Elder & Sister Ferney: It's been a crazy roller coaster month!

It’s been an emotional, roller coaster month! First of all 18 Aug. 2018, Elder Ferney was invited to baptize two candidates from our Teresa Branch that SIster James (from Canada) and Sister Teodore (Filipino) had taught. We were excited to drive up to Teresa on Saturday afternoon to meet Garry Bandibus, and his son, Jazvi Bandibus. Bro. Bandibus’ wife was already a member and it was fun to feel the excitement in anticipation to become member of the Church. They were so full of gratitude and the spirit was so strong as Bro. Bandibus bore his testimony afterwards. It was really very touching. Then afterwards, . . .the photo shoot. They were both confirmed the next day, on Sunday..

The visits that we had planned weeks ago, out to a refugee community called Ondoy was finally scheduled for a Monday afternoon. The RS had panned to do a Family Home Evening and provide dinner for approximately 30 members who are unable to attend church because they cannot afford the trikey fare. (90 pesos - one way = $1.75 per family). We wanted to see if there were enough people to possibly start another branch out there and also find a place where meetings could be held. After weeks of rain, we prepared a get-to-know-you game and headed off to meet the RS presidency at the church. We took a van and loaded plastic chairs, hymn books, tubs of food, three sisters and one husband who was a member of the bishopric. Brother and Sister Baradeos and the missionary sisters drove their car. We met at a single member’s home that had a couple of wood benches, a bed frame with a pad on it and a TV on a desk in the corner. Fabric hung in a doorway separating his living space from the CR/laundry room. No running water but he did have an electric outlet. They scrambled to borrow a few fans and plugged them in and we packed in all the chairs, sat them in a big circle and began the activity. The members finally arrived with mostly children whom I must say were very well behaved. After singing the opening hymn, Sister Hernandez gave a lesson about the Book of Mormon. She handed everyone a reading chart and challenged them to start reading it again. Next, it was our turn to play a game. We had prepared 60 simple questions which were geared to them, and printed them out on brightly colored paper. We cut them into strips, rolled them around a pencil and stuck a paper clip holding them in a roll. At the last minute, we removed all the paper clips and put the rolls in a big clear plastic jar with a big lid. Each person picked out a question and gave their answer. It started lots of conversation and laughs. We could see they were really enjoying it. Then we served everyone a huge plate of noodles with some kind of sauce and cut up veggies in it. They also received a square of jello-like substance which was brown in color. Everyone ate as much as they could then they got some sort of store-bought marshmallows that were covered with brown sugar coating. We had a photo shoot then packed everything up and headed for another area further out. It was a considerable distance away and we were quite surprised it would still be in our branch boundaries. We met a family that we recognized from the branch in their trikey on the outskirts of the community and they led us to their neighborhood where we met more members unable to afford the trikey fare to church. This community was far bigger with about 8,000 houses. Pinugay had a huge new school being built and rows of sari-sari shops. You could see rooftops from where we stood that covered the entire valley, and beyond. Of course, sticking out like a soar thumb was a huge Iglesia ni Cristo Church. They are large prominent church buildings with huge steeples (designed like the SLC Temple). They are painted a light grey with bright white trim and have a white tile roof which makes them really stand out against all the other dingy buildings covered with diesel fuel film. The clouds were a dark grey that day so the building really popped out as soon a we broke thru the trees. (These churches are very numerous in the Philippines)

We entered a small cement, government placement house and met a very friendly young family. We served them dinner and had a nice visit. It started to rain so we headed out. We had all sorts of questions concerning missionary work in this new-found area, and couldn’t wait to get back and report to President Koster.

25 Aug. 2018 We met at 6:30 am at the Area Office for a tour of Volcano and Lake Taal. It was about a two hour drive south of Manila. Then we loaded on some boats which took us across the lake to the island where the Volcano was located. The boats had Toyota 4-cylinder motors with 5-speed transmissions and reverse. The drivers used a clutch and shifted gears like a car. After arriving on shore, we had the option of riding small horses up the steep rutted trails or hiking up. We chose the latter. It was about an hour hike and fairly steep. At the top you could see the deep caldron which also had a lake in the bottom. -A lake within a lake - and a volcano within a volcano-
The view was spectacular and the cool breeze was refreshing off the lake. I opted to ride Elder Whitehead’s horse back down which went much faster. Elder Ferney bought a T-shirt, then we loaded up in the boats and headed back to the shore. Being on the water was fun. It was a little rough and water kept splashing in on us. We were pretty well drenched by the time we arrived! Haha!!

