Week 10

8 November 2010

Dear Family,
Greetings from the Philippines. We are doing well. This week has gone by very quickly. The weather has changed. It seems that ever since the typhoon hit it hasn’t stopped raining. Some days it is like someone just turned on the shower and forgot to turn it off (the natives said it will stop in February or March). This morning the sun is out and that’s a good thing. We will probably get another rain shower later on this afternoon but as long as I can get a little sunshine every once in a while, I’m ok. Everything is very green and beautiful. The temperature has gone down a little and the nights seem to cool down to around 75. Everyone is wearing jackets so they don’t catch cold and we think it is just now getting comfortable. The daytime temperatures are still around 85. One of the members told us to wait until December because it would get really cold then – I looked at the weather history on the internet and most days in December are between 75 and 85. Bring on the cold! (Picture:Rain bouncing off their car)

We had the blessing of going with the Young Men and Young Women of the branch to the Temple on Tuesday to do baptisms. It was a great experience to be with the youth. We didn’t have enough priesthood brethren to vary who would do baptisms and confirmations so I was blessed with the opportunity to baptize all of our youth. We did about 300 names. We were running out of time since the next group had arrived so the young women only got to do about 10 names each – I told them that I would just hold them under the water a little longer so that it would feel like they were doing more names. They all laughed but I think there were some that thought I was serious. (picture: flowering bush outside of temple. Picture of the youth at the temple found on week 10 post)

We also went to a member family on Wednesday evening for a Family Home Evening. It was fun. We played a lot of games and the full-time missionaries did a great job with the lesson. At the end of the evening the Elder asked the father, who has not been active in the church, to give some closing remarks about his family. The Elder was quite bold but I was so pleased that the father said he would. It was a very touching moment.

Our Branch also had 2 baptisms Saturday. These people are so good and the Elders are doing a great work here. I love the baptisms and I really enjoy that they ask the recently baptized members to stand and express the feelings that they have felt and to bear their testimony. On Sunday morning I spoke to the brother that was baptized last week. I asked him how he was doing. He replied that he was happy, very happy and “I love this church.” We were also able to visit a Philippine Hospital this past week. Our mission president has a staph infection which required that he be hospitalized. The doctors placed drains in the wound site and have him on IV antibiotics. He is doing well. We hope that he will be out of the hospital sometime this week
(pictures: left: baptism of Brother Alexis Vibas- Right: baptism of Sister Leticia Pangilinian)

The Temple Preparation class is going better. I was somewhat disappointed with our first meeting mainly because I couldn’t communicate with them like I wanted to. We had to rely too much on the translator. Well, this week I was better prepared. I had written down most of what I wanted to say in Tagalog and then felt that the translator could clarify anything that maybe they didn’t understand. Great plan until the translator wasn’t there on Sunday! We struggled through with my broken Tagalog. I felt that it wouldn’t be right to just read my notes so I began to just talk and referred back to the notes when they had a puzzled look on their faces. The strange part was I would ask them some questions and they would respond (so they must have understood) but I had no clue what they said back to me :) The lesson went ok – they said that they understood me. One Sister said, “Elder Morgan can now speak Tagalog.” We’ll do better next week. I have asked a Sister in another Branch if she would help us with our Tagalog. I think that will help a great deal. We don’t know exactly when she can start because they have sick kids right now.

On the lighter side: Mom is experimenting with making cookies. The gas oven has only a high and low mark on the regulator – this should be very interesting trying to figure out the correct setting and temperature to bake the cookies. We continue to experience new things – many things we just smile and wonder how they do what they do. As we were driving down the street last week, we came upon a flat bed truck. The license plate was missing so the owner had painted on “Lost plate” and the plate number. We just smiled - it works for them.

While we were in Manila we drove by some beautiful poinsettias that they have set out to decorate for the Christmas holiday. They are in these giant pots – probably about 6 feet in diameter. They are beautiful. We will send a picture later – but the picture really won’t capture the true beauty of these flowers. I noticed that the Manila Temple also has poinsettias growing in the flower gardens. They are beautiful. I also love to drive down Pasay Road going to the mission home. This road is lined with large trees that are absolutely beautiful. We stopped and took some pictures of these trees – but again the picture won’t capture the real grandeur of these trees.
We are doing well. Thank you for your prayers. We love your letters. Please take care and write if you get the opportunity. Remember to be good, do good and be men and women of Christ. And remember to say your prayers.
Love,
Mom & Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Grant and Janene