January

Our January started off on a slow note. It has taken a couple of weeks to really get the ball rolling again. We have how ever been able to do a lot of work on the Career Guidance Fair which will be held on the 23 and the 30 of January. We have selected 13 of the most prominent schools; this includes universities, colleges, trade schools and technical schools. We also have three of the government agency's that will come and talk on the availability of scholarships, loans and all around financing. So far all schools except one have been very receptive and anxious to come. Now all we have to do is worry about getting the students to come with their parents. We are anxious to see how this comes together, so far so good so keep your fingers crossed. We will let you know in the next connection how it all turned out!

Here are some pictures from the Career Fair:

We walk at the university every morning for some exercise what an experience. We always find someone who is anxious to talk to us and even ask about why we are here. Our latest is Jed a 25 year old who is a Bicol University graduate in Education. He has lost his job but doesn't want a job in teaching he is interested in pursuing his work in computer programming. He is into web design and is talking to Facebook about doing a web page for them in this area. He is setting up a team so they can get started as soon as they get the contract. Hope he won't get disappointed. He is a riot to talk to and our conversation helps make the 3 miles go faster. Of course we have talked him into coming to our next Career Workshop here in Legazpi everyone looking for a job can benefit from it. We wish JED luck with his opportunity.

2010 started out with a double calamity in our family: First of all our second daughter Andrea, had to have her rotator cuff replaced. She had surgery and was doing well when, my Mother was vacuuming her stairs and fell backwards down them. She broke her left wrist and right collar bone, both arms immoveable. Andrea spent lots of time in the hospital sitting with Grams; the nurses weren't sure which one was the patient. Happy to say that both have been doing better, Andrea is working part time and using her arm as much as it will let her. Mother is finally home after about 3 weeks in the hospital, an operation to put a plate and screws in her wrist and also on her collar bone, and rehab center. They both are doing better! We pray they will both continue to improve and be back to normal soon. I forgot to mention that while all this was going on James, Andrea's husband was set to leave for Dubai for 3 months. He postponed his leaving for a week but is now in Dubai and working hard, so he can get home asap.

Since it has been a little slow Lee has been going out with the Elders to locate and visit some less active members. Lee and the missionaries had a sister and her two sons at church today. I have been doing my visits through Visit Teaching. My partner and I have five sisters', (four less active and 1 active) to visit and they live from one end of the city to the other end. It takes us four to five hours to get them all done. One of our sister's has come to church three weeks in a row (with her daughter and husband) and also homemaking meeting yesterday. YAH

We also had another sister come out last week. It is so rewarding to see these sweet sisters come to church and enjoy the spirit and engage in the work of the Lord. I taught how to cook a Mexican dinner in Homemaking and our Sweet friend, Amy/ our landlord came to the class and she seemed to really enjoy herself. We are hoping to get some of this great family interested in the church. We hope before we come home the chapel will be full of members that are coming back to partake of the Lords message and covenants.

Our missionaries are working long hours teaching and inviting the less actives to come back we miss them. I think our one set of Elders has 6 baptisms set for the next couple of months. This is truly exciting! The work is going forth in this corner of the world and all the missionaries are fully engaged. Our Mission President, President Smith has really raised the bar with his missionaries and they seem to enjoy the quest to do better. If any of your children need a fantastic mission to go to pray for the Philippine Naga Mission.

We received some good and bad news this morning, Elder Walker our dear friend and great missionary has been called to be the new AP (assistant to the President). None of us were surprised because he is such a example of what the perfect missionary should be. He will be a great asset to President Smith and the office there in Naga. I am sure we will still get to see him, in fact we teach Elder Mendez,, the missionary Elder Walker is replacing on Monday at the Career workshop and hope to see Elder Walker at the office.

The December rains must have been frightened of Mt. Mayon and decided since Mayon is sleeping again, that January would be the time to drain the clouds. It has rained, rained and rained and the wind has blown hard for a week straight. I can tell when the wind is blowing hard because my bathroom window whistles. I don't even need to look out side to know what the weather is like each day.

This is definitely umbrella weather and you will see everyone with one from tiny children to the oldest, male and female, walking or riding. I have never seen so many umbrellas and so many colors and designs. The design I see the most of that are alike, are the AVON. It must be popular here because there are hundreds of their umbrellas.

One of the highlights at the beginning of the month was a birthday party for Amy's mother and aunts cook. I guess they are like family since she, Shirley the cook and her family live in the aunts house to help take care of them. It was so interesting to be there with the family they are all kind and accepting to us. I remembered to take a picture of the food, which we loved. So far we have enjoyed most of what we have tasted here in the Philippines.

Shirley, she is the one in the picture leaning on me, and her daughter sang some songs for us.

Her daughter is 16 and a tiny thing but what a huge voice and she was enjoying every minute of the spot light, then Shirley sang a couple of songs with her daughter. We had a wonderful time like always when we are with our dear friends. I can't wait for big party in July when her aunt turns 94. The whole family will be there to celebrate, even the couple from America who we are renting our house from. July will be a great month.

We are plugging along each day doing what we SENIOR Missionaries do and loving each minute. We love hearing from each of you and know that you are healthy and standing strong in the faith. We love and miss you all and hope that each of you are working on building a stronger immoveable testimony.