Saturday and Sunday on Bohol Island

Sister Makanoa and Gloria in front of the Cortes Meeting House

Saturday, October 8, 2005

You can’t depend on the roosters on Bohol to wake you up in the morning. They start crowing at 2 A.M. We could hear the Makanoa’s get up between 4 and 5 A.M. and we got up at 5, showered, dressed, and we all ate breakfast at 6. We left before seven to visit several Church meeting houses and some elders’ apartments before attending a rebroadcast of Conference at 11a.m. We had a good time visiting and laughing in the car as we located the buildings and apartments and surprised some sleepy elders. We went across the bridge in Tagbilaran to Pangloa Island and visited the chapel in Dauis. We knocked on the door of a member who lives across the street from the Church. Bob was looking for Brother Lungay who had baptized Brother Acosta and who Brother Acosta had asked him to meet and say hello. We had a good visit with Brother Lungay – he has 12 children – all active. He told us, “Every time I go to my little garden, I think, ‘The prophet is right. He knows the way.’ I have saved so much money to help my family when I feed them from my garden. We always have food to eat.”

We stopped by the Makanoa’s house for an early lunch before going over to the Church to hear conference.

Not many members attended the Saturday sessions of Conference, but some of those who did were the Tagbilaran District auxiliary leaders so I met the Primary, Relief Society and YW District Presidents. It was quite hot in the chapel, but fortunately the fans were all on full blast. I felt like the speakers were talking directly to me and took notes of things I needed to remember and change.

We went back to the Makanoa’s house about 4 and had a quick dinner and then the men went back to the chapel for Priesthood and Sister Makanoa and I sat and visited. When the men returned we ate again – every meal was a wonderful treat – with snacks always available. After dinner we talked awhile – then again went to bed early.

Sunday, October 9, 2005

We were up at dawn, breakfast at 6 and again left before 7 to get to the Calape Branch meeting, about an hour away, before 8. We were the first ones there, but soon, two missionaries arrived and then the Branch President, wife and toddler son arrived on their motorcycle. Soon a few members had gathered and we began Priesthood and Relief Society. Actually, the men began their meeting and the sisters just talked for 30 minutes waiting for someone in the Relief Society Presidency to arrive. When they hadn’t come by 8:30 I suggested to Sister Makanoa and the District Relief Society President that we go ahead and start. The District R.S. President conducted, I taught – went over Elder Henry B. Eyring’s conference talk (thank goodness for the notes I had taken the day before). We discussed some of the ideas and by 9:00 about 10 sisters were there. Bob then taught the adults and youth in a combined Sunday School class and I visited the Primary. They had no primary the first hour – only about 2 children were there. The second hour children came in throughout the hour until there were over twenty by the time Primary was over. The teacher was young, used the chalkboard and discussed and taught well. The children did get restless, however, and I encouraged her afterwards to use more music. She had an opening and closing song and that was it. I hope I didn’t offend her. One little girl especially caught my eye. She had big bandages on both feet and did not walk – her father carried her in. She had cut her feet on broken glass – ouch! Fortunately they do have fairly good medical care here and her feet looked professionally bandaged, so I assume and hope she had a tetanus shot and stitches.

The young Branch President asked Bob to be the concluding speaker and he punted over to me. Sister Makanoa had told me of the problems of the branch in not accepting callings and coming very late to meetings, so I told some stories, used some scriptures and talked about obedience and respect. Don’t know what the people thought but the Makanoas and the Branch President liked it.

After the meetings we visited for a few minutes and then drove down to Tagbilaran, eating lunch as we went. We arrived at the chapel in time to hear all of the Sunday afternoon session of conference and it was wonderful. I was especially inspired by Elder Utchdorf’s talk. We visited with the members for some time and then returned to the Makanoas for dinner. After dinner Sister Carol ___________ and her two children, a girl age 17 and a boy age 21, stopped by to visit and we talked for over an hour. All five children in the family and the mother are active in the Church. The father is not a member, but supports the others in their callings and attendance at meetings. Four of the children have graduated from the college where the mother is the dean of the mathematics department and the father is a dean and currently in charge of property acquisition. Two of the children teach at the college. The 21 year-old-boy, whom we met, has just graduated in accounting and has been studying for his licensing exam which he will soon take. Then he hopes to go on a mission. He is a bit apprehensive about talking to his father, but says he will do it. They were very interesting, fun, intelligent young people and it was a lovely evening.