Fun Christmas Times

 

The Christmas season brought some fun times. A week ago we attended a two-day Christmas zone conference. The first day started out with a service project for one of the local hospitals. We painted.......(to the music of the happy whistler)

 

and painted.......

 

and scrubbed and painted some more.... (hang on, Sister Eddington!)

 

 

 

A few hours later and all cleaned up, we met at the mission home and went caroling.  Our group caroled a family who had lost their home to fire.  They rebuilt, but not very well, since they are very poor. We left them a bag of groceries and some candy.

 

Back to the mission home for an outdoor evening program.

 

 

 

Christmas decor on the mission home/office grounds

 

 

 



After the program we enjoyed a Filipino buffet on the mission home lawn.  The evening was warm with a gentle breeze. Lit palm trees surrounding the grounds. It couldn't have been more tropical.

 

There was other food offered besides roast pig. I chose to pass on the pig.  Too graphic.

 

 

I was rather fascinated with the way the pig was carved and served all at the same time...until just the pig's head remained.  The carver turned the pig's head snout upward, gave one whack and cut the head in half.  Rather gruesome and violent, if you ask me!

 

 

 

Elder and Sister Demars

 

 

Below is the Polynesian Foursome. Left: Elder Ione from Samoa. He has been accepted to play football for the University of New Mexico when he returns from his mission in January.  Second to right: Elder Sione a Tongan from New Zealand.  Right: Elder Felila a Tongan from Utah. He and Elder Sione are cousins.  They didn't know they would be in the same mission until they bumped into each other here.

 

 

The next morning we attended a Christmas devotional at the stake center.  After the conference, just being conversational, I asked one of the elders what their plans were for Christmas.  He turned all sad and said they had no plans.  Feeling sorry for  two homeless elders, I invited them to Christmas dinner at our apartment.  I asked if he knew of any other missionaries who might need a place to go on Christmas.  I had no idea there would be such a response!  We immediately started planning for a twenty-four missionary Christmas dinner.

 

Homeless, but not-so-sad elders

 

 

Cute sister missionaries: Sister Reyes, Woahn, Patricio, and Jarmillo

 

 

According to the missionaries, our Christmas dinner was a hit. However, I have never heard a missionary say they haven't liked the food.



Elders Ione, Knowles and Caacbay

Elders Felila and Sorriano LOVED the pie

Christmas caroling is huge here. It reminded us of trick-or-treating in the states.  A few days before Christmas, there were roving bands of carolers on the streets every evening.  We had a caroling band in our neighborhood the day before Christmas. Pretty fun! They stopped next door, so I was able to get this great video!  They really wanted money, but Elder Eddington gave them cookies instead.




 

 

 

 

 

Just some miscellaneous pictures of our Filipino Christmas decor.

 

 

Christmas parol made of drinking straws

 Umbrella-stand-turned Christmas tree

One of four parol made by a piano student

 

 

 

 

 

"The Alien"... added just for Laurel's enjoyment!

 

Personally, I call it "Pineapple Man" (with holly for hands and feet)

More parol

Pineapple Man, alias The Alien, and friends

We were homesick for family during the holidays, but keeping busy was good therapy.

 

Love, Mom and Dad

Maligayang Pasko (Merry Christmas)

Maligayang Pasko from the Philippines.  We have never sent Christmas letters to family or friends, so bear with me as I attempt an all-time first, and possibly last!

Enjoy a few Christmas decorations located around the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol building.



 

 



 

 

 

 

Headed across the bridge towards the Ilocos Norte Provincial Buildi:ng

 

 

 

As long as I was in the area, camera in hand, I couldn't resist the fountain:

 

 

Water-spewing carabao

These past six months in the Philippines have been quite the experience.  Our mission started in July, full of many adjustments, frustrations, but mostly joys.  One of our major adjustments was to understand and implement the role of senior couples.

Senior couples have a different role than the younger missionaries.  The young missionaries sole purpose is to teach and baptize.  They are the only ones in the Church who have the authority to do so.  Senior couples do not have that priviledge and authority.  Each senior couple is given a different assignment depending on their qualifications and the needs of the mission they are called to. 

