Chic Boy and more apartment checks...two necessities!

Every Tuesday we meet with our Zone for either District or Zone training. The missionaries in charge pray about, plan and execute wonderful lessons on different gospel subjects, all which are intended to help us as missionaries become the very best we can be. Our Zone is divided into two Districts with Elder Guevarra and Elder Reher as our two district leaders. Our Zone Leaders are Elder Landeen [in OUR batch at the MTC] and Elder Ballentos. All four are amazing teachers and the two hours we spend with them on Tuesday mornings are always well worth our time. This past week was a Zone meeting and the Zone Leaders talked about accountability. It was an incredible lesson and so well thought out-they are fantastic teachers!

Following our meeting we always go to lunch and often end up in the same restaurant as the other missionaries. Chic Boy is one of our favorites and the Elders and Sisters always like it because they give 'unlimited' rice. We found them all gathered around and we enjoyed a lunch with our favorite Zone!!

Elder Reher, Elder Ballentos and Elder Landeed

We had to tease Elder Dagal who is always counting his money!

Elder Shaner was finishing his Sinegang-one of his favorite Filipino dishes.

This was also our apartment check week for Santiago North and Santiago South Stakes. We have 24 missionaries between these two stakes and we love visiting them, checking their housing situation, bringing them requested supplies, taking them some of my traditional apartment check treat-homemade banana bread and in short, making sure they are safe and the spirit can dwell in their surroundings. One of these companionships are in a new apartment and two companionships who live in the same house are in the process of watching their new home built. When we arrived in Ramon to check on them, we found this on their front door-they must love us..or is it the banana bread???

Elder Roy and Elder Gloria are serving in Diffun and have a 'divine companionship'. Elder Gloria is Elder Roy's 'trainer' or tatay as they say here. That means 'daddy'...

Elder Kaloni and Elder Andaya are in Santiago and will soon be moving to a new apartment also.

These are the 'masters of the sign' that welcomed us to Ramon. Elder Ronstedt, Elder Aguila, Elder Phippen and Elder Coronel are very hard working Elders. Elder Ronstedt is their District Leader.

 We recently moved Elder Proctor and Elder Amoreda, who are the Zone Leaders for their Zone to a new apartment. You might remember the one on a previous post with the cute painted rock wall across the street. They are settled in and doing great work in their responsibilities. 

Isn't it so sad the Elder Fry is so unhappy?? This darling red-headed Elder is ALWAYS grinning-a true sign of a happy and hard working Elder. His companion, Elder Hawlader, the Elder from Bangladesh, is settling into the work and doing an amazing job with his Tagalog. He came here knowing NO Tagalog and very little English. What a testament to the power of the Lord and the gift of tongues.

I probably could save this for an 'Only in the Philippines' post but the colors are so amazing and the costumes were stunning. Each little city has a street dance festival in the spring and as we passed through a neighboring city, we passed a parade of the participants in the upcoming festival. What a great looking group of young people!

Sometimes I am still mesmerized with my surroundings. We have been here almost 20 months and I am still awed by what I see every day. These are beautiful people in a glorious land filled with amazing experiences. Wouldn't trade a second!!!!