last few weeks and we find it very interesting how different funeral customs are in different countries. We are used to our own traditions and don't realize there are many different ways to honor someone who dies. On Christmas Island by necessity the funeral was all done within about 24 hours, but here it lasts a week or ten days or more

 

We live on the same street as the cemetary so funeral processions pass by our house about every Saturday.

 

They consist of a couple of cars with flowers on them and then either a marching band or a speaker system playing very loud music

 

Then comes the hearse followed by all the people mostly in tricycles or on foot. There sometimes are a few cars. They often walk a long ways.

Often the funerals are done in the homes and they have a service every night for five or more nights.

This one was at the church but still there was a service everynight. Our missionaries in that ward, Elders Blackham and Tsunoda, did a great deal to help each night, they spoke, they played the piano, and lead music ect.One night they had all our zone missionaries sing a song and Kent and I spoke

.

The caskets are about the same as ours at home, Some graves are below ground and some are above in cement vaults. This one was a young man about 24 who was a returned missionary and just an exceptional young man, from what we have been told. He suddenly had kidney failure about three months ago and even with dialysis he died quite fast.

mini vacation

 

Last week we were doing apartment checks in Paniqui and after the last apartment we

were told we were only ten minutes from Tarlac up the McArther highway so we decided

to go there. As we drove we spotted this place that looked interesting and we had not seen

anything like it so we stopped to check it out. It is a restaurant but no ordinary restaurant.

There were statues like this everywhere

 

 

All the walkways were bamboo

 

A Disneyland type atmosphere

 

 

 

Hobnobbing with the rich and famous

 

 

All kinds of entertainment

We couldn't resist staying for lunch in our own private little hut

 

Where we were seranaded

This is a definate must see for any of our family who come to see us.

For an hour or so we felt like tourists visiting a tropical island.

Baptism

 

Last week we were invited to a FHE at the home of a man who was to be baptised this week.

Their home is out in an outer village and he built it himself from bamboo. It is very tiny and they

don't have electricity so we sat outside under a street light.

 

As soon as we came all the neighbor children gathered round and joined in on the activities.

They were very attentive for the lesson and loved singing the songs and playing the games.

 

At the end of the evening Brother Levy Gagasin ask Dad to baptise him and so we

were privledged to be a part of that on Saturday. 

His wife is already a member but she was offended at some time and she is not ready

 to come back yet. Hopefully he can bring her back

Zone Activity Day

 

This Pday activity started out with all of them piling onto a flat bed truck and being driven up into the mountains

 

When the truck could go no farther they walked, crossing two small rivers

 

Or Falling in the river!

 

They took food and cooked it up there. Elder Moser said it was delicious. barbequed pork, fish, and rice and of course they ask me to bring brownies

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Then they ate it island traditional way, with their hands. They taught Elder Moser how to do it correctly

 

They climbed on rocks

 

Some went to the top of the waterfall while others waited at the bottom

 

 

And crossed a suspention bridge

 

 

These kids are a lot of fun and everyone of them are super good.

We love them and dread to hear next Wednesday who will be being transfered

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Zone Missionaries

 

Elders do like to have fun

 

They get into their music

 

Our zone winning a game

 

Practising for our skit

 

Enjoying the multi zone Christmas party

 

Our zone missionaries before transfers

 

                          
                                 Elder Tsunoda and Elder Blackham from Arizona
                          

House some Elders live in. It was a beautiful home at one time but is in bad need of repair 

 

Elders Park from Tooele Ut and Elder Guyrama

All foreigners are companions to a native.

Another missionary house

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Christmas

      We had a great Christmas Season. Fist with a multi zone Christmas Party where we played games

                                                 Had a Christmas tree decorating contest

                                                       And played in the SNOW!!!

                            On the 24th we went to the mission home where we met all the other couples

                                  They served us a very nice dinner.  Tischers from Payson Ut

                              This is the McCords from Payson Ut and the Lutz's from Weston

                                     The Fortes from Virginia. Kent had a great time visiting with
                                    Nolan Lutz, they have been friends for years

   We cut out simple costumes and went to an orphage where we dressed the children and
          did a Christmas pageant.  Later Santa came and gave them each a pillow pet.

                       The day after Christmas we had our zone Christmas party at our house

                                                           They played games

                                                                   Exchanged gifts

                  And ate spaghetti, green salad, bread sticks, brownies and ice cream
                    The American Elders were in heaven!

         JoLynn I still can't change this printing.  grrrr