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

City driving

                   Kent wants you to see the traffic he has to drive in. These pictures are not
                   good since they were all taken from inside the car.

                      There are no traffic signs, stop signs, yield signs or traffic lights,
                       when you want to enter a busy road you just have to force your way in and
                      hope you don't get hit.

                            There are many many jeepneys that are used as buses. The originals
                            were jeeps left by the Americans after WW11 and they were converted
                            into buses and the practise has continued.

                       There are literally thousands of these tricycles that work as taxis
                       They park all along the streets hoping to get a customer hence there is never a
                        parking space to be had

                      The streets are so crowded with vendors and trikes you barely have
                          room to drive down them. And no I have not tried to drive yet!

               These pictures do not show the really bad times, I must be too nervous on
                    those days to take pictures. I will try to get some better ones.

     PS can someone tell me why this is printing in this format? It isn't like that when I am typing but then when I publish it takes on that strange format.