Friends and Creativity in the Philippines

Dear Family and Friends

Our camera is in the repair shop... (Yes Elder come in 2 days, he says. We go back in 4 days.  Sorry Elder, next week.  We go back next week, still not ready..hmmm...)  So some, not all of these pics are old pics.

Sometimes, there is no one to speak to, no one is home, or a frustrating day.  This day, we weren't expecting to do Missionary work, but God had other plans.
 
We went to Urdaneta City, to a type of Home Depot store this week,  to get repair supplies for Missionary Apts. We were a bit frustrated that we couldn't find all our supplies here, including a large garbage can for Missionaries to store wash water when their water turned off....



 A member woman  from Bayanbang town stopped us to say Hello.  We talked to her and gave her a small Christ picture that Daddy had sent to us in January.

I noticed another woman (Edna) looking at us.  I turned and said   Would you like one too?  She said yes.  

        As I gave her one too, she said she knew some people who were Mormons.  We gave her an Articles of Faith card, and asked if she would like to hear from the Missionaries -- a brief message.   She said ok.

Then we drove back home to our Calasiao town, to Robinsons Mall to look for the things we couldn't find at the other store.
 

 Another member woman came up to us and said she was from Dagupan city.  Again.........   another non-member woman (Maribel) was looking at us and we gave her a card.  She also agreed to see the Missionaries.   wow. 
 

Then we went to National Book Store.   

The Spirit of the Lord strongly told me  to give the clerk (Brendalyn) a card too.  All the people left her counter and went to another !   So I gave her a card.   She said she has seen us several times in her store.    She thanked us for the card.  Then her line filled up with people.  

 On the way out, we gave a card to the guard, also. Here is an old pic of a guard...

  We never found the garbage can.  The next day we discovered that the Missionaries who needed it, had already bought one...The Lord knows what to do ,,, even when we don't.

Now, we will review some of our interesting areas with some new and some former pictures here


A few months ago, we learned about a shortcut drive from our apartment in Calasiao town to Mangaldan town, the place that President Monahan has asked us to serve.

We drive past the Volkswagon repair shop..

 

  (We had to put in the pic of the same orange color VW that Sister Roberts drove in College - that may have ended up here)...
 

 We drive past the Pink home.

 As we drive down the road, we are seeing some of the same people, and we wave to them and they are waving back.  When we feel it is right, we will stop and make better friends with them, and give them an Articles of Faith  pass-along-card.


Someone in their barangay (neighborhood) used their creativity a few years ago, and recycled coconut shells into flowers...

 

They also painted the posts  to distinguish their street.

 

 Now, continuing about creativity,, others have also used their talent and added beauty.

Here is a cement and Bamboo home


 This is cement, with wood on top, and pretty flowers..


 A walkway to Elders' apartment using leftover tile

  The very prettiest landscaping here for a gasoline station..

 And lovely landscaping at a Landlord's home of the Missionaries



   Even the Philippino National Dessert... Halo Halo is  colorful with purple Ube vegetable ice cream, black and white beans, and green and red jelly fruits.
 

 Jeepneys are full of colors..

 Some use their creativity in ugly ways.  This is the "Crab" building in Dagupan town.  It was used for loud parties with inappropriate activities.  The LDS Church next door tried to have patience.   They tried to ask if the volume could be lowered, and prayed for change.  It suddenly closed down....

 Here is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that teaches of bearing with patience..

Alma 26:27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

 
There are lovely flowers blooming here right now in March 2015.  We are so curious about this, being the dry season, and it has only rained about once a month for 3 months.  Sandy, our neighbor explained that it is still the "tropics" here with humidity, even though it doesn't rain right now.

 There is God's beauty even in a bunch of bananas...

  In the Bible, Song of Solomon we read...
1. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valley.
12. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

 
 

We visited Sister Clifford again in Feb. this year.  She lives in a large home in a gated community. She has a strong testimony and is very Church active.  She works in the Manila Temple every couple of weeks, a bus ride 5 hours away.

Sister Clifford fed us and the Missionaries delicious food, and she always eats first, so there will be enough food for us all, she says.  She makes delicious Philippino egg rolls, soup, food with  chicken, beef and fish.
 

Her asawa (Husband) has died.  Her son's family lives in California, USA that she visits almost every  year.  Her last lalaki (son) lived with her in his older age, and then died .  He liked to collect King Tut things.



 As we close this blog, we thank our Heavenly Father for his exciting and beautiful blessings of being in the Philippines on a Mission


In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Elder and Sister Roberts