Young Carabao relaxing in a stream while his mother bathes

We love President and Sister Ferrin--they helped us to enjoy our mission!

We bid farewell to President and Sister Ferrin this week.  Before they left we enjoyed long talks over good food, and reminisced how quickly 5 months have come and gone.  Of course we had one last stop at Kultura (where Philippine products are sold) so Sister Ferrin could stock up.  George and I have enjoyed the association of these two great people who came off the plane the last day in January with a new “batch” smiling and never stopped running until they left Wednesday afternoon.  We will miss them!  They were scheduled to arrive home in time to celebrate the 4^th of July in Utah.

President & Sister Barredo--both are from Bacolod

President and Sister Barredo arrived Wednesday afternoon in the mission office.  Their daughter Therese is here and has been called to serve in the Fresno California mission.  She is waiting for her visa.  Carlo, their son 17 year-old son, is going to school at St. Augustine College in Bacolod and has been here since June 1^st when school began.   He plans to serve a mission when he turns 18 next year.  They also have another son who is currently serving a mission in the Philippines.

The Barredo’s are originally from Bacolod; they were born and raised here and speak the language!  We attended one of the “meet the President” gatherings and they were warmly received.  I have had many missionaries tell me of their love for the new President already!

Joemir was asked to share his testimony, but was a little shy

Yesterday we went to a baptism in Victorias.  The mother was baptized a “while ago” and dad and son were baptized.   We loved when the 10 year old boy bore his testimony, hiding behind the center piece on the table.  Victorias is a community where George’s friend Scott Gamble served part of his mission many years ago.  Today we met a Sister from the Fernandez family who remembered “Elder Gamble” and told us at that time, they traveled to Bacolod to attend church (about 30 miles).  Now they have their own beautiful church to meet in.

Even after his cover was blown

The rainy season is upon us.  Although tropical storm Linfa is centered closer to Manila, we have been the benefactor of continued rain.  It has rained, it has poured, and the wind has blown every day for the last couple of weeks.  In our area the pooling rains are quickly lapped up by the thirsty ground.  But we have witnessed flooding in lower areas.  Children enjoy the muddy deep waters for fun.   We are blessed to have a good roof over our heads.

Rainy days

This week our house keeper Joebert told me we “have kitties”.  I told him, yes I know, they are the neighbors cats and they hang around here a lot.  Last evening I could hear meowing.   The pregnant yellow tabby is no longer expecting; she has had her kittens in what they call the “dirty kitchen”* outside of our indoor kitchen.   

*Dirty kitchens are outside of houses; we understand it is so cooking fragrant foods do not smell up your house.  Walking every morning in this neighborhood, many people use their outside kitchens.  The smells are strong and lingering. . garlic fish anyone?

Sister Montemayor, one of our missionary nurses, giving a flu shot to Elder Molina