Week 82

April 2, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, I have to start with the weather report again:

Hi 89° RealFeel® 107° Precipitation 60%

Sun and clouds with a couple of showers      (what do they mean by 'a couple' of showers?)

• Max UV Index: 10 (Extreme)         (Burn, baby, burn !)
• Thunderstorms: 24%
• Precipitation: 0.07 in
• Rain: 0.07 in
• Snow: 0 in
• Ice: 0 in
• Hours of Precipitation: 1.5 hrs
• Hours of Rain: 1.5 hrs

It is good to know that they track the snow and ice totals over here. I imagine that it is a very easy calculation.

We have been under the weather most of this week – no not heat stroke- but a flu bug of some sort. It is an easy way to lose a few pounds but I have found that the pounds come back after you begin to eat again. With this in mind, instead of a boring letter, I thought we could just share a few pictures that will give you a feel for life (as we know it) in the Philippines.

We have been plagued with frequent brown-outs. We are trying to figure out if they are due to the new street light they installed on our street:

… or maybe a power pole that just went down:

 

 …or maybe some wires just got crossed somewhere?

 

There are so many carabao here on Palawan and I love carabao (even though they stink). They are just a magnificent animal that is almost a necessity of life here in Palawan.  Enjoy these pictures:

 The young carabao walks everywhere alongside of the mother. This is how they learn. Interesting concept – learning from the mother!

 

It doesn’t matter the size of the water hole – it has to be cooler than standing out in the sun. If there is a water hole, a carabao will find it.

 Sometimes it is too hot – even for the pigs. So how does a pig stay cool? One way is to go for a ride in the trike and feel the wind blow in your face.

 

One day in our journey we found a Filipino RV. Pretty cool huh?

  How many people can you get in or on a trike?

...or in or on a bus?

Or a jeepney?

Some days it just begins to rain and it rains hard. If you don’t have an umbrella handy, you make do with a banana leaf…

There are chickens everywhere. And we have found out that roosters crow all night and all day. They don’t crow only in the morning. There is something about a little boy and animals (right Ben?)

We have often said that this is the friendliest country and people that we have ever seen. But a welcome sign at the prison?

Yes we have some bananas, we have some bananas today ….

these are actually cooking bananas

It is always reassuring to know you can buy gas on the road. (No that is not pop in those bottles!)

And when all else fails you can go to the basketball court and play...

 

Or roll a tire.

What a wonderful and beautiful land this is. We are so blessed to be assigned here. We hope you have a wonderful week. We love you and miss you all very much. We love the work. We love being missionaries. We hope that you are all doing well and that you are enjoying good health and are happy. We pray every day for you. Remember to BE good, DO good, and BE men and women of Christ. And always remember to say your prayers. 

Love,

Mom and Dad, Grandma an Grandpa, Janene and Grant