On the way home we stopped and had a leisurely lunch in Lipa. Everyone thought Mexican food would be good so we actually found a Mexican restaurant & feasted on tacos. Then two more hours back to the Area Office and home.

Last Sunday, 2 Aug. 2018 we were invited up. To the Quezon City North Mission. Two of the Senior Sister Missionaries asked us to come and see Elder Belnap, a young man from our home ward in Idaho Falls. Elder Skinner (the doctor at the area office who rides bikes with Brad) found out about it and asked us to deliver some medication to him and since Elder Belnap is headed for home on the next transfer, we decided to make the trip. After church we had lunch and then started our 2 hour journey. We picked up Sister Morris at her apartment and headed to Elder Belnap’s apartment. Un-be-known to us, Sister Morris had planned our visit as a surprise!!! When we finally arrived, it was a thrill to see the look on his face! Priceless!! We all entered in and had a lovely dinner served on China together that Sister Morris and the landlady had prepared. It was a very enjoyable evening. Elder Ferney was asked to share his conversion story and one of the companion missionaries kept saying, “This is just what I needed to hear tonight. Thank you so much for coming and sharing your story with us”.
We all gave hugs and headed back to drop off Suter Morris, who by-the-way, is a sister to Ron Howard. A guy that Elder Ferney met up at Targhee riding bicycles with Noah and Hayden. WOW, we about flipped out when we discovered who she was. It really is a small world!!

I have been impressed to share with you what happened in our Sacrament Meeting last week. A young 10 yr. old boy whom had just been baptized about three weeks prior, stood up to bare his testimony. He is the only member in his family. About a year ago his mother fell in a man-hole and broke several bones in her legs. She has a rod and pins in her legs that poke out and have never healed. We don’t know much about his father, only that he is never around. On the day JR was baptized, the Sister Missionaries asked us to attend. JR was on his own with his younger sister that he was taking care of. The baptism was performed and that little Filipino boy was filled with joy! He beamed from head to tow. We gave him and his little sister a ride home afterwards. . Quite a distance from the chapel. You remember it gets dark here by 6:30 so it was very dark as we drove up a little muddy road to his house back in a wooded area where there were no lights at all. We couldn’t make it all the way because the rain had made the road so bad. Under his umbrella, Brother Peralta, also riding with us in the back seat, offered to walk the two children down the last narrow passage to their home, which had no electricity or running water. When he returned to the car, he mentioned their poor living conditions. We then dropped Bro. Peralta off a few miles away and headed home in the pouring rain. Since that night we have noticed JR at every church function. He is the 1st on there and the last one to leave. We have wondered how he gets to and from his house so far away.

Now, back to the Sacrament Meeting. JR began to share his testimony and express his love of the gospel and his gratitude for being baptized, and then he stopped. He started to cry, so hard he could not talk. For the 1st time, the congregation was dead silent. It literally broke my heart. Finally after several minutes, he was able to get some words out (in Tagalog) then took his seat. I do not know what he said but I felt his love for the Savior and our Savior’s love for him.

After the meeting, Sister Hernandez turned around to see my eyes filled with tears. She told me that JR wants to live in the church house so he can be loved and taken care of. Several times they have found him there on his own. Members have provided him with food and clothing. As I started to cry, she said “Don’t worry Sister, we will take care of him. It will be alright”. I choose to believe her because JR is a very special 10 yr. old and the members of the Teresa Branch are very good people.

I am grateful that Heidi persuaded me to do this blog. Although it is a real challenge for me to take the time and focus on this, we can look back and see so many instances that we probably would have forgotten about. All these experiences help to strengthen us and make us better missionaries. WE CAN DO HARD THINGS.

Hugs and kisses to you all!!!

Coming up next, the Mission Tour with President and Sister Schmutz, the predicament of Sister Gozen, and you guessed it———Transfer Week!

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