Elder Eddington and I accepted the call from our previous mission president, President Odgers, to help the branch/ward clerks update the member records in the Laoag Mission.  This is a great fit for Elder Eddington since he has all the computer skills and brain power to accomplish this task.  We travel from time to time to meet with the local priesthood leaders so Elder Eddington can explain his agenda.  It is important for him to gain support and input for this project. While Elder Eddington meets with the Priesthood brethren, I find a cool spot and crochet baby blankets to give to a local hospital or talk with the members.

 I received a letter from the Music Department of the Church before we even came to the Philippines encouraging me to teach piano lessons as one of my activities while here.  The Church knows there is a great need in the Philippines for Church pianists. I was encouraged to apply for a musical grant offered by a generous LDS couple.  Because of this grant, I received keyboards and music for my students to use.  It has been a real blessing.  The students who have borrowed the keyboards can now practice their lessons at home instead of trying to practice in the meetinghouses.

All senior couples, no matter what their major responsibility is, are encouraged to help reactivate less actives.   We can assist the younger missionaries, but that is as far as our authority goes. Like I have already said, we do not have the authority to teach and baptize.  Our mission president has counseled us to always go with the young missionaries when we visit.  Activating less actives is  top priority in the Philippines Mission since there are so many members who aren't attending Church.  They have a hard time giving up their Catholic ways once they join the Church.  Catholics aren't required to attend church every week as we are.

Related to the call of reactivating less actives comes the call to establish the Church in the Philippines.  Elder Eddington and I answer this call when we give talks, which we have done BILLIONS of times.  We also may accept ward and stake assignments.   Elder Eddington is currently teaching a Family History class at the Institute of Religion.  He also helps in the family history center on Saturday afternoons while I give piano lessons. "Have keyboards, will travel" is my motto since I teach piano lessons to groups of students in four different places. I have also given TWO  without-previous-notice relief society lessons, gulp. I have also accepted the call to be a visiting teacher.  It was very enjoyable preparing for a relief society homemaking class by donating make-and-take angel kits and teaching the sisters how to assemble them.  How embarrassing for me, when at the end of the class they all sang, "For She's A Jolly Good Fellow"!

Not built into our senior couple call, but out of love for the Filipino people, we serve them a lot.....and LOVE doing so. We have met so many wonderful members of the Church as well as nonmembers.  They are friendly, loving, and kind.  Being a third-world country,  we don't have to look very far to find opportunites to serve these wonderful people. Some of the memorable service projects have been the ones where Elder Eddington helped the members construct or reconstruct three different homes.  He enjoyed buckling on his imaginary tool belt and digging in.

We also enjoy supporting and serving the missionaries whenever we see a need.  What a special bunch of young people.  They are so dedicated, cheerful, full of testimomy, selfless, and hard working.  We love them all to death.  I have cried many times when saying goodbye to these awesome missionaries.

As you may have gathered by now, we love our mission.  We are very grateful we are able to serve here in the Philippines.  Elder and I have learned so much about ourselves, each other, the Gospel, and our Savior.  We have grown closer as a couple.  Our testimonies, faith, and our love for the Savior as well as each other have been strengthened.  We have felt so much joy in being partners with the missionaries as we feel the Spirit touch the lives of less actives as well as nonmembers and see them either come back to the fold or into the fold.
 
Besides loving our mission, we love our family and miss them very much.  We are so proud of how strong they are in living the Gospel standards. Their support, prayers, and love for us is very appreciated. Sharing their beautiful pictures with everyone is the highlight of our day.  We get homesick for them very often, but by rededicating ourselves to our mission and continually watching for ways to serve, we overcome our homesickness and are happy.

May you all have a very enjoyable Christmas.... and enjoy the snow!  It is very strange hearing the people here singing songs such as, "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow".

"We'll Be Home For Christmas".... the Christmas of  2013, that is. Again, merry Christmas.

Elder and Sister Eddington

Missionary Work? What's That?

