September

I am sorry that this is so late but our computer hard drive crashed. For all of you computer savvy friends you know that means lots of trouble and heartaches. And, decisions about what was lost and what could be saved.

We are grateful for Jason, our family computer expert. It was under warranty so we sent it to Jay and he had it all fixed, went the extra mile and fixed everything that was needed and more, we got back a brand new computer. The biggest problem was getting it back from Manila, where customs had it detained for a week just trying to decide how much they could hold it ransom for. Finally it is here and works great.

September, aside from the computer trouble, was a great month. We started the month out with a holiday and so we planned a business/beach trip with the Pangan's our dear friends. They had never been to Misibis and with President Pangan starting to work for a restaurant supply company, Lee told him we could visit the beautiful island if Misibis, meet the manager and talk business. Then we could do a little strolling on the beach and sightseeing. It was a perfect day, just a little over cast so not as hot as normal. You will love the pictures of this beautiful resort.

Flowers at the resort:

Beach just off the resort:

The Pangan's in front of the pool at the resort:

The Pangan's in front of one of the most expensive rooms:

We have also had the opportunity to have FHE with the Sister's and our friends the Lojero's. The Sister's gave an inspiring lesson and also taught us a very fun game. Get ready grandchildren we have some new games for you to play. Clarine had made some delicious Toron, which was the 4^th runner up to Miss Universe's winning recipe. Elder and I introduced them all to Root Beer floats and they all loved them. They don't usually have a working refrigerator so to have ice cream is a real treat.

Sister Mentes invited us to go to see her coconut farm or "Paradise" as she calls it. That was quite an experience to see them harvest, husk, cut and cook the copra. We learned so much about the life of a coconut farmer and it isn't an easy life. We counted and decided that that the worker handles the coconut at least 9 times before it is off to market. Every month they have to harvest, husk, open, cook and bag the copra. (Copra is the meat of the coconut) They bag it and take it to an area where it is sold to an oil company to make cooking oil, then go back and do it all again the following month. They also burn the shells in a deep hole covered with dirt so they just simmer and fall apart. They then use this as charcoal to cook with both in the home over a small open fire or on the street where they do a special BBQ. Nothing goes to waste here.

The woman whose husband runs the farm for Sister Mentes had made some banana que, and gave us all the coconut milk we could drink. They also opened several coconuts so we could eat the buco (the coconut that is not hard yet and you just scoop it out with a spoon). I love this treat and especially the buco salad that we make with it.

Another special treat that day came as were leaving and some men had picked some bananas to take to market. The red banana is rare and there was a whole large basket of them. I begged and pleaded until they let me buy two of them for us to taste. They had picked them for the fresh fruit market order; he gave in and sold me two. They are the best bananas we have had so far! And we have tasted many different bananas!

Just when it looks like we might have a slow month, the Lord blesses us with something special. This month it was the Splash training from Manila. The Hortaleza Foundation provided cosmetology training to our members. We had 66 participants that took the training from Monday - Friday. We call this livelihood training here and the church tries to use this source a lot to train and help the people to start small businesses to earn money. The women came on Monday morning and gathered for a meeting on how to cut a man's hair. After only just an hour and half meeting they were given a kit to use that had all they supplies they would need for the week and then they started cutting hair.

Oops, one of the main things to have was a male model which almost no one had. So out to the streets we went to talk to, beg or coerce every man riding, walking or working on Marquez St. We had the Padyaks lined up at the church sometimes seven at a time. I felt bad when some of the men came out having sat there for as long as 2 ½ hours getting their hair cut by one of the trainees. We now have the best groomed Padyak drivers in Legazpi. The man pictures above had hair down to his shoulders before our trainees got a hold of him. Some of these men will wave now, pull their hat off and point to their hair. Then we tell them how nice they look and we all smile and laugh.

I even talked three of our little garbage recycle boys to come in and get their hair cut. They were there for so long that I brought them home to give them some boxes, bottles and paper to recycle- and also a treat. I wonder what the parents thought when they all came home with short hair! This little boy liked the powder they used on his neck to get the loose hair off. While he waited for the other two he kept playing until he was covered with powder.

This young man took a nap while he waited for his turn:

So every day the same the women would come and say "problem, problem I have no models" which after the third day it was hard to find someone in our area (either male or female) that hadn't already had their hair cut. Somehow we all worked together and got the problem solved.

October 1 was graduation day and for their test they had to cut several heads of hair, so to make it easy, the trainers packed them into three Jeepney's and took them to a very poor area of Legazpi and let them go to work on cutting the children's hair at an elementary school. Some of the women cut as many as seven heads of hair. This was a true blessing for the families who have little excess money to use for haircuts.

