June 13 on the way back to Cebu

June 13, 2007

After a wonderful visit to Buanoy High School, we dropped off the elders and headed back to Cebu. It was a beautiful, clear day with wonderful clouds. We decided to visit "TOPS" on the way home. It is a picnic, view point and reception area on the top of a mountain overlooking Cebu. We took many, many pictures. These are only two from Tops and then one more from a Memorial Park - that we mistook for a restaurant based on the name. No one else was there and the views were lovely. I stood under the wire tower and looked up - with my camera!

June Science Project in Balamban

June 13, 2007

Bob and I delivered donated science equipment to the Buanoy National High School in Balamban. Our friend, President Cajocson of the Toledo District, is a science teacher there. He was quite excited about our coming and met with Elders Santos and Orpia (had them over for dinner) on Tuesday night to make sure the arrangements were clear. The Elders were to meet us in front of the entrance to a big shipyard - a place we all knew. They were waiting for us when we drove up and we drove right to the high school - no problem finding it. (Because the Sunday before, Bob and I had found it and visited the site ahead of time!)

The guard at the gate was expecting us and welcomed us. Children were everywhere! High School here is for students ages 12 - 16 or 17. They go to high school directly from elementary school. The school has 1800 students. 600 are first year and about 250 are 4th year. Less than 1/2 of those who graduate from elementary school complete high school, and only about 15% of those go on to college....

We met President Cajocson (pronounced coke sone) and he took us to the library to meet the principle, Mr. Misael G. Borgonia. We delivered the supplies - microscope, test tubes, bunsen burners, stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs etc. After photos and shaking hands all around and then with many students - especially by the missionaries who saw five members of Balamban 1 Branch and several of their friends who come to Church with the members, we left for a lovely drive home.

We were delighted to be able to participate in this project and thankful for the opportunity.

April visit to Polumbato

Just after Dad put his camera away, at least 20 more people came and really filled up this little meeting house!

Sunday, April 29, 2007

We drove up to Bogo again and then continued on to Polumbato – a branch opened a few months ago in an area north and west of Bogo. The branch meets in a newly-renovated house – clean and neat, but small for the more than 60 members who attended. About half are new members of the Church; the rest are former members who have come back into activity. Bob spoke in Sacrament meeting and also taught the Gospel Doctrine class. At the end of Sacrament meeting, the Branch President announced that “Sister Hamson will take the Primary today!”

Fortunately I always take supplies and have prepared a lesson in advance because this has happened before. In this case, the Primary President had just been called the previous week and had, as yet, not received any Primary materials – no lesson manuals etc. She is the mother of 11 children and very excited about her calling, but had no clue what to do. She had brought some pictures from the Liahona and planned to talk about them. Instead, I did sharing time – with lots and lots of singing – the only song the children knew was “I Am A Child of God.” We had fun learning “I Know My Father Lives” and others and singing some actions songs, even “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” in Cebuano.

The big challenge was the large number of children in a very small room – about 25 children in a low-ceiling room about 8 feet square. We could not get enough chairs in the room for all the children so they had to sit two to a chair – and willingly did so. 10 of the children were visitors; their parents were investigating the Church.

All seemed to go well – I had enough pencils and papers for all to draw – and except for the sauna-like atmosphere of the room, it was a wonderful experience. At times, the Primary President translated for me as few of the children understood English – even though they can read and sing in English….

After taking some pictures, we headed home – savoring the views and the memories. We planned this to be our last time to visit this part of the mission.

Carabio Family

Sunday, April 22, 2007

We took the Platts with us and went up to Bogo to listen to the Southern Philippines Regional Conference broadcast from Salt Lake. Sister Beck, Elder Child, Elder Oaks, and President Hinckley all spoke – along with one other from the Young Men Presidency, whose name I don’t remember. I learned from each talk – both Sister Beck and Elder Oaks talked about scripture study and although I do much of it, I gained some ideas on how to make it more effective. I marvel at President Hinckley’s strength and clarity of mind – what a blessing he is to all of us.

We visited with some of our friends in Bogo, especially the Carabio Family who were one of the early families in the Church in Bogo. We have become especially close to two of the daughters Stephanie and Shefra. Stephanie is about 35 – single returned missionary – she is the District Relief Society President and is very competent and compassionate as well as very pretty….I can’t figure out why she isn’t married…. Shefra is about 28, also a returned missionary and single. She is in the third year of college seeking a degree in nursing. She is in a hospital in Cebu for two years of ‘practicals’ or hands-on experience combined with some classroom instruction. She is the Bogo Branch Primary President. Both Stephanie and Shefra came in the office a couple of weeks ago and visited with me and I gave them most of the training materials I had developed for Relief Society and Primary. I knew they would use them and they seemed happy to get them.