ASEAN SUMMIT Training

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Into the office this morning came a sister from Lilo-An Stake who works in the Mayor’s office in Cebu City. She was here with other people from the Mayor’s office to see about using the Stake Center for training in connection with the upcoming ASEAN Summit Meetings. They had a previously-arranged venue that was pulled out from underneath them at the last minute; someone from the Governor’s Office need it for preliminary meetings also regarding the ASEAN Summit. The Mayor’s group was quite concerned about finding a suitable place at this late date – the training is scheduled for Friday with people from the Office of the Press Secretary for the President of the Philippines coming to meet with college journalism students assigned to help each country’s press corps. Sister Ann Atay, knowing of the great location of the Stake Center in Lahug, contacted the Stake President, John Ballados. He quickly approved and Ann and her group came over to check the building out….but the man who was supposed to meet them, unlock the doors and show them around wasn’t here. So she came in the office to see if I could help.

Fortunately, we have a master key to the Stake Center and I was glad to show them around. They were properly impressed with the facilities and said they would see me on Friday.

Friday, November 24, 2006

The Journalism Volunteer Training in connection with the ASEAN Summit began very early – 7 A.M. I went for a walk about six and then bought fruit and vegetables on my way home. By the time I returned people were arriving for the meeting. Delfin had come at 6 to set up the chairs and prepare the building. I walked over about 10 to see how things were going and to visit with Ann Atay. She welcomed me warmly and introduced me to people from the Mayor’s Office and from Manila. At her request, I came back to the office and rounded up about 100 copies of the Church News and took them over along with about 20 copies of old New Era, Liahona, and Ensign Magazines to be given to the participants. There were 108 students in the training and about thirty people from the Mayor's Office and the President's Press Office in Manila.
When the meetings were over, I went back over and visited with one of the women from the Presidents' Press Office in Manila. She thanked me again and again, saying how much better the Church facilities were than the place they had previously scheduled. She asked a little about our mission and about the Church. It was a pleasure to visit with her.