December 29, 2013
Thursday we took the ferry to Cebu so that we could go to
the temple and prepare for[JS1] taking the ferry to Tagbilaran for a visit and a rest! Friday, we went to the
temple. We were of course early and so
we were the witness couple again. The
amazing thing about that is the temple sits all the new attendees in the front
row and as I sat down the woman who was placed next to me is one of our PEF
participant's mother, Sister Navarro. It
was her first time to attend the temple and she and her husband and children
were being sealed for time and all eternity. She is the mother of Dionalee from
San Carlos. She is also the grandmother of the baby Dan had blessed our first
year here. She was so happy we were there with her family. It was totally random us being there because
we had planned on going to the temple at nine in the morning, but because we
were very tired we did not get there until the eleven o'clock session. Sister Navarro was so happy and in tears that
we were these for her first time. I felt truly blessed that we had gone to the
later session so we could be there with the Navarro family. I have grown to love so many of the people
here and the Navarro's are a wonderful family who believe we were sent by our
Father in Heaven specifically to help her daughter and so many of the members
of her ward.
After going to the temple we drove over to the port to buy
the tickets and pay for the car to take the ferry to Tagbilaran. We found the right place and so Dan went in
to buy the tickets while I waited in the car.
I just closed my eyes and rested for a little while and fell asleep for
must have We found the right place and so Dan went in to buy the tickets while
I waited in the car. I just closed my
eyes and rested for a little while and fell asleep for must have been quite a
while because when I woke up I played a little Tetris on my phone. After a
little while I noticed it was getting dark, so I decided I needed to go find
Dan before it was totally dark and we were separated. I asked the workers in the business in the
direction Dan walked and was told to go around the back of the building. Then the security guard at the back of the
building asked if he could help me. I
told him my husband went to buy tickets for the ferry and he showed me where it
was but it was closed! I knew Dan was still inside so he asked the security at
the door to allow me to enter. Dan had
been inside since 2:10 and it was going on 5:30 by the time I found him. That is how long it took him to buy the
tickets. It was crazy. At Christmas time
in the Philippines everyone travel home to their families so the ferries are
packed. We had to travel through a
different port also because the port we traveled through last time is still
closed due to the earth quake. The ferry
ride we were able to take took four and a half hours to reach the island. We
are used to the two hour ferries so this was really quite long. By the time we got off the ferry and started
to drive to the resort where we were staying it was very dark and our little
Toyota doesn't have defrost so it was a long and arduous journey to the resort
La Pernella which is quite a way from the city.
But it is a beautiful and tranquil place. I do not know how Dan made it since the
windshield on the passenger side was totally fogged up and I could not see at all. What a blessing he remembered how to get to
the resort and that he could see.
Today is Sunday and we attended church in Tagbilaran 2nd Branch and it was so wonderful. The members just love the missionaries and
make us feel so special and welcome. We
were even asked to take part in the Sunday School portion of the meeting
telling about the PEF changes.
The wonderful changes include no counter payment with the
tuition so the young people can borrow 100% of their tuition now. Also, there is an incentive of 40% that
students can repay through their performance: grades, having a mentor,
graduation and securing a job. So many
more will be helped with the new changes.
If we were going to be here I bet we would double the 200 applicants we
had the first year we were here.
Well, the rest of the week will
be quiet and relaxing and I look forward to the rest. We will return to Cebu on Saturday and then
on to Bacolod on Monday. We planned to
spend New Year's Eve here in the country hoping I will be able to sleep, since
last year there was such extreme noise from about 11 pm until 4 or 5 am. The Philippino people believe that the noise
will frighten all the bad spirits and events away. After the year they have had with earth
quakes and typhoons, I expect the noise to be even more severe in Bacolod to
ensure a better calamity free year in 2014
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