Kawasan Falls

Saturday, May 26, 2006

I went (Bob decided he didn't want to go) to some lovely waterfalls about three hours away from where we live. Two missionaries and another missionary couple went. We had a fun time and it was a beautiful hike in to a wonderful place - three layers of falls with pools to swim and play in at each one. But, being with the young missionaries, we didn't go in the water! It was fun anyway. I did try swinging on a vine out over the creek – but held on with both feet and hands – didn’t want to end up on the rocks or in the water.

At the top and bottom waterfalls, both of which emptied into fairly large pools, bamboo rafts were available to rent. Someone had rigged ropes across the pools so you could pull the raft along and go under the falls. At the first waterfall, the ropes were rigged so that you could pull the raft into a cave. Then everyone on the raft had to lie down flat and you could slide the raft – with people on it – under a huge rock, coming out behind the water fall. From there, you could pull on another rope and work your way through the waterfall and back across the pool. We watched one group do this over and over.

Little food places and restrooms were available, although most groups hiking in brought food and water. At the beginning of the trail, we saw a large sign regulating the wages and services of the porters – men who sat beneath the sign waiting for people who want their stuff carried up to the falls. We took snacks and water in our backpacks and stopped on the way home to eat the picnic lunch Sister Graham and I had prepared. The elders especially seemed to enjoy it.

Mountain Youth Camp

Friday, May 25, 2006

We went up in to the mountains to a ward youth campout and did a workshop on missionary work. We had the youth - already divided into four groups - make posters encouraging youth to go on missions. We provided magazines, markers, glue, poster paper, colored paper, etc. They seemed to have a great time and came up with some amazing posters. Elders Flores and Magsino gave excellent talks. I told a missionary story and Bob talked about baptism for the dead. We took pictures and visited and they gave us each a tee shirt like the ones they had made for themselves at camp – great!

Medical Clinic in Busay

Delfin and the house he built for his daughter


The children and I (and Elder Vander Veen)


Elder Knaphus assembles toy airplanes

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

What a wonderful, but very busy day. I spent the morning up in the hills in a little community at a medical clinic. Former missionaries have organized a foundation and they come back once a year and put on medical clinics and give away free medicine. They also are remodeling a little hospital. Most of their projects this year have been on other islands, but this one was very near us so the office elders and I went to help. AND as a bonus I walked by two orchid farms on the path down to the village. It was great.

They had organized and planned very well – contacted barangay leaders who provided nurses and helped them contact doctors. The Barangay set up a canopy on a basketball court in the center of the little village. They also furnished about four tables and a dozen chairs. The foundation provided cases of most commonly-needed medications which, based on the doctors’ exams and prescriptions, were provided to the patients free of charge. When we arrived, many people, mostly women and children, but some men as well, were all waiting. Barangay nurses were there and began taking information and preparing for the doctors. When the doctors arrived – they were three government doctors who provide these free clinics a couple of mornings a week. They had actually been doing another clinic in Cebu and were so discouraged. Many people needed medication and had no money to buy it, so what was the point of checking them and writing prescriptions. They left that clinic early and came up the mountain. When they saw the big boxes of meds the foundation had provided, they talked to the man in charge of the foundation – Gary, and he came up with the idea of sending two of the foundation men down to the site of the first clinic and hiring a jeepney to bring the people there up to the mountain where the medicine was! They did; many of the people came; all were grateful to have the medicines they needed.

Our job was to entertain the children (and guard the cases of medicines) while people patiently waited for their turn to see one of the doctors. I took a few pictures. Delfin – the gardener/cleaner at the stake center who has helped me often – lives in that area. I took a picture of him beside the house he built for his daughter, and another of him with his grandson. He was one of the men helping organize and keep things in order. I saw a man badly crippled and ask Delfin about him. He had a stroke a couple of years ago. I talked to Delfin about the Church wheel chair program and he took some request forms and agreed to follow up on them.

Medillion

Bob, Elders Pedraza and Vakapuna, and the family that were baptized last week are shown here after Church in Medillion.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

We left home at 6:00 A.M. to drive to Bogo. Elder Siady – a former Stake President and now Executive Secretary to the Mission President – went with us. He had been assigned to audit the Bogo District Records. We had a good drive –very little traffic. It usually takes us almost 3 hours; this morning it took less than 2! Elder Siady is very interesting to talk to – been serving in Church leadership positions for over 25 years so has much to teach us about how things are done here and some of the strengths and weaknesses.
We dropped Elder Siady off at the Bogo Chapel, visited awhile with the members who were there early – the Carabio family, Elder Hansen and a few others. Elder Hansen arranged for a member of the District Council – Brother Flores – who was going to Medillion on District business to lead us there as we had only been there once before and weren’t too sure how to find the building.
Medillion was great! More people attending than the last time we went – more men especially. Bob taught Sunday School, which he always enjoys. We both talked briefly in Sacrament meeting. I visited and helped in Primary and Relief Society. The Primary teacher for the older class did a very good job. She was a little nervous with me in the class, but soon got over that and had a very nice lesson on prayer prepared. It was pleasure to be there.

About 20 women were in Relief Society – 1 investigator and 1 new convert were both welcomed and included. The teacher was new to her calling, but did an excellent job of using scriptures and discussion as well as quotes from the manual. She was well-prepared. It was so nice to see. The District is providing much better training for the teachers and leaders than they have had in the past and it is making a difference.

I had worn the necklace Elder Pedraza sent me for Mother’s Day as he is serving in Medillion. One of the sisters there had made it, and another one had designed it. They were delighted to see me wearing it and noticed how nice it looked with my pink blouse.

After the meetings, Elder Pedraza talked to me for a bit. His Auntie died two weeks ago of a kidney infection and then kidney failure. Now his mother has the same problem. His Auntie has not yet been buried because there is no money and his mother can’t have an operation for the same reason. He was one of the main wage earners in the family before he came on his mission, and is feeling very bad about not being there to help now. I encouraged him to talk to the Mission President after sharing with him my faith and testimony that as he served here, the Lord would bless his family at home. Bob and his companion, Elder Vakapuna, gave him a blessing and he seemed to feel better.

Bob and the missionaries also gave a blessing to a sister whose has a baby due in a few weeks. Her husband is not a member of the Church yet. We left Medillion feeling like we had been of some help there.

On our way back to pick up Elder Siady in Bogo, he called to tell us the Hansens had prepared lunch for us all. We picked him up and then went to the Pension House (Sister Hansen’s mother’s place). We had a delicious lunch and nice visit and then headed home.

Again we enjoyed visiting with and learning from Elder Siady and the ride didn’t seem so long.

It was another long and wonderful Sunday.