     Can a day start out any worse? We skipped our exercise hour at Marcos Stadium to work on our talks that we were to give at the Batac Stake Christmas Ball Saturday afternoon.
     The bad news was: the power went out at about 7am while we were working on the computer, finalizing our talks.
     The good news was: Because we had skipped our exercise hour, I had already showered and my hair was "fixed".  When the power goes out, we lose water pressure since our water is pumped into our apartment.
     The bad news was: I had no way of printing my talk. But I didn't worry too much. In the past, the power has usually been out for only twenty minutes or so.  But wait, the last time the power went out, it stayed out for fourteen long, air-conditionerless hours. 
     The good news was: As the hours ticked by without any electricity, I finally decided to cancel all my piano lessons for the day.  The stake center didn't have power either.  So now I had more time to work on my talk; hoping my computer battery would last long enough for me to finish my task.
     The bad news was: The power still wasn't on when we left for Batac. So we took my lap top with us to see if we could find a place that had electricty to print off my talk.  Worse case scenario, I would have to give my talk using the lap top.
     The good news was: We found a place to print  my talk! The mission office is closed on Saturdays, but it was our luck that some of the mission elders were in their apartment above the mission office doing their weekly planning.  AND they had power.  So Elder Knowles (a nephew of the Farmington Knowles) opened up the mission office and we printed.
     The bad news was: We had a hard time finding the ball venue.  We assumed the dance was to be held in a local meetinghouse, but we have learned not to ever assume anything.  Elder  texted early Saturday morning and we were informed that the ball was to be held at the Marcos University in Batac.  Good to know!
     The good news was: Since our print-my-talk problem was so easily solved, we had plenty of time to find the Batac Marcos University.
     From then on, the day continued to be full of good news. The ball was a kick-off activity to help motivate unendowed couples prepare to go to the temple for a stake temple trip in May.  Therefore, Elder and I were asked to speak on developing a good marital relationship.  We both shared the podium and took turns giving parts of the talk.  It was quite enjoyable....even though I had envisioned speaking in a chapel and then dismissing to a cultural hall for the dance.
     As you will see from the pictures, Filipino members really know how to party!  It was a very fun evening.

A live, and lively, band.

I took pictures of the fanciest dresses of the ball.  The men looked sharp, too.  Enjoy:

Stake President Galapia and wife

Husband and wife MCs.

 

 

     There's a good-looking young man in every crowd. Angelo Rafol is a returned missionary who teaches the San Lorenzo seminary while I give piano lessons. After the seminary class is over, I teach piano lessons to some of the seminary students, including Brother Rafol.  He is a real catch! The San Lorenzo young ladies sitting with me at our table were watching him all night, saying, "Look at that lucky girl dancing with Angelo." And there were A LOT of lucky girls! Is Angelo considered a play boy? Or is he just making a lot of girls' days?

 

     All of Angelo's Admiration Society of  Girls were so excited when he danced with the young lady in the picture below.  They practically pushed me onto the dance floor to take Angelo-and-partner's picture. I have been given strict instructions to give Angelo's Admirers a copy of the picture. It wasn't just the girls who were excited.  Angelo's grandmother was beside herself with delight. She kept hitting me saying, "She's the one I want! She was in my seminary class.  She was so good with scripture chases. She is older than the rest of  the girls. Go take their picture! Go take their picture." I agree...she's really cute.

Angelo's grandmother and his father. Brother Rafol is the ex-stake president of the Batac Stake.

     Little kids got into the spirit of the evening, too.  They danced so cute.

But most of them would stop dancing when they saw me approaching with my camera.



"Sweat rags" are commonly seen tucked in the back of kids' clothes.

After a while, things got pretty wild!

 

How did this picture get here? Well, I guess this is "wild" by missionary standards.

 

 

 

 

 

Can you believe it? The brother in the white suit is a current bishop.

 

 



 

 

 

 

     At the end of the evening, serious awards were given for "most poised", "best ball gown", "best dressed men",  "king of the ball", and "queen of the ball".

 

 

 

 

     Hey, wait! Isn't that your dad and me in the picture below?  How did that happen? And where is OUR award?

 



 

The evening still wasn't over.  While the crowd lined up in long lines to dish up their food, your dad and I, as well as a few other "dignitaries", were instructed to stay at our table and be served there.  We felt like royalty. There were so many different kinds of foods, there was hardly room for everyone's plates. Sorry, no pictures!

 

We arrived back at our apartment at 10pm.....and exhausted.  It was such a fun evening.