That's what it's all about!

Dear Ones!

Sometimes I like to do a warm-up paragraph or two before the main breaking news story, but not today! Last Friday we had the greatest blessing, with the help of our amazing office couple, the Gorringes, to transport a family of ten to the Manila temple for endowments and sealings! The head of the household is one of the branch presidents who had not yet been to the temple.  President Dahle talked with him and invited him to get himself and his family ready, gave the date of November 14, and said that we would be the ones to take them there. IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED!  Mom and Dad, and their two adult, married children and spouses were endowed and sealed. One couple has an 18 month old little boy that joined us in the sealing room in all of his adorableness! And at last, the three teenaged children of the patriarch and matriarch came in together and joined with the rest of their family to be sealed altogether. No need for me to tell any more about the experience, except to say that it was beautiful. And, that it was the culmination of missionary efforts from many over the years. We are all enlisted! Yesterday we were out in Bagac working with our Elders there, when President Dahle brought out the picture of them at the temple on his phone to invite that family to also prepare. One Elder got a close look and spotted their daughter-in-law that he had taught the gospel to when he was a brand new missionary in a completely different part of the mission. He was so excited to see her there! Pure joy.

Sealed

As we finished yesterday in Bagac we walked the few steps to waters edge and watched a fishing boat as many hands hoisted it onto the beach, then gathered around to get their two fish each as thanks for their labor. Fascinating to get up close momentarily to the daily works and walks of their lives. The fishermen were happy and friendly, even shared a fish with our Elder, who then shared it with a member sister who's house bordered the pathway back to the street. 

Today our world's pace has slowed. It feels odd! President has crashed in a long overdue nap, again proof that Heavenly Father is so kind. I voiced my concern over this stillness and before he put his head on the pillow he smiled and said, "Just wait". 

It's raining! Exception rather than the rule these days.

Another chapter in the lizard saga: Friday morning as we were driving down the road a member of the teenage-danger-seeking-lizard-club landed skillfully on the driver's side window! He was so cool! Made his way boldly down to the ledge where the glass goes into the door, then faced the wind to get the full view of his travels. After he had seen enough he executed a perfect dismount into the air. Wow! Who was that green guy? 

We love you!

President and Sister Dahle

Harvest continues along with crop 2 planting

New crop in more ways than one

Slammed

Dear Everyone,

That is the best description I have for the last ten days. My oh my. We might be old people! Most days there is way too much to do, so you just get started on the noisiest task. Then keep moving, keep smiling, keep doing, then go to bed. And by the greatest miracle ever its definitely not done, but The Prophet hasn't called to say you have ruined the church, so you go ahead and get up the next day and repeat! Our sneakers are smokin'! Or, our orthotics are wearing thin. :-)

We saw a most precious sight on Instagram this week. Love that technology! It was Eli taking some of his first steps. We have played it over and over, just as we have the dozens of other little videos and pictures we have gotten of our kids and grandkids these past four months. It's my favorite bedtime activity! One daughter commented on the first steps video, that she doesn't "know how Mom can stand to watch this"! It's true that I can just imagine him running into my arms. But in reality, he would probably run away crying to his mommy because he definitely likes her best. Someone told us that we would miss our children way more than they would miss us, and we have been promised that they would be more greatly blessed by our willing service. So, I can stand it, almost always cheerfully. I trust His promises. We see His hand every day.

Yesterday there was a little, bent, 87-year-old sister who is made of spunk and fire, at the front door. She needed her temple recommend renewed! She came here on her own in a jeepney! She reportedly spoke in church last Sunday and waved her finger at the congregation and threw down the gauntlet, "If I can make it to church every week, so can you!" Hooray for enduring examples! 

Sister Spunk and Fire

Brother Jan opened his mission call in our living room! He and some friends, a brother, and his seminary teacher joined him here. He leaves in five weeks for the San Pablo Mission. We are sending out our best!

THE Big White Envelope

It is getting cooler! I can't believe it! We have felt a cool little breeze three times, and the early mornings and night time have a different feel. It's like Fall, maybe. Wahoo! So for future reference, this is a good season for visiting the Philippines! Come for Christmas! Come for a year and a half! Two!

So much love,

President and Sister Dahle

Seasoned Elder on the left greets Brand New Elder on the right. They are cousins! This has happened with another set of cousins before, and will happen again after the new year! FUN!!!

Up at 2:00 am to get on the bus that brings them here. 

They have been oriented and fed. 

Where did that come from?

Messages for today:

Fun ride to church!

Apparently five Miss Universe winners have come from Olongapo! 

Their pictures are on this welcoming arch so you can see for yourself.

Here is the steeple...Orion chapel coming up!

"The traffic is terrific!"

Transfer Week

Dearest Family and Friends,

It's transfer week. That means by noon today there were 13 Elders and Sisters here with one day left in their mission! Only one! They are worried about some things looking forward: "Can I still speak in my native language? Can I learn to go places alone again? Will I be able to figure out what I'm supposed to do with my life?" And they won't say it out loud, but many go home to uncertainties of family relationships and how they will meet other basic needs. Embrace them when you see them!

