John's Kind of Town!

This is on the door of the bank in our apartment building!

"EDSA 25"

We are privileged to be in the Philippines at this time. The country is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the 1986

People Power Revolution

that overthrew the Marcos Regime and brought

Democracy back to the Philippines.

The People Power Revolution is famed because it was a

Bloodless revolution,

led by people who were willing to give their lives if necessary.

Citizens from across Manila showed their solidarity

by blocking tanks and soldiers with their presence and prayers.

Some of the main participants were nuns and other religious leaders

led by Cardinal Jaime Sin.

A new statue of Cardinal Sin
was unveiled near the other now-famous statues of
other key figures from the time.
Yellow is the color of "EDSA"
When Benigno Aquino returned to Manila in spite of warnings that his life was in danger,
and was assasinated upon his return,
his wife, Corazon Aquino, took up his banner and, wearing yellow,
lead the opposition against Marcos.
So, on Friday, all you could see anywhere were seas of yellow.
This picture, however, was taken of the EDSA 10K run
on our way to church today
because we, as missionaries, can't really be anywhere near large crowds
gathering like they did Friday night.
So this is sort of what it looked like all over Metro-Manila on Friday.
All day.
And well into the night.


This is the
People Power Monument.
It was erected where the main activities of the Revolution took place.
Everything that happened took place at the junction of
EDSA (main road through the area) and White Plains
which leads to the Philippines Area Office,
so we pass it every day.


President Benigno Aquino III
son of Corazon and Benigno
is the current president.
He released this great balloon replica of the flag of the Philippines.

He was also involved in a reinactment of the original revolt.


The Fireworks at midnight woke us up.
But we had a perfect view of them through our bedroom window!!

Good Friends ...

According to Bill Pier,

A good friend is defined as someone from whom

you can be separated for decades and then,

when you get together again,

you just pick up where you left off.

As if the intervening time hadn't happened.

That's what happened to us when we were in Utah at the MTC.

Bill and Mary Pier took care of us just like they did

in the days when he was our Bishop.

Actually - better.

When he was bishop,

they never drove us all over town, ran our errands,

took us to the temple, called us to have lunch,

went out to dinner with us, or took us to church with them.

Why not?

Surely do appreciate the fact that they spent two weeks doing just that in January.

Yep, good friends stay good friends, no matter the distance.

Sister Missionaries Rock

Sister Rebecca Blanchette
is a Single Sister Missionary that we met when we were receiving

PEF (Perpetual Education Fund) training in Salt Lake City.

We were so impressed with her and asked her to write

how she feels about her mission.

She and her companion are serving as ERC

Employment Resource Center missionaries in Argentina.

Here's what she had to say:

"I may be wrong, but I don't feel like I'm serving a mission.

I am working, and working hard, but I'm doing it because I want

the adventure, the growth, experience and the spiritual nourishment

which will all come to me through the mission experience.

I want to work in the Lord's vineyard.

I may be an unprofitable servant, but I can contribute.

I know that when I give, I will receive.

I want all of the blessings that can come to me as a single sister missionary.

I will be serving (playing) in Buenos Aries, Argentina in an Employment Center.

I'm grateful that I let the Lord choose my assignment. I would not have

even known enough to select or request my assignment.

The Lord knows best for me.

I will follow ... as fast as I can.

If I let my obstacles change my plans, I become my own worst obstacle."

Rebecca Blanchette

D-Day in Manila

Received our Drivers Licenses!Elder B. counting his pesos - they'll be needed.

Here we go...

Building #1 - hand over passports, CA licenses and

pesos

Collect piece of paper

Climb 3 flights of stairs

Hand over more pesos, get fingerprinted and

provide urine sample.

Really.

Collect more paper and deliver to third office

with more pesos

This time read eye chart

Get weighed and measured

And have blood pressure checked.

Really.

Jump back in car and travel to Government Building.

Looks like any DMV in the U.S. except
This one has a chapel at the far right end.
See it?
We should have these in California.
OK, if you're to believe the picture, this next part is hard.

Nope, not taking a test.

Filling out papers - name, address, etc.

Get picture taken, sign something

More pesos

Picture taken one more time.

???????

Walk out with license good until 2014.

Proud Elder Bell

Couldn't have done it without our guide, Clem.

Booklet with Rules of the Road?

Nope.

Written test?

Nope.

Driving test?

