Cebu!!!!

April  2013

This has been a truly busy month.  With the addition of over 200 participants  with the inclusion of the Cebu mission, I have been working hard to contact each of them.  Once I contacted each of them my Facebook was so crowded and messy I had to group all my friends.  What a problem that was!  I made a group and started to send a group post and there was no text box.  I was so upset.  I researched, called my tech support (THANKS daughter Julie) and we decided I would have to delete the group and start over.  After I finished the second time (not as easy as it sounds) I found the same issue.  After some more research I found out that I cannot have over 130 in a friend group.  So once again, I made two groups for Bacolod so I could post.  I will be the Facebook expert when I get home. 

We also traveled to Sipalay (five hour drive) to help several young people and train our specialist.  There is one Geocache there that requires a short hike (less than a mile) to find, and since the weather was not raining we set out to find the cache for Dan.  I always wondered why the people here use umbrellas when it is not raining.  I walk and hike in the Arizona sun all the time and never have an umbrella.  Well we got to the cache and began to walk back.  I began to feel nauseous, light headed and my legs began to fail.  I had to sit and drink more water.  After I began to feel a bit better we started walking again only to have to stop again when I thought for sure I was going to faint.  Here in the Philippines I sweat so very much that I decided I must have just been dehydrated (heat stroke) and once I rehydrated I could finish the walk.  I will have to use an umbrella if we hike any more.  It was a beautiful hike though and other than my little heat stroke, which I know about now, I plan on seeing more of the wilderness when we have time.

We also traveled to Binalbagan to teach the last workshop there.  We were so excited to be able to complete the workshop and complete the applications for the participants.  Each of the young people had done all their homework so we were able to complete the on-line applications while we were there.  Elder and Sister Domingo (church service missionaries there) are wonderful teachers obviously as the participants were prepared and we could just move forward.  Having the local couples really does make our jobs so much easier. 

We think traveled to Cebu, by plane, and met all but two of the Stake and District presidents and the mission president.  What great men.  All but one were very receptive of having us to help them and were willing to look for and call service missionaries for us to train. In Bogo District, they called a PEF specialist over a year ago and have been waiting for someone to come train her.  We promised to return and train her  within a month.  We also have to go to Bohol island to meet those leaders since that is another island.  We had a lovely time meeting the Employment Resource Center (ERC)staff, the full time missionaries there and enjoying visiting with President John Balledos who is one of the new mission presidents heading to Salt Lake City in June.  He is a wonderful man and will do a great job.  He has been the Employment resource manager, and was the overseeing Stake President and project manager for the building of the temple, new stake center, mission and temple presidents homes, and the large building that houses the temple patron house (dorm rooms for out of town visitors) distribution center, laundry, cafeteria, family history center and temple missionaries apartments.  The entire complex is so beautiful you can easily forget you are in the Philippines.  Missionaries there do not even have to ever leave the complex if they eat in the cafeteria.  While we were waiting to visit the mission president  I went to the ladies room and immediately recognized Sister Gale from our batch at the MTC in Provo.  She did not recognized me though because my hair is totally different (disaster with color and grown our layers).  So I went and got Dan (who they recognized right away).  We had such a nice visit and they wanted us to join their Friday night dinner outing with the other full time senior couples but we had a conflict.  We will join their Friday party night next time.  We also love the Johns couple who work in the ERC office.  Probably the best thing other than attending the temple (another long story) was the hamburger we had at TGI Fridays in the Ayala Mall across the street from the ERC office.  What a modern, very large mall with many United States stores.  I even bought two new pair of shoes!! I wear a 7 1/2  and after being told they did not have that size in four of five styles, I asked what style they had in my size.  The sales clerk brought out four styles and I took two pair.  Easy way to shop that is for sure. 

We traveled home Saturday evening bringing pasalubong (treats) for our friends at work, a tradition here.  When you travel,  you have to bring back edible gifts for your co-workers and friends. We are beginning our 50th week and will be half way done at the end of the week. Time is flying by now.  We will be giving away all our clothes and packing to leave before we know it.  I must say this had been the hardest but most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life.  I have learned so much and love so many people here, but full-time missionary work is not just a 40 hour work week.  We often go for two or three weeks without a day off (participation day is a myth) and there are also no weekends or vacations.  If I ever decide to do this again, it will have to be a temple mission. Those missionaries get two week vacations twice a year when they clean the temple.  Then I could see my family!!! That is the hardest part of this experience.  The hard work is not the difficult part believe me. 

I am late sending this letter this month as I wanted to include the Cebu travel.  I love the city of Cebu.  They have westernized buildings, American stores and restaurants,  most drivers follow most traffic rules all mixed in with the poverty so it is masked a little. They even have Costco!!!! We will go there next time when we can take our car and fill the back seat with Costco brand stuff. 

Hope you are all well and happy.  We miss our family, friends and ward so very much and would love to hear updates from you all.  The easiest way is either Facebook or email at dansinema@aol.com if you are so inclined. You are in our hearts and prayers. 

Lots of love,