School is Out for Summer!

Dear Family and Friends,

Heavenly Father is kind. Considering our blessings more carefully has become a blessing in and of itself. And as we have talked to our children this week they have mentioned the blessings that have been coming to them, and realizing the source. He does watch over us in our extremities and in our peace. And the pendulum does swing, does it not? But He is always there.

The March returning missionaries. 

 Almost since we came here, we have been watching the calendar in mixed fear and awe as the enormous ‘March Transfer’ came closer and closer. Twenty-three out, twenty-five in. Great and terrible. Great because 23 steady and prepared returning missionaries are heading out to continue making a difference, now in their own and future families. They will now build and strengthen their home wards and branches! Great because we have been here and worked with them long enough to get to know them more than any group so far. Sister Gorringe says it just gets harder and harder to tell them goodbye. Truth! That’s the terrible part. But then, less than 24 hours later we are at the bus stop greeting 25 new fellow missionaries! Great!

Sister Hausia and Sister Salelesi. These were the very first missionaries who did practice teaching at zone meeting with me. Their combination of warmth and hilarious sense of humor opened doors and softened some hard hearts. We miss them!

We hired a jeepney to haul the overload of luggage to the bus station. 

Say hello to a real live legendary jeepney driver! 

One last photo

 Want to hear a wild fact? Three of our returned missionaries are already married and three more are engaged! Those are the ones we know of. How can this be?

Last Monday morning there was an early knock at the door. A young American couple was standing there with a big suitcase and expectant smiles! My mind was reeling, grasping for the meaning, and what I could possibly have forgotten to write on my calendar! When they introduced themselves a vague remembrance about some Brother named Miller bringing donations of white shirts! A whole suitcase full! Brother Miller was Elder Miller here in this mission about ten years ago, and he was bringing his wife back on the dreamed of vacation to see the people and places of those treasured missionary days. They had contacted their home ward, stake, and seminary classes at the high school where he teaches, to gather shirts to be given to our missionaries who are in need. Won’t we have fun giving these out! And many of our Elders will have a fresh look and an extra day before the wash tub is needed again. Thank you to the Millers and all those that contributed!

The amazing Millers! We are so grateful!

 Coincidentally, our Elder Staheli was one of his high school students, and Brother Miller delightedly delivered a package directly from the hands of this Elder’s mother! How perfect!

After the wildness of that transfer, and the surrounding activities, I admit to letting the thought linger in my head that it might be nice to get certifiably sick so I could just disappear into bed for a couple of days and rehab my wiped out body and soul. Zinger! Nothing serious, but enough. Beware the idle thoughts! And sick missionaries. :-)

I also admit to rereading Little Women while languishing. Did you know you have to read Good Wives to get them all married off? I had forgotten. It stopped at a ridiculous place! Oh Louisa May!

Preparing for two senior couples arriving in the next two weeks! The Gardners and the Woods. Christmas in March! No, that states it too mildly. WAHOOOOOO!!

And yes, summer is here. School is out.

So much love,

President and Sister Dahle

Old shoes and new have a story to tell. They will walk side by side for the next six weeks. 

They are here!

Instructions from President Dahle. 

Trainers on the left open the envelope revealing who they will train. Then the rush!

Anticipation about to be relieved. 

Sister Laguerta knows! (Chismiz is like gossip.)

The Street Where We Live

Still Here

Dear Family and Friends,

It's been a hospital week, and lucky us, these rooms have glorious views!

Hospital room with a view. 

President Dahle's latest hospital CTI. His daughter lives in Park City! 

Another room with a great view!

Getting the companion/watcher out for a walk. 

One sister needed additional care at the MRC in Manila. Since she leaves to go home next week, President Dahle arranged for us to stop by her Zone's Tuesday morning meeting on the way out to say goodbye, just in case she had to stay there through the whole weekend and not get back before her flight home. He had them greet her as she walked into the church house singing her favorite hymn, #60. The Battle Hymn of the Republic! Wow! It was powerful! All composure went out the window.