You have never seen so many happy and excited women. They felt the love of their Heavenly Father and each other. We were so impressed with the spirit that was there and I think that those who came into the church must have also felt the same spirit, because amid the chaos there was still a sweet spirit that prevailed.

We had the graduation ceremony and wished the graduates success in their new career.

Did we mention how many beautifully groomed people were at church that Sunday? New hair color, hot oil treatments and some with highlights and all with a new cut.

Our friend Lorna who helps us with the house, came the next day and told me that she was going to cut hair for a couple children when she got home. Hurrah, Hurrah!

Friday after the training we were also pleased to have a fireside from the ACE foundation in Cebu. This foundation helps train people in starting a business. Usually the participants have to pay for the ticket to Cebu and back plus 1500 pesos for their supplies, but now they are trying to bring the ACE program to the people. Elder Cooley has been constantly communicating with them to see if they might come to the Bicol area. Our area being poor made it almost impossible for the people to afford to go to the training. Now if we get 25 + committed students the training will start here on the 16^th of November. The Bicol region has truly been blessed this past month with these tremendous opportunities to help them better provide for their families.

Our friend and director of the ERC, Carlo and Esme Adille, topped our month off with the delivery of an 8 lb. baby girl-Bea! (pronounced Baya) Elder told the nurse that we were the Grandparents but we don't think she believed him.

Sister Cooley had the opportunity to take Grace and also Clarine Visit Teaching. Grace has gone with me for a few months and loves the opportunity. Clarine, Graces daughter, had never been VT before and asked if she could come this month. We are so blessed with the most humble and sincere people in the church. They bless our lives with friendship, love and new memories every time we are around them. I am not sure what it will be like not to be here and serve with them and their families. They truly must be among our Father's chosen people.

Elder Cooley also saw Angelo De Lumen and his brother Gerwin receive the priesthood and they were able to bless and pass the sacrament respectively. Lee has been working with this family and has a deep love for them, but if you met them, you would too.

We hope you enjoy this month's issue of the Cooley Connection we have fun going over the month's events planning what to say in each issue. We hope you learn something about the life here in the Philippines and the wonderful people we serve.

We send our love and best wishes.

Elder and Sister Cooley

A Perfect Ending to a Perfect Day

Picture of the Month

This man had a great day collecting garbage.

August

August, one of my favorite months, because it means that autumn leaves will start to turn soon and the weather will have a brisk feel to it. Well we have not experienced the same autumn here, we have the palm trees and their frowns only turn brown but the part about the cooler weather is true here also. It has been wonderful not to feel the sweat running down our back all day. In fact there have been a couple days when we have been cool. Hurray for August!

August has been a quiet month, no typhoons and no Mt Mayon erupting. I guess the weird weather has also shown itself here in the Philippines. Global warming I'm sure. First we have had an El Nino spring and summer, hot and dry-not what our weather is supposed to be. Now, when the typhoons and tropical storms are suppose to be here, it is still pretty mild. We have had only one typhoon last month which means we are expecting 20 between now and December. If this happens we will be in trouble!

Like the weather, our work has also been mild. We spend every Tuesday and Thursday at the ERC from 10am to 1pm or longer if we have some people there we are working with. Saturday is also a day the ERC is open, but most of the time we have other projects going on so the assistants help those who come to the ERC.

We have had the chance to visit with a lot of members and also non members who are interested in creating or redoing their resume. So many people need work and they will just about accept anything so they have money coming in to feed their family and pay the bills. Take Joel for example, he is a kind, good looking father of one adorable little boy and a beautiful wife. He has a lot of skills, but not a college degree. He took a job at Bicol University as a utility worker and we were excited for him because he had work and we thought it might be something that he might use as a stepping stone for a much better job. Then one morning we left BU after our morning walk and saw him sweeping this particular area of the grounds, where we see him sweeping every single morning. We thought he would be doing some maintenance on the building fixing plumbing, electrical problems etc., but here "utility man" is just a glorified word. I feel sorry for him, but he is happy he has a job. We find that there are thousands that are unemployed but there are a lot more that are under-employed. He is capable of so much more; we pray that he can find a better job that will use some of his skills.

