Dear Family,
Good Morning, it is
8:46 am Monday ! Please send this on to whoever family I don't have an email. Then we want their email, too.
All pics were lost in my phone - of our life before and after MTC because of my lack of knowledge of Verizon Automatic back up failed, and not knowing how to save pics to the Computer when my Verizon phone did not have Internet here...
We lost a day in our living - coming here! If we live here forever, does that mean our lives are shortened by 1 day? Hey we gain a day back when we come home
When we got to Manilla, we were augggh glad we didn't have to DRIVE ! We had a driver that picked us up - our Wed. morning - from the Airport Hotel. Can you image going from Wales 300 people, to Manilla - 20 million people?
In Manilla, it is a sort of Very Modern city, very busy with beyond high standards of Porche and Jaguar cars on one street, and then combined with other standards in the next block of Jeepneeys and driving whole families on bicycles with baskets called 3-wheel trycycles. Some are motor-powered and others are just man-powered.
We got a driver's license in the Gov. Bldg., (that had a Catholic worship room while you wait). We went to a Mega Mega Mall 6 story levels high and longer than 4 blocks. (Or as they say in US deep South 4 far-sees long). Then we went to the Manilla Temple on a regular street, but inside the gate was like all Temple grounds, beautiful and sweet spirit. We did sealings, and saw the pretty but small Celestial Room, our driver slept in the car, waiting for us.
Thursday, at
7:30 am (we are tired ! ) another driver took us through those crazy streets again and onto a toll-freeway, very nice. There were rice paddies,and farms of corn, potatoes, etc. There were water buffaloes, and White Brama cows. They farmed with tractors, (Kabodas) and ox carts, they also set up huts of grass, straw and sticks to shade from the sun. (Reminds me of the 3 Little Pigs). When harvesting the rice, they burned the chaff. --- Then they spread the yellow rice kernals right on the swept side of the road, *** so we drove on the "yellow rice road" to Urdaneta.
At the Mission Home, we were immediately taken to a Zone Conference, lots of happy, hand shaking Missionaries, and ate a nice lunch with them Then we had a fired up Preach My Gospel talk from President Monahan with role-playing - even with us- on our 1st day!
At our apt, it is a beautiful 2- Story, 3 Bedroom with white and green patterned Italian tile, a hooray - Air Conditioning, Microwave, gas stove of propane, couches, wood carved headboard on bed, and above the bed, a gold round molding with flowers - 5 ft circumference - that reminds Elder Roberts of the Sistine Chapel roof of Michelangelo ! ! Up and down, there is water filters. And we still ate dinner of my Pork Chops with basil and potatoes and salad last night. The last missionaries had planted 2 tomato plants-yummy! We live about 168 Eagle's nest (locked gated community), General MacArthur hwy, Calasaio. We drive a Toyota nice car. yea- with A/C.
Elder Roberts is getting very skilled at driving the crazy roads, where you pass even when someone is coming, we need both of our eyes as a lookout, watch out for Jeepneeys, little kids, Trykes, buses, cars, motorcycles -pulling immediately in front of you and maybe 1-2 feet away from you, and also yellow drying rice side roads. But everyone smiles at us and is very kind. At the stores, clerks say to us...MumSir and Thank you Mum.
On Sunday, (We are assigned to the Mangaldan Branches) we went to 6 hours of meetings -- 2 different Branches,,, soo tired... Mostly the talk was Tagolog speaking -with a few English words sometimes in the middle of a sentence ! (I believe that--*&%$#@ today with my family *&^%$#@.... They sing very loudly, when we were asked to speak, Elder Roberts said Good Morning, the congregation said back - Good Morning. I taught the RS Pres 10 yr old daughter how to play Happy Birthday on the piano.
Love to all send everyone's Birthdays, Happy Birthday March celebrates.
Elder and Sister Roberts
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