Looking Forward!!

The Claybrook’s have arrived!  And, our good friends, the Skinners from Gilbert, Arizona have departed.  Elder and Sister Skinner are bikers, and we have enjoyed time together, the guys riding their bikes out to Morong and the Sisters spending time walking in the cool, clean air on the five floors at Mega Mall.  I think we buoyed each other up when each was struggling with the challenges of Philippine life and environmental conditions. We plan on reuniting when we return home.

Sister Ferney and Sister Skinner

The Claybrook’s are a wonderful couple here from Missouri.  They have led very sheltered lives but are somewhat used to the high temperatures and humidity.  They are willing and able to do their new assignments in the mission office.  After spending a week in the Microtel, they finally moved into the Eastwood apartment that the Gordons were living in.  The Gordons moved into a nice home out in Sampaloc, part of the Antipolo Zone.  Elder Claybrook is a man of many, many, questions, most of which don’t really matter as far as missionary work is concerned, but we try to find the answers and help him feel at home using humor.  
Sister Claybrook has worked for a school district for many years and she is not intimidated by the computer.  I think she will be great!!  They are somewhat shy but the missionaries will cure that issue.  Haha!

This past week we had a wonderful, 3-day Senior Couple Conference.  On Tuesday, 12 Mar 2019, we all met at the Mission Home at 7:00am.  We rode in 2 vans to Global City to attend the American Women’s Bazaar.  All the proceeds benefit local Philippine charities.  Filipinos from all over display their crafts, clothing, art, jewelry and there are lots of food vendors.  It’s a popular place for foreign women to gather in a huge convention center and let their creative juices flow.  It is also a fun place to meet people, sit at big round tables and just visit as you try all sorts of yummy snacks.  I finally broke down and ordered a small quilt.  Each block is custom appliquéd and we choose the 12 blocks that will be machine quilted and delivered at the next bazaar for us to pick up.  We even ordered a quilt block of Elder Ferney riding his bike!  Can’t wait to see it.  That afternoon, we returned back to the office and worked on a language exchange with the MTC, then went home.

Sister Koster's Quilt

Wednesday, we visited a historical site in Manila called Intramuros, a walled city built by wealthy Spaniards in the 1500’s.  Included, is a Museum with a walking tour that tells the history and suppression of the Filipinos, which helped us understand their culture better.  We went through a cathedral similar to those in Europe but on a slightly smaller scale.  Then we had a delightful lunch at Barbara’s.  A beautiful Spanish restaurant with a nice buffet.  Probably one of the nicest restaurants we have been in here.  All six couples, the Abrahams, Mowers, Gordons, Claybrooks, Kosters and us enjoyed being together and sharing missionary stories.

Thursday, we all met at the mission home and took turns doing a presentation about our families, our assignments, and our testimonies.  We were first, and we decided to show our family video presentation that we had made for our Family Home Evening group.  We added a few more current missionary photos and it worked great!  It was a spiritual feast.  President and Sister Koster shared their dreams and concerns with us and we also talked about the immense responsibilities of splitting our mission.  There were no dry eyes!!  By the time we finished neither President or Sister Koster had any voice left.  They are absolutely exhausted!  To finish the conference we headed to Mega Mall to have dinner at Din Tai Fung, a famous Chinese restaurant.  It was fabulous and we so enjoyed being together and especially spending time with President and Sister Koster.  They are truly remarkable people and we are ever so grateful for them both!!  President told us that this is one of the hardest missions in the church because of logistics and climate.  I believe it!!!!

Friday, was a catch up day, and also Elder Ferney’s 67th birthday.  We worked hard all day training with the Claybrooks and trying to find our office supplies. For two weeks now, painters have come in during the evenings, and painted all the walls and shelves, in preparation for the new Mission President.  They have re-finished all the doors and the President’s desk.  Put new Formica on the counter tops and have moved everything  around the office.  However, the Office Elders and STL’s gathered together and sang Elder Ferney “Happy Birthday”.  We thought we might go to the new Captain Marvel movie to celebrate, but after we drove home we decided we were too pooped.

Early Saturday morning, we drove to the Mission Home, picked up the van and drove to Ondoy to pick up 2 baptism candidates and take them to Teresa, where we met four more.  It was a nice program and by noon we were on our way out the door.  HOLD IT!  They had pizza and chocolate cake to celebrate Elder Ferney’s birthday!!  I started to cry.  How thoughtful and sweet of everyone to do this for the biggest tease cat of all.  So, much excitement!  Bring back out the cameras!!  Haha!

At 3:00 we made it back to our apartment.  Did a little grocery shopping and 3 loads of wash.  Forget the movie tonight——Netflicks will do.

The twins on the left were also baptized today. Not enough baptism clothes!

We decided to share Ondoy with the Claybrooks.  A perfect solution for too many people in a meeting place too small.  They are slowly learning the route and driving on their own now.  So we decided to trade off each Sunday until we go home.  Then the mission will be split and that area will be in the Antipolo mission.  They started today, so hopefully if we do baptisms on Saturdays, they can take over every other Sunday.  They are going to have it so much easier than we did because the island of Mindoro will no longer be in our mission and the Quezon City Mission will already be wards and stakes.  Hum......

This past week, there has been a water shortage.  Many homes and missionary apartments are without water except for maybe one hour in the middle of the night they can fill buckets.  Poor water management and dry weather are the reason.  The rainy season does not start until June so we hope and pray it does not get any worse.  So far, we have plenty in our apartment but, neighboring buildings have been asked to sign a contract stating they will use less water.  Even at the Mission Home, there is only a trickle coming out of the sinks.  On a jungle island surrounded by oceans, who knew???

We have exactly 59 days left and only 1 transfer.  We plan to do extensive apartment checks during Holy Week when the traffic subsides.  We will be taking rubber gloves! Haha!  

We will be getting chest X-rays to check for Tuberculosis before we leave (& probably again after we return home).  We are getting “trunky” and look forward to meeting with our loved ones again.  Our departure date is May 13 2019.

And, I make an end of my writing upon these plates, which writing has been small; and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren (& sisters) may read my words.  Adieu Jacob 7:27
Bear Hug,
Elder and Sister Ferney