We live in Legazpi Ward which consists of about 650 members, but only about 165 are active. We meet people all the time that tell us they are members of the ward, just not "active". A few weeks ago, we had our hair cut and the girl shampooing my hair said, "I am a Latter-day Saint,". "Oh", I said, "where do you live?" "In Ilawod by the Jennifer Hotel," "Me too," I said. So she is in our ward and hasn't been to church for three years. She has a brother in the city, but not living with her and her mother is in Abu Dhabi working. (There are 11 million Filipinos who are working abroad.) I invited her to church and asked her name, "My name is SUNSHINE," she said. With a name like that no wonder she has such a big smile!

On Saturday August 7^th we had a 10 o'clock meeting with the all the Employment Directors of the whole Bicol Region. We had confirmed 10 people coming which we were happy about, but then a couple brethren from Iriga come also. We have worked for 13 months trying to get Iriga engaged with the Employment Resource services and here they were. We hope the meeting helped them and will get them interested in having us come and train their committee members. It's exciting to think that one more district may get involved to help the members get jobs or start a business.

Our favorite workshop is the one where we train the outgoing missionaries. We look forward to the days that we are at the mission home working with these faithful Elders and Sisters who are headed home after a successful mission. Our groups vary in size every six weeks and this was a small group of just two Sisters and two Elders-all Filipino, three from Manila area and only Sister Batacan, was from Palawan Island.

Elder Nonato was sitting next to me and several times during the workshop he would look at me with those big dark eyes and say, "I can't believe that I am going home!" It breaks my heart to see how sad they all are to go home. For some this is the best they will ever live and eat. For some all the friendships they have made are wonderful but they will likely never see their fellow missionaries again. For others it will be an everlasting dream that will always bring them wonderful memories. They have served well and going home good and faithful servants of our Heavenly Father. They miss home, family, and friends but they will see them at the end of the two years, but companionships in the mission field may never be together again.

This group was special and after all the hugs and good-bys I was even feeling sad at the thought of never seeing them again. We have a chosen generation in the mission field at this time!

On Augusts 24^th, the second day of the workshop Lee and I celebrated our 42^nd wedding anniversary. What better way, and what choice company we had to celebrate with.

Sunday the 29^th we took the Sisters to a new area in Legazpi. They were able to meet Shirley and JR, two of the people I VT. The sisters had a great visit with them. It was dark and so we used flashlights so the sisters could at least get and idea of what Shirley and JR looked like. We also took their light to replace it so we could have light next visit.

Then we headed off to visit the Morga family. She is the nicest person you could ever meet and her sons are too. Kevin is turning 19 and we helped get him a job at McDonald's. He and his brother Earl have great personalities they will be loved by the people they teach when they go on their missions. Sister Morga has had four sons go on missions so far and Kevin will be the 5^th. Her husband died two years ago, at 58. Her parents have lived in the Salt Lake Valley for five years! We really enjoyed Kevin who gave us the first lesson; He will be a fine missionary.

We want our friends back home to know that they give the same council here about having a 24 hour kit and also having a few months' food supply and cash on hand. The Filipino people want to be obedient and try to do all that is required of them; they have the desire, but not the finances. We are sure they will be blessed for at least having the will and desire to do as they are instructed.

Elder Cooley and I would like to end with a story;

There was a sailor who had been the only one to survive a ship wreck. He found himself stranded on an island. He worked long and hard making him a Nipa hut so he had some shelter and a safe place to sleep.

A long time had passed and he thought he may get off the island alive. One day he started a fire and his Nipa hut caught fire and was burned to ashes. The man was very angry and cried out to the Lord, "Why have you done this to me?"

The next morning rescuers came to the island. The sailor couldn't believe it after he had been there so long. The sailor finally asked one of the men, "How did you find me?" The rescuer replied, "We saw your smoke signal!"

Sometimes we don't have faith in our Heavenly Father. We also receive council from our Prophet but we do not heed his words.

President Pangan told this story as part of his talk Sunday, on being OBEDIENT and knowing that our Father in Heaven will watch over and give us council to make our lives and families happier.

We are so thankful for our friends and family who continue to encourage us and we delight in our experiences here in the Philippines. We are so blessed.

Love,

Elder and Sister Cooley

Uniquely Philippino

I think they meant Taxi:


This man is standing on the awning of the first floor and painting the second story using the longest roller stick I have ever seen. Then he painted the top by leaning over the top of the roof:

This building in Naga looks like a matchstick house. It is entirely surrounded by bamboo scaffolding:

We were parked at the bank and there wasn't any more parking spots so this guy just pulled up onto the sidewalk, parked, and walked inside the bank:

Even the bugs in the Phillipines are beautiful:

Phillippino Food (you know you want some)

Picture of the Month - July

Elder and Sister Cooley on a Phillipino Carabao.

Giddy-up!