They were standing and singing Hymn #60 in greeting. AMAZING!

The up to the minute happy news is she is coming back today to be here for the last four days of her mission, and that will mean so much to her and to her batch mates that didn't have the chance to say goodbye.

The other up to the minute happy news is that the hospital is empty of missionaries and I have decided to become interested instead of horrified at this part of my calling. Time for the old dog to learn some new tricks it NEVER wanted to learn. Why do things like this keep happening?! Read D&C 121. :-D

Remember the four young men, best friends all with mission calls? President Dahle set the last one apart last week! His family was baptized ten years ago by our up the street neighbor from Lehi who was serving here then. How fun to see the stone rolling forth! Elder Villegas will be serving in California, so is preparing in the Provo MTC and learning about snow first hand! We will be watching these four young men and others we get to send out from here, all our days, right along with our own five hundred, give or take. 

The Villegas Family sending off their first missionary. 

President Dahle attended a Priesthood meeting Sunday where a new deacon was ordained by a young 17 year old priest, accompanied by two others, also priests. It was carried out with the maturity and decorum of a seasoned, mature priesthood holder. Often, the Young Women's president is an 18 year old sister, fulfilling her calling beautifully! When we were serving at the BYU stake we were continually amazed at the young Elders Quorum and Relief Society Presidents and their capabilities! It is worldwide and it is exciting! 

No kidding! 

If any of you were hoping to retire here and drive a jeepney for fun and supplemental income, here are a few tips on skills you should hone:

- accelerating from roadside into traffic quickly yet smoothly to avoid dumping your passengers at the back out the open rear door.

- 'merging' into thick lines of cars, trikes, buses, bikes, pedestrians and the occasional carabao bent on not letting you 'merge'.

- never making eye contact with surrounding drivers, which might give the mistaken idea that you are letting them 'merge'.

- all driving must be done within millimeters of other vehicle's mirrors, bumpers and car door handles.

- learn to listen to multiple murmured passenger's destination requests, calculate the cost, receive the cash coming hand to hand to your stretched backward hand, make change and pass it back, then stop at each of the desired destinations, all while doing all of the above.

- hold perfectly folded peso bills, arranged by denomination, between your left hand fingers, while using that hand to give subtle yet meaningful signals to other drivers on your left.

- receive and make change while driving with the right.

- manage a stick shift and clutch while doing all of the above.

Good luck, and have fun!!

We have seen the lizard with the loud and haunting voice...and the sticky feet that will cling to you and never come off! He was outside the cr window! And, we got a picture without getting jumped onto. When I say we, I mean President Dahle. My overdeveloped sense of self preservation kept me cowering at a safe distance, then streaking for the front door when it scrambled across the wall. He is the hero.

The Biggie. Look at those paws!

Much love,

President and Sister Dahle

Seen in passing:

This church landscaping is so fun and clever!

Cement wall landscape along the EDSA. Manila. 

Very cool! There are several. 

Another dangerous job. 

Winner! Most tricked out trike. Wifi on board!

Name that marine life specimen! 

These two had a flag car following. Safety first.

Actually, seen in the back seat! :)

It's Mango Season!

Dear Family and Friends!

When I sit down to write this, I often start by looking through my pictures to remind me what we have been up to! Well, there are too many! Can I summarize?

The general news is that the weather is still gorgeous! We can go for a bit in the car and house without turning on the air con! Only for a bit, but still! There is often a wonderful breeze! And it is mango season! Whenever we turn right out of our driveway, heading north, we will eventually come to the portion known as the Mango Highway where there are rows of grass thatch covered stands offering a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, but the BIG DRAW is the mangoes! Best to buy them green, then watch them ripen in a big bowl on the counter! Impatience is a virtue just this once, because it's best to eat them before they look completely ready! 