Last night we had a Philippines-wide broadcast by Elder and Sister Oaks, Elder Robbins, Bishop Causse, and Elder and Sister Ardern. They gave out tools! The exact ones these Thirteen will need. We hope they will be utilized daily, to guard against our greatest concern for them; inactivity. We pray for their barges to remain lit all the way through their storms and their fairer days! Embrace them when you see them.

Tonight there will be a pizza party, a final testimony devotional, emailing families, wonderful conversation, repacking, and much weighing and reweighing of large suitcases. Tomorrow morning after our goodbyes are said I will find small piles of discarded items that just wouldn't fit. It's interesting to see what is chosen to be left behind. Generally clothing, personal care items, language study books, a fancy first aid kit and one tragic choice it seemed to me, a mission's worth of weekly planners! Ouch.

Then on Wednesday the cycle is refreshed with fifteen brand new missionaries straight from the MTC! They have a different air about them than the ones we just said goodbye to. A little fresher, nervous, excited, optimistic and ready to try their hardest, compared to the Thirteen; competent, deeper, self-assured, weary and a little worn around the edges, maybe even solemn, but so well matured and ready to go forward in more permanent ways. Once again, Heavenly Father's plan is perfect. We are so grateful to be part of it.

There have been a few of our very best hunters and fishers that have finished their mission early for medical reasons. We are so sorry to see them go, but know that this is all part of an all-knowing Father's plan. Please, embrace them when you see them.

Our Christmas trees are up! Are you shocked and appalled? When in Rome...!

Tree of Treasures!

Group effort! Yes, Johnny Mathis did his part.

With so much love,

President and Sister Dahle

P.S. We have had some other adventures this week!

All Saints Day:

We drive past this cemetery every time we head 

south. Graves on top of graves all the way up the hill. 

We took this picture from across the bay. It gives the rest of the story of the cemetery; spreads clear up the point of that mountain. 

On All Saints Day, Nov. 1, it's like Memorial Day. Families come and clean, paint and decorate their loved one's final resting place. 

Along the road food carts appeared to feed all the visitors. Some leave food at the grave as well.

Mabayo:

Mabayo Branch baptismal font. Not kidding!

Mabayo Elders

Where we went to church today...Mabayo Branch. 

On the road to and near Mabayo:

Guard Chicken

Down on the bay.

   Who's that good looking guy?

Caught on the path to the beach.

Yes, beach living. 

End of the Next Six Weeks

 Dear Ones,

We have been told that time flies in this calling, but I had decided that those were big fat lies. Imagine my surprise when I realized we have already completed the first 1/9 of our time here! Need I say more? :) 

Since I last wrote, we have learned a couple of things we never ever wanted to know:

  1. What the inside of a Philippine hospital emergency room looks like. (Three times in one week, no kidding!)

  2. How to help someone stop a hyperventilation syndrome event. (And how long it takes to recover yourself afterwards.)

I admit to praying for less growth for a day. Stagnation! Boredom! Please! Just for 24 hours! 

Today we have had a lovely recovery day. Prayers are answered! Even weak, wimpy, uninspiring ones. 

We have been to an outdoors baptism! Up in the jungle of the Bataan Peninsula there is the lovely town of Morong. They have a quaint little chapel with twenty or so wooden benches that have slats along the back. The windows open and the ceiling fans blow. Out to one side there is a white cement font and on Sunday there were four people baptized in it. A newly widowed mom, and two of her young sons. Her two older daughters were converted a few years ago, one who would dearly love to serve a mission, but is torn about staying home to be the support her mother needs.  There will be a discussion in Branch Council Meeting about how to help. And there was a younger man who looked like a much needed future Young Men's president or another counselor for the branch president! Gather!

I keep thinking our lizard escapades will thin out, but not yet! President Dahle keeps a few treats here in his closet. One day he carelessly left the lid off his prized trail mix. You guessed it!

We have another transfer coming up and the six week cycle begins again! The sister missionaries that came out in the wave are starting to go home in the same flood of numbers that they came out in. We lose nine next week! Nine! Nooooo! I always tease them about staying for three years. They laugh really hard and pack their bags. "We need to go home and get married, Sister Dahle!" We are sending home women of faith who aren't afraid of anything, and who look beautiful and are happy even while living in the humblest possible circumstances and working so hard in their labors. They are choice and will be pillars of power and light in their future homes.

Off to the races!

With all our love,

President and Sister Dahle

By the friendship gift tower and bell given by Japan.

Monument at Mt. Samat

A visit to Mt. Samat. 

We went up into the top of the cross.

This is harvest! Cut it by hand, feed the sheaves into the thresher, the grain comes out into a bucket which is then dumped into white sacks. These are carried to the road so the rice can be dumped out and spread to dry. It is scooped and swept back up at days end and hauled away.

It's a surprisingly deep harbor! Isn't that a beauty!

Morong Chapel

A ride home from church in Morong.

Newly set apart missionary. His first name is Lehi. He is called to the Provo, Utah mission!

The covered faces are standard business. Sun protection. 

Also, do you see anything here that seems alarming? 

Up in the clouds. 

This mountain is in the center of the Bataan Peninsula. We could see the ocean on both sides.