Sunday, July 21, 2013

Finding new apartments is not an easy task for the Elders and Sisters in our Mission.  As we are experiencing the increase in numbers, we are constantly looking for newer and bigger apartments.  The picture below is of a house that our Elders in San Fernando recently found.  Bright colors are the norm, and by now, we look at it as being normal, too.  Bright pinks, yellows, blues, purple, green are the most popular colors - all on the same building!!.

 

If you look to the far left of this picture, you can see the house that is pictured above.  Hmmm, now, how about GETTING there???  This rough path is surrounded by flooded rice fields, is pretty precarious to walk along, and you really don't want to meet anyone coming from the opposite direction.

 

Here are Elder Campbell and one of the two Elders who will be living in the house - taking supplies to the house.  The path is made of old pieces of concrete that have been placed there for the comfort of those who live here.

Oops, what did I say about not wanting to meet someone coming from the opposite direction?  Fortunately, they were able to pass each other with a little bit of careful footwork.

 



 

Feel hungry?  In the front of the house is a banana tree, so if you like green bananas, help yourself.

 

A grazing "Guard Goat" is stationed just outside the house.  Just like all of the Filipinos, he loves to have his picture taken.

 

We do get to do some fun things - it's not all work and no play.  We recently attended a Zone Activity on this beautiful beach.  It was extremely hot and the humidity had to be at least 110%, but the breeze from the ocean helped to keep it tolerable.

 

Here we are on the shore with a group of Elders in the background.

 

All over the beach were tiny, tiny crabs scampering everywhere - from one hole in the sand to another.  One of the Elders picked this one up so that we could get a close-up of one of them.  Notice the two little eyes on the top. 

 

The Sisters in this zone were jumping for joy at being on the beach.  Sister Reeder is on my left.  She is the wife of our new Mission President.

 

President Reeder and the Elders enjoying one of the fun activities that was planned.

 

You can't go to the beach without searching for sea shells.  Jerry's found something that he's rinsing off.  The shells were plentiful.  It was so much fun looking for them.

 

Here's the shells we found, as well as a large piece of coral on the right.

 

On our way to one of our areas, we came upon this man dragging a huge leaf behind him down the National Highway.  He looks like he's riding "it", but he's actually on a motorcycle.

 

We recently attended a baptism at our Pamplona Branch.  This is a picture of our Branch President on the right, his son and one of his counselors.  Next to his counselor is Elder Kornegay, Jeromy, Sister Andres, Sister Sanft, Elder Ballesteros and the other counselor to the Branch President.  It was a wonderful day, and sadly, this young man had no family there to support him.  He bore a powerful testimony and was so happy to become a member of the Church.

 

 

That's it, for now.  Take care.

 

The 2 Naga Campbells