Nope.

But that's OK because there are only

4 Rules of the Road

in the Philippines

1. Flow

2. Pick

3. Big

4. No-see chicken

These were given to us by Elder Benson Misalucha

Area Seventy

His explanation:

Flow means just go with the flow.

There may be 4 lanes drawn on the road, but if 6 cars fit,

Go with the flow.

Pick is some kind of basketball term that Elder B. understands -

it was explained to me this way: fill in the blanks.

If there's an opening, fill it ... or someone else will.

Big is obvious.

The biggest vehicle wins...always.

And no-see chicken - first guy to blink loses.

Internet Purgatory!

We weren't able to get Wifi

in our apartment

until TODAY.

So , yep, we've finally been released from

Internet Purgatory!

And we couldn't be happier!

We're behind in posting but we'll play catch-up.

Arrival in the Philippines!!

Nope. That's not us arriving in Manila.

It's us leaving Salt Lake City,

14 hours into what eventually became a 43 hour saga!

(note the pink little fluffs on the baggage -

Elder Bell whined the whole way here about those sissy fluffs -

but they made it easy to spot our luggage.

And who would steal a bag with a sissy fluff on it?)

Speaking of whining - allow me a moment to do just that.

Here's our travel schedule:

Arise 5:00 am, Friday, February 4, 2011

Travel to MTC and catch bus to Church Office Building in SLC

Attend training meeting until 4:30 pm

Travel to airport and catch 8:00pm flight to San Francisco

No sleep

Solve luggage problems (probably related to pink fluffs)

Write emails, blog and jump on 15 hour flight to Hong Kong.

No sleep

Take pics, wander aimlessly, catch flight to Manila

No sleep

Time is now noon on Sunday, February 6, 2011

Lost a day

No sleep

Met at airport by Jib Esquejo

(you'll learn more about him later)

And wisked away to a Sacrament Meeting

At last deposited at the Holiday Inn - Quezon City

and allowed to sleep.

After 43 hours.

Old people whine alot.

But we must tell you about the Sacrament Meeting and

our introduction to the Filipino People!

Family is important to Filipinos and they teach their children well!

The Sacrament meeting was a Testimony Meeting and

many children bore their testimonies.

They all began very formally --

"Good afternoon, Brothers and Sisters..."

and then, in Tagalog, bore strong, sincere testimonies.

No, we didn't learn Tagalog in our 2 weeks in the MTC.

But, apparently, the Spirit understands it.

And he told us what they said.

And we certainly understood

"Heavenly Father"

and

"Jesus Christ"

and

"Family"

The Spirit has born witness to these youngsters

and they are bold in proclaiming their beliefs!

No wonder the Philippines is such a choice land.

This is a country where God and Family are paramount

and it's evident.

We are going to love living here.

The people are beautiful.

Everyone - men, women, children,

old and young - all beautiful.

We're excited to call this place home for the next two years.

Mid-Pacific

We received a bunch of goodies from our children

before embarking on this adventure.

1. An ipod filled with "mission-appropriate" music.

2. Journals - personalized and customized with advice

from apostles - living and dead.

3. An album/scrapbook filled with great family memories.

4. And a book of letters from each of our children/spouses/grandchildren

given to us the night before we left for the MTC,

with strict instructions not to read it until we were over water!

So here is an obedient Elder Bell

somewhere over the Pacific

finally getting a glance at what those sweet individuals

had to say to us.

Crying time.

Again.

Each time we read it.

What's Missing From This Picture??

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland!

He walked by

said, "Hi, Folks."

Got his change and then his drink,

and walked out again - "Bye, Folks."

Then we recovered and grabbed the camera.

Too late.

Rolling Stones ...

... cut out of the mountain

without hands and filling the whole earth!

Daniel 2:34-35, 45

And here's where all those stones are rolling:

Geneva

West Indies

Pocatello

Romania

Cypress

Russia

England

Ghana

West Virginia

San Diego

Alaska

Panama

Rome

Korea

New Zealand

Tonga

Ft. Lauderdale

Samoa

Germany

Nova Scotia

Georgia

Denver

Philippines

And here's what they'll be doing:

Office workers

Leadership/Member Support

Military Relations

Seminaries and Institutes

Perpetual Education Fund

LDS Family Service

Humanitarian

Welfare

Centers for Young Adults

Whom God calls, He qualifies!