Another great carabao picture--Karen loves them!

This week we took missionaries to the airport.  Sister Remund was one leaving.  We met her Grandmother in Salt Lake City, just days prior to our coming to the Philippines back in March 2014.  She and her husband were leaving in a few weeks to serve in Hawaii where she is also a mission nurse.  Who would have thought we would have occasion to get to know her granddaughter and grow to love her!  Her trip home started with a quick trip from Bacolod to Manila.  The following day her itinerary took her from Manila to Tokyo, Japan to Seattle, Washington, to Salt Lake City, Utah and then a quick flight to southern Utah.  Finally arriving home Thursday evening after many hours of travel; she was looking forward to seeing her family!  She had repacked her suitcases in the mission office.  She left most of her clothes behind and filled the empty spaces with treasures to remind her family of her time in the Philippines Bacolod Mission.  She starts a new chapter in her life tomorrow; school begins!

Sister Remund--her red hair was a hit in the Philippines, and she was a great missionary

I often get to share health related messages at Mission Leadership Training and this week was no exception.  The only thing is; I am the one who usually gains insights from our young missionaries!  We talked about goals and I said Heavenly Father believed in goals and directed them to Moses 1:39, I knew they knew this scripture and as I read it they all spontaneously joined in unison and shared this verse, “For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to  pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”   It is such a privilege to work with the missionaries!

Beautiful lush green vegetation in front of home where the meeting was held

This proves plants grow anywhere here--plant growing from a tin can hung on the fence post

We traveled a short way to Silay this morning and picked up Elder Newton and Elder Pedroso to travel to Aidsisa to attend a Special Sacrament Meeting.  The twenty minute drive took us away from the crowded bustling area to lush green sugar cane fields on roads full of potholes.  We saw a man on the side of the road holding out a can looking for money and we stopped and gave him SkyCaps (crackers), he graciously accepted them and we gave out a few more as people gathered around the truck.  They said “thank you” and smiled.  The Elders told us that people really are looking for money to help fix the roads.  They were probably kind of surprised by the crackers!

Elder Newton & Pedroso standing in shed where meeting is to be held

As we arrived at the home where we were to attend the meeting, the owners were busy sweeping and preparing area where the meeting was to be held.  In the background, we could hear the music coming from the open air Catholilc Mass being held just a few hundred meters away.  The member of the bishopric who was presiding came up to George minutes before the meeting started and said, today you will give our “spiritual message”.  Clarke, a 10 year old boy came up to George and asked him to speak slowly, so he could understand.  He says he is planning to serve as a missionary in a few years.  It was another memorable experience.

Newly announced Mission President; President and Sister Deyro

We were very pleased to hear of the announcement of our dear friends, President and Sister Deyro as the new Mission President of the Philippines Urdaneta Mission—they will be wonderful!  They will be very busy between now and July 1 making preparations for the big change.  Sister (Dr. Deyro) has worked with Sister Mower all these months to care for the missionaries.  She will now take care of the Urdaneta missionaries—they are so fortunate!  We will miss them.