Tacloban Missionaries/New Missionary Couple

I have run out of photos so this is what's going on.
Five of the thirteen Tacloban Missioaries are going back to the Tacloban Mission tomorrow. Most of them are anxious to get back, however Siter Monilar was saying this is where she had a lot of firsts like first baptism, first time to be a trainer, and she listed a few other things. She's a great missionary. She was our next door neighbor for a couple of months. I wish her the best.
The new Missionary Couple is Elder and Sister White from Springville, Utah. They are coming February 2. We're excited to have a new missionary couple here. Two missionary couples leave March 21st and April 28.
Leadership Training was this week. It was divded up so that the north area's training was Wednesday; our zones, the central zones, was Thursday; and the south zones meeting was Friday. Zone Leaders, District Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, and Trainers were invited. The APs and President and Sister Querido presented at the meeting. These are Great Missionaries. We watched some of these missionaris come in as new missionaries, and now the're Leaders!
We LOVE our mission!
We LOVE our family.

North Zones Christmas Activity

Philippine Olongapo Mission Christmas Activity (North Zones)

Pres. Querido giving Elder Thorpe a certificate of appreciation. Elder Thorpe was an AP. He went home Jan. 2, 2014.

Sister Querido (Mission President Wife) Elder Matapule, Elder Thorpe, Elder Chan, Elder Laquinta

The Missionaries are trying to get Sister Querido (the Mission President) out to do a skit. It ended up they got her, Pres. Querido (in the white shirt and tie), The Doyles (a missionary couple) and the GORRINGES to do a skit. We sang "All I want for Christmas Is a Hula Hoop". We added some hip action. Sister Doyle and I started doing the "Hukilau".

APs (Assistants to the President) Skit
Elder Cosman from Canada, Elder Thorpe from Logan, Elder Laquinta from the Philippines

San Narciso Zone acting out "Once There Was a Snowman". This is one of our Zones.

Iba Zone - Get a look at Santa Clause.

Candelaria Skit

Santa Cruz Skit - Elder  Longson on the far left is from South Jordan. He knows Blake.

Preparing for a tug-o-war

Thanksgiving/Manila

Manila sky line.

Manila sky line.

This was the day after Thanksgiving. The temple had a nativity set up. A bride and groom are in the picture.

Our first trip to the Manila Temple. The tall red headed missionary converted this Filipino family. Pres. Ardern of the Area Presidency said that if a missionary baptizes a couple, he could go to the sealing in a year. This is the first time this happened. Elder Doyle and his wife are couple missionaies in the north area of the Olongapo Mission, friend of the family, Sister Doyle, friend of the family, the wife who was sealed, their 18 year old daughter who was sealed to them, the father, Elder Cobb, and me.
It was a tearful, wonderful experience.

Assistants to the President at Thanksgiving at the Wrights home. Elder Howes (he's now home), Elder Laquinta, Elder Cosman, Elder Tuttle (he was acting as AP because his exit visa held him up from going home), he finally made it home too. OK, me

Missionaries in San Marcelino Branch; Sister Rowley, Sister Pilkington, Elder Mata  (one of the missionaries from Tocloban, the disaster area) Elder Endencio, Sister Wagner, Sister Lim, Elder Fepaluli.

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November Sights

Follow up Training of the Missionaries who came in October 23, 2013.
The new missionaries and their trainers.Aren't they awesome?

Zone Conference for 3 of the 4  Zones that we are responsible for.

Can you see the driver of the trike, a motor cycle with a side car, and his passenger. They stopped so Elder Gorringe could get a picture.
The white truck is the one we drive.

This is a close up of the trike with the baskets going to the palengke, market.

We have lizards in our apartment. We kind of like them because they eat the ants and other bugs. There are ants in the sink. Chow down Lizzy.

The Branch support for the baptism.

Olongapo 1 branch baptism
Pres. Pigao, the Branch President, on the left was the baptiser.
The Brother being baptized was the last in his family
to be baptized. In a year they can become a "Forever Family". He said he didn't know what took him so long. He had a few baptismal dates.

JEST Camp

Sister Wright

Our friend Bro. Wright.

Read the captions on the pictures starting at the bottom picture.

Even though these pictures were taken in October, Merry Christmas!!! Maligayang Pasko!!!

There are birds and other animals at JEST Camp. The one in the middle is a wild animal:)

Soap that comes from a vine

Sister Peter Pan. The hats are made from big jungle leaves to protect you from the sun.

Peter Pan

Can you see the fire? I wish you you could see how he did this. It took about 30 seconds.

More of what they use to build a fire.

This is dry bamboo. They are going to make a fire.

This is a vine where water drips out of it.

JEST Camp is a Jungle Enviromental Survival Training Camp. They train the military, but it's also a tourist attractraction. We went with some friends, Bro.and Sister Wright, for a sight seeing adventure.
The Camp showed us how to survive using bamboo and other vines and plants.
Can you see the spoon sitting on top of the "plate", and the cup? Bamboo has sections. At each section point, it is solid, so you can pour water in it.
One of those pieces was a rice cooker. You take one section which is solid on both ends. you make an opening at the top big enough to put your rice and water in. Cover it with the piece you cut off, then put it in the fire to cook. These utensils are made from green bamboo.

Refuge Camp

We went to the former refuge camp near Morong in our area. It was closed in 1995. The refuges were from Cambodia, Viet Nam, and Laos.
They didn't feel safe in their own country so the U.N. set up this refuge camp where the people stayed for up to 6 months. During that time, they were taught English and a skill.They received decent food every day and a small place to stay. The refuges liked staying here because they were safe, provided with shelter, and food.
They were shipped to different countries to start a new life. Many stayed in the Philippines.

The Jail.

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Inside the refuge boat.

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This is one of the boats the refuges used to come to the Philippines. It held as many as 65 people but looked big for only15.  I don't know how they did it.

Last Friday we went to Manila so Elder Gorringe could go to a training on on contracts, and we could go to the temple. The Doyles, one of the mission couples and Elder Cobb, a missionary, left the mission home at 4:00 a.m. so they could be to a temple session at 8:00 a.m. I was looking in the distribution center while Elder Gorringe was in his training and their they were. They changed their session to 12:00 so we went with them.

Elder Cobb baptized this couple about a year ago, and Pres. Ardern of the Area Presidency said th

Mission Presidency and their wives, and Mission Couples

Mission Presidency, their wives, and the couple missionaries. From left: Elder and Sister Levin, couple missionaries from Meridian, Idaho; President and Sister Banzon, 1st counselor in the mission presidency; Presisent and Sister Querido, Mission President; Elder and Sister Doyle, missionary couple from Washington State; President and Sister Magrata, 2nd counselor in the Mission Presidency; Elder and Sister Gorringe, couple missionary from South Jordan Utah.