We continue to try to attend a different branch or ward each week. We have six districts and one stake for a total of 45 units, give or take a few. Two so far, sing the hymns in Tagalog! That is fun!

Pictures so you can see the language and try to guess the hymns:

The Espanto Family is a missionary family! As of last week they have sent off five missionaries, and by the end of February will have sent off six! One daughter served in the Temple Square Mission a year or two ago, and now her sister is at the Provo MTC preparing to follow in her footsteps! Same mission! So look for her! We assured her that she will be adorable in a coat, hat and scarf! The cold weather is as scary for them as the heat and rain were for us. Part of the adventure! The younger sister will serve in Australia. Three English speaking missions in the same family is a rarity. Six missionaries even more rare!

I have been finding pockets of time in two to three hour blocks where I can chase off with the Sister missionaries! This has been so fun, and a huge blessing for me. Again, the language barrier is just that, a barrier. But I'm saved by Taglish (a lovely mix where just enough English is thrown in to keep Dennis and me in the same ball park with those around us) and the missionaries explain more what the topic is as they ask me to testify or add some thoughts on the subject! (Most Filipinos understand English.) I probably just repeat the same things they've already taught, but hey, in the mouth of three witnesses, right?! Perspective changer. 

These two darlings are investigators. 

They live in a compound with their grown children. Usually 3 or more houses. This is the Filipino way. 

First jeepney ride. Sister Pinto and Sister Hart were our companions. 

Matching purses a Christmas gift from Sister Winters!

This sweet young mom was baptized on Valentines Day. 

With angel Sisters Larkin and Aggasid. 

Sarikris is a newer convert. She and her younger brother are the only members in her family. 

She is planning for a mission this year. 

The sister in blue is a member, and fellowshipper of the recently baptized sister in the floral. 

Her husband is investigating. Sister Cardenas is the missionary!

Nearby duck pond like no other!!

Live crabs for sale!

Closer look!

On Saturday we had two singular experiences. There was a baptism of a twelve year old young woman, fellowshipped by the branch president's daughter. We were going to be in that area later in the morning so we were lucky enough to attend with two of our senior couples, the Wrights and the Gorringes. It was in Mabayo. I few months ago I put a picture of their baptismal font on our blog. Now you can see it in use! There was a canoe going past, and they were curious enough that they turned back for a second pass, then stopped to watch and listen. This young girl will change generations. Can you just see her children and grandchildren rejoicing at this new potential?

Next, joined by the Whites, we went to the nearby sea turtle preserve and were captivated heart and soul as we set thirty or forty baby turtles, one at a time, in the sand to clamber their way into the surf! How amazing to see them swim with all their might, raising their baby heads up for a breath every few seconds, as they were taken out into the ocean to do what only instinct would lead them to do. The few that will survive come back to this very place twenty-five or so years later to lay their own eggs in the sand! Heaven's spectacular designs are fascinating at every turn!

The green flags mark the transplanted nests, brought in from the beach for protection. 

When they hatch, volunteers gather them and send them out to sea. We got to help!

On your mark, get set, GO! A race to the water. 

He didn't say cheese, but was so cute anyway!

Wayfarer

Last night, after a long day of mission president interviews, we stopped in to see the Winters in action! They are bringing music opportunities to the saints in Lubao! They have developed a program and incorporated the generous donations of a foundation in the States, to offer piano and conducting lessons to nearly a dozen youth! We were mesmerized and warmed to the core as we watched their energetic love for music and teaching, bless the lives of these young people in ways they never would have had the opportunity for otherwise! It was so powerful! Goal? Provide pianists and choristers for the branches, while touching lives and uncovering and developing talents. Strengthening youth and raising sights. Another example of senior couples spreading their love and making a real difference! 

We send our love!

President and Sister Dahle

Can you imagine the reach of this class?

So positive and energetic!

Elder Winters

Recently returned family!